Chapter 10

Ten minutes later.

Living room on the first floor of the safe house.

Two white men in dark gray tailored suits strode in. They wore pure gold crossed swords badges on their chests—the symbol of the International Assassin Alliance's Tribunal.

The blond man in front had an arrogant expression. His eyes swept over the Iron Bear assassins standing on both sides, and a cold sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Shadow Sect sure puts on quite a show. There aren't many organizations in North America that dare to make such a display," The blond man walked to the sofa and, ignoring Ironclaw standing to the side, looked directly at Damien sitting in the main seat.

"Are you Shadow Sect's Supreme King, Damien?"

Damien didn't speakor even glance at him. He was looking down at the tablet in his hands, reviewing Faye's latest medical report. All indicators were recovering rapidly, which helped ease his tense nerves a bit.

Anger flashed in the ignored blond man's eyes. He held a high position in the Assassin Alliance and was respected and admired wherever he went. He couldn't stand being ignored like this.

"Damien, on behalf of the International Assassin Alliance Supreme Council, I'm delivering an ultimatum to you." The blond man pulled out a gold-embossed black envelope from his briefcase and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Last night, you deployed large-scale military forces and destroyed the Ford family. This seriously violates the 'Underground World Non-Aggression Treaty' established by the International Assassin Alliance. The Ford family is an important financial sponsor of our Alliance in North America. Your actions are a provocation against the Alliance's authority. You've crossed the line."

The blond man placed both hands on the table, leaning forward with an overbearing presence.

"The Council's decision is simple. First, hand over control of half of Shadow Sect's assassins to be managed by the Alliance. Second, compensate for the ten billion dollar economic loss the Alliance suffered from the Ford family's destruction. Third, you must personally go to European headquarters to face public trial by the Council. This is your only chance to survive."

The blond man straightened up and adjusted his suit and tie.

"You have twenty-four hours to think it over. If you refuse, the International Assassin Alliance will issue a global SSS-level kill order. When that happens, not just you, but your wife and daughter will become prey for assassins worldwide. They'll die horribly, and you won't be able to protect them."

Damien locked his tablet screen and set it aside.

He looked up, his gaze falling on the blond man's face.

"Done talking?" Damien asked.

The blond man was stunned. This reaction was completely unexpected.

"Damien, don't think that taking out some ordinary family in San Francisco gives you the right to challenge the entire Assassin Alliance," the blond man snorted coldly.

"The Alliance has twelve SSS-level assassins under its command. Sending out just one of them could wipe out your Shadow Sect completely. You have no idea what kind of giant you're facing!"

Damien stood up.

He walked up to the blond man. They were about the same height, but the oppressive aura emanating from Damien made the blond man involuntarily step back half a pace.

"Ironclaw," Damien spoke.

"Yes!" Ironclaw stepped forward.

"Read this letter to him," Damien pointed at the black envelope on the table.

Ironclaw picked up the envelope, opened it, and pulled out the parchment inside.

"To Shadow Sect leader Damien..." Ironclaw had just read a few words.

Damien's right hand shot out.

Extremely fast.

He grabbed the blond man's throat and lifted him completely off the ground.

The blond man's legs kicked wildly in mid-air, his hands desperately clutching at Damien's wrist, trying to pry open those vise-like fingers.

The other Alliance envoy was shocked and reached for the gun at his waist.

Ironclaw drew the tactical pistol from his thigh holster and shot a bullet through the envoy's forehead. The body fell straight onto the expensive carpet, blood splattering on the glass table.

Seeing his companion's brutal death, the blond man's eyes filled with fear. He struggled desperately, making gurgling sounds in his throat.

"I don't like people threatening me with my wife and daughter," Damien looked at the blond man's face turning purple-red.

"International Assassin Alliance? What the hell is that? How dare they set rules for me? From today on, I make the rules in the underground world."

Damien's fingers suddenly tightened.

The blond man's head dropped limply, lifelessly.

Damien casually threw the corpse on the ground.

"Get someone to clean this up. Don't let the smell of blood drift upstairs and disturb Sophia," Damien took the wet towel Ironclaw handed him and wiped his hands.

Ironclaw waved his hand. Several Iron Bear personnel quickly came forward, put the two corpses into bags and carried them away, then used special cleaning agents to treat the bloodstains on the carpet. The entire process took less than a minute, and the living room was restored to its original state.

"Lord, the Assassin Alliance means business this time." Ironclaw held the warning letter, his expression grave.

"I just checked the Alliance's internal fund flows. The Ford family wasn't just their sponsor—they were more like their money-laundering front in North America. The Ford family channeled over three billion dollars in dirty money to the Alliance every year. By destroying the Ford family, you've cut off the Council elders' cash flow. They won't let this go."

Damien walked to the sofa and sat down.

"Continue."

"The Assassin Alliance was founded last century and has deep roots. They control seventy percent of the global underground assassination business. The most troublesome part is the twelve SSS-level assassins they support. These people are monsters who crawled out of hell. According to rumors, the one ranked first is 'Death God.'"

"He once single-handedly slaughtered all the royal family members of a Middle Eastern country. The Ford family always had the Assassin Alliance's secret support behind them. That's why the Ford family could run wild in San Francisco." Ironclaw pulled up a top-secret file and handed it to Damien.

Damien didn't take it.

"Celestial Temple, Assassin Alliance." Damien's fingers lightly tapped the tabletop.

"Looks like during the five years I was gone, the tumors in the underground world grew back. They think huddling together for warmth can stand against me."

"Lord, should we tighten our defenses?" Ironclaw asked.

"If the Assassin Alliance really issues an SSS-level kill order, thousands of desperados from around the world will flood into San Francisco. The security pressure on Mrs. Cole and your daughter will be enormous. Safe House One is solid, but it can't withstand endless attacks."

"Defense is always passive. In my life, I don't retreat." Damien stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the entire city.

Morning light tore through the clouds, spilling over San Francisco's steel jungle.

"Since they think the Ford family was their cash cow, I'll rip out that path by the roots." Damien turned around, his eyes showing extreme coldness.

"Pass my order: all twelve Shadow Sect divisions worldwide, lift silent status immediately."

Ironclaw's spirits lifted, and he straightened his back sharply.