The Hidden Evil: Villainous Cultivator

Ye Feng emerged from his hiding spot and swiftly changed into the fresh set of clothes he had stashed behind the dumpster earlier. Now dressed in his signature black suit, he moved like a shadow, making his way back to the safe house.

Upon arrival, he found only Arnold inside. Without a word, Arnold motioned for him to follow. They moved to a room on the ground floor where Arnold pressed a concealed button. The bed, along with part of the floor, shifted aside, revealing a hidden staircase leading underground.

"Go down to the basement," Arnold instructed.

Ye Feng obeyed, descending the stairs into a dimly lit space where his teammates were already waiting.

"Good work, Hades," Mike greeted him with a smile, and the others nodded in approval.

"Good work, everyone. I trust everything went smoothly on your end?" Ye Feng asked.

Tyson, seated casually on a chair, grinned. "Everything went perfectly. No security footage remains. We wiped the CCTVs clean."

"That's good to hear," Ye Feng replied as he took a seat.

"What's next?" he asked.

"We wait for further instructions from the higher-ups," Mike said. "Arnold advised us to lay low for a few days. The authorities are in a frenzy searching for us, so it's best to stay hidden. Once the heat dies down, we'll plan our escape."

Mike continued, "The assassination is all over the news. There's massive pressure on the police, and they're searching everywhere. Going outside isn't safe right now—we could easily be stopped and questioned."

"Someone reported that the shooter was a young man, but they didn't see your face," Tyson added. "So, there shouldn't be any problems in the future. For now, we just wait."

The next day, they received a message from Zero: Stay hidden for one month. After that, an escort would arrange their return. Additionally, each of them would receive five hundred thousand dollars, deposited directly into their bank accounts.

With no choice but to remain in the basement, they passed the days in quiet routine, training and maintaining their physical condition while Arnold ensured all their necessities were met. A full month passed without incident.

On the thirtieth day, another message arrived. They were to move out that night—a ship would be waiting at the same port from which they had arrived.

At nightfall, they gathered their belongings and slipped through the city like ghosts, moving exactly as they had upon arrival. Reaching the port, they found the ship waiting. Without hesitation, they boarded, and the vessel set sail. The journey back took sixteen days.

Upon returning to base, the team received commendations from the higher-ups. Their ranks were each elevated by one star.

In the Yellow Rank, every successful mission awarded one star. Upon collecting ten stars, an assassin would be promoted to the Silver Rank. In the Silver Rank, two missions were required per star, while in the Gold Rank, three were necessary. The Heaven Rank demanded five missions per star, and in the Supreme Rank, the requirement increased to ten missions per star.

All major assassin organizations followed a similar ranking system. As Ye Feng processed this information, he felt a tinge of unease.

"Ten missions for Silver, twenty for Gold, thirty for Heaven, fifty for Supreme, and then a hundred more to reach the pinnacle… That's two hundred and ten missions in total. Even if someone managed an impossible five missions a year, it would still take forty-two years to reach the top."

Given the number of organizations and assassins in each one, Ye Feng found it hard to believe anyone could truly complete this path. If assassination were that easy, the world would already be in complete chaos.

There had to be a catch. He suspected that higher-level missions carried more weight than standard ones—that was the only way to make progress possible. However, he kept his thoughts to himself. He knew that, in time, he would learn the truth. One thing was certain: to handle top-tier missions, their current skills wouldn't be enough. Advancement would bring new training, new knowledge, and new ways to grow stronger.

With these thoughts in mind, he reunited with the remaining members of his batch. Only two boys and one girl were present; the others were out on missions of their own. They congratulated him on completing his assignment, exchanging brief but meaningful words before he retired to his room.

For the next five days, nothing significant happened. Then, on the sixth day, Ye Feng received a summon from his master. Without hesitation, he went to meet him.

This time, Master Song was alone.

"Hades," he began. "In three days, you will return to your home country. You must reintegrate into society. All necessary documents—your ID card, school certificates, past residency records—have already been arranged by the organization."

Ye Feng remained silent, listening.

"I know your past," Song continued, his tone calm but firm. "Do not seek revenge against your orphanage warden. He remains an active link in our supply chain. Targeting him would bring unnecessary trouble and yield no real benefit."

"I understand," Ye Feng responded without hesitation.

Song studied him for a moment before nodding. "I know you understand, but I wanted to remind you regardless. You are an exceptional talent—the best I have trained thus far. I don't want you to be distracted by insignificant matters."

Ye Feng gave a slow nod, acknowledging his master's words.

"You have two days to prepare yourself," Song continued. "Once you're out there, you will be alone. No one will guide you. If anything happens, handle it discreetly—leave no traces."

He paused before adding, "If you require assistance from the organization for personal matters, you will have to pay for it. Even then, depending on the nature of the issue, we may not be able to intervene."

Ye Feng nodded again, absorbing the weight of his master's words.

A new chapter of his life was about to begin. After that he left, thinking about his new journey.