In his mind, the voice of the Divine Emperor resonated, calm and steady. "That’s one of the assassins sent to kill Han Xin."
Xiang Yu’s lips curled into a smirk. "How many are there?"
"Two. They thought they could sneak up on him and claim the reward first."
"Good," Xiang Yu muttered, his clenched fist tightening his grip. "Then let Xin-ge’s wife give them their reward."
The Divine Emperor sighed before asking, "What reward is that?"
Xiang Yu’s smirk widened as he started to follow the figure, his steps deliberate and silent. "One ticket to hell."
The Divine Emperor fell silent for a moment before responding with a faint, amused exhale. "... Fair enough."
The night swallowed Xiang Yu as he moved, his determination unwavering. If anyone was going to threaten Han Xin, they would have to go through him first. This venerable one wasn’t known for being merciful.
The night was dark, the moon a sliver hidden behind heavy clouds. Xiang Yu moved like a shadow, his figure blending seamlessly into the blackness. Above him, perched on a rooftop, was the assassin.
The man was silent, a spectre in the night, his gaze fixed on Han Xin’s house. The lights were off, the windows dark, but the assassin waited, patient and calculating.
Xiang Yu’s lips curled into a sinister smile, his blade flickering between his fingers like a deadly dance. He crept closer, his steps soundless, his presence undetectable. The assassin didn’t notice him, his focus entirely on the house below.
In one swift, inhumanly fast motion, Xiang Yu was behind him. The blade, cold and sharp, slid into the assassin’s throat with a sickening ease.
Blood bubbled up, a dark river spilling down the man’s chest. Xiang Yu twisted the blade, his smile widening, twisted and eerie, like a vengeful ghost.
"You shouldn’t have been too eager," Xiang Yu whispered, his voice low and chilling. The assassin’s gurgling sounds were the only reply. With a casual kick, Xiang Yu sent the man tumbling off the roof. The body hit the ground with a dull thud, a sound swallowed by the night.
Xiang Yu stood on the edge of the roof, his hand slick with blood, droplets falling onto the tiles below. His eyes scanned the darkness, sharp and unrelenting. "Where’s the other one?" he asked, his tone cold.
The Divine Emperor’s voice echoed in his mind, calm and clear, giving him a location and a warning, "You better hurry."
Xiang Yu didn’t need encouragement. His speed was inhuman, his movements a blur as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his hand on his side itching to spill some more blood. He spotted the second assassin just as the man raised his weapon, his finger already on the trigger.
Xiang Yu lunged, his boot connecting with the assassin’s side with brutal force. The man stumbled, his finger tightening on the trigger reflexively. A shot rang out, the bullet slicing through the air with a ’whoosh’. It missed its intended mark, shattering a window and embedding itself into the wall inside.
In the room below, Han Xin’s head snapped up, his brow furrowing as the others ducked low. "Stay down!" he barked, his voice sharp. His powers flared, ready to activate, but his eyes caught movement on the opposite rooftop.
There, in the shadows, was a familiar figure. Xiang Yu. He had the assassin in a chokehold, his grip unyielding, his expression cold and predatory. Han Xin’s eyes narrowed, his heart pounding.
On the rooftop, Xiang Yu’s stood tall with the assassin in his grasp struggled weakly, but Xiang Yu’s grip was iron. His smile returned, dark and knowing, as he tightened his hold.
His chest rose and fell with controlled breaths, his gaze locked onto Han Xin’s. Their eyes met, and Xiang Yu smirked, a dark, knowing curve of his lips. Without breaking eye contact, he twisted the assassin’s neck with a brutal snap. The sound was sharp, final.
Xiang Yu kicked the lifeless body off the roof, sending it tumbling into the shadows below. The thud echoed faintly, swallowed by the night. He stood there for a moment, chest still heaving, his expression unreadable except for the faint glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Then, without a word, he turned and leapt off the rooftop. He landed on the ground with a soft thud, his movements smooth and effortless. Dust stirred around his boots as he straightened, his back to them.
Han Xin watched him, his expression unreadable. Behind him, the others had gathered at the window, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. Nobody spoke. The tension in the room was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken questions.
Xiang Yu didn’t look back. He walked away, his steps unhurried, his smirk lingering. His hands were shoved in his pockets, his posture relaxed, as if he hadn’t just executed two men with brutal efficiency.
Since Han Xin didn’t invite him to his little meeting no tell him that he would be late he decided he was not to returning to Han Xin’s place.
When Han Xin just met Xiang Yu’s gaze and watched him kill that assassin, he felt a heat rising within him, unexpected and undeniable. It surged like a tide, overwhelming and insistent, filling the spaces between his ribs and tightening his chest.
For a fleeting moment, he saw a softness flickering in those dark, intense eyes. It was there for a heartbeat, then gone, replaced by that familiar smirk. But Han Xin had seen it. And it left him unsettled.
His heart raced, the weight of the unspoken bond between them pressing down on him. It was thrilling and terrifying all at once, a whirlwind of emotions that sparked something fierce inside him.
When Xiang Yu turned and disappeared into the night, Han Xin felt an itch, a desperate need to see him again, to close the distance between them. But the moment was shattered as Han Zhan turned away from the window, his voice sharp.
"Secure the city!" Han Zhan barked, his eyes fixed on the mangled body of the assassin lying below. "We don’t know how many of them are out there."
The room erupted into action as the others scrambled to follow his orders, their footsteps echoing in the chaos. When the room emptied, Han Zhan turned to Han Xin, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Was that... Xiang Yu?"
Han Xin didn’t look away from the window. "Yeah," he said, his voice steady as his gaze lingered on the crowd gathering around the dead assassin below.