Chapter 85: The Assassins' Guild

“I love hearing secrets the most. Sit down and tell me—how does a soldier become an assassin?” Lu Feng spun his pistol as he spoke.

Zhong Jianguo remained silent for a long while before finally saying, “When I was carrying out military operations abroad, I once captured a member of an international assassin organization. Later, an accident occurred during the mission. After returning to the country, I had to conceal my identity and needed money. I had no work experience for civilian jobs, and if I became a bodyguard, my employer would surely investigate my background. So, I assumed the identity of that assassin.”

Lu Feng wasn’t entirely convinced by Zhong Jianguo’s story and kept his gaze fixed upon him as he spoke.

“Do you know who your handler is?” Lu Feng pressed further.

Zhong Jianguo shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t.”

Lu Feng shook his head in return. “That can’t be right. You’ve worked this job for at least six or seven years. There’s no way you haven’t found any clues.”

Zhong Jianguo sighed. “I have noticed a few traces. I know the assassin organization collaborates with local gangs, so I suspect my handler is a gang member. Many assassination targets are related to those gangs.”

Lu Feng frowned slightly, surprised that this matter was once again entangled with the gangs. Upon careful recollection, he realized he had only clashed with the Lianhong Society. Could it be that Seventh Master was the handler for the assassin organization?

That didn’t quite fit. Seventh Master was seeking to ally himself with Yun’an. If he were the handler, he wouldn’t need to look for a sponsor.

Bigmouth Xiao was already dead in prison, killed by someone from the Lianhong Society, so it couldn’t be him either.

As for Shan Wei, he was subordinate to both Seventh Master and Bigmouth Xiao, only capable of petty tricks. He hardly seemed the type to control an assassin organization.

No matter how he calculated, there was no one in the Lianhong Society with the capacity to serve as the handler. Yet, outside of the Lianhong Society, Lu Feng couldn’t recall offending any other gang.

“Is there a way to find out who wants me dead?” Lu Feng asked again.

“Impossible. To trace the employer, you must first catch the handler. If the handler were so easy to uncover, he’d be dead already,” Zhong Jianguo replied, shaking his head.

Lu Feng pondered for a moment. “Alright, then you should investigate the handler of the assassin organization and track down the person who wants me dead.”

Zhong Jianguo looked at Lu Feng in surprise, uncertain why he was being asked to do this. “Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Our relationship is delicate right now. I could shoot you dead this instant—it's the safest course. But I have great respect for those who protect their country, so I don’t really want to kill you. Still, I suppose you’d want to silence me, since I know your secret,” Lu Feng said.

Zhong Jianguo shook his head. “Perhaps at first, but Xiao Chong said you can cure Ke Ming’s eyes. If you truly can heal Xiao Ke Ming, I would never harm you.”

“Since you mention treatment, bring the child out. Let me examine him,” Lu Feng said, glancing at Xia Yubing.

Xia Yubing hurried into her brother’s room, led Xia Keming out, and settled him on the sofa.

Lu Feng holstered his pistol, tucking it into his pocket. Zhong Jianguo watched as Lu Feng put away the gun, wanting to speak but holding back.

“Ke Ming, let the doctor examine you. Don’t be nervous. Just hold your sister’s hand,” Xia Yubing said, grasping the boy’s palm.

The boy looked at Lu Feng with curious eyes. His vision was very poor, only able to make out a blurry silhouette. Hearing his sister’s words, he nodded earnestly.

Lu Feng took the boy’s wrist, pressing his fingers to the pulse point, carefully feeling the rhythm. He then asked Xia Yubing to fetch a flashlight and examined the boy’s eyes closely.

“Can he be cured?” Xia Yubing asked anxiously after Lu Feng finished his examination.

“Yes. But he’s a bit older now. Even if the disease is cured, regaining his sight will require long-term vision training,” Lu Feng replied.

“When can you start treatment?” Xia Yubing pressed.

“I’ll first use acupuncture to control the condition, then prescribe a decoction of Cassia seed for him to drink. Whenever you have time, bring him to Yun’an and I’ll perform the Golden Needle Obstruction Removal procedure,” Lu Feng said, taking out his acupuncture needles.

He unrolled his needle pouch, selected a short fine needle, and instructed, “Help him lie down.”

“Ke Ming, lie down slowly. I’ll support you,” Xia Yubing helped her brother recline.

“Sis, are they going to give me an injection?” the boy asked nervously.

“No, it’s just acupuncture. It won’t hurt,” Lu Feng answered quickly.

The boy’s poor eyesight spared him from seeing Lu Feng poised with the needle above his head, which would have frightened him even more.

A child’s acupoints differ somewhat from those of adults, making them harder to locate, especially those near the eyes and head.

Lu Feng’s fingers explored the boy’s eyelids, gently pinching a fold of skin, then angled the fine needle in.

Xia Yubing watched nervously, but the boy didn’t cry or fuss, reassuring her that it wasn’t painful.

Zhong Jianguo observed Lu Feng’s technique. When Xia Yubing first mentioned Lu Feng could cure Xia Keming’s eyes, he was skeptical because Lu Feng looked so young. Watching his skilled movements now, Zhong Jianguo was fully convinced.

Acupuncture is not something one can easily imitate. Without knowledge of acupoints and technique, inserting a fine needle would cause bleeding. But for those who understand it, the needle enters smoothly, with no bleeding and almost no pain.

Of course, inserting a needle into flesh can’t be entirely painless. But the sensation is not simple pain; it’s called “needle sensation”—a feeling of heaviness or numbness, sometimes even a surge of electricity if a nerve is touched.

Proficient in medicine, skilled in acupuncture, and possessing unfathomable abilities.

Zhong Jianguo suddenly found himself speculating about Lu Feng. If this were ancient times, such a person, with extraordinary methods, would surely belong to the hidden sages of the Hundred Schools.

Lu Feng finished the acupuncture, withdrew the needle, wrote out a prescription for Cassia seed decoction, and then stood up to leave.

Zhong Jianguo hesitated, pointing to Lu Feng’s pocket. “Carrying that gun is dangerous.”

“It’s my first time handling a firearm. I’ll play with it for a few days before deciding,” Lu Feng had no intention of returning the gun.

“That gun has a ballistic record in the military. If someone gets hold of the bullet or shell casing, they’ll know who owns it,” Zhong Jianguo warned.

“Thanks for the reminder. I’ll be careful,” Lu Feng replied, opening the door to leave.

Zhong Jianguo followed him to the door, wanting to say more, but finally could only sigh helplessly and return inside. He saw Xia Yubing helping her brother up and asked, “Ke Ming, how do you feel?”

“Not much different, but my eyes feel much more comfortable,” the boy replied.