Ivy, wanting to return the pressure the thugs had inflicted, though she didn’t need to, decided to test her skills on the blond man.

She needed a worthy opponent to maximize her training and gain experience points.

Having easily incapacitated the redhead, Ivy focused on the blond man, feeling a pang of disappointment.

The pressure from the blond man was only half that of Zhang Tong. It wasn’t that the blond man was weak, but…

"The Crane Claw Technique is powerful enough. And I didn’t make any mistakes today. I fought fiercely and ruthlessly, far surpassing my performance that night," Ivy thought, her combat skills improving as she fought.

A chill ran down the blond man’s spine. One eye was still open, staring fiercely, the other socket a gaping wound, a shattered eyeball embedded in his skull.

Did I not fight hard enough?

No, his stubborn resistance had fueled his aggression, but it was still no match for Ivy’s ruthlessness.

But,

It wasn’t cowardice; it was…

The blond man, gritting his teeth, blocked Ivy’s claw. A large chunk of flesh was instantly ripped from his abdomen, his intestines spilling out.

Accepting this as the price, the blond man used his knife, stabbing Ivy three times in the lower abdomen, navel, and heart in the blink of an eye.

Then, the first stab was deflected by a knee strike, resulting in a bloody gash on the attacker’s knee, but the bone remained unbroken.

Next, the second stab was countered by a claw, slicing a layer of flesh from the attacker’s index finger. But the exposed bone clamped down even harder, a truly terrifying sight.

Finally, the third stab found its mark, but it was as if it had struck a layer of iron. Sparks flew from the torn flesh.

The blond man had tried to exchange blows, but he was the one who was injured, while Ivy remained unscathed and even seemed displeased.

How could he fight back against such a situation? The blond man felt despair.

Was it a matter of ruthlessness? Ivy was simply relying on her superior strength and resilience. She could fight relentlessly; could the blond man?

Ivy didn’t think so. She felt she had grasped the essence of combat—as long as she fought relentlessly and aggressively, the one who retreated would lose.

“Ruthlessness means that only I can be ruthless!”

Ivy’s eyes gleamed. She fought with increasing ferocity and unwavering conviction, feeling her combat experience surging.

“Don’t stop. Don’t retreat. Come on!”

“Retreat is death. Only by killing me can you survive. The lower your HP, the more fiercely you must fight!”

Ivy was covered in blood. The blond man, now almost as red as the redhead, was terrified by her ferocious words.

She’s encouraging me… to fight more fiercely, he thought. What a joke!

A second later, rage surged through the blond man. He threw his knife away, spreading his arms, saying defiantly, “Stop! Kill me.”

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Ivy’s movements froze. She looked at him, disgusted.

No, your will to survive is too weak. Learn from the redhead. Even with a severed leg, he was still crawling, moving over ten meters.

Ivy was disappointed, using the thirteenth form of the Crane Claw Technique—the Heart-Shattering Claw—to finish off the defeated blond man.

The night was silent, broken only by the sound of a heart being crushed, the wet squelch of blood dripping from between fingers. The sound made the redhead stop crawling and turn his head in terror.

In the distance, a body fell to the ground with a thud.

Nearby, bloodstained shoes came into view, accompanied by approaching footsteps.

The redhead froze, feeling his heart pounding. He stiffly turned his head to see Ivy squatting down, her hands covered in blood.

“You have a stronger will to survive than the blond man,” Ivy said.

The redhead wanted to plead, but his throat felt constricted. He couldn’t speak.

Ivy took the phone from the redhead and held it before him. “Call your Brother Ban. I have something to discuss with him.”

The redhead struggled to sit up, found a number, and dialed.

As he dialed, he pleaded, “Can you spare my life?”

Ivy didn’t lie. She said truthfully, “It depends on your performance.”

Hope flickered in the redhead's eyes.

The call connected.

The redhead’s voice was hoarse and trembling. “Brother Ban, I'm Red. Someone wants to talk to you.”

At the Bloody Rosary bar, hearing the trembling voice, Ma Ban looked surprised. He pulled out the list and glanced at it.

He confirmed that the person who had been watching Ivy was Red.

Ma Ban’s voice was even. “Who is this?”

The redhead swallowed, staring at Ivy, unsure whether to tell the truth or lie.

Ivy controlled her vocal cords, making her voice hoarse. “Why are you looking at me? Tell your Brother Ban who I am.”

The redhead stammered, “Brother Ban, it’s Ivy.”

A one-second pause. “Where’s Blond?”

“Dead!”

Another pause. Ma Ban remained silent. The redhead didn’t know what to say. Ivy remained calm, waiting.

Ma Ban’s pupils constricted slightly.

He knew the personalities of his underlings. Blond was reckless and fearless. If he were on the phone, his story would be believable.

But Red was cowardly and fearful. His story was completely unbelievable.

Two thugs were watching Ivy, Blond was killed, and Red called him, claiming Ivy was the murderer?

After a while, Ma Ban said, “Stop with the nonsense. Who are you really?”

The redhead was astonished to hear the voice. Ivy smirked, her voice hoarse. “I’m Ivy.”

As if afraid he wouldn’t believe her, Ivy used her sharpened bone finger to press against the redhead’s throat.

The redhead, terrified, cried, “Brother Ban, it’s Ivy. I’m not lying.”

The more the redhead cried, the less Ma Ban believed him. He sneered, “If you don’t tell me who you are, I’m hanging up.”

Ivy snatched the phone from the redhead. “Sigh, no one believes the truth these days.”

Ma Ban remained silent.

Ivy sighed and said, “Who I am is irrelevant. The important thing is that I heard you’re looking for me.”

Ma Ban sat up straight, frowning slightly. “Who is this?”

Ivy sneered. “I killed Zheng Hang and Zhang Tong. Who do you think I am?”

Ma Ban, having already guessed, wasn’t surprised. “You’re bold. The entire Qinglang Gang is looking for you, and you dare call me? What do you want?”

Ivy glanced at the dazed redhead. “I want to do what you’re doing, Brother Ban.”

Ma Ban: “And what do I want? I want to catch you.”

Ivy scoffed. “Don’t play games. You want Zheng Si dead. And I want Zheng Si dead.”

The redhead, seemingly having overheard a significant secret, wanted to bury his head in the mud.

Ma Ban’s pupils narrowed. He vehemently denied it. “You’re slandering me. I’m completely loyal to Boss Zheng.”

“Ha ha—” Ivy sneered. “Should I call Zheng Si now?”

“Why would Boss Zheng believe you?”

“I’ll call using Zheng Hang’s phone. He’ll believe I’m the killer. And then he’ll know you’re playing games.”

Ma Ban gripped the phone tightly, realizing Ivy knew more than he thought. His tone turned cold. “You’re the murderer, and I’m the second-in-command. Who would Boss Zheng believe?”

Ivy’s tone remained calm. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t need him to believe me. I only need him to not believe you. Should I call him now?”

Silence.

After about half a minute, Ma Ban said, “We can cooperate. I can help you kill Zheng Si and avenge Wang Wei.”

Ivy didn’t deny her connection to Wang Wei. She feigned a desire for revenge, her voice dark.

“Zheng Si should die, but I also want…”

Of course, Ivy didn't actually care if Zheng Si lived or died. Well, she did want him dead, but…

Ma Ban had already set the stage for Zheng Si’s demise.

But this was a team effort, and a hefty price was only fair.

Even though you set the stage, I’m performing too. And I’m doing double the work. I deserve a sky-high fee, Ivy thought, stating her price, making Ma Ban want to smash his phone.