Chapter 53: Full of Twisted Tastes

"As researchers, they don't actually have many vices; they are simply following orders," Amelia said with a laugh. "Among the targets we've identified, this man is the only one who is truly heinous. This Morris is beyond merely 'bad'—his list of criminal activities is too extensive to describe one by one."

If Xia Yan were to kill an ordinary person, he would feel a twinge of guilt. But if he were to kill someone who was monstrous and devoid of any redeeming qualities, he would have no psychological burden at all.

"You even considered this for my sake?" Xia Yan found it incredible.

"Of course! Are you looking down on my intelligence?" Amelia replied, sounding quite annoyed.

"I don't believe those researchers who only follow orders are innocent," Xia Yan countered.

It was like being ordered to commit murder; could the one who pulls the trigger ever be considered innocent? Impossible. Even if the killer would be executed if they refused, they could not be called innocent. This world was inherently cruel, and as a 'sinner,' Xia Yan never denied that fact.

Xiao Qing watched Amelia with a strange expression. This sister Amelia's attitude toward this human was very peculiar; in her memory, this was absolutely, definitely a first. She addressed him by his full name, and her tone wasn't that of a superior to a subordinate, but rather like a friend. Was this human really that special?

In truth, the most bizarre thing was this mission itself. To Xiao Qing, this wasn't a mission at all, but a gift. With the resources the Demon race had at their disposal, they could easily find candidates more suitable than Xia Yan—people who wouldn't betray them, who were more loyal, and who wouldn't require such massive compensation.

If it were the incident in the Free Zone, Xia Yan had indeed been a suitable choice because they were restricted to ability users with a brain-domain development of under fifty percent. But this time, there were no such strict requirements for strength. Two vials of Potential Potions, two vials of Limit-Breaking Potions, and the Chain of Purity—any one of these things was worth a king's ransom!

It felt to Xiao Qing as if Amelia were deliberately grooming Xia Yan. Having him carry out this mission had nothing to do with the Demon race; it was simply because it was the most beneficial experience for Xia Yan's growth.

The Blazing Bar was a large establishment in Domino City. It was packed with people—hundreds during the day and over a thousand at night—with quite a few ability users mixed into the crowd. The place was rife with crime and drug trafficking, but for Morris, it was a paradise.

Perhaps he had a bit too much to drink, as he headed to the restroom to relieve himself. However, before he even reached the urinal, he was knocked unconscious by a man. In the final instant before losing consciousness, he almost screamed in shock; the man looked exactly like him, as if he were staring into a mirror.

Unfortunately, he couldn't make a sound, and he died shortly thereafter.

Xia Yan took out a small bottle and dripped a few drops onto Morris's corpse. Within moments, the body vanished, leaving not even a trace of an odor in the air. Xia Yan had already donned Morris's attire, his appearance indistinguishable from the original. He strode toward the Blazing Bar with a casual demeanor.

"Hey, my brother, Mr. Morris!" A burly, bald man waved at him. "Come on, let's have another round! We won't go home until we're drunk!"

"John, let's do it next time. I'm a bit tired today," the fake Morris said, waving back with the same rough, masculine air. He looked exactly like Morris.

"Hi, Mr. Morris!" A dancer walked over, revealing her cleavage. "How about something intoxicating tonight?"

"Another day, my dear." The fake Morris reached out, pinched her hip, and walked away laughing.

Xia Yan left the Blazing Bar. His current identity was that of an ability user on the outer perimeter of the Wilbur family, a role similar to a police officer that handled matters related to other ability users. He happened to be off duty today and wouldn't return to work until tomorrow.

"Xia Yan, to keep this identity from raising suspicion, you need to go home and check in with your wife," Amelia teased.

"I don't have a wife," Xia Yan rolled his eyes.

"Morris has a wife, and oh, don't forget his two mistresses. Be careful not to run into them," Xiao Ling chimed in.

"You're messing with me, aren't you!" Xia Yan's face darkened.

It seemed Xiao Ling's loose tongue had triggered a flag; suddenly, a very alluring woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, appeared in front of them. She was one of Morris's mistresses.

"Xia Yan, go over there! Don't dodge; she's seen you," Xiao Ling urged. "Use the information we provided you to handle it."

Xia Yan's expression was grim.

"Xia Yan, hurry up! Don't let your cover blow," Amelia added anxiously. "This isn't a stranger; this is your lover. If you do nothing, she'll notice something is wrong. Go quickly, and keep your expression natural!"

"Yeah, Xia Yan, your expression is too stiff. Are you an idiot?" Xiao Ling even stuck out her tongue, acting mischievous.

Xia Yan was certain that Amelia and Xiao Ling were conspiring to toy with him. The two girls watched the scene with a wicked sense of amusement; it was clear they were obsessed with this kind of gossip. This was hardly surprising—Amelia was exactly the type to enjoy teasing others, and as for young Xiao Ling, she had likely been corrupted by her.

Xia Yan had no choice but to push through and act his part; he absolutely could not let his identity be exposed. At the same time, he silently grumbled: Morris was only twenty-three and already married! And if being married wasn't enough, he had to have two mistresses? Was he just looking for trouble?

"Oh, darling," the fake Morris said, walking over.

"Oh, sweetheart!" the gorgeous woman exclaimed, pulling Xia Yan into a passionate embrace. Her firm chest was enough to make anyone's heart race.

After some idle chatter, they finally got to the point.

"Darling, I'm free tonight. Why don't you come over to my place?" she asked seductively.

"My dear, I've been very busy lately. Let's do it another day," Xia Yan replied stiffly.

"Xia Yan, agree to it! What are you doing? You'll cause suspicion!" Amelia said, clearly dissatisfied.

"Hehe!" Xiao Ling glanced at Amelia. "Yeah, Xia Yan, agree to it. You're not working today anyway."

If he weren't still in the middle of his act, Xia Yan would have pointed at these two girls and cursed them out. What kind of game were they playing? It felt like they weren't on his side at all!