At these words, the expressions of Ghost Elder and Poison Elder changed drastically. The murderous intent in Xu Ke's words was palpable.

Poison Elder panicked. "Mister Xu, please, I'm begging you! Whatever you ask, I'll do it. Please give me and the old man a chance to live. We'll never dare to cross you again!"

Having been assassins their entire lives, they were long accustomed to killing for money. Now, confronted by Xu Ke, they knew they were in the wrong and couldn't argue. All they could do was plead.

Ghost Elder's expression turned grim, but he remained silent. He wanted to sacrifice himself to free Poison Elder from Xu Ke's control, but with her now begging for their lives, any talk of giving up would only render her pleas meaningless. Only a single thought consumed him. If Xu Ke tries to kill us, I'll fight to the death and make him pay the price!

Seeing Poison Elder's repentance, Xu Ke suddenly spoke. "Getting the antidote isn't difficult. I'll have you do one more thing. Complete it, and I will naturally give you the antidote."

He had never intended to kill them. If they truly knew he would never give them the antidote, Poison Elder, aware that Ghost Elder was doomed, would undoubtedly be driven to desperation. There was no telling what insane acts a cornered Poison Elder might commit. Therefore, Xu Ke didn't plan to kill them; he planned to exploit their usefulness to the absolute limit.

Poison Elder was stunned. "What is it?"

Ghost Elder, however, was filled with resentment and spoke up loudly. "Didn't you say completing one task would be enough? Why is there a second one now?" He always says 'one task.' One after another... is he going to keep this up until we're dead?

"Be quiet!" Poison Elder glared at him.

But Xu Ke laughed. "Ghost Elder is right. I did indeed say that one task would suffice. But the prerequisite is that what you do has to actually be useful. I told you to spread the news of my poisoning to mislead Qian Jun and make him careless. The ultimate goal was to ensure my victory. However, given Qian Jun's condition today, he was doomed to lose even if he wasn't careless. As a result, what you did was completely useless and can be considered incomplete."

"You... you! How can anyone be so shameless?" Ghost Elder exploded.

Xu Ke was blatantly exploiting his superior position to milk them for all they were worth. At the accusation, he simply laughed. "Ghost Elder, calling me shameless is useless. It doesn't change the fact that you're currently poisoned." I have the antidote, so what does it matter if he calls me shameless? The one who has to bow will bow eventually!

Ghost Elder's face turned ashen with rage.

Poison Elder was also furious, but the circumstances were beyond her control. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I understand, Mister Xu. You are immensely powerful, and it's true we were of no use. Could you please tell us what this next task is? To what extent must we complete it for you to give us the antidote?"

She was determined to get a clear answer this time, leaving no room for Xu Ke's shameless maneuvering.

Xu Ke nodded slightly. "Poison Elder is the more reasonable one, after all. The task I want you to complete is simple: kill someone. This time, the target is clear. Just accomplish it, and the antidote is yours."

Upon hearing this, Poison Elder was overjoyed. Assassination? That's my specialty!

She hurriedly asked, "Who is it?"

"Kang Chenghua," Xu Ke said coolly.

The words struck them like a thunderbolt. The atmosphere in the car froze as both of their eyes widened in shock.

"Impossible!"

After the initial shock, Ghost Elder and Poison Elder cried out in unison, their synchronicity rivaling that of the Qin Family's own Yin and Yang Elders. Failing their mission for Kang Chenghua was one thing, but to be ordered by Xu Ke to turn around and kill him? It's absurd!

Xu Ke laughed. "Why is it impossible?"

Poison Elder's face was as dark as still water. "Mister Xu, you are a worldly man. You must know the assassin's code."

Xu Ke raised an eyebrow. "What code?"

"No matter the reason, we cannot kill a client within three years!" Poison Elder answered, emphasizing every word.

The Assassin's Alliance had a code of conduct that governed all its members, and one of the rules was that you could not kill a client. If assassins could kill their clients, the entire profession would descend into chaos. For example, if it were possible, the same assassins who took Kang Chenghua's money to kill Xu Ke could just as easily take more money from Xu Ke to kill Kang Chenghua. If that happened, the trust between clients and assassins would completely erode, destroying their reputations. It would create a vicious cycle.

A client could meet with an assassin unguarded after a mission precisely because of the assassin's reputation. Otherwise, what if a target, on the brink of death, used their entire fortune to hire the assassin to kill the original client? The unsuspecting client would walk right into a death trap. Even if someone offered an exorbitant sum for an assassin to kill a client, they would have to wait at least three years. This three-year period was commonly known in the assassin world as the "client protection period."

But Xu Ke just said nonchalantly, "If the code forbids it, then just quit being assassins. What would its rules have to do with you then?"

At his words, their expressions stiffened. Ghost Elder flew into a rage. "Are you trying to destroy our future? The profession of assassination isn't something we can just enter and leave as we please!"

"You tried to take my life, and I'm merely asking you to change jobs. Isn't that fair?" Xu Ke sneered. "Or do you think your job as an assassin is more important than the effects of the Shitian Elixir?"

"If we break the rules, the Assassin's Alliance won't let us go," Ghost Elder retorted furiously. "We'll be the ones hunted down, not you!"

If they were obscure, low-level assassins, it might be a different story. But they were the renowned Ghost and Poison Elders. If people like them broke the code, they would be hunted to the ends of the earth by the Assassin's Alliance to be made an example of. If they were allowed to simply retire in peace after such a breach, the entire world of assassins would be thrown into chaos.

Poison Elder nodded in agreement. "Mister Xu, we really cannot accept this demand."

Xu Ke's voice grew icy. "You can't accept? Then I won't give you the antidote for the Shitian Elixir!"

Poison Elder's face went pale. "Can't you ask for something else?"

"If you can't kill Kang Chenghua, what use are you to me?" Xu Ke sneered.

Between Kang Dehui kidnapping Xu Yi and Kang Chenghua making several attempts on his life, Xu Ke had long decided to kill him. But killing Kang Chenghua was no simple matter. While the Kang Family couldn't compare to the likes of the Wang Family or the other six great families, they were still a first-rate power. The head of the prestigious Kang Family was not someone Xu Ke could just kill on a whim.