Chapter 54: Assassins
It didn’t take long for clients to show up at Han’s clinic. They were all women, late teens to middle-aged, wrapped in robes and hoods. Inside, they pulled back their hoods and parted their robes, showing deep cleavage and slender legs.
Word spread that Han was a competent healer whose treatments felt good and outperformed some drugs. He could cure common diseases in a single day—quick and comfortable—drawing whores from every corner of the Underworld.
After they tasted his Scarlet Cauldron’s warmth and skill, none of them wanted to return to other Underworld doctors.
Soon, even men with deep lacerations and curses buried in their bodies came to the clinic. He knit wounds so cleanly that no scar remained and, with a quick push of his Scarlet Cauldron, forced out foreign mana.
"Man, you’re so good," said a male client whose stomach had been cut open and was now healed. "You’ll catch the eye of other bastards, so watch yourself. If you need help, I can bring the boys here to keep you safe. You won’t need to pay us much, you know?"
Han smiled. You want more than payment. I can tell.
"I knew the dangers before I opened this clinic," he said. "Don’t worry about me."
"Good to hear," the man chuckled. He pulled on his clothes and mask, then left the clinic.
Han looked out the window. The black lantern’s magical bulbs shifted to a darker hue, signaling nightfall. He’d worked hard and learned a lot, so he closed the clinic and set out to meet Denver for the Arena Pit Entertainment.
He turned to Bellatrix. "We didn’t get a chance to use your healing spells today."
"It’s fine," Bellatrix said, shaking her head. "Today’s clients weren’t in life-threatening shape. In a way, they were testing your skills. Your Scarlet Cauldron is great after you modified it, but it still can’t mend severe wounds."
"That’s why I need you," Han said with a smile as he stood.
He walked to the wardrobe, took off his doctor’s suit, hung it up, and put on his black suit. Bellatrix changed as well, in a dress that skimmed her curves. She was ordered to stand out today, as Han would take her to the Arena Pit as his partner.
She would link her arm through his and stick close while the other maids followed. For a slave and a pet, that order stirred conflicting feelings in Bellatrix.
I never wear clothes to look beautiful... or sexy.
Even with her eyes blindfolded and hidden behind the molten flesh, she could tell her attire drew more attention than anything she had ever worn. A deep V-neckline and a high slit along her thigh revealed more than modesty would allow.
This dress would look much better on Xena or Hanna... but strangely, showing this much skin boosts my confidence. I didn’t know this part of myself.
"Ready?" Han called.
"Yes," Bellatrix said, nodding.
He offered his arm. Bellatrix wrapped hers around it, unconsciously pressing her chest against him. He let out a soft chuckle and walked with her out of the clinic’s office. Outside, his maids were at attention.
They shot jealous looks at Bellatrix’s brazen, alluring look. Her youth stirred their jealousy, even though they knew they could regain theirs in time. No one knew who would be next, which made the stakes more exciting and stressful.
Still, it wasn’t time for jealousy.
"We’ve noticed at least three assassins in the shadows, Master," Anita said.
An older maid with half-narrowed eyes and a calm demeanor, she was a competent woman of few words whose personality flipped in combat or while teaching it. Han had firsthand experience and found it as interesting as her skills.
"Lure them out and give me one of them, one-on-one." His maids nodded and slipped out of the clinic.
He stepped out with Bellatrix still clinging to him. Soon enough, three assassins were driven out of the dark alleys surrounding the clinic. The maids in their new dresses walked behind them like demonesses of Hell.
The three men, wrapped in black bandages (their assassin garb), clicked their tongues and rose to their feet. None of them were here as teammates, and all had different clients who had put bounties on Han’s head. With a single glance at one another, the three assassins teamed up against Han and his maids.
Time’s against us.
We must deal with them fast before the Hounds come.
I will sever that man’s head myself!
One of them, more impulsive than the others, broke formation and rushed Han.
Han slipped his arm free and walked forward. The enemy summoned a short dagger and layered it with a few magic circles. Thick green liquid trickled down the edge. He sprinted and thrust for Han’s face.
Han stepped in, caught the man’s wrist with his dominant hand, and drove his other fist into the solar plexus. As the enemy doubled over, Han squeezed and snapped the wrist, making the assassin scream behind his mask.
Covertly, Han turned his right hand into a dragon’s claw and drove it into the assassin’s chest, puncturing his heart. The man flopped onto the ground, clutching at the wound, his dagger clattering on the stone pavement.
Han looked down at him, his eyes cold. "If I didn’t have a date, I would have used your poison against you."
The man exhaled his last and died.
Han turned to the other assassins. "I will fight you one-on-one since the first assassin was pathetic. If you manage to land a hit on me, I’ll let you live."
But my maids won’t.
Han smirked.
The other two exchanged glances. One stepped out and sized up Han’s stance. It looked ordinary, but solid and steady. He drew a dagger and eased in, then lunged with a quick thrust.
Han knocked his wrist aside.
Is he showing off for that blindfolded chick? Fucking asshole. Feels like he could’ve killed us already.
Han’s smile never wavered, which only angered the assassin more.