In an elegant private room on the second floor of a tavern not far from the Mistcloud Pavilion, a table was laden with fine wine and delicacies. Only Qian Ganxue sat there alone.
His corpulent figure perched on a stool, unusually without any beauties or attendants by his side. As he sipped his wine, his gaze lingered out the window, fixed intently on the distant Mistcloud Pavilion. He knew all too well how crucial this assassination plan was—at least for him, it was a matter of life and death! He would not tolerate failure.
“I only have this one chance. If it fails, the entire Yingshan Clan will be enraged. There won’t be a second opportunity. My master won’t grant me another either,” Qian Ganxue murmured to himself.
*Creak.*
The door to the private room swung open, and in walked a gaunt young man, exuding the faint aura of the Unity Realm. He toyed casually with a short blade in his hand.
Qian Ganxue’s eyes lit up at the sight of the newcomer, and he hurriedly rose to greet him with an ingratiating smile. “Brother Nian.”
“Hmm,” the gaunt youth replied indifferently as he took a seat. “The operation begins soon? I’ve been stuck in this damned Firefury City for five million years just for this job.”
“You’ve worked hard, Brother Nian. That little whelp is inside the Mistcloud Pavilion right now,” Qian Ganxue said. “Chun Yufeng, Yingshan Liehu, and the others are all accompanying him. The moment he steps out, we strike.”
The surroundings were completely shielded, preventing any eavesdropping from the outside.
The gaunt youth nodded. “Relax. Once I kill that Yingshan Xueying, it’s done.”
“Brother Nian, my life is on the line here. I’m counting on you,” Qian Ganxue couldn’t help but plead.
“Tch. Your life means nothing to me. Just remember—another twelve million cosmos crystals upon success,” the gaunt youth sneered.
Qian Ganxue nodded. “Of course.”
The linchpin of his plan was securing the services of this terrifying assassin from the Black Demon Swamp—Nian Jiu. Just hiring him had cost eight million cosmos crystals upfront. If the assassination failed, it was all over. If it succeeded, another twelve million would be due. In total, Nian Jiu alone would cost twenty million cosmos crystals for a successful kill.
In reality, Qian Ganxue only had a little over fifteen million cosmos crystals on hand.
For this assassination, he had already exhausted his funds—eight million upfront, plus other preparations. He’d even dipped into his personal savings. If successful, he’d have to scrape together everything he had to cover the debt, perhaps even borrowing from his master’s other subordinates.
*But if the plan succeeds, it’ll all be worth it. My master will be so pleased, he might reward me handsomely,* Qian Ganxue thought to himself.
Time passed relentlessly.
One hour. Two hours.
The sky gradually darkened.
Qian Ganxue drank with Nian Jiu, both men largely silent.
“Hmm?” Nian Jiu suddenly looked outside.
“They’re out,” Qian Ganxue whispered, his body trembling as he stared through the window at the distant figures emerging from the Mistcloud Pavilion. Among them was a strikingly handsome youth in white, surrounded by attendants.
“What a pretty little thing. His strength is negligible—I could crush him like an insect. But no doubt Firefury Marquis has prepared all sorts of protections for him. Too bad for him—when I strike, he’s dead,” Nian Jiu said, rising and stepping out the window onto the street below. He blended seamlessly into the crowd of cultivators, just another passerby.
Qian Ganxue held his breath, tense.
The moment that would decide his fate had arrived!
“Everyone, be ready. The moment he reaches this point, strike immediately,” Qian Ganxue transmitted.
—
Eight dragon-beasts pulled a lavish carriage through the sky as Yingshan Liehu, brimming with pride, sat inside with his son. Tian Yizhi, the maidservant Yan Yu, and the guards stood nearby, keeping watch.
The carriage moved swiftly.
“My son, isn’t the Mistcloud Pavilion something else? Haha! It’s your first time here, and there’s so much more to experience,” Yingshan Liehu chuckled. “You can come back on your own later. As cultivators, we should experience everything—even the pleasures of the flesh. It’s all part of tempering the heart.”
“Lord Liehu,” Tian Yizhi interjected sternly.
Yingshan Liehu stiffened, then awkwardly laughed. “Ah, Elder Tian, I was just joking, just joking! Refining the heart through worldly experiences—that’s all I meant.” He inwardly cursed himself, knowing Tian Yizhi would likely report his words to the Marquis.
Dongbo Xueying remained silent, his expression calm.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered toward a distant tavern. Ever since comprehending the mysteries within the spear shaft and mastering his domain technique, his perception of the void had sharpened. Even passively, he could sense disturbances within a certain range. And now, he detected a familiar presence.
“Qian Ganxue?” Dongbo Xueying spotted the obese man seated by the tavern window, staring right at him. When their eyes met, Qian Ganxue even offered a forced smile.
*Hmph.* Dongbo Xueying ignored him.
After the incident with Yan Yu, he had investigated and learned that Qian Ganxue was involved in shady dealings. Such a man wasn’t worth his attention.
Then—
*Boom.*
The surrounding void trembled violently as an immense pressure descended over the area.
“Ambush!” Tian Yizhi’s face darkened as he transmitted urgently, “Be careful! The void is suppressed—no teleportation!”
“What?!” Yingshan Liehu paled in panic.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two streaks of light shot up from the crowd of cultivators below. Tian Yizhi and the nine elite guards reacted instantly, their bodies clad in shimmering silver armor. The armor’s radiance surged, forming a massive silver sphere that enveloped the carriage. Despite the assassins’ attacks and the spreading poison mist, Tian Yizhi and his men held firm.
*Boom—!*
“Break!”
The void quaked.
“An assassination attempt? Who dares target my son?!” Yingshan Liehu was both furious and terrified. Though he had guards of his own, they were far inferior to Dongbo Xueying’s protectors.
“Father! Father! Someone’s trying to kill Xueying!” Yingshan Liehu frantically messaged Firefury Marquis—something he’d never normally dare to do. But the Marquis had already been alerted by Tian Yizhi. Though enraged, the Marquis’s residence was too far. Even with teleportation, it would take time to arrive.
And with the void suppressed, even approaching would require flight. Rescue was unlikely.
“Audacious!”
A thunderous roar shook the heavens.
Cosmic energy surged wildly, coalescing into the form of Firefury Marquis’s avatar. But materializing it from pure energy took precious moments.
“Firefury Marquis, spare us the theatrics with your avatar,” a mocking voice echoed through the sky.
The gaunt youth—Nian Jiu—shot upward like a bolt, slamming into the silver sphere formed by Tian Yizhi and the guards. Upon impact, he split into six identical figures, each radiating a terrifying aura no weaker than the Marquis’s avatar. In an instant, the formation shattered.
“Young master, be careful!” Tian Yizhi shouted in desperation.
“Yes!” The obese Qian Ganxue, watching from the tavern, clenched his fists so tightly his nails drew blood. His heart pounded with exhilaration. *As expected of the infamous Nian the Demon!*
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