A Blade Against Darkness

As they stepped inside the manor, dark figures descended under the cloak of night, surrounding the estate.

Among them, a silver-masked woman in black, form-fitting attire, her wrist adorned with a dark red bracelet, telepathically transmitted a message to the other cultivators scattered at various positions.

[Our scout reports that Qian You possesses a protective artifact capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a Golden Core cultivator…]

[Therefore, remember to locate the core of the city’s defensive formation, destroy it, and then withdraw swiftly. Do not engage in prolonged combat…]

[The assassinations are my responsibility…]

[Should anything unforeseen occur, prioritize your own survival.]

She was none other than Qin Zhaoyu, who, two years prior, had been expelled from Kunlun Mountain by her powerful and troublesome master.

Now, she had become the sharpest blade in the arsenal of Prince Pingliang Qin Yong, a vassal lord of the Shenyan Kingdom, executing strategic and precise assassination missions for him.

As for why she didn’t directly confront that person to settle the grievances of the past…

It was because her investigations revealed other sect forces stood behind him, providing him with secret arts and protectors.

She was utterly alone and lacked influence, unable even to enter the imperial palace, let alone seek a resolution.

After a myriad of searches and setbacks, she encountered Prince Pingliang Qin Yong, who was currently recruiting talented individuals from across the land.

Following a conversation, Qin Yong learned that she was not only a Golden Core cultivator but also harbored a deep enmity with the current ruler, Qin Min.

He was immediately overjoyed, conceived the idea of an alliance, and revealed his true purpose for recruiting skilled individuals.

He sought to usurp the throne through rebellion.

He further claimed…

The people had long suffered under the Shenyan Kingdom, and popular support had dwindled.

If Qin Min, obsessed with cultivation and the mystical arts, remained on the throne, neglecting affairs of state…

Then the Shenyan Kingdom would likely be corrupted by treacherous officials, greedy bureaucrats, and petty individuals, even without foreign invasion.

It would transform into a rotten, decaying nation where the people struggled to survive, a rot that would spread from top to bottom.

Rather than idly waiting for outsiders to “take over” the country…

It would be better to take matters into his own hands and change it himself.

Thus.

She and Qin Yong instantly aligned, and she became the only Golden Core cultivator under his command.

Even now, this remained true.

****

In the rear courtyard.

Qian You, with a beauty in his arms, was drinking and admiring the moon, thoroughly intoxicated.

“My beauty, won’t you have a drink too?”

“Oh, you!”

*Swish!*

A cold gleam instantly flashed past his head.

*Clang!*

The jade pendant at his waist flared, conjuring a spiritual light barrier that blocked the sudden cold attack, sending sparks flying.

“!”

“Who’s there!”

Qian You was abruptly startled, a deathly premonition in his mind instantly sobering him. He immediately rose to his feet.

He pushed the woman from his embrace to the ground, shouting in alarm, “Guards! An assassin!”

“…..”

“….”

His words hung in the air, yet no guards rushed into the courtyard to protect him; only silence remained.

“M-my lord… you…”

The beautiful woman seemed to have seen something and was about to speak, but Qian You sharply cut her off.

“Silence!”

However, a mocking voice rose from behind him, seemingly out of nowhere, sending a chill from his tailbone directly into his mind.

“It is widely known that Lord Qian You of Taiyang City enjoys beautiful women, covets wealth, and preys upon the common folk…”

“Seeing it today, it is indeed true.”

*Boom!*

A tremendous surge of spiritual energy descended as the words ended, slamming Qian You against the wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Cough!”

“……”

Qin Zhaoyu sensed that his vitality had not vanished. She stepped into the dust cloud, only to find a cracked jade fragment.

The figure had already disappeared.

“This fellow certainly has many ways to save his own skin.”

*Whoosh~*

A cold gust of wind suddenly rose, scattering the dust.

The beautiful woman, who had been slumped helplessly on the ground, suddenly clutched her own throat, foaming at the mouth.

“Ugh… help…”

Without even a final whimper, she collapsed lifelessly.

“Your Excellency has repeatedly sought to slaughter the disciples of my sect. What is your intention?”

A voice devoid of emotion echoed in Qin Zhaoyu’s ear. A black-robed Daoist had appeared beneath the eaves, seemingly out of nowhere.

The dappled moonlight obscured the face beneath the black robes, preventing Qin Zhaoyu from seeing it clearly.

Moreover, when she attempted to probe with her divine sense, she was blocked by a mysterious force.

“Birds of a feather.”

Qin Zhaoyu, sensing the heavy stench of blood on the opponent, knew they harbored ill intent. Without further ado, she raised her hand and unleashed a sword strike.

The fiery red sword light was so sharp it seemed almost corporeal.

“…..”

“Since Your Excellency refuses to answer, then I shall simply eliminate you.”

The black-robed Daoist extended a skeletal arm, covered in dense, black incantations that suddenly flickered with faint crimson light.

*Hum~*

The void seemed to hum softly, devouring the furious sword light.

“Practicing dark arts, so you’re a demonic cultivator.”

Qin Zhaoyu recognized the origin of the black incantations at a glance.

She had first encountered them shortly after leaving the mountain, in a village littered with blood and bones, when she killed a villager who had risen from a pile of corpses and attacked her in a frenzy.

Though she was fresh out of training back then, she still possessed some knowledge of ominous incantations.

What this person displayed on their arm was precisely like what she had seen that year.

It was even denser, imbued with a palpable scent of blood.

“What if it’s a dark art? Die.”

The black-robed Daoist’s tone was utterly devoid of emotion. He simply raised his hand and clenched it in Qin Zhaoyu’s direction.

A massive black claw materialized from the void, poised to seize her.

“Tch!”

Qin Zhaoyu ascended on her sword, let out a cold snort, and hurled six Flame Spirit Talismans at him.

She then intended to escape from the City Lord’s manor.

Her target, from beginning to end, had been Qian You, the one who knew how to activate the city’s defensive formation.

Not to engage in a prolonged struggle.

“…..”

The black-robed Daoist waved a hand, and the black claw collided with the flickering red talismans.

*Boom!*

The momentary burst of fire illuminated the entire sky above the City Lord’s manor, a testament to its formidable power.

Yet, even so, not a single spark touched the black-robed Daoist.

Instead, he let out a mocking hmph.

“Hmph… Ignorant.”

****

‘No wonder he could act so arrogantly with no one daring to speak out; he was colluding with demonic cultivators…’

‘And this demonic cultivator’s cultivation level wasn’t even lower than hers…’

‘A miscalculation.’

Qin Zhaoyu flew on her sword with extreme speed, covering several miles in an instant.

However, just as she was about to cross the boundaries of Taiyang City, a dark red light curtain abruptly rose, enveloping the entire city.

It resembled a hemispherical tortoise shell.

‘Damn it! I was still too slow…’

Watching the dark red light curtain, brimming with spiritual energy, coalesce…

Qin Zhaoyu knew that escaping would be difficult.

“You stir up trouble and then wish to leave, Your Excellency? Are you perhaps a coward?”

*Whoosh~ Whoosh~!*

Three streaks of crimson light shot directly towards her, their accompanying voices growing closer, carried on icy gusts of sinister wind.

“…..”

Qin Zhaoyu gazed at the three nearly identical black-robed Daoists before her, her expression stern. “Three Golden Core cultivators…”

“I observe that your bone age is no more than eighteen. Why not join our sect and share in this glorious era of cultivation?”

“If you want to fight, then fight. Stop with the idle chatter.”

Qin Zhaoyu struck first, aiming to seize the initiative.

She unleashed several fiery sword lights, their scorching heat causing the very void to tremble slightly.

She then swiftly engaged one of the black-robed Daoists in combat.

****

A hundred meters outside the City Lord’s manor.

Zhuang Xun sat on a stone step with Shangwen and Shangwu, the two brothers.

They watched the scorching flames ignite the sky and sensed the sinister, malevolent aura, like that of vengeful ghosts.

It was as if they were watching a play unfold, raising their wine gourds for a clink.

“Fellow Daoist, does that silver-masked woman have some deep-seated grudge against you?” Shangwu asked.

“No, she doesn’t.”

“But demonic cultivators have appeared in the mortal realm. Logically, we brothers should go eliminate them…”

“Yet you stopped us. Why is that?”

“This woman’s Golden Core aura subtly shows signs of an impending breakthrough. Perhaps she’ll achieve it during this cross-level battle.”

“There’s no need to help her.”

“But how did you discern that, Fellow Daoist?”

Zhuang Xun slowly took a sip of the potent liquor from his gourd and replied, “An ancestral secret: the Art of Aura Observation.”