Dai Weisi let out a growl like a cornered beast, his eyes burning with an insane desire to kill.
"I can't wait any longer!"
He whirled on his advisor, his voice hoarse and sinister. "Go! Bring me the people from Shadow Stream! And get Zhu Zhuyun! Since they like hiding in the dark and making petty moves, then don't blame me for forcing them into the light! I'll make them understand the price of angering me!"
With his command, a far deadlier storm began to gather over Star Luo Imperial City.
At that same moment, inside the secret chamber of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School branch, Ye Yin felt the continuous stream of resentment flooding his senses. A satisfied smile touched his lips. The bait had been thrown, and the fish were about to bite.
He glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window and murmured to himself, "It's almost time for Mubai to 'accidentally' reveal his location. After all, fishing requires patience, but you also have to know the right moment to reel in the line."
Back in Dai Weisi's mansion, his rage was practically a physical force, so intense it felt like it could tear the roof from the building. The poisonous rumors clung to his reputation like vines, and every report of his subordinates' misfortunes felt like another sharp slap across his face. The suffocating feeling of being manipulated by an unseen enemy, of being pushed step-by-step toward a cliff, was shredding the last of his sanity.
"Where are the Shadow Stream assassins?! Why aren't they here yet!" he roared into the empty hall, his voice raw like that of a caged animal.
A ripple in the air was the only warning before a figure solidified from the shadows, as if he had been there all along. The newcomer was shrouded from head to toe in a strange, dark gray fabric that obscured his form. Even his face was hidden, leaving only a pair of cold, snake-like eyes visible. The chilling aura of a Spirit Saint radiated from him. This was the leader of Shadow Stream's current operation, an assassin codenamed Phantom.
"Your Highness, Shadow Stream is at your command," Phantom said, his voice as dry and emotionless as rustling leaves.
Dai Weisi took a ragged breath, forcibly pushing down the inferno of rage inside him. He stared at the assassin. "The targets are at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School branch! I want you to drag them out for me! I want that Ye Yin alive, you understand? As for the rest... kill them all."
Phantom gave a slight nod. "The school's branch is well-defended. A direct assault would be costly and would certainly alert them. We need an opportunity for them to leave the safety of their walls."
Dai Weisi waved his hand impatiently. "I don't care how you do it! Three days! I want to see results within three days!"
A flicker of light passed through Phantom's serpentine eyes. "As you wish. They will come out on their own."
Before the words fully faded, his figure dissolved back into the shadows, vanishing as if he had never been there. Dai Weisi stared at the empty space, his chest heaving, his bloodshot eyes filled with a mad and eager anticipation.
...
In the secret chamber of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ye Yin's eyes snapped open, a cold smile forming on his lips.
"The fish have taken the bait."
Dai Mubai and the others immediately turned to him.
"I just saw Dai Weisi meet with someone from Shadow Stream," Ye Yin explained. His mental perception acted like an invisible eye. Although he couldn't hear their exact conversation, he had clearly captured the appearance and disappearance of that cold, Spirit Saint-level aura.
"They really couldn't wait," Dai Mubai said, clenching his fists.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was sharp. "What will they do? Attack us here?"
Ye Yin shook his head. "Attacking this branch directly would mean declaring war on both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Heaven Dou Empire. Dai Weisi isn't that crazy... yet. It's far more likely they'll try to lure us out."
He paused for a moment, a strategic glint in his eyes. "Since they want to lure the snake out of its hole, we'll just turn their own trick against them. Mubai, Zhuqing, tomorrow morning, you two will 'accidentally' go out."
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, surprised. "Go out? Where?"
Ye Yin smiled slightly. "To the slum area in the west of the city. According to General Lei Meng's intel, there's an old herbal medicine shop there that claims to have a secret remedy for old injuries." He looked directly at Dai Mubai. "You did suffer some injuries when you first left Star Luo, didn't you, Mubai? It's a very good excuse."
Dai Mubai instantly understood. "Yin Ge, you want us to be the bait?"
"Precisely," Ye Yin confirmed. "The assassins from Shadow Stream are professionals. They've undoubtedly set up surveillance around this building. The moment you leave its relative safety, they won't miss the chance to make their move. And when you head into a chaotic place like the slums, it becomes the perfect hunting ground for them to strike."
Ning Rongrong's face filled with worry. "That's too dangerous! The enemy could have a Spirit Saint with them!"
Xiao Wu quickly added, "Yeah, Yin Ge, what if something goes wrong?"
Ye Yin raised a hand, his expression calm and confident. "Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. You won't be going into danger alone."
He looked at Tang San. "Little San, your Blue Silver Grass and hidden weapons are perfect for control and defense in a complex environment like the slums." Then, his gaze fell on Dugu Yan. "Yan Yan, your poison will be incredibly effective in close-quarters combat. I'll be secretly locked onto every enemy with my mental force to provide support at a moment's notice. This time, we're going to make sure that anyone from Shadow Stream who comes for us won't be going back."
His plan was both bold and meticulous, a perfect trap using themselves as the lure.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing shared a look. There was no fear in their eyes, only the unyielding glint of battle.
"Good!"
"Let's do it!"
...
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the streets were still mostly empty. The side door of the branch opened quietly, and two figures in plain gray cloaks, their hoods pulled low, slipped out. After a cautious look around, they kept their heads down and walked quickly along the wall, heading toward the west side of the city.
Their movements seemed discreet, but they were perfectly observed by several pairs of eyes hidden in the darkness. The message was sent at once.
"Target sighted. Two people, likely Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, moving toward the west side of the city."
In a dark room somewhere else, a bloodthirsty light flashed in Phantom's emotionless eyes. "They couldn't resist... Follow them and confirm their destination. You will act in the slums. Make it clean."
"Yes!"
Several ghost-like figures detached from the shadows, silently tailing the two gray-robed individuals. Up ahead, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing seemed completely unaware as they hurried on, soon turning into the western district's slum. It was a maze of low, cramped buildings and tangled alleys where sewage flowed freely in the gutters and the air was thick with a foul stench—a corner of the Imperial City the sunlight never touched.
The assassins from Shadow Stream were thrilled. A place like this was their ideal stage.
However, they had no idea that as they focused all their attention on the bait walking before them, the true hunter had already quietly cast his net.