**Day Four**
Dawn broke over Xia Lu Town with pale light filtering through morning mist, casting the hillside manors in ghostly silhouette. Zhung stood at his window, watching as the upper district gradually came to life—servants emerging to sweep steps, guards changing shifts, merchants opening their establishments for another day of commerce.
His dark eyes tracked movement with predatory focus, noting patterns, memorizing routines, cataloging every detail that might prove useful.
*The scouting begins,* he thought with cold determination. *Two weeks to learn everything about the Lu manor. Two weeks to identify weaknesses and opportunities. Two weeks to prepare for an assassination that could go wrong in a thousand different ways.*
*Careful. Methodical. Thorough.*
*That's how we survive this.*
---
The four of them left the Jade Moon Inn separately, at staggered intervals, dressed in different clothes than they'd worn the previous day. Not traveling together. Not obviously associated. Just four individuals moving through the morning crowds with their own apparent purposes.
Bai wore the robes of a minor scholar, his white hair hidden beneath a dark cap, his golden eyes downcast to avoid drawing attention. He carried a book and occasionally stopped to read, appearing to be a student or low-ranking official exploring the town.
Hu had transformed into a slovenly merchant, his beard unkempt, his clothes deliberately stained, moving with the unsteady gait of someone already half-drunk despite the early hour. People instinctively avoided him, exactly as intended.
The driver remained masked but had changed his hat and added a merchant's pack to his shoulders, appearing to be some kind of traveling trader conducting business in the upper districts.
And Zhung had shed his distinctive wolf pelt, wearing simple gray clothes that made him look like a servant or apprentice running errands for an employer. His long brown hair was tied back tightly, and he kept his gaze lowered in a posture of submission that contradicted everything about his actual nature.
*Camouflage,* he understood. *We blend into the environment. Become part of the background. Unremarkable. Forgettable. Just more faces in a town full of people going about their daily lives.*
They converged on the upper district from different directions, approaching the Lu manor through various routes, never making it obvious they were working together.
The manor itself was impressive—three stories of stone construction with traditional curved roofing, decorative ironwork on the walls and gates, expensive craftsmanship visible in every detail. It sat on elevated ground with a commanding view of the town below, surrounded by ornamental gardens that were beautiful but provided minimal defensive advantage.
*Wealth on display,* Zhung noted from his position across the street, pretending to wait for someone while actually studying the manor's exterior. *Lu Shin wants people to see his success. That pride might be his weakness.*
The walls surrounding the property were perhaps eight feet tall—formidable for keeping out casual trespassers, but nothing that would stop a determined cultivator. The main gate was ornate ironwork, beautiful but offering clear sight lines to anyone approaching. Two guards stood visible at the entrance, both wearing the Lu family colors—deep blue with silver trim—and both carrying swords with the relaxed readiness of professionals.
*Only two guards at the main entrance during daylight hours,* Zhung cataloged. *But probably more inside the grounds, and definitely more inside the manor itself. Wei Shao wouldn't leave his employer vulnerable just because the outer defenses look minimal.*
Throughout the day, all four of them observed from different positions, rotating locations every hour to avoid drawing attention from staying too long in one place. They watched as servants came and went through a side entrance. They noted delivery carts arriving with food and supplies. They counted guard patrols—three different teams rotating through visible positions at roughly two-hour intervals.
When evening came, they returned to the Jade Moon Inn separately, reconvening in Bai's room where another silence barrier scroll provided privacy for their debriefing.
"Initial observations," Bai said without preamble, producing a sheet of paper and charcoal to sketch what they'd learned. "The manor has three main entrances—the front gate we all saw, a service entrance on the eastern side that servants use, and what appears to be a private garden entrance on the western side that's probably reserved for family use."
He marked each on his crude map. "Guard presence is significant but not overwhelming. I counted at least eight guards on external patrol during daylight hours, rotating positions every two hours. Probably more inside that we couldn't observe."
"The walls are climbable," Hu added, his earlier drunken affect completely gone, replaced by professional assessment. "Eight feet, decorative ironwork provides handholds. A cultivator could scale them in seconds. But there are sight lines from multiple positions inside the grounds—anyone climbing the walls would likely be spotted unless guards are distracted."
"The service entrance sees constant traffic," the driver contributed. "Deliveries, servants, workers. Security is lighter there because they're focused on managing logistics rather than defense. That's our most likely entry point for the banquet."
Zhung had been studying Bai's sketch, comparing it to his own observations. "Lu Shin himself appeared twice during the day. Once in the morning, visible through a third-floor window—probably his private study or bedroom. Once in the afternoon, walking through the garden with two other people, both well-dressed. Business associates or family members, unclear which."
Bai nodded, adding those details to his notes. "Good. We'll continue observation tomorrow, focusing on different aspects. Guard rotation schedules, delivery timing, Lu Shin's daily routine. We need to know this place as well as we know our own rooms."
---
**Day Five**
Rain fell in steady sheets, turning Xia Lu Town's streets into rivers of mud and making observation more difficult but also providing better cover. People hurried past with heads down, focused on reaching destinations rather than noticing their surroundings.
Zhung stood beneath a shop awning, appearing to wait out the rain while actually watching the Lu manor's service entrance. His clothes were soaked despite his attempt at shelter, but he ignored the discomfort with practiced discipline.
*Guards change shifts at dawn, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, dusk, and midnight,* he noted, watching another rotation occur. *Six shifts per day. Each shift lasts four hours. That's standard military scheduling—long enough to maintain alertness, short enough to prevent fatigue from causing mistakes.*
*The shift change itself takes approximately five minutes. Brief window of potential vulnerability when the outgoing guards are tired and the incoming guards are still settling into position.*
A delivery cart approached the service entrance, and Zhung watched with particular interest as the guards inspected it. They checked the driver's credentials, looked inside the covered cargo area with cursory efficiency, then waved it through.
*Security is thorough but not paranoid,* he assessed. *They're looking for obvious threats—weapons, suspicious individuals, unauthorized entry. But they're not treating every delivery like a potential assassination attempt. Wei Shao has trained them well, but they're operating under peacetime protocols, not wartime.*
*That's exploitable.*
Throughout the day, he rotated positions, sometimes observing from different angles, sometimes deliberately walking past the manor to see what could be glimpsed through the gates. Each pass added details to the mental map he was constructing—where guards positioned themselves, which areas received more attention, where blind spots existed in their coverage.
By evening, when they reconvened again in Bai's room, all four had contributed pieces to a more complete picture.
"Lu Shin maintains a consistent schedule," Bai reported, consulting notes he'd made throughout the day. "Morning cultivation practice in the garden, visible from certain angles. Mid-morning meetings in his study—visitors arrive through the main gate, mostly other merchants and officials. Afternoon is usually spent in a ground-floor office that faces the garden. Evening meals with family, presumably in a dining room we can't observe from outside."
"Guard rotations are predictable," Hu added. "Same timing every day, same routes through the grounds. Professional but complacent—they're not expecting real threats, just maintaining presence to deter opportunistic criminals."
"The service entrance is definitely our entry point," the driver confirmed. "During the banquet, there will be dozens of servants moving in and out, catering staff, musicians, entertainers. We can blend into that chaos with forged credentials or appropriate clothing."
Zhung listened to all of this, then added his own observation: "The third-floor windows have clear sight lines to most of the town. If Lu Shin or his guards look out at the right moment, they could spot surveillance. We need to be more careful about positioning ourselves where we won't be silhouetted against the skyline or caught in direct sight lines."
Bai's golden eyes fixed on him with approval. "Good catch. We'll adjust tomorrow. More movement, less static observation. Blend with the crowds better."
---
**Day Six Through Twelve**
The days blurred together in a routine of careful observation and meticulous documentation. Each morning, they left the inn separately. Each day, they watched the Lu manor from different positions, learning its rhythms like scholars studying a complex text. Each evening, they reconvened to share information and refine their understanding.
Zhung's Aperture gradually refilled during this time, the demonic blood regenerating drop by drop until by Day Eight he felt combat-ready again—enough essence stored to use Stone Bullet multiple times if necessary, enough for body tempering if a situation demanded enhanced physical abilities.
*Strength returning,* he noted with satisfaction during one of his meditation sessions. *Still not at full capacity, but enough to be dangerous. Enough to complete the mission if Bai fails.*
They learned that Lu Shin practiced sword forms every morning for exactly one hour, his technique elegant and flowing but focused more on aesthetics than practical combat application. They learned that Wei Shao personally inspected the guards twice per day—once at dawn, once at dusk—with an attention to detail that explained why his security force remained professional despite the lack of real threats.
They learned that the manor employed approximately thirty servants, most of whom lived on the grounds in servant quarters attached to the main building. They learned that deliveries followed predictable schedules—food supplies arrived every three days, luxury goods and business materials arrived irregularly but always through the main gate with full inspection.
They learned that Lu Shin had a wife and two young children—a boy perhaps seven years old, a girl perhaps five—who sometimes played in the garden under supervision. They learned that he had a younger brother who managed some aspect of the family business and visited the manor almost daily.
*Collateral targets,* Zhung thought without emotion when he first observed the children. *If the assassination goes wrong, if we're forced to fight our way out, innocent people will die. The wife. The children. The servants who have nothing to do with business competition or merchant politics.*
*That's the nature of this work. That's the reality I accepted when I chose this path.*
*No guilt. No hesitation. Just cold recognition that violence has consequences that extend beyond the intended target.*
By Day Twelve, they had compiled enough information to build a detailed model of the manor's layout, guard positions, daily routines, and potential vulnerabilities. Bai had sketched elaborate diagrams showing patrol routes, timing windows, escape paths, and contingency positions.
"We're as prepared as we can be without actually entering the building," Bai announced during their evening meeting. "Tomorrow we begin the final preparations—acquiring proper clothing for the banquet, finalizing our forged invitations, preparing backup weapons and emergency supplies."
"The invitations," Hu said thoughtfully. "We're using the Li family name as cover?"
"Exactly." Bai's smile carried dark satisfaction. "We'll forge invitations claiming to represent Li Huang and the Thousand River Merchants Association. It's perfect—if anyone suspects assassination afterward, the obvious culprit is Li Huang, our actual employer. But that very obviousness makes it absurd. Why would Li Huang be stupid enough to send assassins carrying his own identification? It's too obvious to be real, which means it can't possibly be real."
"Double deception," the driver murmured with what might have been appreciation beneath his mask. "Frame the actual guilty party in a way that's so blatant it appears to be a frame, making them appear innocent."
"Precisely. And if the authorities investigate, they'll find that Li Huang had no reason to risk such an obvious connection. They'll conclude someone else forged the invitations to implicate him. The investigation will chase shadows while we're long gone and Li Huang remains above suspicion."
*Clever,* Zhung acknowledged mentally. *Cruel. Ruthless. But undeniably clever. Li Huang isn't just eliminating a rival—he's engineering a situation where he can't possibly be blamed for it, even though his name is literally on the murder weapon.*
*That's the kind of thinking that keeps people in power. That's the kind of ruthlessness required to survive in this world.*
---
**Day Thirteen**
The morning of Day Thirteen began with efficient preparation. Bai had secured appropriate clothing for all of them—merchant robes of good quality but not exceptional, the kind worn by successful traders who weren't quite wealthy enough to join the true elite. The fabric was fine silk, the colors subdued and tasteful, the cut professional without being ostentatious.
Zhung examined his outfit with clinical detachment. The robes were dark blue with silver embroidery—coincidentally similar to the Lu family colors, which would help them blend in during the banquet. The fit was good, allowing freedom of movement while maintaining a respectable appearance.
*Camouflage again,* he understood. *But different type. Not blending into street crowds, but blending into merchant society. Appearing to belong in an environment where we absolutely don't belong.*
Bai had also procured the forged invitations—remarkably convincing documents bearing the Li family seal, written in elegant calligraphy that identified them as representatives of the Thousand River Merchants Association conducting business in the region. The paper quality was excellent, the seals appeared authentic, and the language was appropriately formal.
"How did you get these?" Hu asked, examining his invitation with impressed suspicion.
"Li Huang provided the materials and a contact," Bai replied. "A forger in the lower district who specializes in official documents. Expensive but worth every coin—these will pass any inspection short of actually confirming our identities with Li Huang himself, which no one will do during a social gathering."
They spent the afternoon rehearsing their roles. Bai would be the senior representative, speaking if questioned. Hu would play the affable drunk, harmless and entertaining. The driver would remain mostly silent, his mask explained as covering disfiguring scars from a fire. And Zhung would pose as a junior associate, present but not prominent, observing rather than participating.
*Each role serving a purpose,* Zhung analyzed. *Bai handles social interaction. Hu provides distraction if needed. Driver maintains mysterious presence that discourages questions. And I remain in the background, unremarkable and forgettable, until the moment comes to act.*
*If the moment comes. If Bai fails. If everything goes wrong and backup becomes necessary.*
As evening approached, tension settled over all of them like a physical weight. Tomorrow was the banquet. Tomorrow they would walk into the Lu manor with murder in their hearts and hope in their planning.
Tomorrow, everything either worked perfectly or collapsed catastrophically.
No middle ground.
---
*End of Chapter 22**