Outside the underground black market, Qian Renxue spread open the intelligence scroll. Her gaze lingered on the crudely drawn portrait at its center.
Silver hair. A grotesquely exaggerated grin stretching nearly to the ears. A massive, crescent-shaped scythe resting casually on one shoulder.
"Judging by his physique and weapon," Ning Rongrong said thoughtfully, "this man favors close-quarters combat. That scythe isn't decorative."
"Not necessarily," Qian Renxue replied, fingers tapping the scroll. "We have no confirmed records of his fighting style. Appearances can be misleading."
She narrowed her eyes. "All we know is that after every massacre, he remains at the scene for an extended time. And the ground is always marked with strange blood patterns."
At that moment, Jade Heavenheart and Gao Feng emerged from the nearby public restroom.
"Latest intel," Jade Heavenheart said grimly. "He appeared in the Land of Grass half a month ago. An entire village was wiped out."
Ning Rongrong pinched her nose in disgust. "Why is a black market hidden in a restroom? This place reeks!"
"That's precisely why," Jade Heavenheart snapped. "Illegal trades don't operate on main streets."
Even Gao Feng frowned slightly, clearly enduring the stench. "If everyone knows the location, why hasn't it been destroyed?"
"If it still exists," Xie Yue said slowly, "then someone powerful is shielding it."
"Who else but the nobles?" Qian Renxue rolled up the scroll. "The Ninja villages turn a blind eye when money speaks."
Gao Feng stripped off his outer robe without hesitation and incinerated it with a flick of flame. "Irrelevant. We move. Land of Grass—now."
They followed the trail of blood.
It didn't take long.
The aftermath was… excessive. Bodies lay scattered as if discarded, buildings carved apart, the ground etched with warped symbols drawn in dried blood. Ning Rongrong's face paled.
"This isn't a killer," she muttered. "This is a lunatic."
"That's why there's a bounty," Gao Feng replied calmly, scanning the surroundings.
"The target uses counter-tracking techniques," Xie Yue said after a sweep. "We can only confirm he's still nearby."
"But splitting up isn't an option," Jade Heavenheart added. "This isn't a B-rank mission."
"Then it's my turn," Ning Rongrong said lightly.
She leapt onto higher ground, hands forming seals with practiced ease.
"Glazed Heart Eye."
The Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared between her brows, rotating slowly as eight-colored light flowed outward. Invisible ripples of mental force expanded in all directions, weaving spirit power into a vast sensing net.
The Yu Family Brothers remained calm—clearly familiar with this technique.
Xie Yue, however, stared in open surprise. "The Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda… evolved?"
"Yes," Yu Heng replied flatly. "After perfecting a fourth-grade cultivation method, it advanced naturally."
Qian Renxue's eyes flickered with recognition. "So this replaces Kagura's Mind Eye."
"An improved version," Yu Heng explained. "The range is smaller, but detection accuracy is higher. And with spirit amplification, the sensing force can be converted into a mental attack."
He paused. "Even I would suffer several seconds of disorientation."
Qian Renxue glanced at Ning Rongrong. "That move alone costs a fortune."
Jade Heavenheart winced.
"…We pooled our resources," Yu Heng said stiffly.
Qian Renxue instantly understood. She squeezed them dry.
"He's not here," Ning Rongrong said a moment later, landing lightly. Her breathing was slightly unsteady. "We move."
Hidan strode openly through the wilderness, scythe dragging lazily behind him.
Then—
Clang.
He spun, scythe snapping up to block a blade of light that slashed toward his spine.
"Hehe…" His grin widened. "Another sacrifice."
Qian Renxue pressed in immediately, Angelic Sacred Sword blazing. Ning Rongrong attacked from the flank, finger beams lancing toward his back.
Hidan didn't dodge.
He let the attacks tear through his flesh.
Blood sprayed—but he laughed.
Using the momentum, he counterattacked in a berserk exchange, scythe howling through the air. Qian Renxue was forced back, her sword ringing violently. The impact blasted her guard open, and the scythe swept down—
Barely blocked.
Golden blood spilled.
Hidan's eyes lit up. "Golden blood… magnificent—"
A flaming sword arc interrupted him mid-motion.
Gao Feng struck without hesitation, fire tearing through the air and forcing Hidan to retreat.
Lightning exploded.
Three consecutive bolts slammed into Hidan, each faster than the last.
"Holy Light Illuminates the World!"
Radiance erupted.
Prepared this time, the others shielded their eyes with spirit barriers.
Hidan recoiled, snarling. "Lightning Chakra Mode?!"
The scythe spun wildly, rope unfurling into a whirling death net.
The Yu Brothers held back, storing power.
Xie Yue stepped in.
Predicting the trajectory, he met the scythe head-on.
Now.
Ning Rongrong's pagoda flared.
The Glazed Heart Eye condensed—no longer a net, but a lance.
It pierced straight into Hidan's mind.
He screamed.
Blood poured from both their noses.
The Yu Brothers vanished in twin flashes of lightning.
Hidan's head flew.
Before it hit the ground, Gao Feng appeared, palm igniting.
The body burned to ash.
"…Ah… it hurts…"
The severed head screamed.
Everyone froze.
"It's still alive?" Jade Heavenheart breathed.
Gao Feng's eyes sharpened. "His soul is the true body. The flesh is just a vessel."
Silence.
"Then he's effectively immortal," Yu Heng said darkly.
"And his mental strength is monstrous," Xie Yue added.
Qian Renxue stepped forward, burning away every drop of blood on the ground. "He tried to consume my blood. Some form of blood sacrifice."
She activated a sealing technique, golden light suppressing the head until it fell silent.
"You guard it," she told Xie Yue.
They withdrew and regrouped.
After resting, Ning Rongrong beamed. "Great teamwork! We should keep teaming up."
"There aren't enough high-value missions," Qian Renxue cut in. "And profits split six ways aren't worth it."
"But—"
"Unless," Ning Rongrong said quickly, "it's about Sage-Immortality Pearls."
That changed everything.
After explanations, silence fell.
Qian Renxue finally nodded. "Gather everyone. We do this together."
Ning Rongrong blinked—then grinned.
"Then let's unite."