The night in the City of Chaos was as thick as ink. The wind howling through the alleyways carried the stench of blood and an endless, unending chaos. Tonight, it felt even more frigid than usual.
Within a long, narrow alley in the western district, infamously known as "One Thread Alley," a grand play was being staged. Thiet Phu, playing the role of a hot-headed general, personally led the fifty most elite Blood Fiend Guards, charging aggressively toward the Great Fortune gambling den that was allegedly "under attack." They made absolutely no effort to conceal their movements; the clanking of armor, the neighing of horses, and furious roars echoed everywhere.
"You sewer rats of the Black Dragon Stronghold! You dare touch the territory of my Vô Sect! Today, your father Thiet Phu will peel the skin from your bones!"
His acting was flawless. The brawn-over-brains fury and the hastiness of someone who had only recently acquired power were displayed to absolute perfection.
Concealed in the shadows atop the roofs flanking the alley, Blood Shadow—the skinny-faced leader of the Black Dragon Stronghold—watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling into a venomous smile.
"Fools," he muttered. "Exactly as I predicted. How could a newly risen mob of bandits possibly understand the word 'strategy'? A tiny piece of bait was all it took for them to bite the hook."
He had already cast an iron net here. Over a hundred experts of the Black Dragon Stronghold, along with two Foundation Establishment Protectors, lay in ambush. The moment Thiet Phu's forces entered the exact center of the alley, he would issue the command. Crossbow bolts and magical techniques would rain down from both sides, turning this alleyway into a mass grave.
"Let them wander just a bit deeper," Blood Shadow signaled to his subordinates, his eyes gleaming with the smugness of a hunter about to bag his prey.
He had no idea that while he was reveling in his stratagem of 'Besieging the Stronghold to Annihilate the Relief Force', elsewhere, the sharpest of daggers had already been quietly pressed against his throat.
The three-story building in the southern district—the secret lair of the Black Dragon Stronghold—was guarded much more loosely tonight than usual. Most of their elite forces had been deployed by Blood Shadow to participate in the ambush. Only about twenty guards and a peak Qi Condensation Protector remained to hold the fort. They believed that the most dangerous place was the safest place; no one would ever suspect this was their true stronghold.
But they were dead wrong.
A black shadow, completely soundless like a falling leaf in the night, gently landed upon the eaves of the building. It was Tran Kien.
He did not infiltrate immediately. He lay flat against the roof tiles, his breathing practically merging into one with the night. His eyes, glowing like a cat's in the darkness, quietly observed. He memorized the position of every single guard and the rhythm of their patrols.
After half an incense stick of time, having grasped everything in the palm of his hand, he finally made his move.
He did not use his saber. He utilized the skills of a mortal assassin. He glided across the roof like a phantom. His hand gently flipped a tile, revealing a small gap. From his sleeve, a small hollow reed appeared. He blew gently. A wisp of colorless, odorless thin smoke silently drifted down into the room below, where two guards were dozing off.
It was a type of knockout incense he had concocted himself.
Continuing in this manner, using completely silent methods, he neutralized the outer guards one by one. Not a single person was killed; they merely fell into a deep slumber. Killing would leave the stench of blood and easily lead to discovery. His target was not these insignificant small fry.
Finally, he successfully infiltrated the interior of the building. He didn't head down to the treasury; he headed up to the top floor. Blood Shadow's personal quarters. The place where the most vital secrets were kept.
At the door to the room stood Blood Shadow's two most trusted personal guards. Both were at the late Qi Condensation stage.
This time, Tran Kien did not use the knockout incense. He knew that against experts of this caliber, ordinary incense would be ineffective.
He silently emerged from the shadows directly behind them.
The two guards suddenly felt a chilling sensation down their necks. Horrified, they attempted to turn around.
But it was too late.
Two hands, as solid as iron pincers, clamped tightly over their mouths simultaneously. At that exact moment, two streams of Primordial Chaos Qi, sharp as needles, shot out from Tran Kien's palms, piercing straight into their brains and shattering their divine souls.
The two burly guards only had time to bulge their eyes before going limp, collapsing to the floor without a sound.
Tran Kien pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was a luxurious study; the walls were adorned with paintings of beauties and various demonic artifacts.
He paid those no mind. He walked straight toward a large bookshelf. He tapped it lightly in a specific rhythm provided by Thiet Phu. A hidden mechanism clicked. The bookshelf slowly slid to the side, revealing a small secret chamber.
Inside the chamber, there was no gold or silver. Instead, there were ledgers detailing all the filthy transactions, the vicious conspiracies, and the secrets between the Black Dragon Stronghold, Marquis Vinh An, and other factions. This was their true "heart"!
Tran Kien did not hesitate. With a sweep of his sleeve, he collected all the ledgers into a bag of holding.
Having finished everything, he did not leave immediately. He walked to the center of the study. He drew his dull black saber.
He took a deep breath. The Primordial Chaos Qi within his body surged and boiled. His mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation base was no longer concealed, erupting with violent intensity.
Saber Intent - Hundredfold Tempered!
He did not slash at any specific object. He slashed at the empty air.
But a line of golden saber intent—tyrannical, upright, and brilliant—carrying an indomitable will to temper and obliterate all evil, transformed into a colossal black dragon. With a heaven-shaking roar, it smashed directly down upon the entire building!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
An earth-shattering explosion, even louder than the fire at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, echoed throughout the City of Chaos! The sturdy three-story building, facing an all-out strike from Tran Kien, was instantly razed to the ground!
A small mushroom cloud of dust billowed into the sky.
Over at One Thread Alley, Blood Shadow, who was smugly waiting for his prey to fall into the net, suddenly heard the explosion and felt the tremors coming from the direction of his lair. His complexion instantly turned ashen.
"No... impossible..."
Right at that moment, a subordinate came running frantically, his voice cracking with terror.
"Vice... Vice Cave Master! Disaster! Our lair... our lair is under attack!!!"
"WHAT?!?!"
The entire group of Black Dragon Stronghold men lying in ambush was utterly dumbfounded. The lair is under attack? Then... who is this army charging toward us?
It was only then that Blood Shadow realized in horror. He had been played! His stratagem of 'Besieging the Stronghold to Annihilate the Relief Force' had been turned against him by the enemy!
"Retreat! Retreat immediately and reinforce the lair!!!" he roared madly.
But would Thiet Phu and the Blood Fiend Guards give them that chance?
"Kill!!!"
Thiet Phu, who had been acting just a moment ago, erupted with killing intent. The fifty Blood Fiend Guards dropped their facade. They charged out from both sides, forming a pincer formation that completely cut off the Black Dragon Stronghold's path of retreat.
A blood-soaked counter-slaughter began.
Tran Kien, or Faceless, stood upon a distant roof, quietly observing it all. In his hand were the ledgers recording every crime of his enemy.
He knew the chessboard in the City of Chaos had concluded. The fisherman had not only caught the fish, but he had also flipped the entire pond upside down.