"They say the Twelve Zodiac Shadows represent the pinnacle of Dark River's assassins, but times have changed. Each family has now nurtured talents capable of defeating you." Xie Qianji stood on the rooftop, smiling as he watched the battle below.
Xie Bu Xie, wielding only his Dragon Tooth Blade, fought fiercely against two opponents, steadily gaining the upper hand. Mu Bai controlled four Puppets, holding his own against three adversaries. Meanwhile, Mu Xuewei relied on her strange poisons to stall two Spider Shadows. The fake Taoist Mu Qingyang drew a Peach Wood Sword and grinned at the remaining three: "Since the formation is already broken, Brother Xie, why not come down and join the fight?"
"Merely breaking a Silent Formation is nothing. This mansion is full of intricate mechanisms—I must keep watch. You handle it yourself, Brother Qingyang," Xie Qianji replied with a laugh.
"Your Xie Family only takes on two, while our Mu Family has to fight eight? That's hardly fair," Mu Qingyang said, stepping forward with his Peach Wood Sword.
Elsewhere, Xie Bu Xie swung his Dragon Tooth Blade in a fierce arc. By the time it returned to its sheath, Chen Long and Yin Hu's swords had fallen to the ground, their wrists marked with bloody gashes.
"What are you doing? Kill them now! This isn't a spar—it's a fight to the death!" Xie Qianji barked sharply.
"I didn't come here to kill. I came to find Su Muyu," Xie Bu Xie ignored him. "Besides, they're also from the Xie Family. We know each other."
"The day they became Spider Shadows, they ceased to be part of the Xie Family," a gaunt figure suddenly materialized behind Xie Bu Xie. Two slender black blades lashed out toward Chen Long and Yin Hu. Unarmed, the two could only dodge—but it was already too late.
"Becoming a Spider Shadow is the highest honor for anyone in Dark River," an aged voice intoned. Suddenly, an iron staff intercepted the two black blades, deflecting them away.
"Such staff techniques..." Xie Fanhua sheathed his longsword and looked up at the hunched old man who had appeared before him. "So it really is you, Uncle Ke."
The hunched elder sneered. "Once, they were the pride of their families. Only those recognized by The Head could join the Spider Shadows, and only the most elite among them could wear masks and be named among the Twelve Zodiac Shadows. Yet now, their own families disown them—even seek to erase them entirely."
Yin Hu sighed softly, the sound carrying an unmistakable sorrow. The same melancholy settled over the others present. Years ago, they had been their families' pride, joining the Spider Shadows in glory. Now, they were targets of their own kin's hunt, with former comrades eager to see them dead.
"Then they could always choose to return to their families," Xie Fanhua said with a faint smile, glancing at Chen Long and Yin Hu. "In truth, you were given that choice back then. You simply failed to heed the family head's intentions. He never wanted you two to leave, yet you chose to follow Su Muyu anyway."
"Were we wrong?" Chen Long gritted his teeth.
"Yes. Perhaps the Spider Shadows were once Dark River's glory, but everything changed the moment The Head handed the Puppet's position to Su Muyu," Xie Fanhua said gravely.
"Xie Fanhua," Yin Hu picked up his fallen sword, enduring the pain. "Someone like you will never understand."
"Understand what?" Xie Fanhua asked."Understand why Su Muyu is someone worth our trust and loyalty!" Yin Hu raised his blade, ready to charge forward, but the hunchbacked old man blocked him with a long staff, his voice grave: "No need to rush to your death."
"Uncle Ke, you nearly lost half your life back then because of The Head," Xie Fanhua said quietly. "After that incident, you should have retired with honors, yet The Head sent you here to guard this empty mansion for so many years."
"But I'm still alive, aren't I?" The hunchbacked old man leaped into the air, swinging his iron staff with astonishing force for someone his age. Xie Fanhua's twin black Ghost Blades flashed, yet they couldn't break through the staff's defense, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
However, Xie Bu Xie seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for. As the old man focused his fierce assault on Xie Fanhua, he darted past Chen Long and Yin Hu in a single bound.
"Don't let him through!" someone shouted. But when Chen Long and Yin Hu turned to pursue, they were immediately forced back by a streak of blade light. Xie Bu Xie's swordsmanship was indeed far superior to theirs—perhaps even capable of matching Su Muyu.
"Don't let the Xie Family get ahead. Didn't you also want to see Su Muyu? Go now!" Mu Bai's fingers flicked rapidly as he executed the Puppet Assassination Art to its fullest, rescuing Mu Xuewei from their combined assault. Seizing the moment, Mu Xuewei leaped forward, catching up to Xie Bu Xie.
"Without Xie Qianji to help break the formation, is it really wise to charge ahead like this?" Mu Xuewei asked Xie Bu Xie, who was ahead of her.
"Breaking formations? Just cut down everything in sight—isn't that enough?" As soon as he spoke, Xie Bu Xie triggered a hidden mechanism. Over a dozen steel spears shot up from the ground. He flipped into the air, then swung his blade upon landing, instantly decapitating all the spears.
"Impressive." Mu Xuewei smiled faintly, surprised by Xie Bu Xie's exceptional skill. Following him forward would make her own passage much easier.
Su Muyu stood up, gently rotating the handle of his umbrella. "Will this rain ever stop today?"
Inside the house, Bai Hehuai inserted the final Silver Needle into The Head's forehead.
The Head's eyes snapped open, radiating an intense, violent aura. Though Bai Hehuai knew he had lost his consciousness, she still felt a jolt of fear. She took a deep breath, then looked at The Head and slowly uttered four words.
"Soul Transference Technique."
A flicker of red light flashed in Bai Hehuai's eyes before she collapsed backward. Meanwhile, The Head slowly closed his eyes.
Then Bai Hehuai felt herself plunging into darkness, falling endlessly as if into an abyss. Along the way, she heard screams, clashes of weapons, and cries of agony—until she finally hit the bottom and glimpsed a trace of color. Looking down, she realized it was blood.
As the darkness faded, Bai Hehuai turned her head and found herself standing in a pool of blood, filled with corpses. Some had decayed to skeletons, while others still stared wide-eyed, faces twisted with resentment. Among them were men and women, elderly in their seventies, and even infants in swaddling clothes."This is the heart of The Head? It's no exaggeration to call it hell." Although aware that she was in an illusion, Bai Hehuai's hands couldn't help but tremble slightly.
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