Heaven Revelation City.
"There are two people in this world wearing ghost masks who are the most terrifying. One is your master, me." A white-haired man with a ghost mask lay on a long chair, a staff covered in talismans leaning beside him.
"And the other?" A young man with an air of nobility sat beside him, facing a chessboard as he played against himself.
"The other is the Puppet of Dark River. The so-called Puppet is a ghost among men. He also wears such a mask, but while mine is eerie with a hint of charm, his is far more ruthless," the white-haired man chuckled.
"A ghost mask is a ghost mask. One that looks charming is even more terrifying." The young man smiled, placing a piece. "I win! By three moves!"
"Playing against yourself and still feeling so triumphant?" the white-haired man asked lazily.
The young man nodded. "There are so many people in this world—how can I defeat them all one by one? If I surpass myself once a day, won’t I grow stronger day by day?"
"That makes sense, but one person’s world is always limited. Otherwise, that legendary chess player in history wouldn’t have sought out masters across the land just to find the 'Divine Move,'" the white-haired man replied.
"The 'Divine Move'—what is that?" the young man asked.
"It’s the move that completely turns the tide when facing certain defeat. After that move, life and death are reversed!" The white-haired man stood up. "Like two armies clashing—your side is retreating step by step, when suddenly, a general descends like a god, charging through the chaos and leading the losing side to a complete reversal. Just as I thought that organization would vanish from history in this turmoil, it survived—in the hands of that man who wears a ghost mask like me."
"Are you saying that Ghost-Masked Man was the 'Divine Move' in that organization’s struggle?" the young man asked.
"To be precise, he and another person achieved it together." The white-haired man took out a piece of paper from his robe and carefully reread its contents. "Truly astonishing. Those two young men, working together, managed to overturn the centuries-old Dark River organization."
"Dark River—you’ve rarely mentioned them before, Master." The young man began collecting the chess pieces.
"They say there is a river in this world that ordinary people cannot see. Only in the deepest night, under the moonlight, can you faintly glimpse it. Follow that river upstream, and you’ll find them—they are the blades in the dark, the deadliest assassins." The white-haired man sneered. "Chu He, if you ever encounter them in the future, show no mercy. If they try to kill you, kill them first."
"Dark River dares to kill even royalty?" the young man frowned.
"Dark River dares to kill anyone. But historically, there has never been a case of royalty being assassinated by them. In fact, incidents of Dark River members even entering Heaven Revelation City are rare," the white-haired man replied.
"Then what is Dark River’s origin? How could an ordinary assassin organization last so long?" the young man pressed."Compared to an assassin organization, they resemble more of a family. However, the Hall of Know-All once had records about their origins, but by the time I took over, all the secrets of the Dark River had been destroyed. What we have now was pieced together bit by bit later." The white-haired man sighed softly. "But I always have a premonition that there's another hand behind the Dark River—a hand that lies within Heaven Revelation City!"
The young man raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh?"
"Hall Master." A blind youth suddenly appeared at the door.
"Zhu." The young man smiled. "What brings you here today? I just put away the chessboard. Come, let's play a game."
"No time today. I'm here to deliver a message." With a flick of his wrist, Zhu tossed a bamboo tube toward the white-haired man. The white-haired man caught it, retrieved the note inside, and fell silent for a long while after reading it.
The young man asked curiously, "Master, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking that the answer about the Dark River might soon be revealed," the white-haired man said gravely.
"Given the Dark River's usual methods, we at the Hall of Know-All shouldn't have gotten wind of their movements before they even entered Heaven Revelation City." Zhu's voice carried a maturity beyond his years. "There must be something amiss here."
"Of course there is. The Dark River deliberately let us know that one of their own is heading to Heaven Revelation City." The white-haired man gave a cold laugh. "I certainly don’t believe our intelligence network has grown strong enough to uncover the Dark River’s movements this early."
"The Dark River operates solely for assassination. Why would they deliberately reveal their tracks?" The young man frowned in thought. "Could it be that their purpose this time isn’t to kill? If they’re not coming to Heaven Revelation to kill… surely they’re not visiting relatives."
"That fellow who wears a ghost mask like me is no ordinary man. He wants me to know, and once I do, many things will change. He seems like a good person, but in truth, he’s a cunning one." The white-haired man shook his head lightly.
The young man chuckled. "The Hall of Know-All, omniscient under heaven—this is both your pride and your burden, Master. You call others cunning, yet aren’t you an old fox yourself? But your disciple has a plan to turn your burden back into joy."
"What joy? Let’s hear it," the white-haired man asked, puzzled.
"Hang this message up high—a hundred taels of gold for one look." The young man raised a finger. "Anyone can buy it, as long as they have the money. And the message isn’t sold to just one person!"
The white-haired man was stunned for a moment before picking up a wooden stick from the ground and lightly tapping the young man’s head. "This is your joy, you little miser! Little fox!"
Meanwhile, in another hidden residence within Heaven Revelation City...
An elderly man with white hair also held a slip of paper in his hand. He placed it near a candle flame and let it burn, saying solemnly, "Only one person came?"
"One man, one sword—already on the way," replied a black-clad figure kneeling on the ground.
"Umbrella Ghost Su Muyu. I’ve heard that name more than once," the old man said slowly."Among the seven who besieged Ye Dingzhi back then, he was one of them. And according to others who participated in the encirclement, without Su Muyu's crucial sword strike, they would have had no chance against Ye Dingzhi. In terms of assassination techniques alone, Su Muyu surpassed even Li Hanyi, the Snowmoon Sword Immortal, among the seven at that time," the black-clad man said.
"No matter how strong a person is, they are still just one individual. What I want is the entire Dark River to enter Tianqi," the old man growled.
"The messages have all been relayed to the Three Officials. As for the rest, I will send someone to inquire further," the black-clad man replied, bowing his head.
"Good. This batch of young people has given me great surprises, but no matter how great the surprise, they must serve my will alone!" the old man said sharply.
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