The tenth day of Xiaoman, death under the blade.
...——
Night fell.
Su Muyu changed into a black cloak, concealing the paper umbrella within its folds, and prepared to leave the inn.
"Exhausted to death." Just as he was about to step out, Su Zhe leaped in through the window, strode straight to the wooden table, and without even bothering to pour water, lifted the teapot directly to his mouth to drink.
"Uncle Zhe." Su Muyu was startled. "You returned so quickly."
"Tired me to death." Su Zhe exhaled deeply. "If it weren't urgent, I wouldn't have rushed back to tell you."
Su Muyu nodded. "What crucial news did Sikong Changfeng provide?"
"The Shadow Sect's enemy has been confirmed—it's Langya King Xiao Ruofeng!" Su Zhe said gravely.
Su Muyu was shocked. "Him."
"Originally, the Shadow Sect managed Heaven Revelation City while Dark River handled the martial world, each keeping to their own. But now, the Shadow Sect is on the verge of being wiped out by the Langya King in Heaven Revelation City, so they summoned us." Su Zhe grabbed a pastry from the table and began munching, clearly having rushed like mad on his journey. "The Shadow Sect and the Four Guardians of Heavenly Revelation are locked in a power struggle!"
"The Four Guardians of Heavenly Revelation—Tang Lingyue, Second Master Tang..." Su Muyu suddenly understood. The Shadow Sect had initially ordered the Three Officials to have The Head personally deal with Second Master Tang to target the Black Tortoise Envoy, Tang Lingyue. Second Master Tang was Tang Lingyue's staunchest supporter within the Tang Sect. Killing him would lure Tang Lingyue out of Heaven Revelation City, and then Dark River could eliminate Tang Lingyue, removing a formidable adversary for them. However, no major conflict erupted between Tang Lingyue and Dark River in the end, yet Tang Lingyue still hadn't returned to Heaven Revelation City. It seemed something else had happened within the Tang Sect.
"What are you thinking about?" Su Zhe asked.
Su Muyu snapped out of his thoughts and sighed softly. "The mess in Heaven Revelation City is getting complicated."
"Are you heading out?" Su Zhe finally noticed Su Muyu's attire.
"Yes. Yi Bu requested a meeting. After wandering Heaven Revelation City for half a month, he couldn't hold back any longer," Su Muyu replied.
Su Zhe frowned slightly. "Do you want me to accompany you?"
"No need. Now that we know their goal, many things will be easier to handle," Su Muyu declined.
"Alright. If anything happens, send a signal, and I'll come to your rescue." Su Zhe tapped the Buddhist staff beside him.
"Uncle Zhe, you're no longer part of Dark River," Su Muyu said with a smile.
Su Zhe shook his head. "But I still hope... someday you'll call me father-in-law."
"..." Su Muyu shook his head helplessly and pushed the door open to leave.
Outside the inn, spies had been stationed since the day Su Muyu arrived. The moment he stepped out, he sensed countless eyes watching him. Clad in black, he melted into the darkness, and the pursuers immediately sprang into action. But Su Muyu's speed was unmatched even within Dark River. Unless a master like Li Xinyue came personally, no one could fully track his movements. Moreover, among the pursuers were Shadow Sect members who helped Su Muyu disrupt the chase, causing the other factions to quickly lose track of him.
Butcher Second Master of the Thousand Gold Platform was one of them. He cursed under his breath, "Damn it, I'm going to get an earful from Tu Da when I get back."One of the spies left by Li Xinyue, realizing they had lost track of Su Muyu, immediately grabbed a companion beside him and said decisively, "Go to the general's residence. Inform the Azure Dragon Envoy that Su Muyu has disappeared."
At the residence of the State Preceptor.
Behind a folding screen, a man cloaked in black lay on a long couch. A stick of incense burned on the wooden table beside him as the man rested with his eyes closed.
"With your identity, leaving there day after day like this—aren’t you afraid of being discovered by the Langya King and his people?" Yi Bu stood beside him, his expression grave.
"Day after day? I only came today because you arranged a banquet to meet someone," the black-cloaked man chuckled, rubbing the jade ring on his finger. "As for the Langya King, what if he does know? Would he dare provoke me?"
Yi Bu frowned. "If you truly hold him in such contempt, why seek an alliance with me?"
"Master, he has arrived," Crow announced solemnly from beyond the screen.
"Will you join us?" Yi Bu asked the man in black.
The man smiled. "No need. I’ll watch him from here."
Yi Bu gave a cold laugh and turned to leave. Just then, Su Muyu entered from outside, and their eyes met. Su Muyu nodded slightly. "Master Yi."
Yi Bu was taken aback. "You’re quite different from what I imagined."
"Oh?" Su Muyu replied calmly. "How so?"
"Your alias is Umbrella Ghost, one of the top assassins in this generation of Dark River. Yet, you carry no killing intent," Yi Bu mused. "You seem more like a swordsman."
Su Muyu smiled faintly. "A swordsman?"
"A swordsman carries the aura of their blade. Take Li Hanyi, the Snowmoon Sword Immortal—wherever she goes, she brings an icy sword aura. Zhao Yuzhen, the Taoist Sword Immortal, releases the fragrance of peach blossoms with each strike. Xie Xuan, the Confucian Sword Immortal, wields his sword as if writing poetry. And my former disciple Luo Qingyang, who dwells alone in a city, his sword aura steeped in desolation. But you—you carry the aura of rain." Yi Bu glanced at the paper umbrella on Su Muyu’s back. "Cool and clear, your sword aura like a drizzle. It’s a shame you’re an assassin."
"Did Master Yi summon me here to persuade me to leave Dark River?" Su Muyu asked.
"Just a passing thought," Yi Bu waved his sleeve. "Sit. I wasn’t sure what you’d prefer, so I ordered the Skyview Banquet from Zhaiyue Tower—all specialties of Heaven Revelation City."
"My thanks." Su Muyu followed Yi Bu to the wooden table, his eyes flickering briefly toward the screen.
Behind it, the black-cloaked man smiled.
Yi Bu sat and poured a cup of wine for Su Muyu. "Master Su, please."
"My thanks to Master Yi." Su Muyu raised the cup and drank it in one go.
Crow and the others stood by, watching Su Muyu intently, their eyes sharp with killing intent.
"Master Su, you must still be puzzled—Shadow Sect and Dark River seemed to have no connection at all, yet suddenly, there appear to be countless ties between us," Yi Bu set down his cup, cutting straight to the point.
Su Muyu nodded. "Dark River’s missions are all assigned by the Soul Extraction Hall. We always assumed someone from the martial world paid a high price to place a kill order. Never did we imagine it was Shadow Sect issuing the tasks.""This matter traces back to the founding of Northern Li," Yi Bu said after taking a sip of wine, then proceeded to recount the history between Dark River and Shadow Sect to Su Muyu in detail. The account matched almost exactly with the speculation Su Zhe had previously told him. After finishing, Yi Bu looked at Su Muyu, quietly awaiting his response.
But Su Muyu only said one thing.
"However, the current leader of Dark River, Su Changhe, and I—we have no connection whatsoever to the Shadow Guard Corps from centuries ago."
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