Assassination March

All through the night.

Qin Yan was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, every attack deadly.

No one in the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold dared close their eyes.

Cao Lian sat in the hall, his body and mind exhausted, yet his eyes held endless fury.

"That vile little bastard only knows how to shoot arrows."

Eight men had died that night, every one of them killed by an arrow from the shadows.

Now everyone in the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

The man shooting them had exceptional skill in Archery, and he was definitely using a one-shi bow. Otherwise, he couldn't have assassinated them without their noticing.

"Big brother, we have to drag that bastard out! Does he really think the Black Wind Stronghold is easy to bully?"

Liu Dongshan, the Black Wind Stronghold's second-in-command, had eyes as cold as a venomous snake's. In all their years entrenched on Black Wind Mountain, they had never been targeted like this.

"Second brother is right. We can't let this go.

Qian Renyi, the third-in-command, also spoke coldly.

If they didn't get rid of this man, how could the three of them show their faces?

They would surely become the laughingstock of the surrounding area. Who would still submit to them or fear them then?

"My brothers are right. Send men out to find him."

Cao Lian spoke in an icy voice.

Because of the disaster, Black Wind Mountain had recruited many newcomers. Although some had now been wiped out, more than seventy remained.

Their forces were strong and their horses sturdy.

Even if they had to sacrifice a few men, they had to find where their opponent was.

"Make the arrangements. Find that archer immediately. I'll flay him alive."

Once the men had been assembled, they entered the mountain forest in groups of three to search for traces of Qin Yan.

Little did they know this was only the beginning of their nightmare.

"One veteran with two newcomers!"

From his hiding place in the treetops, Qin Yan watched the bandits spread out to search for him.

There hadn't originally been many bandits on Black Wind Mountain. It was with the arrival of the natural disaster that

their numbers had suddenly swelled.

The whole band was a mix of good and bad.

He had noticed this with the group of bandits in Clear Water Village.

Now, in this forest, Qin Yan's extraordinary spiritual perception made the mountain his natural battlefield.

"Those wandering jianghu types must have eaten their fill and had nothing better to do, coming all the way to our Black Wind Stronghold to make trouble!

I didn't sleep well all last night."

"Fuck, that guy shot my good brother dead last night. If I catch him, I'll skin him alive."

"All right, you two, stop complaining and stay sharp."

The bandit leading them couldn't help barking at them. He looked very nervous.

These two hotheads had only just joined, and they thought they were something special because they had killed a few honest, ordinary people.

These guys had no idea how formidable those jianghu heroes were.

"Looks like he's just a little better with a bow. What's so great about that?"

A tall, thin man spoke with some displeasure.

"Idiot!"

The man in the lead cursed under his breath.

Suddenly, a figure appeared above their heads, and there was a sharp smack.

The tall, thin man took an elbow strike of tremendous force and was killed instantly.

Qin Yan's eyes were cold. He stepped sideways and punched the other man hard in the lower ribs. The powerful blow shattered bone and drove it straight into his internal organs.

"En...!"

Qin Yan gave the bandit no chance to shout. Power erupted from his legs.

Shattering Throat Palm!

Immediately afterward, a heavy, powerful hook slammed into his opponent's temple!

In less than three breaths, Qin Yan had easily dealt with a squad. He drew his dagger and slit the three men's throats one by one.

[Three killed. Unlimited Combat proficiency increased by 9%]

[Three killed. Slaughter proficiency increased by 3%]

[More than 10 stealth assassinations. Assassination Technique comprehended independently]

[Assassination Technique (Beginner Level): proficiency 13%]

Effect: Presence reduced by 10%, speed increased by 10%

"Nice passive effect!"

Qin Yan's eyes lit up. Reducing his presence was a conceptual-level ability.

Having done all this, he vanished silently into the trees.

Qin Yan was like a ghost in the forest, using the terrain to reap the bandits' lives one after another.

Against his extraordinary agility and perception, the three who entered the forest were like lambs awaiting slaughter.

Their strength was far below his.

Qin Yan could easily ambush and kill them, and none of his attacks took longer than three breaths.

As time passed, Cao Lian gradually realized something was wrong.

"Withdraw everyone."

When the men were counted, Cao Lian's expression was frighteningly grim.

In just one morning, the death toll had reached twenty-six.

Especially during their retreat, the fellow hiding in the shadows had fired arrows at them like mad.

More than half had died under his arrows from the shadows.

"Things are looking bad, big brother.

He's definitely an expert at assassination. We can't make any rash moves now.

Otherwise, he'll pick us off one by one."

The second-in-command, Liu Dongshan, didn't look happy either. Their opponent was even more patient than they had imagined, costing them more than thirty men in such a short time.

On top of that, two groups had disappeared without a trace.

The ranks Black Wind Mountain had expanded were directly cut in half again.

How could a situation like this not make him think further?

Had they offended someone?

"We can't risk going out again now. The Black Wind Stronghold has ample provisions. We can stay here for months without a problem.

As long as he doesn't dare force his way in, the Black Wind Stronghold will remain as impregnable as a fortress of metal and boiling water."

Cao Lian spoke in a low voice. He refused to believe their opponent could lie in wait for him for months.

From his hiding place in the forest, Qin Yan watched the bandits hunker down and refuse to come out.

The corners of his mouth rose!

Surely these guys didn't think they would be safe just because they hid inside the stronghold.

Still, these guys were his lucky stars. He had killed so many of them in succession.

His Unlimited Combat Level had already risen to the Proficient Level.

[Unlimited Combat Level (Proficient Level): 3%]

Effect: Combat intelligence increased by 40%, combat ability increased by 40%, combat intuition increased by 20%, skill Slaughter comprehended.

The passive effects provided by the Unlimited Combat skill were extremely powerful.

They improved Qin Yan's abilities in nearly every respect.

These kinds of hidden improvements were not directly visible base stats.

Next, he would raise the Slaughter skill's level. What peculiar effects would it bring?

Qin Yan looked forward to it.

Now, everyone in the Black Wind Stronghold was in a panic.

"Chief, something's wrong!"

A bandit rushed into the assembly hall, unable to hide the terror on his face.

"What is it? Why are you so flustered? Has that expert appeared?"

Cao Lian frowned and scolded him.

"No!" The bandit hurriedly shook his head. "He piled all our dead brothers up outside our main gate, into a little mountain."

"What!"

Cao Lian's face twisted. He smashed the solid wooden tea table with a palm strike, sending splinters flying everywhere.

At that moment, everyone hurried to the wooden stronghold gate and peered through the gaps.

They looked at the little mountain of corpses.

Everyone in the stronghold swallowed, and panic continued to spread.

The sight also left Cao Lian and the other two feeling exceedingly heavy-hearted.

Who was it? Why were they targeting them like this?