Imperial Capital Shadows

The news of the battle in Duanhun Valley spread like wings, reaching the Northern Frontier's main camp even earlier than Chen Qing's Black Tiger Camp, and flying even faster towards the distant imperial capital, Yujing.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

In Yujing City, within a secret room of a grand mansion, a man in brocade robes, his face hidden in shadow, threw the secret report in his hand to the ground. A man in black knelt on the floor, trembling, not daring to look up.

"Two Meridian Condensing Realm experts, nearly a hundred elite 'Shadow Fiends', ambushed and attacked, yet he routed them all, even forcing Ghost Mask to flee with an arm severed! This Chen Qing has truly become a force to be reckoned with!" The brocade-robed man's voice was filled with suppressed rage and a hint of... alarm.

"My Lord, please calm your anger!" the man in black stammered, "That Chen Qing's killing intent has already formed, his combat power far exceeds his peers, and he possesses a strange domain power. It's truly... truly difficult to contend with."

"Difficult to contend with?" The brocade-robed man sneered, "Are we just going to let this Fierce Tiger continue to grow? He's only at Meridian Condensing now. If we let him break through to Aperture Opening, or even higher... will the military power of the Northern Frontier still be within our grasp? Don't forget, he might have that person behind him!"

The man in black lowered his head further, "My Lord, a direct confrontation might not be the best course of action. This child's killing intent is sky-high and has already attracted the attention of many factions. Lanke Temple's bald donkeys have been rebuffed, and the Northern Mang hates him to the bone... Perhaps we can use a borrowed knife to kill?"

The brocade-robed man was silent for a moment, his gaze flickering in the shadows, "You mean..."

"The Left Virtuous King of Northern Mang, Wuwei, has offered a reward of ten thousand gold for his head. We could reveal his whereabouts and weaknesses to the Northern Mang. Even... 'cooperate' slightly with the Northern Mang's actions during his next battle," the man in black said sinisterly.

"Borrowing the Northern Mang's hand..." the brocade-robed man mused, "That is a viable option. However, this child is cunning and ferocious; ordinary means might not be able to deal with him. Wuwei might not be willing to exert his full strength."

He paced for a moment, then suddenly stopped, "What's the recent activity from Marquis Zhenbei's Manor?"

"Replying to my Lord, since Han Wenyuan returned from the Northern Frontier, he has been seeing no visitors. However, our inside source reports that Marquis Zhenbei seems to be quite... concerned about Chen Qing."

"Concerned?" The brocade-robed man snorted, "Of course he's concerned! Black Tiger Fist, Black Tiger Saber Technique... If this child is truly the descendant of that scoundrel, Marquis Zhenbei probably can't sleep soundly! Since that's the case, let's add more fuel to the fire!"

He walked to the desk, quickly wrote a secret letter, sealed it with wax, and handed it to the man in black, "Find a way to deliver this letter to the Northern Mang's 'Blood Wolf Guard'. Remember, absolute secrecy!"

"Blood Wolf Guard?" The man in black was startled. That was the Great Khan of Northern Mang's personal guard, and also Northern Mang's most mysterious and terrifying intelligence agency. "My Lord, isn't this..."

"Do as I say!" the brocade-robed man said chillingly, "If we're going to borrow a knife, let it be the sharpest one! The Blood Wolf King Wuzhuchi's own brother died at Chen Qing's hands. This blood feud is enough to make the Blood Wolf Guard interested!"

"Yes! Your subordinate understands!" The man in black took the secret letter, bowed, and retreated.

In the secret room, only the brocade-robed man remained. He walked to the window, gazing north with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Chen Qing... no matter what your origin, this Northern Frontier cannot accommodate a wild Fierce Tiger like you that cannot be controlled."

Northern Frontier, Black Tiger Camp's encampment.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged in his tent, before him lay the nameless token found on the assassin, as well as the commendation order left by Han Wenyuan.

Though he hadn't personally witnessed the undercurrents in the imperial capital, he could already feel the invisible pressure. The ambush in Duanhun Valley was by no means accidental.

"Borrowing a knife to kill? Or entering the fray personally?" He rubbed the cold token with his finger, a dark red light flickering in his eyes.

He didn't care who his enemies were or where they came from. As long as they dared to reach out, he would chop off their claws!

The immediate priority was to further improve his strength. Early stage Meridian Condensing Realm was considered a master on the Northern Frontier battlefield, but it was far from enough. He needed greater power to deal with both the Northern Mang army and the hidden arrows from the imperial capital.

He recalled his fight with the masked assassin. The assassin's condensed, chilling killing intent, and his strange movement technique and saber intent, had given him much inspiration. The use of killing intent was not limited to just berserk attacks.

He tried to guide the killing intent within his body, no longer pursuing extreme bursts, but instead, like carefully peeling away silk, further refining and compressing it, attempting to integrate it into the Black Tiger True Intent, making the domineering "intent" more condensed and penetrating.

At the same time, he also began to consciously expand the coverage of the Fierce Tiger Domain, and tried to imbue it with more variations, such as stronger suppression, or... a faint illusionary effect?

[Attempting to refine killing intent, Black Tiger True Intent becomes more condensed...]

[Expanding Fierce Tiger Domain, mental energy consumption increases...]

The path of cultivation was long and arduous. But he had the system's assistance, the battlefield as the best proving ground, and an unwavering resolve.

Several days later, a soldier reported that the Supply Camp had delivered a batch of new supplies, among which was an unsigned secret letter.

Chen Qing opened the letter. It contained only a few short sentences, describing that the Northern Mang's Blood Wolf Guard might have infiltrated the Northern Frontier, and provided a general time and location—three days later, at Eagle Beak Ravine, an important Northern Mang supply team would pass through there.

"Anonymous letter?" Chen Qing's lips curled into a cold smile. The sender had a clever plan. Did they want to use the Northern Mang to get rid of him? Or was it a case of killing two birds with one stone?

A wisp of dark red killing fire ignited at his fingertip, burning the secret letter to ashes.

"Pass down the order, gather the troops, and three days later, we march to Eagle Beak Ravine."

"General, could this be a trap?" Old Niu asked with some concern.

"So what if it's a trap?" Chen Qing's eyes were cold, "It's perfect, we'll deal with them all at once."

He was already worried about his killing intent's growth slowing down, and now someone was sending "resources." Blood Wolf Guard? They sounded quite nutritious.

He would use their blood to water his Fierce Tiger Domain!

Three days later, Eagle Beak Ravine.

The terrain was even more treacherous than Duanhun Valley, with cliffs like knives on both sides, and only a narrow passage in the middle.

Chen Qing led the Black Tiger Camp, arriving early and ambushing on the cliffs.

He closed his eyes and sensed. Indeed, he detected a faint but extremely pure and ferocious killing intent permeating the bottom of the ravine, completely different from ordinary Northern Mang troops. Besides that, in the deeper mountains and forests, several obscure auras seemed to be hidden.

"There really is an ambush," Chen Qing opened his eyes, a hint of excitement flashing in his dark red pupils.

He quietly gave a few instructions to Old Niu and Sun Quezi.

The two received the order and each led a team, disappearing silently into the shadows of the cliffs.

The sun rose higher.

A sizable Northern Mang supply convoy slowly entered Eagle Beak Ravine. The escorting soldiers appeared normal, but Chen Qing's senses locked onto several knights within the convoy, clad in simple leather armor, their auras like abysses.

Blood Wolf Guards!

Just as the supply convoy reached the narrowest point of the ravine!

Everything changed!

Instead of arrows raining down from the cliffs on both sides, deafening war drums and battle cries erupted! It sounded as if thousands of troops were about to charge down!

Simultaneously, at the rear of the convoy, Old Niu led a squad of Black Tiger warriors, descending like divine soldiers to block the retreat! Up ahead, Sun Quezi and his men had already sealed off the exit!

"It's a trap!" The supply convoy descended into chaos.

The Blood Wolf Guard knights, however, remained unusually calm. They exchanged glances, a cruel glint flashing in their eyes. They abruptly tore off their leather armor, revealing blood-red tunics embroidered with ferocious wolf heads!

"Kill! Leave none alive!" The leader of the Blood Wolf Guards, whose aura was at the late Meridian Condensing stage, was even stronger than the masked assassins from Broken Soul Valley!

However, just as they were about to make their move!

A black shadow, like a meteor, leaped from the highest cliff, its target aimed directly at the Blood Wolf Guard leader!

Chen Qing was making his move personally!

Before he even arrived, the refined and purified Fierce Tiger Domain descended like an invisible cage, crashing down! This time, the domain contained not only icy killing intent and suppression, but also a mental shockwave of the Black Tiger True Intent!

The Blood Wolf Guard leader felt his head spin slightly, his movements faltering for a split second!

It was that split second!

Chen Qing's ring-pommel saber, carrying a black and red blade aura that tore through everything, slashed down from above!

"Blood Wolf Guards? You've come at the perfect time!"