The Shadow Kill Tower Lord

After Chen Qing and the others arrived, Iron Wall City became a giant magnet, drawing in undercurrents from every direction.

Dozens of miles outside the city, beneath an abandoned Mountain God Temple, another world lay hidden underground.

The place was damp and cold, lit only by a few dim oil lamps. The air was thick with the smell of rotting wood, but even more oppressive was an intangible chill.

This was the Shadow Kill Tower's temporary hideout in the northern frontier.

The seat of honor was no luxurious chair or couch, only a smooth black boulder polished like a mirror. A figure seemed to peel itself away from the stone's own shadow and sit there, without a sound.

His entire body was shrouded in a voluminous black robe. A blank white mask covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Those eyes had no pupils—or rather, the whites were a deep, murky gray, with only two darker specks at the center, so tiny they were almost invisible, like two points of congealed death.

There was not a flicker of emotion in them. Just looking at them sent a chill seeping from one's very bones.

He was the Shadow Kill Tower Lord, the "Faceless One."

Below him knelt Shadow Fox, who had just fled back, still recovering from his injuries.

His shoulder was wrapped in medicinal cloth, his face pale as paper. His body trembled faintly with fear as he stammered out a report on the disastrous defeat at Dry Bone Town and the ambush in the gorge, describing in particular Chen Qing's "inhuman" methods and the giant wolf's terrifying power.

"...My lord, this subordinate has failed! But that young man's power was no ordinary inner force! My internal energy collapsed the instant it touched his, as if... as if a firefly had met the bright moon! And his finger force was so condensed it seemed tangible, unstoppable by anything! This subordinate... even suspects..." Shadow Fox's voice quavered with fear.

"Suspects what?" The lord's voice rang out. It was neither male nor female, neither old nor young—dry and flat, without the slightest inflection, yet it drilled straight into the depths of one's ears.

Shadow Fox shuddered and bent even lower. "This subordinate... doesn't dare speak recklessly! It's just that the aura of the finger that broke through this subordinate's 'Thousand Illusions Body'... was ancient and boundless, unlike any martial art of this world. It was more like... like what the ancient texts described..." In the end, he did not dare utter those two words.

"Hmph." The lord gave a short, cold snort, and the temperature in the underground chamber seemed to drop several degrees. "Useless. You've failed time and again and lost men and weapons, yet you still make excuses with tales of ghosts and gods."

Shadow Fox lowered his head even further, not daring to offer the slightest defense.

"The Third Prince is already most displeased." The lord's gray eyes seemed to turn, settling on Shadow Fox. "That batch of ore is vital to His Highness's grand plan. If we cannot reclaim it, we must destroy it completely. It absolutely cannot fall into Li Chongshan's hands. Now that we've alarmed them, Iron Wall City has become a dragon's pool and a tiger's den."

He paused briefly, then spoke again in that dry voice, its chill absolute. "That young man named Chen Qing... is an intriguing variable. To wipe out you and the Blood Blade squad, he must indeed have some ability. Have you learned where he came from?"

A scout nearby reported in a low voice, "My lord, we've used every channel at our disposal to investigate. This man seems to have appeared out of thin air. His earliest trace was in a small town on the outskirts of the Falling Star Mountain Range, where he crossed paths with people from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. There's nothing before that. He may be using an alias, or he may be a recluse."

"A recluse?" The corner of the lord's mouth lifted beneath his mask. His voice was cold and cruel. "There are no true recluses in this world. Since he's come out of hiding and meddled in our affairs, he should be prepared to pay the price."

He rose slowly to his feet. His black robe stirred without a breeze, and the shadows around him seemed to come alive, writhing and flowing behind him. "Send word: the two hall masters, Phantom Shadow and Deadly Thorn, are to depart at once and infiltrate Iron Wall City. Tell them their targets are to destroy the mine or kill Li Chongshan, and to sow as much chaos as possible. If they encounter Chen Qing... kill him first. I want to see for myself whether his 'inhuman' methods can withstand the true way of Shadow Kill."

"As for inside the city..." A calculating note entered the lord's voice. "Our friend, the deputy general, has been under our care long enough. It's time he did his part. Have him find a way to stir up trouble in the army. At the very least, he must make sure our people can approach the arsenal and the general's residence without hindrance."

One order after another went out, cold and efficient. The assassins in the shadows silently acknowledged them and scattered like ghosts.

Shadow Fox remained kneeling where he was, not daring to move.

The lord walked up to him, his gray eyes looking down. "You're going too. Atone for your failure by rendering meritorious service. Fail again... and you know the consequences."

Shadow Fox shuddered, cold sweat instantly soaking through his back. "This subordinate... obeys!"

When everyone had left, silence returned to the underground chamber. The lord stood alone in the darkness, his pale mask reflecting the lamplight.

"Power beyond this world?" he murmured to himself. For the first time, his dry voice held an indescribable note—perhaps confusion, perhaps... a long-dormant yearning. "Could it be that the ancient legends were not false? If so... I'll have to see for myself."

He slowly raised his hand. A wisp of black energy curled restlessly around his fingertips.

At dawn the next day, as the sky began to lighten, Iron Wall City's characteristic wind, laden with dust and cold, slipped in through the gaps in the windows.

Chen Qing had just finished a night of meditation. The thread of Starforce within him had grown by an imperceptible fraction when he heard light footsteps outside the courtyard gate, cautious yet eager.

"Brother Chen! A Ning! Are you up?" It was Yan Yunxi's voice, bright with barely concealed excitement.

Chen Qing opened the door and saw Yan Yunxi standing in the courtyard.

She had changed back into a water-blue dress. Though it was still a simple style, it outlined her figure, just beginning to blossom. Her long hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin, revealing her fair neck and earlobes. A light dusting of makeup tried to hide the fatigue of days on the road, while her brows and eyes brimmed with the bright vitality unique to a young woman.

She was carrying a tiered food box and a ceramic jug wrapped in thick cloth.

"Good morning, Miss Yan." Chen Qing nodded slightly.

A faint blush rose to Yan Yunxi's cheeks. She lifted what she was holding. "The cooks at General Li's residence made some northern specialties for breakfast, along with butter tea. I thought you might not have tried them, so... so I brought some over. Where's A Ning?"

Just then, A Ning emerged from the room. Still dressed in a gray cotton shirt, she quietly stood beside Chen Qing, her clear black-and-white eyes fixed on the food box in Yan Yunxi's hands.

"A Ning, come over!" Yan Yunxi called warmly. She set the food box on the stone table in the courtyard and opened it. Inside were golden, fragrant naan, dried meat, and several delicate pastries.

She carefully poured a bowl of steaming butter tea, rich with the scent of milk and tea, and held it out to A Ning. "Try this. Careful, it's hot."

A Ning didn't take it right away. First, she looked at Chen Qing. Chen Qing smiled. "Miss Yan brought it with such kind intentions. Give it a try."

Only then did A Ning reach out and cradle the warm ceramic bowl in her small hands. She lowered her head and took a tiny sip. The rich, unusual taste, slightly salty, made her blink in surprise, but she lowered her head and took another small sip.

"How is it? Do you like it?" Yan Yunxi asked expectantly.

A Ning nodded faintly.

Yan Yunxi immediately beamed, as if she'd just received the highest praise. She hurriedly poured Chen Qing a bowl too, then took out the naan and dried meat to share with them.

The Wolf King was lying off to one side. It lazily lifted an eyelid and glanced at the butter tea, then snorted through its nose, plainly disdainful of such a "wishy-washy" drink. It went back to licking the wound on its forepaw, which had nearly healed.

After breakfast, Yan Yunxi looked at Chen Qing expectantly. "Brother Chen, though Iron Wall City is a military stronghold, it has some distinctive markets and sights, quite different from the Central Plains. If you're free today, I... I could show you around. A Ning could see some different scenery, too." She tried to make the invitation sound casual, but her eyes betrayed her nervousness and hope.

Chen Qing glanced at A Ning. She was looking up at him too, and in her quiet eyes there seemed to be the faintest trace of curiosity about the unfamiliar world outside. After a brief moment's thought, he nodded. "That would be nice. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Yan."

"That's wonderful!" Yan Yunxi almost jumped with excitement, then quickly restrained herself and tried to maintain a lady's composure. But she couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.