Night Owl's lips curled into a silent, cold smile.
This was only the prelude.
His figure flashed again, darting across the courtyard like a ghost until he reached the back kitchen. He didn't go inside. Instead, he took a small throwing dart from his robe and held it between his fingers.
His target was a string of air-dried cured meat hanging from the kitchen window.
Just as a patrol happened to reach the corner of the courtyard, their line of sight about to sweep across the spot, Night Owl flicked his wrist.
"Whoosh!"
The dart cut through the rope holding the meat with pinpoint precision.
"Crash!"
The cured meat, weighing more than ten pounds, slammed into the crock of sauce below. The ceramic lid shattered on impact, splattering sauce everywhere and making a tremendous racket.
"Who's there!" the patrol leader roared. The guards immediately charged toward the sound.
The timing was perfect.
Having caused the commotion, Night Owl had already pressed himself against the shadows beneath the eaves like a gecko. He didn't leave at once. Like a patient hunter, he waited for the next "actor" to make an appearance.
Chen Ye's orders were to draw the City Defense Camp over.
The disturbance inside the mansion alone wasn't enough to alert the City Defense Camp. He needed a more substantial "bait."
His gaze fell on a servant hurrying along a corridor. The man seemed to have been startled by the barking and the crash. Looking flustered, he carried a lantern and was on his way to report the incident to the steward in the front courtyard.
That was the one.
Night Owl's figure merged into the darkness again. He circled around to a path the servant would have to take and stopped in the shadow of a large tree.
As