The night was black as ink, the cold biting to the bone.
Li Bufan forced himself to endure the exhaustion from patrolling for nearly seven hours straight and the ache in his legs. The doubts in his heart grew heavier and heavier. The person meant to relieve him had yet to arrive; this was absolutely not normal. Vigilantly, he swept his gaze over the quiet courtyard shrouded in the dim yellow glow of lanterns. His right hand unconsciously settled on the hilt of the saber at his waist, while the scant blood and qi within him quietly circulated to drive away the cold and keep his body sharp.
Just then, a sudden change erupted!
Several black shadows silently flashed out from the shadows of the moon gate ahead and to the side like ghosts! Their movements were swift, their landings soundless. Every one of them was clearly highly skilled.
There were five of them in all, dressed entirely in black and masked, revealing only pairs of eyes that glinted with icy light in the darkness. Uniform narrow steel sabers hung at their waists, their hilts wrapped in non-slip black cloth. Their entire bodies radiated the sharp, ruthless aura of men long steeped in slaughter.
Li Bufan's heart suddenly clenched, and every muscle in his body tightened in an instant! These people were strangely dressed and moved in secrecy. They were definitely not from Lin Manor!
One of them, slightly taller than the rest and seemingly their leader, swept his sharp gaze across the surroundings before lowering his voice to the other four. "That's right. This is within Tingxue Pavilion's grounds. Spread out and quickly find Tingxue Pavilion's auxiliary storeroom! Move fast. Once the plan is complete, withdraw immediately!"
Their target was clear: Tingxue Pavilion's warehouse! They had plainly come prepared