The Shock of All Sides (23)

They hadn't had to try very hard. The infiltrators from the three factions joined forces, each using enhancement spells with barely a ripple and blood-qi martial techniques that were hardest for Spirit Fiends to sense, and completely wiped out the Heavenly Demons.

Of course, that was also because the Heavenly Demons hadn't fought back, thinking only of escape. If they had resisted, the commotion would have been far too great.

Relying on the goodwill they'd built by working together to eliminate the Heavenly Demons, the leader from the Shangxuan Sect spoke first. "Let's each decide the order of our targets, then take turns searching. How does that sound?"

"Good idea," Obstacle-Free Walker said. The infiltrators from the Taiming Sect nodded as well. "Let's do that. I'll start with the main hall."

"Then I'll take An Jing's quarters," Obstacle-Free Walker said. The leader from the Shangxuan Sect nodded too. "Then we'll start with the Array Formation's central hub."

Each of the three teams chose the area they considered most important, then parted ways by mutual understanding without coming to blows again.

When all was said and done, they already had dangerous, demanding jobs. The pay their respective factions offered was generous, but not so generous that they had to risk their lives. This was good enough; they could report even a little progress to their superiors.

Obstacle-Free Walker and his party arrived at An Jing's quarters. They were a little unlucky: the place where An Jing lived hardly seemed fit for a normal young man. The modest stone house held only a table, a bed, and a chair. There were no decorations or ornaments inside—not even trophies from An Jing's many battles.

The whole house lacked any sign of human warmth. He might not even have slept in the bed more