Assassin

A notice was posted on the official website of the Jiangbei City History Museum.

"Thanks to the assistance of our comrades at the Demon Suppression Bureau! The museum's crowning treasure remains safely within the museum. The Gold Rat has been executed."

The Demon Suppression Bureau's official website released a notice as well.

"Justice shall prevail!"

When the news spread, the citizens of Jiangbei City were greatly surprised.

Because of the cult's actions, the citizens had been full of doubts about the Demon Suppression Bureau's competence.

But with the Gold Rat's execution—though everyone guessed it might not have been the real one—the public's impression of the Demon Suppression Bureau improved considerably.

As the foremost contributor within the Demon Suppression Bureau, Mei Ye received special commendation from Lieutenant Wei, who personally awarded him a Guardian Medal.

At the medal ceremony, Mei Ye brought out his formal attire. Already blessed with outstanding looks, he appeared even more valiant in uniform.

After photos of the ceremony were posted on the official website, some people noticed this handsome young man.

His reputation within the Demon Suppression Bureau rose considerably.

Those who knew Mei Ye, especially the squad he had once belonged to, were deeply astonished by this.

As for Mei Ye's current team, Captain Jiang's attitude remained unchanged, except there was less warmth and more businesslike formality.

The others on the team seemed somewhat resentful because Mei Ye attracted too much attention.

But Mei Ye did not care much.

What he hated most was so-called socializing.

It meant nothing to him. Rather than engage in pointless social interaction, he might as well put more energy into killing demons and completing missions.

After all, he was a very hardworking person.

"Adding the bonus and my salary together, it's about 7,000 yuan."

Mei Ye carefully counted all his money. By the numbers, it was still not enough to buy medicinal ingredients for cultivation.

To break through the early Qi Gathering stage, according to the school's teachings,

one had to use willpower to guide inner breath and force open every blocked node in the twelve primary meridians.

The difficulty varied according to one's talent.

If one became timid and panicked while breaking through, the mild outcome would be shattered meridians; the severe outcome would be an exploding body and death.

Mei Ye could not gauge his own talent. Because he had diligently and tirelessly killed monsters, he had always managed to accumulate merit points in time.

But his merit points had not come easily either, so he could not use them carelessly.

If his breakthrough failed, he would have to start accumulating merit points all over again.

"True Yang Dew, Azure Vein Grass..."

Mei Ye murmured the names of the breakthrough materials. Although those working within the system received subsidies when purchasing cultivation resources, based on his understanding of the authorities,

he suspected that for cultivation resources, especially breakthrough materials, the authorities deliberately inflated the prices first, then pretended to offer subsidies and discounts to fleece everyone.

After all, breakthrough materials were truly important.

Whoever controlled breakthrough materials could hold martial artists across the world by the throat.

There was no reason for the authorities not to squeeze martial artists dry over this.

"Too expensive. I'm still short fifty thousand... Damn it! Why is it so expensive?!"

The usually calm Mei Ye checked the prices of those breakthrough materials online. He was instantly dumbfounded and burst into curses.

"If I find a medicinal garden, I'm robbing it!"

Mei Ye slapped the table furiously. The Demon-Suppressing Guard's pay had never been high, and it was often withheld.

To save money, one had to grit one's teeth and endure,

or take out loans, or complete missions and kill demons.

But his credit score was not high, so naturally his loan limit was not high either.

And where was he supposed to borrow that much money?

From the underworld?

"I'll have to make a long-term plan..."

Mei Ye rubbed the space between his brows. Since he could not afford the breakthrough ingredients, he would leave things as they were for now.

The next day, Mei Ye went to the state-run apothecary again.

Though he did not have much money, some of the medicinal ingredients from his last purchase remained, and he could still afford a small amount more.

After asking the clerk for some ingredients, Mei Ye returned home carrying materials that would assist his cultivation of the Glazed Treasure Body Art.

He opened the door and processed the ingredients as usual.

A moment later, a bowl of reddish-brown medicinal broth sat cooling.

The grassy smell mixed with a faint scent of rust and rushed straight into his nostrils.

Mei Ye tipped back his head and drained it in one gulp.

The medicinal broth entered his stomach, and its warm power instantly exploded, rapidly spreading through his meridians and into every limb and bone.

He immediately sat cross-legged on the floor, focusing his mind and calming his breath.

A translucent pale-blue panel suddenly lit up.

[Consume merit points to digest the medicinal power and cultivate the Glazed Treasure Body Art?]

Mei Ye silently confirmed.

[-5892]

His merit points instantly plummeted.

An invisible, pure force surged through his entire body.

The medicinal power that had originally stagnated and accumulated was instantly dispersed and refined.

Threads of medicinal power drilled into his skin and flesh, fascia, and bone marrow.

The surface of his skin grew hot in fine waves, while dense tingling spread through his tendons and bones.

His muscle fibers constantly tightened, reformed, and became sturdier.

Impurities throughout his body were expelled through his pores.

The transformation lasted but an instant before abruptly coming to an end.

[Glazed Treasure Body Art: Third Layer!]

The strength of his body, the resilience of his tendons and bones, and the foundation of his blood and qi all soared across the board.

Mei Ye raised a hand and clenched his fist.

His knuckles cracked in rapid succession, his strength heavy and condensed.

A faint, muted glaze-like sheen surfaced over his skin, and his defensive power rose dramatically.

His entire body felt light and clear. All fatigue had vanished, and his strength was abundant to the extreme.

The breakthrough had gone smoothly, and a glimmer passed through Mei Ye's eyes.

Steady progress in strength was the greatest source of confidence.

"Grrr..."

Having digested too much energy to supply his body, the energy within him seemed to have run dry, and his stomach began protesting.

Mei Ye chuckled. He got up, pushed open the door, and left the rental apartment to buy something to eat.

However, just as he stepped out of the apartment,

the leaves rustled in the trees.

A shadow in the night silently drew near.

"Watch out!"

A clear female voice rang beside his ear.

Mei Ye froze, then immediately reacted. He tossed away the lunch box in his hand and stepped back with his rear foot.

Whoosh!

Several darts tore through the air and embedded themselves in the ground.

Mei Ye's eyes sharpened. He immediately turned his head, only to see someone dressed in night clothes flash behind him.

Who was this?

Had an enemy come calling?

Thoughts raced through Mei Ye's mind, but he had no time to think further. His five fingers seized the saber at his waist, cold light reflecting the assassin's face.

Then his feet shifted. A clear breeze suddenly swirled beneath them, and his figure pulled away like a ghost in the night, creating an excellent safe distance for Mei Ye.

Whoosh!

Silver light flashed.

The assassin's gaunt, vicious face was illuminated. Surprise appeared in his eyes as he raised an arm to block.

Clang!

The clash of metal rang out, sparks streaking across the starry night like boats crossing a river.

In just a few seconds, Mei Ye had transformed from bewildered to warrior.

The three-foot saber moved with sharp, thorough precision, every strike driving straight at the assassin's vital points.

Facing the perfected Vast Blade Art combined with the Wind-Treading Step, the assassin was swift, but his tiger's mouth ached and his stamina was rapidly draining away.

An assassin could assassinate a target, but it was best not to fight the target head-on.

At that moment, Mei Ye's strength exceeded all expectations. A trace of hesitation flashed through the assassin's eyes as he twisted aside, his body flying through the night sky in a graceful arc.

Mei Ye charged after him with saber in hand. True qi erupted within him, his sleeves snapping as he resembled an ancient beast.

Not far away,

a pretty young girl saw Mei Ye completely suppressing the assassin. She let out a breath of relief and lightly pressed a hand to her chest.

But the black-clad assassin faced Mei Ye's approaching saber head-on without showing the slightest panic.

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. The power within him instantly surged forth, blood and qi erupting! Red true qi swept through the air.

Mei Ye froze, his brow furrowing.

Though he did not know what had happened, his blade did not slow in the slightest. Instead, it pressed toward the assassin's exposed neck with lightning speed, too swift for the ears to hear.

Clang!

In the silent night, the clash of weapons startled the residents awake.

Mei Ye bore down with overwhelming force, but the assassin easily blocked his killing strike, even revealing a trace of fury.

It was you who forced me!

For some reason, Mei Ye read that emotion in the assassin's eyes.

Is this some secret art with severe aftereffects?

Mei Ye slashed at the assassin's arm again. He continued using the Wind-Treading Step, keeping himself away from the assassin's counterattacks while observing him.

In Mei Ye's sharp gaze, the assassin's speed, strength, and attack power had all increased by more than double!

It was simply unbelievable. If the other man's technique had not remained unchanged, Mei Ye would have suspected that the system was on him too.

"Watch out!"

The female voice rang out again. The unknown girl watched as the assassin's strength soared to a terrifying level in an instant. Her hands involuntarily clenched as she secretly worried for Mei Ye.

The Vast Blade Art could not restrain the assassin. This assassin was not a demon, and the martial arts of the Demon Suppression Bureau's lineage were useless against him.

Even in this situation, Mei Ye remained calm and unhurried. He became even more composed, and his mind worked faster than ever.

The books had been right. When apex predators faced the utmost danger, their heartbeats became steady, their adrenaline surged, and their fighting skills reached the pinnacle of their lives!

A cold gleam flashed through Mei Ye's eyes. The assassin's footwork and movements were all captured in his sight. Though killing intent filled heaven and earth, every sword stroke grazing past his vital points, Mei Ye saw a sliver of an opening at the cliff's edge of danger.

Suddenly,

golden radiance bloomed from Mei Ye's arm, complementing the chilling saber.

The assassin's eyes were filled with madness as he sought to kill Mei Ye. He saw what was happening, but when Mei Ye's cold, domineering blade of vast righteousness broke through his defense, his mind instantly went blank.

Slice!

Blood droplets fell in the blink of an eye, blooming like flowers of the other shore in the darkness.

Pain flared in the assassin's wrist. By the time he reacted, his short sword and arm had already been cleanly severed by a streak of white light.

"Aah!!"

The heart-rending scream was like a wailing evil ghost. Blood gushed out as the assassin's face turned deathly pale with agony.

Mei Ye stared coldly at the man, blood running down his saber.

He gave it a light flick.

The noisy cries abruptly stopped.

The bloody head rolled to the ground with a thud.

The black-clad man crashed to his knees. Like a frog in autumn and winter, he twitched strangely a few times before completely losing all signs of life, his soul returning to the Yellow Springs.