Assassination in the Alley, a Different Xiao Wu!

Night blanketed Tiandou City.

The Soul Arena, bustling during the day, gradually quieted down. On the main street, quite a few spectators were still discussing Shrek's match against Elephant Armor Academy earlier that day.

Gu Changsheng left the crowd alone.

Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan had already returned to their lodgings with Chrysanthemum Douluo. Gu Changsheng, using the excuse of buying a few sheets of Parchment for drawing tactical maps, turned into the Old District.

This place was far less prosperous than the main street.

The alleys were narrow, the walls mottled, and the air thick with the smell of dampness and rotting wood.

Gu Changsheng walked unhurriedly, his expression calm.

Ever since leaving the Soul Arena, he had noticed someone following him.

Not an ordinary person.

Their footsteps were light, and their Soul Power fluctuations were suppressed to an extremely low level. Clearly, they had received specialized training.

Gu Changsheng did not look back. He merely continued deeper into the darkness.

He did not stop until he entered a narrow alley rarely used by anyone.

"You've followed me for so long. It's time to come out."

The alley was silent.

The next instant, three figures lunged from the darkness almost simultaneously.

A Short Blade stabbed at his throat from the left.

An iron claw reached for his waist and abdomen from the right.

Behind him, a Black Chain silently whipped toward him, coiling around his legs.

Their coordination was vicious, every strike aimed at a vital point.

Gu Changsheng's Third Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet.

"Minor Thousand-Faced Phantom Realm."

Pale gold and deep purple spiritual ripples spread outward.

The scene in the dark alley instantly blurred, and Gu Changsheng's figure shifted in the eyes of the three attackers.

The Short Blade missed.

The iron claw struck the wall, scattering sparks.

Yet the chain still accurately caught up to his ankle.

Gu Changsheng's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Someone is suppressing the illusion's judgment?"

The Myriad Heaven Book appeared in his palm. A golden page flew out and severed the chain's phantom.

The real chain retracted into the darkness.

Immediately afterward, a deep bell chime came from the alley entrance.

Ding!!

The sound was not loud, yet it seemed to drill straight into his mind.

Gu Changsheng frowned slightly. His sea of consciousness trembled, and the range of the Minor Thousand-Faced Phantom Realm was forcibly compressed by nearly half.

Four figures slowly emerged from the darkness.

Three Soul Sects and one Spirit King.

The Spirit King at their head was tall and thin. His Martial Soul was a pitch-black chain, and five Soul Rings pulsed beneath his feet.

Behind him, a gray-clad Soul Sect held a small dark-bronze bell floating above his hand.

Soul-Suppressing Bell! Gu Changsheng immediately identified the other party's purpose.

It was a Martial Soul specialized in interfering with spiritual perception.

And combined with that almost undetectable sweet, cloying scent in the air...

God-Bewitching Incense.

Gu Changsheng's eyes turned colder.

"You came specifically for me?"

The tall, thin Spirit King sneered.

"Spirit Hall's genius, you really are sharp."

Gu Changsheng said,

"Who sent you?"

"The dead don't need to know."

The tall, thin Spirit King's Fifth Spirit Ring suddenly lit up. The Black Chain swelled like a venomous serpent, instantly sealing off both ends of the alley.

The other two close-combat Soul Sects closed in from either side.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell Spirit Master shook his bell again.

Ding!!

As the chime entered his ears, Gu Changsheng's phantom realm trembled once more.

An ordinary Spirit Master would have long since been left dazed by the bell's ringing.

Gu Changsheng merely darkened his gaze.

The Myriad Heaven Book unfolded before him.

[Target: Soul-Suppressing Bell Martial Soul.]

[Effect: Shakes the mind and disrupts perception.]

[Environmental anomaly: God-Bewitching Incense.]

[Impact: Reduced mental focus, weakened illusion range.]

Gu Changsheng pushed off the ground, avoiding the iron claw while flicking out three golden pages to force back the Short Blade Soul Sect.

But the Black Chain followed close behind, lashing heavily toward him.

Bang!

The page barrier shattered.

Gu Changsheng was forced back two steps. A Short Blade cut open his shoulder, instantly staining his white robes with blood.

The tall, thin Spirit King said coldly,

"Without your Mental Illusion, how long can you last?"

Gu Changsheng raised his eyes, his gaze unwavering.

"Long enough to find your weakness."

He suddenly closed his eyes. If his vision could be interfered with, then he simply would not use his eyes.

The Myriad Heaven Book turned its pages. The fluctuations of Soul Power around him, the breathing of human figures, and the whistle of chains slicing through the air were all broken down and reconstructed in his mind.

The bell rang again.

But Gu Changsheng suddenly raised his hand. The page blades did not attack the enemy; instead, they shot toward a battered wooden crate at the corner of the alley.

Bang!

The crate exploded, and a small incense burner rolled out. Pale gray smoke was rising from within it.

The tall, thin Spirit King's expression changed.

"Stop him!"

Gu Changsheng waved his left hand, turning pages into a barrier that blocked the iron claw. With two fingers of his right hand, he pointed forward.

A golden page pierced the incense burner. The God-Bewitching Incense went out, and the cloying sweetness in the air began to dissipate.

The suppression on the Minor Thousand-Faced Phantom Realm instantly weakened.

Gu Changsheng's Third Soul Ring shone brilliantly.

"Minor Thousand-Faced Phantom Realm, activate!"

The scene in the dark alley abruptly overlapped.

Several Gu Changsheng figures appeared before the three attackers at once.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell Spirit Master immediately shook the bell, attempting to suppress the illusion again.

But Gu Changsheng had been waiting for him to act.

"Found you."

A page passed through the phantoms and shot out from the side, accurately striking the Soul-Suppressing Bell Spirit Master's wrist.

Ding!

The Soul-Suppressing Bell slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

The ringing ceased abruptly.

Gu Changsheng appeared in front of him at once and pressed a palm against his chest.

Soul Power surged.

The Soul-Suppressing Bell Spirit Master flew backward and fainted on the spot.

At last, anger appeared in the tall, thin Spirit King's eyes.

"Trash!"

His Black Chain swept sideways, forcing back the phantoms as it shot straight for Gu Changsheng's true body.

Gu Changsheng had only just broken free of the suppression. Both his Soul Power and Mental Power were greatly depleted, and facing a Spirit King's full-force attack was still difficult.

The Black Chain tore through the illusion and lashed heavily toward his chest. Golden light seemed to flare before his eyes—the sensation of impending unconsciousness.

Just as Gu Changsheng was about to retreat, a crisp voice suddenly rang out from the alley entrance.

"Hey! So many of you bullying one person—have you no shame?"

A pink figure leaped down from the wall.

Xiao Wu.

Gu Changsheng was slightly taken aback.

"Miss Xiao Wu?"

Xiao Wu caught sight of the blood on his shoulder and frowned.

"Why do you look so miserable every time I see you?"

Gu Changsheng said calmly,

"Last time, it seemed you were the more miserable one."

Xiao Wu choked.

"At a time like this, you're still bickering? You really don't take us seriously!"

Before her words had even faded, a Soul Sect had already lunged at her.

Xiao Wu's eyes turned cold. Her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul possessed her, and she instantly closed the distance.

Her legs wrapped around the man's neck, and she twisted her waist.

"Waist Bow!"

Bang!

The Soul Sect was violently thrown against the wall, immediately losing his ability to fight.

A trace of amusement flashed through Gu Changsheng's eyes.

"Not bad."

Xiao Wu gave a light snort.

"Do I need you to tell me that?"

The remaining iron-clawed Soul Sect's expression changed slightly, and he immediately turned toward Xiao Wu.

Gu Changsheng's Third Soul Ring glimmered as the phantom realm spread over a small area.

The Xiao Wu before the iron-clawed Soul Sect suddenly split into three.

In the instant he hesitated, Xiao Wu had already kicked off the wall and leaped upward, striking him under the jaw with one foot.

At the same time, Gu Changsheng flung out page chains that wrapped around the man's arms.

After landing, Xiao Wu followed up with a sharp elbow strike.

Bang!

The second Soul Sect fell.

In the blink of an eye, only the tall, thin Spirit King remained.

His face darkened completely.

"You're courting death!"

His Fifth Spirit Ring lit up. The Black Chain turned into several afterimages, lashing toward both Gu Changsheng and Xiao Wu at once.

Gu Changsheng said quietly,

"Move left."

Xiao Wu did not hesitate. She immediately darted to the left.

The Black Chain swept past the tips of her hair.

Gu Changsheng took the chance to create three phantoms, disrupting the Spirit King's judgment.

But a Spirit King was still a Spirit King. His Soul Power erupted by force, scattering all the phantoms.

A Black Chain shot straight toward Xiao Wu's back.

Gu Changsheng's gaze sharpened. He immediately stepped forward, placing a page barrier behind her.

Boom!

The barrier shattered.

The remaining force made Gu Changsheng grunt.

Xiao Wu turned around, her expression changing.

"Gu Changsheng!"

She grabbed his wrist, using the momentum to leap onto the wall.

"Go!"

Gu Changsheng did not force himself to keep fighting.

The two of them crossed the rooftops of the Old District, one after the other.

Behind them, the lanky Spirit King roared as he gave chase.

But without the suppression of the God-Bewitching Incense and Soul-Suppressing Bell, Gu Changsheng's Minor Thousand-Faced Phantom Realm finally came into full play.

After several illusory misdirections, the lanky Spirit King was led in the wrong direction.

Half an hour later.

The two stopped atop an abandoned clock tower.

The night wind swept past. Xiao Wu panted softly and turned to look at Gu Changsheng's shoulder.

"Your wound is still bleeding."

Gu Changsheng lowered his head for a glance and gently shook it.

"Just a minor wound."

Xiao Wu frowned, concern showing in her eyes.

"Are all you Spirit Hall people this stubborn?"

She took a clean handkerchief from her clothes, stepped forward, and pressed it against his wound.

Gu Changsheng lowered his gaze to her delicate little face and said calmly,

"Why are you here?"

Xiao Wu's hands paused.

"I was passing by..."

A faintly wicked smile appeared on Gu Changsheng's lips as he immediately said,

"Tiandou City is so big, and you just happened to pass through a dark alley in the Old District?"

Xiao Wu glared at him.

"I saw you sneak off alone and was afraid you might do something to Shrek, so I followed you to take a look. Is that not allowed?"

Gu Changsheng chuckled.

"So that's how it is."

Xiao Wu felt a little uncomfortable beneath his gaze and asked softly,

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing."

Gu Changsheng lowered his voice.

"I just don't think you came here to watch me."

"It seems more like you were worried about me."

Xiao Wu's cheeks grew slightly warm. She deliberately tightened her grip, and Gu Changsheng's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Xiao Wu immediately loosened her hand again, though she snorted,

"You deserve to hurt."

Gu Changsheng did not expose her.

A moment later, he said softly,

"Thank you."

Xiao Wu stopped moving.

The night wind stirred her Scorpion Braid, carrying away some of the tension as well.

She lowered her head and tied the handkerchief in place, her voice very soft.

"I said I owed you a favor."

Gu Changsheng asked,

"Does tonight count as repaying it?"

Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment, then shook her head.

"No."

Gu Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

Xiao Wu looked up at him, her gaze serious.

"This time, I wanted to help you myself."

"It wasn't to repay a favor."

Their eyes met, and the clock tower suddenly fell silent.

In the distance, Tiandou City's lights shone like stars. The clamor was cut off by the night, leaving only the sound of each other's breathing so close at hand.

Gu Changsheng looked at her, his gaze deepening slightly.

"Xiao Wu, there are some things you should stay out of."

Xiao Wu frowned again.

"What do you mean?"

"Those people tonight weren't ordinary assassins."

Gu Changsheng looked toward the Old District.

"They knew my Soul Skills and had prepared God-Bewitching Incense and a Soul-Suppressing Bell in advance. That means someone has been secretly watching the Spirit Hall Team."

Xiao Wu's expression changed slightly.

"Could they have their eyes on Shrek too?"

"It's possible."

Gu Changsheng looked at her and said earnestly,

"So be careful after you return."

Xiao Wu nodded lightly, then looked at him again.

"What about you?"

Gu Changsheng said calmly,

"I'll get to the bottom of this. Since they dared to make a move, they'll have to pay the price."

Xiao Wu looked at him and suddenly felt that the boy before her had become sharper than he had been three years ago.

He was still calm, but beneath that calm lay an icy chill that would not tolerate offense.

The footsteps of patrolling Spirit Masters sounded in the distance.

Xiao Wu immediately stepped back half a pace.

"I should go back."

Gu Changsheng nodded.

"Don't tell Tang San about tonight for now."

Confusion showed in Xiao Wu's eyes.

"Why?"

Gu Changsheng looked at her and said slowly,

"He'll worry about you, and he'll be even more guarded around me."

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, but did not argue.

In the end, she merely said softly,

"I understand."

With that, she turned and leaped down from the clock tower.

Her pink figure quickly vanished into the night.

Gu Changsheng remained where he was and lowered his head to look at the handkerchief tied around his shoulder.

Its faint fragrance still lingered.

A moment later, he raised a hand and summoned the Myriad Heaven Book.

The pages turned.

[Assassin Soul Power residue recorded.]

[Martial Soul characteristics: black chains, Soul-Suppressing Bell, iron claws, Short Blade.]

[God-Bewitching Incense composition: suspected to originate from the pollen of mind-bewitching Spirit Beasts.]

Gu Changsheng slowly closed the book, his gaze turning cold.

"The underground forces of Tiandou City..."

"Since you made the first move, don't blame me for uprooting every last one of you."