By the third watch, the residence had fallen completely silent. The servant making his nightly rounds had just passed through the courtyard, his footsteps gradually fading away. Shen Fei opened his eyes, a trace of eerie green light flashing in their depths.
He rose and walked to the window. After confirming that no one was outside, he willed the Shadow Mantis deep within his soul to stir. A black phantom spread from the shadows beneath his feet, merging into his body through every limb.
Cold darkness spiritual power flowed through his meridians, his presence instantly suppressed to the utmost. He seemed to melt into the night.
Shen Fei pushed open the rear window and slipped out without a sound. His feet landed on the courtyard wall without the slightest noise. Sheltered by the shadows cast by the houses, he sped toward the south of the city.
The streets were deserted after curfew. Every so often, a squad of soldiers on night patrol passed by, their torchlight swaying back and forth. Shen Fei hid in the shadows at the mouth of an alley, waiting until the patrol team had passed before darting across the street and pressing himself against the opposite wall.
His footsteps were so light that they barely disturbed the dust on the flagstones. He pushed the Shadow Mantis's gift for concealment to its limit. Even someone walking just a few paces away might not notice a person hidden in the shadows.
After traveling for roughly an hour, he reached the residential quarter of the southern logistics office.
Adjutant Ma's residence stood in an alley behind the office, a self-contained courtyard house with two lanterns hanging at its entrance, illuminating the words "Ma Residence."
Shen Fei avoided the front entrance and circled around to the rear courtyard wall. It