When Su Mubai swept into the Council Hall like a wisp of smoke, Chen Ming was sitting at his desk, engrossed in a volume of the Local Gazetteer borrowed from Jade Wave Island's Library Pavilion.
Seeing Su Mubai enter, he set down the book and gave him a questioning look.
"He's made his move." Su Mubai said only those few words, but they told Chen Ming everything he needed to know.
"A Communication Talisman?"
"Yes. A coded message written in blood. I couldn't see its contents, but the craftsmanship of that Communication Talisman was unique to the Netherworld Hall." Su Mubai paused, then added, "After sending it, he took a black wooden box from beneath a floor tile in the corner. There was a pill inside. I was too far away to identify it, but judging by the aura it gave off, it was nothing good."
Chen Ming tapped his fingers lightly against the desk, his gaze flickering.
Liu Chong's sending a Communication Talisman meant he had panicked and was seeking help from the Netherworld Hall. As for the pill, it was most likely a last resort for a desperate fight-either a forbidden drug that briefly boosted his cultivation or some kind of Poison Core meant to take his enemy down with him.
Either way, it meant Liu Chong was prepared to fight until the fish died and the net broke.
"How soon do you think he'll act?" Chen Ming asked.
"Tonight at the earliest, tomorrow night at the latest," Su Mubai judged. "He's been exposed. Every moment he stays increases the danger. With his temperament, he won't sit around waiting to die."
Chen Ming nodded, rose, and walked to the window, looking out at the darkening sky.
Dusk was approaching. Night would soon fall.
Darkness offered the best cover-and