"Name, cultivation level, origin, background, and bid."
The man in black on the left spoke in a hoarse, concise voice, as if uttering even a single extra word would be a waste of his life.
The burly man told the truth.
"This person's name is Chen Shuangbai, Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, an outer disciple of the Jade Spring Sect, and currently the garrison commander of Wind Howling Ford. He is skilled in wielding flying swords and is suspected of possessing a powerful Yin Thunder Method."
"There are also some records and videos of his actions here for reference."
The man in black nodded, turned and stepped into the pitch-black cave, while the other stood there like a stone statue, ignoring the burly man.
After a few breaths.
He emerged from the cave, his voice becoming indifferent, as if the collapse of the sky had nothing to do with him.
"My sect master said that this price is enough to kill an outer disciple of the Jade Spring Sect, but if the other party is appointed as a garrison commander, then 30,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stone won't be enough."
Upon hearing this, the burly man's heart tightened.
He could only apologize, turn around and leave the cave. He went out into the wilderness, summoned a night owl from the beast token he carried, and asked it to deliver a message back to its master, Bai Xiuyuan.
Two hours later, the owl returned.
The burly man opened the paper on his lap and was somewhat moved.
He returned and bowed to the man in black, saying, "My master is willing to add another 50,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stone to the original amount, making a total of 80,000. Please, Cave Master, take action and annihilate Chen Shuangbai with lightning speed."
As Bai Xiuyuan's confidant, the burly man knew a little about his master's wealth.
These 80,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stone represent all of Bai Xiuyuan's wealth.
This amount of Spirit Stone would be enough to live comfortably for ten years in any country, yet Bai Xiuyuan is using it all just to kill Chen Shuangbai, which shows his determination.
The man in black remained expressionless, simply saying "Wait," and this time, he took a little longer to enter the cave.
They stepped back into the dark cave entrance.
The burly man was not in a hurry.
He knew that the Lord of Black Cloud Cave would definitely agree to this price.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the man in black returned, holding a token that was as black as ink and tinged with blood.
"The cave master has agreed."
The man in black handed the token to the burly man, then took all 30,000 Lower-Grade Spirit Stone the man had brought, and said, "This is still not enough. The other party is a disciple of the Jade Spring Sect. Killing him is extremely risky. The full amount must be paid before the cave master will make a move."
The burly man nodded. "The remaining Spirit Stone will arrive soon, please wait a moment."
The man in black nodded.
After Bai Xiuyuan's men handed over the remaining 50,000 Spirit Stone, the latter only said, "Go. Wait for news," and then dismissed the burly man.
The burly man left the area and stood atop the high hill, looking at the cave illuminated by the bright red lanterns, and shivered for no reason.
" Black Cloud Cave is a notorious assassin organization, known for its willingness to kill even Foundation Establishment cultivators if the price is right."
"With the master making such a grand gesture, it seems he intends to fight Chen Shuangbai to the death."
The burly man recalled some rumors about the Black Cloud Cave, and felt a cold sweat break out all over his body. He turned around and used his movement Movement Method to quickly disappear into the vast night.
at the same time.
The hidden place inside that mountain cave.
Before a special, pitch-black crystal, two blurry figures, almost blending into the shadows, stood bowing.
A hoarse sound, like the friction of metal, emanated from within the crystal.
" Ye Youqi "
"Your subordinate is here."
A blurry figure simultaneously bowed, its voice erratic, clearly concealed by Secret Method, making its true tone unrecognizable.
"The target for this mission is Chen Shuangbai, an outer disciple of the Jade Spring Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy, outside Wind Howling County."
"I will give you three days to kill him. Do you have any objections?"
"Reporting to the cave master, there is none."
"Alright, then go ahead."
"I will obey the Cave Master's decree!"
The man solemnly replied, his figure suddenly elongating, transforming into a black shadow, and disappearing into the darkness of the cave.
One day later.
Outside the county town, within the towering canopy of a tree, a shadow snaked out like a serpent, transforming into the figure of Ye Youqi.
at this time.
The bright moonlight shone through the gaps in the tree canopy, falling on him but not revealing his figure, indicating that his black clothes were made of a special material.
Ye Youqi climbed to a high vantage point and gazed into the distance at the bamboo forest. In a voice that was neither clearly male nor female, he slowly said, "To be able to kill a Sixth Layer of Qi Refining Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and another Sixth Layer of Qi Refining... it seems his Yin Thunder Method is indeed formidable."
Ye Youqi may be an assassin, but he is not mindless.
Instead, after arriving at Wind Howling Ford, he disguised himself and entered the county town. He spent some money and used various means to find out everything that Chen Shuangbai had done since taking office. Then, combined with the images provided by the employer, he gained a preliminary understanding of Chen Shuangbai.
Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy is shrouded in an array; forcing your way in would likely cause a huge commotion. The only way is...
That night.
Outside the bamboo grove of the Spring-Venerating Daoist Academy, there is a rarely traveled path.
Ye Youqi stood before the path, releasing his spiritual sense to perceive the barrier of the array in front of him. He took out a small bottle from his Storage Bag and poured out some cold, smoky gas.
The smoke seemed to possess a spirit, actively covering the array's light barrier, accompanied by a series of soft bubbling sounds.
The originally invisible array light barrier was corroded to create an opening large enough for one person to pass through. Ye Youqi then transformed into a brown snake, burrowed into the bamboo leaves below, and crawled deeper into the bamboo forest.
The entire process was carried out without disturbing anyone, completely silent, just like the legendary night-roaming spirit.
It was nearly 9 PM.
The students of the Daoist academy had already retired for the night. Occasionally, a lamp flickered, revealing patrolling martial artists, but it couldn't illuminate the Ye Youqi hidden beneath the thick bamboo leaves.
The yellow snake, which had transformed from the Ye Youqi, concealed its aura along the corner of the Daoist temple wall, bypassed numerous defenses, and finally approached the location of the Listening to the Waves Pavilion.
It was no secret that Chen Shuangbai was cultivating at the Listening to the Waves Pavilion.
Knowing that Chen Shuangbai possessed a Yin Thunder Method capable of annihilating Seventh Layer of Qi Refining cultivator, Ye Youqi couldn't treat him the same way. Therefore, he had a plan in mind: he came here to complete this mission using his most proficient quick-kill tactics.
The yellow snake climbed up the wall of the courtyard where Listening to the Waves Pavilion was located, following the crack in the corner of the wall.
Moonlight streamed through the carved wooden window.
Ye Youqi clearly saw the handsome young man sitting cross-legged on the futon.
Chen Shuangbai seemed to be cultivating, or perhaps dozing. He had no guards around him, which meant he was at his most relaxed and it was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Ye Youqi quickly assessed the situation, flicked his tongue, found the upwind side, opened his mouth, and exhaled a thin, almost invisible grayish-white mist.
This is Ye Youqi's trump card, a poison called Spirit-Eroding Powder.
Once inhaled, it will rapidly erode a cultivator's meridians Dantian, paralyzing their soul and rendering them powerless to resist without warning, leaving them completely vulnerable to attack.
He stood atop the courtyard wall, waiting quietly for a moment, counting the beats in his mind.
After five breaths, seeing that Chen Shuangbai, who was sitting on the futon, still did not move, they knew that the poison had taken effect.
He leaped up, revealing his true form, and pushed open the door, intending to cut off Chen Shuangbai's head to return and report.
But as they pushed open the door, amidst the interplay of light and shadow and the moonlight streaming in, they were met head-on by a supremely refined, icy, and silently destructive aura of azure lightning.