The incense curled lazily in the brocade-walled chamber as the scent of plum blossom mixed with heat from the steaming bath. Yuerou stepped out of the water, her bare skin glistening as moonlight traced the curve of her back. She wrapped herself in a deep violet robe, loosely tied at the waist.
Gu Changge leaned by the screen, a jade cup of wine in hand.
"You're staring," Yuerou said without looking at him.
She crossed the room in silent steps. When he kissed her, it was soft at first, then deepened until she pushed lightly against his chest.
"Still sore from last night," she whispered with a coy glance, though there was a faint wince in her voice.
He smiled. "Then tonight, no indulgence. Just a quiet slaughter."
Yuerou smirked, eyes glinting. "The Jiang Clan?"
Gu Changge nodded, already dressed in black robes woven with shadow-thread.
"Time to carve out rot."
> Villain Value: 3,200
---
LIN TIAN POV-
The military district stirred with the thunder of morning drills as Lin Tian rode beside General Yun Fei. The sun glinted off armored shoulders and spear tips. They passed beneath massive stone gates, above which flew crimson banners etched with phoenix spears—emblems of ancient valor.
General Yun Fei was a towering presence, scarred and stern, his very breath carrying the iron scent of battle. "You've got decent form, Lin Tian," he said, his voice gravel over steel. "But real cultivation? It's not just about realm or qi. It's how you kill, how you think when swords meet."
Lin Tian nodded with deep respect. "I've studied formation breaks, footwork grids, and dual-essence trapping. I hope to learn more… especially how you taught Lady Xiaoyue."
General Yun Fei raised a grizzled brow. "Heh. Strategy, not just strength? That's rare among your kind. Let's see how far you've come."
He gestured, and a maid stepped forward with a bow.
"Where is Xiaoyue?"
"In the back courtyard, General. Practicing sword drills."
"Good. Come," Yun Fei ordered.
They walked through halls lined with aging war tapestries, shattered helmets, and mounted weapons. Lin Tian's gaze lingered on each relic with reverence. Soon, the air grew quieter, filled only with the rustle of bamboo.
In the rear courtyard, surrounded by walls of swaying green, a young woman stood motionless. Her back was to them, blade resting on her shoulder, hair short and slicked with sweat. Though still, her presence radiated the tension of a coiled spring.
As they stepped closer, her eyes snapped open. Without turning, she said coldly, "I sensed you, Father."
Then she turned to face them.
Yun Xiaoyue was striking—not in the delicate manner of jade beauties, but with the commanding grace of a blade honed to brilliance. Tall and broad-shouldered, her figure carried the effortless poise of a seasoned fighter, every step measured and fluid, like a dance learned through fire. Her raven-dark hair, tied in a high warrior's tail, swayed with her movements, a silken contrast to the steel beneath her skin. Her features were sharp and proud—high cheekbones, a finely cut jaw, and eyes framed by long lashes that did nothing to soften their intensity.
Yet there was a magnetic allure to her—an elegance carved from discipline, not ornament. She wore her fitted practice robes like second skin, the fabric whispering against muscle and motion. Her beauty was not meek—it dared you to look, then warned you not to linger. But it was her gaze, steady and silver-bright like tempered steel, that truly held sway: cool, unyielding, yet not without a flicker of mystery. It was the gaze of one who had tasted blood and fire—and emerged unbroken, unforgettable.
Lin Tian's eyes lingered longer than they should have, admiring her posture, the faint sheen of sweat on her skin, the way her toned legs braced as she shifted her stance.
Yun Xiaoyue noticed. Her jaw tightened.
General Yun Fei, oblivious or tolerant, gestured. "This is Lin Tian. Early Golden Core Realm. You two are of age, and both carry swords. Learn something from each other."
Yun Xiaoyue said nothing. She didn't bow. She didn't smile. Her silence was absolute.
Lin Tian stepped forward, earnest and calm. "Lady Xiaoyue. I've heard of your blade technique. It's an honor."
She said nothing.
The silence stretched like drawn steel.
Yun Fei scowled. "Xiaoyue! Don't be disrespectful. Apologize."
She glanced sideways. "I didn't insult him."
"Still—manners."
Before she could speak again, Lin Tian raised a hand, smiling politely. "It's fine, General. No offense taken."
> Ring Grandpa (muttering): "Hmph. The War Orchid Physique. Rare. Born to master battlefield movement and balance. Unawakened, she's just a sharp weapon. Awakened? She'll move like war incarnate."
> Lin Tian (quietly): "She hasn't awakened it yet?"
> Ring Grandpa: "Obviously. If provoked, she could cripple a Foundation cultivator in seconds. But you... you've already suppressed your realm. Testing her?"
Yun Fei stepped back with a grin. "Since you're here, spar. Xiaoyue's been getting bored. Just don't cry if she slices you open."
Yun Xiaoyue's eyes narrowed. "You sure you want this? I don't hold back."
Lin Tian offered a faint smile. "Only a friendly bout. I'll match your realm. Peak Foundation."
He suppressed his cultivation with a subtle breath, letting his qi dim until it matched hers exactly.
Her eyes flicked with surprise—then annoyance.
"I'll let you take the first move," she said flatly.
Lin Tian shook his head. "You won't be able to move if I do. Go ahead."
The insult landed.
Yun Xiaoyue's brows twitched. Her blade flashed forward with no more warning.
She was fast—faster than most cultivators at her realm. Her attacks flowed like water over stone, relentless and sharp-edged. But Lin Tian's footwork was calm, precise. He sidestepped, blocked, countered, never aggressive, but never yielding.
Yun Fei watched from the side, arms crossed. "Hah. She's angry."
Clang. Swish. Clash.
Yun Xiaoyue advanced with gritted teeth, frustration mounting. She launched a flurry of chained strikes, footwork slicing across the bamboo floor, sweat flying from her brow.
But Lin Tian's sword curved in an elegant parry, using her momentum to break her balance.
Then, in one motion, he stepped in—disarmed her with a clean twist of his blade—and stopped with the flat edge at her throat.
She froze, breath hot against steel.
Silence fell.
Lin Tian slowly lowered his sword and stepped back. "You're fast. But you leave your left flank open when you pivot off your front foot."
Yun Xiaoyue stared at him, cheeks flushed from exertion—and something else.
Then she turned without a word, retrieving her blade from the ground and wiping it clean with one smooth motion.
"You're not completely useless," she muttered, before walking away.
Lin Tian didn't reply. He simply exhaled, the ghost of a smile on his face.
Yun Fei laughed heartily behind him. "If she didn't try to kill you, she might like you."
---
Imperial Palace — Lotus Pavilion
Within the veiled heart of the Cangyu Kingdom's Imperial Palace, the Lotus Pavilion shimmered with muted elegance. Silver lotus-shaped lanterns hovered midair, suspended by formations, casting moon-like halos upon the Empress's reclining form. Cushions of crimson silk pooled around her like a blooming rose, and fragrant incense curled in patterns of hidden dragons.
At her feet, clad in dark leather and shadowsteel silk, knelt Lady Feng—her personal shadow guard and most trusted blade.
Her voice was low, razor-precise.
"Report, Your Majesty. Gu Changge remains silent. No recent movement ."
The Empress didn't look up immediately. She swirled the wine in her translucent cup, watching the red liquid cling to the rim.
Lady Feng continued, sensing permission to proceed.
"His background remains as previously recorded. Age: twenty-two. Son of Gu Zhenyuan—currently early Nascent Soul Realm, elder Heavenly Sword Sect. Mother, presumed deceased or vanished. Cultivates under Sect Master Yue Qingya of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Status: Core Disciple."
A pause.
"Cultivation unclear. No public breakthroughs recently. Estimated to be early Golden Core Realm—but there are signs of concealment."
Now the Empress looked at her, golden eyes half-lidded with interest.
"Concealing one's cultivation... Bold."
Lady Feng nodded once.
The Empress leaned back, tilting her head toward the open garden beyond the lattice screens. Moonlight spilled onto the floor in silvery veins. Her voice was soft, but cold as lake ice.
"Silent snakes... They do not slumber. They tighten."
Lady Feng shifted her weight.
"Lin Tian remains under Yun Fei's protection in the capital. His profile, if Your Majesty permits—"
A nod.
"Age: twenty. Cultivation: early Golden Core Realm. Mother—Lin Rou, alive, mid Foundation Building Realm. Father—Lin Wei, formerly mid Golden Core, fell in secret realm 10 years ago ones work for our kingdom. Lin Tian has one sister, Lin Xian'er, core disciple of Thousand Blossom Palace."
"Affiliation?" the Empress murmured.
"Heavenly Sword Sect. Inner Disciple."
The Empress tapped a single crimson fingernail against her jade cup.
"And Lin Tian? Temperament?"
Lady Feng hesitated, then replied,
"Proud. Reckless. Carries a karmic fortune. Strong potential, but increasingly unstable. He has enemies within his own sect."
"Gu Changge," the Empress said softly.
A pause stretched.
"Possibly," Lady Feng said. "The Heavenly Sword Sect cultivates many secrets. But I suspect... Gu Changge is not merely a rival. He is baiting the web."
The Empress exhaled through her nose, placing her cup down on a lacquered tray.
"Do not interfere," she commanded.
Lady Feng bowed her head. "As Your Majesty wills."
The Empress stood and walked slowly toward the open pavilion edge, the light wind stirring the golden thread in her robes. She stared up at the stars—indifferent and bright in their ancient patterns.
"One snake coiled in darkness," she whispered, "is more dangerous than a thousand roaring lions."
The lotus lanterns above flickered once—as if in answer.
---
Location: Jiang Clan Inner Estate
Time: Midnight
Moonlight filtered through the plum branches, veiled in drifting mist. Midnight cloaked the sprawling Jiang Clan estate, its walls glowing faintly with defensive formation runes—etched generations ago by peak-stage Array Grandmasters.
But to Gu Changge, they were little more than ornamental patterns on an old tomb.
He and Yuerou moved through the courtyard's edge like detached shadows—each draped in a Veil of the Silent Moon, thin as gossamer yet woven with essence-silk and shadow thread.
> Item Used: Veil of the Silent Moon ×2
Effect: Invisibility in moonlight/darkness, aura suppression, soundless movement
Bonus: Conceals presence even from Deity Transformation Realm cultivators
Villain Value Spent: -1,600 ➝ Remaining: 1,600
Even the patrolling spirit-beasts failed to notice them. Their claws passed through moonlight where Gu Changge had just stood.
Before them loomed the Seventh Sector, the inner sanctum of the Jiang Clan, where Madam Qiu Lingxuan, the former matriarch, lived in seclusion and political exile. Her personal domain was bound in triple formation layers, each keyed to her soul.
Gu Changge paused in the shadows and whispered:
> "Technique Ready: Veil of the Abyss."
A black mist burst across his skin, swallowing his figure. The night deepened unnaturally. The Bloodshade Abyssal Sword Scripture – Move II awakened silently.
> Bloodshade Abyssal Sword Scripture – Move II
Effect: Cloaks the user in blood mist and shadow illusions. Breaks through sect arrays and palace barriers. Induces hallucinations and qi deviation.
Type: Stealth – Illusion – Breach
Destructive Power: ★★★☆
Status: Active
He flicked his wrist, and Abyssal Array Needles emerged—silver-black needles inscribed with ruin scripts. They pierced the spiritual locks embedded into the air like nails into paper.
> Shhhk...
A faint distortion.
The barrier rippled—then broke, soundlessly.
He and Yuerou passed through the veil like ghosts breaching a forgotten memory.
---
The pavilion beyond was dimly lit by lantern-pearls, their flame dulled behind red curtains. Within, two soul signatures stirred.
Gu Changge stepped silently onto the roof. A twist of his fingers unlocked the lattice skylight. He descended in total silence, merging into the silks and shadows below.
Madam Qiu Lingxuan lay entangled with the Jiang clan steward, her long-suppressed ambition reduced to animal indulgence. Her aging fingers clawed at him beneath silken sheets, breath ragged with passion and wine.
> "Rot," Gu Changge murmured. "It festers at the top."
The steward barely twitched before a sliver of shadow ripped across his throat. A second strike punched through his heart. No sound, just blood. He convulsed, eyes bulging, fingers twitching around nothing.
The matriarch gasped.
> "Wh—"
Red mist whispered across her neck. Her voice died mid-breath, her lifeforce unspooling into Gu Changge's palm like thread from a broken loom.
> +70 Villain Value (Steward)
+150 Villain Value (Matriarch)
Total: 1,820 Villain Value
Yuerou slipped in from the garden screen door moments later. She glanced once at the corpses, then turned to Gu Changge.
He handed her two items: a Bone-Shifting Pearl, and a jade slip engraved with Madam Qiu's personal history—purchased in advance from the Shadowweb Society.
Yuerou pressed the pearl against her throat. Her bones cracked once, twice, then shimmered. A heartbeat later—
> Madam Qiu Lingxuan stood again, re-formed, cold-eyed, composed.
She stepped over her corpse without hesitation.
> "The steward was found guilty of treason," she said rehearsedly. "He was executed.
No one would dare challenge her authority.
No one would know.
> Infiltration: Successful.
Shadow Guards of the Empress: None detected.
Internal Control of Jiang Clan: Now possible.
---
Yuerou stood still beside the fallen matriarch's bed, now her double. The scent of blood still lingered, muted beneath incense and aged silk.
Gu Changge handed her a small token—an ink-black seal ring carved with a coiled serpent.
> "you stay here," he murmured. "Act only if summoned. The rest falls to me."
She gave a shallow nod. "Understood."
With that, he vanished through the moonlit screen, his presence dissolving like fog against the night wind.
---
The main study stood at the estate's heart—its doors flanked by guardian beasts carved from white jade. No guards. No noise. Jiang Taizu, the patriarch, preferred silence in his administrative hours.
Gu Changge entered without a ripple.
Within, Jiang Taizu, not yet forty, leaned over a lacquered desk. His silver hair gleamed faintly under the soul-lamp's flame, tied in a scholar's knot. His face was clear-cut, proud, and austere—handsome, though lacking the celestial sharpness Gu Changge carried like breath.
The patriarch looked up—but far too late.
A thread of shadow-qi, shaped like a black serpent, shot from Gu Changge's fingers and burrowed through his forehead.
> Crack.
The body jerked once—then slumped back into the chair, head canted sideways, mouth slightly open. No alarms. No soul flare. Just death.
> +500 Villain Value
Total: 2,320 Villain Value
---
From his sleeve, Gu Changge drew out a Soul Echo Reading Crystal, shimmering faintly with eerie light.
He pressed it to Jiang Taizu's forehead.
> Villain Value Spent: -1,500 ➝ Remaining: 820
The crystal pulsed—then surged with memory fragments, pouring images into Gu Changge's mind:
Secret meetings with masked emissaries in blood-red robes
A ritual altar hidden beneath the Jiang Clan.
Communications marked with the sigil of the Demonic Spirit Sect
Mentions of demonic bloodline extraction, "Host Vessels", and "the ancient existence "
---
> ⚠️ ALERT: Restriction Sigil Detected – Unauthorized Mind Access Triggered
A violent flare ignited across the corpse's forehead. A section of the soul shattered into burning fragments.
Gu Changge's expression sharpened.
> "The Jiang Clan… they're compromised."
He stepped back, gaze narrowing. "Bound by oath to the Demonic Spirit Sect—and hiding it for decades."
His fingers clenched, then slowly relaxed.
> "I came here to infiltrate power... but this is rot beneath jade. No wonder the ancestral qi tasted strange."
---
He raised his hand and crushed a Bone-Shifting Pearl in his palm. His body convulsed—bones crackled, muscles rippled unnaturally. Skin twisted and shimmered like hot wax.
Seconds later—
> Jiang Taizu stood again, untouched and alive in appearance. The perfect lie.
Silver hair. Measured breath. Quiet authority. All forged on a villain's whim.
Gu Changge brushed down the sleeves.
> "No one will suspect. And now... I have reason to dig deeper."
He glanced toward the balcony where moonlight faded into approaching dawn.
> "Yuerou will hold the matriarch's leash. I'll hold the patriarch's crown."
His lips curled slightly.
> "The Jiang Clan was merely a tool. Now, it's also a key."
---
Ding
Infiltration: Complete
Jiang Taizu: Eliminated
Identity Assumed
Demonic Spirit Sect Connection: Confirmed
New Objective: Uncover Phase Two Awakening
---
[End of Chapter 22]