The air outside the inn was still and quiet. Inside his room, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, his breath steady as he meditated, circulating his qi to stabilize the effects of the body refining technique he had just completed. A faint silver sheen glimmered beneath his skin—evidence of the newly tempered strength coursing through his meridians.
But then… something changed.
His eyes snapped open. A chill swept through the room—not from cold, but from a presence. A murderous aura. Silent. Precise. Deadly.
> Someone's here.
He stood up slowly, tightening the bracers on his wrist. Without a word, he left the inn and vanished into the darkness, heading toward the forest.
---
Far behind, a figure stood upon a rooftop, completely cloaked in black. Only two piercing red eyes gleamed under the hood. He had watched Lin Xuan for hours. His name was known in the underworld as Black Talon, a notorious assassin of the Zhi Clan, rarely deployed—only when the target was too dangerous for anyone else.
He stepped down from the roof soundlessly, landing like a shadow.
> "Running won't help you," he muttered and took chase.
---
Lin Xuan's feet barely touched the ground as he sped toward the Mist Forest. The trees were twisted and ancient, the fog dense enough to muffle sound and confuse the senses. Few dared enter this place. Even fewer returned.
> But this is where I can kill him, Lin Xuan thought grimly.
He entered the forest without hesitation, vanishing into the fog. Behind him, Black Talon stopped at the tree line. His lips curled into a smile.
> "The fool runs to his own death."
He stepped into the mist.
---
Inside, Lin Xuan moved swiftly. His fingers traced formations into the damp earth, slipped vials of deadly liquid into tree trunks, tied spirit-thread across hidden branches. Every movement was precise. Controlled.
> Poisoned needles. Venom fog. Spirit-locking net. Everything must work together...
He poured the last of a bone-white powder around a tree's base, forming the final array. Then he vanished into the branches above, masking his aura completely.
Moments later, footsteps.
Black Talon appeared in the clearing, his red eyes scanning the trees.
> "Do you think your little tricks can stop me?"
He took a step forward.
A faint click echoed in the silence.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes.
The trap was triggered.
---