"We have been waiting for you for a long, long time," another harsh, raspy voice chimed in from the gloom. "It seems you sure did take your sweet time coming out, huh? So predictably foolish."As the cold moonlight broke through the drifting night clouds, the illumination swept across the alleyway below, fully revealing the two menacing figures blocking their path. Standing side-by-side with drawn, glinting weapons were Hu Jia and Bajo, two enforcers from Squad Nine.Zareth and Jada instantly halted their advance, their boots coming to a complete standstill on the terracotta tiles as they locked eyes with the two ambushers below."Mmh... these two," Zareth thought silently, his sharp eyes narrowing as he rapidly calculated the variables. "I truly did not account for this specific encounter, nor did I spend much time contemplating their movements tonight. From the Eastern Region, there are roughly five primary routes that connect directly to the Central Region, two wide main thoroughfa

Thud!Bajo crashed heavily onto his knees upon the ground, his sword slipping from his trembling fingers and clattering uselessly against the ground. Blood danced in violent, crimson sprays from his shattered right eye socket, his throat choking on screams of unimaginable agony.Zareth didn't waste a single second. With his right hand wielding his second weapon, the lethal, razor-edged short spear, his arm whipped forward in a blinding, merciless arc.SHHHHKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!The steel tip punched violently through Bajo’s left eye socket, driving deep into his brain from the opposite side!Bajo’s head was now brutalized, pierced through both eye sockets by Zareth's twin weapons as thick, warm blood sprayed across the ground. The agonizing screeching instantly ceased, plunging the passage into absolute silence. With a cold, methodical twist, Zareth gouged his weapons free from the skull.Bajo’s lifeless body collapsed limply onto the ground, falling forward into a pooling mass of his

The next morning...All across Blackwater Town, every establishment, market square, tavern, inn, and gambling den echoed with tense, excited chatter regarding the overwhelming show of force displayed by the Red Panda Gang. People from all walks of life spoke in hushed tones about the grand parade that had marched boldly through rival gang territories without facing a single shred of retaliation. Outside the Eastern Region, rumors spread as townspeople and independent cultivators eagerly speculated on what the gang's next move would be, reminiscing about the lavish, open-air feast that had followed the display of dominance.Even the town garrison guards, usually indifferent to gang posturing, murmured among themselves during their morning patrols. More surprisingly, the gang members of rival factions, the very victims who had been forced to stand by and watch the Red Panda Gang march through their districts, spoke of the event with a strange, begrudging reverence. Having witnessed t

What Zareth was saying made absolute, undeniable sense to Jada now. In a cutthroat environment like Blackwater Town, the individuals Gao had unwittingly leaked the trade route information to were likely enforcers or lower-ranking scouts at best.Given Gao’s own cultivation realm at the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering, anyone he casually socialized with or conversed with in taverns and alleyways would almost certainly be someone around his tier, either slightly stronger or slightly weaker than him.As Jada pieced every detail together in her mind, thinking critically about the underlying power dynamics, she realized Zareth’s assessment of the situation was entirely spot on.A low-level rogue or scout who stumbled upon a goldmine of strategic intelligence would never willingly share that glory with an outside informant; they would present it to their commanders as their own brilliant discovery to secure a massive promotion and heavy financial rewards."So, Gao," Jada said, turning her at

After Stella left with her party, Gao also suddenly slipped out of the room. As Jada and Zareth were engaged in a heated back-and-forth at each other, the heavy brute quietly retreated through the door, leaving them to their argument. As someone who had been squadless by personal choice for quite some time, Gao was thoroughly accustomed to navigating the dangerous streets of Blackwater Town entirely on his own, and naturally, most of the local street dwellers and minor thugs knew his face.Following their intense exchange, Zareth and Jada finally settled down, their tempers cooling off under the quiet light filtering through the open balcony curtains. Sitting directly across from one another on the floorboards in a cross-legged lotus position, they wasted no more time, deciding to immediately commence with guiding Jada’s cultivation advancement."Before I can properly aid you in pushing past your current bottleneck, tell me, Jada... what is the specific attribute that your body res