Chapter 565: Chapter 155: Assassin’s Guild_1
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Mie Feng tugged at Ah Dai’s clothes and said, "Big brother, let’s go. Don’t be angry with these riffraff." Saying this, she gave Ah Dai a meaningful glance and led him into Sunset City.
As soon as they entered the city gate, Mie Feng complained, "Why are you so impulsive? Have you forgotten what you came here for? Aren’t you afraid of exposing your identity? Be more careful from now on."
Ah Dai said with loathing, "I can’t stand those who bully others by flaising their power. It seems I haven’t completely digested my malevolent aura! I’ve killed too many people over the past half year. My killing intent is too strong." After killing a common soldier, he felt somewhat remorseful. At that moment, he noticed that Mie Feng was standing near the city gate, not following him in. He walked back to her in confusion. Mie Feng was staring blankly at an unnoticeably marked spot on the city wall. There were a few white traces there, resembling some sort of pattern. Ah Dai asked, "What are you looking at? Let’s go."
Mie Feng snapped back from her trance, her face grew a bit pale, and she struggled to say, "Nothing? Let’s go." They then entered Sunset City together.
Sunset City was indeed bustling. The main streets were crowded and filled with cries of vendors. Ah Dai pointed to a small inn not far from them, "Mie Feng, let’s stay there." Mie Feng didn’t respond, continuing to lower her head and walk forward as if she hadn’t heard Ah Dai’s words. Ah Dai was stunned, ever since she saw those marks at the city gate, Mie Feng seemed to be in low spirits. He grabbed her shoulders, "Mie Feng, Mie Feng, did you hear what I said?"
Mie Feng came out of her thoughts, looking puzzled, "Huh? What did you say? I didn’t hear."
Ah Dai frowned, "What’s the matter with you? Didn’t you say you wanted to find a place to stay? How about the small inn ahead? It’s inconspicuous, it seems like a suitable place."
Mie Feng nodded, struggled to say, "Okay, that place it is." After saying that, she took the lead and walked towards the inn. Ah Dai didn’t understand why she was acting this way, shook his head and followed her. They booked two ordinary rooms in the inn. As soon as Ah Dai had entered his room, Mie Feng called him, "Ah Dai, rest here for now. I’ll take you to the Assassin’s Guild tonight. I need to go out now."
Ah Dai was surprised, "We’ve arrived in the Empire of Sunset City and it’s time for you to fulfill your promise. Where are you going now?"
Mie Feng’s pale face twitched slightly, "You saw the marks on the city gate too, it means someone from our Thieves Guild is looking for me. I need to go and see what happened. Don’t worry, I’ll be back by dusk." Without waiting for Ah Dai to respond, she turned and left. The mark wasn’t just a simple call for her, it was the Thieves Guild’s most urgent summons. It only appeared when something major happened. Mie Feng sensed a shift within the Thieves Guild, which was why she hurriedly went to check.
Ah Dai watched Mie Feng’s disappearing figure and didn’t stop her. He returned alone to his room. Soon, it was time to avenge Owen. To be prudent, he had to keep himself in the best condition. He took off his shoes, jumped up and began meditating on the large bed in the room. Under the influence of hatred, it took him a long time to enter a state of self-abandonment.
Mie Feng did return by dusk, however, her face was still pale, her eyes flashing with a struggling look. She knocked on Ah Dai’s door, trying to make her expression as calm as possible, "Let’s go, I will take you to the Assassin’s Guild." Ah Dai looked at Mie Feng and said, "Did something happen to your Thieves Guild? You don’t look well."
Mie Feng shook her head, "It’s our internal matter, it has been solved. Let’s go now, it’s time to fulfill the promise I made to you."
Although Ah Dai was puzzled by Mie Feng’s appearance, the desire for revenge occupied most of his thoughts. Without thinking too much, he packed up his things and followed Mie Feng out of the inn. The weather was bad that day, with overcast skies. By nightfall, the bright moon was obscured by the clouds, making the earth particularly gloomy.
Mie Feng moved quickly, heading west towards Sunset City. Ah Dai got close by her side, communicated secretly, and asked, "Where exactly is the Assassin’s Guild? Can you tell me now?"
Mie Feng nodded and said in a low voice, "The reason why the Assassin’s Guild can survive on the mainland is in large part due to the protection of the Empire of Sunset City. Their headquarters is within the estate of an influential noble of this empire. I’m not sure about the relationship between the Guild President and this noble. All I know is that even as an elite thief like me, I’m unable to infiltrate that estate. Be careful in every way. We may not take action directly today. First, we need to find out everything. Do not alarm the enemy prematurely."
Ah Dai nodded and said, "Rest assured, I will be careful. I will not repeat the mistake made in Tai Ang City. I won’t give them a chance to surround me again."
Mie Feng gave Ah Dai a deep look and said, "That would be for the best." Ah Dai was eager for revenge, but the Empire of Sunset City was extraordinarily prosperous at night. Among ordinary people, they could only move forward at a normal pace. After more than an hour’s walk, Mie Feng stopped and pointed forward, saying, "It’s over there."
Ah Dai felt a surge of heat in his heart. He looked in the direction where she pointed. It was a tall compound wall, and surprisingly, there wasn’t much movement around it. The wall was a towering five meters high, comparable even to the Royal Palace, preventing him from seeing the situation inside. Ah Dai asked in a low voice, "Who is this influential person in the Empire of Sunset City? They live in such a large compound. It seems to be at least forty to fifty thousand square meters in size."
Mie Feng glanced at Ah Dai and said, "Now there is no need to hide anything from you anymore. We thieves were heavily bribed by the noble here to go to the Elf Clan to capture elves. The noble here is a powerful Duke in the Empire of Sunset City, who holds sway over the entire empire, and is the only Duke in the entire empire. His power is immense, albeit not as much as Quan Yi the Emperor of the Empire of Sunset City, but not far behind. Almost all the economic lifelines in the Empire of Sunset City are controlled by him, and his wealth is enough to measure up to a nation’s. Because of his immense power, there are likely to be many experts in the mansion, plus the people of the Assassin’s Guild are certainly very strong. You must not act rashly, investigate the situation first."
When Ah Dai heard Mie Feng mention the Elf Clan, he couldn’t help but recall the dozen or so elves who had committed suicide out of humiliation. The old and new hatred emerged in his heart, and he said angrily, "I will kill this so-called Duke with them, let him accompany the Assassin’s Guild to their grave. You wait here, I’ll go in first to figure out the situation, don’t worry, I won’t take action today. Once everything is clear, tomorrow will be the day of doom for the Assassin’s Guild." With that, he casually took off his civilian clothes when no one was paying attention, revealing the black Giant Spirit Snake Armor underneath, vaulted into the air and fell towards the high wall in front of him.
Mie Feng paled slightly, her beautiful face twisted for a moment as she slowly shook her head and moved to a dark corner to wait for Ah Dai.
As Ah Dai and Mie Feng appeared outside the Duke’s Mansion, not far from there, several figures were whispering to each other. All their gazes were fixed on the spot where Ah Dai had just disappeared.
A deep and muffled voice emanated from a towering figure, "Master, it’s Ah Dai, it’s really him. You were right, he’s here. Should we try to stop him?"
"No, don’t call him now, let him go. It would be best for Ah Dai to avenge Owen. I believe this is also what Owen would have wanted. Judging by Ah Dai’s movement technique, he has greatly improved and his skills surpass mine. He should be fine. We just need to find the right time to assist him when he is in danger," the elderly voice answered calmly. The dark clouds suddenly cleared a little, revealing several figures under the faint moonlight. They were the Yan Family Brothers, Zhuo Yun, and Xi Wen and Liao Wen. They had been waiting here for more than four months, anticipating Ah Dai’s arrival. It turned out that after Xi Wen and his brothers had left the mountain with the Yan Family Brothers, Xi Wen decided to head directly to Sunset City, the capital of the Empire of Sunset City. When Yan Shi asked why he had come straight to Sunset City, Xi Wen mysteriously didn’t answer. It wasn’t until they arrived there that he revealed the truth. Initially, the second generation of disciples led by Xi Wen, were furious when they learned that their junior brother Owen was killed by the Assassin’s Guild. However, due to the Tian Gang Sword Sect Leader’s command and their desire for Ah Dai to personally avenge Owen, they refrained from retaliating immediately. Also, the Tian Gang Sword Sect was a national sect with a highly esteemed status within the Empire of Washington. If they retaliated against the Assassin’s Guild located in the Empire of Sunset City, it could potentially result in a war between the two Empires. The two Empires are long-lasting rivals and had a deep understanding of each other. In order to help Ah Dai completely destroy the Assassin’s Guild and avenge Owen, Xi Wen and the rest of the second generation disciples utilized the influence of the Tian Gang Sword Sect within the Empire of Washington, persuading the empire to dispatch a large number of high-powered spies into the Empire of Sunset City. After several years of investigation, they finally discovered the headquarters of the Assassin’s Guild. However, the Tian Gang Sword Sect did not act recklessly. Once they obtained the news, they merely collected the secrets and waited for the right opportunity instead. When Xi Wen and the others entered the Empire of Sunset City, they heard of the Grim Reaper’s appearance, well aware that this Grim Reaper was undoubtedly Ah Dai. After some exploration, Xi Wen discovered that Ah Dai was accurately locating the Assassin’s Guild’s bases one after another. Although he didn’t know how Ah Dai accomplished it, he understood that Ah Dai must have had a precise source of information. Thus, he decided and brought everyone to settle in the vicinity of the Assassin’s Guild’s headquarters located in Sunset City. He knew that one way or another, Ah Dai would surely come to the Assassin’s Guild headquarters for revenge, hence they should wait for him to appear here. They used this sit-and-wait tactic and waited for a full four months. The Yan Family Brothers grew restless from the long waiting. Just when Xi Wen started having doubts about his own judgement, the man they had been hoping to see finally appeared.
Yan Li whispered, "Master Xi Wen, look, the girl who came with Ah Dai is the thief you mentioned previously. She had tried to assassinate Ah Dai countless times before. It’s unexpected for them to be together. I really can’t understand what’s happening." Yan Shi smiled and said, "Isn’t it obvious? The thieves guild has the most information. Although I don’t know how Ah Dai found this thief, they must have reached some sort of agreement. Ah Dai was able to accurately locate each base of the Assassin’s Guild previously, and this thief must have guided him. When did our Ah Dai become so smart? It seems that he has improved his skills during this period. All we need to do is wait for the commotion at the Duke’s mansion and then back up Ah Dai."
Zhuo Yun said worriedly, "But, this is the headquarters of the Assassin’s Guild. There are bound to be many experts here. Can Ah Dai handle it alone?"
Yan Shi said, "Don’t worry about that. Don’t forget, Ah Dai also has the support of the dragons. Even if he can’t handle it alone, with the help of the two dragons, he should be able to break through. Let’s wait. Once Ah Dai summons the two dragons, it means he’s in trouble, and that will be the time for us to take action."
Xi Wen nodded approvingly and said, "Yan Shi is right, our task now is to wait for Ah Dai’s eruption. The Assassin’s Guild has been rampant on the mainland for so many years, and it’s about time for their luck to run out. Third Brother, go on the rooftop to monitor, pay attention to the movements inside the Duke’s Mansion. If there’s any change, notify us immediately." Another crucial reason why Xi Wen didn’t directly assist Ah Dai in taking revenge on the Assassin’s Guild was that he wanted to see whether Ah Dai possesses the strength of a Sword Saint. Ah Dai was extremely important to the Tian Gang Sword Sect. Without the instructions of the Sword Saint, Xi Wen had already considered Ah Dai as the first choice to succeed the position of Sect Leader. As the current Sect Leader, he must fully test Ah Dai’s strength and character. Among the second generation disciples, only Xi Wen knew about the contest between the Four Sword Saints and that the heavy responsibility was given to Ah Dai by the Sword Saint. That’s why he needed to ascertain whether Ah Dai can take on that responsibility.
Liao Wen nodded and floated, landing on the eaves of a nearby house. His skills were second only to eldest senior brother Xi Wen and second senior brother Feng Wen among the second generation disciples of the Tian Gang Sword Sect. He cultivated the eighth level of the "Liquid Life Essence" and his "Solid Battle Aura" was transitioning from the first phase to the second phase. He was considered one of the top experts of the Tian Gang Sword Sect.
Ah Dai leapt over the five-meter-high courtyard wall and landed on the ground next to it. Inside the courtyard, the expansive space was even larger than he had expected. In front of him, all sorts of peculiar flowers and exotic plants were blooming in the spacious arena. The environment was so beautiful, almost rivaling the Imperial Palace of the Empire of Sunset City. Not far ahead was a small lake, in the middle of which, stood a pavilion. Behind the small lake were connected three-story buildings that seemed to have up to a thousand rooms. The majority of the rooms were brightly lit, and faint sounds of people could be heard. Ah Dai crouched down and hid behind a bush, fully extending his spiritual sense to sense his surroundings. He distinctly perceived that there were at least a hundred hidden posts within the whole courtyard which belonged to ordinary assassins. Ah Dai’s heart shrunken, knowing that it’s nearly impossible to kill all these assassins without making a noise. Nonetheless, he was excited as he knew that Mie Feng did not deceive him. This had to be the headquarters of the Assassin’s Guild. The thrill of rediscovering the traces of the assassins was beyond words, boiling his blood. Ah Dai suppressed his aura, slowly moving along the high wall, while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
Suddenly, a dozen people walked out of the buildings and began discussing something in the open grass field. Among them, a one-armed man stood out and caught Ah Dai’s eyes. The familiar figure boiling Ah Dai’s blood and almost made him rush out in resentment. That’s because this one-armed man was none other than the Vice President of the Assassin’s Guild who directly caused Owen’s death. The people who were with him had cold complexions and composed demeanors. Every gesture they made revealed a faint murderous aura. Ah Dai was acutely aware of their power. After finally suppressing his inner killing intent, he observed quietly. From their emanating aura, it was clear that they were at the level of Marauders and Yuan Killers. These people were likely the final forces of the Assassin’s Guild. The leader should also be in these buildings.
Ah Dai took a deep breath, controlling the Golden Body within his Dantian to slowly move upward, reaching his head. Strengthening his hearing multiple times, he listened to the conversations of the dozen or so high-level assassins.
An assassin said, "I’ve been training all day, and I’m bored to death. Finally, I can go out and have some fresh air. I wonder how long this period of hiding will last. I really want to kill some people to unwind."
The Vice President gestured him to be quiet and said, "Lower your voice; if our master hears you, there will be trouble. Don’t you know how tense the situation outside is? The Grim Reaper, who has been targeting us, has already killed nearly two hundred of our brothers. The Destroyers and Elemental Killers have suffered heavy losses, with seven of them losing their lives to him. The Grim Reaper’s skills are really unfathomable! Are you trying to go out and get yourself killed? The master has asked us to gather here and train for our own good. Just be patient for a little longer."
The assassin who had previously spoken snorted and said, "Isn’t it just the Grim Reaper? We haven’t heard anything about him for almost four months. Are we supposed to endure this for the rest of our lives?"
The Vice President answered, "We shouldn’t have to endure much longer as the Reaper hasn’t shown up for some time and our budget is becoming stretched. It won’t be long before the master sends us out on assignments again."
"I hope we get to undertake assignments soon. Nothing beats the thrill of killing! I love watching hot blood spurt from the people I’ve killed; it’s such a satisfying sight."
Another assassin said, "Everyone knows that you are a notorious killing king. You’ve been an assassin for thirty years and have not lost your ruthlessness one bit. You’re truly a natural-born killer."
"Haha, that’s what makes me a competent assassin! Doesn’t our master love my ruthlessness? By the way, today our master said that after training tomorrow, we can relax in the evening. Apparently, the Duke is hosting a banquet to entertain high-ranking assassins like us. I wonder what kind of beauties the Duke will present us this time. I really want to let loose."
The Vice President smirked and said, "You’ll definitely have a chance to have your fun. The women that the Duke brings are never second-rate. But be careful not to exert yourself too much and end up unable to even hold your sword! Hehe." The assassin blushed and replied, "I’m disciplined! The most I would do is three times in one night. It’s okay to indulge once in a while."
"Honestly, if it weren’t for that so-called Grim Reaper, we might never have known that our headquarters is actually located inside the Duke’s mansion. Every time the master summoned us, it was always at the branch office. Now we finally know a lot of secrets about the guild!"
The Vice President grunted and said, "You think it’s a good thing to know too many secrets about the organization? The more you know, the more likely you are to be done for. It’s better to stay blind and deaf."
Hearing this, Ah Dai couldn’t help feeling overjoyed. He knew that once the banquet began, the vigilance of these high-level assassins from the guild would inevitably decrease. That would be his best opportunity to strike.
The Vice President and the assassins were chatting, moving towards other parts of the courtyard. Their conversation revolved around the debauched banquet the next evening. Seizing the opportunity as they drifted further away, Ah Dai stuck to the wall behind him. Taking advantage of the night, he quietly sneaked out of the Duke’s mansion. He has made up his mind to engage in a deadly fight against the assassins here tomorrow night.
Mie Feng, seeing Ah Dai sneak out of the mansion, hurried forward and whispered, "How was the situation inside? Were the guards vigilant? When do you plan to take action?"
Ah Dai nodded, looked around carefully and said in a low voice, "Let’s go. We’ll discuss it back at the inn." Finishing his words, he pulled Mie Feng along the way they had come.
Xi Wen and others hiding in the darkness were slightly surprised to see Ah Dai leaving so soon. Yan Li said, "He came out so soon. Has he already avenged them? That can’t be possible. When so many assassins returned here some months ago, even if they did not fight back, he wouldn’t kill them off so quickly!"
Yan Shi pondered, "No, Ah Dai probably did not take any action tonight. Otherwise, there would have been some commotion at the Assassin’s Guild. He has become a lot more cautious than before. I believe he just went in to scout around today, but he won’t delay for too long. He’ll surely make a move in the next few days." Xi Wen agreed, "That should be the case. Let’s go back and rest. We’ll take turns keeping an eye on this place. Yan Li, you monitor the site, and call us if there is any movement."
The night deepened, leaving only a few people on the streets, or more accurately, gamblers cleaned out by the casino. Ah Dai and Mie Feng returned to their room at the inn. Excited, Ah Dai said, "Thank you, Mie Feng, for finally locating the Assassin’s Guild’s base. I overheard them saying that a banquet will be held tomorrow evening. That will be the perfect time for me to make my move. Stay here tomorrow; I’ll come back to find you as long as I survive."
Mie Feng revealed a touch of sorrow in her eyes, spoke softly, "You must be careful tomorrow, if things don’t go as planned, immediately retreat, understand?"
Ah Dai confidently responded, "I won’t retreat, unless I eliminate every single assassin, I will not leave there. Uncle Owen, may your soul in heaven bless me to smoothly find the master and seek revenge for you and my great-grandfather’s daughter. Mie Feng, you should go back to your room and rest. Don’t disturb me before tomorrow evening, I need to meditate, to keep myself in top condition."
Mie Feng nodded, "Okay then, I will see you off tomorrow evening." After finishing, she hung her head and left the room.
Ah Dai took a deep breath, steadying his excited emotions, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to operate the true qi in his dantian according to the principles of Liquid Life Essence. The bright glow from his five-inch-high golden body shone under his deliberate command, as the thick liquid life essence continuously cycled throughout his body, reaching to the heavens and down to his feet. After a while, engulfed in a warm and peaceful sensation, Ah Dai’s consciousness was fully immersed in cultivation. Perhaps because his wish for revenge was about to be fulfilled, his cultivation was particularly smooth, his strength subtly improving with each cycle.
After ninety-nine cycles, Ah Dai felt that he was in his prime state, the true qi in his body ready to burst out, the second golden body located at his chest heart seemed to shrink a bit, while the golden body in his dantian had grown to nearly six inches tall. He knew that after a night’s worth of practice, his abilities had made progress. He slowly retracted the true qi running in his meridians back into his dantian.
Emerging from meditation, Ah Dai glanced outside. The sky was already a bit dark. The setting sun was gradually sinking on the horizon. He knew that it was now the evening of the second day. A cruel smile appeared on Ah Dai’s mouth. Assassins Guild, the master, he thought, I am coming, the Grim Reaper will collect your sinful souls.
Landing gently, Ah Dai casually washed his face and left his room. Standing outside Mie Feng’s door, he projected his voice through it with his battle aura, "Mie Feng, I’m ready."
The door opened, and a tired Mie Feng walked out. She barely managed a smile on her pale pretty face, "Are you ready? It is still early, let’s leave when it’s completely dark. I’ll get you something to eat." Ah Dai grabbed her shoulder. Mie Feng trembled, asked somewhat fearfully, "What... what are you doing?" This seemed to have become Ah Dai’s habitual action.
Ah Dai was taken aback, "What’s happened to you, did you get frightened? Were you protecting me all day? Thank you, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to seek revenge so quickly." Mie Feng let out a breath of relief, awkwardly saying, "What’s there to thank? We have an agreement, after all, I’m helping you for my own revenge. Wait in your room, I’ll be back." She turned around and headed towards the inn’s hall.
Watching Mie Feng’s retreating figure, Ah Dai let out a light sigh. He wasn’t sure what his feelings for Mie Feng were. In Mie Feng, he saw reflections of Bing, but Mie Feng had numerous differences from Bing. Shaking off his confusing thoughts, Ah Dai reminded himself that he should be focusing on his revenge, his killing. These emotional entanglements would never be meant for him. With a somewhat melancholic mood, he returned to his room.
After a little while, Mie Feng returned, carrying a tray with a couple of small dishes and a few steamed buns. He hadn’t eaten all day, and seeing the tasty dishes, Ah Dai’s hunger took over. He grabbed his favorite steamed bun and took a bite, muttering, "Thank you Mie Feng. If today’s revenge fails, this could possibly be my last dinner."
Mie Feng trembled, placing the food tray aside, she lowered her head, "Don’t... don’t say things like that, your abilities are so high, you’ll be able to kill all of those assassins. I... I will wait for your return." While talking, she handed Ah Dai his chopsticks. She was shaking so badly, she accidentally dropped the chopsticks. Quick as lightning, Ah Dai caught the chopsticks mid-air, smiling, "Why are you even tenser than me, you are not the one seeking revenge. I will give my all to protect myself and then return, our agreement isn’t fulfilled yet." Saying this, he reached out to pick up some food from the plate. Just then, Mie Feng let out a cry, all the blood draining from her face.
Ah Dai jumped, halting his movements and asked with confusion, "What’s wrong with you today? You’re acting so strange! Are you feeling alright?"
Mie Feng shook her head, "I’m fine, I just... worry about you. I won’t disturb your meal, I’ll go now, you don’t need to tell me when you leave. I hope... I hope you can return safely." Finishing, she ran out of Ah Dai’s room. Watching Mie Feng’s retreating figure, Ah Dai felt a strange feeling in his heart. He lightly shook his head and picked up a piece of food to eat.
Mie Feng raced back to her room, locked the door, covered her face with her hands and started silently crying. Tears flowed out between her fingers, soaking the front of her shirt.
After Ah Dai had a full meal, the sky had gradually darkened, night was falling over the world. He took off his outer robe showing the Giant Spirit Snake Armor underneath, put the Divine Dragon’s Blood into the armor, and thought, if the situation goes badly today, he might have to summon Sheng Xie. After all, with so many assassins at the Duke’s Mansion and the unfathomable master, whether he can successfully seek revenge was still an unknown. Tightening the leather bag of Sword of Hades, Ah Dai opened the window, flitted out, and under the protection of the black Giant Spirit Snake Armor, unless someone deliberately focused, no one would notice a man in the air. He took a glance at the window of Mie Feng’s room, exhaled a sigh, and bolted towards the Duke’s Mansion under the drive of his true qi. The time for revenge was finally about to arrive.
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