Chapter 2334: Chapter 2334 Levelled-up Mission
As the clone drew near the target’s rooms, he suddenly noticed someone sliding into the courtyard ahead of him, utilising Xenocide-hidden Skill.
The clone surmised it must be another assassin from the Stygian organisation.
As he was thinking of ways to compete with the assassin for the target, the intruder triggered a hidden formation trap in the courtyard. A number of experts rushed to the location in an instant and executed the assassin on the spot.
"What a relief," Ye Liuyun reflected. "Now, how am I going to handle this formation, though?" Frowning, he seemed perturbed. He was unable to dismantle even a moderately complex formation without Qiong Qi around.
Using the Black Tower to teleport back to the God Realm just to fetch a formation master seemed far too extravagant.
"Thanks to Master Lao’s formation, my son survived yet another assassination attempt!"
An expert was seen expressing his gratitude to an elderly man.
"Think nothing of it! As long as your son remains within the formation, no assassin can touch him," replied the formation master.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two men departed with the other martial practitioners.
Upon noticing this, the clone changed his strategy, opting to first subdue the formation master.
The timing was perfect. It just so happened that he was in need of a formation master, and here was his opportunity to get one effortlessly.
Following his return with the clan chief, the formation master continued their conversation for a little longer before being brought back to his chambers escorted by a steward.
Once the escorting steward left, the clone used the Phantom Illusion technique to assume the steward’s appearance and knocked on the formation master’s door.
The formation master had instinctively set up a defensive formation in his chamber upon his return. Had the clone attacked him directly, he would have been instantly trapped.
However, by pretending to be the steward, the formation master unlocked the door without suspicion, supposing there was some unresolved business.
The moment the door opened, the clone immediately launched a Divine Soul attack. Simultaneously, Ye Liuyun summoned Mo Shaowen from the Spatial World to assist the Clone in dealing with the formation master.
This formation master possessed considerable Divine Soul strength, with the clone only slightly surpassing him. However, with Mo Shaowen’s aid, the process would be significantly faster.
Under Mo Shaowen’s assistance, the clone swiftly implanted a Slaving Seal onto the formation master. Only then did the subdued man permit the clone and Mo Shaowen to his quarters.
Without delay, the clone began sifting through the formation master’s memories to assess his capabilities.
He was known as Lao Yuanfeng, a hired formation master, arguably the most talented in Lunaris City, who worked for the estate of the local city lord.
"What a bargain,"
Ye Liuyun mused, pleased with the outcome.
He promptly extracted the information on how to dismantle the target’s defensive formation before stowing both Lao Yuanfeng and Mo Shaowen back into the Spatial World. Disguised as the formation master, he then made his way toward the secluded courtyard where his target resided.
He encountered a steward of the estate along the way. He was given the go-ahead without further investigation after he casually explained his intention to check on the formations.
Upon arrival, the clone followed the deciphered method to bypass the formation and came face-to-face with his mark.
Though the man was supposedly in hiding from pursuers, he seemed to be living quite comfortably within the protective formation. He was even surrounded by a bevvy of women as he indulged in fine wine.
Spotting the formation master’s arrival, the target hurried over to greet him, not daring to show any disrespect. But before he could utter another word, Ye Liuyun unleashed a Divine Soul strike, killing him instantly. The corpse was swiftly stored away in his Interspatial ring.
The women in the room shrieked in terror, but the clone paid them no mind. Turning on his heel, he concealed himself with Xenocide-hidden Skill before draping himself in Concealcape over his figure before slipping out of the Mao estate unnoticed.
Regarding whether Lao Yuanfeng would be pursued by the Mao family, it was no longer his concern. It didn’t matter as long as the trail didn’t go back to him.
His divine sense picked up another assassin lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to enter the estate.
Ye Liuyun quietly returned to the inn, not bothering to join in the commotion. Early the next morning, he headed straight to the Stygian’s secret realm to submit his completed tasks in exchange for resources.
Scythe was quite shocked to see Ye Liuyun’s completed task and the tokens he offered for resource exchange. Ye Liuyun had already made such significant progress in just three days.
Then Ye Liuyun enquired about the availability of any missions with greater rewards.
"Of course!"
Scythe readily agreed and assigned him another three missions in the area, worth three points each.
Yet, in just three days, Ye Liuyun returned to report his success again.
Scythe chuckled helplessly. "You are truly efficient!"
This time, he handed Ye Liuyun three missions worth five points each.
"Umbra Phoenix is one of Stygian’s hired assassins. Recently, she’s been holed up in a tavern on the outskirts of the city. It is a notorious gathering spot for mercenaries and assassins."
"Fu Lin is the executive elder of the city’s largest merchant guild, the Prosper Guild."
"Meng Tianyang is the patriarch of the region’s largest herb supplier."
"Got it," Ye Liuyun acknowledged before leaving the Stygian’s Secret Realm once more.
Upon returning to the city, he altered his appearance and made his first stop at Prosper Guild to purchase some Elixirs. Over the next few days, he sold some weapons and other loot he had acquired from recent raids, quickly earning himself a distinguished customer status within the guild.
Not only did he seize the opportunity to befriend several alchemists and weapon-refining masters from the guild, but he also became acquainted with their executive elder, Fu Lin.
However, alchemists and weapon-refining masters possessed far stronger Divine soul power than ordinary martial practitioners. Without absolute confidence in his abilities, Ye Liuyun wouldn’t dare make his move within the guild.
However, Fu Lin’s daily routine had been thoroughly observed. From it, Ye Liuyun knew the hour he would return to his private residence in the city every evening to cultivate and rest.
Seizing the opportunity in his routine, Ye Liuyun decided to strike him first. He arranged for a coincidental encounter with Fu Lin while he was on his way home. He would walk alongside him for a while before encountering Mo Shaowen. Together, they would subdue Fu Lin and implant a slaving seal on him. Instead of killing him on the spot, they wanted to keep him alive.
The two then followed Fu Lin back to his home. Fu Lin, who was under their control, sent his henchmen to invite the merchant guild’s Alchemist and weapon-refining master to his house, claiming to have something precious to show them.
Since the two elders were familiar with Fu Lin, they arrived without suspicion. It took them by surprise when they were subdued one by one by the clone.
Through soul-searching, the clone realised that the alchemist knew Meng Tianyang. When Meng Tianyang brought herbs to the Prosper Guild, this alchemist was the one to inspect them.
Acting swiftly, the clone requested that the alchemist deliver an invitation to Meng Tianyang.
Meng Tianyang consented without hesitation after he heard the alchemist’s name and learning that the meeting would be held at Fu Lin’s home. He arrived quickly, escorted by his guards.
Assuming the elders had a confidential discussion to negotiate under the guise of a gathering.
When he arrived, Fu Lin and the alchemist welcomed him outside and had him leave his guards in the courtyard.
The clone and Mo Shaowen struck them as soon as they stepped inside the house, even before any introductions could be made. They consumed Meng Tianyang’s Divine Soul swiftly before they did the same to Fu Lin, leaving no survivors.
After stashing the bodies away and confining the others in a Spatial World, the clone donned the Concealcape and slipped out through the back door.
Left waiting for far too long, Fu Lin’s steward and Meng Tianyang’s guards eventually grew impatient and knocked on their door, only to find the rooms eerily empty.
By the next day, the news had sent shockwaves through Lunaris City. Both the Prosper Guild and the Meng family dispatched search parties, even enlisting the local city lord’s forces. Yet, they failed to locate the missing men.
The incident quickly became the hottest topic among martial practitioners in taverns and teahouses. Wild theories circulated, without a single theory suspected the Stygian’s involvement.
