Chapter 2383: Chapter 2383 Executive Mission
When Ye Liuyun accepted a new mission from the Stygian organisation, they proceeded to reveal to him higher profile mission.
It was Ye Liuyun’s first time being shown the executive target listing. It surprised him to find the high-profile individuals in the list, such as Wan Weihou.
But what shocked him the most was that nearly all the nobility, commanders, and leaders of major factions were on the list as well.
Regret gnawed at him. Several commanders named in the list were among his previous kills.
The Stygian steward chuckled, explaining, "These people belong to rival factions, all eager to eliminate their competitors. That’s why our business is booming! And none of them are short on funds. They always pay upfront in full."
Ye Liuyun only responded with a wry smile.
"These are all open contracts. You can execute them anytime," the steward briefed him.
Ye Liuyun scanned the list of names as he nodded.
He had been present during Serena’s failed attempt to assassinate Wan Weihou. Even with such a perfect opportunity, Wan Weihou survived the attack. It was proof of how difficult these high-profile targets were.
Going after them directly, without plans or support, would be nearly impossible. Even with backup support, sacrifices would be inevitable.
Accordingly, he chose to begin with the comparatively lower-ranking authorities. In addition to getting him closer to the actual targets, it would also earn him points.
Eventually, he settled on three marks. An alchemist from Lord Zhenxing’s estate, the eldest son of Jin Qianghou, and Wan Weihou’s newly appointed garrison commander.
Since he had already decimated Valorcrest City’s forces, the new commander likely had few troops left. It was a vulnerability he could exploit.
After finalising his targets, Ye Liuyun left the secret realm and began scouting the area between Lord Zhenxing’s estate and the alchemist’s residence. He familiarised himself with the surroundings.
Stygian had provided him with a thorough intelligence. According to their intel, the alchemist returned home every five or six days.
From the area scouting, Ye Liuyun discovered a fruit vendor along the alchemist’s usual route home.
His Golden Phantom Eyes discerned that the vendor was merely at the first level of the Immortal Realm.
Ye Liuyun casually approached the seller, feigning interest in browsing the spiritual fruits on display, all the while doing a soul search on the vendor’s mind.
To Ye Liuyun’s delight, the seller was acquainted with the alchemist. Once, the alchemist bragged about his knowledge of the spiritual fruits and even explained some details to the vendor.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Liuyun implanted a slaving seal on the vendor. He instructed him to notify him the moment the alchemist appeared.
He also handed the vendor a few special spiritual fruits, telling him to sell them exclusively to the alchemist when he came by.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun took up residence in a nearby inn, waiting in silence.
While staying, he kept up with his regular cultivation routine without relying on external resources. Rather, he channelled the spiritual energy in the air, honing his Elemental Spirit Secret Skill from the surroundings.
He didn’t have to wait too long. Within three days, the vendor alerted him that the alchemist had shown up.
Eagerly, the vendor called out to the alchemist and urged him to have a look at the spiritual fruits Ye Liuyun had provided.
The alchemist, in a foul mood that day, had initially intended to ignore the vendor. But a single glance at the fruits in the vendor’s hands piqued his interest. They were rare and valuable medicinal herbal fruits.
His four bodyguards followed suit, maintaining a vigilant watch.
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun donned his Concealcape and, accompanied by Phantom Hand, Xenocide, and Vespera, swiftly made his way toward the fruit stall.
"Where did you get these spiritual fruits?" the alchemist asked.
"I sourced them from a major supplier," the vendor fawned. "A wandering martial practitioner was selling them. I didn’t recognise them myself, but I took a chance, you know. Do you think they’re worth anything?"
The alchemist’s eyes gleamed with cunning as he said, "These spirit fruits are practically worthless among their kind. You’ve been swindled by the martial practitioner!"
With a look that conveyed both despair and resignation, the vendor’s face dropped.
The alchemist continued, "However, I might be able to make some use of them for minor concoctions. Tell you what. I’ll take them off your hands for ten Spirit Crystals each. Deal?"
"Ten Spirit Crystals?" The vendor hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "To be honest, I paid fifty Spirit Crystals per fruit. Those martial practitioners claimed they could sell for a hundred each!"
The alchemist nearly choked on his reply. Given their quality, these spiritual fruits were easily worth tens of thousands. Both the vendor and the martial practitioner clearly had no idea what they were worth.
"You doubt my expertise? I’m a professional alchemist, mind you. Let me warn you. If you don’t sell them soon, their spiritual energy will fade. By then, you won’t even get a single crystal for them. They’ll rot in your hands."
"Huh?" The vendor’s hands trembled as he clutched the fruits, his voice cracking. "But selling them for ten... I’d lose four hundred crystals for these ten alone! It’d take me days to earn that back!"
Noticing his reluctance, the alchemist sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. You seem like a decent fellow. I’ll pay you your cost, fifty each. Consider it a stroke of fate. I’m doing you a favour."
"Seriously?" The vendor’s eyes lit up with gratitude. "Oh! I can’t thank you enough!"
"Enough chatter. Hand them over. I don’t have all day," the alchemist snapped impatiently.
"Sell them!" Ye Liuyun arrived just then, urging the vendor to close the deal.
"Right away!" The vendor hastily handed the fruits to the alchemist, pocketing the five hundred Spirit crystals.
"Hahaha! What a fool!" The alchemist confidently strolled away, secretly gloating at the vendor’s idiocy.
Once the alchemist and his guards were out of sight, Ye Liuyun and his comrade struck.
In an instant, three of the alchemist’s four bodyguards fell and vanished into the Spatial World.
Ye Liuyun used his Scarlet Phantom Eyes to control one of the men, commanded him to knock the alchemist unconscious. Since alchemists typically possessed strong spiritual power, Ye Liuyun didn’t want to waste too much time grinding over how to deal with him.
It was much easier to handle an unconscious alchemist than to implant a slaving seal. The martial practitioner under Ye Liuyun’s control was then swiftly eliminated by Phantom Hand and stashed away.
Ye Liuyun stored both the alchemist and Phantom Hand’s group into his spatial World before approaching the street vendor.
With a single thought, he erased the entire incident from the vendor’s memory and unbound him from the Slaving seal. As for the Spirit Crystals the vendor had earned would serve as payment for his unwitting assistance.
When all was said and done, Ye Liuyun quietly returned to the inn and began sifting through the alchemist’s memories through soul-searching.
The murder of an alchemist and his guards in the capital would undoubtedly cause an uproar.
But Ye Liuyun and his companions had acted swiftly while being in invisible mode, leaving no evidence for the bystanders.
Even if someone had noticed, by the time they reported it to the patrol and the guards arrived to investigate, Ye Liuyun would have long gone.
The street vendor, on the other hand, couldn’t explain how he ended up with an extra 500 Spirit crystals in his profits. He figured extra income was good, nonetheless. Other than being excited about it, he couldn’t be bothered by where they came from.
