Chapter 44: Environmental Mastery, Night Rain, Slaughter
Thud! Thud! Thud! A squadron of ten city guards, brandishing torches, marched straight down the middle of the streets, patrolling the city. Beyond the city walls lay the territory of land bandits and water thieves, where every village and home had to fend for itself. But within the city, the city guard did their duties diligently.
Yet amidst their watch, three mysterious figures cloaked in specialized night attire effortlessly melded into the shadows, moving with complete silence. Coupled with the cover of the night rain, they easily avoided this squad of patrolling city guards.
As the trio pressed forward, the raindrops that fell on their jet-black attire slid straight onto the ground below.
Finally, the three arrived at the entrance of the Wu family's street.
The tall, thin figure at the front raised both palms, communicating using hand signs. "Our target," he signaled, "resides in the 36th house ahead, in the west building."
"He may be just a martial virtuoso," he cautioned, "but there's a possibility of an expert from the Cloudstride Sect safeguarding him. If you encounter any difficulties, retreat immediately! We are the first team. Our mission is two-fold: assassination and reconnaissance."
"And remember, try not to harm anyone else as far as possible."
"Understood." The shorter, stout figure and the muscular figure behind him emitted soft chirps, reminiscent of raindrops hitting the ground.
All three had been extensively trained, communicating primarily through hand signs. They had mastered the art of mimicking bird calls, rain, and wind, creating their own secret code. They were true assassins!
"Go!" The tall, thin figure at the front waved his hand, taking the lead into the Wu family's street, with the other two following three steps behind. The three entered in an arrow formation, six steps apart.
Even in the depths of pitch-black darkness, their vision extended twenty meters ahead, and they confirmed their direction by the sounds of the wind.
...
Along the Wu family's street, perched atop the roof of an uninhabited courtyard, Wu Yuan sat in silence.
The rain cascaded, dampening his garments while a wispy mist rose from his body. Utterly silent, he merged seamlessly into his surroundings.
Ever since his physical constitution soared to its current limit, he had shifted his focus from Strength Training to nurturing his body. Each day, apart from training, he meticulously maintained his physical condition. The remaining hours were dedicated to honing his martial skills!
Mastering the Fundamentals means gaining complete control of one's power and requires unwavering focus! Power Surge magnifies the force one can exert through the integration of the musculoskeletal system! Rigid Yet Supple is the pinnacle of martial skills, controlling one's body as one wills! Perfecting Rigid Yet Supple means reaching the limit of the human body's force application abilities.
Unless one's mind can perceive the very cells coursing through their flesh and blood, elevating their power to unfathomable heights, it would be difficult to surpass this stage.
Man may be bound by the constraints of time, but the world knows no bounds!
With closed eyes, he embraced the rainfall, savoring each droplet's descent, attuned to the water's path along the eaves, attuned to the symphony of raindrops upon the earth...immersing himself in the unending darkness of the night!
Everything within several tens of meters of Wu Yuan existed within the sphere of his awareness. Eyes closed, shrouded in complete darkness. Yet his mind's eye remained vigilant, perceiving with pristine clarity.
In battles of life and death, a martial artist must not only master the application of force but also adapt to their environment. Much like how eagles reign over the skies and tigers rule the jungles, or how crocodiles lurk in the shallows to ensnare their prey, every creature has evolved to thrive in a specific habitat.
Once these creatures ventured beyond their familiar domains, their strength waned. The same was true for martial artists. Certain martial artists excelled in open spaces, while others thrived in mountainous terrain, and some unleashed their might underwater... Different environments either amplified or diminished their powers.
The true epitome of martial prowess lies not in adapting to a fraction of the surroundings, but in commanding any environment.
Embrace the flow, turn all disadvantages into advantages!
This is what martial artists pursue after mastering the Rigid Yet Supple stage, when the human body reaches its limit —Environmental Mastery!
In other words, mastering control over one's environment!
In his previous life, Wu Yuan had reached this level. It was with this martial skill that he won first place in the Battlenet Unlimited Fighting Championship, besting numerous other martial arts Grandmasters. His name shook the entire Human Federation.
In this life, as Wu Yuan familiarized himself with a brand new, ever-evolving body, he decided to learn this skill anew.
The Wu family's street on a rainy night is an entirely different experience from a sunny day. Wu Yuan meticulously perceived his surroundings. The basics of Environment Mastery was to actively perceive diverse environments and situations!
Open fields, dense jungles, arid deserts, shallow waterways, treacherous cliffs, rushing rivers, unfathomable depths... Martial arts was not a mere exercise of imagination, but immersion in the sensations and comprehension of these varied landscapes, attuning the senses to the subtle changes in countless environments over time, as well as varying conditions of the same environment.
For instance, the same forest could appear radically different in light rain versus heavy rain, especially under the influence of various seasons and weather patterns.
The path to mastery required patience, a step-by-step journey of feeling, understanding, and ultimately gaining control. With a thorough grasp of a plethora of unique environments, the accumulation of quantitative changes would lead to a transformative qualitative leap. At this point, one would find the common threads across countless environments. This was Wu Yuan's understanding of perfect Environmental Mastery!
Once this level was reached, he could instantaneously wield complete dominion over every facet of the new environment even if confined to an entirely alien battleground. But for now, Wu Yuan was still far from achieving perfect Environmental Mastery.
Hmm? Wu Yuan suddenly noticed something amiss.
Though his eyes were still closed, he remained aware of the environment around him at all times. He could pick up on subtle shifts in the environment, like the distinct sound of raindrops impacting the cobblestones on the street 50 meters away!
Three individuals! Advancing closer rapidly, just 40 meters away! They're experts! Wu Yuan could vividly 'see' it all in his mind. Such acute perception was only possible due to his full focus.
Wu Yuan's eyes snapped open. Through his sensitivity to changes in rain and wind, he instantly pinpointed the location of the three people.
Cloaked figures approaching the Wu family's street on a rainy night? Are they here to assassinate me? Not a ripple of disturbance rose in Wu Yuan's heart.
He stood up and tied a washcloth over his face. Simultaneously, his body vibrated subtly, soundlessly shrinking by ten centimeters.
Like a ghost, Wu Yuan gently floated down from the roof. Barely any raindrops landed on him.
Environmental Mastery!
It wasn't just about controlling the environment, but also maintaining and preserving its state, preventing the enemy from detecting even the most minuscule alterations in their surroundings that could reveal his presence.
...
As the three black-clad figures gradually approached the Wu family courtyard, they slowed down until they were only ten meters from the gate. The trio came to a complete stop.
All of a sudden.
"Gentlemen, might I inquire as to the purpose of your unexpected visit?" A calm voice drifted forth from the darkness behind them.
The two standing in the back of the hall felt their scalps freeze in horror! This voice seemed to whisper right into their ears. How close was it? Yet they noticed nothing during their entire approach.
There was no hesitation.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Two arrows instantly fired from the sleeves of the short, plump figure and the sturdy figure, aiming at the target behind them. At the same time, two traces of pale blue light sliced through the night sky, each stabbing toward a different direction in the darkness. That was because the two assassins were not sure of the speaker's exact location.
Crack! Crack! Two subtle sounds echoed simultaneously.
The sound was very quiet, barely noticeable on the rainy night. But the tall, skinny figure felt his heart tremble as he turned around. It was the sound of a shattered larynx!
His gaze fell upon his two formerly healthy subordinates, now lifeless on the ground, their attacks having missed entirely. The span of time from their engagement to their demise was but an instant.
However, the tall, skinny figure had no opportunity to dwell on the corpses before him.
"You?" He swallowed, his eyes wide, staring at the black-robed figure a meter away. Only a pair of eyes were visible!
He was overwhelmed with fear. He, an experienced assassin of many years, had never encountered such a formidable expert. A Savant expert? Or even a Land Ranker? At this moment, his estimation of Wu Yuan's strength soared infinitely!
One meter, so close! It wouldn't take more than an instant for him to plunge his dagger forth. The lean, tall silhouette was confident that more than 99% of first-rate Adepts would struggle to evade his strike.
Yet, limbs were frozen, immovable, as if gripped by an icy paralysis. Because his two companions who had dared to attack Wu Yuan were now lifeless corpses, their fates sealed.
Wu Yuan's eyes, the only feature visible on his face, held a quiet menace as he spoke softly. "If you answer me, you might live. But if you remain silent, your death is certain. I'm not a patient man."
"Did you come here to assassinate Wu Yuan?"
The tall, thin silhouette hesitated for a moment.
Without warning, a cold streak of light sliced through the air. Agony seared through the arm of the tall figure, followed by a wave of weakness.
The tendons in his right hand had been severed!
"The next time, it will be your neck," Wu Yuan's voice was devoid of emotion. "Tell me, are you here to assassinate Wu Yuan?"
"Yes." The tall, thin silhouette uttered through gritted teeth.
"Who sent you?" Wu Yuan asked again.
"No one sent me. We are simply following orders," the tall silhouette replied solemnly.
Once again, a swift flash of cold light rent through the air, filling the figure with terror beyond comprehension.
The tendons in his left hand were now severed as well!
Wu Yuan's voice grew colder still. "No one ordered you, yet you follow orders? Your lies are growing tiresome. Speak the truth."
"I am an assassin from Ninedragon Peaks, tasked with assassinating Wu Yuan!" The tall, thin silhouette blurted out, "But I don't know exactly who assigned the task."
"When was the task issued?" Wu Yuan asked again.
"I cannot say for certain, but it should have been issued either the day before yesterday or yesterday," the terrified silhouette stammered, practically divulging everything he knew.
"Does your organization have a base within the city?"
"Yes."
"Take me there." Wu Yuan's voice cut through the air frigidly.
"Senior, I implore you to spare my life. Leading you to the branch means certain death not just for me, but for my entire clan," the gaunt figure pleaded, his terror palpable.
Crack~ Wu Yuan's hand descended swiftly, crushing the man's throat in an instant. Simultaneously, an invisible force surged through his fingertips, wreaking havoc within the victim's brain and killing him.
"I warned you, I’m not a patient man," Wu Yuan muttered.
Ninedragon Peaks? Which assassin agency is this? Wu Yuan's brow furrowed. He had only heard of the Pleiades Guild and the Ninedeaths Circle. As for other assassin agencies, he wasn't sure.
First, I must dispose of their bodies.
Wu Yuan momentarily set aside the matter of the assassins. Quickly stacking three bodies, he collected the missed sleeve arrows and fallen daggers, double-checking that no evidence of the fight remained.
Hoisting the bodies, he vanished into the dark rainy night like a wisp of smoke.
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