Chapter 115: Notice of Death

It must have been a star similar to the sun, its gentle light casting the shadow of Westward Peak long and slanting, cloaking the entire Eastern City in a mottled veil of black and white, faintly veiled yet not entirely hidden. The low-hanging clouds in the sky glowed with the fiery hues of the sunset, adding a vivid brilliance to that patchwork of light and shadow.

Lin Zhan stood atop the city wall, his hair still catching the lingering light, the black tips seemingly tinted with the sunset’s radiant colors, shining with a subtle brilliance. He gazed out over the panorama of Eastern City, unaware that his somewhat dashing silhouette was about to invite trouble.

This brings us to the Shadowless Sect siblings, Huangfu Qi and Shui Hanmeng.

Two months prior, the pair had departed from the secret enclave of their alliance, tasked by the sect leader with an assassination mission. They had journeyed thousands of miles, tracking a target from the Blazing Flame Mountains to Blazing Flame Peak, then to Fuyang City, and finally to Eastern City.

Today, they lodged at the Westward View Inn in Eastern City.

Huangfu Qi had gone out to gather intelligence, while Shui Hanmeng remained in the guest room. After meditating for several hours, Shui Hanmeng rose and approached the window, stretching lazily as she looked out.

Her gaze froze.

There, bathing in the sunset glow, was Lin Zhan. The harmonious scene deeply captivated her, a moment where heaven and man seemed one.

Shui Hanmeng had grown up secluded within the secret realm, never having ventured beyond its boundaries. Apart from her master and elder brother, she knew only a few fellow disciples, hardly more than a handful of acquaintances. This was her first journey afar and her first trial, carrying out an important assassination mission.

Her senior brother, Huangfu Qi, was also the master’s biological son and an equally inexperienced novice.

Yet both were formidable warriors, a fact beyond dispute. When faced with danger, their martial prowess usually saw them through, and those with ill intent ended up the victims.

Huangfu Qi was ranked at the fifth grade of the Yellow Realm, while Shui Hanmeng’s prodigious talent had already placed her at the sixth grade.

Before leaving, Huangfu Qi had instructed Shui Hanmeng to stay put in the inn until further notice, to avoid unnecessary risks, and to wait for his return before acting.

But now, the man basking in the sunset atop the city wall was precisely their target.

Her specially trained divine sense detected a unique aura radiating intensely from him, assaulting her consciousness.

“Kill him. This is the one. He must die.”

Since childhood, her training had prepared her for this moment — to eliminate this person upon his appearance.

Her master had always taught her that the world was often unreasonable. To preserve peace and harmony, sacrifices had to be made—time, effort, even life itself if necessary.

The Shadowless Sect, though unknown to outsiders, bore a crucial mission passed down through generations. Any traveler who might alter the balance of their world must be extinguished.

Even if innocent. Even if good.

At this moment, the weight of her inherited duty overcame her admiration for the sunset scene and the man within it. Raising her hand, three flying swords sliced through the air. A surge rippled around her as she vanished from sight.

Lin Zhan was contemplating whether to take preemptive measures against the disciple of the Westward Peak master when a sudden chill of danger gripped him.

A faint rush of wind behind his head carried a sharp killing intent.

“Not good!”

Without looking back, Lin Zhan swiftly summoned his white bone tower, erecting it as a shield behind him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three crisp sounds rang out as the flying swords struck the tower’s surface.

“Damn it, hidden weapons!”

He ducked instinctively, snatching the three exquisite small swords from the ground and storing them in his spatial pocket.

That bow of his head narrowly saved him from a lethal strike.

A sword light flashed overhead, shaving off a lock of his hair.

Shui Hanmeng, trained from childhood as a top-tier assassin of the sixth Yellow Realm and skilled in stealth, reappeared instantly after her second attack missed. Adapting swiftly, she transformed her weapon from a stabbing blade to a slashing edge, slicing toward Lin Zhan’s shoulder.

This strike was unavoidable—her sudden appearance, blazing speed, and fluid movement left no room to evade.

A burst of blood blossomed on Lin Zhan’s shoulder; he staggered slightly.

The white bone tower instantly intercepted, forcefully deflecting her softened blade.

Pain radiated sharply; Lin Zhan summoned his spiritual energy to heal and staunch the wound. He noticed that his Cloud-Swallowing Demon Armor was split wide open.

With his armor breached, Lin Zhan was wounded—proof of the tremendous power behind that blade.

“Who are you?” Lin Zhan finally found the chance to ask.

Though the injury ran deep to the bone, it was manageable. He had narrowly escaped having his throat cut.

He caught only a blurred silhouette of a woman disappearing into the torn fabric of space.

“Damn, a female assassin?”

Now caught in a dilemma, Lin Zhan gripped his white tower atop the city wall, wary and uncertain.

Heightened vigilance was essential—this elusive assassin might strike again without warning.

Fleeing would only invite pursuit, worsening his predicament.

Shadows flickered across Eastern City, perhaps drawn by the commotion but hesitant to intervene. Lin Zhan knew the Westward Peak patrol would soon arrive.

This was no place to linger.

He communicated with the Insight Stone at his chest, striving to calm his mind.

As the star slipped behind Westward Peak, darkness suddenly fell over Eastern City.

A breath, soft as a whisper, brushed past Lin Zhan’s ear, carrying a faint scent of a woman and a subtle warmth.

Alarmed, Lin Zhan realized how elusive his assailant was. So close, yet undetected until now, this had become a vexing battle.

He held his breath, but the scent still seeped into his senses, clouding his thoughts.

“Do not be afraid. Soon your suffering will end.”

The voice was like celestial music, yet to Lin Zhan it sounded like a death sentence.

His consciousness began to slip away, losing control.

In his final moments, Lin Zhan mustered his strength to retract the white bone tower...