Shadows Revealed
The unnatural shadow seemed to come alive the instant Yi Xing finished speaking, transforming from a static, lifeless object into something truly "alive." It didn't simply move; rather, like thick ink dripping into clear water, its edges blurred and expanded rapidly, then contracted and solidified in an instant, ultimately outlining a clear human figure. The entire process was silent, carrying a chilling eeriness.
The figure emerged completely from the pile of clutter in the corner, standing in the cold moonlight. He wasn't tall, even somewhat short, dressed in a tight-fitting, jet-black outfit that blended perfectly with the night. His face was covered by a metal mask that only revealed his eyes; the mask's peculiar shape and sharp lines reflected the moonlight, exuding the cold, metallic quality characteristic of metal. Most striking were the two oddly shaped curved blades he toyed with, their edges gleaming a ghostly blue in the moonlight, clearly coated with deadly poison. He emanated a chilling, damp aura, as if he had just crawled out of some sunless abyss.
"Tsk, your senses are quite sharp." A slightly hoarse voice, like sandpaper scraping, came from behind the mask, carrying a hint of mockery, but more so a chilling killing intent. "I was planning to wait until you went deeper and wipe you all out, but I didn't expect... this little sick cat to spoil my fun." His gaze, like a viper's tongue, licked across Yi Xing's pale face.
"You cowardly coward!" Pei Qinhu roared, taking a step forward to block Yi Xing's wheelchair. His muscles tensed instantly, and a wave of scorching heat emanated from him, causing the dust beneath his feet to tremble slightly. His fists clenched, his knuckles cracking, his eyes burning with rage as he locked onto the figure in black. The other man's use of the term "sick cat" to refer to Yi Xing had thoroughly enraged him.
Gongsun Li's figure slid silently down from the heights like a falling maple leaf. Her umbrella-sword was already in her hand, the umbrella closed, the sword tip pointing diagonally to the ground, blocking one of the black-clad man's possible escape routes. Her eyes were sharp, her rabbit ears trembling slightly, capturing even the slightest muscle movement of her opponent.
Yang Yuhuan, holding her pipa, took a small half-step forward, still guarding Yi Xing's side. Her breath was connected with the guqin in her arms, as if she could play a protective melody or a demonic sound that disturbed people's minds at any moment.
Ming Shiyin remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged. Only his deep eyes, like an ancient, cold pool, reflected the figure of the man in black, as if trying to see through him completely. He showed no surprise at the other's appearance; rather, it was as if he had been waiting for a long time.
"Your Excellency has been waiting here for more than just to say hello, hasn't you?" Ming Shiyin's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an invisible pressure.
The man in black let out a low, hoarse chuckle, his curved blade spinning even faster, tracing two arcs of eerie blue light. "Waiting? Not at all. Just clearing out these uninvited guests who dared to intrude on my master's territory." His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Ming Shiyin. "Yao Tian… Ming Shiyin. My master said that if you had behaved yourselves, you might have lived a few more days. Unfortunately… you chose to seek your own demise."
"Master?" Yi Xing caught the key word. He suppressed his racing heart and tried to keep his voice steady. "It seems that you are just someone else's lackey. But I wonder if your 'master' is the same person as the mastermind who killed Dr. Wang, stole the 'Tian Yuan Strategy', and cultivated the 'Soul-Separating Grass'?"
The man in black's eyes flickered slightly, a subtle change that did not escape the notice of Yi Xing and Ming Shiyin. "Knowing too much is of no benefit to a dying man," he sneered, clearly unwilling to say more.
"The darker the shadow, the closer we are to the light we seek, the closer we are to the core of the truth."
Yi Xing suddenly spoke, his words like a sharp sword cleaving through the pervasive killing intent. It wasn't a morale-boosting slogan, but a logical judgment, a wisdom that maintained clear-headed awareness in a crisis. The dark, frenzied counterattack precisely proved that they were on the right track.
Ming Shiyin nodded slightly, acknowledging Yi Xing's assessment. He took a step forward, and with that single step, his aura shifted dramatically. Beneath his dignified and noble exterior, a vast, star-like power seemed to awaken. The vermilion mark on his forehead grew even more eerily red.
“Since you are unwilling to speak,” Ming Shiyin’s voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable determination, “then stay.”
Before the words were even finished, a fierce glint appeared in the black-clad man's eyes, clearly enraged by Ming Shiyin's almost dismissive attitude. "Arrogant!" he roared, his figure suddenly blurring, transforming into a true black lightning bolt. He didn't charge in a straight line, but rather with a bizarre, unpredictable arc, his twin blades crossed, aiming directly at Yi Xing, who seemed the weakest! Capture the leader first, or rather, eliminate the most vulnerable link!
"Don't even think about it!" Pei Qinhu roared. He had been preparing for a powerful attack for a long time. Facing the ghostly attack, he neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed a powerful punch with his right fist! This punch was devoid of any fancy moves, yet it contained his immense energy. The wind from the punch surged, emitting a muffled howl, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, fiercely meeting the black lightning bolt! He wanted to use absolute power to directly confront the opponent's unpredictable attack!
At the same time, Gongsun Li moved. She didn't attack the man in black directly, but instead lightly touched the ground with her toes, her body spinning like a dancer. The closed umbrella sword in her hand drew a graceful arc, precisely targeting several possible landing points where the man in black might change direction, as if laying down an invisible sword net, restricting his escape space. Her movements were light and agile, perfectly complementing Pei Qinhu's fierce and domineering style.
"bite!"
A crisp yet piercing sound of metal clashing rang out!
Pei Qinhu's fist, imbued with inner energy, collided with the black-clad man's poisoned curved blade! The energy surged, kicking up dust from the ground! The black-clad man clearly hadn't anticipated Pei Qinhu's overwhelming power; his movements faltered, his strange momentum abruptly halted. But he reacted swiftly, using the force to glide backward, attempting to blend back into the shadows.
However, at that very moment, Yang Yuhuan's pipa strings were plucked.
It wasn't the sound of fierce battle, but rather a series of low, buzzing, strange tones. This tone seemed to directly affect one's mind, spreading instantly throughout the entire area like invisible ripples. The figure of the man in black, who was about to flee, suddenly paused. Although it was only a very brief pause, as if his brain had been disturbed by something, in a battle between experts, it was a fatal flaw!
Now!
Ming Shiyin, who had been observing the situation quietly, finally made his move.
He didn't even make any obvious movements; he simply pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly pointed in the direction of the man in black.
It lacked dazzling brilliance and grand scale.
But the instant he pointed his finger, the space within a radius of several feet centered on the man in black rippled like water with a pebble thrown in, creating a layer of transparent ripples that were almost imperceptible to the naked eye! The air became viscous, and the light distorted slightly!
The man in black felt a sudden tightness all over his body, as if he had sunk into an invisible quagmire, and his movements instantly became sluggish and heavy! His famously strange movement technique was greatly reduced in effect in this invisible force field!
"An array?!" The black-clad man's pupils contracted sharply beneath his mask, his voice filled with horror for the first time. He tried to break free, but the omnipresent binding force, like countless resilient spider silks, held him firmly in place!
How could Pei Qinhu let such a golden opportunity slip by? He let out a long roar that shook the surrounding area, and with both fists out, the wind from his punches was like a real tiger, roaring as he pounced on the black-clad man whose movements were restricted! This time, he was going to leave him there for good!
At the same moment, Gongsun Li's umbrella sword emerged like a venomous snake, stabbing straight at the black-clad man's vital points. The tip of the sword flashed coldly, sealing off all his angles of evasion.
Faced with this seemingly inescapable predicament, a glint of madness and determination flashed in the black-clad man's eyes. He gritted his teeth, as if triggering some kind of restriction, and a surge of black energy erupted around him, forcibly breaking free from the invisible binding force! He no longer tried to dodge Pei Qinhu and Gongsun Li's attacks, but instead recklessly wielded his twin blades like spinning darts, channeling all his power into them, and with a piercing whistling sound, launched them at Yi Xing and Yang Yuhuan, one to the left and one to the right respectively!
This is a suicidal fighting style! Even if he dies, he'll take two others down with him! Especially that sickly boy who hit the nail on the head, and that musician who interfered with his music!
"Watch out!" Pei Qinhu and Gongsun Li exclaimed simultaneously, but it was too late to rush back to their aid!
Yang Yuhuan's expression hardened, and her fingers suddenly quickened their pace as she plucked the strings. The clear and stirring notes acted as a tangible barrier, attempting to block the curved blades flying towards her and Yi Xing!
Yi Xing, seated in his wheelchair, stared at the deadly flying blade, its surface gleaming with a ghostly blue poisonous light, his pupils slightly dilated. His body couldn't move quickly, but his hands remained steady. The black chess piece he had been holding between his fingers was, in this instant, flicked away with a deft angle and force!
"Whoosh!"
The chess piece broke through the air, not heading straight for the curved blade, but rather shooting towards an open space in front of the blade's flight path.
The instant the chess piece landed—
Mutation and regeneration!
The seemingly ordinary chess piece, upon touching the ground, emitted a faint white light. The light rapidly spread, resonating with the invisible force field Ming Shiyin had previously set up! In an instant, the man in black felt the binding force on his body increase several times over, as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on him, making even breathing difficult! The trajectories of the two flying curved blades were also affected by this invisible interference, undergoing extremely subtle deflections!
It's that tiny difference!
Yang Yuhuan's musical barrier successfully deflected the curved blade aimed at her, causing it to graz her temples and sever a few strands of her hair.
The blade aimed at Yi Xing, however, was deflected and barely grazed the armrest of the wheelchair before embedding itself deeply into the tree trunk behind him with a "thud," its blade trembling violently and emitting a buzzing sound.
At the same time, Pei Qinhu's powerful punch, which gathered all his strength, and Gongsun Li's cunning and ruthless sword move landed on the man in black at the same time!
"puff--"
The man in black was struck as if by a heavy blow; blood gushed from beneath his mask, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against a broken wall in the distance with a dull thud before sliding to the ground, motionless. His black clothes were quickly soaked with blood, and the other curved blade in his hand clattered to the ground.
The battle began suddenly and ended just as quickly.
For a moment, only heavy breathing filled the arena. Pei Qinhu remained in his punching stance, his chest heaving violently. Gongsun Li sheathed his sword and stood still, his eyes still warily fixed on the motionless figure. Yang Yuhuan gently pressed the strings of her zither, calming the surging energy within her.
Yi Xing slowly loosened his fist, which had been clenched so tightly it had turned white. His fingertips trembled slightly from the focused effort he had just delivered. He glanced at the poisoned blade embedded in the tree, then at the black-clad man in the distance, whose fate was unknown, and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.
Ming Shiyin slowly walked to the man in black and bent down to examine him. After a moment, he straightened up and shook his head: "His heart meridian is shattered, and his breath is gone. He used some kind of secret technique that burned his life force in his last attempt to break free from my 'Star Orbit Imprisonment,' but he was already exhausted."
He picked up the fallen curved blade and carefully examined its dark blue edge and peculiar shape. "Poisoned weapon, unpredictable movements, ruthless actions, leaving no survivors... this style..." A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
"Master, do you have any clues?" Yi Xing asked softly as Yang Yuhuan pushed him closer.
Ming Shiyin handed the curved blade to Yi Xing: "Look at the patterns on this blade."
Yi Xing took it; it felt cold and heavy in his hand. On the dark blue blade, besides the marks of poisoning, there were also some extremely fine, twisted patterns engraved, not like decorations, but more like some kind of... undecipherable runes, exuding an eerie aura.
“This doesn’t look like the mark of any sect or force in the Central Plains.” Gongsun Li also came over to take a look, her beautiful brows furrowed.
Pei Qinhu walked over, kicked the corpse of the man in black, and spat, "Pah! A suicide bomber! Can't get anything out of him!"
“Not necessarily.” Yi Xing shook his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over the black-clad man’s corpse, finally settling on the man’s face covered by a metal mask, as well as his tightly bound cuffs and trouser legs. “Brother Hu, search his body. Be careful, it might be poisoned.”
Pei Qinhu followed his instructions and carefully began searching the body of the man in black. After a moment, he pulled out a small, cool-to-the-touch black token from inside the man's tightly bound sleeve. The token was exquisitely crafted, with a twisted, vortex-like pattern engraved on the front and an ancient seal script character on the back—"Ink."
"Ink?" The crowd gathered around, looking at the token with puzzled expressions.
"The Mohists?" Gongsun Li guessed. "But the Mohists advocate non-aggression and universal love, how could they..."
“It may not be the Mohists,” Ming Shiyin said in a deep voice. “Perhaps… they are using their name to do wicked things. Or perhaps…” He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, “that they are traitors from a branch of the Mohists who have long since abandoned their original intentions.”
Yi Xing stroked the cold token, feeling the texture between the strokes of the character "墨" (mo), and said softly, "Whether it is or not, this '墨' character token, along with that peculiar poisonous curved blade, and the 'master' he mentioned... all point to a much larger and more tightly organized force. Dr. Wang's death is probably just the tip of the iceberg."
He raised his head and gazed into the depths of the Seaview Villa, still shrouded in the night. "The secrets there are more astonishing than we imagined."
"When layers of fog obscure your vision, do not be afraid to delve into it, for the core truth often lies hidden in the deepest, darkest part of the fog."
Under the moonlight, the boy's voice was clear and firm, as if announcing the imminent start of an even more arduous exploration. The gradually cooling corpse and the strange "Ink" token were like the key to opening Pandora's box, foreshadowing an even more turbulent undercurrent erupting beneath Chang'an City.
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