"It's all the Great Protector's fault. Before we came in, he only made us write down the target list, and didn't even show us a portrait. That's what caused the delay!"
"Forget it, every cloud has a silver lining. Since I've managed to catch a target, I might as well take over one of his close attendants first, then find an opportunity to kill him! Every one I can eliminate is a victory!"
These few short sentences, spoken to himself, contain a wealth of information.
First, these shadowy figures are organized and are actively selecting bodies to possess. Their ultimate goal is to find and kill the so-called righteous disciples' consciousness incarnations.
Kotinghe was one of them.
There is also hidden information: for example, one cannot kill in the shadow form, but can only kill by possessing another's body.
Furthermore, the bodies possessed by the shadowy figures are freely chosen. Therefore, for convenience, they would most likely choose someone of high rank or great power, or someone with exceptional martial arts skills, such as Ke Tinghe.
Therefore, those around you who suddenly change their temperament, especially those who possess either of the two advantages mentioned above, are very likely to have been possessed by the shadow.
As he was pondering this, the dark figure suddenly plunged into the body of a night watchman.
The servant twitched a few times, and when he opened his eyes again, his aura had undergone a complete transformation.
The servant entered the inner room, stared expressionlessly at Ke Tinghe on the bed for a while, then picked up a bronze candlestick from the table and approached step by step in the flickering firelight.
Suddenly, a bizarre and twisted smile appeared on the servant's face. He then raised the candlestick and smashed it hard against Ke Tinghe's head!
At the same time!
Kotinghe suddenly opened his eyes! He leaped to the foot of the bed with a somersault! He yanked off the rolled-up bedding! Instantly covering the servant's head! Then, a heavy punch swept across his face!
Liu Jinghong also cleaved open the window with his other hand, leaped inside, and struck the servant in the back with a thunderous palm strike!
Attacked from both sides, the servant was caught in the crossfire. Before he could react, his head was smashed open and his internal organs were shattered into pieces.
He collapsed limply and died.
Black mist emerged from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, dissipating into the air without any sign of condensing back into a black shadow.
"This black mist is..." Ke Tinghe looked completely bewildered.
At this moment, a semi-transparent black phantom popped out from outside the Mirror of Reincarnation and quickly merged into the body of a small demonic cultivator.
The short demonic cultivator coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered to the ground.
He clutched his chest, quickly scrambled to his feet, and apologized to Lan Xiao:
"I am incompetent!"
Lan Xiao took a deep breath.
He's only been inside for less than half an incense stick's time! The others haven't even had a chance to choose their bodies, and you've already been killed?!
"What happened?"
"I discovered the consciousness avatar of a righteous disciple, but I was no match for him and was killed in the process. But don't worry, Great Protector! My mouth is very tight! I haven't revealed any information! They still think I'm just an ordinary assassin!"
Lan Xiao breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as she didn't expose herself, things weren't too bad.
Within the mirror's boundary.
Chu Hongluan climbed through the window, squatted down, and carefully examined the servant's body, her brows furrowed: That's it?!
He died like that?
When Ke Tinghe saw a girl enter, he was so frightened that he scrambled behind the curtain to put on his clothes.
Chu Hongluan was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Liu Jinghong's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
When Ke Tinghe came out, all bundled up, he saw the two of them sitting at the table, drinking tea as if they were at home.
"And you two are—?"
Ke Tinghe has always been carefree and has been fighting wars away from home for many years. He has only been back in the capital for a few days and is not familiar with the young masters and noble ladies of the capital. He does not recognize Chu Hongluan and Liu Jinghong at the moment.
"I am Liu Jinghong, son of the Marquis of Zhenbei."
"I am Chu Hongluan, daughter of the Minister of Personnel."
Kotinger was shocked!
"Oh! So you're the good-for-nothing playboy and the good-for-nothing beauty that's been all the rage in the capital lately!"
"......"
Thank you.
Ke Tinghe belatedly realized that what he said wasn't very good, and awkwardly pulled up a chair and sat down: "Well, I just blurted it out... just blurted it out..."
Chu Hongluan smiled and said, "Alright, we're staying to talk to you about serious business."
Upon hearing this, Ke Tinghe immediately became serious: "Are you two talking about my servant's unprovoked attempt to assassinate me?"
Chu Hongluan nodded and recounted the whole story, including all her previous speculations.
Chu Hongluan glanced at the servant's corpse again and sighed silently.
It was also an undeserved disaster.
"The shadow has no physical form, so we can't do anything about it. But now it seems that after the shadow possesses someone, its strength is directly linked to the strength of its body. It can be killed and will not turn back into black mist to possess other people."
Chu Hongluan spoke eloquently.
Liu Jinghong just stared at her blankly.
The girl's clear and unrestrained voice stirred ripples in his calm heart like a gentle breeze and light rain.
"Prince Liu Xiaojun."
"exist!"
Liu Jinghong snapped back to her senses and instinctively straightened her back.
"Say what I just said?"
"......"
Liu Jinghong smiled awkwardly, pursed her lips, and couldn't come up with a coherent answer for a long time.
Ke Tinghe looked at Liu Jinghong, then at Chu Hongluan.
They understood each other perfectly.
He immediately slapped his thigh and laughed wildly, gloating.
Liu Jinghong narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"You can still laugh? Don't you realize you've become prey? The enemy is in the shadows, and you are in the light. Everyone who passes by you—passersby, strangers, your close friends, even trusted relatives—could be possessed by the shadows and become the blade that takes your life. If I were you, I probably wouldn't be laughing."
Kotinghe's laughter choked, and he almost choked on his own breath.
"Ahem, well, at least I still have the two of you fighting alongside me—"
As he spoke, he reached out to put his arm around Liu Jinghong's shoulder to try and get closer to her, but Liu Jinghong slapped him away with her fan: "Hey? I have no intention of meddling in other people's business."
Ke Tinghe's expression changed, and he looked at Chu Hongluan with pleading eyes.
Aren't you going to do anything about him?!
Chu Hongluan smiled faintly: "This matter is indeed not related to us. If we rashly intervene, we will only bring trouble upon ourselves."
Kotinghe became anxious.
If what Chu Hongluan said earlier is true, then those possessed by the shadowy figure tonight will be scattered throughout the entire capital. Putting aside the question of whether anyone would believe such supernatural tales, the main issue is that everyone except the two before him is a danger to him. If he were to reveal tonight's events, wouldn't that be tantamount to self-destruction, stepping forward to become a living target?
"You two! Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts! If we allow this shadowy figure to wreak havoc in the capital, the very foundation of the nation will be shaken in no time! If the nation is lost, where will our families be? Besides, how can you be so sure that you yourselves are not the shadowy figure's target?"
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