"Thank you, Blackfang. Thank you, truly. Now is exactly when we need allies the most. With your support, we will definitely succeed and claim Rachel Lan's head."
I didn't say anything, just smiled. The large-scale investigation had already begun early this morning. Anyone suspected of ties to Crimson Night was arrested, and there have already been casualties.
Julian Zhu led us into another room, where a huge map over ten meters long was laid out. It was covered in routes and many locations marked with red dots.
"What do these red dots mean?"
Ray Lin pointed, and Julian Zhu answered, looking at the densely packed red dots on the map. They represent officials of all ranks in this district—the real administrators here. Crimson Night's tactic is simple: assassinate the officials. This caught the Emperor God Group off guard. As for Crimson Night's methods, I've seen them myself.
"If ten to twenty people can kill one official, we're that much closer to victory. Once chaos breaks out, the number of targets we need to deal with will keep shrinking."
"Heh, throughout history, assassination has always been the most effective method. Once someone at the top dies and the position opens up, those below will inevitably scramble for it. Internal strife has always been the main reason for failure."
Ghost Painting Book Immortal chuckled as he spoke.
"That's right, sir, you're absolutely right. Crimson Night's creed is to be like a knife, stabbing straight into the heart of everything that exists. In the end, they'll die a slow death."
"It really is like playing with toys."
Isabelle Frost said something, but I kept silent. Zhu Qiang continued his explanation. Most of the people Crimson Night recruits must undergo long-term training—they would never betray the organization. If their cover is blown, they choose suicide without hesitation.
I’d seen it before, when Harvey Zhou tried to kill us. The look in their eyes was strange—numb. Zhu Qiang spoke excitedly about how resolute their trainees were. It made me uneasy.
After a while, we returned to an office. By now, we were familiar with everything here.
The powerful, the rich, and the poor—three classes living here. It’s much like modern society, except the lowest can never defy those above. If a rich person dies in the street, even bystanders nearby are punished.
“This world is insane, whether it’s the rulers or the rebels.”
I muttered, and the Ghost-Painted Sage laughed.
“Just as I said, throughout history, assassination has always worked best. Many dynasties fell because their rulers died—killed or sick, it didn’t matter. But that’s just a human phenomenon. In the world of ghosts, things are different.”
I let out a sound of surprise. In the world of ghosts, time is nearly endless. To kill a ruler here, even if everyone joined forces, it would be like a swarm of ants—easily crushed, powerless to change anything.
Even if Crimson Night killed all the administrators, the three creators would remain untouchable.
“Ethan, you said you needed intel. What’s your plan?”
Isabelle Frost teamed up with Huang, Deathcurse with Lin Rui, Ghost-Painted Sage with Zhou Fulai, and Deathcurse with Cao Wanzhi. After forming teams, we took a hidden passage into a rundown district, filled with chaotic sounds. Right away, I saw two groups fighting, with plenty of onlookers crowding nearby.
Blackmoon and I were assigned to capture Luo Chi. He was at the western police headquarters.
"Everyone, be careful. Don't cause too much commotion," I said.
After I spoke, Zhu Qiang sent five cars to take us to our destinations. The whole ride, I felt uneasy, resting my chin in my hand, looking sideways out the window. The city was just lighting up as night fell, and the streets grew lively.
"What's wrong, Fang? Am I taking the lead, or are you? That guy seems tough, but I should be able to handle him easily," Blackmoon said.
I shook my head.
"At least let me try. I want to see just how far my strength goes in this world," I replied.
We arrived at our destination—a vast compound surrounded by spiked walls. At the entrance, an imperial character was displayed.
According to Zhu Qiang’s intel, Luo Chi always went home alone at night. His place was seven or eight kilometers from the police station, in a quiet neighborhood.
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Blackmoon and I waited. Soon, we saw Luo Chi leave in his car. He'd survived several attacks before, but never seemed troubled by them.
Zhu Qiang had arranged the ambush site—a wide river further west. We decided to strike on the bridge. After Luo Chi finished roaming the city, we got there ahead of him, waited by the river after our driver left.
It was already 11 PM, but Luo Chi hadn’t shown up yet. Few cars passed by now. Then a black sedan approached. Blackmoon and I leaned on the bridge railing, pretending to be night sightseers.
The moment the car passed, murderous energy erupted. Instantly, the car was torn apart. I turned into mist. A clang rang out, followed by a thunderous crash—the bridge lost a chunk. Luo Chi hovered in the air, dual short swords in hand, slicing the bridge into fragments with blinding speed.
"Didn’t expect a fight so soon, Zhang Qingyuan. As Lady Lan’s former man, you’re not bad. Your skills, though..."
A clang sounded. Surprise flashed in Luo Chi’s eyes as I swung Beauty at him. He crossed his blades, blocking my attack.
"Heh."
I dodged to the side. Blade-like gusts of yin energy sliced past me. I was shocked—their attacks relied entirely on yin force, vicious and sharp.
"Need my help, Fang?" Blackmoon asked.
Blackmoon stood casually at the edge of the bridge. Luo Chi glanced at him—then, in a flash, appeared right beside Blackmoon.
"Start with the weakest," Luo Chi said.
I watched as Blackmoon’s body was instantly sliced into dozens of pieces, scattering in midair. Excitement shone in Luo Chi’s eyes.
"Too bad—the weakest isn’t me," Blackmoon said.
Blackmoon now stood on a railing more than ten meters away from Luo Chi, cackling. His crescent-moon eyes danced, and he’d already returned to his true form.
I stared at Luo Chi. His speed was impressive, but to me, he seemed slow. My eyes had turned golden-red.
With a rush, a giant serpent of murderous energy appeared on the bridge, jaws wide, swallowing Luo Chi whole. But sharp yin force quickly sliced the serpent apart.
Beauty was already pressed against Luo Chi’s neck, while his twin blades stabbed into my chest, piercing my ghost soul.
Black blood seeped from my chest.
"I win. Your ghost soul is dead," Luo Chi said.
"Is that so? Heh. Turns out I’m not that strong here—but not that weak, either," I replied.
Suddenly, a pitch-black hand reached out from my chest, grabbing Luo Chi’s neck with a crunch. He trembled all over.
"Am I a man-eater? Qingyuan, these people are all delicious to me," said the Yin Ghost, its voice sickly sweet.
The Yin Ghost’s sickly voice echoed. Black snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Luo Chi had already been turned into a block of black ice, unable to move. Blackmoon walked over, step by step. "Let’s go. Looks like trouble’s coming. After all, you just captured their chief."
"Yeah, let's go," I said.
With a rush, the Yin Ghost dragged Luo Chi into my body. Blackmoon and I dashed across the bridge. We found our contact and got in the car.
I looked up at the sky through the car window, forcing a bitter smile. The war had begun—the war with Rachel Lan.