Zoran looked at the crumpled page in his hands. It was easy to get his hands on this page: he used the Law of Power to blast through a small hole into the vault from the outside and used the Law of Attraction to tear the page out from the host's hands.
"Mortus in the Garbage District…"
The previous owner of the book of Nightingale was a cultivator from the Garbage District named Mortus Ponte. Judging from the transaction, Mortus sold the book to the auction at a fixed price of 1,000 Liongs. Meaning the money gained from the bidding will only go to the auction house, and not to Mortus.
With his destination secured, Zoran wasted no time and travelled to the Garbage District deep into the night.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location under the light of the full moon, two shadows converged and faced each other.
They blended into the environment, using the darkness underneath the trees and the cover made from the shrubs underneath them. Their arrival sent no disturbance—no sound, no smell, and no turmoil from nature itself.
Even though their bodies should be visible under the light of the moon, the small nocturnal creatures and animals in the wild could not see them. It's as if the moon itself shielded them.
One of the shadows was emanating a strong ripple into reality. This disorder was much more stronger and more intense than the assassins that Zoran faced in the auction. Though cut from the same cloth, their strength varied like heaven and earth.
This shadow assassin from the Hidden Moon Dynasty was in the 5th stage of Body Strengthening. But, even he knelt in respect to the person opposite him.
Unlike most shadow assassins, this one in particular showed her face. Violet eyeshadow covered her eyebrows and eyelids. Her lips were red as blood. Her eyes were calm and serene yet its immense depth gave anyone worthy enough to look at them vertigo and nausea.
She did not emanate any discernible strength. There was no ripple in reality, no intimidating aura, nothing. She just existed. Ordinary folk would just rub their eyes in confusion, wondering if she was just an illusion of their eyes or not.
But make no mistake. She is not weak. Saying that she is powerless was akin to saying that the moon could fit in the palm of their hands. It was merely a trick in the senses.
This shadow assassin transcended the Body Strengthening realm. Saying that she can kill the 5th stage Body Strengthening assassin with one finger was not an exaggeration—it was the truth.
"Lunar Captain. I have come to report," said the 5th stage assassin.
The Lunar Captain looked up at the moon and looked down at the assassin. "Speak."
"Assassins stationed at point Griedsoil was killed before the Moon took its place at the zenith."
The 5th Stage assassin then swiped his hand, and a violet Yi circle appeared. A thin sheet of pure water appeared and stayed afloat like a screen.
With precision and accuracy like a photograph, a scene appaeared on the water screen that depicted the mutilated bodies of assassins. The Lunar Captain observed the incident with serious eyes.
These assassins, although at the very bottom of the food chain, was trained thoroughly. They should be able to put up a fight against a strong opponent or at least devise an escape. Judging from their fatal wounds, their opponent didn't let it happen.
Each of their deaths were caused with a single strike. The difference in strength was clear. And since each strike was similar to each other, she guessed that they were fighting one person.
A single person killed a handful of assassins—with ease.
That was alarming. Not only because they were dealing with an unknown monster of an expert, but because this was an unforeseen variable in their plans.
"Was it one of those hot-headed fools?" the 5th stage assassin asked.
The Lunar Captain shook her head. "Unlikely. There's no high ranking follower of the sun that resides in this barren land."
She paused for a second and said, "unless…"
She looked up at the Moon as if asking for its advice. But it did not answer. "This will need more investigation," she concluded.
The 5th stage assassin nodded his head. "I have a lead. They were following a mission about some guy that has a Diamond."
"Why haven't you caught him?"
The 5th stage assassin gulped nervously. "I have considered that reporting to the Lunar Captain takes precedence over some insignificant 1st stage Physique cultivator."
She nodded. "Do not disappoint the Moon. A crescent smile looks down upon this mission."
The assassin stood up straight and looked up at the moon in reverence. It was clear in the night sky, as if the heavens were looking directly at him.
"I would not dream of it," he replied.
The Lunar Captain nodded. This mission had such a vital importance that it was rumored that the Moon herself decreed this mission to be deployed. It was important enough to infiltrate Griedsoil town and risk angering the Primordial Sun Dynasty and possibly start a continental war.
"Why are we putting such importance in this place? Shouldn't we focus on the territorial war in the Great Plains?" the assassin asked.
The Lunar Captain glared at him. "This is beyond you. Or even me."
She just recieved this order a few days ago out of the blue. The main goal was not divulged to her, and even the details and plans were kept as a top secret.
However, she was given one important piece of information. That was enough to incite her full focus and attention. After all, this was a one-in-a-lifetime mission that would fulfill the reason why she joined the Hidden Moon Dynasty in the first place.
"Just know this," she paused and looked up at the Full Moon above. "She is coming."