She took a peek to see if the body was still there. Seeing it gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. Unnoticed by her, Hun Yu's hand rested on her waist.
For some reason, she wanted to stay in this position for a while, but remembering she was a princess, she backed away. Hun Yu also moved his hand.
"There are two more assassins," he said. "I think we should wait for them to leave before we head to our destination."
The night passed, and morning came. Both Hun Yu and Huang Yi were ready.
Hun Yu lifted her onto his back and wore the Duality Cloak, then started walking towards the imperial capital.
After some distance, Huang Yi, resting her head on his shoulder, looked around.
"Hun Yu, will you run away with me?" she asked.
"What?"
"Will you run away with me?" she repeated, a hint of embarrassment in her voice at the sudden question.
"If my father doesn't agree to cancel the marriage, I'm going to run away. Are you coming with me?" She asked, although she knew he would probably reject it.
"Okay, who wouldn't want a free princess wife?" he joked and continued walking.
Huang Yi's face turned red, and she buried her head into his back.
Hun Yu didn't pay attention; he had to think of a way to completely win this princess's trust, wondering what rewards might come after.
Some hours passed, and though they did not encounter the remaining two assassins, they arrived at the imperial city much quicker than expected.
Soon, the outline of the city became visible, a sight Hun Yu could never forget.
As they got closer, they managed to enter without alerting anyone, thanks to the Duality Cloak.
Arriving at a silent, secluded spot within the city, Hun Yu gently set Huang Yi down and removed the cloak.
"We're here," he said quietly, scanning their surroundings. "We should be safe for now."
"I... won't be able to accompany you any further," Hun Yu said, knowing that if the old man called the Guardian saw him, he would probably recognize him as being from the Cloud Sky Sect.
He wasn't afraid, but it was better to avoid the encounter.
Huang Yi nodded in understanding. "Alright, it's not like I wanted you to come with me."
"Will you leave after dropping me here?" she asked, emotions hidden behind her words. It was the first time someone had been so close to her.
She didn't want to let him go. If she were stronger than him, she would tie him up and keep him with her all the time.
"I'll stay here for some time before going somewhere else," he replied.
Hun Yu decided to drop her near the palace. Although entering that area was forbidden for ordinary people, with the Duality Cloak, no normal cultivator could detect him.
"Finally done with this work," he thought. Though the mission wasn't completed yet, it would be soon.
As he walked slowly through the city, memories flooded back. This was the city where he had spent so many years. Suddenly, a white pigeon landed on his shoulder.
He looked at the pigeon and saw a letter attached to its feet. He took the letter, slowly opened it, and read its contents.
"It's good to hear you broke through the Elementary Realm. I'm curious about your element, but that can wait.
I want you to return in one month, and if you're even one day late, you should know the consequences," it ended with a scary drawing.
"One month?" he thought. He guided the pigeon back to the sect with a sigh.
What could he do in one month? He remembered he had the body of the assassin.
With a grin, he arrived at a dark alley where no one was around. He took out the body from his ring.
"Cultivation Harvest," he said, raising his hand toward the body. Soon, green energy left the body and entered his.
{+1500}
{Cultivation: Elementary Realm 1 (1500/5000) (+)}
"Hmm, 1500. I need 2500 more to reach rank 2," he thought, feeling the power surge within him.
"But for that, I think I will have to hunt down those two remaining assassins," Hun Yu thought, looking at the system map that displayed their locations.
They seemed to be near the capital but lacked the guts to enter.
Quickly donning the Duality Cloak, he left the city with ease. As he drew closer to them, he noticed they were currently together. He needed to wait for them to part.
{Name: Yao Zhen}
{Age: 47}
{Occupation: Assassin}
{Cultivation: Elementary Realm 5}
"Hmm, rank 5. It might be hard to take him down," Hun Yu mused.
{Name: Li Rong}
{Age: 54}
{Occupation: Assassin}
{Cultivation: Elementary Realm 9}
"This one must be the leader," he thought, eyeing the rank 9 assassin. The gap in power was significant; he was just a rank 1, and fighting someone at rank 9 would be incredibly difficult.
Hun Yu took a deep breath, focusing on the teachings and skills he had honed. Brute strength alone wouldn't win this fight; he needed to rely on his wits and the element of surprise.
As he waited, the two assassins finally began to move apart, seemingly preparing to scout the area. This was his chance.
Hun Yu silently crept up behind Yao Zhen, the rank 5 assassin, who was now isolated. Drawing the Sword given by the system, he activated the stealth ability of the Duality Cloak, making his approach nearly invisible.
With a swift, precise motion, he plunged the Sword into Yao Zhen's back, aiming for the heart. The assassin's eyes widened in shock and pain, but Hun Yu didn't give him a chance to react.
He twisted the blade, ensuring a fatal blow, and caught the body before it hit the ground, lowering it gently to avoid making noise.
Li Rong, the rank 9 leader, sensed something was wrong and turned around.
Hun Yu knew he had only moments before the leader would discover the body.
Quickly, he used the illusionary ability of the Duality Cloak to create a decoy of himself, distracting Li Rong.
Li Rong focused his attention on the decoy, preparing to attack.
Hun Yu used this distraction to position himself for the real strike.
As Li Rong launched a powerful attack at the illusion, Hun Yu surged forward, his speed and strength heightened beyond their normal limits by the perks of his Malefic Heart Physique.
He closed the distance in an instant, striking at Li Rong with a ferocity that caught the rank 9 assassin off guard.
The leader's eyes widened in shock as Hun Yu's blade pierced through his defenses, slicing into his side.
Li Rong staggered, but Hun Yu didn't relent. He pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of precise and powerful attacks.
Despite the leader's superior cultivation level, the surprise and Hun Yu's relentless assault overwhelmed him.
Finally, with a decisive strike, Hun Yu severed Li Rong's vital energy, ending the fight.
Breathing heavily, Hun Yu looked at the bodies of the two assassins. "Cultivation Harvest," he said, raising his hand towards them. Green energy flowed from the bodies into him.