The night sky was brilliant. Moonlight poured down, illuminating the street as bright as day.
Sima Mingyue sat in his carriage, his face dark. He hadn't expected to lose face to that playboy Su Hao in Fu City. If word got back to the prefect, he might become the laughingstock of the noble families.
He wanted to teach Su Hao a lesson but had more pressing matters. Dealing with Su Hao might provoke the Su family and interfere with his plans, so he had held back. But he wouldn't forget this grudge.
As the carriage moved slowly, a chilling wind suddenly blew, making the driver shiver.
"This ghostly wind is really cold," the driver complained.
Sima Mingyue's expression changed. "Stop complaining and get back to the inn quickly. I'm tired."
"Yes, young master!" The driver cracked his whip, and the horse neighed and sped up, drawing curses from passersby.
Soon they arrived at the inn. Sima Mingyue went straight to his room and opened the door.
The room lit up, revealing a woman in a blue dress sitting in a chair, her legs exposed. She was examining her long, white fingers with nails that glowed an eerie blue.
"Back so soon, Young Master Sima? Was Moon Shadow not to your liking?" the blue-robed woman asked with a smile.
"Blue Moon, you should be thinking about how to escape Fu City. Li Xing is in the constabulary's prison," Sima Mingyue said gravely.
"Don't worry about that. Li Xing knows little about my affairs. Even if he confesses, the constabulary won't catch me," Blue Moon replied calmly.
"So you set up Li Xing and Han Lu. Clever. Aren't you afraid the Helmsman will punish you for sacrificing the entire Fu City branch?" Sima Mingyue asked coldly.
"As the Helmsman's disciple, you should know he only cares about results. With the young marquis poisoned, the mission is complete. He'll reward me when I return to headquarters," Blue Moon said confidently.
"Blue Moon, be careful what you say. The consequences could be more than you can bear," Sima Mingyue warned, his face darkening at the mention of being the Helmsman's disciple.
The Sima family cooperated with the Blood Mingxiao Sect's Northwest branch, and Sima Mingyue had become the Helmsman's disciple at his family's request. But this information couldn't get out, or the Sima family would abandon him and end their cooperation with the sect.
"Why did you come to see me?" Sima Mingyue asked coldly, not wanting to dwell on the subject.
"I've heard that Su Hao of the Su family is leaving Fu City for a smaller county," Blue Moon said softly.
"What does that have to do with us?" Sima Mingyue frowned.
"After the assassination attempt on the young marquis, Su Wu of the Imperial Censorate will likely hunt down our sect members, causing heavy losses," Blue Moon explained. "If we capture Su Hao and extort resources from the Su family, we can offset those losses. The Helmsman would be pleased, and we'd be rewarded."
"Su Hao is just a playboy. Would the Su family really pay a hefty ransom for him?" Sima Mingyue asked skeptically.
"Unlike you, Su Hao is the favorite son of the Su family head and his wife. We have a good chance of success. Even if we fail, bringing Su Hao's head back to headquarters would please the Helmsman," Blue Moon said with a cruel smile.
"You truly are the Helmsman's adopted daughter - ruthless. Fine, I'll cooperate," Sima Mingyue agreed, secretly excited at the chance to deal with Su Hao.
"Good. Wait for my signal," Blue Moon said softly. She needed Sima Mingyue's help because Su Hao would likely have strong guards when leaving the city.
Suddenly, they heard a tile break outside their window. Both Blue Moon and Sima Mingyue sprang into action.
On the roof, a black-clad figure retreated hastily, having accidentally stepped on a loose tile while trying to leave.
"We can't let him escape!" Sima Mingyue's eyes flashed red. Their conversation had revealed too much sensitive information.
Blue Moon, aware of the danger, activated her inner energy. A blue light flashed around her as she pursued the spy.
Sima Mingyue was surprised to see Blue Moon had reached the Earth Realm, but there was no time to dwell on it. Killing the spy was paramount.
He unleashed the Sima family's high-level Frost Palm technique. A wave of cold energy enveloped his hand, capable of instantly freezing the target's heart.
The spy's face paled. Only at the fifth level of the Human Realm, he knew he couldn't survive if caught. Just as the attack was about to land, he stomped hard on the roof, crashing through it.
Sima Mingyue and Blue Moon's attacks missed as the spy fell into the room below, then smashed through the wall onto the street.
"Die!" Blue Moon's eyes flashed as she shot a blue light from her hand, piercing the spy's back.
The spy grunted in pain but managed to draw a deep breath and flee.