On a moonless, windy night, it was the perfect time for a kill.
At Mansion No. 68 in the True Dragon Villa area, unlike the brightly lit homes nearby, the mansion's owner seemed to be following the government's energy-saving policy, leaving the property shrouded in darkness each night. Only a faint glow came from within, barely visible due to the fully drawn curtains.
Xiang Ri approached stealthily, expecting resistance, but the darkness was to his advantage, easing his movement.
Scaling the ten-foot-high wall, he landed softly inside. He found himself in a small grove, the faint lights from the mansion providing just enough visibility to make out his surroundings. As he prepared to proceed, a massive shadow lunged at him. He instinctively struck out, sending it flying back with a howl, landing motionless on the ground.
Moving closer, he saw a large Tibetan Mastiff sprawled on the earth. He shivered slightly, thinking of the wealthy owner's fear of death and his choice of such ferocious guard dogs. Then he reconsidered—if the owner was so fearful, surely one dog wouldn't be his only line of defense.
Indeed, with a swish, several more dark shapes pounced.
Xiang Ri stepped back, avoiding a Mastiff's attempt to bite his throat. He used his fists and feet to hurl the two nearest dogs away, then crouched low, evading another Mastiff attacking from behind. Swiftly, he drew a dagger from his gloved hand, and, armed, he launched into the pack with decisive slashes.
The remaining Mastiffs fell swiftly, divided into pieces of varying sizes.
With this lesson learned, Xiang Ri advanced more cautiously, vigilant for more guard dogs or hidden bodyguards. Fortunately, the Mastiffs had been well-trained and made no sound, so the people in the house remained unaware.
After dispatching six more Mastiffs, Xiang Ri finally reached the edge of the grove, facing an open lawn with the opulent mansion beyond. Reaching it undetected would be challenging. From what he observed and calculated, there were likely at least four bodyguards nearby. Only one approach would work.
Luckily, he had worn dark clothing, and by crawling slowly across the exposed lawn, he had a good chance of remaining unseen.
Covering the short distance of just over ten meters took him more than twenty minutes, reaching a shadowed corner of the mansion. He slipped into cover quickly.
"Who's there?" Just as Xiang Ri exhaled quietly, a low voice startled him. He turned to see a figure standing nearby, a short stick in hand that Xiang Ri suspected was a flashlight.
"Just… relieving myself!" In a moment of quick thinking, Xiang Ri forced out the words, all the while inching closer.
"Quite bold of you to be doing that here." The figure raised the flashlight, only to see a large hand closing in on him. Just as he was about to shout, his throat was gripped, and his cry turned into a strangled gasp.
"Stay quiet if you value your life," Xiang Ri said, seizing the light from the man's hand and switching it off as he tightened his grip.
The man nodded vigorously, muffled sounds of compliance escaping his throat.
"I'm letting go now to ask you a few questions. Answer honestly, or I'll snap your neck." Xiang Ri loosened his fingers but kept his hand on the man's neck, ready for any sudden moves.
"Don't kill me!" The man gasped, seizing his chance to plead as soon as he could speak. He was just a low-ranking guard, afraid that telling the truth might still end with his death.
"As long as you answer truthfully, I won't kill you," Xiang Ri reassured him smoothly. "Though knocking you out is necessary; that way, if anything happens here tonight, you won't be blamed, right?"
"Yes, yes." Relieved by the assurance, the guard began to trust him.
"Let me ask, have there been many outsiders here recently?"
"Yes, the boss said they're friends he knew from abroad."
"And where are these people now?"
"In the basement garage, at the back."
"How many are there?"
"I'm not sure—" The guard felt the grip tighten and quickly added, "About twenty or so."
"Good. Do you have anything else to add?"
The guard paused. "No, that's everything!"
"Then sleep well." With those words, Xiang Ri's hand clenched, snapping the guard's neck before he had a chance to react. "In your next life, choose a safer line of work."
After a brief glance at the lifeless body, Xiang Ri removed the guard's dark jacket, slipping it on himself. He dragged the body into the shadows and, flashlight in hand, walked out confidently.
"Hey, which section are you from, wandering around like that?" A low voice startled him as he rounded a corner.
"Section 51." Xiang Ri lied smoothly, seeing the guard standing a few meters away, hidden in the shadows by the wall.
"Section 51?" The guard hesitated. "That's not—wait, you're—" He didn't finish; Xiang Ri's flashlight hit him squarely in the gut, cutting off his words. Checking his breath, Xiang Ri saw that he'd only fainted. Grimacing, he struck the guard's throat, and a faint crack echoed.
The flashlight he'd used as a weapon was broken, but luckily, the unfortunate guard had another. Xiang Ri pocketed it and moved purposefully toward the garage at the back of the mansion. Given his encounters so far, he guessed that each shadowy corner concealed a guard. He decided to clear the perimeter first, removing any obstacles before proceeding with his objective.
With a clear goal, Xiang Ri's pace quickened. At each corner, he asked, "Which section are you from?" and took down each guard the instant they hesitated or began to answer. By the time he reached the garage, eighteen guards had met their end.
Finally, he approached the underground garage, where sounds of raucous laughter and shouting grew louder. Just as he was about to observe further, the iron door swung open noiselessly, and a tall, burly man stepped out, scanning both directions before heading toward a shadowed area on the left.
Xiang Ri's eyes gleamed. This man was no mere guard; the air of bloodlust clinging to him was unmistakable—he was likely one of the terrorists. Silently, Xiang Ri slipped closer as the man, humming a foreign tune, relieved himself in the shadows.