Jiang Chen did not let his grip on the spear relax. His sharp amber eyes scanned the stranger's features, memorizing every scar and shift in expression. The scent of damp cloth and steel clung to the man, but Jiang Chen sensed something deeper—an air of discipline, of a fighter honed through survival.
"You claim to be a survivor. Prove it," Jiang Chen said, his tone neutral but carrying a quiet challenge.
The man smirked, stepping further into the dimly lit room. "You're cautious. Good. That's why you're still breathing. Name's Yan Zhi, former enforcer of the Crimson Blade Sect."
Jiang Chen's fingers tensed. "Former?"
Yan Zhi nodded, lowering his hood. "I left when I realized their ambitions would only lead to ruin. The sect isn't just angry at you, Jiang Chen. They're desperate. Your little humiliation of Lu Chen exposed a deeper issue—weakness. And in the world of sects, weakness cannot be tolerated. They will come for you. Not just for revenge, but to reassert their dominance."
Jiang Chen exhaled, processing the information. "Then why warn me? If you abandoned them, why should I trust you?"
Yan Zhi chuckled. "You shouldn't. But I know the Crimson Blade Sect better than most. I can tell you how they'll move, who they'll send, and where they're most vulnerable."
Jiang Chen studied him for a long moment, then sat back down on the edge of his bed, motioning for Yan Zhi to continue. "Talk."
Yan Zhi pulled up a chair, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. "The sect won't attack in broad daylight. Ironhollow's laws forbid open violence without cause, and the City Lord's faction won't stand for outright war in the streets. But that doesn't mean they won't come. They'll try to corner you at night, in a place where no one can interfere. And they won't send just any disciples."
Jiang Chen nodded. "Inner disciples?"
"Worse." Yan Zhi's expression darkened. "They'll send the Blood Fang Unit—assassins trained for silent, efficient kills. They don't fight honorably. They aim for pressure points, poison their blades, and strike in coordinated teams. They won't challenge you to a duel like Lu Chen did. They'll make sure you never wake up."
Jiang Chen let the information settle. It made sense. The Crimson Blade Sect was a faction built on power and intimidation. If they couldn't reclaim their reputation through an open challenge, they would simply erase him from existence.
"When?" Jiang Chen asked.
Yan Zhi's lips curled into a knowing grin. "If I were them? Tonight."
Jiang Chen's grip on his spear tightened. He had expected retaliation, but not this soon. He glanced at the window—outside, the streets of Ironhollow were beginning to quiet. Lanterns flickered, casting shadows in the alleyways. If the Blood Fang Unit was coming, they were already in motion.
"You have two choices," Yan Zhi said. "You can run, which I doubt you will. Or you can fight—but on your own terms."
Jiang Chen smirked. "I never run. What do you suggest?"
Yan Zhi leaned forward. "Ironhollow's laws protect you—so use them. We lure them into a confrontation they can't escape from. Somewhere public enough that they can't deny their involvement. The Crimson Blade Sect operates from the shadows, but if they're exposed, the City Lord's faction will intervene."
Jiang Chen considered the plan. It was risky, but it had merit. He wasn't foolish enough to believe he could take on a full team of trained assassins in an ambush. But if he controlled the battlefield…
"Where?" he asked.
Yan Zhi grinned. "The Moonlit Courtyard. It's a neutral ground between the factions, near the inner district. Plenty of witnesses, but not enough interference to stop a fight once it starts. If they attack there, they're breaking the city's balance. The City Lord's faction won't ignore that."
Jiang Chen nodded. "Then we go."
The Night Hunt
Jiang Chen and Yan Zhi moved through the dimly lit streets, their steps silent against the stone roads. The Moonlit Courtyard lay ahead, a circular open plaza surrounded by lantern-lit pavilions. A gentle stream cut through its center, and small bridges arched over it, providing multiple paths in and out. It was peaceful—too peaceful.
Jiang Chen's instincts screamed at him. They were already here.
Yan Zhi murmured, "Stay sharp. They won't attack all at once. They'll wait for the right moment."
Jiang Chen casually leaned against a stone railing, his spear resting across his shoulders. His eyes scanned the darkness. The air felt heavy, charged with a presence unseen.
Then, the first move came.
A shadow darted from the rooftops, a glint of steel flashing toward Jiang Chen's throat. He twisted just in time, his spear intercepting the assassin's dagger. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed, and Jiang Chen willed the Law of Force—Infusion—into the weapon. His chaotic energy merged with the spear, intertwining with the granules of force. He willed the Infusion further, sensing the granular energy shift within the weapon, each particle reacting as he directed their flow. The power condensed, amplifying the spear's density and kinetic force upon impact, sending the attacker flipping backward, his wrist breaking from the sheer force..** The impact sent the attacker flipping backward, his wrist breaking from the sheer force.
Before Jiang Chen could counter, another figure lunged from the left, twin blades coated in mid-grade tier 1 soul venom aimed at his ribs. **Jiang Chen's senses expanded as he called upon the Law of Force—Infusion. He could feel the clear, granular motes of energy suspended in the air, as if they were the building blocks of movement itself. Concentrating, he guided them into his limbs, reinforcing his muscle fibers and sharpening his perception. Infusion surged within his muscles, heightening his reactions, allowing him to sidestep with unnatural swiftness.****, heightening his reactions, allowing him to sidestep with unnatural swiftness. He swept his spear in a wide arc, manipulating the force within to create an invisible ripple. The assassin twisted mid-air but winced as the distortion disrupted their balance, slowing their retreat.
Yan Zhi intercepted a third attacker, exchanging rapid blows. "Told you," he grunted as his blade clashed with another assassin's. "They don't fight fair."
Jiang Chen focused, allowing his chaotic seed to pulse within him. He felt the energy swirl, unbound and unrefined. Unlike the structured techniques of sect cultivators, chaos was wild—adaptive. He funneled it into his spear, momentarily making the weapon an extension of destruction itself.
He feinted left, baiting one of the assassins into lunging. The moment they committed, his spear shot forward like a serpent, twisting unpredictably mid-thrust, embedding into their shoulder. A strangled cry filled the courtyard as the assassin collapsed, their nerves overloaded from the chaotic force surging through the wound.
"One down," Jiang Chen muttered.
The remaining assassins hesitated but fought more precisely. Their weapons glowed faintly—spiritual augmentation, reinforcing their steel with elemental affinity.
Jiang Chen's mind sharpened. He wasn't just fighting men—he was fighting technique, mastery, and strategy.
The City Lord's enforcers emerged from the surrounding streets, weapons drawn. A commanding voice rang out. "Enough! Lower your weapons!"
The assassins hesitated for the briefest moment—and that was their undoing.
Jiang Chen struck, infusing his next blow with chaotic force. His spear shot forward, piercing the nearest enemy's leg, sending them tumbling into the stream. Jiang Chen focused on the clear granules of force lingering in the air, redirecting them through his spear's strike. The energy burrowed into the assassin's body, threading through their spirit veins and disrupting their flow. Their limbs stiffened, locked in place by the foreign force infiltrating their meridians, rendering them immobile..**
Yan Zhi followed up, disarming another.
The assassins realized too late. They had been outplayed.
The storm was still gathering. And Jiang Chen would be ready.