Chapter 21: The Predator's Gambit
The scent of incense lingered in the air as Bai Yuan, Ling Xi, and Feng Yao finalized their plan. The tension in the room was palpable, a silent acknowledgment of the danger they were about to invite. Bai Yuan's fingers drummed lightly against the wooden table as he scanned the map once more.
"We'll split up," he decided. "Ling Xi, you take the eastern district and drop information at the Moonlit Lotus Teahouse. Feng Yao, you handle the western district—spread word that I was seen heading toward the Thousand Serpent Alley. I'll head to the southern quarter and leave traces near the abandoned shrine."
Feng Yao smirked. "I do love a bit of deception. But what about their communication? The Black Veil Assassins have their own means of relaying information—whispers travel fast in a city like this."
Bai Yuan nodded. "That's where our real work begins. I need to cut their network off at the root."
Ling Xi's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "You've already thought of a way?"
"I have an idea," Bai Yuan admitted. "There's a relay point near the Shadow Market where informants exchange messages. If we can intercept one of their couriers and replace the message, we can control the flow of information."
Feng Yao let out a low whistle. "Ambitious. And what exactly will we replace the message with?"
Bai Yuan's lips curled into a smirk. "A trap."
The night was young when they set their plan into motion. Bai Yuan moved like a shadow through the southern quarter, his movements precise and silent. He left small but deliberate traces of his presence—scuffed footprints near a marketplace, a torn piece of fabric caught on a wooden post. Subtle clues that would send the assassins in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, Ling Xi and Feng Yao executed their roles flawlessly. Ling Xi's presence at the Moonlit Lotus Teahouse caused just enough of a stir for the right people to take notice, while Feng Yao, ever the trickster, spread conflicting rumors among the wandering merchants and informants in the western district.
With the bait set, Bai Yuan made his way toward the Shadow Market. The air was thick with the scent of damp wood and secrecy. Hooded figures moved between stalls, exchanging hushed words and shadowy glances.
He spotted the target—a lean man in dark robes slipping into a narrow alley. Bai Yuan followed, moving with practiced ease. Just as the courier reached into his robes for a message scroll, Bai Yuan struck. A swift movement, a silent takedown. The man slumped unconscious against the cold stone wall.
Bai Yuan retrieved the scroll, reading its contents under the faint glow of a distant lantern. It was a coded message, detailing the next meeting point for the Black Veil Assassins. Perfect.
A replacement message was slipped into the courier's pouch, carefully crafted to lure them into an ambush site near the northern ruins. By the time the assassins realized the deception, Bai Yuan and his companions would already be gone.
As Bai Yuan melted back into the shadows, a sense of satisfaction settled in his chest. The Black Veil Assassins thought they were the hunters.
They were wrong.
The true predator had just begun his hunt.