On a certain street in the western part of the city.
Three lavishly dressed young men, accompanied by a retinue of guards, were chatting idly as they made their way toward a restaurant.
Of the three, two wore expressions of pure arrogance. The third, while able to get a few words in, would occasionally flash a sycophantic smile toward the other two.
"Young Master Ao, Young Master Le, same as usual tonight?"
"Yes, the usual. That little Lan is quite nice."
"Heh, Brother Ao, it seems you have a unique taste, to be interested in a little girl like that. No wonder you can't get that Xiao Xun'er out of your mind."
"Ah, Brother Le, you just don't understand. A young maiden is the most wonderful thing. If you ever taste it for yourself, you'll surely understand the flavor."
"I think I'll pass. Compared to an unripe apple, I much prefer a fully ripened peach."
"Hahaha, both young masters are right. Each has its own flavor, and I happen to enjoy them both."
"Oh? Young Master Xu certainly knows how to enjoy life. But we feel a bit guilty having you foot the bill every time."
"Young Master Le, what are you saying? It's my honor to treat you both. My Qie Er Clan still needs to rely heavily on you two young masters."
"Hahaha, of course, of course."
These three were none other than Jia Lie Ao, Ao Ba Le, and Qie Er Xu.
After their joint attempt to ambush and kill Zhou Changqing, the three families had not only offended the Mittel Clan but had also left a potential threat like him alive. As a result, the three families had immediately formed an alliance, hoping that by banding together, they could make the Mittel Clan hesitate.
Evidently, their plan had some effect. At the very least, the Mittel Auction House in Wu Tan City truly lacked the power to completely break ties with them, not unless they summoned experts from the main clan in the capital.
To solidify this alliance, the fathers of the three young men had instructed them to interact more often, which was why they were now seen together. In the past few days, the three had found themselves to be birds of a feather, spending their days and nights in brothels and taverns. One look at their drained appearances was enough to know they had been overindulging.
What they didn't know was that from a hidden corner of the street, a pair of eyes was fixed upon them.
...
"Quite the entourage, and three Dou Shi guards. It seems those old bastards have some brains, but not much."
Observing Jia Lie Ao's group and their guards from the shadows, Zhou Changqing's eyes flashed with a hint of ridicule.
It had only been eight days since they tried to kill him, yet they were letting these three parade around so brazenly. He had no idea what Jia Lie Bi and the other two old men were thinking. Did they believe he was seriously injured from the Da Dou Shi's attack? Or that he wouldn't dare to act? Or perhaps that the Mittel and Xiao Clans wouldn't stoop to attacking the younger generation?
Zhou Changqing refused to believe the three clans hadn't received news of his departure from the Mittel Auction House.
But whatever they were thinking, all that mattered was that they had given him an opportunity. Whether it was an oversight or simple arrogance, it was no concern of his.
Taking out a white mask and covering his face, Zhou Changqing stepped out from the alley and quickly blended into the crowd. Although his attire was slightly unusual compared to the other pedestrians, he drew no attention. Wu Tan City was massive, with countless people coming and going on its streets. There were even some non-human races present. A man in a mask was hardly strange; plenty of people did the same.
In fact, if Zhou Changqing had shown his real face, he would have likely caused a significant stir.
Moving with the flow of people, Zhou Changqing soon closed in on Jia Lie Ao's group. The three guards were somewhat vigilant, catching sight of the approaching figure. However, they only gave him a cautionary glance and looked away after he walked past them.
Clang!
The instant he brushed past Jia Lie Ao's retinue, the sound of a blade being drawn rang out!
A saber sliced cleanly across the necks of the two guards walking behind the three young masters. In a flash, two heads flew into the air. The attack was so fast and so sudden that the two guards had no time to react, not even to summon their Dou Qi Armor, before their headless bodies collapsed to the ground.
"Who's there!"
The remaining guard, a moment later, roared in shock and anger. He instantly summoned his Dou Qi Armor and charged at Zhou Changqing.
By now, the pedestrians on the street had frozen, seeing the commotion. The more astute among them immediately retreated behind others, watching only from the corners of their eyes.
Jia Lie Ao and his companions, while not powerful, were still Dou Zhe and had reacted to the sudden attack.
An assassination!
"You..."
Jia Lie Ao spun around, his eyes widening. Seeing the severed head that had rolled to his feet, his face flushed with a mixture of rage and fear. He was about to shout when he saw his own guard, who was charging the assassin, have his right arm lopped off with a single slash before being kicked to the ground.
"Aaaargh!"
The guard's screams as he writhed on the ground sent a shiver down the spines of the three young masters, and they instinctively began to back away. But in a flash of movement, the figure appeared right before them.
They felt a sharp pain in their legs, and their bodies involuntarily crumpled to the street.
"My legs! Aaaah! My legs!"
"Who are you! Who the hell are you!"
"Ah! I'll have you cut into a thousand pieces! I'll kill your entire family!"
It all happened too suddenly. It took several seconds for Jia Lie Ao and the others to even comprehend what had happened. Crying out in agony, they looked down at their lower bodies. Their legs had been severed at the shins, and blood was pouring from the wounds.
The intense pain ignited a furious rage, and the three of them lost all reason. Amid their screams, their bloodshot eyes stared with venomous hatred as they spewed curses.
Zhou Changqing had already knelt down. Looking at the three men groveling before him, he removed his mask, revealing his handsome face.
"You're... Zhou Changqing!"
Jia Lie Ao's eyes, which had been filled with endless hatred and venom, widened in disbelief. He knew this face well. Though he had never met the man in person, he had seen his portrait more than once. The other two recognized him as well.
In that moment, they understood exactly why they were being attacked.
Fear, resentment, and madness warred across their faces, finally settling into desperate pleas.
"Spare me! Spare me! It had nothing to do with me! It was my father's decision to attack you!"
"Yes, yes! Young Master Zhou! I didn't want to either! But that old bastard in my family makes all the decisions! He was dead set on going after you, I didn't have any say!"
"I wasn't involved! It was a clan decision! Spare me! As long as you spare me, I, Ao Ba Le, will be your dog for the rest of my life!"
Looking at the three begging for their lives, Zhou Changqing's face broke into a gentle smile. But to them, that smile was more terrifying than any demon's snarl.
"I have no need for dogs. And I don't care if you were involved or not. All I wanted was to live a quiet life, but your fathers insisted on provoking me. This is just the interest. Don't worry, it won't be long before your entire clans join you down below."
"Aaaah! My father will avenge me! Everyone you know will die!"
"No! I don't want to die!"
Faced with their wails and shrieks, the coldness in Zhou Changqing's smiling eyes did not waver in the slightest. He stood up, and with a single sweep of his saber, three more heads rolled onto the ground.
Then, Zhou Changqing walked over to the surviving guard, who was clutching his bleeding stump, trembling in a pool of his own blood.
As the guard stared up in terror, Zhou Changqing spoke slowly. "Go back and tell those three old bastards, and everyone else who was involved, to wash their necks and wait. When I return, it will be their time to die."
With that, his saber flashed again, and the guard's legs were severed at the knees.
"Aaaaaargh!"
As the guard let out another agonized scream, Zhou Changqing executed Thunderclap Flash, vanishing from the street in a series of blinks.
The crowd automatically parted, not daring to stand in the path of this terrifying specter.