Lei Tian bypassed the main gates, circling to the eastern perimeter where the sheer rock face of the mountain met the outer wall of the artisan district.
He found the concealed crevice.
He slipped through the crack, re-entering the Citadel as easily as smoke passing through a screen.
He was back in his small room in the apprentice quarters exactly three minutes before the afternoon bell signaled the end of the meal break.
He splashed some cold water on his face, washing away the dirt of the forest.
He tied his leather apron back on and stepped out into the corridor, joining the throng of apprentices heading back to the forges. He kept his head down, his expression perfectly blank.
The heat of Forge Sector Four hit him like a physical wall as he returned to his anvil.
The roaring furnaces and the rhythmic clang of hammers were a chaotic symphony that he now found strangely soothing.
He picked up his hammer and pulled a fresh iron blank from the forge.
He brought the hammer down.
Clang.
The difference was immediate.
The Plundering System had assimilated a fraction of Captain Feng and his squad martial understanding, sharpening Lei Tian's own previously mediocre, now Superior, Mortal Grade talent.
He guided the impurities out with precise pulses of Qi.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The rough iron began to take the shape of a sword blade. He folded the metal, hammered it flat, and folded it again, a process that usually took him hours, completed in a fraction of the time.
"Look at him," a voice muttered from the next row of anvils.
Lei Tian enhanced hearing picked up the conversation easily.
It was Lei Gang's usual crowd, looking around nervously for their missing leader, and casting resentful glares at Lei Tian in his absence.
"He's working like a demon today," another apprentice whispered. "Did he find a stash of Qi pills or something?"
"Beginner's luck," the first scoffed. "He's still just a branch family loser. He'll burn himself out by nightfall."
Lei Tian allowed a cold smile to touch his lips. He ignored them and continued his work.
"Impressive."
The voice came from directly behind him.
Lei Tian paused his hammering and turned, lowering his head respectfully.
Overseer Ma stood there, his scarred face unreadable as he examined the half finished blade on Lei Tian's anvil.
"The fold lines are practically invisible," Ma noted, running a calloused thumb over the cooling metal. "Your Qi control has stabilized entirely. I have seen main family disciples with five years of training fail to achieve this level of structural integrity."
"Thank you, Overseer," Lei Tian said softly. "I have been practicing my internal circulation during my rest periods."
Ma grunted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Lei Tian. "Practice only takes you so far. You've found a rhythm. Don't lose it."
Ma turned to leave, then paused, looking back over his shoulder. "If you finish your quota with this level of quality by tomorrow, I will recommend you to the inner tempering stations. It's cleaner work, and it pays double."
A murmur of shock rippled through the surrounding apprentices. Transfer to the inner stations was highly coveted. It was the first real step out of the outer forge's grime.
"I will not disappoint you, Overseer," Lei Tian said, bowing deeply.
As Ma walked away, the glares from the other apprentices intensified, boring into Lei Tian's back like physical daggers. He ignored them completely.
The inner tempering stations. That meant closer access to the main family quarters. Closer access to higher tier cultivators. Closer access to better prey.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of efficient work. He finished his quota two hours early, leaving a stack of perfectly formed sword blanks that made the other apprentices grind their teeth in envy.
When the evening bell finally rang, he cleaned his station and walked back to his room.
He closed the door and immediately stripped off his heavy leather apron and soot stained work clothes. He washed himself thoroughly, removing every trace of the forge.
From the bottom of his small wooden chest, he pulled out a set of garments… a simple robe of coarse material, common among the thousands of delivery runners and low level servants in the Citadel. It was unremarkable in every way.
He pulled the dark hood up, shadowing his face, and wrapped a simple black cloth mask around his lower half.
He slipped out of the apprentice quarters, avoiding the main thoroughfares. He navigated the labyrinthine alleys of the Citadel, heading toward the inner residential sectors.
The architecture here was a mix of older stone houses and newer pavilions belonging to the mid-ranking elders and their families.
He found the Old Kiln Shed easily enough. It was a decrepit structure behind a row of merchant houses, used mostly for storing broken pottery and trash.
He waited in the deep shadow of an overhanging eave across the street.
Thirty minutes later, a figure approached. A woman, dressed in a plain cloak, carrying a small woven basket. She looked nervous, glancing over her shoulder before slipping into the shed.
Lei Tian gave her a minute, then followed.
The shed was dark. The woman jumped as Lei Tian stepped through the doorway, her hand flying to her chest.
"You... you startled me," she whispered, her eyes wide above the rim of her cloak. "Are you from Feng?"
"Yes," Lei Tian said, pitching his voice raspy, disguising his normal tone. "The Captain sent me."
Mei, the wife of Elder Lei Shan… let out a breath of relief. "Where is he? He said he would come himself."
"The Captain is busy," Lei Tian lied. "The Elder assigned his team a last minute extraction task in the Whispering Pines. He instructed me to deliver the item and tell you to proceed as planned."
Mei frowned slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing her delicate features. "Typical. He leaves the hardest part to me while he hides in the woods."
She sighed, extending a trembling hand. "Do you have it?"
Lei Tian reached into his pocket and pulled out the small glass vial containing the Violet Vein Poison. He held it out.
Mei snatched it from his fingers, staring at the clear liquid with a dark resolve. "Is it... is it as potent as they say?"
"It is untraceable," Lei Tian repeated the words from Feng's letter. "It will mimic natural heart failure."
Mei nodded. "Good. Tell Feng... tell him by tomorrow morning, it will all be over."
"I will tell him," Lei Tian said.
Mei clutched the vial to her chest, slipped past him, and hurried out into the night.
PS: There are 10+ Advance chapters available on the Patreon for those who want to read ahead. www.patreon. com/Drrajnovel