Chapter 75: Shadows and Schemes 2
The courtyard fell into heavy silence, broken only by the soft rustling of peach blossoms carried on a gentle breeze. It was as if nature itself held its breath, sensing the malevolence behind Ye Wenjie's declaration.
As his words lingered in the air like poison, a cold smile spread across Ye Wenjie's lips—slow, deliberate, and utterly devoid of warmth.
Ye Shiming felt a chill crawl down his spine like ice water trickling along his vertebrae. He knew that expression intimately, recognized that particular tone—both were unmistakable signs that his son was about to unleash something truly sinister.
And yet, alongside the unease rising in his chest, there bloomed a twisted sense of paternal pride.
"Son... what are you planning, really?" he asked, curiosity edging into eager anticipation despite his better judgment.
Ye Wenjie's smile deepened, transforming his handsome features into something unsettling. His voice emerged calm yet chilling—like a sword sliding from its sheath.
"Father... have you ever heard of the Blood Shadow Assassin Group?"
The name dropped like a curse into the peaceful courtyard—heavy, ominous, and laden with dark promise.
Ye Shiming's entire body went rigid. "Blood Shadow Assassin Group?"
His earlier anticipation dissolved instantly into profound unease. Of course he had heard of them. Every cultivator in Longzhou Country who valued their life had heard the whispered legends.
The Blood Shadow Assassin Group—an organization feared across the entire nation, spoken of only in hushed tones behind closed doors. A den of killers comprised of exiles, criminals, and cultivators who had severed all worldly ties in pursuit of one singular purpose: the will to kill.
Bound by the Blood Oath Seal—a forbidden technique that bound soul to contract—their members followed only one absolute rule: complete obedience. Betrayal meant death, the seal devouring their life force from within until nothing remained but a withered husk.
Their reach extended across the entire nation like a spider's web, with hidden branches buried deep in shadows throughout every major city and town. No one knew the location of their true headquarters, and fewer still dared to investigate.
And above them all loomed the crimson-masked figure known only as Blood Whisper—a Martial Lord whose face no living person had ever seen. Rumor claimed that even Martial Kings treated this enigmatic figure with cautious respect.
Even the most seasoned warriors paled at the mere mention of that name.
Ye Shiming was no exception.
Though he stood as one of the Ye family's strongest elders—possessing power, prestige, and considerable influence throughout Oakwood City—his heart still skipped a beat at hearing that cursed name spoken aloud in his own courtyard.
The Blood Shadow was not something you summoned lightly. They were not mercenaries you bargained with like common sellswords. They were wolves you fed with blood, and once invited to the table, they decided when the feast ended.
"Wenjie," he said cautiously, his voice dropping barely above a whisper, "don't tell me you're planning to—"
"I've already contacted them," Ye Wenjie interrupted with a casual shrug, as if discussing hiring a servant rather than commissioning an assassination from the most feared organization in the country.
Ye Shiming's eyes widened. "You what?! Are you insane?!"
Ye Wenjie's smile didn't waver in the slightest. If anything, it deepened with disturbing satisfaction.
"No, Father. I'm determined." His voice carried absolute conviction. "That bastard Su Tianhao humiliated me in front of the public. My reputation, my dignity—dragged through the mud like garbage. If I don't repay this disgrace with his blood... what face do I have left to show in public? How can I ever claim to be the Ye family's number one young master?"
Ye Shiming stepped forward urgently, lowering his voice to an intense whisper. "You don't understand what you're dealing with, boy! Once you get involved with the Blood Shadow Assassin Group, there's no turning back. Their methods are sinister beyond imagination—torture, mind-breaking techniques, soul extraction if they suspect betrayal. There's a reason they're the most feared assassin organization in all of Longzhou Country!"
"That's exactly why I chose them," Ye Wenjie said coldly, his slanted eyes glinting with cruel light. "I don't want Su Tianhao merely defeated or humiliated in return. I want him to suffer. I want him to die in the most excruciating way possible—screaming, broken, begging for mercy that will never come."
His words carried such venom that even Ye Shiming felt a momentary chill.
"I see..." Ye Shiming narrowed his eyes, cold sweat dripping down his temples despite the pleasant evening temperature. "For him to provoke you to this extreme, Jie'er... then he truly deserves to die regardless of the cost."
An unmistakable glint of resolve crystallized in his eyes. He had completely committed himself to following through with his son's dark scheme, whatever the consequences.
'As long as everything proceeds smoothly, there's no need to worry about becoming permanently entangled with the Blood Shadow Assassin Group,' Ye Shiming thought with growing—if somewhat forced—confidence. 'Once Su Tianhao is dead and the payment delivered, we'll never need to contact them again.'
However, he still couldn't shake the burning curiosity threatening to consume him.
"How did you even contact the Blood Shadow Assassin Group in the first place?" Ye Shiming asked, genuine concern coloring his voice.
After all, the Blood Shadow wasn't some common mercenary band anyone could contact without proper connections—extremely dangerous connections that most sane people avoided acquiring. He couldn't help but worry about what his son might have sacrificed or promised to establish such contact.
Ye Wenjie's lips curled into a mischievous smile upon hearing his father's question—like a cat that had caught a particularly interesting mouse.
"It's a secret..." he murmured with that same unsettling smile spreading across his charming features.
Silence returned to the courtyard for several long heartbeats, broken only by the rustling peach blossoms and distant night sounds.
Then Ye Shiming exhaled slowly through his nose, staring hard at his son. Complex emotions warred in his eyes—pride mixed liberally with fear. Pride in his son's ruthlessness and unwavering determination... but genuine fear of what such darkness might ultimately cost them both.
"What payment did they demand?" he finally asked, knowing his son's stubborn character well enough to recognize that Ye Wenjie wouldn't reveal his information source even under torture. Better to press on with practical matters.
Ye Wenjie's smile curved even deeper.
"One thousand spirit stones. Five hundred must be paid upfront as deposit."
Ye Shiming's pupils contracted to pinpoints. "One thousand spirit stones?!"
He couldn't contain his explosive shock and disbelief. His voice thundered across the courtyard like a physical force, startling roosting birds from nearby trees.
Spirit stones were very expensive and exceptionally rare—not something ordinary cultivators would even consider using as currency for common transactions. After all, spirit stones contained concentrated pure spiritual energy that could be directly absorbed for cultivation. With sufficient quantity, they could even aid in breaking through bottlenecks that might otherwise take years to overcome.
A single spirit stone was worth one hundred gold coins. One thousand spirit stones represented one hundred thousand gold in value—an astronomical sum.
For perspective, a decent high-grade Mortal rank weapon sold for approximately one thousand gold coins. One hundred thousand gold could secure a hundred such weapons—enough to fully equip every talented young disciple in a great clan with premium armaments.
Among the three great clans of Oakwood City, only the most outstanding disciples received high-grade weapons precisely because they were already considered luxury items. The sheer value of one thousand spirit stones from a single person defied easy comprehension.
"Tsk tsk, aren't they being too greedy?" Ye Shiming's eye twitched. "One thousand spirit stones just to assassinate a single Martial Disciple Realm brat? That's nothing short of daylight robbery!"
"Calm down, Father," Ye Wenjie said with a soft chuckle. "Su Tianhao isn't just some ordinary Martial Disciple Realm brat. He's also supposedly backed by a Martial Lord master. To ensure we eliminate him cleanly without bearing any consequences from angering a powerful backer, we need these professionals."
His words were calm, precise, and completely logical—the reasoning of someone who had thought through every angle.
However, Ye Shiming still couldn't help but feel intense reluctance at parting with such an enormous sum. He had only just lost his spatial ring containing roughly half his accumulated life's fortune. Taking out an additional massive amount of wealth to assassinate a mere Martial Disciple greatly infuriated him.
But could he possibly tell Ye Wenjie about how he'd already lost approximately half his fortune tonight?
Absolutely not.
Sensing Ye Shiming's obvious hesitation, Ye Wenjie's smile shifted abruptly into a displeased frown. "Why are you hesitating? Don't tell me you're actually considering trying to assassinate him yourself again?"
Ye Shiming's brow twitched with barely concealed panic upon sensing his son's growing dissatisfaction.
"Jie'er... we really don't need the Blood Shadow Assassin Group for this matter," he said quickly. "As long as we choose the perfect timing, I can smoothly assassinate him myself without leaving any evidence behind. No one would ever prove—"
Ye Wenjie's frown deepened into something dangerous.
Seeing his son's darkening expression, Ye Shiming hurriedly continued. "Think about it, son! Without any concrete evidence, even if he has a Martial Lord's backing, how can that master seek revenge? There would be no proof linking us to—"
"It's just one thousand spirit stones!" Ye Wenjie cut him off coldly, his voice dropping into a venomous whisper that made the temperature seem to plummet. "Do you have any idea what risks I've taken to contact the Blood Shadow Assassin Group? What favors I've promised? What secrets I've revealed?"
His slanted eyes flashed with genuine anger now.
"Do you think the Blood Shadow Assassin Group can be trifled with? Played with like some game?" Ye Wenjie's voice rose slightly, carrying an edge of genuine fear beneath the fury. "You said it yourself—now that I've gotten involved with them, there's no going back! If we try to withdraw now, if they perceive I'm not serious about the contract..."
Ye Wenjie rose sharply from his seat, his entire posture radiating cold menace.
"Forget about Su Tianhao—even we wouldn't be able to keep our lives! The Blood Shadow doesn't tolerate being used or manipulated. They would hunt down everyone connected to this perceived insult. Me, you, our entire family line—wiped out as a warning to others!"
Ye Shiming's back became completely drenched with cold sweat as understanding finally crashed over him. He finally grasped the true, terrible implications of his son contacting the Blood Shadow Assassin Group.
There truly was no going back now.
If they attempted to withdraw from the contract, they would be perceived as mocking the organization—and that would incur their complete and merciless wrath. That wouldn't just mean death for Ye Wenjie himself, but systematic elimination of everyone even remotely related to him. Parents, distant cousins, childhood friends—the Blood Shadow was known for its thoroughness when making examples.
Ye Shiming drew in a sharp breath, his mind racing. This was no longer a question of whether he was willing to pay the exorbitant price. It had become a stark question of whether he valued his own life and his family's survival.
"Do you understand the situation now, Father?" Ye Wenjie asked, his piercing gaze boring into Ye Shiming's soul.
"I... I understand," Ye Shiming nodded solemnly, all resistance draining from his body.
He straightened his spine, accepting the inevitable with whatever dignity remained. "As the saying goes: when you have crossed the river, you cannot turn back to gaze at the ferry. We have already set this wheel in motion, and now we have to see it through to its end."
"Well said, Father," Ye Wenjie said with a satisfied smirk before settling back into his seat.
Dark thoughts churned behind his eyes as he gazed into the distance.
"Su Tianhao..." Ye Wenjie murmured, his voice barely above a whisper yet carrying immense malice. "Your end has already been set in motion. Enjoy these final days, for soon you'll be nothing but a fading memory... a memory forever etched in the deepest depths of hell itself."
His smile was the smile of a demon anticipating a feast.
---
Meanwhile...
Deep within the Su family estate, in the heart of the desolate Fei Wu Quarter, Su Tianhao stood alone before the ruins of yet another collapsed building. Shattered stones and splintered wood lay scattered across the ground like the bones of some ancient creature.
He cut a striking figure in his signature azure robes, his long black hair tied into a sleek ponytail. Shadowfang gleamed with a faint, hungry light in his hand—its presence a dark promise beneath the star-filled sky.
His chest rose and fell with steady rhythm as he surveyed the destruction his training had wrought. His golden eyes were fixed intently on some distant point, simultaneously firm yet oddly distant—as if seeing beyond the physical world into realms of pure technique and intent.
"Another courtyard down already," Su Tianhao's voice rang out in the silence, utterly devoid of emotion. "Looks like I need to find a new target."
After leaving the main residence earlier, he still couldn't shake the visceral memory of nearly dying—that frozen moment when Ye Shiming's killing technique had descended like inevitable doom. Instead of seeking rest, he had resolved to grow stronger immediately, dedicating the night to honing his swordsmanship with almost obsessive intensity.
This time he wasn't merely slashing at empty air as he had during the day. Since his proper training dummy would only arrive by morning, he had chosen instead to use the abandoned courtyards scattered throughout the desolate Fei Wu Quarter as improvised training tools.
Unfortunately, these structures were all old and worn, their foundations weakened by decades of neglect. Each one survived only minutes of his increasingly powerful strikes before collapsing into rubble.
Su Tianhao moved swiftly toward the next courtyard, eager to continue his relentless training. Earlier during the day, he had nearly mastered the sword move Slash—his only remaining shortcoming was the lack of genuine intent behind each strike, which he planned to correct tonight before advancing to the next basic technique.
Of course, the perfection he sought was only at the Sword Disciple level—the threshold of refined swordsmanship. Anything beyond that would require first comprehending Sword Sense, which was not easily accomplished even with all the inherited insights flowing through his consciousness.
After moving through the abandoned quarter for several minutes, Su Tianhao finally paused before a particularly run-down courtyard. However, it wasn't the decrepit buildings that captured his interest—it was the ancient tree dominating the space.
The tree was absolutely massive—its gnarled trunk easily five meters in diameter, its branches spreading like the arms of a giant reaching toward the heavens.
"Perfect."
Su Tianhao's golden eyes burned with fierce determination as he studied the ancient tree's weathered bark and solid structure.
"You're going to help my Slash reach perfection," he said softly, offering a slight, respectful bow to the tree as if it were a revered teacher rather than mere vegetation.
After that gesture of respect, Su Tianhao stepped forward without another word. Shadowfang sang as it cleared its sheath, the metallic ring echoing sharply through the desolate area.
His stance settled into perfect form, weight distributed precisely, every muscle ready to explode into motion.
"Let's begin."