Chapter 158: The Blood Shadow Investigation
Many kilometres away from Cloudrise City—on a small island secluded from the world—thick, dark mist clung to the air year-round. Dense fog veiled the trees and drifted across the waters like living tendrils. The entire island was deathly still, eerily silent. Not a birdcall, not a rustle. Sound itself seemed to have been swallowed whole, replaced by an oppressive, bone-deep quiet that warned all who approached.
This was Mingxu Island—one of the four forbidden zones in Longzhou Country, and known by a far more chilling name: the Island of Illustrious Death.
Those who dared enter the fog rarely returned. The few who did came back changed. Deranged. Shattered. Mad. As if the island had carved something vital from them and left only a hollow shell behind. It was said the island had a will of its own—twisting minds, devouring reason, tormenting any who dared set foot within its cursed domain.
No animals lived here. No insects buzzed. Only ghosts, ghouls, and nameless horrors lurked within, drifting like shadows from forgotten nightmares.
But unbeknownst to the outside world, Mingxu Island concealed a far darker secret still.
Beneath its cursed fog and phantom-haunted terrain lay a hidden sanctum—a realm completely detached from the madness above, constructed through ancient formation techniques by a single man.
Blood Whisper. Leader of the Blood Shadow Assassin Group.
Here, in the very heart of this haunted island, the assassins trained, thrived, and waited in silence. A blade hidden in shadow. A storm yet to break.
---
Within the Blood Shadow Headquarters—deep in a dimly lit chamber softly aglow with spirit stones fuelling a teleportation array—a faint buzz cut through the silence.
A blinding flash of light flared from the array, illuminating the room for a single heartbeat before fading back to darkness.
Where the light had been, a towering figure now stood.
He was cloaked in dark hooded robes that fully obscured his features, but the air around him was thick with bloodlust—a suffocating pressure honed from a life steeped in killing.
A true assassin.
Teleportation arrays were a marvel of the formation arts—capable of transporting individuals across vast distances in an instant, provided matching arrays existed at both ends and were powered by a stable supply of spirit stones. Widely known, yet rare even among cultivators. Only those with considerable influence could afford their upkeep.
For the Blood Shadow, they were indispensable—linking every branch to the main headquarters, allowing members to move freely without ever confronting the horrors of Mingxu Island itself.
As the towering figure stepped down from the array, two figures emerged before him like shadows given form.
Their appearances were nearly identical—one cloaked in white, the other in black. Faces hidden beneath deep hoods, they radiated a grim, suffocating pressure. Yin and yang given form. Balanced. Deadly.
"Blood Wood of the Oakwood City branch," the white-cloaked figure said, voice deep and heavy as a war drum struck in dead silence. "What brings you here?"
The towering figure—Blood Wood—flinched and quickly offered his greeting, fists cupped respectfully. "Greetings, Blood Yin, Blood Yang. Forgive the sudden intrusion."
He straightened. "I have a serious matter that needs to be addressed."
"Oh?" Blood Yang mused. "And what might that be?"
Blood Wood drew a slow breath. "Seven days ago, a member of my branch—Blood Grin—died during what should have been a simple mission. His death was only discovered four days ago during a routine check."
"Dying on a simple mission?" Blood Yang scoffed. "Could it be that your Oakwood City branch only knows how to recruit trash?"
Blood Wood's fists clenched. The sound of teeth grinding was audible beneath his hood. "We believed it was simple. According to the client, the target was only a Martial Disciple. So we sent Blood Grin—a 5th level Martial Adept—to handle him."
"And you're surprised you're being mocked?" Blood Yang sneered. "A 5th level Martial Adept losing to an ordinary Martial Disciple? Useless!"
"According to the client and our own investigation over the past few days," Blood Wood said tightly, "this target allegedly has a Martial Lord Realm master backing him."
"Martial Lord Realm?!"
The words landed like a stone dropped into still water. Blood Yang fell silent. The atmosphere shifted—solemn, foreboding.
The silence stretched until Blood Wood broke it. "We suspect Blood Grin may have been killed by the target's master, though there's no solid evidence to confirm it."
"If a Martial Lord is involved, this changes everything," Blood Yang said, his voice dropping to a bone-cold hiss.
"Blood Yang is right."
Blood Yin—the black-cloaked figure who had been standing in silence, watching and waiting—finally spoke. She stepped forward, her voice unexpectedly feminine yet carrying the quiet weight of a command.
"Return to Oakwood and continue the investigation. Do not act recklessly. If this target truly has a Martial Lord's backing, only Lord Leader will be able to handle it."
"Lord Leader is currently in seclusion," Blood Yang added. "So until he emerges—uncover the truth about this supposed master. Confirm whether he even exists."
"This faithful one understands." Blood Wood bowed deeply.
He turned toward the teleportation array. Just as he stepped onto it, a soft feminine voice rang out from behind him.
"Tell me... what is the name of this troublesome target?"
Blood Wood paused. He turned his head toward Blood Yin.
"His name is Tianhao—"
A heartbeat of silence.
"Su Tianhao."
---
Three days passed in a flash.
During that time, Su Tianhao kept to himself, channelling his focus entirely into expanding his alchemy knowledge in preparation for the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art cultivation.
Meanwhile, in Oakwood City, the streets buzzed with unusual energy—animated discussions, heated gossip, the kind of charged atmosphere that only followed something significant.
And something significant had happened.
Though four days had passed since Su Tianhao left the Su family, not a word of his departure had surfaced—as if it had been deliberately buried. And it had been. By Su Huiqing himself.
The Patriarch's reasoning was straightforward. Su Tianhao had left after providing a clear solution to the Su family's alchemy crisis—but that solution needed time to take effect. Announcing his departure in the middle of such a critical period would paint him as someone who had abandoned the family when it needed him most. That kind of reputation, once attached, was difficult to shake—and Su Huiqing had no intention of letting it form.
Two days prior, Su Qingfeng had exceeded all expectations and broken through to Peak-level grade two Alchemist. Combined with the revolutionary pill recipes Su Tianhao had left behind, the Su family rapidly became a force to be reckoned with in the ongoing alchemy crisis.
The He family still had their own Peak grade two alchemist, and the Ye family continued funnelling resources to support them—but the two combined couldn't match the Su family's advantage. Su Tianhao's recipes allowed pill production at half the resource cost while maintaining full effect. No matter how the rival clans adjusted, the Su family held the upper hand—and could afford to lower prices without cutting into their margins.
With the tide firmly turned, Su Huiqing finally announced Su Tianhao's withdrawal from the family.
The news sent ripples through Oakwood City. Shock, disbelief, confusion. The revelation was debated across every inn, restaurant, and family hall in the city. But one question lingered unanswered in every corner:
Why leave now, when the Su family is on the verge of prosperity?
---
The morning sun had just crested the rooftops. Faint mist still clung to the stone streets, and the sky was painted in soft gold and blue.
While most of Oakwood stirred slowly to life, far from the crowded streets and noisy markets, a darker force had already begun to move.
A towering figure in simple green robes walked with quiet purpose along the stone road. Middle-aged. Square-jawed. Well-trimmed beard, short hair, and a pair of dangling earrings swaying faintly with each step. His sharp eyes swept the streets with focused intensity.
Blood Wood—leader of the Blood Shadow Assassin Group's Oakwood City branch.
Following the orders from Blood Yin and Blood Yang, he had spent the past three days laying low and gathering information about Su Tianhao. The days had been uneventful, but one crucial fact had emerged: no one had truly seen or confirmed the existence of a master backing the boy.
Now he had come out himself to investigate. If Su Tianhao had no Martial Lord's protection, everything would be manageable. If he did—it wouldn't just be Blood Wood facing the consequences. His entire branch would answer for it. And the punishments attached to such failures were not friendly at all.
'I cannot rest until the truth is confirmed,' he muttered under his breath, fists tightening.
His eyes hardened. 'Those Ye family bastards. If it wasn't for them, none of this would have landed on my branch.'
The more he thought about it, the more his irritation sharpened into something colder.
'Ye Shiming. Ye Wenjie. Father and son.' His lips curled into a thin smile. 'Since I'm already here looking for answers—perhaps I'll start with them.'
---
The Ye family estate sat on the eastern edge of Oakwood City.
Blood Wood arrived at the gates to find them standing tall and imposing. The moment he approached, guards intercepted him immediately.
"Who goes there?"
Weapons rose and levelled in his direction without hesitation.
Blood Wood smiled faintly, entirely unmoved. "I'm here to see Ye Shiming."
"First Elder Ye Shiming?" The guard's brow lifted. "Who are you to him?"
"An old acquaintance."
The guard studied him for a moment, then shifted his stance slightly—more measured now, less aggressive. "Wait here. I'll confirm with him."
Blood Wood nodded with quiet satisfaction. "Just tell him that the Blood Shadow is looking for him. And ask him to bring his son, too."
"Blood Shadow? Such an ominous name..." the guard thought, though he dared not say it aloud. While he didn't outright connect the name to the infamous Blood Shadow Assassin Group, he couldn't help but feel intimidated just from hearing it.
"I-I'll be right back!" he stammered, turning to his companions.
"Keep your eyes on him," he whispered in a wary tone before disappearing to the other side of the massive gates.
His companions turned back to Blood Wood.
Standing there—calm, radiating quiet authority—the man was not someone they wanted to be left alone with. Bitter smiles passed between them without a word exchanged.
---
The guard didn't slow down once. He arrived at Ye Shiming's private courtyard within moments.
Ye Shiming had been brooding. A full week had passed since Blood Grin appeared before him, promising Su Tianhao's death. Yet with news of the boy's departure now surfacing, only one explanation held: the mission had failed.
"First Elder!"
The guard's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.
"What is it?!" Ye Shiming snapped.
The guard caught his breath. "There's a man at the gate. He's asking for you and Young Master Wenjie."
Ye Wenjie had long since lost the title of Young Master—not since Su Tianhao had crippled his dantian—but in Ye Shiming's presence, the guard wasn't about to say otherwise.
"A man asking for me and Jie'er?" Ye Shiming frowned. "Did he give a name?"
"Not exactly." The guard hesitated. "He called himself the Blood Shadow."
"B-Blood Shadow?!"
Ye Shiming's breath caught. He forced himself still, forcing calm into his voice. "Describe him."
"Tall. Square-faced. Well-trimmed beard. Neither handsome nor ugly."
Ye Shiming's expression darkened immediately. Blood Grin had been unmistakably hideous—a face no one forgot. This was someone else entirely.
'Another representative...' The horror settled in slowly. 'They sent someone else.'
"Go fetch that useless son of mine," he said through gritted teeth. "All of this started because of him. Now he faces it with me."
---
Blood Wood waited at the gates with steady patience.
Several minutes later, three figures emerged through the gap—Ye Shiming, Ye Wenjie, and the guard behind them.
"Keeping me waiting under the sun," Blood Wood remarked as they approached. "Bold."
"I sincerely apologise, Senior." Ye Shiming stepped forward quickly, a polite smile fixed on his face.
Beneath that smile, his chest was cold. He couldn't determine Blood Wood's exact cultivation—but the pressure rolling off the man was enough to make him, a 4th level Martial Master uncomfortable. At minimum, he was at the 7th level. The same level as the Ye family Patriarch himself.
He shot Ye Wenjie a sharp glare. The boy stood there saying nothing—no greeting, no acknowledgment.
"You scoundrel—apologise to this senior!" He struck Ye Wenjie's back with a sharp palm.
It was meant as a reprimand, not an attack—but Ye Wenjie was an ordinary mortal now. The force buckled him.
"Argh!"
He crumpled to the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth.
"Apologise!" Ye Shiming barked.
Ye Wenjie looked up at his father from the dirt, eyes cold. Once, this man had treated him like royalty—indulged every whim, cleared every obstacle. Now, without cultivation, he was worthless to him.
The Ye Wenjie who lay crumpled in the dirt bore no resemblance to the cunning, ambitious heir he had once been. That person was gone. What remained was someone broken—carefree in the way of a man who had stopped caring, hollowed out by a life that had slipped entirely beyond his reach.
He turned to Blood Wood, voice seething. "Respect you? You couldn't finish one simple job. If Su Tianhao had died in that forest, I'd still be a cultivator. I'd still be the genius I was—heir to the Ye family."
His voice climbed with each word, hatred burning freely.
"Jie'er!" Ye Shiming cut in sharply—but there was fear beneath the anger now.
Blood Wood's eyes went cold.
"You don't respect me?" His voice was quiet. Almost gentle. "Then I'll teach you."
The aura erupted without warning—a tidal wave of suffocating killing intent that crashed through the air and pressed down on everything in its path.
"7th level Martial Master!" Ye Shiming gasped.
The pressure descended on Ye Wenjie like a physical weight. His bones groaned. His muscles screamed. But it wasn't just the body—the killing intent clawed at his mind, shredding through it, filling every corner with pure, undiluted terror.
A guttural scream tore from his throat.
"Please forgive him Senior! He doesn't know what he's saying." Ye Shiming panicked.
Blood Wood sneered and withdrew the aura as quickly as he had released it.
Ye Wenjie gasped and collapsed, twitching, panting in ragged bursts—every inch of him shaking. The stench reached the air a moment later.
"Pathetic."