On the western edge of the town, a dilapidated wooden shack lay hidden among dense trees, crouching in the night like a lurking beast.
More than a dozen figures in dark-blue robes melted into the shadows like ghosts, their auras suppressed to the extreme, all eyes locked onto the silent structure.
Voss arrived in a low glide, landing beside his deputy, Lin Zhen, who was directing the operation. His voice dropped to a whisper:
"Confirmed?"
"Black robe, strange wares, black-market trader—everything matches," Lin Zhen replied quietly. "To avoid alerting him, we've only been observing. No formation deployed yet. Do we move now?"
Voss stared at the motionless cabin, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"He's still in the dark? Good. Set up the Dragon-Sealing Gate. Quickly."
The command spread soundlessly.
Under Lin Zhen's direction, the enforcement team moved like precision gears. Using the cover of trees and darkness, they planted small flags inscribed with chains binding a dragon, encircling the shack. On the ground between them, they traced connecting patterns—linking each flag into a complete formation.
A faint, almost imperceptible flow of spiritual energy began to gather.
Invisible chains of power formed in the air, like a tightening net descending upon the shack.
But just as the formation was about to close—
BOOM—!!!
The wooden house exploded from within without warning!
Fragments of wood and brick blasted outward like a storm. From the smoke and debris, three identical black-robed figures shot out in different directions—east, south, and north—at terrifying speed!
"After them!" Voss barked, pupils shrinking.
His reaction was instantaneous. Black spiritual energy erupted behind him, forming bat-like wings. He shot forward as a streak of darkness, chasing the figure with the strongest aura.
The others, mostly late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, couldn't fly. They sprinted across the ground, splitting up to pursue the remaining two figures.
In the night sky, Voss rapidly closed the distance.
"Vile! Stop!" he shouted. "This baron only wants to ask a few questions!"
The figure ahead didn't even turn around. His speed faltered slightly as the explosive momentum faded, then a sneer rang out:
"Yeah right! Ku Hai Sect freaks were about to finish setting up a killing formation, and you're telling me it's just 'a few questions'?!"
Before the words even finished, he slapped two yellow talismans onto his legs—
Snap! Snap!
Light flared. His speed surged again, even allowing him to step through the air, widening the gap once more.
"Movement talismans? As expected—Feather Merchant Sect techniques," Voss muttered with a cold smile.
So he had chosen the right target.
Intelligence said Vile might be affiliated with that sect—and worked alone.
The other two were likely just decoys.
Sure enough, moments later, reports came through via spiritual transmission:
"Captain! We caught one—turned into a paper puppet when struck!"
"The northern one too—collapsed instantly!"
Voss's smile deepened.
He'd gambled correctly.
Watching Vile still maintaining distance with talismans, Voss's patience wore thin. Killing intent surged.
"If you won't stop and answer… then I'll just cut off your legs!"
He formed a hand seal.
The bat wings behind him vibrated sharply, splitting into two jet-black blade shadows that screamed through the air, scissoring toward Vile's legs.
But—
The figure ahead didn't dodge.
Didn't even try.
Instead, he suddenly turned around.
His face remained hidden beneath the hood, but one thing was unmistakable—
A raised middle finger, held straight and unwavering, taunting him.
"You Ku Hai Sect scum! Your people already scammed me out of one item, and you're still chasing me? Got no shame?!"
The blades pierced straight through his chest.
But—
There was no pain on his face.
"You don't actually think you're smart… that you found my real body, do you?"
The body froze.
Instead of blood, blinding, unstable spiritual light erupted from the wound. Inside, a rapid clicking of mechanical parts and the violent hum of compressed spirit stones began—
Voss's face changed instantly.
"…Not good!"
BOOM—!!!
A far more violent explosion tore through the sky.
The "Vile" body detonated into countless burning puppet fragments, blasting outward like a storm of steel and fire.
Amid the explosion, his mocking voice echoed through the forest:
"You idiot! You think you're smart?!"
"Damn it!!!"
Voss hovered midair, his wings riddled with holes, his robes shredded. He stared at the raining debris, chest heaving with rage.
He had been completely toyed with.
Three directions.
All fake.
As he retracted his wings—
A severed puppet hand, its middle finger still raised, arced through the air and smacked straight toward his face.
Another insult.
His expression turned utterly livid.
Suppressing his fury, he led his team back to the ruined shack.
After clearing the debris, a narrow hidden tunnel entrance—just wide enough for one person—was revealed beneath the foundation, leading into darkness.
This was Vile's true escape route.
The night wind carried ash… and humiliation.
Voss stood at the entrance, face dark as storm clouds.
But after a moment—
His clenched fist slowly loosened.
A cold, terrifying smile spread across his lips.
"It's fine… he's not that smart either."
He muttered softly.
"He already gave me exactly what I needed."
Vile's furious words before the explosion replayed clearly in his mind:
"Your people already scammed me out of one item!"
Our people… took an item…
Voss slowly raised his head.
His gaze, sharp as a poisoned arrow, pierced through the night—locking onto the other side of town.
Toward Anna.
Toward the Ku Hai Sect outer compound he had just left.
The smile on his face widened, cold and filled with killing intent.
So the clue…
Had been right under his nose all along.
"Leave half the team to trace this tunnel. Eliminate everything—no loose ends. We can't let that black-market rat leak anything about the finger."
He turned and began walking back.
"The rest—follow me."