Outer Sect. Seventh District. Watchtower. Night.
A cloaked figure perched at the tower’s edge, silently surveying the nocturnal scene of the outer sect.
Vast stretches were shrouded in darkness, devoid of even the basic lamppost.
From the district below, the distant clashes and faint cries echoed in the darkness, where sneaky shadows swam throughout. Night was the best time for a carnival.
A smile gradually dawned on the masked face as he stood up.
Spreading his wings wide to embrace the night, the hooded figure’s words were whisked away by the night breeze, “May Loki be with me.”
Without hesitation, the figure tilted forward, swooping down into the darkness below.
...
On the dark streets, two drunken men stumbled back and forth, their laughter mingling with the chorus from the nearby alleys. They walked shoulder to shoulder, weaving unpredictably with each step, regaling each other with stories of their wild night.
"Haha, you remember that doll at Hei Hua Lou? The green one with the, uh, enchanting eyes that we couldn’t afford?"
"Uggg…” After belching, the other responded, “Oh, oh- that doll! I thought she was definitely givin' me the eye!"
"Nah, she was eyeing me! I swear she winked- Hic- right before I tripped over that blasted stool." The drunk man re-enacted his tripping, his hand hooking onto the waist of the other in the process.
"Tripped, you say? Hic! I nearly fell into the lap of another doll while trying to get to that one. They should put a warning sign there!"
"Hic, uh huh. Warning. Dolls may cause unexpected stumbling and touchy encounters- Hahaha! Hic- Huh?” Abruptly, the cultivator sobered up, squinting through the darkness, “Who’s there?"
A masked black-robed figure emerged from the shadows. Discovered?
The hooded figure wasted no time. Without a word, he rushed forward, palms flying.
“Watch out- Ugh-” Palm uppercut to jaws. Good night.
“Hic- Enemy? Where- Uff-” A slap to the temples. Sleep well.
In a matter of seconds, the two drunk man were sprawled on the cold sandstone, unconscious.
The gap in strength was too wide. Just one controlled strike was all it took.
Kneeling down beside them, the hooded figure patted down their body with a choreography of familiar movements, expertly relieving them of the meager savings in their coarse pouches and pockets.
When he stood up, the empty-handed hooded figure shook his head disapprovingly. “Easy, but warm-up is over.”
With a blurring swiftness, he disappeared into the shadows once more.
...
In a dimly lit shabby residence, three outer disciples huddled around a makeshift table, the glow of candles flickering against their greedy expressions as they examined the spoils from their latest scheme.
Dressed in tattered dark robes, a wiry, scruffy individual, with unkempt hair and a patchy beard, picked a small pouch from the table.
A twisted grin arose on his face as he weighed a pouch in his hand, “Look at this, boys. Two pouches of spirit rice. We hit the jackpot this time.”
A slender, agile figure with a sly and ugly demeanor, hidden beneath a hood that concealed most of the face, shot a quick, assessing glance at the pouch.
“Save it. Spirit rice ain't easy to come by. We can split it after we sell them to those inner disciples for a good markup.”
On the other side of him was a burly man with a shaved head and a scar across one cheek, donning a mismatched ensemble of scavenged clothing and carrying a long, massive saber bearing a dull sheen with bloody stains.
His set of piercing eyes settled upon a slimy seaweed-like plant and his fingers gingerly picked it up, “What's this grass? Looks rare.”
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“A substitute for aphrodisiac. We can use it during cultivation, or sell them to other outer disciples.” The hooded figure responded noncommittally.
“These Qi-condensation pills are worth a small fortune too.” The scruffy man lightly shook the pill bottle in his hand before his gaze rested on the final treasure on the table, “And…”
The other two also followed his gaze, fixating upon a small, coarse, tattered pouch sitting prominently at the center of the makeshift table.
It didn't look like much, its fabric worn and frayed, but an unspoken understanding passed between them – this humble pouch was the true gem of their ill-gotten gains.
It was the true cause of their greed, one they were clearly unwilling to share.
“…” The eyes of the former partners-in-crime flicked back and forth, vigilantly observing each other.
It seems they still hadn’t come to a compromise. So... someone else helped them make the decision.
The air in the shabby residence stirred with sudden movement. An extremely fast silhouette burst into the room!
With a deft twist of his wrist, the cloaked figure waved a green pouch in the air, tossing out a tempest of sand that erupted into a cloud of blinding dust, disorienting the three cultivators that had no room for dodging!
“Protect the treasures!” The hooded man reacted quickly and reached out to grab the pouch on the table, only to realize it had already vanished like a phantom! “NO! Stop him!”
Meanwhile, the scruffy man cursed angrily when he felt the bottle and pouch he had been eyeing disappear from his grasp. “Stop! Who dares?!”
“Arghhhhh! Come at me! I dare you!”
As the sand settled, the two scrubbed the sand from their red eyes and saw the aftermath of the unexpected intrusion.
All their precious loot had vanished!
The only remaining item was the slimy piece of seaweed in the hand of the burly man, who was still blindly waving his heavy blade around, smashing the sandstone wall of their temporary residence…
The hooded man unsheathed his dagger and rushed out. Flames spewed out from his fingertips as he raised his hand into the air, but he failed to find the thief who had already melted into the darkness.
When the other two chased out, the hooded man’s eyes radiated an ominous red glow, uttering a cold command, “Find him! Don't let him escape!”
...
In a dimly lit alley, shadows danced on the walls as a criminal procession continued.
“Please- I don’t charge much! Why are you doing this?”
The air was thick with tension, mingled with the sobs of the helpless woman and the lecherous laughter of the men.
“Look at this one, boys! She thinks she's worth more than a coin or two.”
“Yeah, let's have ourselves a little carnival tonight, for free!”
“Don’t forget to clean her savings after cultivating!”
As some reveled in their debauchery, perched on the rooftop above, a hooded figure in black observed with a cold, calculating gaze.
The hooded figure remained silent, plotting the perfect moment to strike. His focus was... the late-stage Qi-refiner.
Soon, his target closed his eyes, entering a state of focused meditation to circulate the newly gathered Qi within him.
Cloaked in shadows, the mysterious figure moved with the stealth of a ghost, swiftly and silently descending...
Satisfied with his harvest, the grinning man reopened his eyes, just to meet the descending foot. “What the- Oof!”
With the weight of another man heavily smashing down into his face, even a late-stage Qi-refiner was knocked out cold.
The other cultivators quickly reacted, one stepping back as his hands formed seals, “Get him, you idiots!”
Sensing Qi being mobilized, the hooded figure moved with uncanny speed, weaving through the other attacks and targeted the one channeling Qi, socking him right in the guts.
“Uff-” With bulging eyes, the Qi-refiner stared at the masked man, “You-” Puff-
The hooded figure evaded the mouthful of blood being spat out, swiftly retracing his steps, crashing into the remaining cultivators-
“Hyah! Take this-” But akin to a phantom, the enemy left his vision. “No- Why is he so fast?!”
Slipped to side. Sideswipe to jaws. Red painted the alley walls. Oh… what a beautiful color.
“That speed- Foundation Establishment! I can’t be wrong! Aarghhh-” Weave. Fist to temple. Lights out.
“It can’t be! Why would-” Bob. Low-line hook to right side. “Uff!”
Paralyzed, the final man stared at the enemy below, painfully gasping, “Nooo- spare me, senior!”
Whoosh. An uppercut to the jaw sent the man into the air like a rag doll.
Thump. Targets neutralized. A bit heavy-handed, but they deserved it.
On the side, the woman covered herself with her torn dress as she struggled up. With worship clear in her expression, she approached the hooded figure, attempting to hook onto his arm.
“Thank you, senior! Xiao Nu is willing to be a cow to repay you for your life-saving grace-”
With a sudden twist, the masked man’s fingers precisely stung her neck’s carotid artery, knocking her unconscious.
Staring down at the unassuming woman with a mature taste slouched against his arm, the masked man's lips curled into a subtle twitch. “This cow again.”
Placing her on the ground, he swept his gaze over the battered, unconscious outer disciples strewn about. He vigilantly approached them one by one, giving another blow to their neck, ensuring a good night’s sleep before he swiftly rummaged through each of their pockets.
Well, as expected, there wasn’t much, or they wouldn’t have resorted to free meals.
“Seriously, the Public Commons exist for a reason.” The hooded figure mumbled under his breath as he tossed the woman over his shoulder.
Exerting a calculated burst of strength, he launched himself into the air, leveraging the sandstone walls of the alley to leap up to the rooftop.
Hopping to a seemingly random rooftop nearby, he dropped the baggage on the ground, “Should be relatively safe. As for what happens after, it’ll depend on her own choices.”
Staring out into the darkness, the sharp eyes hidden behind the mask appeared capable of piercing the night, surveying the disordered clusters of outer disciples out on a hunt, armed with torches that dispelled the usual darkness of the outer sect district.
“The dance with shadows have concluded. Night Phantom signing out.”
Turning away, the hooded figure beat a hasty retreat, skimming rooftops and soon swooping into one of the dark, deserted alleys below.
Shortly afterward, a handsome, fair-skinned man, clad in tattered rags, stepped out from the alley, tucking a green embroidered pouch and a small coarse one into his dirty pants.
A smile played upon his sharp features as he melded into the darkness, heading toward the grand sandstone arch.