“Are the wires laced with acid?”
Niiya nodded while attaching the metallic wires to the hallways at neck height. Handling the wires carefully like one would do when cleaning and sharpening the edge of sharp blade. Niiya’s glove protected him from the acid and cutting edge of the wire.
“Yes, all of them are lace. We just need to make sure we don’t walk into our own trap now.”
After disposing stray bandits who were near the edge of the forest and several drunks, they made their way into the lower floor hallway and begin setting their wire traps.
It seems that the bandits outside are out there as a human alarms rather than a proper patrol. There is even a small banquet out there with tables and chairs.
Originally, they plan on infiltrating the stronghold and kill Bandit Lord Moyi before killing everybody. However, Niiya was able to locate Moyi in the second floor along with several other Bandit Lords who had locked themselves in a metal room that was safeguarding something.
Something that is emitting powerful and chaotic energy. Similar to what Zealous Beasts would emit, therefore Aising decided that it is best to deal with all the lowly bandits and if they have a chance, deal with Moyi and his officers. If there is a Zealous Beast kept in captivity, then it would be unwise to break in and fight Moyi along with every single bandit nearby. They’ll be outnumber along with facing an unknown danger that might easily kill them.
“Let us begin.”
Aising swiftly move into a nearby room startling two bandits who were playing cards. Before they could even move a muscle, Aising brought her kukri into the spine of one bandit and slice the other bandit’s throat with a short sword.
The two bandits slumped to the side falling over, alerting all the other bandits in the room.
“Intruders!”
Roared one of them, another threw a knife at a gong causing an echoing ring throughout the entire stronghold.
“Don’t just stand there! Kill him!”
A nearby bandit threw a knife at Aising, which was returned to him in-between the eyes in a blink of an eye.
“What?!”
“Is this even- Gah!”
“Fuck this! Mob him!”
The bandits formed a wall and charged towards Aising with their spears. In a flash, Aising rushed towards the wall of bandits and duck under their spears and collide with their knees breaking them inward.
Shrieks of agony and surprised came from the bandits unable to locate where the assassin is.
“Behind!”
The bandit who looked like he was in charge turned around the moment he shouted out those words only to have a blade embedded into his skull.
The rest of the bandits died before they could even turn around, each receive a fatal slash to the spine.
“Urgh…”
Outside the hallways, Niiya’s wire trap that was laid out of on the hallway on both entrances had already lead to several deaths.
A charging bandit stumble and fell with his head falling on the floor and rolled away.
“Oh god! Oh god!”
One of the bandits who had witness the instant death of his comrade was scared shitless, using his legs to scoot himself away from the carnage.
Niiya had cut through his own trap to deal with the bandits after they try to cut through the wires. The result was brutal.
Diving with his sword, Niiya impaled his first victim followed by a punch from his trench knife. A clear cracking of skull was heard throughout the hallway.
Dropping the corpse aside, Niiya quickly stab another bandit in the eye while slamming him into the wall.
The bandit scream from pain, followed by Niiya’s merciless thrust of his sword into the side of the bandit’s stomach. Behind Niiya, a bandit who manage to circle around him raised his axe ready to split his skull in two.
Pulling his knife out of the screaming bandit’s eye, Niiya brought the spiked backside of his knife to the forehead of the bandit welding the axe. Another sound of cracking skull emitted, followed by the sound of the bandit’s axe falling on the cold stone floor.
Aising decided to join in the fray, with her quick speed. Aising made quick work of nearby bandits who were coming down from the second floor. It was a one sided battle.
The bandits were unable to keep up with Aising’s speed while others were unable and even afraid of going near Niiya who constantly attack with great strength. In less than a minute, the entire hallway was filled with blood and bodily fluid of the decreased bandits.
They then fought up to the second floor resulting in a similar results. After scouting the entire second floor, they reach the stairs leading to the third floor.
“Status on Moyi and his officers.”
“They have yet to leave the room and the energy is still there. Untouched.”
Aising frown beneath her mask. If that unknown source of energy is really a Zealous Beast’s, then one of them would at least try to use its core or flesh to empower themselves. Unless they can’t use it due to the Zealous Beast’s monstrous strength.
Zealous Beasts are creatures who possess unique powers and is capable of becoming a natural calamity if they are able to train. They are also place in the Meridian Common Ranking System based on their strength, but unlike humans, their strength are often more powerful than several practitioners in their equal stage combined.
The rewards of killing a Zealous Beast is often worth it, their flesh allows practitioners to increase their strength and energy, while their core can be infused with their meridian veins to increase their abilities by tenfold.
Seeing how the energy is untouched and Niiya not reporting that this energy is living, Aising speculate that the energy is coming from a Zealous Beast core. Consuming flesh of a Zealous Beast is one thing, absorbing or using its core is another.
“We’re going in, kill everyone inside. There are no hostage right?”
“Nope.”
“Alright, we move.”
Upon entering a large room a steel wall and door blocked their way, it’s like somebody drop a steel wall in the middle of a room. The energy is getting thicker and thicker.
“Niiya… I don’t think we can break through this wall.”
Communicating through Qi Transmission, Aising order Niiya to do a quick analysis with his third eye before planning on using Twilight Aspect Domain to enter the room.
“I think they’re waiting for us…” (Niiya)
“We’re going in. Too late to back down, get ready to use our domain.”
Twilight Aspect Domain… One of the first technique that they were taught by their master. The most important thing in survival is not having the power to fight back, it’s the power to escape.
Kneeing, Aising and Niiya begin to channel into their shadows, merging into the shadow realm and forcing a pathway into the sealed room.
Sinking into the shadows, the two found themselves underneath of what seems to be the room they were in. It was like looking through the ice in a frozen lake and seeing another world.
A thick line was drown across the mirror like room; that’s the steel wall. Behind the ‘line’ is Bandit Lord Moyi and six of his officers!
A square box was place in the middle of the room with Moyi being the nearest.
Aising saw it clearly that it’s a Zealous Beast Core! And a powerful one as well! The Zealous Beast Core is emitting energy that would be categorized in the Sky Meridian Stage, maybe even in the Spiritual Meridian Stage!
No wonder none of them is willing to touch it! Just by being near it, a low level Noble Meridian Stage would pass out and suffer internal injuries. The other six officers would simply die.
Aising could barely hear what they are saying in the shadow realm, she could see the bottom of one of the officer sitting flat down like what fishes would probably see if one were to sit on frozen ice in the lake.
She was tempted to find a spear and skewer him through the ass like a roasted pig, but decide against it since the idea is a bit revolting.
“Niiya… I think we’re blessed by luck today. Now how do we deal with Moyi? He looks like he’s got something planned…”
Bandit Lord Moyi stood a yard away from the Zealous Beast Core with his arm cross. An average face filled with many scars and long shaggy hair. Strapped to Moyi’s back is an ominous object wrapped in many spiritual charms and talisman.
“Niiya… What’s that?”
Pointing at the spiritually wrapped up object that looked like a heavy sword.
“I don’t know, those charms are powerful. I couldn’t even detect it, so I can’t determine what’s underneath all those wrappings.”
“Damn it. We’re too close to abandon this request… Alright, here’s the plan. The moment we cancel out our domain, I’ll quickly kill Moyi while you kill those other Bandit Lords. Simple?”
“Yes.”
Taking position, Niiya close to the six officers and Aising behind Moyi. The two canceled their Twilight Aspect Domain.
Upon materializing from the shadows, Niiya injects demonic qi into his sword and loped off two of the six officer’s head while Aising brought her dagger down in between Moyi’s shoulder blade and neck since the strapped object behind Moyi is blocking a killing blow directed at his spine.
Before she her blade even touch his skin, Moyi swung his entire body causing the strapped object on his back to knock the knife from her hand.
Aising was shocked but recovered quickly following a slash from her kukri towards Moyi’s skull. The heavy part of her blade sunk deep into Moyi’s skull.
Moyi crashed to the floor face first and sprawled out due to weight of the wrapped object on his back.
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Niiya had already kill all six of Moyi’s officer, three decapitated, one with a crushed head and two with punctured wound to the forehead, leaking blood and brain matter.
“…” (Aising)
“What?” (Niiya)
“Oh… Nothing, help me tear off Moyi’s head while I take the core.”
“Okay.”
Walking towards Moyi corpse, Niiya twirled his trench knife, eagerly to savagely cut off Moyi’s head. If he wasn’t wearing a mask, Aising would believe that he would be giving a somewhat innocent smile while doing the task. Talk about the face of an angel, but mind of a demon…
Aising walked towards the Zealous Beast Core. Its chaotic energy was surging outward like how a star emit heat and light. Without much difficulty, Aising closed the box containing the Zealous Beast Core, cutting off the surge of energy. The box is apparently made from skins of another Zealous Beast… Obviously, someone like Moyi couldn’t obtain such a treasure. He must have stolen it.
PING!
Niiya was sent flying across the room and smash into the steel wall.
“Niiya!”
Killing intent was raging behind her along with an unusual and sinister aura.
On instinct, Aising jumped back. A shadow smash the ground where she was standing, denting the steel floor follow by cracking of rocks that was supporting the steel room itself.
“You. Bastards!”
Standing straight up, Moyi glared at the two masked figures. The deep cut that was made into Moyi’s skull had grown sharp teeth and long tongue slithering out acting like a second mouth!
“Appearing like cowards and killing me! Me! The man who is blessed by the gods! The man who is given this!”
Tearing off the charms from the object strapped to his back, Moyi revealed a blade made of partly flesh and bones. The hilt and guard was made out of red flesh while the blade is made from sharpen white bone with pulsing dark blue veins that spread across the bone like spider webs.
“Bones and flesh from the devil! Yes, this wondrous weapon has given me enlightenment… Power! I’ll kill you two with this blade! Be honored that you’ll be absorbed into this wondrous weapon!”
The calm and cool demeanor that Moyi was making earlier before being ‘killed’ by Aising is now replaced by an insane expression.
From Niiya’s logical standpoint, the chop to the head has made Moyi insane.
Roaring, Moyi charged towards Aising with unnatural speed. Aising dodge it with ease, but if Moyi were too close… She wouldn’t be able to dodge it.
“Damn it! What the hell is that thing?!” (Aising)
The second mouth on Moyi’s head is gashing and laughing, pure insanity!
“Hehehe! You shouldn’t have killed me!”
Moyi laughed maliciously. His bloodshot eyes was vibrating and his head twitch violently. Surely he is possessed!
“Niiya! Do something about that sword!”
Niiya had gotten up and charged towards Moyi or what’s left of him, causing Moyi to turn his attention on Niiya.
“Too slow shorty!”
Moyi blurred away from Aising and collided with Niiya. Shockwaves from the collision caused the box containing the Zealous Beast Core to fall out and roll away, emitting the same chaotic energy.
Niiya was thrown once again onto the steel wall.
“Niiya! No!”
“Gahahaha! That’s a pretty voice you got. Are you a girl? Such a shame if you are, I’ll kill you regardless. Let me finish that little runt first.”
Lifting his grotesque’s blade, Moyi prepare to main Niiya’s body that was lying like a puppet who just got its strings cut.
“Niiya!”
On cue, a silhouette formed in front of Moyi. The silhouette of Niiya, the body that was lying there is actually an illusion created from his Guile Contour Soul Case!
Niiya viciously slam his blade into Moyi’s throat causing his eye to budge out and releasing his grip on the sword due to shock.
The blade crashed to the ground missing Niiya by a foot as he was a centimeter away from Moyi’s chest. Pushing his knife deeper and forcing Moyi back, Niiya strain against Moyi’s recovery. Pulling out another knife, Niiya stabbed Moyi’s chest with such strength that Niiya’s arm sink into Moyi’s chest and reaching his heart.
Moyi’s eye budge out even more, wrapping his arm around Niiya. Moyi begins to crush Niiya to death with his demonic strength.
“Y-you! Won’t. Kill! Me! Like… This!”
During the struggle between Moyi and Niiya, Aising was trying to find a way to destroy the demonic sword. When Moyi started to crush Niiya she became frantic, trying to find a way to stop this madness.
Finally laying her eyes on the Zealous Beast Core, Aising thought of a way to destroy this demonic sword. Swiftly picking up the core as the sword itself is actually heavy, Aising lobed the volatile orb at the sword.
Moyi seeing this howled with rage and released Niiya and desperately lunge for the core, trying to prevent it from making contact with his sword.
Niiya reflexively wrapped his legs around Moyi, causing him to fall on top of Niiya. Roaring, Moyi raised his fist to pound Niiya.
Too late, the moment the Zealous Beast Core made contact with the demonic sword, the entire room exploded with Qi energy.
The demonic sword made a crackling sound as the core begins to destroy its demonic energy barrier and physical form. Moyi who was blown away was shrieking with pain.
The core begins to assimilate the demonic qi emitting from the grotesques sword, breaking it down and purifying it. The sword begins to crack and break, crimson auras flowing out of the sword only to be dimmed and converted to light blue aura.
Moyi shriek even harder; this time the second mouth of his head started shrieking. The second mouth made a high pitch sound that nearly cause Aising and Niiya’s ear to bleed. Unnatural garbled words was coming from it followed by Moyi’s eyes and mouths to be engulf in blue light.
Moyi’s entire body spaz while blue lights shot out of his mouth and eyes, with smoke emitting from the corner of his eyelids a lips. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as Aising crawled towards Niiya, putting her masked face near Niiya’s and hugging him.
Within seconds, Moyi was left partly burnt. His demonic sword turned to dust while the Zealous Beast Core is still emitting chaotic energy, this time however, it seemed more lax.
“… Niiya… Are you okay?”
“Yeah… I’m fine… The guy wasn’t too heavy.”
“…”
“…”
“Do you think they can raise the reward for this?”
“… Maybe…”
…
Aising and Niiya took Moyi’s head with them along with the Zealous Beast Core. When they returned to the Assassination Market, the servicer who had given them the special request was still there.
Upon seeing the two ruffled assassins, the servicer scoffed.
A Noble Meridian Stage bandit, not much you say. Now look at you!
Aising seem to notice this and responded with a deathly cold voice.
“I know what you are thinking… Let’s see how you react if I show you this.”
Taking out the sack containing Moyi’s head, Aising revealed Moyi’s second mouth that had was created when Aising made a deep cut into this head.
The servicer jumped back. Is that head even a human’s?!
“Uh… Uh… Sir Sh-Shikiru… Let’s discuss this event in the Verdict Room.”
The servicer lead the two weary assassins to another room, inside the room are several tables and chairs with many staff members sorting materials and bounty heads.
“Please sit down and relax… I’ll call forth my manager to sort this… Uh… Sort this… Out…?”
The fear of the supernatural is deeply rooted in the Tian Empire, having suffer most from supernatural creatures’ rampage.
The servicer returned along with a grizzly old man who looked like a veteran soldier. The old man turned towards Aising.
“From what I heard, there appears to be a complicated situation with the request concerning about Bandit Lord Moyi. I am Manager Guigu, you are Shikiru and Shedo from the Abyssal Tribulation. Am I correct?”
“Yes.”
“Now then, let’s see what the situation is…”
Rolling Moyi’s head out of the sack, Guigu frowned at the second mouth of Moyi. Reaching for a pairs of long tongs, Guigu begins to tap and move the second mouth. He then proceeded to grip the second mouth’s tongue with the tongs and pulled.
While Guigu is experimenting, all of the staff members in the room crowd around them. All of them wearing a frighten expression.
Finally, Guigu stopped tugging on the demonic head. Turning towards five staff members, Guigu order them to bring three bless water and two plain water. When they returned with five cups, Guigu tore pieces of Moyi’s eye, skin and hair.
“If this head belongs to a corrupt human who dabs in demonic influences, then this blessed water will melt away its physical existence.”
Dropping each of the three pieces that Guigu tore from Moyi’s head, the blessed water begins to sizzle. Causing a commotion throughout the entire room. Guigu then took another piece of demon flesh and dropped it into the plain water. No reaction.
“… This is indeed a demonized human’s head. To think that one had appeared near this land…”
Guigu pulled out a chair and sat down with a complex expression. Just after sitting down, Guigu stand up and look towards the two assassins who had not sat down.
Guigu bowed to Aising and Niiya.
“We thank you for ridding this fiend from this land. No… The entire world should be thanking you. From now on, you will be VIPs in the markets. I will convey this to the upper managements. They will agree to this when they see this.”
Aising ignored the gesture, she wanted to go home. They still have an important guest who will be arriving in several hours! The time is also near dawn.
“We’ll take our leave. Leave our rewards on our tabs… Do not expect us to appear for a while. We must rest now.”
“Of course. We thank you for your service.”
…
Four Stride Demise!
The first technique they learned their Master.
The flash step technique that was based off another one, only this one was supposedly superior to any other. The key being that the Four Stride Demise could be used to get past wall like ghosts, as long as there is an absent of light on the solid objects.
With this technique, they would be able to travel hundreds of miles within several minutes. That is also to say it makes a create tool to get home before curfew.
Upon arriving back at home through their window. Aising and Niiya took off their assassin’s uniform and flopped on the bed.
“…”
“…”
“Niiya…”
“Yeah?”
“Sorry…”
“It’s not your fault, Aising…”
“… You always say that…”
Hugging Niiya tightly, the two tired teens fell asleep quickly.
…
It was late in the morning. Aising and Niiya were still asleep, which is actually not entirely odd for they would sometimes sleep all the way to the afternoons if allowed.
“Aising. Niiya, wake up you two.”
Aising’s mother pushed open their door. The two teenagers were still fast asleep with Aising hugging Niiya like a body pillow, her face relax and gently breathing.
Seeing her daughter’s peaceful expression, Sayo decided to leave them alone for now.
Down stairs Alois is preparing for the arrival of the Song Clan’s young master. Sorting out various books on weapons and rearranging his workshop.
Seeing his wife walking down the stairs with a defeated expression, Alois could only smile knowing that his wife didn’t have the heart to wake up their children.
“I tried.”
That was all she said.
An hour later, Aising walked down stairs washed and dressed. Both her parents were surprised, Niiya would often be behind or in front of her. There was something wrong with this picture…
“Aising darling, where’s Niiya?’
“He’s still half asleep. I think he’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.”
Niiya’s body condition is fine despite all the ordeal they went through last night. He’s only sore, but with their cultivation techniques. Niiya would be able to move about finely.
Although Aising would rather have him rest for the whole day, his resistance to that idea is fierce.
“Dad, when are they coming?”
“I believe in a few minutes.”
“Will they be staying here?”
She didn’t really enjoy the idea of strangers staying in their mansion, even if it is big.
“Yes, sorry darling. It’ll be rude to send them off. Besides, they don’t have a great place to stay in a village like this.”
“I got it. Well then, I’ll try not to cause too much trouble…”
“That’s the spirit!”
Her father patted her in the back. Aising hoped that this young master isn’t arrogant and snobby.
…
Aising helped carry her father’s tools and molds out of the workshop to make room for newer ones. Her father is going all out today.
Niiya later joined them with a lost expression. The kind a child would have if their parents is missing.
Which is somewhat understandable since he has always been at Aising’s side nearly 24/7.
“Sigh, over here Niiya.”
Pulling his arms, Aising pointed at his task before noticing that he didn’t have breakfast nor lunch.
“Scratch that, you’re eating first. Don’t come here until you eat.”
“Aw…”
…
After rearranging Alois’s workshop the Nightshade waited for the Song Clan’s arrival. Niiya was posted outside the front gates wearing a white tan uniform and mask, decorated symmetrically with yellow paints that took shape of a something similar to a tree. Two slits for vision that Niiya doesn’t actually use. He’s got a third eye after all.
The reason why they dressed Niiya up like as an exotically odd looking guard is simply out of gesture in greetings in her mother’s culture. Well, odd isn’t really a word. More like intimidating.
The Taiyang’s way of greeting guest is similar to how powerful families would receive guests with their retainers and servants. Unlike the numerous reception that the Tian Empire commonly practice, the Taiyang’s way of receiving important and well trusted guest like the Song Clan is to post out a single, but powerful guard to receive their guest.
The belief behind it is that the household who is receiving their guest place great trust in them. By that, it means that they believe in the guest’s strength and honesty including the guard who is capable.
As odd as it may sound, the Tian Empire acknowledge the Taiyang’s Honor Guard Reception and is practice rarely in their nobility and royalty family due to the fact that some of the family doesn’t trust the others entirely. But if by chance they do, it is consider the greatest honor in both the Tian Empire and Taiyang Isles.
Of course, Aising originally wanted the position since Niiya was injured last night. The second reason is because she could not stand him standing outside in plain sight. Is like how an overprotective husband would be redundant to let his wife stand out like a beautiful flower, alone.
After fighting for the position, Niiya won by bending three unused steel with his bare fist. The result is Aising’s parents’ mouth dropping open and then dressed him up like an Honorary Guard. Aising on the other hand was fuming at the way Niiya showed off his power.
Before he left to stand outside, she gripped his shoulder and whisper some chilly words into his ears. Niiya left to guard outside, slightly shuddering.
Standing outside in his concealment guard uniform, Niiya stood up straight while holding powerful looking halberd that her father made.
Outside, Niiya was doing some mental training with the techniques that his master had taught him. Having expand his inner eye range, Niiya is able to know what is happening around them without having to be there.
While testing his inner eye’s vision range, Niiya sense a group of people entering his inner eye range. Six males and five females, all of them above Noble Meridian Stage. The highest being an elderly person in the mid-level of the Spiritual Meridian Stage.
The lowest, a young man in the low level of Regal Meridian Stage. Niiya assumed that this young man is the young master of the Song Clan. The carriage is many meters away.
Contracting Aising by Qi Transmission, he alerted her on the incoming carriage carrying the amount of people and how close they were.
“Really? Shit… Do you think that mid-level Spiritual Stage Practitioner will notice our cultivation stage?”
Even though the Song Clan won’t lay a hand of them. However, if the Royal Family found out the strength of these two youngsters…
“Not likely, we just have to be careful. No one has notice my third eye yet even after I swept through their spiritual talisman… Still… I could be wrong… All we could do is wait…”