Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Tang Wen's appointment as the Seventh Young Master caused quite a stir both within and outside the Blackwater Gang.
But everyone knew the current state of the gang.
The Third Young Master—Shui Yun—was practically the designated successor.
Tang Wen, a mere Martial Master, was only nominally assigned to Shui Yun's Seven Kill Hall.
Thus, his appointment barely made a ripple.
Wu Hao and his subordinates naturally followed him, becoming his personal guards.
"Caw!"
In the courtyard, a Brown-tailed Crow descended from the sky.
It landed before a prepared plate and began eating meat with practiced ease.
Not long ago, Tang Wen had used Extraordinary Blood Essence to accelerate its growth, turning it into a Superior Exotic Beast.
The Brown-tailed Crow lived up to its reputation as a rare, highly intelligent Mutated Beast.
After its evolution, its stealth abilities grew even stronger.
In the dead of night, if it remained still, even Tang Wen would need the bond between master and beast to pinpoint its location accurately.
Moreover, its ability to command crows had increased more than tenfold.
Within just a few days, nearly all the crows within Mountain Chasing City's Blackwater Gang territory had become its subordinates—numbering in the hundreds.
The skies were now filled with its eyes.
As a mole who had risen to the status of a "quasi-high-ranking" member, Tang Wen felt a significant boost in his sense of security.
He even slept more soundly than before.
"I'll be going into seclusion at the gang in a couple of days. If anything happens at home, go to the Beast Taming Garden next door for help."
Xiao Rou, seeing that A Shui couldn't speak, whispered into Tang Wen's ear as he lounged in contentment:
"Young Master need not worry. Everyone knows you're the illustrious Seventh Young Master of the Blackwater Gang. Nothing will happen at home."
Tang Wen didn't open his eyes.
Xiao Rou draped herself over his broad shoulders, gazing at his flawless profile with sultry eyes.
After a while, she couldn't resist pressing her delicate cheek against his back, nuzzling like a kitten.
Hours passed, and the night grew still.
Tang Wen, clad in black, suddenly emerged from his room.
His eyes flickered with surprise as he looked toward the Beast Taming Garden.
The Brown-tailed Crow, hidden in the darkness, had just sent a warning.
Someone had arrived at the Beast Taming Garden.
And this visitor knew the location of the safe house.
The crow relayed an image:
A slender, graceful figure placed a hand on the edge of the stone pool.
Instantly, the surrounding darkness deepened.
Tang Wen was taken aback—another Transcendent who practiced the Dark Night Divine Fist?
Under the shroud of darkness, the massive stone pool was moved without making a single sound.
The slender figure leaped into the safe house.
It was likely a woman, and her strength was far below fifth-rank.
Otherwise, the Brown-tailed Crow wouldn't have detected her.
Nor was she a sixth-rank Celestial Warrior.
If she were, the crow would have been discovered.
Most likely, she was a Transcendent—seventh-rank.
Generally, Transcendents were categorized into three levels: newly ascended, seasoned, and peak.
Judging by how she manipulated the darkness and used her mental power to move the stone pool, she was at least a seasoned Transcendent.
Tang Wen frowned—where was the Sand Wolf?
He had explicitly ordered the Sand Wolf to keep watch here.
How had it failed so miserably?
He focused slightly and sensed that the Sand Wolf was already fast asleep—even snoring lightly.
Just as Tang Wen was about to curse under his breath, he suddenly remembered something.
Earlier that day, he had overheard the garden keepers mentioning that breeding income had surged recently.
After all, with Tang Wen's status as a Young Master, the gang turned a blind eye to his private ventures—pretending not to see them.
Many people, eager to curry favor, sent various businesses to Tang Wen's Beast Taming Garden.
Among them, the most frequent requests were for female dog breeding.
It seemed the Sand Wolf was exhausted.
After all, it was only a Mid-level Exotic Beast.
He should consider strengthening it later.
Listening to the night sounds of insects and distant barks, Tang Wen stood in the shadows of the courtyard, his Aura Concealment Art operating at full capacity, ready to strike at any moment.
Come to think of it, ever since setting out for Mountain Chasing City, he had spent most of his days practicing this technique after learning it on the road.
[Aura Concealment Art, Mastery (301/3000)]
At the mastery level, the Aura Concealment Art was more than enough to perfectly conceal his Transcendent aura.
Thus, he could disguise himself as an utterly ordinary, low-ranking Martial Master.
This disguise was so effective that it could deceive fellow Transcendents of the same level and, as long as he didn't act, even a fifth-rank expert at close range.
Several minutes passed.
The female Transcendent emerged from the safe house.
She restored the pool to its original state and cautiously surveyed her surroundings.
Only after repeatedly confirming that no one was watching did she leap over the wall like a shadow, choosing the side farthest from Tang Wen's courtyard.
After leaving, she deliberately took a long detour before circling back toward the direction of Tang Wen's residence.
Clearly, she was aware that the seventh young master of the Blackwater Gang lived nearby.
There were undoubtedly hidden experts guarding the area.
She didn't dare get too close.
Tang Wen hesitated but ultimately decided not to follow her.
Instead, he had the Brown-tailed Crow dispatch hundreds of ordinary ravens, scattering them along the woman's path.
Perched on treetops, atop gates, behind high walls—
Every hundred meters or so, one kept watch.
Their half-lidded eyes observed everything that passed by.
The female Transcendent took a winding route, sticking to narrow alleys and scaling walls.
She was clearly afraid of being followed.
Unbeknownst to her, those seemingly insignificant crows had been tracking her the entire time.
Seeing her extreme caution, Tang Wen deduced that she likely wasn't backed by any major faction.
Otherwise, she wouldn't need to be so careful.
She arrived at an empty courtyard.
The female Transcendent suddenly looked up, just as the crow perched on the elm tree tensed.
Come to think of it, she had spotted several crows along the way.
Had there always been so many in the city?
Her expression darkened instantly, and a deeper shadow enveloped the sky above the small courtyard.
The crow on the tree didn't even have time to cry out before it was seized.
A powerful mental force swept through its body.
The female Transcendent relaxed slightly.
There were no signs of control on the crow.
Still, it was better to be cautious.
After a moment's thought, she released the bird.
Watching it fly off in panic—away from her original path—she finally felt somewhat reassured.
She entered the house and did not emerge again.
Meanwhile, several hundred meters away, a bird slightly larger than an ordinary crow kept its eyes fixed on her courtyard.
Out of caution, Tang Wen didn't dare let the Brown-tailed Crow observe the woman directly.
But the crow still had a clear view of everything happening in the courtyard.
The night passed.
The female Transcendent never reappeared.
However, this didn't necessarily mean the courtyard was her final hideout.
What if there was a secret passage inside?
Tang Wen—undercover agent, high-ranking operative—instinctively considered this possibility.
After all, he had also contemplated digging tunnels.
He just hadn't gotten around to it yet.
Even if there was a tunnel, it couldn't stretch too far.
This was Mountain Chasing City—while it might not be overflowing with experts, it was certainly a place where dragons and tigers lurked in the shadows.
No one could say for sure whether a hidden master resided in any given neighborhood.
The female Transcendent wouldn't have dug her tunnel too far either.
Send the crows to monitor the entire area.
Under the cover of night, the flock of crows dispersed, arriving at nearby trees to build their nests.
The Brown-tailed Crow left the city, taming more ordinary crows in the mountains and forests before slowly bringing them into the city.
At dawn, Tang Wen boarded the carriage and arrived at the Seven Kill Hall.
The coachman and the guards at the gate eagerly carried his luggage into the stone building within the courtyard.
The stone building was used for seclusion—training underground and resting above ground.
Inside, eight Martial Apprentice-level maids were assigned to attend to daily needs.
The head housekeeper led Tang Wen on a tour of the building.
The three-story structure had a rooftop terrace on the top floor.
The second floor was the bedroom, while the first floor housed the living room and dining area.
"No kitchen?"
The housekeeper explained:
"That's correct, young master. Cooking would create too much noise and odor, which might disturb your seclusion. Meals are prepared in another building and delivered here immediately."
Tang Wen also keenly noticed that the housekeeper and the eight maids seemed to have a foundation in Light Body Skill.
Their footsteps were very light.
Clearly, this was also to avoid disturbing those in seclusion.
This was Shui Yun's seclusion stone building, so such arrangements were to be expected.
After resting briefly, Tang Wen glanced toward the entrance.
Shui Yun had arrived, followed by a group of guards.
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