The words spoken by the current commander of the Black Crow Secret Unit struck the chamber like a bolt of lightning.
Zhang Lu's body trembled violently. A fear he had not felt for thousands of years surged back in an instant. That sensation was identical to the first day he had encountered someone from the main branch, not the slightest difference.
A shadowy figure slowly stepped out from the darkness.
The man in white advanced unhurriedly. With every step, the pressure in the air grew heavier. Behind the black mask, cold eyes locked onto Zhang Lu.
"You still recognize me, do you?"
He slowly raised his hand.
The mask was removed inch by inch.
Black hair swayed gently. Sharp, profound eyes reflected the glow of spirit lamps. The distorted voice faded away, returning to the clear voice of a young man once more.
"It's been quite a few days, hasn't it… Uncle."
Zhang Lu's face turned deathly pale. He subconsciously staggered back half a step, staring at Zhang Wen as if he were gazing at a demon.
In Zhang Wen's vision, a number silently appeared.
Affinity: minus twenty.
Zhang Lu forced his mouth open. His hoarse voice slowly escaped.
"You… how did you become this strong…"
Zhang Wen did not answer. Silence pressed down upon the entire hall.
Overwhelmed by rage and panic, Zhang Lu suddenly shouted like a madman.
"It's good that you've returned! Come, follow me and surrender yourself to the Gu family. Then your severe punishment can be reduced to—"
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion erupted.
Zhang Lu's head burst apart instantly. Fresh blood sprayed throughout the chamber. The black walls were stained crimson. Fragments of brain matter slapped wetly against the floor. The headless body collapsed soundlessly, with not even a trace of life remaining. Even his soul was obliterated in that instant.
The commander of the Black Crow Secret Unit widened his eyes. His breathing stalled. His heart nearly stopped.
He had heard rumors of Zhang Wen's brutality from the Black Crows who had survived and returned, but he had never imagined that Zhang Wen would kill a member of his own clan without the slightest hesitation.
Gathering his composure with great difficulty, he slowly pushed himself upright, limped forward, and knelt before Zhang Wen. His head lowered until it touched the ground.
"Greetings… my lord."
Zhang Wen glanced at him.
"Oh? You acknowledge me now?"
The man in black replied firmly, even as sweat poured down his body.
"I firmly believe that if my lord wishes to become the clan leader, it would be as easy as drinking water."
Zhang Wen nodded faintly. His gaze flicked to the Affinity value that had surged to seventy, then he spoke calmly.
"But I have no intention of becoming the clan leader of this family."
He paused briefly before asking,
"How many instructors remain? Are there any who can truly be put to use? And what is the current combat strength of the Black Crow Secret Unit?"
The commander answered at once.
"After the previous leader's death, the strongest member in the unit is myself. My cultivation is at Nirvana Stage Fourth Level. Aside from me, there are three commanders, each also at Nirvana Stage Fourth Level. All possess reliable combat ability."
"As for instructors, there are currently twenty in total. You should recognize them. Eighteen are the original instructors, with two newly added. All twenty have cultivation between Spirit Formation Stage Seventh to Ninth Level."
"In addition, there are seven hundred newly recruited trainee assassins. None of them exceed the Golden Core realm."
Zhang Wen frowned slightly.
"What happened… I remember it being much stronger than this."
The commander of the secret unit lowered his head.
"When Lord Zhang Lingyue sent the Black Crow Secret Unit to hunt you down, nearly all of them died. The previous generation of instructors and the old assassins were completely wiped out. Only two managed to return alive, and they later became the current instructors."
Zhang Wen nodded faintly, his expression unchanged.
To him, the Black Crow Secret Unit was still considered formidable. From his past experience working alongside them, their mission success rate had always been reliable. Especially the instructors. Anyone qualified to become an instructor had to possess extremely high mastery in their respective fields. As for the eighteen veteran instructors he remembered, they were all more than capable of being put to use.
He then raised his hand.
Twenty five drops of pure crimson liquid appeared in midair, floating in a circular formation and emitting a gentle glow like crystallized blood.
"Go bring the instructors and the commanders to see me."
The man in black bowed deeply and rushed out of the hall at once.
Zhang Wen was not worried that the man would flee or alert outsiders. He had already sealed the entire area with dozens of high level barrier formations. Beyond the spatial gate, his true body was standing guard as well.
The body present here was merely a water clone.
At that moment, all twenty five drops of crimson liquid trembled softly.
He had modified them so that anyone who consumed them would gain resistance against the Zhang family's death techniques. He had also embedded a life and death restriction within them.
For Zhang Wen, anyone who bowed their head to him even once would never again have the right to turn their blade toward him for the rest of their life.
Not long after, the silence within the command hall was broken.
The sound of many footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. Heavy. Orderly. Like a battle hardened army moving in unison.
Knock. Knock.
A polite knock sounded at the door.
"My lord, I have brought everyone."
Zhang Wen replied calmly.
"You may enter."
The pitch black doors slowly opened. Light from within spilled outward, revealing twenty four figures walking in with disciplined steps. They knelt simultaneously, their knees striking the floor with heavy, unified thuds.
"Greetings, my lord!"
The voices of all twenty four rang out together. There was no hesitation and no tremor.
Zhang Wen swept his gaze calmly across the people before him. His eyes paused on the group of veteran instructors before he spoke.
"It's been a while."
One of the instructors lowered his head deeply, his expression filled with respect.
"It is a great honor that my lord still remembers us."
Zhang Wen smiled faintly as his gaze swept carefully across all twenty four of them. Some bore the marks of time upon their faces, others were in their prime. Every body before him had been tempered by countless battles. Among them were sixteen men and eight women, each with different ages, temperaments, and auras.
He gave a slight smile before asking,
"Which two of you… were the ones who survived the pursuit of me?"
At once, two women shifted slightly and bowed their heads together.
"Greetings, my lord."
Zhang Wen looked at them in silence. One had lost her left arm. The other was missing her left leg from the thigh down. Faint traces of corrosive poison still lingered around their wounds.
But what caught his attention the most was the Affinity value appearing in his sight.
Both of them had already surpassed seventy.
After a brief pause, Zhang Wen asked calmly,
"Do you hate me?"
"For taking your limbs… and for taking the lives of your companions and instructors as well?"
The two women answered immediately. There was no fear in their eyes, only unwavering respect.
"What we did was our duty. We merely carried out the orders of the clan leader at that time with all our strength."
"We have never harbored resentment toward my lord. If my lord desires our lives, we are willing to take them ourselves at once. All it takes is your word."
Zhang Wen chuckled softly.
"There is no need."
He swept his gaze across everyone once more.
"I quite like all twenty four of you."
"Eighteen are veteran instructors whom I know well. I have also worked with the four current commanders before. As for the two new instructors, surviving that hunt alone proves their capability."
He raised his hand, his voice calm yet firm.
"So tell me. Are you willing to work for me?"
"Not as geniuses of the Zhang clan. Not as future clan leaders. But as people who work for me, Zhang Wen directly. From this moment on, you will follow only me."
All twenty four answered almost simultaneously, without the slightest hesitation.
"We are willing to offer our lives to my lord!"
Zhang Wen smiled and snapped his fingers.
Pa!
Twenty four drops of pure crimson liquid appeared in midair. Blood colored light shimmered like precious gems as they floated forward and stopped precisely before each person.
Among them,
Four drops of the Saint King grade floated toward three veteran instructors and one of the four current commanders.
The remaining twenty drops of Saint grade moved toward the others.
This distribution was not random. It was based on Zhang Wen's memories from the past. He knew very well that the four who received the Saint King drops possessed terrifying combat ability. If their cultivation levels were equal, they could fight anyone of the same realm head on. Even when facing multiple enemies at once, they could still survive.
Zhang Wen's voice rang out clearly and calmly.
"These drops were refined from the blood of Saints and Saint Kings."
His gaze passed over every face.
"If you consume them, your cultivation will break through its limits and step directly into the Saint realm… or even the Saint King realm."