Zhao Mu calmly unlocked the door with his key and stepped inside.
Hearing the faint sound of footsteps, Chang Lian silently crept closer, moving with the stealth of a hunting cat.
Peering through the narrow gap between the door and the window, he confirmed Zhao Mu's position.
Zhao Mu stood with his back turned, seemingly focused on switching on the lights.
Without the slightest warning...
Chang Lian raised a finger.
A pitch-black beam of spiritual power shot forward like a sharpened blade, aiming directly at Zhao Mu's heart.
To Chang Lian, the outcome was already decided.
Even if Zhao Mu sensed the attack, the overwhelming difference in strength meant he could neither dodge nor block it.
Death was inevitable.
However...
Reality unfolded very differently.
The instant Chang Lian launched his attack, Zhao Mu suddenly spun around with astonishing speed.
A circular Guardian Shield appeared in his hand.
Powerful spiritual energy surged into it, instantly expanding into a massive translucent barrier.
Clang!
The black beam slammed into the shield and was completely blocked.
Chang Lian's pupils contracted sharply.
Impossible!
With Zhao Mu's strength, there was no way he should have been able to stop that attack.
Even with a defensive Ember Remains, it shouldn't have been possible.
Before he could understand what was happening...
A chilling killing intent suddenly erupted behind him.
It came without warning, as though it had emerged directly from the Void Realm.
Two figures burst from the darkness.
Their weapons flashed with deadly light as they slashed toward Chang Lian's back.
It's a trap!
The realization struck him instantly.
He had no idea how his identity had been exposed.
But he immediately understood one thing.
The person inside the house wasn't Zhao Mu at all.
Someone far stronger had disguised themselves as him.
Even worse...
The two experts behind him radiated auras that were slightly stronger than his own.
Without hesitating for even a fraction of a second, Chang Lian activated the Jinhai Ring on his finger.
A black shadow erupted from his body, instantly engulfing the entire courtyard.
Everything disappeared into absolute darkness.
Using the cover of the darkness, Chang Lian fled at top speed.
Moments later, he burst out of the black mist and sprinted northwest.
Then...
He abruptly stopped.
Standing directly in his path was a cold-faced man wearing an immaculate black suit.
His hands rested calmly at his sides.
It was Huo Jun.
He simply stood there.
Yet the pressure radiating from him was terrifying.
Chang Lian's expression changed drastically.
The man before him possessed an aura several times stronger than his own.
Chang Lian's Combat Level was only 285.
Huo Jun, the personal butler of Meng Qiuqiu, possessed an astonishing Combat Level of 358.
The Meng Family's wealth far surpassed that of the current Beitang Royal Family.
Naturally...
The experts they employed were stronger than even the royal guards serving Beitang Qiushui.
Chang Lian couldn't understand it.
Zhao Mu was merely a commoner.
Why were so many powerful experts protecting him?
Without hesitation, he turned around, hoping to escape another way.
If he couldn't win...
At least he might survive.
But the moment he turned...
His heart sank once again.
Two more figures slowly stepped forward.
One wore the same black combat suit as Huo Jun.
The other wore a dark green military uniform.
At the same time...
The two experts who had been hidden inside the darkness also emerged.
Five powerful Spirit Power Users completely surrounded Chang Lian.
None of them were weaker than he was.
After receiving Zhao Mu's first-grade Ultimate Jinhai, Gu Ningyuan had honored his promise.
He had personally invited three lieutenant officers from the military to assist.
Five experts against one.
There was no intention of allowing even the slightest chance of escape.
One of the officers, a gaunt-faced man with hawk-like eyes, shouted coldly,
"You dared assassinate a Qingfeng Camp cadet?"
"You're courting death!"
Huo Jun calmly adjusted his glasses.
"Enough talking."
"Kill him."
"Don't give him the chance to speak."
That had been Zhao Mu's explicit order.
The assassin had to die before revealing his identity.
If Chang Lian exposed himself as one of Beitang Qiushui's guards...
The consequences would become far more troublesome.
In reality...
Chang Lian had no intention of exposing his master.
Even as death approached, he understood that this mission could never be connected to the Beitang Royal Family.
Still...
His face had turned deathly pale.
Even now, he couldn't understand how everything had gone so terribly wrong.
---
Several streets away...
Hidden inside Meng Qiuqiu's luxurious car...
Zhao Mu quietly watched everything unfold through a pair of binoculars.
"The rat hiding in the sewer has finally been caught."
Meng Qiuqiu chuckled.
"Aren't you going over there?"
"Normally, this is the part where the victor appears to celebrate."
"With Huo Jun and the others protecting you, you're perfectly safe."
Zhao Mu shook his head without hesitation.
"Caution is the parent of safety."
"I only trust dead enemies."
"A corpse is the safest opponent."
He immediately picked up the walkie-talkie.
"I only want him dead."
"Don't leave him alive."
The five experts responded instantly.
Without exchanging another word...
They attacked simultaneously.
Chang Lian had no choice but to fight with everything he had.
His strength was indeed impressive.
Although his Combat Level of 285 was lower than everyone else's—excluding Meng Qiuqiu's personal bodyguard—his combat techniques, forged in Iron Ridge City, were exceptionally refined.
Unfortunately...
No matter how capable a lone warrior was...
He couldn't defeat five opponents attacking from every direction.
The outcome had been decided from the very beginning.
Less than a minute later...
Huo Jun pierced Chang Lian's chest with his iron-like hand.
He crushed the assassin's heart in one merciless motion.
Chang Lian died without uttering a single word.
He understood that if the Beitang Royal Family became implicated...
His entire family would likely be exterminated.
Only after confirming his death did Zhao Mu and Meng Qiuqiu finally step out of the car.
The battle had created quite a disturbance.
Fortunately...
Zhao Mu lived in a remote area, and very few people had noticed.
Looking down at Chang Lian's body, Zhao Mu respectfully cupped his fists toward the five experts.
"Thank you all for helping me eliminate such a dangerous threat."
"If there's ever anything Zhao Mu can do for you in the future..."
"Please don't hesitate to ask."
Three of the men belonged to the Lujiang City Military Preparatory Force.
Although they had accepted Gu Ningyuan's request as a favor...
Zhao Mu genuinely hoped to establish a good relationship with them.
The three officers smiled.
Gu Ningyuan had already explained Zhao Mu's true value.
He was a First-Grade Jinhai Master.
Not only that...
He could craft First-Grade Ultimate Jinhai.
Although they had little immediate need for such items...
No one doubted Zhao Mu's future potential.
Building goodwill with someone like him was a worthwhile investment.
One of the officers laughed.
"Don't be so formal."
"Qingfeng Camp and the military are one family."
"Anyone who dares assassinate one of our cadets deserves to die."
Zhao Mu nodded gratefully.
"I have one request."
"Please don't publicize tonight's events."
"It could create unnecessary trouble."
The five men naturally agreed.
After all...
They were only here to help.
There was no reason to complicate matters further.
With the battle over, Zhao Mu thanked everyone once again.
As for Chang Lian's body...
It was handed over to Huo Jun.
As the trusted butler of the Meng Family, dealing with matters like this was simply part of his job.
________________________________________
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