Infiltrator

(TN: 3rd chapter today, please send power stones ^^)

Rumble ——

The colossal black steel gates rumbled open, their weighty groan echoing into the distance. Beyond them lay an endless night sky, draped like an eternal curtain, and a vast, desolate wilderness stretching beyond sight.

From the shadow of the gate, a lone figure emerged.

Liu Ping.

Standing still He closed his eyes as the fading sunlight bathed his body. His face softened into an expression of serene enjoyment.

As the sun was sinking, its golden rays cast a warm glow across the small town. A gentle breeze carried with it a soothing warmth, a reminder of life's vitality.

"The wind is full of life... being alive is good. Death... death leaves nothing."

Taking a deep breath and savoring the moment, He then stepped forward, striding confidently toward the small town.

The massive steel gates behind him groaned once more, slamming shut with an earth-shaking finality.

The gates marked a boundary. On one side lay the town, bathed in the waning light of the setting sun. On the other, an endless wilderness consumed by the darkness of night.

The night's darkness was part of Evernight, alive and restless, roiling like a living tide. It surged forward, pushing against the edge of the fading daylight, eager for the sun to fully vanish so it could swallow the town whole.

The light was dimming. Darkness was ready to claim everything.

From afar, a voice rang out, cutting through his thoughts:

"Did you return from the World of Death? Have you brought back anything interesting?"

A voice echoed from afar, its source unseen.

A man wearing rugged, cross-country clothing stepped forward, holding a bottle of liquor in his hand. He stood at the entrance of Dark Mist Town, seemingly preparing to enter.

Liu Ping paused in his steps and asked, "Who are you?"

The man replied with a faint smile, "I'm a bartender from Iron Frost Town, here to catch up with your bartender."

— Another bartender.

Liu Ping was about to respond when he noticed lines of glowing texts appear above the man's head:

[Monster, Skin Walker (Imprisoned).]

[Strength: Rejuvenation.]

[Explanation: In the World of the Living, it is bound to this body, unable to fully wield its power.]

[When night falls, it regains its freedom.]

Liu Ping's gaze flickered briefly, but his expression remained calm. He said, "Ah, I see. I have always gotten along well with bartenders. Care to join me for a drink?"

The so-called bartender let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha, you must be a Night's Watchman. Let's look for him together."

"No, you've got it wrong—I'm actually a Scavenger," Liu Ping corrected. Then, as though remembering something, he asked suddenly, "What was it you asked me earlier?"

"I asked how your harvest went," the bartender replied.

Liu Ping smirked. "This time, I acquired some interesting things from the World of Death. I was thinking of trading them for supplies. Interested?"

The bartender's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "What do you have?"

Without hesitation, Liu Ping pulled out a bundle of talismans and tossed them casually to the man.

The bartender caught the bundle and examined it closely, pulling out a few to scrutinize. Finally, he shook his head with a laugh and said, "These are just Blank Talismans. They're worthless."

"Really? What a shame." Liu Ping sighed, feigning regret. He brushed past the bartender, heading into the small town without a backward glance.

"Hey, wait! I'll come in with you," the bartender called out.

"I'll let him know you're here," Liu Ping replied over his shoulder. "But you'll need to wait a moment—he's sleeping. I'll wake him up to meet you."

The bartender frowned, still holding the talismans. "But these talismans—"

"Since they have no value, consider them a gift," Liu Ping said casually, waving his hand dismissively.

Without waiting for a response, he strode confidently toward the town.

As he passed by the ruins near the wall, his pace slowed slightly. Liu Ping's fingers moved deftly, forming a secret sign.

With a low, almost inaudible voice, he muttered, "Explode."

A deafening explosion echoed from the town's entrance, sending shockwaves through the air. The violent blast formed a hurricane-like gust that blew for several moments before subsiding.

Liu Ping, now clad in battle armor, unsheathed his blade and charged toward the entrance.

What greeted him was utter devastation. The entire gate had been obliterated, leaving nothing but rubble where it once stood. The area where the bartender had stood was now a massive crater.

In the center of the pit lay a motionless corpse, drenched in blood, with an arm and leg missing. No signs of life emanated from the body.

Before approaching further, Liu Ping paused, pulling out several Shady Talismans and tossing them into the crater. Covering his ears, he retreated quickly.

Bang!

Dust and debris erupted from the pit once again. The body remained motionless, though its lower half had been obliterated by the blast.

Not taking chances, Liu Ping approached cautiously, threw more talismans into the hole, and ran back.

Bang!

Again, he returned, repeating the same process, talismans in hand, tossing and retreating.

Bang!

He continued this method, one explosion after another, until the tally reached 6 blasts. Finally, he stood over the pit, peering into the aftermath.

At the center of the destruction, only the bartender's head remained intact.

Liu Ping lowered his hands from his ears, shook his head, and let out a sigh of admiration.

"Still intact? You truly are tenacious..." he muttered, impressed.

Reaching for his Snow Shadow Blade, Liu Ping prepared to finish what he had started.

The head, realizing its grim fate, understood at last that the opportunity it had been waiting for would never come.

The head opened its eyes, its hatred burning as it glared at Liu Ping. It spoke with a venomous tone, the remnants of its voice tinged with anger and disbelief.

"How did you discover me? I clearly died earlier. Why didn't you approach me then?"

Liu Ping remained silent, his expression calm but resolute. Without a word, he lifted his long blade upright before his body.

Buzz——

The blade vibrated in his hands, emitting a low hum that seemed to resonate with the air around them.

Before the head could react, an invisible slash of blade glow descended upon it.

Boom!

The head at the pit's bottom exploded instantly, shredded into countless fragments by the unseen force. The shards disintegrated further into fine, ashen dust, floating gently to the ground.

Liu Ping had unleashed his Secret Blade Art: Void Severing Slash—a foundational but deadly Blade Art Secret Skill he had refined.

This skill, forgotten through the ages, had resurfaced under Liu Ping's mastery. After countless hours of training and perfecting its intricacies, it had once again revealed its terrifying potential to the world.

Liu Ping gazed into the pit, now filled only with dust and debris.

"That many talismans... all gone in a flash," he muttered with a pang of regret, his heart aching slightly. "I spent good money on those..."

But his face quickly regained composure. There was no other choice.

His opponent had been at the Rejuvenation Stage—a realm so far above his own that a single move from the enemy's arsenal could have ended him instantly.

If the 'bartender' even had the slightest chance to use his abilities, Liu Ping's chances of survival would have been nonexistent.

"I had no choice but to play dirty," Liu Ping sighed, sheathing his blade as he surveyed the wreckage. His steps turned toward the town, the distant horizon already darkening as the Eternal Night encroached.

Liu Ping stood amidst the remnants of the battle, his expression calm but his mind racing. The monster, a sly and shadowy form, had finally been vanquished without him suffering any injuries. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least he'd managed to come out unscathed—and even secure a small victory.

This was thanks to his skill, Legendary Observer, an ability that allowed him to discern the true nature of things. Without it, if he had stood watch with that monster, he might not have had the slightest chance and would have been devoured.

From a distance, voices carried over from the small town.

"What happened?"

"Liu Ping, are you okay?"

"Who was the enemy?"

Several Night Keepers had arrived, their footsteps swift and purposeful.

...

"Cultivation World experienced an extremely terrifying Skyfall, but it's already over," Liu Ping replied tersely.

He noticed the disappointment etched on the faces of the newcomers.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Pity we weren't here. You don't understand what we've missed," said Old K with a sigh.

"During a Skyfall, treasures rain from above. Just by being in the right place, you could casually grab a few and strike it rich," another added, shaking his head regretfully.

Liu Ping lowered his head slightly, hiding the wry smile that crept onto his face.

Rich? Are you serious?

He thought back to the battle against the monster—a creature so formidable that even seasoned cultivators wouldn't have stood a chance against it.

If not for sheer caution and his decisive use of talismans, that encounter might have ended very differently. He chuckled inwardly. These people were chasing treasures, unaware that what had dropped was a nightmare they couldn't hope to handle.

For now, Liu Ping kept his thoughts to himself, silently walking past the Nights watchmen and heading deeper into the town, where the shadows of the Eternal Night began to stretch long and ominous.

Liu Ping shrugged casually. "Striking rich... well, we'll just go out and pick some treasures in the evening, right?"

Karadur sighed, rubbing his temples. "In the evening? By then, those cultivators will have already scavenged everything worth taking."

The bartender leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Liu Ping, how reliable is this information you mentioned earlier?"

"It's reliable," Liu Ping replied confidently.

He carefully chose his words, sharing only the parts of his encounter in the World of Death that wouldn't raise suspicion.

The bartender clenched his fist and slammed it against the table. "Damn it...! Those Iron Frost Town folks should've been at the forefront of using this information! Instead, they got wiped out, letting a monster skin them and seize their bodies?"

His voice was tense, his frustration evident.

Liu Ping leaned back, his voice calm. "Perhaps the Skyfall caused some kind of shift, dragging Iron Frost Town into destruction."

He paused, reflecting on his own harrowing experience. Even someone as experienced in Cultivation World as himself had barely survived his encounter with Crimson Lord and the Gold Core monster. If not for the intervention of Crimson Lord in the end, defeating that Judge's attendant might have been impossible.

He couldn't help but shiver at the thought.

"Frankly, most others wouldn't have stood a chance," he muttered to himself.

The bartender sighed deeply, his earlier outburst now fading into resignation. "If that's the case, it's no fault of ours. We got caught up in the aftermath too. The higher-ups will investigate and understand the situation. With any luck, they'll assign us more resources to compensate."

"You think so?" Liu Ping asked skeptically.

"They have to," the bartender said firmly. "Otherwise, who'd dare take assignments in border towns like this in the future?"

Old K broke the momentary silence. "So... about that Iron Frost Town bartender earlier..."

"He can't be resurrected," the bartender interrupted, his tone somber. "His soul was taken by the monster. He's beyond saving."

The group fell into a heavy silence.

Against Evernight, death was often a blessing in disguise, a merciful escape from fates far worse.

Liu Ping turned to Karadir, breaking the quiet. "What about your side? Any news?"

Karadir gave a wry smile. "Nothing serious, but we still haven't figured out why the monsters went berserk."

He paused, then smirked slightly. "By the way, how did you figure out that fellow was a monster?"

Liu Ping smiled faintly. "Its words didn't line up. It wasn't human."

He glanced at the spot where the supposed bartender had been obliterated.

Suddenly, the sound of bells rang out:

Dāng—dāng—dāng—

The group instinctively looked toward the outskirts of the small town.

The sunlight was almost gone, fading into faint streaks of gold and orange on the horizon.

In the wilderness beyond, Darkness was creeping closer, swirling like a living thing, eager to consume all in its path.

Night had come.