Chapter 214: Trapped in a Snare

The city walls stood tall, with sentries positioned every ten steps along the walkway. Dim oil lamps flickered in the night, casting a muted glow.

"The security is quite tight here," Ye Fan remarked, impressed by the scale of the defenses.

This city lord's mansion was far larger than any he had seen before. It almost felt like a palace.

Bai Li Changqing squinted his eyes as he observed the scene from a distance. Reclining on a nearby rooftop, hands resting behind his head, he appeared relaxed, as though waiting for the right moment.

Time passed slowly, but Bai Li Changqing remained patient.

Eventually, dark clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring the moonlight. The dim illumination from the moon vanished, plunging the night into deeper darkness.

Bai Li Changqing rose cautiously and palmed several small black beads.

Swoosh—

With a flick of his fingers, the beads flew through the air, striking the bodies of the guards patrolling the walls.

Bang—

As soon as the beads made contact, they exploded, releasing a cloud of white powder. The guards inhaled the powder, staggered briefly, and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The white powder spread further, causing more guards to fall before they even had a chance to react.

With all the sentries incapacitated, Bai Li Changqing whispered a brief chant before leaping over the walls. He swiftly vaulted over the barrier and into the city lord's compound.

The guards inside were as vigilant as those on the walls, something that gave Bai Li Changqing a moment's pause.

"This place is guarded like a royal palace," he thought with a hint of frustration.

Despite the heavy security, he moved silently, blending into the shadows as he darted toward the center of the compound, where Ye Liechang resided.

Before embarking on this mission, Bai Li Changqing had obtained a detailed map of the layout from a secret intelligence agency, so he knew the exact location of his target.

"This should be the place."

His sharp eyes fixed on the central building, his gaze narrowing. Though guards were posted outside, they too quickly succumbed to the powder as Bai Li Changqing repeated his tactic. With the area clear, he stealthily approached the building.

He carefully opened the door, cracking it just enough for his lithe form to slip through as if he were liquid.

"Impressive," Ye Fan muttered, surprised by the seamless way Bai Li entered.

Though the martial arts of this world allowed for extraordinary abilities, Bai Li's stealth still amazed him.

Inside, Bai Li Changqing's keen night vision allowed him to make out the figures of a man and a woman on a large bed. The man was undoubtedly Ye Liechang.

Bai Li narrowed his eyes, drawing closer, his footsteps utterly silent, as if he were a phantom in the night. Just as he reached the bedside, ready to strike—

Boom—

Suddenly, the candles in the room flared to life, illuminating the chamber. Bai Li Changqing's eyes widened slightly as he realized—

It was a trap!

Clang, clang, clang—

Iron bars fell from the ceiling, enclosing Bai Li Changqing within a cage.

"Ha ha ha!" Ye Liechang, who had been lying in bed, jumped up and laughed triumphantly.

"Bai Li Changqing, assassin of Falling Moon Pavilion, did you really think you could kill me with such pitiful skills?"

Ye Liechang's eyes gleamed as he stared at Bai Li, now trapped in the iron cage, laughing mockingly.

At that moment, soldiers flooded into the room, surrounding the cage.

"Ye Zhang, you were right. Bai Li Changqing really did come to assassinate me tonight," Ye Liechang laughed, glancing at Ye Zhang, who had just entered the room.

"Lord Ye, you are as wise as ever," Ye Zhang said with a smirk, his eyes locking onto Bai Li. "The so-called greatest assassin of the Falling Moon Pavilion is not so impressive after all."

"My lord, do you think this assassin is as ugly as they say?" the seductive woman by Ye Liechang's side teased, wrapping her arms around his.

"Are you being naughty again?" Ye Liechang chuckled.

"Not at all! I'm just curious if all assassins are ugly monsters," the woman giggled.

"I must admit, I'm curious too. They say high-level assassins like you can even alter your appearance." Ye Liechang's eyes narrowed as he inspected Bai Li Changqing.

Bai Li's black attire and the mask covering his face left his features hidden. As Ye Liechang's gaze lingered, Bai Li's eyes narrowed, and he moved.

Like water, his body flowed toward the narrow gap between the iron bars.

Bang—

But as soon as he touched the bars, a surge of electricity erupted from them, forcing Bai Li back.

"Ha! These aren't ordinary iron bars, assassin. They're made from special black iron and enhanced with my power. You won't escape," Ye Liechang sneered.

With a wave of his hand, the floor beneath them began to glow with purple light.

Domain of Lightning!

This was Ye Liechang's lightning domain.

Under his control, the iron bars surrounding Bai Li crackled with powerful electric currents. Even standing near the bars caused a painful tingling sensation from the electric discharge.

"Impressive setup," Ye Fan observed.

"But these bars, made from black iron or not, aren't too tough," he added. "Even these lightning currents are just a form of energy, not unbeatable."

"Let's see how long you last in that cage, assassin," Ye Liechang taunted. "You'll rot in there!"

"If this were the me from before, maybe this would be troublesome," Bai Li Changqing said, his eyes showing no fear.

"But now…"

Swoosh—

He drew his sword.