The Vanished Voices

Amidst the sudden silence within the Lin family mansion, all the lights that once shone brightly were abruptly extinguished. The surrounding atmosphere was shrouded in an eerie darkness and unsettling quiet.

In the midst of the darkness, the soft sound of a young woman's sobbing could be heard. "Brother Mu... I'm scared," she whispered as she clung tightly to a young man named Mu Yang, her body trembling with fear.

Mu Yang gently stroked her head, trying to comfort her with a soothing voice. "It's okay. I'm here. You'll be safe," he said, holding her even tighter, his eyes filled with warmth.

But suddenly, a voice echoed within Mu Yang's mind. "Boy, run now!"

Startled by the voice in his head, Mu Yang froze, looking around in confusion. He saw nothing and sensed no danger. Yet, the voice grew more urgent.

"Hurry! Run now!"

Realizing something was terribly wrong, Mu Yang quickly tightened his grip on the girl. With his free hand, he pulled out a teleportation talisman, gripping it tightly without hesitation.

"Hold on to me," Mu Yang whispered, and before the young woman could ask any questions, he activated the talisman.

In an instant, both Mu Yang and the young woman vanished from the scene.

...

Meanwhile, outside the Lin family mansion, where the banquet had been lively and filled with conversations and laughter, the joyous sounds vanished. The guests who had once been noisy were now silent, as though their voices had disappeared into thin air.

No one knew where the sounds had gone or what had happened to the guests who had been there moments before.

All that remained was an overwhelming silence, accompanied by the faint scent of something metallic—like blood—lingering in the air.

...

When Mu Yang and the young woman reappeared in a distant continent far from the Star Continent, the young woman was breathing heavily, still shaken from the sudden events. "Brother Mu... what just happened?"

Mu Yang remained silent, his mind racing with questions. He didn't understand why the voice in his head had urged him to flee, but he knew something terrifying had taken place in that city.

"We're safe now, but I'm not sure what happened... As for your engagement with the Lin family's young master, I'll take you to meet him again later," Mu Yang replied, his expression tense as he surveyed their new surroundings.

The young woman's voice brightened, "Thank you, Brother Mu…" And with that, they headed toward the nearest city.

"Master, what was that?" Mu Yang asked within his mind.

The voice within replied casually, "A massacre. Don't concern yourself with it." Mu Yang was momentarily shocked but kept his thoughts to himself.

...

In a secret room hidden deep within the Lin family mansion, the city lords and nobles had gathered. Today was not just the birthday of the Lin family's eldest son, but also the day of a secret meeting. The faces of those present were filled with anxiety. The atmosphere was heavy and tense. One man among them spoke in a trembling voice.

"What should we do? I'm truly worried about Emperor Li Huang's forces."

Another man sitting beside him responded, "Let's wait and see. There's no way that puppet emperor has forces that powerful. He's just bluffing."

A third city lord spoke up hesitantly, "Maybe we should seek refuge with General Wei in the eastern region. He has an army large enough to protect us."

Another voice countered, "No, no, I think we should escape to the White Feather Kingdom. It's safer there. If we sell the secrets of the Heavenly Flame Empire, we could—"

The arguing grew louder as the city lords and nobles debated, their opinions divided, with no clear solution in sight. Amidst the chaos, one man who had remained silent noticed that the head of the Lin family had stayed calm throughout, quietly sipping his tea without concern for the events unfolding around him.

The city lord turned to the Lin family head and asked, "Master Lin... Do you have any advice for us?"

The head of the Lin family set his tea cup down slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Advice won't help now... because we're already surrounded."

His words caused the entire room to fall silent. The city lords and nobles' faces paled instantly. "W-What?"

Suddenly, without warning, the heads of the city lords and nobles in the room were severed, their bodies collapsing to the ground, lifeless. Blood splattered across the room, yet not a single scream escaped their lips.

The head of the Lin family remained seated, calmly drinking his tea. His gaze remained unperturbed, as if the entire massacre was nothing but a trivial matter. "That brat really hid it well... I doubt even the previous emperor knew about this."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark shadow moved swiftly through the room, and the Lin family head's head was swiftly severed from his body. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the tea cup he had been holding shattered as it hit the floor, his body slumping lifelessly.

The room fell into complete silence, now drenched in blood, with the corpses of the nobles, city lords, and the Lin family head strewn about. The Shadow Secret Unit, having carried out the entire operation flawlessly, disappeared into the darkness, leaving no trace—only death and terror in their wake.