Chapter 14

The candlelight flickered against the damp stone walls of the hideout.

Shen Tian studied Mei Lan carefully.

She was composed. Amused, even.

But there was something in her gaze—an edge, sharp and unreadable.

She knew more than she was letting on.

Jiang Hao leaned forward. "Tell us what you know."

Mei Lan tilted her head, lips curving slightly. "That depends."

Jiang Hao frowned. "On what?"

Mei Lan met Shen Tian's gaze directly. "On whether or not you're worth backing."

Shen Tian remained still. "You came here. That means you already decided."

A flicker of amusement crossed her face. "Clever."

She leaned back, crossing her legs. "House Zhao isn't moving alone."

Jiang Hao stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Mei Lan tapped her fingers against the table. "They've aligned with an external force. Someone powerful. Someone with an interest in eliminating you, Shen Tian."

Shen Tian's expression remained unreadable. "Who?"

Mei Lan's smile sharpened. "The Black Moon Syndicate."

Silence.

Then, Jiang Hao swore under his breath.

"This just got worse."

The Black Moon Syndicate—a name that carried weight in the underworld.

They weren't simple thugs.

They were something far worse.

A network of assassins, mercenaries, and smugglers that extended beyond the slums—beyond Broken Sky City itself.

And they did not take contracts lightly.

Shen Tian exhaled. "They've sent someone already."

Mei Lan nodded. "The masked warrior."

Jiang Hao scowled. "He wasn't even trying to kill you. That means he was just the first."

Shen Tian's grip tightened. "Who else?"

Mei Lan's expression darkened slightly. "A man named Wei Fang."

Jiang Hao inhaled sharply.

"…I know that name."

Shen Tian glanced at him. "Tell me."

Jiang Hao hesitated. "He's… an executioner. The kind who doesn't fail."

Mei Lan nodded. "House Zhao isn't playing games anymore. They've paid a high price for his services. That means they want this done—permanently."

Shen Tian considered her words carefully.

Wei Fang.

An executioner.

Not an ordinary threat.

This… was different.

This wasn't just another street brawl.

It was a battle for survival.

And Shen Tian was running out of time.

Jiang Hao clenched his jaw. "We can't fight him head-on."

"No," Shen Tian agreed. "We can't."

Mei Lan raised an eyebrow. "Then what's your plan?"

Shen Tian was silent for a moment.

Then, his lips curled into a faint smile.

"We don't fight him at all."

Jiang Hao blinked. "What?"

Mei Lan's eyes gleamed with interest. "Go on."

Shen Tian leaned forward. "Wei Fang is coming for me. That means he has to find me first."

Jiang Hao frowned. "He will."

Shen Tian nodded. "But what if we choose where and when?"

Mei Lan smirked. "You want to turn the hunter into the hunted."

Shen Tian's voice was steady. "Exactly."

The plan was simple in theory.

Lure Wei Fang into an environment where Shen Tian controlled the battlefield.

A place where brute force alone wouldn't be enough.

And then—

Exploit his weaknesses.

But for that to work…

They needed the perfect location.

Jiang Hao was the first to speak. "The abandoned shrine."

Shen Tian considered it.

Deep within the slums. Forgotten.

A place riddled with collapsed structures, hidden tunnels, and shadows deep enough to swallow a man whole.

It was perfect.

Mei Lan seemed impressed. "Risky. But effective."

Shen Tian nodded. "Then it's decided."

The preparations took two nights.

They mapped the shrine's ruins. Marked weak points. Prepared escape routes.

Jiang Hao scouted the streets, gathering whispers of Wei Fang's movements.

And Shen Tian…

Shen Tian trained.

Every night.

Every moment.

His Phantom Veins Sutra sharpened. His instincts honed.

He wasn't ready.

Not yet.

But he would be.

Then, on the third night…

Wei Fang arrived.

The air felt heavier.

A presence—not just strong, but overwhelming.

Shen Tian watched from the shadows of the shrine.

Wei Fang stood at the entrance.

A towering figure clad in dark robes, a massive sword strapped to his back.

His expression was unreadable.

But his aura—

It was suffocating.

A predator in human form.

And he was here for one purpose.

To kill.

Jiang Hao tensed beside Shen Tian. "This is insane."

Shen Tian's voice was calm. "It will work."

Mei Lan watched from a higher vantage point. "Only if you survive."

Shen Tian exhaled.

There was no room for hesitation now.

This was the moment.

The trap was set.

And Wei Fang had walked straight into it.

The battle began in an instant.

Wei Fang moved with terrifying speed, his sword cleaving through stone as if it were paper.

Shen Tian barely avoided the first strike.

The force shattered the ground beneath him.

Too strong.

Shen Tian didn't engage directly. He retreated—vanishing into the shrine's ruins.

Wei Fang followed.

Step by step.

The game had begun.

Shen Tian weaved through the ruins, using every advantage the terrain provided.

Wei Fang was powerful. But power meant nothing—if it couldn't reach its target.

Stone pillars collapsed. Dust filled the air.

Every missed strike chipped away at Wei Fang's control.

And Shen Tian…

Waited for the right moment.

It came when Wei Fang hesitated.

Just for a breath.

Shen Tian struck.

A precise attack—targeting the tendons in Wei Fang's arm.

Not a fatal blow.

But a crippling one.

Wei Fang grunted. His grip faltered.

And in that instant—

Shen Tian disappeared into the shadows again.

Mei Lan watched from above, eyes gleaming. "Interesting…"

Jiang Hao exhaled in relief. "He's actually doing it."

But the fight wasn't over.

Wei Fang growled, his aura surging.

He wasn't done yet.

And now…

He was angry.

Shen Tian steadied his breath.

One mistake.

One wrong step.

And this battle would end in his death.

But he wasn't afraid.

He had survived a thousand lifetimes.

He would survive this one too.

The hunt continued.

And only one of them would walk away alive.