CHAPTER 4: SHADOWS ON THE ROOFTOPS

1. SOMEONE IS WATCHING

The rain from the previous night had yet to fully dry, and tonight, the sky was once again shrouded in darkness. The flickering neon lights from afar cast their glow onto the dust-covered facades of old buildings, painting a scene both enchanting and desolate.

Xuan Xingli walked quietly along the sidewalk, the hem of her black-and-silver cloak fluttering slightly in the cold night breeze. The black silk ribbon wrapped around her wrist swayed gently with each step. Without turning her head, she knew someone was following her.

That shadow moved cautiously, each step blending seamlessly into the ambient noise of the city night. There was no killing intent, yet its presence was something she could not ignore.

Why me?

She asked herself, then answered.

Because they are looking for me.

Her ruby-red eyes reflected the pulsing glow of an electronic billboard. Xuan Xingli halted beneath a dimly lit advertisement, reaching up to touch the hidden hairpin beneath her cloak.

Then, a scream tore through the night.

From above, a figure plummeted to the ground, convulsing in a pool of thick, dark blood. The sudden silence that followed was deafening.

Xuan Xingli tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting upward. In the darkness, shadows moved along the rooftops like predators stalking their prey.

They had arrived.

2. MOVING SHADOWS

A chilling aura, like a rising abyss, seeped into the air, bringing with it the breath of the unknown. Xuan Xingli narrowed her eyes, her hand lightly resting on her cloak, ready to act.

Suddenly, a figure descended from above at an inhuman speed. Razor-sharp claws gleamed in the darkness, aiming directly at her like the scythe of death.

But before they could strike, a violet ribbon flickered in the night.

"Step back." A voice, soft as a whisper yet carrying an undeniable weight, cut through the air.

Luo Chenxi.

A wave of coldness spread as she appeared, as if the very space around her had frozen over. Her deep violet eyes swept over the attacker, and an invisible force caused the figure to freeze midair, unable to move.

Xuan Xingli remained still, watching silently.

"Run." Luo Chenxi's voice was just as calm as before. "These are not foes you want to face."

Xuan Xingli chuckled, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

"Do you think I fear them?"

Luo Chenxi did not reply. She simply placed her hand against the nearby wall. Small cracks began to spread, as if the surface was being eroded by some unseen force.

"I think you shouldn't waste your energy on mere trash." She lifted her chin slightly, a smirk playing on her lips. "I don't have time to watch you play."

Xuan Xingli smiled, but there was an icy sharpness in her gaze.

"Then let's see how fast I can finish this."

The moment her words fell, the shadows above leaped down simultaneously. The air was suddenly thick with the stench of death.

But just before they could touch the ground, a crimson light erupted in the night.

3. THE BLOODSTONE DANCE

The hairpin hidden in Xuan Xingli's hair trembled, releasing a faint glow. In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished from sight.

When she reappeared, one of the attackers had already been sliced across the throat, blood splattering against the wall behind him. The area around her was bathed in a crimson radiance, reflecting in her ruby-like eyes.

The second shadow lunged forward, claws slashing through the air. But the moment they reached her, its body stiffened.

"You're too slow."

A cold voice whispered in its ear. In that fleeting instant, it realized its meridians had been severed completely.

Xuan Xingli stood amidst the fallen corpses, her black-and-silver cloak untouched by a single drop of blood.

Across from her, Luo Chenxi observed silently.

"I told you not to waste your strength," she said slowly, her violet eyes gleaming with an unreadable light. "These were nothing but pawns. The true orchestrator has yet to reveal themselves."

Xuan Xingli shrugged, retracting the crimson glow around her. "Is that so? Then I'll wait for them to come."

In the cold night, a gust of wind carried with it the chilling presence of something far more terrifying than the mindless puppets that had just been slain.

The real battle was only beginning.