CHAPTER 5: THE UNDERCURRENT

1. THE BREATH OF THE HIDDEN ONE

The night in the city remained deep and boundless, like a vortex swallowing all sounds. Flickering neon lights reflected off the rain puddles, creating distorted fragments of light on the pavement.

Xuan Xingli stood still, her jet-black hair tinged with cold mist, her crimson eyes glowing like a blood moon. The bodies that had fallen before her had yet to cool, but the silence did not last long.

Far away, someone was watching.

Not just ordinary figures lurking in the shadows, but something sharper—like a concealed blade hiding within the wind.

Someone is observing.

Xingli tilted her head slightly. Her fingers lightly traced the black silk ribbon wrapped around her wrist, feeling each delicate thread. She did not rush, did not display vigilance, but all her senses were already prepared.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air. Something sliced through the wind at an inhuman speed, too fast for ordinary eyes to catch.

Xingli simply shifted her stance.

A short blade embedded itself into the ground exactly where she had stood just a moment ago, its edge quivering, reflecting a cold glint of light.

Testing me?

She chuckled softly, her red lips curving into an amused smirk.

"How boring."

2. A MEETING IN THE DARK

From above, a figure descended soundlessly, as light as mist.

Golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. The man wore a fitted combat suit, every movement fluid and precise, like a predator assessing its prey.

"Your reaction speed isn't bad," he said in a steady voice. "But that doesn't mean you'll walk away from this."

Xingli did not reply. She merely tilted her head, as if debating whether to take this seriously.

"The Bloodstone in your possession," he continued, his gaze locking onto her. "I need it."

A gust of wind rustled the black silk ribbon around her wrist. Xingli narrowed her eyes slightly, a glint of amusement flickering within.

"Is that so?"

A silent pressure radiated from her. It was not aggressive, not overbearing, but it felt like a bottomless abyss—one that could devour anyone who dared step too close.

The assassin's expression barely shifted, but for a fraction of a second, something flickered in his eyes.

"...It seems I underestimated you."

3. THE BLOODSTONE AWAKENS

No further words were exchanged. The silence stretched across a few heartbeats.

Then, like lightning splitting the night sky, they moved.

The assassin was impossibly fast, his blade slicing through the air with lethal precision.

Xingli did not retreat.

She merely leaned aside, letting the blade skim past her by the width of a hair. At that moment, a crimson light flickered in her eyes.

The Bloodstone had awakened.

The assassin felt an unnatural chill creep up his spine. In that instant, he found himself staring into her crimson gaze—a world of chaos, a void without light, without escape.

A sharp impact rang through the air.

He was flung backward, tumbling across the pavement before coming to a stop. A deep gash ran along his arm, blood dripping onto the ground in steady droplets.

He clenched his teeth.

Xingli still stood where she had been, her black-and-silver cloak untouched, unshaken.

"You…" He exhaled sharply, gripping his wound. "What… are you?"

She did not answer.

Only the glow in her crimson eyes deepened.

4. A SHIFT IN THE WIND

The assassin said nothing more. He knew this battle would not end in his favor.

With a gust of wind, he instantly retreated, his figure vanishing into the night as if he had never been there.

Xingli did not pursue.

She merely stood there, listening to the faint sounds hidden within the wind.

From above, a lazy voice called out.

"Another rat, huh?"

Luo Chenxi sat perched on a rooftop railing, her long legs swaying lightly in the air. Her violet eyes shimmered with an unreadable glow, as if she had foreseen everything from the beginning.

"Xingli, you're attracting more and more trouble."

Xingli didn't respond. She simply arched a brow at her.

Chenxi smirked, though something in that smile remained enigmatic.

"I think it's about time this night changes."

A cold wind swept through.

Xingli slowly closed her eyes.

Yes.

Everything… was only just beginning.