11: Dance of Blades

Chapter 11: Dance of Blades

The night was thick with tension.

The last assassin, the one who had identified me as Ye Qing, stood before me with a confident smirk. His grip on his curved blade was relaxed, but his stance was that of a man who had never lost a fight.

"You're stronger than I expected," he said, his voice calm yet filled with amusement. "But that's not enough."

Xiao Rin stood beside me, her dagger still dripping with the blood of the assassins we had already dealt with. She tilted her head, studying the man.

"You know who he is," she said, amusement dancing in her eyes. "So tell me… why do you think you'll live long enough to report it?"

The assassin's smirk widened.

"Because I'm not like the others."

Then, he vanished.

A Battle of Speed

I reacted instantly.

Shadow Step!

My body blurred as I dodged to the side, just in time for his blade to slice through the air where my neck had been.

Xiao Rin flipped backward, narrowly avoiding a second attack as the assassin struck in multiple directions at once, moving so fast he left afterimages.

Ding!

[Opponent Identified: Ji Xuan – "Phantom Blade" of the Silent Blades Sect]

Rank: Mid-Earth Realm Assassin

Fighting Style: Extreme speed, illusionary attacks, unpredictable movement

Weakness: High-speed techniques cause temporary moments of imbalance

I tightened my grip on my Hidden Blade.

Speed? Fine.

Let's see whose was faster.

Blades in the Night

Ji Xuan came at me again, his blade moving at speeds that most cultivators couldn't even see.

But I had Instant Reflex.

Ding!

[Skill Activated: Instant Reflex (Lv.2)]

Reaction Speed Increased by 0.3 seconds

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

I parried the first strike, twisting my body to avoid the second, then lashed out with my Hidden Blade.

He vanished again—but this time, I followed.

Shadow Step!

Our blades clashed in midair, sparks flying as we twisted and spun, both of us moving faster than normal eyes could track.

But his footwork was still superior.

His blade slipped past my defense, slicing into my shoulder. Pain flared, but I didn't slow down.

I countered with a low sweep, forcing him to jump.

That was his mistake.

I activated Silent Execution, disappearing into the darkness.

For the first time, Ji Xuan hesitated.

And that was all I needed.

I reappeared behind him, my blade already swinging.

The Turning Point

Ji Xuan barely dodged, but I had anticipated his movement.

My Hidden Blade sliced into his ribs.

Blood sprayed across the forest floor.

He gasped, stumbling back, his face no longer mocking.

"You…" he muttered, pressing a hand against his wound. "You weren't supposed to be this strong."

I wiped the blood off my blade. "Bad intelligence will get you killed."

Ji Xuan gritted his teeth. Then, to my surprise, he laughed.

"Heh… I see now why Wu Jian wanted you dead so badly."

I stepped forward. "Then tell me—why? Why does he fear me so much?"

Ji Xuan smirked, but his eyes held pain.

"You think I'll talk?" he said, coughing. "I was dead the moment I failed."

I tensed.

Before I could react, he reached into his robes and crushed something in his hand.

A sudden black mist erupted from his body.

Poison gas.

I immediately held my breath, jumping back as the mist spread.

By the time it cleared, Ji Xuan was lying on the ground, lifeless.

I cursed.

Another dead lead.

Xiao Rin's Observation

Xiao Rin, who had been watching the fight with mild interest, finally walked forward, crouching beside Ji Xuan's corpse.

"That was a stupid way to die," she mused.

I exhaled, still irritated. "They'd rather kill themselves than be captured. Wu Jian has them trained well."

She glanced at me. "You're not satisfied, are you?"

I shook my head. "He confirmed that Wu Jian fears me, but I still don't know why."

Xiao Rin stood, dusting off her robes. "Well, you'll just have to get closer to him to find out."

I frowned. "You're still enjoying this, aren't you?"

She smirked. "Of course."

Unwanted Attention

As we were about to leave, I felt a presence approaching.

Xiao Rin reacted at the same time as I did, both of us shifting into defensive stances.

Moments later, a group of Seventh Division disciples arrived at the scene.

Zhao Teng was at the front. His gaze swept across the dead bodies, then locked onto me.

His expression was unreadable. "You were supposed to kill the Wudang courier, not fight our own men."

I wiped my blade clean. "Funny. I don't recall being informed that our 'own men' would be trying to kill me."

Zhao Teng sighed. "You passed the test, Jiang Feng."

I narrowed my eyes. "Test?"

Zhao Teng crossed his arms. "Qiu Hong wanted to see if you were truly worth keeping. Ji Xuan's orders were to kill you only if you failed to meet expectations."

So that was it.

If I had lost that fight, they would have just let me die.

If I won? Then I had proven myself too valuable to discard.

I clenched my fists.

These people played games with lives like pieces on a chessboard.

"Qiu Hong wants to see you," Zhao Teng continued. "He's pleased with your performance."

I exhaled slowly.

So… I was officially part of the Seventh Division now.

And one step closer to Wu Jian.

Later That Night

After the battle, Xiao Rin and I returned to our temporary lodgings.

As I tended to my wound, she leaned against the window, watching the moon.

"You really plan to keep playing this game?" she asked.

I wrapped the bandage around my shoulder. "I don't have a choice."

She turned toward me, her expression unreadable. "You could still run."

I smirked. "You know that's not happening."

She chuckled softly. "No, I suppose not."

There was a moment of silence between us.

Then she said something unexpected.

"You were impressive tonight," she admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?"

She smirked. "Don't let it go to your head."

I chuckled. "Noted."

Then, more seriously, I asked, "So what about you? You've been watching from the sidelines, but what's your goal in all this?"

Xiao Rin's playful expression faded slightly.

She hesitated.

Then, finally, she said, "I have my own reasons for staying close to Wu Jian."

I frowned. "Revenge?"

She didn't answer.

Instead, she simply looked at me and said, "Get some rest, Ye Qing. The real game is only just beginning."

Then, just like always, she vanished into the night.

I sighed, leaning back.

The deeper I went into this, the clearer it became—this wasn't just about survival anymore.

This was about who truly controlled the Demonic Cult.

And I intended to find out.

No matter what.