Shadows over Dingzhou

A solitary moon hung high in the sky. A few wisps of wind drifted quietly across the darkened earth.

Under the shroud of night, Dingzhou City shimmered in a pale, frosty glow. Lanterns glimmered like stars, lining streets and alleys, giving the grand capital of Yan Province a deceptive beauty—like a celestial marketplace. But where sunlight failed to reach, darkness grew rampant. And in that darkness, evil thrived.

The city's nocturnal prosperity was not born of virtue. Thievery, robbery, ambushes, gang wars, and even cold-blooded murder flourished in its alleys. Blood was quickly mopped up before it dried, and the robbed, stripped to their undergarments, were tossed unconscious into filthy gutters. Cold steel glinted in the shadows, illuminating twisted, feral faces.

Dingzhou—Yan Province's richest trade hub—lay only 120 li from the fortress of the Iron-Blooded Howling Sky Sect. It was overrun with gangs and factions. Lawlessness reigned. It was one of the Ten Infamous Cities of the Great Qin Empire.

Even the mighty Iron-Blooded Howling Sky Sect, hailed as the dominant righteous power north of the river, struggled to exert control here. In Dingzhou, no one could tell if the man beside you was a harmless peddler—or a butcher who painted the streets red by night.

By day, an old man selling roasted yams might transform into a ruthless assassin by nightfall. That frail beggar crouching on the roadside could be the head of a black-market syndicate. Even the delicate woman scrubbing clothes by the riverside might turn out to be a soul-siphoning demoness by moonlight.

Who knew the truth?

Most who ever found out were already dead.

The upcoming Martial Assembly, the grandest gathering in the Jianghu, was set to take place on the outskirts of Dingzhou, atop the scenic Tianping Mountain—the only idyllic landmark in all of North Jianghu.

The host? None other than Master Du Gongfu of Tianping Manor—renowned across the north as "Heaven's Artisan." His martial skills were unmatched, and his moral character even more so. Known as the most selfless man in the land, his reputation alone was enough to guarantee the Assembly's impartiality.

But as the date approached, the most wanted man in the martial world—Qin Ren, the infamous Third Young Master of the Qin Clan—was still at large.

Labeled the number one debauchee under heaven, accused of draining yin and stealing yang, preying on men and women alike, and bringing calamity upon the innocent—Qin Ren remained elusive.

No one knew his whereabouts. Some whispered he had fled back to the Xiaoyao Manor. Others swore he was hiding within the Iron-Blooded Fortress.

Both sects denied any involvement. Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan—their respective leaders—swore publicly that they had not seen Qin Ren. "If the heroes of the realm do not believe us," they declared, "our lands are open for inspection. We welcome your search."

But they added, with a sneer, "If you find nothing, and this turns out to be slander—then the price for that lie may be as small as a flogging, or as severe as the extermination of your entire clan."

No one dared test their patience. Though many righteous warriors believed they had justice on their side, few were willing to gamble their lives and families for it.

Meanwhile, in Zhenzhou—the provincial capital near the imperial city—a young man garbed in imperial yellow and embroidered with golden three-clawed dragons crushed a carrier pigeon in fury.

"Damn him! Qin Ren actually ditched Luo'er and fled! From her letter, it seems her seduction had no effect at all! I've lost a woman and three of my top ten fighters—what the hell have I gained?!"

A figure stood beside him, cloaked entirely in shadow. He was shrouded in misty black fog, his face and form blurred beyond recognition. His voice drifted like a whisper from the underworld: "There is no need for anger, Grand Proprietor. Qin Ren's lust is innate. Even if he's gone into hiding, he'll return for Luo'er eventually. A woman of her caliber—how could he resist?"

The young man—called Grand Proprietor—exhaled deeply. "But, Revered One, your scheme ruined him. His name is mud. He's in hiding. How can he play the role we need if he's vanished?"

The shadowy Revered One chuckled. "A man like Qin Ren won't stay hidden for long. He's a storm by nature. Men like him can't resist the lure of chaos, women, or fame. Mark my words—he will appear before the Assembly begins."

The Grand Proprietor frowned. "But your plan to sever his ties with Xiaoyao Manor failed. Qin Xiaoyao sent no men to search for him. Seems he doesn't believe Qin Ren hurt Qin Lei at all."

"I never expected him to," said the Revered One. "A man like Qin Xiaoyao—wielding the fearsome Zhetian Palm for decades—doesn't fall for cheap tricks. But this was only the first step in a chain of traps. I left behind a witness—an ironclad accuser. Xiaoyao may not believe him, but the world will. And once the world believes, all those factions hungry to bring down Xiaoyao Manor and the Iron Fortress will pounce—using Qin Ren's name as justification."

The Grand Proprietor's eyes glinted. "So we turn Qin Ren into the spark. With enough suspicion, both sides will be at each other's throats."

"Exactly," the Revered One said. "And in the chaos, should Qin Ren appear—ah, what a spectacle it shall be! Perhaps a full-scale war: Xiaoyao Manor and the Iron Fortress versus the rest of the martial world!"

The Grand Proprietor laughed. "And no matter who wins, we benefit. Perhaps we could even 'rescue' someone at the last moment—earning their gratitude."

He paused. "But what if Qin Ren never shows?"

The Revered One grinned. "Then we make him show. You've sacrificed much—three top fighters and a peerless beauty. Allow me to repay you. The Nine Yin Saintess we've been cultivating—she's ready."

The Grand Proprietor gasped. "You mean the one born with a natural yin constitution? More seductive than even my Mèinu Luo'er?"

"She was meant to be my own Dao Furnace," the Revered One said proudly. "But for the sake of our great cause, I offer her now—to lure Qin Ren out."

The Grand Proprietor licked his lips. "To spend just one night…"

"Perish the thought," the Revered One snapped. "Her touch drains a man of life unless he's a pure yang warrior or cultivates advanced counter-techniques. She is death wrapped in beauty."

The Grand Proprietor laughed nervously. "I was only joking…"

He then asked, "Should conflict truly erupt, which side should we back?"

"The Xiaoyao Manor and Iron Fortress, of course," said the Revered One with a grin. "We'll corner them to the brink of destruction—then save them. The gratitude we gain could win us their loyalty for good. We'll shelter Qin Ren, too—he must not die in vain."

"But we can't help him if we can't find him,"

"Trust me," whispered the Revered One, "with the Nine Yin Saintess, he will come."

That same night…

In the wealthy Kirin Street district of Dingzhou, where nobles and magnates lived behind gilded gates, a figure cloaked in black rode the wind.

Only a pair of lustful, gleaming eyes peeked from beneath the cloth wrapping his face.

He moved like a shadow, soundless in the breeze.

He slipped through the darkness into a lavish estate—the property of Du Gongfu, master of Tianping Manor.

His beloved daughter was spending the night within.