Volcanic Age

Zhengzhou was turned upside down.

There had been many battles between factions before, but never on this scale.

Both the East and West, which had once seemed like impregnable fortresses, were attacked, and the underground arena, long considered unassailable, collapsed.

People fled in the middle of the night, and rumors of the Silent Messenger beheading the Arsenic Pig spread quickly.

Just as Zhou Xuchuan had intended, as soon as he heard the news, the Xia Wu Sect Master Vast Gate was finally forced to make a move.

"What the hell is this…?"

Vast Gate's face twisted in anger.

Conflicts were a regular occurrence. While it wasn't common for the Arsenic Pig's throne to be challenged, it did happen occasionally.

After all, Arsenic Pig had defeated someone whose name she couldn't even remember roughly a dozen years ago and taken his place.

"Just how much chaos has he caused?"

She couldn't hold back the anger welling up in her chest. What really made her angry was the damage inflicted on her faction.

The Silent Messenger was like a murderous demon, not sparing a single Xia Wu Sect member. He mercilessly took their lives.

Strangely, he didn't touch the residents or customers. The only people who lost their lives were the Arsenic Pig's subordinates.

While something like this was common in war, it wasn't common in the Xia Wu Sect.

Xia Wu Sect members usually ran away or bowed their heads in surrender when their leader died.

There was no such thing as loyalty to a Xia Wu Sect member, and it didn't matter to them who they served. That was why even if the head were to change, the body itself didn't. After all, that head also required hands and feet.

Normally, a change in leadership wouldn't disrupt the gathering of intelligence or the flow of underground funds from the underground arena.

Both the challengers and the challenged leader of the underground arena understood this.

After all, they never had faith in their subordinates to begin with. It didn't matter who they were under in the past.

Except for a few, the winner would absorb the loser's forces, which was why most never forced themselves to kill them all.

However, the Silent Messenger ignored this fact and took them all down.

This was extremely annoying and irritating for Vast Gate.

Finally, the almost impossible-to-move Vast Gate was forced to intervene.

Jiang Nengchu muttered to himself with a dumbfounded expression.

"Silent Messenger?"

Rather than focusing on his near-death experience, his attention was drawn to the back of the figure at the end of his gaze. His expression betrayed his confusion.

"Why are you here?"

The thought escaped his mouth before he could stop it.

Wasn't he supposed to be at the underground arena taking care of the Arsenic Pig?

"Silent Messenger?"

The Viper Sword's expression twisted in surprise.

He, who valued information and strategy, couldn't forget about the Silent Messenger's power. He was well aware of the Silent Messenger's existence.

However, he wasn't aware that the Silent Messenger had already attacked the east. It had only been an hour since the underground arena was attacked.

I thought he was hiding somewhere or had a problem, since he hadn't shown up for so long, but I guess that wasn't the case.

The Viper Sword had heard of Silent Messenger's reputation. Though rumors from the gangho were often exaggerated, they still warranted caution, even within the Xia Wu Sect.

"Because I handled everything," Zhou Xuchuan answered, turning his head.

"What?"

Jiang Nengchu was stunned by the unbelievable answer.

It had barely been over an hour, yet the Silent Messenger had already subdued the ruler of the East…

It wasn't that he didn't trust the Silent Messenger. At the very least, Jiang Nengchu was sure that he didn't lie.

But… wasn't this too absurd? From his perspective, he thought that the Silent Messenger was only capable of assassinating a few of the Arsenic Pig's subordinates. He never had high expectations for the mission in the first place, just hoping for the Silent Messenger to block the Arsenic Pig's movements while he dug out the Snake Den.

Even as he mulled it over in those brief moments, he couldn't find a satisfying answer.

Still, it wasn't as if the situation allowed Jiang Nengchu the luxury of contemplating his confusion for long.

"So, you're the Silent Messenger who's been making a lot of noise lately, then. It's an honor to meet you," the Viper Sword greeted calmly.

"The Silent Messenger!"

"What's going on?"

The fierce battle paused as everyone's attention shifted to one spot.

"How great. I, the Viper Sword, have been looking forward to meeting you." the Viper Sword remarked, momentarily lowering his sword.

"Me?"

Zhou Xuchuan tilted his head.

"That's right. I don't understand why an absolute expert like you would help a little kid." the Viper Sword said, the corners of his mouth curling into an unpleasant smile.

I have to make him my ally.

There was no denying that the Silent Messenger was one of the strongest experts in Zhengzhou. The Viper Sword had to avoid making him his enemy at all costs.

In fact, he'd wanted to reach out to the Silent Messenger earlier, to try and win him over. The only reason he hadn't been able to was because the Silent Messenger was so difficult to find.

"If there's anything you want, just say it. No matter how I seem, I'm still one of the top five in Zhengzhou, no, the Black Hand."

The Viper Sword smiled confidently and raised his chin.

"Haha."

However, it was Jiang Nengchu, not Zhou Xuchuan, who laughed. It was clearly a mocking laugh.

"If you want something, just say it?"

Jiang Nengchu repeated, as if amused. A moment ago, he'd been struck with disbelief and doubt, but now he was laughing.

No matter how powerful the Viper Sword was within the Xia Wu Sect, it was still only the Xia Wu Sect. Unless one became the Sect Master, their power couldn't be compared to that of the Valley of Phantoms.

"You talk too much for a bastard who just saw a glimpse of King Yama. If you don't want to get killed, you'd better keep quiet."

"I'm sorry about that fool," the Viper Sword rebutted.

While the situation was incredibly amusing for Jiang Nengchu, answering honestly would only end up revealing the Silent Messenger's true identity. So, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"If you work under me, no, if you join me, I promise you wealth and honor. With your abilities, you might even be able to become the eternal second-in-command of the Black Hand."

"Not the first, but the second?"

"Give up on becoming the first. The Xia Wu Sect Master isn't human. Not even you could dare to suppress her."

The Viper Sword had personally experienced the power of the Xia Wu Sect Master, Vast Gate. That was why he understood just how terrifying she truly was.

Everyone in the world is being deceived. The Xia Wu Sect Master, who is looked down on for being a part of the Black Hand, is capable of being one of the ten strongest within the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.

He had once foolishly attempted to take the position of Sect Master, but after experiencing Vast Gate's power, he quickly gave up on that dream.

"You and I can become the Xia Wu Sect Master's right and left arms, so think about it carefully…"

"I have no plans to do that. At the end of the day, it's impossible for someone of the Righteous Faction to become the right or left arm of the Black Hand, right?"

"...?"

Both the Viper Sword and Jiang Nengchu tilted their heads in confusion at the mention of the Righteous Faction.

Zhou Xuchuan shrugged and, as if he'd finished what he came to do, adjusted his stance and tightened his grip on his dagger.

"It was nice meeting you, Viper Sword."

"N-now, wait a minute." the Viper Sword stammered, his expression flustered.

However, unlike his appearance, he was calm on the inside and busy preparing for his counterattack.

No matter how confident he may be in his cultivation, he, as an assassin, came out into the open. How foolish!

He suppressed a sneer that threatened to break through. This wasn't the first or second time he had turned the tables in a deadly game of survival.

In fact, when he secretly gave orders with glances and subtle hand gestures that only his subordinates would recognize, they all prepared to attack as if they were used to doing so.

A few of his subordinates, who seemed to have been positioned randomly, began to close in on Zhou Xuchuan and surrounded him.

"Viper Sword," Zhou Xuchuan called out calmly.

The Viper Sword stopped looking around secretly and turned his full attention to Zhou Xuchuan.

Zhou Xuchuan flicked his wrist, throwing his dagger, not straight ahead, but at the ground.

Gravel flew into the air as the blade struck the dirt, and the Viper Sword's face twisted in confusion.

"An ambush only works if your opponent doesn't notice."

The Viper Sword furrowed his eyebrows and then shouted.

"He's noticed! Attack!"

Woosh!

Exactly ten martial artists flew forward, each confident in their ambush skills.

But even so, it was still the Xia Wu Sect.

Compared to real assassins, compared to the Phantoms, who were considered the best in the world, they were just fireflies in front of the sun.

Although Jiang Nengchu belatedly shouted a warning, Zhou Xuchuan didn't even blink. He didn't draw a dagger hidden in his sleeve or dodge with any mysterious movements.

He just whispered.

"Like this."

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as if the world had stopped.

Ten people threw themselves at one person, each of them holding a weapon and drawing on their qi with a fierce expression.

But then, something strange happened.

In the blink of an eye, people suddenly appeared behind them.

The newcomers' eyes were covered with cloth, and their clothes were tight and form fitting.

"What the…"

Swish!

In an instant, thin lines of blood appeared on the necks of the ambushers, as if drawn by an invisible hand. Like reflections in a mirror, the thin lines of blood appeared simultaneously, without a single discrepancy.

Squelch!

Before they could even scream, blood spurted from their throats, forming a mist in the air.

The crowd was silent. No, it wasn't that they were silent—they couldn't react.

They hadn't even sensed the presence of the newcomers, let alone tracked their movements. It felt as if they had just watched the ambushers get possessed by ghosts as a flicker suddenly appeared behind them before disappearing.

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the ambush on Zhou Xuchuan barely suppressed a scream.

T-the Valley of Phantoms!

He hadn't noticed them.

No, he couldn't have noticed them.

The Valley of Phantoms was often called a myth, only existing in fairy tales. There was no reason for such big shots to come to this dirty corner.

There was no way he could have guessed their existence. However, with Zhou Xuchuan's hint and the events that followed, he was just barely able to notice them.

I have to pretend like I don't know!

A mysterious assassin clan that not even their clients could find.

The Viper Sword could guess how they had kept their secret all this time.

Corpses didn't speak.

The Viper Sword's judgment of the situation was quick.

"Great one!"

It was clear that this was no longer the Black Hand's business. The situation had spiraled beyond the realm of the Xia Wu Sect.

The Viper Sword knelt on the spot and begged, ignoring the gazes of his subordinates.

"I foolishly wasn't able to recognize your excellence, oh great one! Please spare my life!"

While the Xia Wu Sect Master was scary, so was the Valley of Phantoms. It was obvious what would happen if he continued to fight here.

The Viper Sword lost!

The Xia Wu Sect members in the Snake Den were shaken.

What should we do?

Should we run away? Or should we surrender?

The Silent Messenger said there would be no mercy…

Their leader's humiliating surrender didn't matter. Since they had no loyalty, to begin with, there was no disappointment.

The real question now was whether to run away or to surrender.

However, this wasn't just a simple matter of choice. Some victors would kill all of the loser's subordinates or make them slaves, while others only killed a few to serve as an example to the rest.

The latter would give them new opportunities and benefits, while the former would simply kill them.

However, if they just ran away because they were faced with the two 'choices,' there was a good chance they would die anyway. Moreover, reality generally proved that final option, too.

The crowd was silent and tense. One could almost hear the gears of their minds turning.

"It's over."

Zhou Xuchuan glanced around the alley once before stepping back behind Jiang Nengchu.

The crowd shifted their gaze from the Silent Messenger to Jiang Nengchu.

"The new leader of the Snake Den!"

"Viper Sword lost to the Tough Bastard!"

The person holding their lives in his hands had changed.

The Xia Wu Sect members, who had been deliberating moments ago, slowly lowered their weapons as realization struck.

A tough bastard was better than a god of death.

"Please spare us, Tough Bastard. Give us a chance to serve by your side. After all, things might be difficult for you because you aren't used to what happens in the Snake Den."

It wasn't that the strong were the ones to survive.

It was that the ones who survived were the strong.

Even if his personal cultivation was weaker, the Tough Bastard held the advantage in terms of status. Behind him were the fearsome Phantoms and the God of Death.

While they thought about taking him hostage, the subordinates quickly gave up right away.

What could they do when there were such invisible monsters standing in front of them?

"Please spare us, my lord!"

"I didn't realize your strength, Tough Bastard!"

"Please spare my life!"

Shing.

Clang!

The warriors fell to the ground, making a loud noise.

The Xia Wu Sect members who had been a part of the Snake Den had surrendered.

"Viper Sword."

"Yes, great on—ugh!"

The Tough Bastard's toes drove into the Viper Sword's abdomen.

"If you have any hidden assets, you'd better tell me everything. Otherwise, you won't be able to die in peace."

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