Chapter 17

In the Goudan district of the capital, poverty and crime have long been rampant.

Here, chaos and decadence prevail. Some people are intimidated, some avoid it, and others are captivated, willing to risk everything.

Every place filled with contradictions has its value. The saying that "bystanders see clearly, but those involved are confused" does not apply everywhere, at least not in Goudan district.

What is heard is not necessarily the truth; without a deep understanding, the answer remains elusive.

Every place has its rules and order, and in Goudan district, the rules and order belong to Old Shaker.

No one knows his origins, no one knows when he appeared. It was as if he came silently, and by the time people realized it, the entire Goudan district had already fallen under the control of the previously unknown Old Shaker.

They don't know who Old Shaker is, or even what he looks like, because only his people or the dead know.

Here, you can trade anything with Old Shaker, anything he possesses, provided you have something he needs. The middle-aged man had what Old Shaker needed, so the trade was successful.

But success does not mean safety, at least not in the middle-aged man's view.

There were a few people following him from the moment he left Andien's house. They followed him intentionally or unintentionally, and he sensed a faint but deadly aura.

A dark and narrow alley, a bridge between Goudan district and Tonghua district, one end belonging to Goudan and the other to Tonghua, as if dividing two worlds.

"If you want to kill someone, this is a good place," the middle-aged man stopped in the middle of the "bridge," as if talking to himself. "What do you think?"

Three figures appeared behind him, blurry and indistinct, but they didn't respond.

"Are you mute?" the middle-aged man turned and asked.

The moon was out tonight, and his vision was good, so he could see the three men in black. They were completely wrapped in black, blending into the darkness, silent and invisible.

He didn't know if they were mute, because some people who kill don't like to talk, especially nonsense.

The three black figures suddenly moved, without warning, launching a fierce attack on the middle-aged man. This allowed him to see their weapons—three short swords, their blades coated in black. If you weren't careful, you might think they were holding air, which was absurd.

The middle-aged man drew his sword, and no one saw his movement. He was already behind the three black figures.

"If it were a month ago, you would have been a challenge, but now, you're not," the middle-aged man shook his head, turned around, and looked at the three fallen figures. "Killing, this is a good place, but unfortunately, the ones who die are you."

There was no dramatic clash of swords; everything was simple and silent.

Because he was a High Swordsman, and they were Mid-Swordsmen. The difference between them was like the gap between heaven and earth. He didn't need to hold back, and the outcome was inevitable.

To attempt an assassination without understanding the enemy's strength, if they weren't fools, they were pawns, pawns used to test him.

Leaving the alley, the middle-aged man no longer felt anyone following him.

He wandered the streets of the capital like a homeless wanderer, and after a long time, he disappeared into an alley, never to be seen again. From another alley, Xiaran emerged as if nothing had happened.

Without a doubt, the middle-aged man was Xiaran in disguise, and he had his reasons.

**Disguise**: Can arbitrarily change appearance, voice, and body shape, lasting 24 hours, can switch at will, with a cooldown of three natural days.

This was one of Xiaran's abilities, an important ability that made many things easier for him.

On his way back, Xiaran was thinking about who had sent those three to assassinate him. He had his suspicions, pointing to Old Shaker, because only he had the reason and the ability to send three Mid-Swordsmen to assassinate him.

It was just a test. If he died, the deal would be canceled; if he didn't, the deal would continue.

No one would believe someone's empty words, especially not Old Shaker, so his test was normal.

When he returned to the inn, he noticed something strange. Every inn servant who saw him looked at him with an ambiguous expression, which was confusing.

But soon, he understood the meaning of those looks.

A woman was lying on the sofa in his room, a beautiful and seductive woman, looking at him with a teasing smile.

"It's you?"

Xiaran looked at her, surprised. He had never imagined they would meet again in such a scene. This dangerous woman from Fortan Town, with whom he had a brief encounter.

"Surprised?"

Nini Luo swayed her long, shapely legs, her fine eyebrows slightly raised, a playful look in her eyes. She was wearing a dark purple dress, looking like a different person, lying on the soft sofa, posing seductively, as if trying to entice him.

"Is there something else?" Xiaran turned his gaze to the window. He was a normal man, and in the presence of such a woman, he feared he would lose control. He didn't want to make a mistake, especially not with this woman.

"Why don't you ever look at me directly? Do I really have no charm?" Nini Luo covered her mouth and laughed lightly, not sounding like she was accusing him, but more like flirting.

"Because I'm afraid I won't be able to resist."

"Why resist? What if I don't want to resist now?" Nini Luo stretched her waist, revealing her snowy chest, but he couldn't see it.

"If you were a prostitute, I wouldn't resist, but you're not." Xiaran turned to face her, his cold expression serious and earnest.

"Ha ha—" Nini Luo suddenly burst out laughing.

Xiaran watched her laugh until she was satisfied.

"I need your help with something." Nini Luo looked at Xiaran, her face stern and serious, as if she were about to kill someone.

"Why me?" The conversation turned serious, and Xiaran didn't need to pretend anymore.

"Because you're the best choice." Nini Luo said.

"Who do I need to kill?" Xiaran asked.

"It seems we will work well together." Hearing Xiaran's question, Nini Luo smiled again. "A peak High Swordsman."

Xiaran was silent, and Nini Luo waited patiently for his answer.

A peak High Swordsman, a master who was almost a FerNu Law practitioner, was a powerful figure in the entire Eldran. Unlike Xiaran, who had just become a High Swordsman, such an opponent could kill a new High Swordsman with just a few strikes. This was the gap between High Swordsmen.

He was silent because the system had refreshed a new optional mission, which appeared the moment Nini Luo mentioned it. He was considering whether to accept it.

He had no confidence in killing the peak High Swordsman alone, but with this woman's help, he had a chance. He couldn't guarantee success, but there was a chance. Because he was not an ordinary High Swordsman, and neither was this woman.

"When do we kill?" Since there was a chance and the mission was dangerous, Xiaran accepted it, as it might be a step for his advancement.

He didn't think about why she wanted to kill the peak High Swordsman, just as he didn't think about why he wanted to kill Marquis Male. Everyone had their reasons for killing.

"In a month." Hearing Xiaran's question, Nini Luo smiled, because he had agreed.

"I need his information and your plan." Xiaran looked at her seriously.

"It seems I chose the right person." Nini Luo smiled and clapped her hands, for herself, for him, and for their cooperation.

"Payment." Xiaran came to her, reaching out to touch her beautiful, seductive face. "I need to collect a little in advance."

Nini Luo didn't stop his advances, but giggled, looking at his cold, handsome face. "Didn't you say you would resist? Why can't you resist now?"

"Because there's no need to resist anymore." Xiaran lifted her, feeling her light, soft body. The scent of a woman made him intoxicated. No man disliked beautiful women, especially when he could possess them.

He threw her onto the soft bed and pounced, kissing and nibbling her long, sexy neck, his hands exploring her thighs, waist, and chest.

He liked this woman's body and could now possess it.

He didn't need to resist because it was part of their deal.

He needed to vent, to release, and he went wild on her.

Her moans were seductive and unrestrained, her long, shapely legs and arms rubbing against his skin, her smooth, red tongue licking and teasing him.

She was an expert, knowing how to please men and herself.

That night was a victory for the woman and a wild release for the man.

In the morning, someone discovered the bodies in the alley between Goudan district and Tonghua district.

The alley was sealed off at both ends, and the chief of the Tonghua district police, along with his subordinates, was examining the bodies.

"Seems like a skilled killer," Delof said, using a small stick to lift the wounds on one of the bodies. "And a very skilled one."

"Sir, what's the evidence?" A young police officer asked humbly, knowing his chief was famous for his investigative skills.

"All three victims have only one wound each, one in the heart, two in the throat, all fatal with a single strike," Delof said, examining the wounds. "The cuts are clean, indicating the killer was very fast, moving from one strike to the next without leaving any special marks."

Delof stood up and drew a circle in the air, pointing to the ground. "From the blurred footprints, we can see that the three victims came from the Goudan district end. The middle footprints are chaotic, indicating the attacker's large movements. The weapons beside them show they were chasing someone."

At this, Delof sighed and shook his head. "But these three clearly underestimated their opponent and were killed instantly. There are no signs of struggle, and their positions show they were all killed at the same time. Truly unlucky."

"What about the killer?" The young officer asked, intrigued by his chief's analysis.

"Unknown." Delof shook his head.

"How can that be?" The young officer was surprised.

"No witnesses, no clues, and we don't even know the victims' identities. Where do we start looking for the killer?" Delof looked at his young subordinate. "And even if we find the killer, how many people would we need to capture them? How many of us would die?"

The young officer seemed startled.

"Go back and report it as a Goudan district incident, not our problem. Just write a simple report," Delof said, preparing to leave.

"But—"

"No buts! Do as I say!" Delof turned and glared at his young subordinate. "When you're in my position, you can argue with me!"

Is it wise to provoke a killer with High Swordsman strength? Delof shook his head inwardly.

The young officer was troubled, as he dared not disobey his chief's orders, or he would lose his hard-earned position. His ideal was to be a true, qualified police officer, maintaining and ensuring people's safety, but his chief's words made him feel a collision with his ideals for the first time.

Is it right to shirk responsibility? Isn't the chief known for his intelligence and efficiency? Why is he doing this? The young officer knew what kind of place Goudan district was. The police station there was a mere formality, almost a no-man's land in the capital.

Pushing the responsibility to Goudan district, their people didn't think it was a big deal. They were used to the deaths in the area.

Sighing, the young officer clenched his fists.