Chapter 6

The moonlight was cold and clear.

A gentle night breeze blew through the dark courtyard of the Duke of Yi's mansion, where leaves drifted and a few crickets chirped impatiently, adding a sense of desolation and eerie silence. The air was filled with an inexplicable and ominous tension.

Moonlight slipped through the window lattice and fell on the large bed, where the gauzy curtains swayed in the wind. Qin Haidu lay down fully clothed, eyes closed, breathing calmly, but he clutched a sword in his arms.

The candlelight was tranquil and silent.

"Clang!"

Suddenly, a faint sound echoed, dull and short, like a clay pot being knocked over.

Qin Haidu's eyes snapped open, sharp and alert, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He murmured softly, "As expected, someone couldn't hold their nerve and took the bait."

He had anticipated that someone would come after he took the precious sword to the competition, but he didn't know if it would be the Wang family or someone else driven by greed. It didn't matter; whoever came was an enemy.

An enemy must be eliminated at all costs.

In the next moment, Qin Haidu got up and quickly placed a pillow under the covers to create the illusion of someone sleeping. He then rolled under the bed, drew his sword, and prepared to face the threat.

Upon arriving in this world, he had immediately discovered that someone wanted to harm him. As a soldier, he couldn't be unprepared. He had set traps around the courtyard and designated it as a no-go area. The only person allowed to enter, He'er, had a fixed route, and she should be asleep by now. No one would come except for an assassin.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, almost oppressive.

But the sensitive crickets stopped chirping.

Qin Haidu, who had once spent three days and nights in enemy territory, assassinating his target and escaping, was not lacking in patience. His breathing was long, slow, and silent, blending into the environment, while his ears were alert.

"Whoosh—"

Not long after, a faint sound was heard.

Then, a black shadow leaped through the window, agile like a night cat, and darted to the bed, stabbing the quilt with a short knife. The action was swift, ruthless, and decisive, the mark of a seasoned killer.

At the same moment, Qin Haidu struck, his sword slicing down with lightning speed.

"Thud!"

The sword severed one of the attacker's legs and slashed the other, causing the assailant to grunt and fall. Without calling for help, the attacker tried to slit his own throat with the short knife.

Qin Haidu hadn't expected such ruthlessness. He couldn't let the attacker succeed. He quickly rolled out from under the bed, kicked the short knife away, and dislocated the attacker's wrist, rendering it useless.

In the next instant, Qin Haidu grabbed the attacker's chin and twisted it, dislocating the jaw, then broke the other arm with a swift strike.

All of this happened in a flash, his movements fluid and precise.

As a seasoned warrior, Qin Haidu had extensive experience dealing with assassins. He knew that such people were ruthless to both their targets and themselves. Poison in their teeth was a common method, and they had countless ways to commit suicide. Even with broken legs, he had to dislocate their hands and jaw to keep them alive.

After subduing the attacker, Qin Haidu stood up, his sharp gaze locking onto the door. Two more people rushed in, one after the other, clearly aware that their comrade had failed and ready to finish the job. The first one lunged like a hungry wolf, aiming for Qin Haidu's neck, willing to risk his life to succeed.

The second one followed closely, maintaining a distance that wouldn't hinder the first but allowed for timely support. Their coordination was astonishing.

Anyone else would have retreated to avoid their attack, but Qin Haidu believed in offense as the best defense. He leaned back slightly to avoid the stab, and almost simultaneously, kicked out with a swift, venomous strike.

The attacker was sent flying, unable to even scream, and crashed into his companion, both of them tumbling to the ground.

In the face of life and death, the power Qin Haidu unleashed was terrifying. He darted forward, kicked the second attacker's short knife away, and swung his sword like a bolt of lightning at the attacker's neck.

"Thud!"

The sharp sword tore through the attacker's throat. The attacker clutched at it, eyes wide in disbelief, emitting a strange, desperate sound.

Qin Haidu snorted coldly. Two captives were enough.

He found some rope and tied up the unconscious attacker, then examined the first one, who was in pain, sweating profusely, but remained silent, staring at Qin Haidu with a weak voice, "Boy, let us go, and we'll pretend this never happened. I promise no one will come again, or it will be a fight to the death."

"You're in my hands, what fight to the death?"

"You'll see."

Qin Haidu curiously examined the attacker, pressing, "I've heard that assassins who fail and are released will abandon their mission and not act again. For you to say this, there's only one explanation: you're a loyalist, not an assassin. Who sent you?"

The attacker snorted and remained silent.

Qin Haidu wasn't in a hurry. He had seen all kinds of tough guys in his past life. Even those trained could be made to talk. A mere loyalist, though seemingly stubborn, was full of vulnerabilities in his eyes. He found some rags to gag the two captives and dragged them to the courtyard, stuffing them into large vats.

These vats were usually used to collect rainwater for fire prevention, large and deep, perfect for hiding people.

After finishing this, Qin Haidu was about to return to the room when he sensed danger. He looked to the side and saw several black shadows quickly approaching on the roof, moving at incredible speed.

"Another wave?"

Qin Haidu's pupils dilated, his killing intent surging. He moved to the center of the courtyard, ready to face the threat.

Since there was no avoiding it, he would fight!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several black shadows landed around him, all wearing masks, their eyes cold and wolf-like. One of them said in a deep voice, "Hand over the sword, and we'll leave. Otherwise, no one in this mansion will survive."

"Are you just a bunch of scum?"

"Want to die? We'll grant your wish. Kill!" The attacker shouted, lunging forward with the speed of a cannonball, ruthless and decisive. The short knife glinted blue in the moonlight, clearly poisoned.

Qin Haidu snorted coldly and thrust his sword forward without hesitation, just as fast.

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

When it came to fighting, Qin Haidu feared no one.

The attacker didn't expect Qin Haidu to be so ruthless. A noble of his status daring to fight to the death? This wasn't a 14-15-year-old boy but a seasoned veteran. The intelligence was wrong, and the attacker was taken aback.

In that moment of hesitation, the sword pierced through. The attacker, realizing the disadvantage, quickly retreated to avoid the fatal blow.

However, Qin Haidu pursued relentlessly, using the advantage of his sword to force the attacker to keep retreating or block with the knife, either way, it was to his benefit.

The attacker felt incredibly frustrated, knowing that retreating would only make things worse, and dodged to the side.

"Thud!"

The sword suddenly changed direction mid-strike, slashing downward and severing the attacker's leg. The attacker lost balance and fell, his cold eyes filled with shock, unable to understand this fighting style. How did Qin Haidu do it? It was unlike any martial art he had ever heard of.

Modern military combat techniques, refined over thousands of years of martial arts, combined with science and big data, were simple, practical, and aimed to kill with the least effort, the fastest speed, and the most direct method. The techniques were like a deer's antlers, leaving no trace.

As a military elite, Qin Haidu, of course, mastered these techniques!

"Kill!"

A long cry, filled with fighting spirit.