The tranquility was shattered by a man.

In his left arm, he cradled a white cat. In his right hand, he carried a longsword covered in blood-red patterns—clearly no ordinary weapon.

When the man appeared, a flash of astonishment showed in the eyes of many villagers, but they quickly concealed it and nonchalantly resumed what they were doing.

Shen Bai scanned the area, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. He set Amber on the ground. "Go on," he said. "It doesn’t matter if you leave any alive."

The moment he finished speaking, Amber instantly understood his meaning and let out a low growl.

Immediately, Amber’s form swelled to the size of a tiger.

The moment Amber revealed its true form, the group disguised as villagers seemed to realize they had been exposed.

Countless figures lunged toward Shen Bai.

The battle began in an instant, with no words exchanged.

Once the battle erupted, Shen Bai simply stood his ground, holding Cold Moon, not moving an inch.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

Amber was like a ferocious beast pouncing on a flock of sheep.

Amber dispatched every Dark Hall assassin who rushed forward, one by one with a swipe of its claw, as easily as slicing vegetables.

Shen Bai never made a move, as the battle before him didn’t require his intervention.

’As my own strength grows, so does Amber’s. I’d like to see where its limits lie.’

’Though this probably isn’t the place to find out.’

Amber, for its part, was thrilled.

As a Deceitful Beast, Amber had always wanted to ease its master’s burdens.

But in one great battle after another, it hadn’t even had a chance to lift a paw.

It had been unable to join the fight, usually because its master faced enemies far too powerful.

But today, its master had placed it on the ground and let it act on its own. Amber realized he was giving it a chance to prove itself.

This made Amber fight with even greater ferocity.

Despite its appearance as a small, white-furred kitten, at its core, Amber was a cruel and savage Deceitful Beast.

The little girl who had saved it had kept it in check before, and now, under Shen Bai’s watch, it behaved like a docile kitten.

The one-sided battle raged on.

At first, the assassins were fearless, charging to their deaths in an attempt to stop Shen Bai.

But they soon discovered that Shen Bai couldn’t even be bothered to lift a finger. That terrifying Deceitful Beast alone was slaughtering them, scaring them witless.

A wave of terror washed over the assassins.

They began to scatter and flee.

Their faces showed nothing but fear and profound despair.

"Meow~"

Amber glanced back at Shen Bai, feeling troubled.

’So many of them—at least a hundred—all scattering and fleeing. I don’t know which ones to go after.’

’With my Speed, I could probably kill half of them, but the other half would still get away.’

Shen Bai glanced back and said calmly, "No one in the Dark Hall is innocent."

As he spoke, Shen Bai slowly raised Cold Moon and started walking forward.

With every step, he swung Cold Moon.

And every swing unleashed countless streams of Blood Red Sword Qi that shot out from the blade.

Within three steps, the air from sky to ground was filled with Blood Red Sword Qi.

Bodies collapsed to the ground like straw.

Bodies that had been blasted into the air fell like kites with their strings cut.

In just three steps, every living creature in sight had become a lost soul under the edge of Shen Bai’s Cold Moon.

Just as Shen Bai had said, any one of these people deserved death by a thousand cuts. Not a single one was innocent.

The ground was piled high with corpses. Shen Bai walked over and stroked the tiger-sized Amber, then turned his gaze to the distance.

In the distance stood a middle-aged man.

The man held an Iron Pen in his right hand, his expression devoid of sorrow or joy.

Shen Bai slowly approached. "You must be the Hall Master of the Dark Hall."

’Intelligence reports indicated that the Hall Master of the Dark Hall wielded a Judge’s Pen of profound and unfathomable power.’

Seeing the man’s stance, Shen Bai’s guess was all but confirmed.

"The Hall Master of the Dark Hall? Just a puppet."

The Hall Master looked at Shen Bai and gave a grim smile. "To think Lord Shen would take action personally. This is truly an honor for our Dark Hall."

"Not running. Or should I say, you want to fight me?" The corners of Shen Bai’s lips curled up. "Are you even stronger than that Sect Leader?"

The Hall Master shook his head, his bitter smile deepening. "What’s the use in running? The Dark Hall is finished. When a hunting dog loses its fangs and claws, will its master still feed it?"

Hearing this, Shen Bai laughed. "So there really is someone pulling your strings. Let me guess... the Wild Taoist Sect or the Wild Buddha Sect."

’They were the only ones I’ve offended, so it’s an easy guess.’

The Hall Master didn’t shy away from the topic, nodding as he said, "Lord Shen’s guess is correct."

"Then why are you still here? If you’re not running, you must want a fight." Shen Bai ran a finger along the blade of Cold Moon.

But the Hall Master simply shook his head. "Someone of my strength isn’t worthy of forcing Lord Shen to swing his sword. I am not so arrogant as to overestimate myself. I’ve remained here to give Lord Shen a warning. Of course, this is a transaction."

Shen Bai’s eyes narrowed with interest. "What kind of transaction?"

The Hall Master took a deep breath. "I never wanted to be their dog, but I had no choice. I know my hands are soaked in blood, but my wife and children have never taken a single life."

"They’re just ordinary people, living peacefully after I hid them away in Fenglin State. I hope Lord Shen can watch over them. The price for this is telling Lord Shen what the Wild Taoist Sect is truly after."

Shen Bai nodded. "I’ll add another condition: your death." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The Hall Master roared with laughter. "I knew I wouldn’t live. My sins are monstrous; I have no right to live. Since Lord Shen has agreed, I will tell you."

At this, the Hall Master paused and pointed the Iron Pen at his own chest.

Then, a final gleam of light shone in his eyes.

"Lord Shen, have you ever heard of the Nightmare?"