In the shadows, Zhao Xuanqi’s form began to change.

His shoulder blades relaxed, his chest and abdomen drew inward, and the muscles across his entire back went slack. His arms hung down naturally, seeming to stretch to their absolute limit until they lightly brushed the ground.

In that instant, he seemed to have become an ape.

He scanned his surroundings, getting his bearings.

This infiltration wouldn’t be as crude as his previous one at the Sanshui Gang’s Hengsheng Warehouse.

For one, his strength had undergone a monumental change. For another, with the help of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s intelligence network, he had obtained a complete schematic of the Jingmao Warehouse. This made his infiltration as easy as a fish taking to water.

SWOOSH!

He shot forward in an instant, hugging the shadows as he advanced swiftly and silently.

His stealth techniques had long been honed to perfection in his past life on Blue Star, tested against all manner of surveillance systems.

Along the way, he instantly identified and slipped past every sentry, both seen and unseen, bypassing or evading them all.

Soundlessly, and without a single death, he drew near the main building at the center of the warehouse.

He was like a lurking Fierce Beast, silently overcoming every obstacle as he closed in on his prey.

When it came to infiltration techniques, likely no one in the entire Celestial Sea Prefecture could compare to him. If the other members of the Wind Shadow Hall were with him, they would only be a hindrance.

The security around the main warehouse building was significantly tighter than anywhere else.

Guards were stationed at every balcony and window, but that wasn’t enough to stop Zhao Xuanqi. However, to get inside the main building under these conditions, blood would have to be shed.

Once blood was shed, the risk of exposure would skyrocket. Moreover, the main building was heavily fortified, and he didn’t know the exact locations of his targets. Rushing in blindly was not a wise choice.

However, he had already anticipated this and had a plan.

A diversion to flush out the snakes.

His figure slowly melted back into the darkness as his hands reached for the pouch at his waist.

A tinderbox and kerosene.

He slipped into a storage warehouse near the main building, splashed the kerosene over the goods, and then poured a long trail of it to act as a fuse. After lighting the trail with his tinderbox, he quickly exited the warehouse and returned to his previous vantage point overlooking the main building.

"Warehouse Nine is on fire!"

"Someone, quick! Get water and put out the fire!"

...

The Guards soon discovered the fire, and a commotion immediately erupted.

「Elsewhere.」

On the top floor of the main building.

Yan Pingchuan was in his study, reviewing ledgers and documents, when the commotion outside made him frown slightly.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Soon, there was a knock at the door. Fan Shidong and Feng Rongke, whose rooms were nearby, opened it and came in.

"What’s going on out there?"

Yan Pingchuan set down the documents, his brow furrowed.

"It looks like Warehouse Nine is on fire," Fan Shidong said, also frowning. "The blaze seems pretty intense."

"How could Warehouse Nine just suddenly catch fire?"

Yan Pingchuan found the matter rather suspicious. Their fire prevention measures had always been excellent.

"I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the dry weather," Feng Rongke said with a frown. "But we can’t rule out other possibilities. I have a bad feeling about this."

"You two, go and see what’s happening. If there’s nothing out of the ordinary, organize a firefighting effort and don’t let the flames spread. Tell the night watch to be extra vigilant tonight. We can’t afford any mistakes."

Yan Pingchuan mused for a moment before looking up at the other two men.

"You’ll be okay here?" Fan Shidong asked, looking at Yan Pingchuan.

"What could possibly happen to me?" Yan Pingchuan said calmly. "You should be more worried about yourselves."

’With my power, and here in my own headquarters, even if a True Inheritance from one of the three great Martial Arts Halls came personally, they couldn’t touch me. Is there truly anyone in Celestial Sea Prefecture who could threaten my safety under the watch of so many of my own men?’

Fan Shidong and Feng Rongke nodded. They agreed with Yan Pingchuan; given his strength, they were the ones who should be worried about heading to the scene.

After all, they were the ones most likely to run into trouble.

Without another word, the two left the room and headed downstairs to check on the fire.

Meanwhile, Yan Pingchuan walked out onto his study’s balcony. He gazed in the direction of the fire at Warehouse Nine, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

What he didn’t know was that at this very moment, from a dark corner of the warehouse, a pair of faintly glowing red eyes were fixed upon him.

’Yan Pingchuan, president of the Jingmao Trading Company. I’ve found you.’

A smile touched the corners of Zhao Xuanqi’s lips.

While the surrounding Guards were busy fighting the fire, he used the shadows to approach the main building.

FWOOSH!!

He sprang forward!

He covered nearly ten meters in a blur. With the warehouse in chaos, no one noticed his movement.

Hugging the main building’s wall, he leaped, his feet kicking off the surface in quick succession. His arms caught the edge of the second-floor platform, and with the light swing of an ape, he vaulted himself onto the second story.

「Meanwhile.」

Yan Pingchuan stood on the balcony for a while longer. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he returned to his study, sat down, and picked up the documents to continue his review.

But the more he thought about it, the stranger the sudden fire seemed. His cautious nature took over. He set aside the documents and pulled two short swords, glinting with a cold light, from beneath his desk. He placed them on the desktop, and only after his fingers touched the icy hilts did he feel a measure of relief.

Yet, in the very instant his guard lowered, a black shadow seemed to flicker at the corner of his eye.

FWOOSH!!

His expression changed in a flash. His entire body tensed as he instantly gripped the short swords.

SHING!!

At the same time, from a blind spot on the balcony...

A cold glint of light burst forth, dazzlingly bright under the lamplight of the study.

A bone-chilling aura shot straight to his brain, snapping Yan Pingchuan into a state of extreme clarity.

Fast! As swift as a fleeting shadow!

Uncanny! Leaving no trace, like a gazelle leaping through the air!

In the brief moment he was stunned, the cold light shot toward his throat at incredible speed.

Yan Pingchuan prided himself on being a veteran Martial Artist. With dozens of life-or-death battles under his belt, he had long ago mastered the art of sensing an attack before it arrived—his Intent perceiving the danger first. Yet this time, his intuition had failed him completely.

’This means my opponent’s skill is extraordinary!’

With no time to think, his body reacted on pure instinct. He curled into a ball and executed a desperate roll along the edge of his large desk.

He felt a cold gleam flash over his head, shearing off the hair on his crown. A chill shot up his spine.

’If I hadn’t reacted fast enough, if I hadn’t been cautious enough to have my weapons ready... I’d be dead by now.’

’Here I am, in my own company headquarters, surrounded by experts, and someone dares to try and assassinate me?!’

’The sheer audacity! Who is this person?!’

After the roll, Yan Pingchuan steadied himself and snapped his head up. Only then did he get a clear look at the assassin.

His pupils constricted violently.

Reflected in his eyes was an incredibly young face.

It was a face he knew well.

’The Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall’s Wind Shadow Hall Master... Zhao Qi?!’