’Why is a knight coming to us?’ said Peaker.

The adrenaline from the training match had barely settled, when a knight came to them.

He didn’t offer an announcement, and he didn’t create any unnecessary drama.

He simply raised his gleaming halberd in a sharp, mechanical gesture that brooked no argument, silently escorting the trio away from the training sector.

Evan, Ghost, and Peaker exchanged brief, guarded glances but followed without a word.

They were led straight back through the obsidian corridors of the northern wing, stopping before the grand, pale weirwood doors of the Second Head’s office.

When the doors slid open, the atmosphere inside was entirely changed.

The massive sheets of clear crystalline glass were now heavily frosted from the inside, obscuring any view of the outer courtyard and trapping a profound, biting chill within the room.

Jia Gao sat behind his dark mahogany desk, but the arrogant, flashy smirk he had worn just a day prior was completely gone.

His sharp eyes were dead serious, reflecting the cold, ambient light floating from the elemental lamps.

He didn’t waste time on pleasantries, but rather started to walk instantly.

’The Fu Clan has just delivered a red tier intelligence scroll,’ Jia Gao stated, his smooth, melodic voice now carrying a dangerous, low edge.

’The Leader of the Shu Clan has silently consolidated power over the last six months. They have secretly stockpiled forbidden blood path resources, established hidden arrays, and are currently planning a full scale regional rebellion against the authority of our sect. If this information leaks into the public, it will cause mass panic, disrupt the upcoming resource caravans, and potentially trigger a devastating civil war.’

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Ghost stepped forward, his massive, muscular frame tense beneath his silver-trimmed robes, his thick blonde brows furrowing in deep confusion.

’Sir, with all due respect, we are Outer Disciples,’ Ghost argued, keeping his voice low but firm.

’This is a matter of regional treason. Why send a makeshift squad like us instead of deploying an experienced Inner Disciple or a Core Disciple?’

Jia Gao tapped a single, heavy ring against the mahogany desk, the sharp clack echoing like a gavel in the frozen room.

He looked at the three of them, his eyes locking onto each of their faces in turn.

’Because an Inner Disciple or a Core Disciple moving anywhere near the Shu Clan compound is a massive red flag that will trigger their early warning defenses immediately,’ Jia Gao explained, his gaze narrowing.

’The Shu Clan is expecting a political response. They are watching the main roads for elders and other high rankers. They are not expecting a sleepy degenerate who can literally melt into the darkness and bypass sensory wards.’ He pointed directly at Peaker, who straightened up subtly.

’They are not expecting a muscular artillery unit who can entirely silence the night and eliminate guards without a sound,’ he continued, shifting his gaze to Ghost.

’And they certainly do not expect a cold-blooded rookie.’

Jia Gao reached into his silken white robe and dropped a tightly rolled leather map onto the table, unrolling it with a sharp snap to reveal the tactical layout of the Shu estate.

’Your mission is absolute,’ the Second Head commanded, the temperature in the room dropping another degree.

’Infiltrate the Shu estate under the cover of the grey winter night. Bypass their perimeter guards, ignore the secondary houses, and assassinate the Shu Clan Leader before he can trigger the signal for the rebellion. Cut off the head, and the snake will wither.’

’Well even if he does... how can he win? we have immortals by our side... don’t we?’ Peaker asked.

’Certainly we do have... but we can not ask an immortal to assassinate an Awakened Vampire, can we? and if we don’t do something... hundreds and thousands of people will die.’

Evan stood perfectly still, his right hand resting casually on his waist, right above his hidden revolver.

He listened to the orders, his expression a mask of pure, unreadable calculation.

Jia Gao reached into a drawer beneath the mahogany table and slid a small, pitch black velvet box across the polished wood.

It came to a halt precisely in front of the three disciples.

Ghost reached out and opened it.

Inside rested three unique, specialized Scout badges.

They weren’t the standard silver or bronze tokens of the First Court, they were carved from a dull, light, absorbing black stone that seemed to pulse.

As Evan reached down and picked up his black badge, he remembered something from Earth.

Back on Earth, he had learned that wars weren’t won by glorious, loud confrontations or poetic notions of honor, they were won through ruthless efficiency, misdirection, and asymmetric warfare.

He didn’t care about the noble politics of the region, he didn’t care about the treacherous ambitions of the Shu Clan, and he certainly didn’t care about whatever greed was driving the Fu Clan to hand over red-tier intelligence.

To him, this wasn’t a grand crusade for the sect, it was a calculated tactical equation.

He flipped the black badge in his palm, his dark eyes reflecting the frost on the windows.

He had spent six long months hiding his silver aperture, playing the long game, waiting for his chance to step out into the wider world.

Now, his first assignment was a high stakes assassination.

Evan looked up at Jia Gao, his jaw tightening into a cold, predatory line as the crimson Qi swirled silently within his silver core.

The stage was set and the night was gathering.

The dark reality of the assignment didn’t bring excitement, only a cold, familiar exhaustion. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

There was no glory in a dynamic like this, just messy, quiet slaughter in the dark.

He pocketed the cold piece of stone, his mind entirely detached from the sect’s grand ideals of heroism.

If he wanted to survive this world, he just needed to make sure the target died before they did.

That was the only equation that mattered.