The moon hung low over Qingzhou City, hidden behind drifting clouds.
A thin mist had crept into the streets unnoticed. At first, it was barely visible—just a light haze. Now, just past midnight, it had grown dense and heavy. The usual hum of nightlife was gone. No dogs barked. No footsteps echoed. Only silence remained.
Too silent.
In a small inn courtyard, Lin Bufan sat cross-legged on the rooftop. His new blade, Heaven's Wrath, Soul-Splitting Saber, rested across his knees. His breath was slow and steady. He had just finished cultivating and was reviewing his recent system gains.
[System Notification]
New Passive Unlocked: Combat Sense Lv. 1:
Detects killing intent within a 30-meter radius.
• Warning level increases with intent intensity.
Suddenly—
DING!
Alert: Hostile killing intent detected.
Proximity: 24 meters.
Strength estimate: Mid-Stage Foundation Realm.
Number of sources: 3, 4, 5.
Lin Bufan opened his eyes.
Cold light gleamed in his pupils.
"They've finally come," he muttered, rising slowly.
The Assassins Strike
Just as he stood up, a shadow dashed across the rooftop. No sound. No warning. Only a black dagger slicing straight toward his neck.
But Lin Bufan didn't flinch.
His body tilted an inch. The blade swung sideways.
CLANG!
A flash of red light burst across the night sky. The assassin's weapon shattered on impact.
The attacker spun backward and crashed into a chimney with a grunt.
Before the body could land, three more figures emerged from the mist below. They scaled the walls like spiders, their blades glowing with a cold, soul-crushing light.
Lin Bufan moved.
One step. A blur.
His saber arced through the darkness like thunder roaring through fog.
BOOM!
A clean, horizontal cut. Blood sprayed across the roof tiles. One of the attackers collapsed in midair, bisected at the waist.
The second assassin hesitated, but only for a moment. Then, he activated a talisman. Mist exploded outward, blinding everyone. It was a soundless smokescreen.
But Lin Bufan's system had already locked on.
Target locked. Combat Threat Level C+.
Suggested action: Immediate elimination.
He leapt forward.
CRACK!
His palm landed directly on the assassin's chest. A spiritual force surged—the Shattering Pulse Technique.
The man's ribcage caved in. He flew backward, crashing through a rooftop beam and disappearing into the alley below.
Ambush Within an Ambush
But this wasn't over.
The real killers were still waiting. Watching.
Suddenly, a calm and composed figure in a black mask stepped out of the mist, not rushing like the others. He held no blade. Only a silver bell that emitted a strange hum.
Lin Bufan narrowed his eyes. "You're the leader."
The masked man spoke in a hoarse voice. "The sect has placed a bounty on your head. You must die tonight. No grudge. No mercy."
He rang the bell.
DING... DING... DING...
The mist turned blood red.
Lin Bufan felt a pressure descend upon his mind, as if ten thousand insects were crawling into his skull. His breathing slowed. His thoughts dulled.
Alert: Hostile mental interference detected!
Activating Auto-Defense Module. Soul Anchor Rune.
A ripple of golden light spread from his chest, pushing back the mental invasion. The pressure lessened but didn't vanish.
Suddenly, two more cloaked figures appeared behind him. Their palms struck simultaneously. There was no time to dodge.
BOOM!
Dust exploded. The rooftop cracked. Lin Bufan was forced to his knees.
He spat blood but grinned.
"You finally brought someone worth fighting."
System Awakening: Blood Limit Break.
His internal sea churned. Qi and blood surged like wildfire. His muscles screamed under the pressure.
And then—
[Emergency System Trigger: Host has sustained critical damage."
Temporary boost unlocked: Blood Limit Break Lv. 1:
Boosts all physical stats by 60% for three minutes.
Cost: Extreme fatigue after effect ends.
Proceed? (YES / NO)
"Yes."
BOOM!
A shockwave blasted out from his body, tearing the mist apart. The two attackers behind him were blown back like rags in a hurricane.
The masked leader's eyes widened. "Impossible! He's still rising?!"
Lin Bufan stood tall with blood streaming down his arm. His eyes glowed like stars in the night.
"You should have brought ten more."
Then he disappeared.
No, he didn't disappear—he moved too fast to see.
One slash.
The masked leader raised his bell. Too slow.
CRACK!
The bell broke in half. So did his mask. Blood gushed from his throat.
The man dropped to the tiles, twitching, and then went still.
Aftermath and Revelation:
Minutes later, the fog finally cleared.
Lin Bufan stood alone on a rooftop stained red with blood. Five corpses lay scattered around him. His blade was not scratched.
[Battle Complete]
Kill count: 5
Difficulty: A-
Reward: "Assassin Mark" x1 — a trackable bounty seal
Reputation: +120
Hidden Trigger: Shadow Sect's interest increases by 25%.
He stared at the token in the masked leader's robes—an obsidian coin with a carved snake.
"Shadow Sect," he murmured. "So you're the ones."
From a nearby rooftop, someone had watched the entire battle in silence.
A girl in white robes, her long hair fluttering in the breeze, whispered,
"He didn't even use his full strength…"
Then she vanished into the night.
The Shadow Sect Reacts:
Midnight.
Deep beneath Qingzhou City's surface, in a hidden chamber of black stone and steel, a council of cloaked figures convened in silence.
A brazier burned with green flames. The air was filled with a metallic stench of blood and resentment.
In the center of the chamber, a man in gray robes knelt with one hand pressed to the floor. Blood dripped from his lips. His body trembled, not from fear but from fury.
"He killed all of them."
A voice echoed from the darkness above.
"All of them?"
Five elite assassins. Including Shadow-Bell Yan. All dead."
A murmur passed through the council.
A taller figure stepped forward, his voice cold. "He's just a boy. He barely stepped into the Foundation Realm. How did they fail?"
The kneeling man clenched his teeth. "He has something unnatural protecting him. It's not just luck or talent. It's like he knew every move. Like he could see through the fog."
Another voice, female and sharp as a blade, asked, "A combat-type system?"
Silence followed.
Then, the figure at the head of the room finally spoke. His voice was calm. Too calm.
"So he really does have one."
No one dared to speak.
The voice continued:
"Double the bounty. Move him from the Watch List to the Kill-on-Sight list."
Another pause. Then—
"Send the Butcher."
Gasps.
Even the kneeling man looked up in shock. "You mean—? But the Butcher hasn't been deployed in six years!"
"He is awake now," the leader said softly. "And he's eager for a challenge."
Lin Bufan's Recovery
Back at the inn, Lin Bufan sat shirtless in a wooden tub surrounded by bloodied bandages. The hot water had turned dark red, and steam rose in tendrils.
His muscles ached. His bones groaned.
But his eyes? Bright. Calm. Alive.
[System Update]
Temporary Boost: Blood Limit Break Lv. 1 — cooling down.
Fatigue debuff active: -30% movement speed for 12 hours.
Suggestion: Rest. Meditate. Eat meat. Lots of meat.
"Damn," Lin Bufan muttered, leaning back. "This system really has a personality."
Just then, there was a soft knock.
He grabbed his saber and stepped out, still wrapped in a towel.
At the door stood Mu Qingxue.
The girl from the forest. The one he'd saved during the beast tide. She was now dressed in clean traveler's clothes and her hair was tied in a simple braid.
She blinked when she saw his bare chest. She turned away, her cheeks red.
"Uh—s-sorry. I didn't know you were—"
Lin Bufan smirked. "You came all this way to check my injuries?"
She rolled her eyes. "You left the entire street covered in corpses. I figured you'd need soup." Not sass."
She handed him a wooden tray with a steaming bowl of soup.
He took it. "I appreciate it."
Mu Qingxue hesitated, then quietly asked, "Why are they after you?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Then, slowly:
"Because I exist."
She frowned. "That's not a real answer."
He looked out the window.
"No, it's the only one that matters."
The Butcher Awakens
Somewhere deep in the wilderness...
A massive man with arms like tree trunks sat cross-legged in a pit of bones.
He wore no shirt, only chains wrapped around his wrists and shoulders. The Shadow Sect's mark was on his back: a snake eating its own tail.
A voice echoed into the cavern.
"Target confirmed: Lin Bufan. Qingzhou City."
The man opened his eyes.
A savage grin broke across his face.
"I've been bored."
He rose. He grabbed his axe, a weapon taller than a man.
"I'll paint the streets with his spine."
The Calm Before the Storm
The next morning,
Qingzhou buzzed with rumors.
"Did you hear? Five assassins died in the northern block."
"They say it was a rogue cultivator."
"He's a demon, they say. He cuts people in half with one swing."
Lin Bufan walked through the marketplace with a bamboo hat covering half his face. Mu Qingxue trailed behind him with a basket of steamed buns.
They passed a merchant selling talismans, a bard singing about the "Red Mist Killer," and a beggar mumbling about "snakes in the walls."
Everything felt... almost normal.
Too normal.
"Something's coming," Lin Bufan said quietly.
Mu Qingxue glanced at him. "You feel it, too?"
"Yeah."
He looked to the horizon, where dark clouds loomed over the mountains.
"I killed their assassins. Now they'll send something worse."
He clenched his fist, and the system buzzed again.
[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Survive the Butcher."
Difficulty: S
Time limit: 48 hours
Reward (if successful): Unique Skill Unlock: Ghost Step Lv. 1
Failure:
Failure: Death.
His eyes narrowed.
"Bring it on."