28: Nighttime Extermination

For the next few days, Qin Feng's life seemed no different from usual. He practiced martial arts in the early morning, helped at the clinic during the day, and studied medical texts and cultivated the 'Primordial Unity Qi Art' at night. However, in secret, he began making intensive preparations.

His first objective was disguise techniques. He didn't go to Doctor Chu. Instead, relying on the countless bits of white-tier intelligence about the ways of the world previously generated by the System, combined with his own sensitivity to the scents of medicinal herbs, he developed a crude but practical method for altering his appearance. He used soot from a pot bottom and specific herbal juices to adjust his skin tone, used fish glue to subtly change the contours around his eyes and mouth, and then changed into clothes fitting different identities. While it couldn't achieve the seamless perfection of Doctor Chu's methods, under the cover of night, it was sufficient to fool those unfamiliar with him.

Simultaneously, he retrieved the poison and knockout drugs obtained from the Flower Picking Bandit. The 'Bone-Corroding Powder' was fiercely toxic, sealing the throat upon contact with blood, suitable for a final kill. The 'Soul-Dazing Incense' was colorless and odorless, capable of plunging a person into deep sleep, suitable for infiltration. He divided these drugs into small porcelain bottles for easy access.

Before taking action, he reconfirmed the intelligence on the three targets:

· Shadow Rat: Late Stage Martial Artist, peripheral member of the Yin Demon Sect, identity as a medicinal herb merchant, room number three in the 'Earth' wing of Peaceful Inn, average vigilance.

· Swift Blade: Early Stage Martial Master, elite of the Purple Robe Bandits, newly promoted enforcer for the Fierce Tiger Gang, alcoholic, often stays overnight at the Gang's stronghold.

· Poison Widow: Mid-stage Martial Master, contact for the Green Turban Bandits, lives alone in the southern city's commoner district, skilled in poison and seduction techniques, likely has traps set up at home.

A moonless, windy night, perfect for murder and arson.

First night, target: Shadow Rat.

Qin Feng transformed into a sallow-faced, somewhat mercenary-looking traveling merchant and silently infiltrated the Peaceful Inn. Like a civet cat, he scaled up to the second-floor corridor eaves and hung upside down outside Shadow Rat's window. A trace of Internal Energy gathered at his fingertips, gently vibrating open the old wooden latch inside, pushing the window open a crack.

Inside the room, Shadow Rat was carefully examining a rough sketch of Star South City under an oil lamp, with several locations rumored to have ancient artifacts marked on it. He was completely unaware of death's approach.

Qin Feng held his breath and inserted a small, specially-made piece of slow-burning, nearly smokeless incense through the crack. A faint, peculiar fragrance spread through the air. After roughly the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Shadow Rat felt dizzy. Just as he realized something was wrong, darkness fell before his eyes, and he collapsed onto the table.

Qin Feng swiftly infiltrated, confirming the target was unconscious. He didn't use a weapon. Instead, he took out the 'Bone-Corroding Powder', pried open Shadow Rat's mouth, and flicked in a small amount. In moments, Shadow Rat's body twitched slightly, an abnormal bluish-black color appearing under his skin, and his breath rapidly ceased. Qin Feng meticulously searched the room, taking away all items possibly related to the Yin Demon Sect, including that sketch. Then, he staged the scene to look like a sudden fatal illness, erased all traces of himself, and quietly left.

Second night, target: Swift Blade.

The Fierce Tiger Gang stronghold was brightly lit and deafeningly noisy. Qin Feng didn't infiltrate but chose to lie in wait on the periphery. He knew Swift Blade was an alcoholic who got drunk every night. Sure enough, after the zi hour, Swift Blade left the stronghold alone, cursing and stumbling on unsteady feet, heading towards a small courtyard he rented nearby.

In a narrow, unlit alley that was the only route, Qin Feng appeared like a ghost from the shadows. He still concealed his Martial Master cultivation, only displaying the strength of a Mid-stage Martial Artist. But combined with the movement technique of the 'Flying Leaf Art' and the insidiousness of the 'Poison Jade Sword Art', in a single move, Swift Blade didn't even see his attacker clearly before a poisoned dagger slit his throat. Clutching his neck, he stared in disbelief at the unfamiliar, seemingly weak assailant before him, gurgled a few times, and fell dead. Qin Feng quickly searched his body for valuables and any items that might expose his identity, dragged the corpse to a pile of garbage at the alley's end for rudimentary concealment, creating the illusion of a robbery or Gang feud killing.

Third night, target: Poison Widow.

This was the trickiest one. Qin Feng didn't forcefully infiltrate her small courtyard, which was likely riddled with traps. Using his intelligence, he knew that every other day, deep at night, Poison Widow would go to a remote well in the southern city to meet with a contact disguised as a night watchman.

Qin Feng laid in ambush on a large tree near the well mouth an hour in advance, blending with the environment, his breathing becoming almost inaudible. When Poison Widow's graceful figure appeared under the moonlight, warily scanning her surroundings, Qin Feng moved.

He didn't use knockout drugs, as his target was a poison expert. He chose the most direct method—a sneak attack! Instantly unleashing his Early Stage Martial Master cultivation to its limit, pushing the 'Flying Leaf Art' to its Peak, his figure shot down like a wisp of green smoke! The Azure Edge Sword was unsheathed for the first time in actual combat, its gleam flashing briefly under the moonlight, imbued with the chaotic and immense Internal Energy of the 'Primordial Unity Qi Art', and stabbed straight for Poison Widow's heart from behind!

Poison Widow, true to her Mid-stage Martial Master level, sensed danger at the last moment and desperately threw herself forward, simultaneously scattering a cloud of pink poison mist behind her. However, Qin Feng was too fast. The sword tip still sliced a bone-deep gash on her back. The Primordial Unity Internal Energy invaded her body, instantly disrupting her Qi and blood.

"Who?!" Poison Widow cried out, both shocked and enraged, rolling over to fight.

But Qin Feng gave her no chance. His swordplay was like a violent storm, each move lethal, completely suppressing her. The poison skills and seduction techniques Poison Widow excelled in were utterly useless under the absolute suppression of speed and power. In less than ten moves, the Azure Edge Sword pierced her heart.

Qin Feng swiftly dealt with the scene, took all items from her body, even checked the well itself to ensure no clues were left behind, and then sank the corpse into the well.

Within a week, three elite spies from different forces vanished without a trace in Star South City, leaving no clear evidence pointing to the perpetrator. It was as if they had never existed...

At the valley stronghold hundreds of miles away.

The Yin Demon Sect Special Envoy listened expressionlessly to his subordinate's report. Below, the leaders of the Purple Robe Bandits and the Green Turban Bandits were sweating profusely.

"Shadow Rat has lost contact."

"Swift Blade is confirmed dead. The scene looks like a Gang feud killing."

"Poison Widow... along with her contact, is missing."

"Trash! A bunch of trash!" The Special Envoy's voice was as cold as ten-thousand-year ice. Though he didn't roar, the terrifying pressure emanating from him nearly solidified the air in the entire cave. "You don't even know who the opponent is! Has Star South City discovered them and is cleaning house? Or... is a third-party force intervening?"

He suddenly glared at the two bandit leaders, murderous intent blazing in his eyes: "I give you three days. Investigate! If you find nothing, you will personally enter the city and dig out that rat hiding in the shadows for me!"

The two leaders, both at the Peak Great Martial Master level, were as silent as cicadas in winter, their hearts filled with fear and resentment. Their people were dead or missing, and they couldn't even grasp who the enemy was. How could they not be furious? How could they not be terrified?

The waters of Star South City were much deeper than they had imagined.