The mournful wind howled across the hills, rustling through the dense woods where a dilapidated doghouse stood alone.
Jian Changsheng huddled inside the doghouse, wrapped in a grimy blanket, tearing into a piece of bread—his lunch for the day.
Thanks to his uncle’s aid, Jian Changsheng no longer had to scavenge through trash bins for food. Though his meals weren’t filling, at least he wouldn’t starve.
He wiped the crumbs from his lips, carefully picking up each fallen speck and popping them into his mouth before taking a few deep gulps from his water bottle. With a long exhale, he muttered, "Finally alive again..."
[Blood Robe] was, after all, one of the core skills of the [Asura] path. After just a day of rest in the doghouse, Jian Changsheng—who had been on the brink of death—had nearly recovered completely. His vigorous vitality replenished his depleted body, and his skin gradually regained its color.
Most importantly, after enduring multiple soul-crushing interrogations, his mental resilience had been honed to terrifying levels. Unbeknownst to him, he had already broken through the first tier and stepped into the second... From the moment he embarked on the divine path to now, barely over ten days had passed. Such rapid advancement was unheard of, even in the entire history of Aurora City.
A sliver of the confidence that Chen Ling had ruthlessly shattered finally returned to Jian Changsheng... As expected, I’m still a genius. Just born at the wrong time.
With his stomach full, Jian Changsheng’s thoughts grew active. Gazing at the swaying leaves outside the doghouse, he fell into contemplation.
Two days had passed since his escape from the Stellar Chamber of Commerce. Those hunting him were likely still searching... Though hiding in the doghouse minimized exposure, staying put forever wasn’t an option.
Someone capable of extracting him from the dungeon could undoubtedly help him flee the city entirely. Yet the man hadn’t done so. Combined with those words, Jian Changsheng guessed this was all a "test" for him.
Whether he could join the Twilight Society might hinge on his actions in the coming days... Jian Changsheng doubted the Society would have any interest in a coward hiding in a doghouse.
So, he had to act.
After much deliberation, Jian Changsheng settled on a plan. He stepped out of the doghouse, drew the knife at his waist, and sliced his fingertip. A drop of crimson blood welled up from the cut...
Flicking the blood droplet toward a distant rooftop, it shot through the air like a bullet. As Jian Changsheng formed a hand seal, his body vanished—reappearing instantly where the blood had landed, steady on the deserted rooftop.
Glancing back, the doghouse was now hundreds of meters away. None of the pedestrians below had noticed anything amiss—after all, who would look up to track a flying drop of blood?
The corner of his lips curled upward.
This was Jian Changsheng’s second skill upon reaching the second tier of the [Asura] path—[Blood Drop Step].
Unlike [Blood Robe], which granted tenacious vitality, [Blood Drop Step] bestowed him with teleportation abilities. With this skill, his already formidable survival instincts reached new heights... and it was the biggest reason he dared to move during daylight.
Clad in tattered black clothes, his face mostly concealed by bandages, Jian Changsheng was unrecognizable. His figure flickered through the air with each blood droplet, soon arriving above a bustling street.
Hidden in a rooftop blind spot, his bandaged gaze fixed on the grand building in the distance—the place he had fled from, his nightmare, the headquarters of the Stellar Chamber of Commerce.
Endless running was meaningless. Jian Changsheng chose to strike first. But given his current strength, a direct assault on the Chamber was impossible. So, he lurked here, biding his time... The Chamber’s search parties would never expect him to be right under their noses, spying from across the street.
His eyes tracked the figures entering and exiting the Chamber as he muttered to himself, "Those gray-robed ones are the Yan family’s servants. This is when they usually go out to buy ingredients... Fourth Miss Yan Liuyan is back—must’ve been out all night drinking and whoring again... That long-haired guy is... Huh? The deputy head of the Silver Moon Chamber? Are they in trouble again?"
Jian Changsheng knew these people like the back of his hand. Having grown up in the Yan household, he could guess their purposes at a glance.
Patiently, he waited in the shadows, unmoving even as dusk fell. The deputy of the Silver Moon Chamber finally left in the evening. Just as Jian Changsheng assumed the day would yield nothing, a furtive figure slipped out from the Chamber’s side door.
By now, the streets were nearly empty. The figure hugged the shadows, clearly avoiding attention.
Jian Changsheng immediately noticed the anomaly. From the back, he couldn’t identify the person, but one thing was certain—this guy wasn’t out for anything legitimate. His eyes lit up, and he activated [Blood Drop Step] to tail the figure.
---
That night, urgent knocks echoed through the courtyard.
Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow, surprised. "It’s only been a few hours... Is Wen Shilin’s efficiency that high?"
"...No idea."
Chen Ling stood and headed for the gate.
Wen Shilin had promised to handle the press credentials yesterday, so Chen Ling had spent the day idly reading in the courtyard. Yet barely after sunset, someone was already at the door.
When Chen Ling opened it, he paused.
The visitor wasn’t Wen Shilin—it was the thug leader he had "hired" earlier. Seeing Chen Ling emerge from this "luxury mansion," the thug leader was equally stunned, his gaze burning with newfound reverence.
Chen Ling had given them his address for communication purposes. The thug leader had doubted himself upon arriving at such an estate... In his mind, Chen Ling hadn’t seemed wealthy, given how he’d deferred payment.
"What’s wrong? Did something happen?" Chen Ling asked.
"Boss." The thug leader’s expression turned grave. "We found something..."