Midnight killing

Originally, I had no interest or desire in attracting any attention to myself this early but it seemed like all my efforts were in vain. Since I have been followed for the past three days straight, it would be unwise to just leave the city without knowing who I'm dealing with or the other party. I really wanted to know what the person following me were up to and what sort of information he was trying to gather by following me.

After I jumped from the second floor of the Inn, I landed on the ground without making any noise as I used a wind magic spell to soften my landing. At this time, the night sky was at its darkest. One could not even see what was in front of them which was why I chose this time to act.

"Absolute darkness," I Said.

Suddenly a wave of black energy enshrouded my whole body rendering me invisible through the night or more specifically making my body become one with the darkness of the night.

Even though it was pitch black outside I didn't want to take any chances. I casted the absolute darkness magic spell on myself, In another word, my whole body was blended with the night. Even if a powerful 10th rank warrior were to pass by, it wouldn't be able to see me but only a void of darkness. He might have been able to sense something but won't be able to see me unless he cast some fire magical spell or launch an attacked in my position.

Just as I was getting closer to the entrance of the small house, I suddenly sensed something out of the ordinary. I quickly looked back and that's when I saw a black-clothed man gliding toward me as quickly as the wind. However, he was not looking at me but rather the house behind me. The same house that the man that was following me was staying in. I moved out the way because even if can't see me, he could still bump into me if I stayed in the same position. My body didn't dissolve into the darkness but blended with it, in another word, I was still physically here.

I frowned a little because this old man was none other than the owner of the Inn I was staying. His name was Mr. Qian and a 6th rank peak warrior that cultivated wind battle qi. Also, after my Draconic transformation, I have inherited the dark vision skills which means despite the darkness of the night, I was still able to see a minimum of 100ft ahead of me as clear as the day.

' This was the best time for secretive actions and that old man had clearly been waiting till this hour to sneak out the Inn as well'

'What are you up Mr. Qian?' I thought to myself as I was looking at Mr. Qian rushing toward the small house.

I moved my body lightly and flexible as smoke as I followed Mr. Qian. As I got closer to the house, I moved little by little in an extremely careful manner.

"Who goes there." As soon as Mr. Qian arrived at the gate entrance of the small house, a voice shouted out.

" It is I." Replied Mr. Qian with a low and firm voice.

Soon, the door of the front courtyard was opened from the inside and Mr. Qian went in. I slowed down my breathing almost to point of stopping it as followed him closely inside the front house courtyard. My body had become an extension of the darkness itself as I was shadowing him.

" What do I feel like there are some little movements behind me as if someone was following me." Said, Mr. Qian, as he abruptly stopped his movement. He looked back suspiciously and carefully surveyed his surrounding through the darkness but he couldn't find or see anything suspicious but absolute darkness.

Hearing this, the other man become alert as well. He stayed silent and perked his ears as if he was trying to pick up some suspicious sound. Nonetheless, I maintained my breathing and basically paid no heed to their words than I would to a passing breeze. Obviously, I stopped my movement as well.

I know that they couldn't see me. It was just a kind of sense, like when you are walking on a road alone and someone was following you, you can feel this without turning around. One does not need to be a warrior or a mage to have this kind of sensing ability. Any regular person or mortal has this sensing ability but still, this sense was a hundred time keener when you are a warrior or a mage. However, if once you turned around and saw nothing, then you just would assume that such a sense was wrong and continued doing whatever you were doing.

Sure enough, after looking around and found nothing, both of them became reassured.

" I guess I was just being paranoid." Said, Mr. Qian, while smiling mockingly.

" Being cautious is always a good thing. Come inside so you can tell about your finding." Said the other man in a low voice while making his way inside the small house.

Inside the house, Mr. Qian sat facing the other man in the living room. There was a small desk made of wood in between them. On top of it, was a small lamp flickering with a dim light. They both had a cup of tea in front of them. I wasn't able to fully see the other man's facial feature as he wore a mask. He was a 9th rank early stage warrior which is pretty strong if you ask me. Even though he wasn't a Saint rank Expert or a 10th rank, he could still be considered as a powerful warrior or a force to be reckoned with throughout the Archaic continent. Hell, my father was the city lord of Red Cloud city yet he was just a 7th rank fire mage. So you can imagine how strong this man was in the eyes of a regular person and even a low or mid-level warrior.

" So have you find anything suspicious about that old man." Said the masked man with a cold voice.

"Yes, but it was rather something odd. He did have a ring on his finger just like you mentioned but the description did not match the one you gave me. As you already know, our inn has a small restaurant down the first floor for the customers and that old man always orders a lot of food every day and ask them to be delivered to his room. No matter how much a gourmand he is, there was no way he could have finished them all because they were enough to feed at least fifteen hungry wolves." Said, Mr. Qian

" I checked his room every day when he went out, but I couldn't find anything out of ordinary. I even stayed in the room next door for the past three days to see If I can hear any suspicious sound from his room but nothing. He didn't get any visitor or bring anyone to his room. Aside from that, he seemed very generous because he always tips big especially when the waitress brings the food to his room." Added Mr. Qian while sipping his cup of tea.

" It seemed like the City lord's Guess was right. I also received a message from number 25, she said that the old man had sold a hundred magical beasts core to the Jade Auction house. Not only that, he had taken them from a ring. I think that I've gathered enough evidence to prove that the old man indeed is hiding the dragon cub in his ring as well as the small monkey." Said the man with the mask

" I thought they couldn't put a living creature inside an inter-spatial ring, how come this old man was able to do so." Said Mr. Qian with a curious look on his face.

" Maybe this old man's ring is a better version of the ones that were found in the underground cave mansion."

" you can go back to your duty now number 12, I'll take care of the rest." Said the man with the mask

" Yes, number 4." Answer Mr. Qian respectfully

" Just as I thought, it was indeed the long family."

Just as their voices ended, another voice sounded suddenly. It came about too suddenly, and number 4's body shuddered from being startled. Turning around, he saw nothing. There wasn't anyone in the room yet he heard someone's voice.

" I am right here." My words were spoken slowly yet the iciness within was unmistakable. At the same time, my body becomes visible to them as undo the absolute darkness spell.

Looking back, Fear snaked through Mr. Qian's heart as he saw an old man around seventy to eighty standing next to the door of the room.

In fact, even if I hadn't listened to their conversation, I could already guess who the mastermind was. What surprised me was the fact that, the Long Family had spies in every corner of the city and were able to monitor my every move.

Unlike Mr. Qian, the man known as number 4 was very quick-witted. As soon as my body became visible, he waved out his hands at me, and countless small knives whistled through the air, shooting at me. The small knives gave off a cold and icy aura. Clearly, they were coated with an ice battle qi.

Watching this, I couldn't help but sneered. I suddenly raised my palm at the incoming attack, with a slight push forward, a gust of violent wind deflected the small knives, slamming them down to the ground.

Both of them didn't even wait to see if the attack had actually hit the intended target as they turned around and fled. This small attack was clearly a diversion and fleeing was their main goal all alone. They already knew that they didn't stand a chance of beating me in a fight, so their main priority was to flee and report whatever information they had gathered so far.

They must have been dreaming if they think I would let them escape. Without wasting any time, my body blurred into motion and appeared in front of number 4.

"Ice python slash."

I didn't know when he took out the short sword from his sheath, but as soon as I appeared in front of him. A long ice serpent that seemed almost corporal and possessed an uncanny intelligence and power, opened its mouth wide to bite me down. Its cold body even froze the air around it.

High-level warrior can project their battle qi strength externally, and then use their attributes to congeal a shaped attack. They can make it take the shape of any animal or weapon depended on the user's battle skill and amount of battle qi.

"cheap trick." Facing such powerful attack, my face remained undaunted. With just a punch, I smashed the ice serpent into pieces. At the same time, I raised my right hand and firmly grasped number 4's neck, then exerted a Little pressure. After my Draconic transformation, both of my hands had turned into something like dragon claws with scales all over. Even though I used the illusionary magic stone, number 4 can clearly feel that he was being grabbed by a claw rather than a hand.

"Who are you?" Asked number as I was draining every ounce of his life.

" I am your doom," I answered with a cold and icy voice as well as devilish smile on my face. With my current physical strength, a little squeeze could crush a tree trunk, not to mention someone's neck.

As I was pinching number 4's necks, I infused some of the black fire energy inside his body, burning him inside. he felt like a volcano was being erupted within his body. Number 4 wanted to scream and beg for mercy, but couldn't. Terror and regret can be seen in within his eyes. After a few seconds, his stopped struggling and I threw his corpse on the ground. His lifeless body tumbled to the ground with blood seeping out of his neck after it was pierced by my dragons claws. I didn't forget to absorb his soul because it was the best way to find out about the reason he was following me or what the Long family was after. Not to mention a small bonus as well, I get to know everything he knows about Archaic continent after I swallowed his soul.

" I didn't really need your help to deal with those ruffians but thank you anyway," I Said while looking at Mr. Qian lying on the ground with a bloody hole in his chest.

" Hehehe, I know. I had a grudge with that old foggy so it was personal."

" Anyway we have to go because the Long family old ancestor had put a soul imprint on the guy you just killed, so he will know when and where he died. Also, I don't think we stand a chance against a Saint rank expert so we'd better get a move on." Said a woman standing next to Mr. Qian's corpse. She wore a black cloak that covered her whole body, only her beautiful mature face was visible. It was a familiar face, a face that I haven't seen forever. The last time I saw her was when I was a kid in Red Cloud City and she had given me two beasts core at that time. She was none other than the women known as the Ice Queen. Ohh yeah, Aside from That man named number 4, someone else was following as well but this person had started to follow me this morning, rather I met at the Inn's restaurant this morning eating breakfast at the same time I was. But at that time, she had a hood on and I couldn't see her face clearly.

A while later, the ice queen and I disappeared from the dilapidated room. But we didn't return to the Inn but left the city in the middle of the night.