Raising Orphans, Not Assassins

A blade emitting a cold gleam swiftly enlarged in front of Shi Shisan's eyes. Shi Shisan's hair stood on end, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He quickly leaned back, dodging the rapidly approaching blade.

Bang!

The long blade fiercely struck the ground, splitting the stone slab road into two halves.

The wielder of the long blade wore a black robe, with a dark complexion.

Seeing his opponent evade his attack, Song Cangjie's eyes turned fierce, and he swung his long blade again towards Shi Shisan. After dodging the ambush, Shi Shisan focused his gaze and realized that the attacker was just an ordinary martial artist, nothing to be feared, and sneered,

"Just a mediocre martial artist."

Shi Shisan's eyes turned sharp as he swiftly kicked out with his legs, his moves fierce and unstoppable. Despite several attempts, Song Cangjie's long blade fell short of striking Shi Shisan by mere centimeters each time, unable to land a hit.

After a few exchanges, Song Cangjie's chest was kicked, his face turning pale as he staggered back several steps.

Several undercover officers hiding nearby rushed forward, their black-clothed figures wielding long blades that hummed as they swung.

Ting~ Tang~

After a few clashes, the officers' long blades were all kicked out of their hands by Shi Shisan, their faces flushed with exertion and injuries.

Song Cangjie's face turned pale as he recognized the opponent's martial arts style.

"The Yu Luo Leg Technique of the Fengyu Tower?"

Shi Shisan adjusted his robe, his eyes sharp as he stared at Song Cangjie, coldly saying, "You've got some knowledge."

‘The opponent was from the Fengyu Tower?’

Song Cangjie's face changed drastically, filled with shock.

The Fengyu Tower was the most elite assassination organization in the martial world, with numerous assassins.

It was said that the master of the Fengyu Tower had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, almost reaching the level of a Grandmaster, and had once assassinated an elder of the Huashan Sect. He had engaged in several duels with the head of the Huashan Sect after being discovered, without falling behind.

Recalling the information about the Fengyu Tower, Song Cangjie's face became extremely grim. He couldn't understand why the disappearance of a few children would involve the shadow of the Fengyu Tower.

…

Skipping back half an hour.

After several days of investigation, Song Cangjie had finally found a pattern in the children's disappearances - All the children were lost in crowded markets, indicating that the perpetrator specifically targeted crowded places.

So, Song Cangjie left a trail on Hu Zi, dumping him in the morning market.

To avoid attracting attention, Song Cangjie intentionally bought a sugar figure at a sugar sculpture stall. When he returned, Hu Zi disappeared just as he had anticipated.

Song Cangjie pretended to react like other parents of lost children, shouting loudly in the morning market.

Then, he quickly gathered manpower and took out the “Xun Xiang Feng (Fragrant-Seeking Bee)".

The "Xun Xiang Feng" is a special type of bee cultivated by the Liu Shan Men, capable of tracking the scent of a thousand miles away.

Releasing the Xun Xiang Feng, Song Cangjie, along with other officers, quickly tracked it. After circling the city for a long time, Song Cangjie and the officers were led by the Xun Xiang Feng to a relatively remote mansion in Yuhang County.

At the sight of the mansion, all the officers turned pale. Because it belonged to Liu, the county magistrate of Yuhang.

Seeing the mansion, Song Cangjie finally understood why the number of missing children had increased in recent days, and why Liu, the magistrate, hadn't said much but just urged him to speed up the investigation.

It just didn’t fit with Magistrate Liu's style of acting decisively and swiftly.

At the same time, Song Cangjie also understood why they hadn't found any clues in the villages near the city.

The children had been hidden within the city!

The group of officers crouched on the roof of a nearby civilian house, exchanging glances, but no one spoke. This situation was beyond their expectations.

Only Song Cangjie's expression was constantly changing, looking extremely unpleasant.

Just as they were unsure how to proceed, a figure dressed in a long robe, with an unremarkable appearance, walked out of the mansion. It was Shi Shisan.

Song Cangjie no longer hesitated and whispered to his subordinates, “This matter concerns the reputation of Yuhang County. We cannot sit idly by.”

“If it's truly related to County Magistrate Liu, I will report it to the Liu Shan Men”

Hearing the mention of the Liu Shan Men, the other officers' spirits were lifted. The reputation of the Liu Shan Men was much greater than that of County Magistrate Liu.

As far as the officers knew, officer Song Cangjie had once served in the Liu Shan Men, but for some unknown reason, he was dismissed and had to return to Yuhang County as an officer. If it was related to Song Cangjie, he could take the responsibility for this matter.

Then the officers would have no worries.

After Song Cangjie flipped down from the civilian house, he looked around and realized that County Magistrate Liu's mansion was in a remote location, with no pedestrians around.

He accurately predicted the direction Shi Shisan would come from and hid behind a wall. When Shi Shisan approached, he attacked.

However, the knife that was supposed to hit him was dodged by the opponent.

Shi Shisan then displayed the '”Yu Luo Leg Technique” of the Fengyu Tower, injuring several people.

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Song Cangjie held his chest, trying to calm the injuries with his meager internal strength.

"Fengyu Tower, why did you kidnap the children? You're only supposed to do assassination business, aren't you?" Song Cangjie asked with a tense expression.

Shi Shisan didn't respond to Song Cangjie's question, as if Song Cangjie wasn't worth his answer.

Furrowing his brows, Shi Shisan muttered to himself, "This shouldn't be..."

"You're just an insignificant martial artist, how could you possibly find this place?" Shi Shisan pondered, unable to understand the situation.

"Forget it, thinking about this is pointless. Anyway, taking these children out of the city should be enough to explain everything." Shi Shisan's gaze fell upon the group of officers, his eyes narrowing coldly.

A faint murderous intent enveloped the constables, causing them to shiver and pale.

This kind of murderous intent wasn't something an ordinary person could possess; only someone with dozens of lives on their hands could.

Song Cangjie, not receiving an answer, had a dark and uncertain expression. He glanced occasionally towards the mansion behind Shi Shisan. His son, Huzi, was in there after all. Though he didn't know why the Fengyu Tower kidnapped children, it definitely wasn't a good thing.

Song Cangjie's grip tightened on his long knife, his eyes showing a hint of determination.

"Oh? A dying struggle?" Shi Shisan coldly snorted, stepping slowly towards Song Cangjie.

The distance between the two was getting shorter and shorter. With each step Shi Shisan took, his aura became increasingly powerful in Song Cangjie's eyes.

"Bronze Badge Killer," Song Cangjie stared closely at Shi Shisan, slowly speaking.

Shi Shisan's face showed surprise, nodding, “You’ve got some insight. Then, I'll tell you all about it before you die a ghost."

"I’m a Bronze Badge Killer of the Fengyu Tower — Shi Shisan."

With this response, Song Cangjie felt an invisible relief. The Fengyu Tower's Bronze Badge Killers were generally fourth-grade martial artists. The opponent's strength was only one grade higher than his own.

With that move… He could kill!

Song Cangjie took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the long knife. The bright blade reflected the sunlight, casting a shimmering spot on the ground. The other constables also picked up their long knives, gripping the handles tightly as they glared angrily at Shi Shisan.

The two sides faced off, their momentum reaching its peak, ready to erupt into a bloody battle at any moment.

All of this was observed by Chen Ye, who had just hidden around the corner after the previous skirmish.

‘There really are martial arts sects!’

‘Fengyu Tower, and a bronze medal assassin!’

Chen Ye's eyes showed excitement.

What was originally a boring day in his eyes suddenly became interesting in the ancient world.

Chen Ye exhaled deeply, and a virtual blue interface appeared with a red dot on it, indicating the location not far away.

During the morning market, Chen Ye found that Da Ming was missing. He immediately contacted the virtual system. After discovering that the system had a tracking function, Chen Ye's suspended heart suddenly dropped.

It made sense when he thought about it. The purpose of the system was to foster orphans. If the children were kidnapped by human traffickers, then what would be the point of fostering them?

Suppressing his excited emotions, Chen Ye carefully watched the situation unfold.

"It looks like these constables are no match for that Bronze Badge Killer."

‘Song Cangjie is just an insignificant martial artist. Could this be the grade of martial artists? What grade is that man?’

Seeing both sides in a stalemate, on the verge of a bloody battle, Chen Ye couldn't help but ponder.

If Song Cangjie won, that would be good, and maybe Da Ming could be rescued.

But if he failed...

He could only lament silently; Rest in peace, Da Ming.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ye made up his mind.

He spent 5 points of his accumulation to exchange for a set of night clothes from the virtual system and quickly changed into them.

Then he put two copper coins in his mouth, so that when he spoke, he wouldn't be easily recognized. With preparations made, Chen Ye took a step forward.

Shi Shisan's face showed a smile that seemed like a sneer, taking steps towards Song Cangjie.

The distance between the two was getting closer and closer. The constables surrounding him with long knives seemed to pose no threat in his eyes.

And indeed, it was the case. The constables around him were just ordinary people, not martial artists.

Song Cangjie mobilized the internal energy in his body, calculating the distance between himself and Shi Shisan.

As Shi Shisan stepped within five steps, he reversed his internal energy.

The pressure between the two sides reached its peak. Sweat dripped from the foreheads of the officers, one drop sliding down a officer's face and falling onto the ground.

A drop of dark water appeared on the stone pavement.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared on the empty street.

Seeing the sudden appearance of the figure, Shi Shisan's steps faltered, and a cautious look appeared on his face.

Several officers also noticed Shi Shisan's change and turned their attention to the street corner.

At first, Song Cangjie thought it might be a martial artist, but he noticed the figure's unsteady gait, lacking the smoothness of a martial artist's stride. It was just an ordinary person, causing a hint of disappointment to flash in his eyes.

Immediately, he shouted loudly, "This is official business, everyone else should leave immediately!"

Song Cangjie's words were meant to protect the person in black.

Shi Shisan's strength was at the fourth level, and facing ordinary people would only lead to a dead end.

Hearing this, Chen Ye secretly nodded. This head officer was quite something.

However, he did not stop his steps because of these words. Instead, he walked boldly and confidently to the center of the confrontation.

"Another one looking for death," Shi Shisan sneered.

Since Song Cangjie could discern that the person in black had no martial arts skills, he naturally could as well.

Chen Ye stopped in his tracks, pretending to have just noticed the situation after hearing the voice.

Coming to a halt, Chen Ye listened intently, feigning interest. His gaze, indifferent, rested on Shi Shisan as he asked ambiguously, "An assassin from Fengyu Tower?"

The mention of this sparked alarm among the bystanders.

Shi Shisan was astonished to have his identity exposed by just one glance from Chen Ye.

Who was this person?

"Who are you?" Shi Shisan became cautious at Chen Ye's words.

Chen Ye, seeing Shi Shisan's apprehension, remained composed and said, "What about it?"

"You abducted my disciple. Shouldn't I come knocking on your door?"

Hearing these words, Shi Shisan was greatly shocked.

That these officers could find this place was already beyond his expectations. And now another person in black has come.

‘Is my movement technique really that bad?’

Shi Shisan couldn’t help but doubt himself.

The surrounding officers were also shocked by the words of the man in black.

Song Cangjie looked puzzled and uncertain, unable to grasp the current situation. The person in black looked unskilled at a glance, appearing to be an ordinary person.

But why did his words sound like those of a highly skilled martial artist?

Chen Ye stood in the center of the confrontation, his gaze remained indifferent, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

‘I wonder if I can bluff my way out of this…’

On the surface, Chen Ye looked calm and composed, but inside, he was extremely nervous.

His only reliance was the "Indestructible Body" skill.

After a moment of hesitation, Shi Shisan regained his composure. As an assassin, there’s no way he could be frightened away.

Moreover, when the person in black appeared, he seemed completely devoid of martial skills.

"Pretending to be mysterious..."

Shi Shisan sneered coldly, his eyes icy. With a flick of his robe, he stepped forward, ready to strike.

Before Shi Shisan could act, Chen Ye interjected, "Junior from Fengyu Tower..."

"You've abducted my disciple, so logically, I should execute you here. However, considering our past with Fengyu Tower, I'll give you three moves."

"Come at me."

Chen Ye's ambiguous words stunned everyone present.

Shi Shisan widened his eyes in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.

The surrounding constables were equally astonished.

Song Cangjie, perplexed, couldn't comprehend how the person in black could possess such strength.

‘Could it be…’

He suddenly thought of a possibility.

When Song Cangjie was serving in the Liu Shan Men, he had heard that martial arts masters could reach a level of control where they could act as if they had never trained in martial arts, blending seamlessly with ordinary people.

Could it be that this person in black is a grandmaster?

How could this be!

How could there be a grandmaster hidden in a small place like Yuhang County?

At that moment, the scene fell silent.

Shi Shisan was the first to react, refusing to believe that the person in black was a master.

In Yuhang County, even having a second-rate constable was remarkable. How could there be a master hiding here?

However, Shi Shisan retained a shred of caution. Better safe than sorry.

Could this person truly be a hidden master? Under Fengyu Tower's notorious reputation, he might not escape death.

Shi Shisan pondered, clenching his hands, "Senior, I'll make my move."

With a disdainful snort, Chen Ye remained calm, maintaining the demeanor of a superior.

It seemed as though he was certain that Shi Shisan's attack wouldn't harm him.

Shi Shisan saw the calm composure of the man in black and activated his internal energy, circulating it according to the path of the Yu Luo Leg Technique.

Suddenly, he took a step forward, his legs producing multiple afterimages, moving so fast they were almost invisible.

Ding!

A metallic sound rang out.

Shi Shisan had returned to his original position, as if he had never moved at all.

The officers looked at each other, confused, as they hadn't been able to see what had just happened.

Only Song Cangjie saw what had transpired. Shi Shisan had used his Yu Luo Leg Technique to kick the man in black in the chest. That strike contained eighty percent of Shi Shisan's internal energy, something even a third-grade martial artist would not dare to take head-on.

Yet the man in black hadn't moved at all, standing there as solid as a rock, letting Shi Shisan's kick land on him.

Song Cangjie was stunned. He was genuinely astonished.

What shocked him even more was that the man in black spoke.

"Not bad, among bronze-ranked assassins, your kick is among the best."

Chen Ye's voice was muffled and his tone indifferent. He appeared calm on the outside but was actually shocked inside.

So fast.

Chen Ye hadn't even seen how the other person made a move; he only heard the sound of metal clashing against his chest.

Fortunately, the 【Indestructible Body】 trait given by the system was truly powerful. Despite taking the hit, he felt nothing at all. It didn't even hurt, and the force was entirely dissipated.

Seeing that the man in black was unscathed, Shi Shisan stood there in disbelief, his limbs cold.

How is this possible!

That kick had used eighty percent of his internal energy, aimed at the heart. Even a martial artist of the same level would have been killed by it.

How could this man in black be completely unharmed!

Chen Ye didn't give Shi Shisan a chance to catch his breath and took a step forward, saying calmly, "Two more moves."

Hearing this, Shi Shisan completely lost the will to continue fighting. His expression changed, and recognizing the situation, he knelt down, kowtowing three times. "Senior, I was blind and captured your disciple. Please, on behalf of my sect master, show mercy and spare me."

Sect master?

Hearing this term, Chen Ye pondered for a moment. Without looking at Shi Shisan, he said in a muffled voice, "Leave."

"Thank you, senior!"

Shi Shisan didn't hesitate, using his light footwork to scale the wall and disappear in an instant.

A potentially bloody battle was thus averted.

The constables present were all stunned, looking at each other in confusion.

Only Song Cangjie reacted first, respectfully clasping his fists, "Thank you, senior, for your assistance."

Chen Ye glanced at Song Cangjie indifferently, maintaining the demeanor of a lofty expert without speaking.

Suddenly, the door of a nearby residence opened, and a few small heads peeked out.

Song Cangjie saw this and exclaimed, "Hu’er!"

The child in the yellow short shirt saw his father and ran over with teary eyes.

The other constables also rushed towards the children.

Chen Ye frowned slightly at the sight.

What's going on? How did these kids get out?

He called up the system and saw that the large red dot had moved to the next street.

Hmm?

Why is Da Ming running that way?

Without lingering any longer, Chen Ye turned and headed towards the other street. At the corner, he quickly removed his night attire, revealing his original appearance.

By the time the officers noticed, the man in black had already disappeared. {ED: Ah, the classic Batman trick}

"Where is that senior?" the tall, thin constable whispered.

Hugging his son, Song Cangjie glanced at the empty street and said solemnly, "A senior of that caliber is beyond our comprehension."

"Captain, the house is on fire!" shouted the small-eyed constable.

Song Cangjie quickly looked over and saw black smoke rising from Liu Xian's residence. Inside, a man's scream of agony could be heard.