’Nightmare?’

On the pitch-black street, Shen Bai’s eyes narrowed when he heard the word.

A cool evening breeze rustled by.

But at that moment, Shen Bai felt as if a dark cloud was closing in on him, like a vast, inescapable net descending to trap him and hold him fast.

Shen Bai had heard of this particular type of bizarre phenomenon.

It was said to be rooted in dreams, a phenomenon that harmed people through their own minds. Once it appeared, the entity would lie hidden within its victim’s dreams. To kill it, one had to enter the Dream Realm as well.

This type of phenomenon was extremely complex and couldn’t be explained in just a few words.

"So, a Nightmare. It seems they plan to use this thing against me?"

Shen Bai rubbed his chin. "Is there any other information?"

Shen Bai felt that the mention of a Nightmare was, at best, a minor clue.

It wouldn’t lead to anything useful if he tried to dig deeper.

In response, the Hall Master shook his head. He was still gripping the Iron Pen, its tip pointed at his own heart.

He seemed ready to end his own life as soon as he was done talking.

"The other piece of information concerns their entry into Fenglin State."

"Entry into Fenglin State? You mean people from the Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect have already snuck in through some special means?"

Shen Bai frowned. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The defenses of Fenglin State were formidable. The members of the Observatory formed a dense security network.

Evading the Observatory’s watch was extremely difficult.

But the Hall Master was implying that the enemy had already used some special method to get inside Fenglin State, and they were preparing to use the Nightmare to land a fatal blow against him.

The Hall Master nodded. "I can only provide these two clues. As for how you find them, that will depend on your own abilities, Lord Shen."

Shen Bai considered this for a moment. "Is there anything else you want to say? I don’t just mean information, but anything else."

At this point, everything that needed to be said had been said.

Shen Bai had learned what he needed to know.

Now, there were no other clues.

The Hall Master before him was a man whose crimes were monstrous.

Shen Bai had no intention of letting him live. As he had said before, this was a transaction.

Shen Bai had received his information, and in return, the Hall Master had protected his wife and children, who had no part in his bloody deeds.

The Hall Master shook his head. "For people like us, death is an inevitable fate. I have long been prepared. Lord Shen, thank you for agreeing to look after my wife and children."

Shen Bai said slowly, "The Observatory will handle this. If an investigation confirms they knew nothing of your actions, the Observatory will not punish them. And in light of the information you’ve provided, while I can’t promise them a life of luxury, they should at least be able to live out their days in peace, like ordinary people."

A look of relief washed over the Hall Master’s face. "Living like ordinary people... that’s good enough. Lord Shen, I must implore you, please don’t let my child walk the path of a Cultivator. Once you’re in the Jianghu, life is full of hardships. To die as I am about to—leaving behind an intact corpse—is a blessing in itself."

As the Hall Master finished speaking, he plunged the Iron Pen into his own chest.

Blood ran down the shaft of the Iron Pen, dripping to the ground like beads on a string.

Pain washed over him. The Hall Master’s face went pale, and he sank to his knees, gasping for breath.

Gradually, like a wilting flower, the Hall Master’s life began to fade.

Within a few short breaths, the Hall Master closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground, becoming a corpse.

The silver moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery-gray sheen upon the dark street.

The village was littered with corpses, filled with a deathly silence.

Shen Bai gave the scene one last look, then turned and left the small village.

The Dark Hall, which had plagued him for so long, was utterly destroyed this night.

Fenglin State’s organization of assassins had vanished without a trace.

...

It didn’t take Shen Bai long to return to the Observatory from the village.

With the Speed he could achieve using Divine Hundred Miles, Shen Bai no longer needed a horse for travel.

He would only choose to ride for the sake of comfort on long journeys.

By the time he returned to the Observatory, it was already the early hours of the morning.

Tonight, Shen Bai didn’t plan to grind his Skill Level. Instead, he went straight to find Liu Wufeng within the Observatory.

Even at this late hour, when the common folk were long asleep, the lamps of the Observatory were still burning brightly.

This was especially true for Liu Wufeng’s room. The main door was wide open, and Liu Wufeng himself was hunched over his desk, reading through reports.

When one reached their position, many things were no longer under one’s own control.

For people like them, time for Cultivation had to be squeezed out, forced into their schedules wherever it might fit, like driving a nail into wood.

Even at this hour, when many members of the Observatory were already resting, Liu Wufeng was still dealing with the next day’s official business.

For him, being busy was a normal way of life.

Liu Wufeng had been the State Governor of Fenglin Continent for a long time and had grown accustomed to it.

On the entire second floor, aside from a scattering of other Observatory members, only Liu Wufeng remained.

The other Observatory members kept their distance, not daring to disturb him. Only the sound of approaching footsteps drew Liu Wufeng’s attention.

Liu Wufeng looked up and saw Shen Bai walk into the room.

After a moment’s thought, Liu Wufeng laid the report he was holding on the desk, picked up a nearby teapot, and poured two cups of tea.

"You must have something important to discuss, coming to see me this late. Here, have some tea first."