Bloodshed in the Dead of Night

Luo Feng wasn't wearing his usual black combat armor today. Instead, he stood empty-handed beneath the courtyard wall, clad in a simple black robe.

"The Chunyu family, eh?" Luo Feng smiled faintly. Whoosh, he vanished like a gust of wind, silently infiltrating the depths of the opulent estate.

The Chunyu family estate spanned tens of kilometers, divided into the outer and inner compounds. The outer compound housed ordinary clan members of lower status, so security there was relatively lax. However, the inner compound was noticeably much more heavily guarded.

Swish! Swish! Swish! In just three steps, the black-robed figure created three afterimages—one by the shadowy flowers, one beneath the dark wall, and one on the corridor—before reaching the edge of the inner compound.

"The Xueluo Crystal mission, being one of the dangerous-tier tasks, won't be easy to accomplish," Luo Feng muttered, half-crouching behind a large rock. His gaze swept around as his spiritual force connected with the cosmic space, sensing the life signatures nearby. "The life signatures in the inner compound are clearly much stronger; there are quite a few Universe-level beings!"

Moving freely within the inner compound was out of the question.

Whoosh! Luo Feng became utterly serious, deploying the *Phantom Shadow Body Art*. He transformed into a shadow, gaining an advantage in the darkness, and swiftly infiltrated the inner compound.

"Everyone, pay attention. Don't look like you're half-asleep."

"Captain, who would dare trespass into the Chunyu family's inner compound? Is there really a need to be so serious?"

"It's fine not to be serious, but at least put on a show. Otherwise, if you're caught, you'll be in deep trouble. I'm doing this for your own good."

A patrol squad moved through the inner compound, their members chatting via telepathy as they walked.

Whoosh! From behind them, a blurry shadow flashed past in an instant, heading deeper into the inner compound. Luo Feng, utilizing the *Phantom Shadow Body Art*, became even more elusive. Combined with his perception of cosmic space, he evaded every hidden sentry along the way. This made Luo Feng sigh inwardly, confirming that the defenses were indeed incredibly strict. A super family, second only to the City Lord's Mansion within Yangang Territory, was no joke.

"That's where the 'dog-headed strategist' lives," Luo Feng thought, pressing himself against a stone pillar in the corridor like a blurry shadow, his eyes coldly fixed on a secluded residence in the distance.

Swish! Relying on his perception of cosmic space fluctuations, Luo Feng darted along three strange trajectories and slipped into the secluded pavilion.

...On the second floor of the pavilion. A slender, pale-faced man in a white robe sat at a desk, seemingly lost in thought.

Strategists were certainly abundant in large families, especially in merchant families who valued them even more. This white-robed man was Yu Keqi, the most highly regarded and trusted strategist among the Chunyu family's advisors, holding a considerably high status within the entire Chunyu family.

His status was evident from the fact that he resided in the inner compound and occupied such a secluded pavilion all to himself.

"Yu Keqi," a voice echoed.

"Hm?" The white-robed man trembled, quickly turning his head to see a black-haired man in a black robe standing behind him.

"Master!" The white-robed man immediately bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with fervent loyalty.

"Mm." Luo Feng nodded. For the past six days, to understand the Chunyu family's situation, he had cautiously approached it from many angles. Not only had he obtained information from various intelligence agencies within the city, but he had also specifically used soul secret techniques to control some important figures within the Chunyu family for thorough investigation.

His teacher, Huyan Bo, the master of Yunmo Star, specialized in soul cultivation and had achieved great success, even developing the *Soul Enslavement Seal*. Naturally, he possessed many common minor techniques. Furthermore, the first volume of *Essays on Time and Space* contained numerous soul-related secret techniques.

The technique he used on the white-robed man was merely a 'mind-bewitching' type of secret art.

"I need to see your family head now. Are you ready?" Luo Feng asked.

"Master, please rest assured. I am the family head's confidant, and he trusts me implicitly. Even if I wish to see him at night, it will absolutely be no problem," Yu Keqi, the white-robed man, said with full confidence.

"Lead the way," Luo Feng instructed.

"Yes." Yu Keqi, the white-robed man, respectfully replied, "Master, you only need to follow behind me." Yu Keqi then went downstairs, and Luo Feng followed him.

"Creak!" Opening the door, Yu Keqi openly led Luo Feng out.

They walked along the corridor, which was utterly silent.

"Hm?" Luo Feng spotted a patrol guard squad approaching in the distance. The leader of the patrol squad, seeing the white-robed man, immediately smiled and said, "Mister Yu."

"Mm." Yu Keqi nodded indifferently.

The patrol guard squad didn't even ask who the black-robed man was and simply left. Yu Keqi transmitted, "Master, rest assured. Occasionally, for important matters, I frequently discuss things with the family head late at night. Sometimes I also bring people to meet the family head... although those are people the family head specifically instructed me to bring. But those guards don't know that. So, there will absolutely be no problem with me bringing someone."

"Mm." Luo Feng nodded slightly.

They continued forward, passing one checkpoint after another.

Luo Feng openly walked past each hidden sentry, who showed no reaction whatsoever, allowing Luo Feng to proceed deeper into the heart of the estate under Yu Keqi's guidance.

"The deeper we go, the stricter the security. Even if I wanted to infiltrate without being detected by anyone, it would be impossible," Luo Feng observed. Ahead, a vast encampment surrounded them, with at least several thousand people visible at a glance. Clearly, they had reached the absolute core of the Chunyu family.

"Open the gate!" Yu Keqi called out.

"Yes, Mister Yu, please wait." A soldier immediately opened the tightly shut side gate.

Yu Keqi led Luo Feng directly into the deepest part of the estate, under the watchful eyes of thousands of guards.

"Master, this is the absolute core of the family. The family head, important clan descendants, some super experts, the treasure vault, the martial arts tower, and so on, are all here," Yu Keqi transmitted. "And the family head's residence is not far ahead... Yes, we're here, it's this palace right before us."

Luo Feng observed carefully. Ahead was an ancient, exquisitely carved courtyard wall, approximately 500 meters long and wide. Inside the wall stood a nine-story palace. At the main gate outside the courtyard wall, only two guards stood.

"Open the gate," Yu Keqi said.

"Who is he?" The two guards, the one on the left, frowned and pointed at Luo Feng.

"He's someone the family head wants to see," Yu Keqi said with a frown. "Hurry up and open the gate."

"The family head didn't inform us today that he'd be seeing anyone late at night," the left guard said coldly, scrutinizing Luo Feng. "Moreover, the family head is already resting at this hour."

"The family head has long wanted to meet him, but never had the chance. Today, I found this esteemed individual, so of course, I brought him immediately," Yu Keqi, the white-robed man, said, his expression darkening as he barked, "Can you bear the family's wrath? Hurry up and open the gate!"

Luo Feng frowned slightly and transmitted, "What's going on?"

"Master, normally these two wouldn't dare stop me. It's strange today," Yu Keqi transmitted back, also puzzled.

"Still not opening the gate?" Yu Keqi's face was grim as he angrily transmitted, "What's wrong with you two?"

The two guards' expressions shifted slightly. One of them offered an awkward smile and quickly transmitted, "Mister Yu, it's not that we brothers want to stop you. It's just that today, the family head just... acquired that person from the City Lord's Mansion. In short, it's not suitable for receiving guests. If he's disturbed, the family head might be very displeased. If you truly need to see him... perhaps we brothers can help relay a message?"

"Oh." Yu Keqi, the white-robed man, frowned and transmitted to Luo Feng, "Master, the family head is currently with a flirty woman. What should we do?"

"Enter!" Luo Feng transmitted.

Yu Keqi, under the influence of the soul secret technique, naturally couldn't refuse Luo Feng's command. He immediately looked at the guards and said, "Go and relay the message! The family head meeting this esteemed individual is far more important than being with a woman."

"Alright then." The two guards at the gate immediately opened it, and one of them walked straight inside.

...Luo Feng stood outside the courtyard, silently looking inside through the open gate.

"Family Head, Family Head," the guard who went to relay the message called out softly from outside the palace.

"What is it?" an annoyed voice responded.

"What's going on?" a delicate, coquettish voice chimed in.

"Family Head, Mister Yu has brought someone over. He says it's someone you've always wanted to meet. Family Head, will you see him?" the guard asked.

"Someone Mister Yu brought?" Suddenly, the grand gate of the palace's first floor rumbled open. A tall, burly man, casually dressed in a luxurious nightgown and barefoot, looked directly outside. His gaze also fell upon the black-robed Luo Feng, instantly making the Chunyu family head feel puzzled.

"Any longer and I'll be exposed," Luo Feng thought. His body flashed, turning into an afterimage, and he charged directly into the courtyard.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Nine black figures leaped down from the palace building, while behind the courtyard wall, numerous figures shot out, covering the sky and earth, charging directly towards him.

The Chunyu family head held such an esteemed position; how could he not have personal secret guards? Three hundred personal secret guards! Nine Shadow Guards!

"Nine Universe-level beings, too. A super-tier power truly lives up to its name," Luo Feng, clad in a black robe, thought with a cold, indifferent expression in the courtyard, his eyes icy. He merely extended his hands.

Instantly, the three hundred secret guards and nine Shadow Guards who had charged out—each originally wielding either a battle saber, a short sword, or their respective weapons, some even preparing to manipulate hidden weapons to kill Luo Feng—found their battle sabers, short swords, and other weapons, under Luo Feng's powerful spiritual force control, directly slicing towards their own heads!

"No!" The three hundred secret guards, nine Shadow Guards, and two gate guards all widened their eyes in terror, but their strength was powerless to control their own weapons!

Swish! A simultaneous flash of saber light, sword light, and hidden weapon gleams! Three hundred and eleven heads were severed, blood splattering into the night sky. In the entire courtyard, only three people remained alive.

Yu Keqi, the white-robed man, stood there dumbfounded, while the Chunyu family head's eyes were wide with terror. Only Luo Feng, his black robe billowing, remained expressionless.

Swish! Luo Feng took a single step and appeared beside the family head, gripping his neck as if he were a small chick. With another stride, he vanished into thin air.