The fury in his heart was nearly enough to set his whole body ablaze.
Since the establishment of the Six Doors, there had never been any casualties among the constables in the city. The city had remained peaceful, without a single major incident. But now, not only had someone died—a constable of the Six Doors had been murdered. This was no less than a loud, stinging slap across his face.
"Boss, the one who died was Ding Hai. His cultivation was at the sixth level of the Divine Sea Realm. He was killed with a single stab to the heart. Clean, precise. The moment the blade pierced his heart, all signs of life were cut off. The technique was domineering—sharp and deadly. Ding Hai had no time to react and died on the spot."
"The stab came from behind. And based on the wound, the blade that pierced his heart was nearly identical to the long saber Ding Hai carried. Whoever killed him is clearly a top-tier expert. But, according to the surrounding civilians, no one saw who did it. Before being attacked, Ding Hai was chatting with the vendor Zhou Dafu. Even Zhou Dafu didn't see anyone behind Ding Hai. Yet, somehow, the blade ended up in his chest."
A constable reported grimly.
The situation was eerily strange.
One person might lie, two as well—but hundreds of eyes all failing to witness the killer? That was far too bizarre. A lie was impossible.
"No ordinary assassin could do something like this. But don't forget—this is no ordinary era. Cultivators are everywhere, with all sorts of bizarre Life Apertures and divine abilities emerging constantly. With such powers, what once seemed impossible becomes possible."
Zhang Yue's eyes flashed coldly as he spoke.
He absolutely did not believe that the killer was some non-existent phantom. If someone died, there had to be a killer—whether they struck personally or used divine abilities, it didn't matter. A killer was a killer.
"Boss, what do we do now? Even if the killer used divine abilities, they left no trace behind. How do we even begin investigating this?"
A constable hesitated, eyes burning with anger as he looked at Ding Hai's corpse.
"If the killer has struck once, they won't stop. They'll kill again. Inform the others—patrol in groups of three, immediately. Keep a sharp eye on the city. If anything seems off, signal at once. As long as they're still within the city, we will drag this damned rat out of the sewers, no matter what. This is the first major case since Six Doors was founded—we cannot afford to screw this up."
Zhang Yue took a deep breath and gave the order firmly, his voice tinged with anger.
"Yes, sir!!"
The constables shouted in unison and quickly dispersed, launching into patrols across the city.
"No matter who you are—if you dare provoke the Six Doors, then I, Zhang Yue, swear this: I will fight you to the death."
He stared at Ding Hai's corpse, making a silent vow. His hatred for the killer burned fiercely.
Pfft!!
Just then, a bounty hunter near Zhang Yue suddenly let out a miserable scream.
A long saber had pierced straight through the man's heart—again, clean and precise. After piercing him, the blade mysteriously vanished.
The bounty hunter was facing Zhang Yue directly, and in the instant the blade struck, blood sprayed across Zhang Yue's face. The man's eyes were filled with disbelief as he collapsed to the ground.
"Bastard! Damn you!"
Zhang Yue's face turned livid as a searing pain flared across his face.
He had just declared his intent to catch the killer—and immediately, the killer struck again, right in front of him. And he hadn't seen a trace of the attacker. Just like that, another man dropped dead at his feet, blood splattering across his face.
It was as if the killer were responding—mocking him with this bold and open challenge.
Zhang Yue's entire body trembled with rage. His eyes turned bloodshot.
To kill right in front of him—it was a blatant insult, a total disregard for his authority.
This was not only a challenge to the Six Doors—but to the entire Xuanhuang City.
"Another bizarre assassination—the weapon is again nearly identical to the bounty hunter's own saber. It's like he killed himself. But that's clearly impossible."
"One stab. Instant death. A master assassin—merciless and precise. A true professional. Killing is second nature to this one."
"No one saw the attacker again. The blade struck from behind. There had been no one behind the victim. He didn't even notice anything before dying. Same method as Ding Hai's."
Several constables examined the body, their expressions darkening.
"Should we clear the area? Get the civilians indoors? It's too dangerous out here. Anyone could be the next to die."
A constable offered the suggestion.
"No. If everyone hides indoors, they'll be like fish in a barrel. This assassin is too strange, too elusive. Hiding might actually be more dangerous. And besides, announcing a curfew might be exactly what the killer wants. In the dark, no one knows what could happen. You could die in your home, and no one would even notice."
Zhang Yue frowned, making a decisive call.
Panic would do more harm than the killer. A city consumed by fear would collapse faster than one haunted by a shadow.
Pfft!
Suddenly, a street vendor was stabbed through the throat with a boning knife.
Instant kill. Death on the spot.
Blood painted a gruesome scene.
"Damn it! Show yourself! If you've got the guts, fight me head-on! These underhanded tricks—what kind of warrior are you? You're just a sewer rat!"
Zhang Yue's expression twisted in fury as he roared.
"That's right! Come out, coward! You won't scare us so easily. We, the people of Xuanhuang City, won't cower before you!"
Three murders in quick succession had completely enraged the people of the city.
The citizens of Xuanhuang City had long developed a fierce, unyielding character. This was a city forged through blood and war.
Killing one would spark fear.
Killing two would spread unease.
But three? That was outright provocation—and it lit a fire in every soul.
"We Xuanhuang folk aren't cowards! Ever since the Lord of the City carved out this land with blood and steel, we've never backed down. Death means nothing. But dying without dignity? That's worse than death itself!"
"Come on! Fight me face-to-face! I'll gladly die with honor. But I won't take a single step back. If I do, you can take my head and use it as a chamber pot!"
The enraged citizens became like wild beasts.
They had no fear of death. They feared only shame—of being seen as weak, of dying in vain. That was what would make them blush, even in the grave.
Hidden in a corner, a shadowy figure murmured to himself:
"These lunatics… They're really not afraid of death? I've never seen people like this before. Truly different from other humans."
"But the game has begun. And it's far from over. Whether they die or not—that's up to me."
The people's reaction had caught the assassin off guard.
He hadn't expected that repeated murders wouldn't induce fear—but instead, provoke wrath. The collective fury of Xuanhuang City's citizens was awe-inspiring, even to him.
When people aren't afraid of death… there's nothing left to control them.
"Boss, look—on the ground! The blood!"
"There are bloodstains… forming words!"
"What does it say?"
On the open ground, the spilled blood had eerily congealed into characters.
"Three Kills in One Day!!"
Zhang Yue stared at the blood-written message, his face ashen.
What did this mean? A declaration of war? A taunt?
Three Kills in One Day. Was this a vow to kill three people each day?
Arrogance—beyond description. Madness—beyond reason.
It wasn't just a slap in the face—it was spitting on the whole of Xuanhuang City.
If the killer succeeded again tomorrow—it would be a massive failure.
"Boss, what do we do now?"
A constable asked gravely.
The situation had completely spiraled out of control. No one knew what the killer might do next.
"I'm going to see the Lord of the City."
Zhang Yue took a deep breath, eyes burning with anger.
No matter what, even if he had to face the shame of being deemed incompetent, he had to report this. The situation was no longer something he could handle alone.
Three Kills in One Day. If this continued, it would plunge Xuanhuang City into chaos.
This could not be hidden from Yi Tianxing.
But he had to report it first.
"Secure the scene. Recover the bodies. Bring them back to Six Doors. We'll discuss the next steps when I return."
Zhang Yue gave his orders and rushed toward the City Lord's Mansion.
"Just as I expected—a hidden threat has already emerged. So quick to act… It seems those who seek to disrupt my city can't wait any longer."
Naturally, Yi Tianxing had already sensed the events unfolding. He didn't wait for Zhang Yue's report. He knew—immediately.