Chapter 401 - Sacred Spring Water & Soul Power

Within District Seven of Florence, inside a standalone residence...

"All of the assassins we sent are dead?" A tall, blond-haired man named Soss asked while seated on a sofa. His hand, which had been about to raise a wine glass, was frozen in midair.

Clink!

The wine-filled glass landed heavily on the coffee table. Some of the reddish-purple liquid splashed out.

Five minutes later, Soss leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed over his chest as a furrow creased his brow. To be honest, he had not expected something this minor to fail. The royal family had investigated the Black Copper Hunter whom Blood Axe Herb favored, and the hunter's strength had not seemed impressive. Yet, the three assassins hired through the Shadow Thorn Organization all ranged from White Dazzling Hunter to Dark Gold Hunter in overall skill. The three acting together could even have assassinated a Dark Gold Hunter.

However, the final outcome was completely different from what he had anticipated. All three assassins were dead, and the last one had died in a rather peculiar manner, self-destructing right in front of Soss's subordinates. It seemed as if this display was aimed at intimidating the forces behind the attempt to assassinate White Aster.

"Did that hunter named White Aster conceal his true strength?" Soss raised his wine glass again and took a small sip of the red wine, savouring its sour taste. He paused to think for a moment before quickly shaking his head, denying the possibility outright.

The likelihood that White Aster had concealed his strength was small. Twenty days ago, White Aster had barely survived a team mission. He had only managed to pull through after spending half a month bedridden. There was no faking that; the royal faction had specifically gone to the sanatorium to inquire. Thus, there were only two other possible reasons for the assassination's failure.

First, interference from within the Hongli Council or the Dark Hunter Organization, especially the latter. White Aster had submitted an honorary badge, which would undoubtedly draw the hostility of various factions; this was something the Hunters' Association and the Chief Mechanist would surely be aware of. They may have secretly dispatched experts to protect White Aster.

Second, the local branches of the Dark Hunter Organization and the veteran Hunters who held regional authority might have joined forces and intended to cultivate White Aster as a representative of the younger generation. This possibility was the strongest since Blood Axe Herb held substantial influence as one of these veteran Hunters.

Moreover, the qualification to become a Shadow Hunter did not have to be used immediately; they could groom White Aster for a dozen years and wait for the next chance at the Shadow Hunter position. Until then, the veteran Hunters would surely send protectors.

If he considered matters that way, the failure of this assassination no longer seemed unjustified.

"Count yourself lucky, kid." The murderous gleam in Soss's eyes gradually withdrew. He did not plan to take further action against White Aster for now, though that did not mean he would simply swallow his anger. Soss was confident that he would become the Shadow Hunter representing the royal family. The winner for that position would emerge within the next two months. Once he became the new Shadow Hunter, he would spare the time to deal with Herb and White Aster.

Elsewhere, in District Two of Florence, a dark figure strolled quietly along a dimly lit street, moving within the shadows like an invisible presence. His steps were swift, and he knew these streets well. After more than a dozen turns, he arrived at a small house.

Moonlight slanted across the rooftops of adjacent tall buildings, casting a massive shadow that covered the small house, making it appear even darker. The dark figure stood beneath the moonlight and slowly lowered his hood.

It revealed a young man with black hair and black eyes. He had delicate features but an extraordinarily sharp gaze, giving off a profound, chilling impression. More accurately, he resembled a black blade drawn from its sheath.

Moonlight draped over the young man like a thin veil. His shadow fell diagonally against the wall. It was shaped like a human silhouette but surrounded by numerous black, tendril-like whiskers stretching out like tentacles. Upon closer inspection, one would realize these were actually thorn-covered brambles, densely clustered around him. He resembled a poisonous, blooming thorn flower.

This newcomer was none other than Solomon the Thorn. He glanced up at the moonlight above his head, then proceeded directly toward the small house. Standing in the shadows, he raised a hand and knocked softly on the door five times.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...

"Come in." A voice came from within. It was clear this had been an agreed signal.

Solomon immediately opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. The interior was dimly lit, with only a faint beam of moonlight sneaking through the window's cracks.

A tall, cloaked figure gradually emerged from a corner.

"Zhu Hun, what did you want from me this time?" Solomon spoke first, stopping in the middle of the room.

The cloaked man called Zhu Hun said nothing, and instead tossed an object to Solomon.

Solomon caught it, and his pupils contracted slightly. It was a manual he knew well; the second stage of the Sinful Thorns Secret Technique, detailing how to use the bramble's venomous toxins to stimulate the body's training.

Moreover, it included a certain explosive technique that allowed the Sinful Thorns to invade one's body in reverse, traveling beneath the skin and within the flesh. It could draw and burn one's blood to grant a sudden surge in physical strength.

"What's this?" Solomon suppressed his delight and asked.

"This time, you must become the Dark Hunter Organization's Shadow Hunter..." Zhu Hun began, "At the Hunters' Association's headquarters, only the Shadow Hunters and the White Dazzling Hunters have the privilege to venture to the source of the sacred spring water. There, a hunter will gain the opportunity to bathe in the sacred spring. We require you to do something for us at that time. Rest assured, we will provide a method that no one will detect..."

"What is it? Can you be more specific?" Solomon asked, though he already had a guess in mind. The Dark Hunter Organization had existed for centuries as an official supernatural force suppressing the supernatural world largely thanks to the sacred spring's merits.

If something went wrong with the sacred spring, the entire organization would be shaken to its core.

"I cannot tell you yet," Zhu Hun continued. "Once you have become a Shadow Hunter, I will naturally inform you. I have already given you the second stage of the Sinful Thorns Secret Technique, so your strength should increase noticeably over the next month. You must become the Shadow Hunter without fail. We will assist you in achieving this..."

His voice was low, carrying a sinister undertone.

"What do you mean?" Solomon asked, frowning slightly.

"Do not concern yourself with honor. The most important thing is becoming the Shadow Hunter. There are three candidates in total, and I will do my best to remove one for you. After all, Florence, as the imperial capital, is not easy to meddle in..."

Zhu Hun's tone suddenly shifted. "Oh, right. Actually, there should be four candidates, including that hunter named White Aster. I won't help you deal with him. After all, a Black Copper Hunter is no real threat. Now go..."

Solomon nodded, carefully tucking the manual into his clothes. The door opened and then closed again behind him.

Zhu Hun stood in the shadow near the window, his gaze fixed on some unknown point. "Gaining strength through external means is the most dangerous path, and the one most prone to flaws. The Dark Hunter Organization, born of the sacred spring's grace, may well meet its end there as well..."

It had always been known within the Dark Hunter Organization that hunters who borrowed the sacred spring's water to enhance their strength and fight against the dark creatures plaguing the empire gradually suffered from headaches, irritability, and loss of reason over time. It resembled war trauma, yet was actually more akin to a dark creature's beast transformation.

Some hunters believed this resulted from repeated injuries during missions and the dark creatures' energy corroding them. In truth, that accounted for only a small fraction. The deeper cause lay at the source itself.

The sacred spring water contained power, yet also hid calamities within. Though minuscule at first, if it accumulated over time, it would someday erupt. Zhu Hun and his organization wanted nothing more than to make that eventual outbreak all the more violent. After all, dealing with an organization that had persisted for nearly a thousand years was no easy task, especially one officially sanctioned by the empire.

***

Turning back the clock to seven that evening, in the quiet outskirts of Florence, within an abandoned monastery.

Cassius met with Ghost-Man and his friend, Iron Knight. They paid little attention to the minor assassination attempt, focusing instead on discussing the World of Calamity and Black Rain Manor. That was the only thing truly worth the conversation.

As soon as Ghost-Man and Cassius met, he handed over the promised hunter's badge and concentrated Soul Power to Cassius, then enthusiastically introduced his friend, who was also a top-tier knight-level marked-one.

His meaning was simple: he had found another person to join their venture.

Someone would be working for him, and this person was as strong as a combat artist. Naturally, Cassius gladly accepted. Although he did not touch the dark essence that Ghost-Man and Iron Knight had obtained from slaying dark creatures, only Cassius could absorb the life vibration energy from their corpses.

Whenever Ghost-Man and Iron Knight wished to use the Tower of Refuge to expel the calamity from their bodies, they had to pay an entry fee. That fee took the form of the Golem Seed Cassius created specifically to absorb life vibration energy. He had studied this carefully and found that he could refine a special Golem Seed using a substantial amount of Golem Qi.

He could store it in a fixed part of their bodies, such as a finger. This way, the Golem Seed could absorb and temporarily store life vibration energy. Furthermore, such seeds had a limited existence. If they did not return to their main body within twenty-four hours, they would dissipate automatically.

This meant Ghost-Man and Iron Knight didn't have to worry much about foreign Qi within their bodies. They could simply treat the Golem Seed as an external tool, much like a hunter's badge. After killing a dark creature, they could conveniently absorb its energy.

The procedure was not complicated, making it easy to implement. Cassius did not reveal anything about the fake-death pill during their conversation, as it was not yet the right time. He would wait until they became more familiar with each other, and until he himself returned to the level of combat artist.

Then, he could truly expand his forces without restraint. Cassius believed that no top-tier knight-level marked-one from Black Rain Manor would remain unmoved. This was their only chance to escape Black Rain Manor's control! If they missed this opportunity, it might never come again. Since he had such a rare commodity to offer, he did not worry about failing to attract experts to join him.

After the three finished talking and were about to depart, Cassius asked Ghost-Man for a favor: to wipe out the Shadow Thorn Organization's headquarters and investigate who had planned to assassinate him. In such matters, Ghost-Man was quite professional.

Cassius had no intention of handling it personally. After all, his body had not yet returned to the level of a combat artist and could not endure his Qi. Besides, he had just acquired Soul Power and wanted to study it thoroughly.

Hence, he had to rely on Ghost-Man this time. He considered it settling a debt of gratitude.

Ghost-Man agreed without hesitation, saying that a minor task like this was not even worth mentioning as a favor. Besides, since he had just taken a mission from Black Rain Manor in Florence and might stay a few days, eliminating an assassin organization in the meantime posed no problem at all.

Cassius would hear news of the Shadow Thorn Organization's destruction in three days, or as soon as one day. Ghost-Man was also fairly confident about extracting information about the forces behind them. In his view, even an iron mouth could be pried open under the right circumstances.

The Shadow Thorn Organization might be famous for its silence, but there were always cowards who would kneel and spill everything under the threat of death. They would simply beg for mercy from Ghost-Man. He had seen such scenarios many times before.

The three chatted amiably in the abandoned monastery and planned to meet at Ash City in the World of Calamity at the next sunrise.

Cassius returned alone to Florence around eight-thirty in the evening. He entered the hunters' apartment, and into a private room of his own. An oil lamp was lit, and its pale yellow flame illuminated the entire living room.

Cassius sat before a table, upon which lay a triangular badge. Though it looked metallic, it gave off a stonelike quality. Beside the badge sat a bottle about half the size of a fist. Cassius reached out and pulled open the tightly sealed cork.

Immediately, a familiar scent wafted out. It had a faint, chilly sensation like cold, deep-running water beneath moonlight. This was Soul Power, a specialty of the Black Rain Manor's Baptism Chapel.

Cassius had grown very familiar with it in his third time-travel. This energy possessed peculiar properties, and was capable of enhancing and strengthening all kinds of forces within Black Rain Manor. Cassius had even used it to improve his hardening Qigong and Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts. This meant that Soul Power could affect all three human origins—physique, Qi, and mind. It was very valuable.

Coincidentally, the sacred spring water of the Dark Hunter Organization shared similar qualities with Soul Power. The newly recruited hunters came with all manner of arcane energy, some physique-based, some Qi-based, some mental, but all could be strengthened by the sacred spring water.

Therefore, Cassius could not help feeling some curiosity. What would happen if the sacred spring water and Soul Power were combined? Were the two cut from the same cloth or made of different materials? He had a faint feeling that uncovering the truth would yield tremendous benefits!