Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

At midnight, Qingfeng Town was completely silent. Even the streetlights dimmed, and only the dappled moonlight filtered through the maple leaves, casting sparse shadows in the courtyard of Qingfeng Inn.

The sound of the wind breaking outside the window was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, mixed with the rustling of maple leaves, almost imperceptible, but it still couldn't escape Lin Yan's outward divine sense, let alone the keen spiritual sense of Yi Azhu's innate water spirit body.

Lin Yan, lying on the couch, suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze showing no sign of sleepiness. His spiritual energy circulated quietly throughout his body, but he did not immediately unleash it.

Almost the instant the short blade pierced the window paper, Lin Yan suddenly rolled to the side, landing directly on the ground to avoid a fatal blow. The three poisoned blades pierced the wooden bed, instantly corroding the wooden bed board into three small, charred holes, and a pungent, sweet-smelling poisonous fumes spread out from the holes.

The dark figure burst through the window, remaining silent throughout. His eyes were numb and cold, and his attacks were aimed directly at Lin Yan's vital points such as his heart and dantian. His methods were ruthless and efficient, without probing or maneuvering, only seeking a quick kill. Every strike was fatal, and even when his own weaknesses were exposed, he did not retreat at all, showing a posture of fighting to the death.

Lin Yan lightly touched the ground with his toes, unleashing the full power of the "Shadow Chasing Step." His figure darted and dodged within the cramped guest room, pure water spiritual energy condensing in his palms. He calmly dealt with the situation while secretly trembling with fear. Lin Yan was new to the martial world and had never seen such a fearless fighting style, solely focused on taking lives.

The sounds from the next room started almost simultaneously.

Yunxi's sword heart was clear and transparent. She drew her sword instantly upon sensing the killing intent. The light sound of the sword being drawn pierced the dark night. She deliberately suppressed the power of her sword aura, only defending and not attacking, parrying the short blades that came at her. She kept quiet and held her breath the whole time, afraid that the noise would cause more trouble.

Ye Qing held the ancient wooden sword, his wood-type spiritual power thick and steady. He raised his hand and blocked the attack from the two assassins. His body was as steady as a rock. He just silently restrained them and did not take the initiative to launch a strong attack to avoid the sound of fighting being leaked.

Chen Dagang gripped his heavy staff tightly. Although he had no spiritual power, his physical body was strong. He withstood a heavy blow from the assassin without making a sound. He simply swung the heavy staff and forced the assassin to retreat.

Holding the Golden-Crowned Snow Sparrow, Yi Azhu moved lightly to the door. Her innate water elemental power condensed into a fine water curtain, which not only blocked the sounds of fighting from spreading outwards, but also clearly transmitted the movements of each assassin to everyone's minds, serving as the most reliable backup.

Lin Yan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, seized the opportunity to exploit the assassin's weakness, condensed a wisp of pure water spiritual power at his fingertips, and pressed forward, his palm strike precisely aimed at the opponent's wrist. The poisoned blade fell to the ground with a thud, and then his fingertips swiftly tapped, sealing the major acupoints all over the man's body, rendering him unable to move and completely losing the ability to resist.

Seeing this, the remaining assassins became even more frantic in their attacks. However, the group worked together seamlessly, and in less than half an incense stick's time, the remaining four assassins were all subdued, their spiritual power sealed, and they were tied up in the courtyard. They did not utter a single cry throughout the entire process, and the area around the inn remained quiet, without disturbing anyone.

Lin Yan slowly walked to the assassin he had subdued first, squatted down, and tried to find a clue from the assassin's clothing and weapon to see who had sent him. He was full of questions and just wanted to find out where the assassin came from and the reason for the ambush.

"Who are you? Why are you trying to assassinate us?" Lin Yan asked, his tone calm but with a hint of probing.

But the assassin kept his lips tightly shut, his eyes were numb and empty, and he ignored his questions, staring intently at the ground, exuding a deathly stillness.

Lin Yan frowned slightly, about to speak again, when he saw the assassin's neck suddenly stiffen, and a strange and resolute smile suddenly curl up at the corner of his mouth.

The next second, a trickle of black blood slowly spilled from the corner of his mouth, and a strong, sweet-smelling poisonous odor instantly spread from his body. His meridians turned black at a visible speed, and in an instant, his whole body stiffened and he completely lost his breath.

He committed suicide by poisoning himself to silence everyone!

Lin Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and he abruptly stood up, his heart pounding.

He had never seen such a scene before. The Laoshan sect had strict rules and a system of rewards and punishments. Even when there were disputes, there had never been such a ruthless method of leaving without a trace and leaving no evidence to prove the matter.

Before he could react, the other four bound assassins also made the same move, clenching their teeth. In a short while, they all vomited black blood and died from the poison without even a struggle. Their deaths were so clean and swift that they were chilling.

In the blink of an eye, all five assassins were dead. Their bodies lay in the courtyard, devoid of any life. Their clothes and weapons were clean and tidy, without any markings, tokens, or even a trace of spiritual energy. It was as if they had appeared out of thin air and died out of thin air, leaving no trace.

Yi Azhu turned pale with fright, clutching the golden-crowned snow sparrow tightly in her arms, and whispered, "Senior brother, how...how could they..."

Yunxi sheathed her sword and stood there, a hint of solemnity appearing in her beautiful eyes. She said in a deep voice, "These people have long since disregarded life and death. They came here to kill us. If they succeed, they will retreat; if they fail, they will die. They will not leave behind any clues."

Lin Yan stood there, looking at the five cold corpses on the ground, his fingertips clenching slightly, a chill he had never felt before spreading from the bottom of his heart.

He cultivated in Laoshan, his heart set on the Dao. He knew that the path to immortality was fraught with demons, evil spirits, and sectarian conflicts, but he never imagined that the world outside the mountains would be so treacherous. There were no rules to restrain him, no debate between good and evil, only sudden ambushes and conspiracies that left no trace.

Where these people came from, who ordered them, and why they wanted to take their lives—all these questions remain a mystery. There are no answers, no clues, and no way to even seek revenge; they can only passively endure this sudden murderous intent.

Chen Dagang stood frozen in place, staring at the corpses strewn across the ground, his honest face filled with disbelief: "I've never seen anyone so reckless, it's terrifying..."

Ye Qing remained silent, gripping the ancient wooden sword and warily scanning his surroundings, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

Lin Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. The naivety and innocence of someone new to the martial world were quietly shattered at this moment, replaced by a real understanding of the dangers of the martial world. He looked around and said in a deep voice, "We can't leave the corpse behind, lest it attract trouble, and we can't make a fuss about it."

With everyone's help, they quietly carried the body to a secluded spot behind Qingfeng Post Station, buried it on the spot, carefully cleaned up all traces of fighting, poison gas, and bloodstains in the courtyard, repaired the broken wooden windows, and restored everything to its original state.

After all this was done, it was still dark, and Qingfeng Post Station remained as quiet as ever, as if the thrilling ambush had never happened.

Lin Yan sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard, gazing at the faint night sky, remaining silent for a long time.

He didn't know when the next assassination attempt would come, or where the mastermind was hiding. The storms outside the mountains were far more dangerous and unpredictable than the undercurrents within the sect.

This silent ambush in the dark left no clues, but it left a deep imprint of the treacherous nature of the martial world on his heart.

Meanwhile, in the secret chamber of the Su family mansion, Elder Hailan lightly tapped the table with her fingertips, as if she had sensed something, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

Su Chen strode forward and asked anxiously, "Elder, has it been successful?"

Elder Hailan nodded slightly, her voice cold and desolate: "Don't worry, even if they don't survive, they won't leave any evidence against them."

Lin Yan and his group faced an uncertain future, fraught with danger.