After systematically finishing his physical training, Ouyang Ge casually set down the dumbbells.

Three days flew by in a flash.

The time for his appointment with Artisan had arrived. Today, he would leave the small hut he was staying in for an outing. Though exposure was possible, he had to seize opportunities when he could stay under the radar.

Moreover, today, Ouyang Shi would be back...

With his sister around, slipping out freely wouldn’t be so easy anymore...

He opened the door and scanned the surroundings—quiet as always. No one came here; everyone agreed this dilapidated place wasn’t worth visiting. This perfect consensus suited Ouyang Ge just fine...

“Looks like I can get out smoothly today. At this hour, I actually owe thanks to my past identity—how ironic...”

Muttering this self-mockery, he nimbly vaulted over the crumbling wall. Ouyang Ge slipped into the mountains behind the Ouyang Clan with practiced ease. This was his usual route: deserted, no dangerous wildlife on the outskirts, an ideal detour—most importantly, it let him enter Shanyuan City unnoticed.

But today, things changed.

“...........”

The moment he cleared the wall, Ouyang Ge froze.

Killing intent...

A faint killing intent surrounded him. Strangely, he couldn’t spot the enemy—not even he, a master assassin, could detect them...

A true expert!

A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Ouyang Ge didn’t dare move, only slowly shifting his eyes, hoping to catch any clue. But it was futile; within his nearly 120-degree field of view, only ordinary trees and low bushes—anyone hiding there would be instantly exposed.

“So strong...”

Forcing himself to calm down, Ouyang Ge began analyzing the situation.

Based on past experience, he could first rule out anyone from the Ouyang Clan—no one cared about a cripple. Besides that, at this point, Ouyang Ge shouldn’t have any enemies.

“Who could be this strong?”

Could it be the attackers targeting the Ouyang Clan arriving early? Impossible. Even the leader from his memories, the world-ranked 50th Martial Monk, couldn’t hide from Ouyang Ge’s senses.

Just as Ouyang Ge was utterly baffled, the faint killing intent vanished. The almost solidified air began to flow again—or so it seemed to him.

This was an application of psychology—the basic principle that “a fixed gaze makes one uneasy,” spawning countless tactics. Killing intent was similar; though intangible, to those who’d survived countless battles, it was very real.

“How many people must that killing intent have claimed to be so potent...”

Reliving the sensation, Ouyang Ge felt a chill down his spine. That formless aura was icy cold, piercing like the abyss of the netherworld...

Shaking his head, he stopped lingering and headed down his planned route. Time was short; in about four hours, the four from the Ouyang Clan heading to Radiance would return. Accounting for the return trip, he had less than two hours of freedom—every minute counted!

That eerie killing intent still left Ouyang Ge on edge. Though he didn’t feel that gaze again before reaching the game store, the fact that he was being followed remained. Unable to pinpoint the enemy, he kept changing positions in the crowd, trying to confuse them as much as possible...

“Wow! You’re right on time. I just finished preparing when you arrived.”

The office door opened, and Artisan looked at the visitor with slight surprise.

“Nothing special. I don’t like others being late, and I don’t like being late myself.”

“That’s a good principle.”

Smiling, Artisan didn’t comment on Ouyang Ge’s principle. He simply placed a large suitcase from his desk in front of the boy.

“This is what we agreed on. The high-strength tempered fiber wire was tricky to get; I only got it this morning—fresh and hot!”

“Is that so.”

Expressionless, Ouyang Ge pulled out a spool of wire from the suitcase. The nearly transparent thread showed incredible tensile strength—even the blade of his pure black dagger couldn’t cut it.

“The quality is guaranteed, so you can rest assured.”

“I know.”

Packing all the gear and ammo, Ouyang Ge stood up.

“I won’t ask what you need this for. From what I see, you’re definitely not the idiot who’d use explosives to rob a bank.”

“Do you really think I’m a kid...”

“Aren’t you a kid...”

“...........”

Twitching his lips, Ouyang Ge nodded at the burly man and immediately left, dragging the suitcase behind him.

“Looks like something big is about to happen...”

An inexplicable sense of unease rose in the burly man. He turned to notify his subordinates to halt all activities for now—his faith was in himself; if he felt uneasy, he stopped. Simple enough...

........

.....

...

“Mmm~~~ This kid is really interesting.”

Putting down her binoculars, the maid hidden in a civilian house spoke with amusement. She wore the same outfit as Garna, who served Elvire, and had black leather gloves for grip. But unlike Garna, this maid had long golden hair tied in a high ponytail, and a Japanese sword hung at her waist.

The maid took out her phone and called her master.

[Mmm? Ferna? What is it?]

“Yes, yes~ This is Ferna. I miss you so much, Young Mistress. Can’t I just call to express my longing?”

[You’re so chatty. Alright, out with it. What do you have to report?]

“Honestly, Young Mistress, can’t you be a bit more patient?”

[Fine, go on. Keep talking.]

“Uh... never mind.”

Elvire’s suddenly enthusiastic tone sent a shiver down Ferna’s spine. After all, Elvire was her master, and like Garna, Ferna was one of her most loyal servants—jokes couldn’t go too far...

The other end of the line stayed silent, meaning Ferna should continue...

“Young Mistress, the target you assigned me to watch is really interesting.”

[Oh? If Ferna finds him interesting, then he must be truly fascinating.]

“I’ve been watching him since morning. Unlike the files, he shows no signs of muscular atrophy—in fact, he’s more energetic than a normal person. This afternoon, he even went to buy weapons from an arms dealer. He’s really bold. Is he really an eight-year-old child?”

[Hahahahaha! Ferna, if you really think he’s a child, you’ll die a miserable death!]

“Huh? Lose to a brat? Don’t be ridiculous.”

[Don’t believe me? Fine. In the next few days, the assassins I hired will attack the Ouyang Clan. I permit you to play with the target to some extent, but you must not harm a single hair on his head.]

“Huh? That’s too hard! Young Mistress, you know I like chopping people to pieces. Fighting without hurting anyone is boring! But... hehe, since you rarely give such orders, I’ll handle it as I see fit!”

[Mhm, that’s settled. But I must warn you, Ferna... I’ll be watching. If you hurt him, I’ll make you understand what ‘worse than death’ means...]

“Understood.”

Elvire’s final words made Ferna drop her playful attitude. Her eyes, like a cat’s, narrowed slightly.

It was the first time Ferna had heard her master Elvire speak to her in such a tone. It seemed Ouyang Ge was a very important person?

The maid couldn’t help but think this...