Deep within Pingkang Lane, north of Chang'an City, lies a small courtyard adorned with red lanterns that never displays a sign. This is the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, the most mysterious and ruthless assassination organisation of the Han Dynasty. Rumour has it that its leader, the "Scarlet Serpent", is proud and solitary. She once declared: 'The emperor's decree never leaves Weiyang Palace, but the blades of Dark Fragrance can pierce the underworld.' The Huo family had repeatedly attempted to recruit the Dark Fragrance Tower, but abandoned each effort due to their inability to control its formidable power.
Liu Bingyi, wearing the 'Black Mask', pushed open the partially open red door amidst the swirling snow. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, the previously silent air instantly froze.
[Insight Eyes, Fully Activated]
High-energy traps detected: Blizzard Needle Rain, Golden Thread Throat-Clamp and Ground Fire Mechanism.
An invisible wave erupted from Liu Bingyi in a circular blast. This was no ordinary inner force, but the imperial will, infused with the majestic authority of the four-hundred-year Han Dynasty reign. The three assassins charging forward were struck by a bolt of lightning in their chests. Their blades trembled violently beyond their control, as if cowering before the man before them.
"Have Chilian come out to see me."
Liu Bingyi stood with his hands behind his back. With each step he took, a circle of snow cleared beneath his feet as his fierce sword qi cut through it. [Divine Mimicry: Heaven's Envoy, the Night King who rules over life and death]. A figure clad in crimson descended into the courtyard like a startled wild goose. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her eyes were as cold as ice. In her hand, she held a soft, scarlet sword.
"You broke my 'Dark Fragrance Killing Array'. Are you the rumoured dark-faced ranger?" Chi Lian sneered. "Dark Fragrance Pavilion bows to no emperor and kneels to no deity — only money matters." How much is your life worth?"
'What I offer you cannot be bought with money.'
Liu Bingyi stepped forward abruptly, the imperial edict unfurling in the wind as he embraced it. In sync with the almost tangible 'Emperor's Sword Qi', a golden dragon seemed to emerge from the phantom behind him, roaring at Chi Lian.
[Intimidation +100%! Sovereign's Might instantly maxed.
Chilian's pupils suddenly constricted as a shudder swept over her from the depths of her soul. The sword aura had locked onto her vital point — if she dared harbour even a flicker of killing intent, the imperial will would shatter her completely.
'Under heaven, no land is not the emperor's; along the shores, no subject is not the emperor's.'
Liu Bingyi's voice boomed like a great bell, echoing through the courtyard. 'The fall of the Huo clan is imminent. Follow me and you will become the remnants of a fallen house. Follow me and you will become the Han Dynasty's 'Embroidered Robe Envoys'. From this day forth, you will walk in light and shadow, and be revered by all. Will you take this bargain?"[Ding! Complete collapse of Chilian's psychological defences detected. Submission level increased to 85%.]
[Reputation +4500.]
[Unlocked reward: Commander of the Shadow Division (grants access to all Dark Fragrance Pavilion grassroots resources upon equipping).]"Chilian pays homage to the Lord!" As the soft swords slid back into their scabbards, thirty-six elite assassins knelt on one knee in unison. Liu Bingyi withdrew his sword energy, instantly subduing his previously frenzied aura. He pulled a list from his robe — the peripheral core members of the Huo family that he had compiled earlier that day using the 'Hive'.
'Within three days, these men must vanish from Chang'an.' His gaze turned to Chilian, cold and piercing. 'Remember: clean work. I want Huo Guang to wake up tomorrow morning to find that every ear in Chang'an has been cut off.""Understood!" Liu Bingyi pulled his hood back over his head and stepped into the snowy darkness, surrounded by the reverent stares of his assassins.
Now, he possessed not only the 'name' of an emperor, but also the 'blade' of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion.
When this sharp blade was swung at the Huo residence, the power centre of the Han dynasty would witness its first true storm of blood and carnage.Rise
Liu Bingyi's voice was cool and detached. He showed no wild elation at having subdued such a formidable subordinate. Instead, with a casual flick of his wrist, he reined in the suffocating 'Sovereign's Sword Qi'. This effortless mastery only deepened Chilian's awe and reverence for him.[God-Tier Mimicry: The Unfathomable Shadow Emperor]
'You must be wondering—since I possess the Emperor's secret edict, why didn't I mobilise the Imperial Guard? Why seek out you 'rebels' who operate beyond the law?' Liu Bingyi paced to Chi Lian's side and extended his black-gloved hand to gently lift her delicate chin.'Because the Imperial Guard answers to the Huo clan, while you... answer to money.' He drew a large note from his robe and casually slipped it into Chilian's collar. In reality, it was laundered money from plundering the Huo family's salt and iron black market.
'What I require cannot be accomplished by regular troops, nor fully executed by loyal assassins. I need the expertise of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion — the kind that leaves enemies unaware of their enemy, even in death.'Chi Lian's cheeks flushed slightly, yet she dared not resist. Her gaze grew fiercely intense as she stared at the enormous exchange note.'My Lord, since Dark Fragrance Pavilion has accepted your gold and His Majesty's command, we pledge unwavering loyalty until death.' She drew a deep breath, her crimson soft sword tracing a fierce flourish through the air. "Within Chang'an, the Huo family maintains thirty-eight outer residences, each harbouring hidden weapons and armour. Tonight, I, Chi Lian, volunteer to lead the charge and bring you the heads of all thirty-eight estate managers!"
[System feedback: Core Commander Chilian has been successfully recruited.]
Loyalty: 80%
Current status: subjugated by force, motivated by wealth
Special skill activated: Dark Fragrance Domain (the host's stealth effect is doubled when coordinated with Dark Fragrance Tower assassins).To ensure seamless coordination of this shadow army, Liu Bingyi once again spent reputation points to acquire an upgraded batch of ancient 'black technology' from the system store.[Ding! 1000 reputation points spent. Successfully obtained 40 Thousand-Face Sound Transmission Needles.
These minuscule vibration transmitters can be implanted beneath the skin behind the wearer's ear. Within a three-kilometre radius, Liu Bingyi could issue precise, real-time commands through the 'Hive' intelligence network."Wear this." Liu Bingyi handed the transmission needle to Chilian. "Tonight, my voice will be your death warrant."Late night, Western Market, Chang'an. Huo Manor. Zhao, the arrogant overseer of the outer estate who usually bullied others, was snuggled up with his concubine in bed, dreaming sweetly. Suddenly, a deep, magnetic voice echoed in his ear as if emerging directly from his mind. 'East corner. Infiltrate. Three breaths. Slit the throat." Zhao's eyes snapped open as a crimson shadow flashed before him. Before he could utter a sound, the soft blade of a crimson sword cleanly severed his throat.
Simultaneously, identical scenes unfolded in thirty-eight corners of Chang'an: Liu Bingyi stood atop the city's Bell Tower, his eyes ablaze with the golden glow of the 'Eye of Insight', directing the scene like a grand symphony.
As the final steward fell, the 'Honeycomb' intelligence network immediately relayed:
[Real-time monitoring: inner courtyard of the Huo residence]
'Crisis! All eighteen undercover agents at the Western Market, South City and the Salt and Iron Bureau have lost contact!'
"The ruins are covered in cryptic symbols! The killers call themselves the 'Embroidered Robe Envoys'!"
Liu Bingyi removed his black mask and took a deep breath of fresh air in the crisp morning air. 'Huo Guang, I'm merely interested.' He turned and leapt from the bell tower, his form vanishing into the streets bathed in the first light of dawn. At that moment, he received the latest notification from the system:
[Ding! Due to tonight's large-scale purge, the power dynamics within Chang'an have been reshuffled.
Reputation Points: +6000.
New Quest Unlocked: Grand Audience at Weiyang Palace. Hou Guang will seek the killer. The host must publicly reveal their identity in court to claim the rightful throne.
"Your Majesty, please take a look at this item." Chi Lian appeared behind Liu Bingyi, holding an ironwood box sealed with wax. Though his crimson robes bore traces of fresh blood, his gaze was imbued with an extraordinary gravity. "This was discovered in a hidden compartment in the accounts room. The guard tasked with protecting it tried to destroy it before he died — I cut off his hand with a single stroke of my sword.
Liu Bingyi took the wooden box. The instant his fingertips touched it, the Insight Eye erupted with a blinding crimson glow.
[System Deep Scan: Epic-Tier Intelligence Item]
Name: The Second Year of Zhenghe: Inner Court Records (Fragment)
Contents: Detailed records of the true imperial edicts issued by Crown Prince Liu Ju before and after his suicide during the Witchcraft Scandal, along with the role played by the Huo clan.
Evaluation: Possession of this item gives you the ultimate weapon with which to expose the Huo clan's façade of 'loyal subjects'.
Liu Bingyi broke the wax seal and read by the faint moonlight. His hands began to tremble, not from fear, but from rage. The records revealed that the Crown Prince had been exonerated, yet Huo Guang's confidants had deliberately withheld the pardon edict, instigating rebels to storm the palace and driving the Crown Prince to despair and suicide.
[Divine Mimicry: Imperial Avenger Burdened by a Sea of Blood]
In that instant, the chill radiating from Liu Bingyi caused even the formidable assassin Chilian to take a half-pace step back involuntarily — not due to the suppression of sword energy, but because of a roar emanating from his very bones, from the depths of his bloodline.
"So... this is the truth." Liu Bingyi slammed the wooden box shut, his voice low and thunderous, as if from the depths of hell. 'They murdered my grandfather, then hypocritically supported my father afterwards. They slaughtered my entire family and finally pretended to show mercy by casting me out onto the streets."
[Ding! Detected severe emotional fluctuation in host, triggering Bloodline Awakening Quest—[Ancestral Fury]!
Reputation Surge: +7000
Unlocked Unique Aura: 'Shadow of Vengeance' (against members of the Huo clan, attack power and intimidation increase by 50%, with a chance to cause 'Mental Collapse' in opponents).
[System Notice: This document has been digitally archived by the system. The original may serve as a decisive weapon in courtroom confrontations."
Just as Liu Bingyi prepared to retreat, faint, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the Acoustic Monitoring Point.
"Who's there?" The Crimson Serpent Sword shot from its scabbard, striking out towards the nearby rockery like a venomous snake.
'Don't attack!' came a clear yet tearful voice.
Huo Chengjun stumbled out of the shadows, her luxurious cloak torn by thorns. Her exquisite, delicate face was etched with terror and disbelief. Haunted by Liu Bingyi's "profession of deep affection" that night and driven by curiosity about the "Black-Masked Ranger's" identity, she had secretly followed him through her family's secret passage.
What had she witnessed?
She had seen the fragile Liu Bingyi command Chang'an's most ruthless assassin organisation, and she had seen the man she adored clutching the very 'death warrant' that could annihilate her entire clan.
"You heard everything?"
Liu Bingyi turned slowly, his eyes behind the black mask devoid of warmth.
"Bingyi, it's not like that. My father..."
Huo Chengjun stammered incoherently. Staring at the corpses littering the floor and the demon-like man before her, her idol crumbled completely. Yet a more twisted obsession took root within her.
"Chilian, kill her." Liu Bingyi spat out the four words coldly. "No! My lord!" Chilian froze. "She's the Huo family's..."
"I said, kill her!" Liu Bingyi strode towards Huo Chengjun. He drew his long sword, the tip of which scraped against the blue stone slabs with a bone-chilling screech. Huo Chengjun closed her eyes in despair, tears streaming down her face. 'If killing me will ease your anger, then do it. After all, you saved my life."
The sword tip halted an inch from her throat. Liu Bingyi let out a cold laugh, sheathed his blade and seized her chin, leaving a vivid red fingerprint on her exquisite face.'Killing you would be too easy for the Huo family,' he murmured suggestively and cruelly into her ear. 'I'll make you watch as I uproot the Huo clan from Chang'an, inch by inch. Go back and tell Huo Guang that the long night has arrived."