After feeding Eclipse, the wolf remained seated, tilting his head as he observed Ethan. His intelligent eyes reflected a mix of curiosity and budding loyalty.
"Come here," Ethan said in a calm voice.
Eclipse seemed to understand and, after a few seconds of hesitation, slowly approached him. Ethan simply patted his head with a faint smile.
The moment was interrupted by a firm sound.
A knock echoed at the door.
"Master, it's me," Shen Bao announced from the other side.
"Come in," Ethan replied calmly.
The door creaked slightly as it opened. Shen Bao entered with a serious expression while the others waited outside. Eclipse, unmoving at Ethan's feet, watched the door cautiously, his ears perked up, alert to any sign of danger.
"Master, we have information on the forces of Black Rock City," Shen Bao reported, bowing his head slightly in respect.
Shen Bao continued, "The first of the influential families is the Xuan family, a clan of Qi cultivators. Their main activities are mining and crafting spiritual artifacts. They have a ruthless reputation—most reports about them involve mortals or low-level cultivators being forced to work in their mines."
Ethan rested his elbow on the table, intertwining the fingers of his other hand as he sank into thought. "Who is in charge?" he asked.
Shen Bao nodded and continued, "The current patriarch is Xuan Fei, a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refinement. However, the real threat is the family's Grand Elder, Xuan Jinhai, who has reached the ninth level. It is said that he rarely shows himself, but his mere presence deters anyone from challenging the Xuan family."
Ethan frowned, his sharp gaze reflecting a silent analysis of the situation.
Beside him, Eclipse let out a low growl, his ears twitching as if sensing the tension in the air. Ethan extended a hand, calmly stroking the wolf's back, feeling the warmth of his fur. His gesture seemed relaxed, but in his mind, gears were already turning, devising strategies and assessing possibilities.
"Sooner or later, we will have to test our strength," Ethan said firmly, his eyes glinting with a calculated light. "And they will be a good starting point."
Shen Bao observed him silently, reading the determination in his expression. There was no need to ask what Ethan planned; he knew that by the time the moment arrived, their leader would already have everything under control.
Ethan leaned back slightly in his seat, intertwining his fingers. "And what about the other families?"
Shen Bao nodded and continued, "The second most influential family in the city is the Lian family. They are alchemists, specializing in crafting medicinal elixirs that accelerate cultivation. They control most of the rare ingredients in the market and have connections with external clans. Their influence is enormous.
"Lian Zhen is the current patriarch," he continued without pause. "A man at the ninth level of Qi cultivation. They don't usually involve themselves in conflicts, but their power is undeniable."
Ethan absorbed the information, drumming his fingers on the table.
"The third family is the Fu family," Shen Bao went on. "Their main business is crafting talismans. From defensive barriers to sealed fireballs, their creations can turn the tide of battle.
"Their leader, Fu Jianhong," Shen Bao said in a lower tone, "is an elder at the ninth level of Qi cultivation. However, he rarely appears in public. The Fu family stays out of direct conflicts, but their creations can tip the balance in any dispute."
Ethan narrowed his eyes, storing every detail in his mind.
"The fourth force in the city is the City Lord's mansion," Shen Bao added. "There's little information on their true strength, but they control the city guards and market security. Unlike the influential families, they don't seem to be directly involved in business—at least not openly."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"The City Lord is Shen Yifeng," Shen Bao answered. "He presents himself as a neutral ruler, though his true reach remains a mystery."
Ethan remained silent for a moment, absentmindedly stroking Eclipse. The pieces on the board were clear. Now, it was only a matter of deciding the first move. His eyes reflected the spark of a calculating mind.
The war in the shadows was about to begin.
With the gathered information, they departed at dawn.
Barely a few kilometers out of the city, Eclipse let out a soft growl, his fur bristling as he sniffed the air and glanced back.
One of the Vespers approached with a serious expression. "Master, we are being followed," he reported in a low voice.
Ethan nodded, unsurprised. The night before, he had warned them about the incident during Eclipse's purchase and had ordered them to remain vigilant for any suspicious movements.
"Let's keep moving," he said calmly, maintaining the pace. "Find a secluded spot. I don't want any witnesses."
As they advanced, they found a sufficiently secluded spot and stopped. With a single gesture from Ethan, the Vespers immediately turned, raising their muskets with precision, ready for any order.
Ethan remained behind and spoke aloud, his tone calm but firm: "You've been following us. Is there something you need, gentlemen?"
Silence stretched for a few seconds. Only the wind whistled through the trees.
Suddenly, a mocking laugh broke the stillness.
"Hehe... I was wondering what kind of mortal could buy in a cultivator market and pay with spirit stones," said a voice from the thicket.
"I thought maybe it would be a member of some influential family... but now I see clearly. Mortal guards, no trace of spiritual energy... Looks like we've found a fat sheep."
From the bushes, two figures emerged. Ethan recognized them instantly: the same young men who had openly observed him at the market that day.
"Hand over the spirit stones and everything you bought. Be reasonable, and maybe we'll let you leave alive," one of them said with a sly grin, his tone dripping with mockery and contempt.
Ethan didn't respond immediately, maintaining an impassive expression as if he didn't even consider the threat worthy of attention. His lack of reaction made the young cultivator frown, his arrogance shifting to impatience.
"Tch... damn idiot," he spat disdainfully.
Without warning, his silhouette blurred in a flash. In the blink of an eye, he unsheathed his sword and lunged at Shen Bao with a swift slash, his blade whistling through the air with lethal intent.
Shen Bao, though he had only been training for a little over a month, reacted on instinct. He raised his musket just in time to block the blow, but the force of the impact sent him staggering back several steps. A tingling sensation coursed through his arm, numbed by the sheer brutality of the clash.
He had no time to catch his breath. The cultivator, with a cruel smile, pressed the offensive and slashed again, aiming directly at his neck.
This time, Shen Bao didn't try to block. With lethal fluidity, he drew one of his flintlock pistols and, before his opponent could react, pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The blast echoed through the air. At point-blank range, the projectile tore through flesh with a dry crack. The young cultivator halted abruptly, stumbling. He looked down at the hole in his chest. His expression shifted from astonishment to horror.
"H-how...?" he murmured in disbelief. His knees gave out, and he collapsed onto his back, his eyes still open, unable to comprehend how he could die at the hands of someone so weak.
The gunshot's echo had barely faded when the second cultivator was paralyzed, his cold smile frozen in shock. His eyes widened in disbelief as he watched his companion slump lifelessly.
Before he could react, the Vespers already had him in their sights. Four loaded muskets, ready to fire.
A chill ran down his spine. A crushing sense of crisis struck him. Danger!
In a desperate move, he pulled out a defensive talisman and activated it just in time. A golden glow enveloped him, forming a barrier of energy that repelled the first shot. The bullet deflected with a flash, but the defense couldn't withstand the impact and shattered with a sharp crack.
BANG!
The second projectile found its mark. He felt a searing pain in his side as the bullet pierced his flesh. "No, this can't be!" He tried to move, dodge, escape, but his body didn't react fast enough.
BANG! BANG!
The third and fourth shots struck his chest. A dry crack accompanied the puncturing of his organs. His heart beat one last time before failing completely.
With eyes wide in terror, he fell to his knees, his body trembling as life left him.
Silence.
Gunpowder smoke lingered in the air as the Vespers lowered their muskets, reloading with precision.
Ethan observed the corpses with an impassive expression. Two cultivators dead in seconds.
His face remained serene, but his heart pounded, betraying his apparent calm. The tension still hung in the air, but beyond the danger, something stirred inside him. Seeing the so-called cultivators fall like any other mortal… awakened a latent emotion within him.
A barely perceptible smile crossed his lips.
"Next time, perhaps they should ask themselves who the real prey is," he murmured softly. Then, he looked up at his men.
"Take the bodies. I want to analyze them."
The Vespers nodded and immediately got to work.
Ethan reflected in silence, his mind analyzing every possibility. What made them different? Why could they cultivate while others could not? What was the true source of their strength? The so-called spiritual roots… were they a mutation, a hidden biological structure, or something deeper?
As his men carried out the order, Ethan adjusted his glasses and exhaled slowly. If he could unravel the secrets of cultivation, then the supremacy of cultivators would not be eternal.