"Not to worry, I knew the man; he would rather die before letting anything slip. What they can gather from asking around, however, is a different matter. So be careful, Young Lord.
It seems like the Ravenshades have quite a capable cultivator in their ranks. So this will be quite difficult.
Why do you want the Ravenshades' young lord dead if I may ask? You seem so dead set on him. Did he offend in some way?"
"That is none of your business! Just hire someone even more capable, damnit!" Noah shouted louder this time. He was getting agitated.
The contact's voice, muffled by the hood, replied, "Understood. I will see to it."
With that, Noah pulled out a small pouch filled with gold coins and tossed it to the ground at the contact's feet.
The figure stepped forward to pick it up, then turned and immediately vanished back into the shadows, leaving Noah alone in the alleyway once again.
Noah took a deep breath. The mission was far from over, and he knew he would have to be more careful than ever.
Noah emerged from the narrow alleyway. The bright sunlight assaulted his eyes. He blinked, allowing them to adjust before surveying the bustling streets.
His thoughts shifted from the failed assassination to the more pleasurable pursuits he had in mind.
"Time to look for some flowers to pluck..." This would count as one of the times he was actually very excited about something.
He began walking through the crowded walkways, his eyes roaming over the faces of the various women he passed.
Each one was quickly assessed and discarded based on his preferences. Some were too plain, others too old, while a few simply didn't catch his interest.
A beautiful woman with long brown hair caught his attention, her figure swaying seductively as she walked.
But upon closer inspection, Noah noticed a small scar on her cheek, marring her otherwise perfect features. He turned away, uninterested.
Next, a stunning blonde caught his eye, but as he approached her, he saw that her teeth were slightly crooked. Noah wrinkled his nose in distaste and moved on.
His gaze fell upon a group of three young women, all attractive in their own right. They were laughing and chatting together, unaware of his presence.
Noah's eyes lingered on the one with fiery red hair, taking in her curves and the way her dress hugged her body. He nodded in approval, grinning lecherously.
He followed the women as they made their way towards the entrance of the Inn. As soon as they sat down at a table, he approached them with a charming smile.
"Ladies," he said, extending his hand politely. "Care to join me for a meal? I would be happy to pay for everything."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the three women exchanged glances and shrugged, seeming oblivious to the danger they had just walked into.
"Sure, why not?" replied the redhead, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. The other two nodded in agreement, already looking forward to the free food and drink.
Noah inwardly smirked, pleased with his boldness.
Nah settled into his chair beside them. He couldn't help but admire their beauty again. Their clothes hugged their bodies perfectly, highlighting their curves in all the right places.
Maybe I can have all three at once. Ah, that would be quite a sight to see. He was yet to try a threesome after all.
...
Shik!
Shik!
Shik!
Two figures were embroiled in a flurry of blows, a sword in each of their hands. The younger man lunged forward, his blade flashing towards his opponent's throat.
The older man parried the strike effortlessly, the clang of metal on metal echoing through the room.
He countered immediately, sweeping his sword low in an attempt to disarm his foe.
The youngun leaped back, avoiding the sweep by mere inches. He pivoted, spinning away from another attack before countering with a series of rapid thrusts.
Each strike was deflected, but the older man began to fall back, his defense faltering under the relentless assault.
Cassian moved with the grace of flowing water; his movements were effortless, deliberate. While Kyle met the strikes with deadly precision.
The feints couldn't get through him; he easily blocked vertical and horizontal slashes with perfectly timed counters.
Cassian's movements were not nearly as quick as Kyle had thought last time. He could clearly see him move.
He could more easily follow his movement patterns. It was not that the Marquis had gotten slower.
Considering Kyle had leapt through two stages, his senses were now sharper than before. He was able to react to his father's movements.
Kyle smiled, This is getting easier.
Cassian could not help but let the corner of his lip go up in a little smile. He was feeling proud.
Kyle had come with a surprise for him. Qi condensation, late-stage base. How had he done that overnight!?
Had he found a treasure somewhere? Kyle had yet to explain. He had come to him and immediately asked to spar, saying he would explain afterwards.
After a bit of hesitation, he had agreed, and here they were. Using the same strength as usual, he had pounced on Kyle.
And after a few clumsy moves while adjusting to his new strength, Kyle was now matching him, move for move.
It was absurd!
He observed him closely. Kyle's blade was filled with confidence, speed, and cruel precision that put most swordmasters to shame.
He had never once questioned Kyle's technique with the sword, but his overall strength was lacking.
After all, every martial technique was made to be used with Qi; the only way to bring out the art's full potential was imbuing your sword with Qi, and having a body strong enough to handle using such a technique also required a body with Qi.
And now that Kyle had Qi in his body, coupled with his raw skill, which was at complete mastery of the first star, he was a nightmare to fight against.
But Cassian was the Marquis for a reason. And he was also feared across the region for a reason.
Seeing the smirk on Kyle's face, he decided to switch things up. He increased his speed, and the strength of his strikes rose by a large margin.
Foundation Establishment level strength.
It was cruel, it was unexpected. But this is what Kyle needed, something to push him.
'I should knock him down a peg.'
The change was immediate.
Clang!
A vertical slash, aimed at his shoulder. Kyle flinched and swung wildly, his sword slicing the air far off-target.
The strike chip his shoulder, drawing blood.
Wincing in pain, Kyle recovered quickly, adjusting to the best of his ability to match his opponent.
The exchange continued.
But as expected, it had only become harder for Kyle to follow. He struggled; his blocks became clumsy.
'Urgh, too damn strong.' His father's strikes had gotten heavier, too heavy. So each time he met a strike head on, his whole arm recoiled, his shoulder stinging in pain.
So he adjusted. Instead of meeting him head on, Kyle tilted his blade as their strikes met, to redirect some of the force.
It was ingenious, quickly implemented, but it was only a temporary countermeasure. He was still getting overwhelmed.
So decided to try something else, before he eventually got overwhelmed again.