Goddess of White night

The moon was up, casting light in its full bloom. The night sky was clear, but only for the moment.

Right outside the western gates of Xianyang City, in the sprawling forest that stretched across its outskirts, a chase was underway. Well, not so much a chase as a forced migration.

The movement was noticeable as a large number of leaves fell, but the sound of their herding footsteps couldn't be heard—most likely due to the nature of the chase. This was not a pursuit of ordinary humans but a vying of power and territory among martial artists.

The only sounds that could be heard were the clashing of metals, the slicing of flesh, and the splattering of crimson. Perhaps an occasional grunt of pain. Otherwise, it was pure martial noise.

Residents inside the walls remained clueless about the clash happening outside, all sleeping peacefully and comfortably. But this was soon to change—at least for those that mattered.

A young girl, a member of the famous Yin Lian Pavilion, saw how overwhelmed their forces were, so she did what she was taught to do—release the lotus.

She launched a firework, triggering a chain reaction as the others followed suit, releasing their own.

The display of the beautiful lotus in the sky quickly announced the situation to all Yin Lian agents who saw it.

Mo Yan and Xue She were among those who saw the signal and immediately diverted from their tasks—Mo Yan taking a detour from her destination, the Su Residence, and Xue She abandoning her post as Mingyao's bodyguard without a second thought, rushing toward the western gates.

Mo Yan, being the most powerful semi-master and the third—well, now second—most powerful person in the sect, was quick to reach the western gate. She expected to take on the bulk of the enemy forces. However, the growing cold air suggested otherwise.

There was no sight, no sound, no scent—nothing. The only noticeable change was the abrupt drop in temperature before a whistling streak cut through the wind.

Mo Yan immediately knew she didn't need to do anything but watch the massacre unfold.

Atop the western walls stood a feminine figure dressed in blue. She scanned the battlefield beneath her feet. The air of the surrounding forest turned frigid, her mere presence forcing ice and snow to form.

Her silver hair swayed under the moonlight as her blue eyes locked onto her enemies. Like a homing missile, she executed her attack. Within mere seconds, thirty heads fell. They didn't even know what had happened. To them, they were fighting—and then they were dead. But to her, it was different. It felt as if time had stopped. This was one of the perks of her overwhelming strength—she could move freely, killing her frozen opponents.

Yue Ying was the only one left standing after unleashing her first technique of Supreme Yin—Absolute Stillness.

Mo Yan couldn't help but be amazed by Yue Ying's skills every time.

"The Goddess of White Night strikes again!" Mo Yan said as she ran toward Yue Ying. "So, what's the plan?"

Yue Ying surveyed the battlefield, ensuring she hadn't missed anyone. Her blade dripped with blood from the massacre. She had, indeed, missed a few—but fortunately, Xue She was already on it. In front of her lay a significant number of dead martial artists. Many were in their late stages of inner strength, with only a few being semi-masters. Yet, none could withstand Yue Ying's blade.

Yue Ying then turned to her people, checking on their well-being. Half of them had only surface wounds, which would be easy to recover from, but five were in serious condition, and eight had perished.

"Qing Yan, Head of Han Lian Tea House, greets Sect Master."

"Explain the situation to me."

"We were ambushed by the Ghost Shadow Gang, Master. I don't know how, but they discovered our branches in Baiyun Village. About fifty of them descended from the mountains, ambushing us. All twenty-seven of us managed to escape, but as you can see, eight of us died here outside the capital."

"Were you the one who sent the signal?"

"Yes, Sect Master. If I hadn't, I don't know how many more sisters we would have lost."

"You have done well." Yue Ying paused for a moment, raised her blade, and wiped off the blood before calmly continuing, "This blood debt will be answered."

Yue Ying remained calm and stoic, her neutral expression unbroken. It was difficult to discern what emotions she was experiencing, but despite her composed demeanor, it was clear that she was angry. Although Yin Lian was an assassination sect, it was also a home to many girls. Yue Ying strove to protect her family, and every death among her sisters was honored. As such, they would hold a burial for their fallen juniors.

The gathered Yin Lian Pavilion members immediately set to work collecting their fallen comrades. The severely injured were whisked back to headquarters for treatment.

The remaining members dug graves for their fallen sisters. They couldn't hold a traditional burial, so they made do with what they had. An improvised burial site was set up, where they conducted a simple ritual with prayers and offerings before burying the dead alongside their weapons. By the time they finished, dawn was already breaking.

They returned to the city, each carrying a grudge of their own. The names of the deceased sisters were recorded to be honored and added to the Hall of Moonlit Ashes, like all the assassins before them who had perished.

Mo Yan had noticed Yue Ying's anger. Though not outwardly visible, she could sense it. However, she hadn't expected Yue Ying to be this bold. Challenging the Ghost Shadow Gang so directly was reckless, Mo Yan thought. Their Grandmaster had lost his abilities, leaving them severely disadvantaged due to the resulting power vacuum.

Mingyu—now Mingyao—was confused by what she was witnessing. Mo Yan saw this but didn't know how to explain Yue Ying's bold move to their now-weakened Grandmaster. Yes, he possessed superior intellect, but he was nowhere near as powerful as he had been three years ago. At this moment, it didn't matter how smart he was—if one of their enemies, even an inner-strength fighter, challenged him seriously, he might lose his life. And Mo Yan didn't want that.

So, how was she going to explain the thirty heads on the western wall and the declaration of the Yin Lian blood debt?