Chapter 384: Taking Action

It was pitch black outside; dawn brought no trace of light. The spring rains kept the sky dark until much later. The cold wind mixed with light rain hit their faces, sending a freezing sensation deep into their bones. It was so dark that they couldn’t see their hands in front of them. In contrast, hundreds of meters ahead, Water Screen City was brightly lit, a dazzling scene of prosperity.

“Split up and move!” Taking a deep breath, Rod said to everyone around him. The city gates were about to open, and having so many people enter at once would surely arouse suspicion. Rod had no choice but to let them enter in groups. As long as they could all get in by noon, that would be enough. The actual plan would be carried out at night. By now, Merk and the others behind them should also have set off.

Nightingale and the others went first, while Rod stayed behind with a few others. Watching them leave one by one, Rod felt a sense of relief, yet also a weight of responsibility—success or failure hinged on this attempt.

Time passed by. After packing up their belongings, Rod set off as well, heading toward Water Screen City. It was nearly noon, and they couldn’t delay any longer.

A morning’s rest had left them full of energy. After grooming themselves, they looked like dashing gentlemen. Especially Rod, with his sharply defined features and a hint of maturity, stood out even more in his white robes.

The few hundred meters to Water Screen City’s outskirts were covered in a short time. Outside the city, people came and went. While other places were in the midst of war, this area remained untouched, still crowded and bustling, like a paradise on earth.

It was his first time visiting Water Screen City. Seeing the towering city walls, Rod was surprised. Truly the main city of the war faction, the grayish walls were about fifty to sixty zhang high. On the walls stood orderly guards, and at the city gates, inspectors from both factions checked everyone carefully.

“Stop!” As they reached the city gates, they immediately heard the voices of soldiers. The group was stopped.

“Where are you from?” the soldiers asked loudly, staring at them.

“Ice City!” Rod replied calmly, having prepared in advance. He showed no signs of deception. With the identity cards from Ice City that Locke and the others had prepared for him, nothing suspicious came to light during the soldiers’ thorough inspection.

Three people in a row wouldn’t draw much attention. After all, even if they were enemies, three of them entering wouldn’t cause much of a stir. The soldiers paid no mind to them. After a brief inspection and payment of the entry fee, the group successfully entered the city.

All around were cries of vendors, with hundreds of shops lining the streets and street stalls everywhere! The pedestrians were very busy.

Rod’s first impression was one of prosperity—nothing comparable to that of Dark Moon City, Worry-Free City, or Ice City. It truly lived up to its title as the “Number One City.”

Without the ravages of war, Water Curtain City had become a preferred place for many to live. Faint discussions about recent battles could be heard on the roads.

“Worry-Free City was destroyed by the Black Phoenix clan!”

“And the Mi Jiao clan too. Who would have thought the Black Phoenix clan could be so powerful?”

“I thought the war faction would win big this time, but now it’s uncertain. The Black Phoenix clan is very strong! Who will be the next to be destroyed?”

“Maybe it will be them themselves. Don’t you know? I heard we sent quite a few people to Worry-Free City a few days ago. Hehe, they’re done for then!”

“That’s right. After destroying the Mi Jiao clan and Worry-Free City in a row, how could the war faction just sit idly by? It seems the Black Phoenix clan has reached its end!” one of them said with glee.

“Shh. Speak quieter. Walls have ears!” As the discussion deepened, these people seemed to realize their surroundings.

Hearing the discussions around him, Rod secretly smiled. What expressions would these people have if they knew he had already arrived in Water Curtain City and was standing right beside them?

After hearing this, Rod quickened his pace toward the agreed-upon location and soon reached the spot where they were to gather.

It was a small house, now crowded with people—Nightingale and the others were there, including those who had arrived in Water Curtain City earlier than them.

“Leader!” Upon seeing Rod arrive, they quickly called out to him.

Including those who had arrived first, Rod’s performance during this period had won their full approval.

“How’s everything arranged?” Rod naturally assigned a task to Nightingale first—to come here and contact the rest of the people in the city to prepare for the night’s operation.

“Everything is arranged. We have people all around the city. As soon as the signal is given, we can act at any time!” Nightingale nodded and spoke to Rod, not disappointing him at all.

A hint of fatigue appeared on her face at this moment. Since entering the city at dawn, she had not rested for a single minute. Upon arrival, she first sought out the people inside the city, gathered them to discuss and prepare countermeasures, and it was only just now that everything was arranged—she had been constantly on the go.
“What’s the situation in the city now?” asked the Eighth Elder of the Black Phoenix Clan, who had also come to the city, with a hint of confusion.
To know yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle—this is an eternal truth.
“As expected, the pro-war faction in Dark Moon City hasn’t moved at all. Instead, they sent people from Water Curtain City to deal with us in Worry-Free City. They still don’t know we’ve left Worry-Free City. Water Curtain City has sent almost half of its forces. It seems they don’t intend to destroy us but rather to trap us in Worry-Free City and stop us from causing trouble! The forces in Dark Moon City likely won’t act in the short term; it seems they want to take control of Dark Moon City first.” Nightingale spoke with some excitement about Water Curtain City’s situation, as the current circumstances were highly favorable for them.
“What’s the strength in the city now?” Rod asked in a deep voice, frowning. He wasn’t so optimistic. Water Curtain City had endured for a thousand years as a pro-war faction—things weren’t that simple. Its thousand-year heritage gave it strength comparable to that of the four major families, making its true strength hard to discern—profoundly unfathomable. If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be a pro-war faction.
“Although many people were sent this time, Water Curtain City’s main forces haven’t been deployed! Some time ago, nearly one-third of their forces were sent to Dark Moon City, leaving two-thirds behind. It seems they’re not entirely confident in the Wolf Clan or the Mi Jiao Clan either. But now that the Mi Jiao Clan has been destroyed, they’re much more relaxed. This time, only a small portion of those two-thirds was sent out; roughly half of their forces remain in the city. To take control of Water Curtain City, we mainly need to deal with these people. Once they’re defeated, there shouldn’t be any problems!” After pondering for a moment, Nightingale continued.
“How many people in the city are at the Yin Huang realm? Are there any at the Yang Xuan realm?” Rod asked after thinking for a while.
“Among the pro-war faction in Water Curtain City, there are about seven strong individuals at the Yin Huang realm. Two went to Dark Moon City, one has gone to Worry-Free City, leaving four. As for the Yang Xuan realm, there shouldn’t be any! After all, in the entire Dark Source, it seems only you and the Wolf Emperor are at the Yang Xuan realm!” said an old man standing beside Nightingale, responsible for matters within the city.

Rod’s gaze held a complex expression. There weren’t many strong warriors at the Yang Xuan realm—people thought they could be found everywhere. Only someone as extraordinary as him could be so powerful. They really thought it was easy to encounter warriors at the Yang Xuan realm. Didn’t they understand what such a warrior represented? Didn’t they know that throughout a thousand years, across the Source of Darkness, there had been very few, countable few, warriors at that realm?

“Hmm, everyone, be careful. It’s better to be cautious!” Rod nodded and said with a bitter smile. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but he hoped so.

“That’s true. It can’t hurt to be careful. Now, our people are stationed in almost every corner of Water Curtain City. There are already five hundred of us in the city! If we act carefully, there shouldn’t be any problems!”

“Hmm, get ready. Everyone, take a good rest this afternoon. We’ll start action once night falls!” Rod said in a deep voice after taking a deep breath. After several days of hard work, everyone needed some time to rest. Although an afternoon was short, it was still better than nothing.

After all the discussions were done, everyone dispersed again to carry out their tasks. Only Rod and Nightingale remained in the house. Compared to before, it was much quieter now.

“Is something wrong?” Nightingale asked doubtfully, seeing Rod frowning. His troubled look didn’t seem like he had time for her.

“Take your people and get ready. Let’s set off first. I’m more at ease if you go to the city lord’s mansion!” Although the members of the Death Scythe Squad weren’t very strong, Rod felt more at ease knowing they were handling things. Perhaps it was a bit of favoritism.

Hearing Rod’s words, Nightingale was momentarily stunned. Then, as if she had realized something, she smiled knowingly: “Don’t worry. Leave this to us!”

……

Waiting time always seemed especially slow, but sometimes it passed quickly, like this time. Rod felt it hadn’t been long since he was in the study when the sky had already darkened. The overcast, drizzly weather made it dim anyway, and now it seemed even darker.

Night had fallen, meaning their action was about to begin. Blood and gunpowder smoke would fill Water Curtain City. Rod felt a bit tired of this kind of life. But in the world, one can’t always do as they wish. He just hoped that after this mission and the suppression of the war faction, this life would come to an end!