"Oh? As expected of an assassin—you recognize it at a glance."
"Aetherline weapons aren't something common folk can own," the assassin said coldly. "Tell me—how did you acquire it?"
Atem looked at the saber and sighed faintly.
"Picked it up two days ago in the Sinking District. Cost me everything I had."
Aetherline metal—though far below cultivators' spirit tools—overpowered all mortal steel. In the hands of someone who could wield it properly, it turned a common fight into a lopsided one.
"You realize the Authority will come for you the moment this gets out."
He moved the instant his words ended.
Two small metal spheres shot from his hand and spun through the air toward Atem.
Atem's expression changed.
"Aetherline bombs."
He retreated immediately.
In less than a second, a sharp explosion ripped through the street. The blast caught him mid-step and threw him backward. He hit the ground hard and slid several paces before he could stop himself.
"Coward," Atem muttered under his breath as he pushed himself up.
He looked around. The assassin was nowhere in sight.
His shoulders eased, but the feeling didn't last. The ground seemed to sway, his vision blurring as his legs lost their strength. He went down on one knee.
"Good… he's gone." He coughed, blood spotting his lips.
Looking at the saber in his grip, he let out a dry breath. "Another few exchanges, and I'd be the one on the ground."
The majority of the world consisted of mortals with mortal-grade inner suns. They couldn't sense ka, but even so, they had just enough inner strength to fuel Aetherline weapons for short bursts.
Atem, however… didn't even have a full inner sun.
After the temple incident, the head priest had finally told him the truth: his inner sun was only half-formed. A defect from birth, likely caused by an injury his mother suffered before he was born. It explained everything—why heat overwhelmed him, why cold cut straight to his bones. His body simply couldn't regulate temperature like others could.
With such an inner sun, he could barely wield an Aetherline weapon for a few breaths before it drained him dry.
"As expected… it left you injured."
A cold voice came from behind.
Atem's body tensed at once. The assassin stepped out of the darkness, steady and unhurried, as if he had been standing there the entire time.
It was clear now—he had never intended to leave.
Atem's expression cooled as he watched the assassin approach.
"So, you've got me now. Before I die, at least tell me—who sent you?"
Seeing Atem slumped on one knee with a pale face, the assassin let out a low snicker.
"Weren't you acting fearless just a moment ago? As if no one could touch you?"
Atem shook his head calmly.
"No need to mock me. You've already won."
"You brat…" The assassin's face twisted with irritation. "You made me waste two Aetherline bombs. You think I'll grant you any last request?"
He raised his saber, intent on finishing the mission.
He suddenly doubled over, coughing out a mouthful of blood as his hand flew to his chest.
"W–what… what have you done…?" He collapsed onto one knee.
"Isn't it obvious?" Atem looked at him with plain disdain.
"P–poison?" The assassin forced out a bitter laugh. "How? You never even touched me…"
"Tsk. Ignorant." Atem lifted a finger and lazily drew a circle in the air.
The assassin's eyes trembled.
"Th—the air…?" Another violent cough wracked him. "When? I was careful… I would've noticed—"
His words cut off as realization struck. His pupils shrank. He tried to breathe—but only managed another choked cough before his body toppled sideways onto the ground.
Atem stared at him for a moment, then scoffed and spat toward the fallen man.
"What a terrible person. Couldn't even grant a dying man's last wish."
Atem stood up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and checked the corpse. He pulled back the hood and finally saw the man's face.
"Hm. Not bad. Still not on my level," he muttered.
He searched the assassin's pockets but found nothing of value.
"What a poor boy. Not even a single copper coin. Waste of time." He clicked his tongue and gave the body a light kick.
"I should leave before the Authority comes to investigate," he murmured softly and walked out of the alley.
It didn't take him more than half an hour to reach Stone Street. Only when he saw his shop's sign did he let out a quiet breath. A part of him had feared someone might have broken in—or burned it down.
"I guess being former property of the Jade Stream Sect still has some use." He clicked his tongue, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
He shut it behind him and headed straight for the underground chamber, where he actually slept.
---
Far from Azure Harbor City, at the Oceanic Highlands—
Rain poured harder than ever. The entire area was little more than rubble now, and the smoke rising into the sky made it clear a massive fire had swept through moments earlier.
Four black-robed figures stood atop what remained of a rooftop.
"Wasn't this too much? Burning the whole Pearlroot Temple with everyone inside?" one of them asked in an uneasy voice.
"We couldn't risk leaving survivors or evidence," another replied coldly. "Fire was the safest method. By now, they're nothing but ash."
"Most of them were mortals. If this gets out, the Imperial Authority will hunt us," the third said, taking a deep breath.
In a world where cultivators and ordinary people lived side by side, strict rules existed to keep cultivators from slaughtering mortals.
All major cultivation factions had agreed long ago:
mortal affairs are to be handled by mortals, and cultivators are forbidden from interfering.
Anyone who violated that rule faced punishment from the Imperial Authority.
Those laws had prevented countless tragedies—such as killing a mortal to force a cultivator's hand, or using someone's family as leverage against them.
"None will find out," the first figure sneered. "There's nothing to trace. We avoided using any of our techniques."
"That's right. We dealt with those low-level priests directly. As for the rest, the fire alone was enough."
"What about the Jade Stream Sect?" another asked.
"Hmph. They won't bother with a small temple. It's beneath their attention."
The fourth figure nodded slowly.
"Then the boy in Azure Harbor should be dead by now as well."