The City was already in chaos. Every minute, powerful Spirit Senses swept over the whole city, searching every nook and cranny.

​The City Guards and countless Bounty Hunters searched for the target with pinpoint precision. The sudden, lucrative bounty had mobilized nearly every capable cultivator.

​Bang!

​"Open the door! We are the City Guards!"

​"Hey, you, stop! Remove your mask!"

​"Ah, yes. Right away. I am not any criminal, My Lords!"

​"Go! Search every household!"

​Very soon, a group of patrolling Guards reached the imposing entrance of the Infernal Clan's estate.

​"Senior, do we also need to search here?" a trembling young guard asked.

​"Of course. But we have to maintain courtesy," the powerful senior guard said, leading the team toward the main gates.

​But the Infernal Clan guards immediately stopped them.

​"What's the matter, Officer Olwen? Why have you come to my Clan's estate?" one of the clan guards inquired politely.

​"We're here with the permission of the City Lord," the senior officer barked, his eyes gleaming with coldness. "Two heretics are on the run, so we are ordered to search every house, every building. And trust me, the matter is of utmost seriousness. Even the Holy Emperor wouldn't dare to stop us now."

​The clan guard's face paled instantly. The severity of the operation was clear.

​"Ah... Is that so... Please wait a minute. I will call the Patriarch at once," the head guard said, heading inside the estate with hurried steps. Though the Infernal Clan was one of the top clans of the City, even they had to show some courtesy to the City Guards who were bearing the order of the City Lord himself.

The urgency in the head guard's step was unmistakable. He quickly found Patriarch Dalian, who, under Lilith's precise mind-control, was ready.

​Dalian, now fueled by the implanted gratitude for his 'son's' safe return, quickly allowed the City Guards to search their estate. He was eager to cooperate, seeing it as a minor inconvenience compared to the salvation of his lineage.

​"Search! Search every room!" Dalian declared, walking with Officer Olwen. His demeanor was stiff, but cooperative.

​Then, Dalian eagerly introduced Vahn, who was standing beside him, to the senior officer. "Olwen, this is my son, Damien. He has some great promise! He just got discipleship under a powerful Master in a fortuitous encounter!" Dalian spoke in a proud, fatherly tone, emphasizing the 'Master' to raise his son's status.

​Officer Olwen and his guards looked Vahn up and down, their faces shifting from professionalism to undisguised scorn.

​"Haha.. Patriarch, Isn't he the one who lost your face by failing to enter the White Lotus Sanctuary?" a junior guard mocked, barely suppressing a laugh.

​Dalian's face fell instantly, the sting of the old humiliation cutting through the mind control.

​

Vahn, perfectly playing his part as Damien, seized the moment. He clenched his fists, his face reddening with false anger.

"Watch your mouth, dog! My current Master is a hundred times stronger than that paltry sect!" he retorted, channeling the arrogance and wounded pride that defined the real Damien.

​The guards, seeing only a pampered, arrogant brat, dismissed him instantly. They weren't looking for a self-important noble; they were hunting a cunning heretic. They didn't suspect Vahn at all.

​After a quick but thorough sweep of the most logical hiding spots, the guards found nothing. They left with a hurried apology to the Patriarch, offering their official regrets for the intrusion.

​

​The confrontation wasn't without internal consequence. As the City Guards departed, one of Damien's cousins, a young man named Boros, stepped forward, his eyes full of malicious amusement.

​"Tsk, tsk, Damien," Boros mocked, shaking his head. "To think that even a mere City Guard dares to bark at you like that. How low our Young Master has fallen."

​The insult was calculated to hit Vahn's new, assumed identity where it hurt the most: his pride and status. Vahn registered the contempt but only allowed the anger to flash across his face before composing himself.

He knew this petty rivalry was actually an advantage to hide his true identity more..

​

Vahn simply sneered back, channeling Damien's disdain. "Watch your mouth. My Master has granted me power beyond your imagination. I'll deal with your little jokes once I've had my revenge on the true scum who tried to kill me."

​Boros only spat on the ground, not believing him at all.

That night, Vahn headed toward Damien's lavish quarters. The silver moon visible outside the window, its glow illuminating the marble floors.

As soon as he entered, two young maids in seductive black-and-white uniforms approached him with their heads bowed.

Their figures outlined by the dim candlelight.

"Welcome back, Young Master Damien," one of them whispered in practiced sweetness. "Would you like your usual service tonight?"

The other stepped closer, her perfume heavy enough to fill the air.

"We've been waiting for you," she murmured softly, her eyes rising with a gentle, false affection. "You seemed… tense today. Perhaps we could help you relax?"

Vahn gave them both a long, unreadable look. He could sense the trembling in their voices, the hollow fear behind their smiles.

They've probably done this a hundred times. Not out of choice, but survival, he thought grimly.

"Relax, huh?" Vahn said with a faint smile. "Tell me, do you really enjoy serving him like this?"

The two girls froze, unsure how to respond.

One of them bit her lip nervously before whispering, "We... don't have a choice, Young Master. Please, don't make fun of us."

Vahn's expression softened as replied, "I'm not mocking you. I just wanted to see if there was still truth left behind those eyes."

They looked confused, uncertain how to act in front of this strange version of their 'master.'

He sighed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You two can rest for the night. No need to do anything."

One of them blinked in disbelief. "Y-You mean... we don't have to—?"

"No," he interrupted gently. "Not tonight. Just sleep. I'll be fine on my own."

They exchanged glances, unsure whether to believe him. But his tone was authoritarian, so they obeyed without protest. They lay down upon the bed, their exhaustion overtaking them almost instantly.

Vahn extinguished the lamp, plunging the room into comforting darkness.

Once silence returned, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closing his eyes.

His breathing slowed, his body glowed as he delved into deeo meditation. Inside his Dantian, he began condensing internal energy to liquified Qi at rapid speed.

He was unaware that beyond the layer of shadows, someone else was watching him.

It was Lilith.

She stood half-merged in the darkness, watching him with quiet focus.

She had seen everything; the temptation, the restraint, the quiet kindness.

"Humph," she muttered softly to herself, though the corner of her lips curved ever so slightly. "So, he's not just a fool after all."

She crossed her arms, watching him in silence.

"I can't tell if he's naive or… sincere," she whispered with an emotion she refused to name. "But either way… he's nothing like the others."

Her gaze remained fixed on his peaceful figure, the faint glow of his cultivation reflecting in her eyes.

"Maybe, he really was born to change the darkness itself."

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