Lin Xuanji (Mo Tianzun) woke up with his head aching like hell. Groaning, he slowly sat up, his eyes still closed as he patted around his bed in confusion.
"Did my bed turn into a rock or what?" he thought to himself.
But when he opened his eyes, he froze. He wasn't in his headquarters at all.
"Where... am I?" he muttered, looking around at the broken-down, decrepit house.
Am I being kidnapped? he wondered.
His gaze fell to his hands, then his feet—both bound tightly in thick, spiritual rope.
"Haa~ What a day. Waking up in the middle of nowhere," Xuanji sighed. Despite being tied up and possibly kidnapped, he closed his eyes again, leaning back against the wall. At least it's quiet.
———
In another part of the imperial palace, a girl sipped her tea peacefully, a sly grin tugging at her lips. But before she could enjoy the silence further, a group of concubines approached her. The moment they arrived, she straightened her back, composed her face, and adopted an innocent expression.
"Have you heard? Concubine Lin is missing!" one of the concubines exclaimed.
"Really!?" the girl gasped in false surprise, dropping her teacup. It shattered on the floor, startling the other concubines.
"Y-yeah! You didn't know? Everyone's talking about it," said another.
"N-no... I haven't left my chambers," the girl replied, her voice trembling just enough to appear sincere.
One of the concubines sighed. "Concubine Mu Shuirou, you should be careful. What if the monsters come for you next? You're the one favored to become Crown Prince Longxuan's future consort, right?"
Mu Shuirou smiled slightly. "You're all too kind. But no worries—I have guards posted all around here."
She gestured gracefully toward the stationed guards surrounding her residence.
"We just wanted to tell you the news since we saw you enjoying your tea," one of the concubines added. "It's only right to warn our future consort, after all."
"Thank you for the concern. Would any of you care to stay for tea?"
They all shook their heads. "We're fine. Just wanted to share the news."
After they left, Mu Shuirou clicked her tongue. "Tch."
"Shall we take care of those concubines next?" her maidservant, Lian'er, asked coldly.
Mu Shuirou shook her head. "No, it would be too obvious."
She took a fresh sip of tea, her smile returning.
"We'll be visiting Concubine Xuanji later. I want to see the look on his face—crying, screamingfor help." She chuckled darkly.
Lian'er replaced the shattered cup and poured more tea for her mistress. Just then, someone passed by outside—the figure of a tall, handsome man in imperial robes.
Mu Shuirou immediately stood and rushed toward the figure.
"His Highness, the Crown Prince!"
"Concubine Mu," Jiang Fenglie greeted politely, but Crown Prince Longxuan didn't even look at her. His eyes were focused far into the distance.
Mu Shuirou bowed respectfully, her fists clenched tightly in her sleeves.
"Let's go. We still need to find Concubine Lin," Crown Prince Longxuan said, walking past her as if she wasn't even there.
Only after he and his entourage had left did Mu Shuirou return to her seat, slamming her palm on the table. Her maidservants and guards flinched in surprise.
"How dare he think of someone else while his future consort stands right in front of him! That damn Lin Xuanji—I'll kill himsoon!"
Lian'er calmly cast a silencing spell over the guards so they couldn't hear her mistress's outburst.
"You should calm down, Young Mistress," she advised.
"Tch!" Mu Shuirou scoffed, downing her tea in a single gulp, still fuming with rage.
———
Back in the ruined shack, Lin Xuanji(Mo Tianzun) was laughing wildly, playing cards with a group of monsters—despite still being tied at the hands and feet.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys are terrible at this!" he mocked.
All the monsters groaned in frustration, slapping the air in defeat.
"You're too good, Master Lin!" one of them grumbled.
"I am the Grandmaster of this game!" Xuanji said smugly, reaching to draw another card.
Suddenly, the door burst open. A man in black—his face hidden by a scarf, a wide straw hat casting shadow over his eyes—stepped inside like a ghost.
"What are you doing with the prisoner!?" the man barked. "Get back to your posts!"
The monsters scattered in fear.
Xuanji rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall again. "So... what do you guys want from me? I'm poor, by the way."
"We don't want anything from you," the black-clad man replied. "But the Young Mistress does."
"Oh... That Mu Shuirou girl?" Xuanji asked nonchalantly.
"W-what?! How do you know her name!?" the man stammered.
Xuanji grinned. "Because... I'm your dad."
With a surge of spiritual energy, Xuanji snapped the chains binding him.
[System Quest Notification]
Quest: Kill the man with the Abyss Spear
Objective: Kill your kidnapper and hang his head on the door as a gift for the Young Mistress
Reward: +10 Speed, +15 Shadow Concealment, +5 Aura of the Ninja Shadow
——
From his ring, Xuanji summoned the Abyss Spear of the Demon Sea Dragon. With a flash of energy, the legendary weapon appeared in his hand.
The black-clad man recoiled in horror. "T-the Abyss Spear?! Y-you're the one who took it from the cave!"
Xuanji's smile turned wicked. "Do you want to leave your Young Mistress a gift when she arrives?"
The man shook his head frantically, raising his sword in defense, but trembling uncontrollably.
Xuanji sighed. "No...? That's not the answer I wanted."
With a single flash of the spear, the man's chest was pierced clean through.
"A-ackk—" he gasped, staring at his bleeding chest, blood pouring from his mouth.
"This will be the perfect gift for your mistress," Xuanji said with a smile, pulling the spear free and watching the man collapse lifelessly.
The weapon shimmered and shrank back into a ring.
[System Notification]
Quest Complete
Reward Unlocked: +10 Speed, +15 Shadow Concealment, +5 Ninja Shadow Aura
——
"Ha~ What a filthy day," Xuanji muttered. He sliced off the man's head and hung it on the door like a macabre ornament.
"Now, time to find a village and clean up. I need a bath."
And with that, he walked off—his blood-soaked robes fluttering in the wind, the door creaking behind him with the severed head swaying gently like a warning.