CHAPTER 58: I SHOULD’VE JUST STAYED IN BED.

The clash between saber and daggers echoed through the tight alley like thunder in a canyon.

John’s blade swung with fury, tracing sharp arcs through the air, but the hooded man danced back, his daggers like streaks of shadow.

The man’s movements were unorthodox, his footwork slippery, every step angled to exploit blind spots.

John lunged forward, his saber singing as it carved a crescent arc toward the man’s chest.

Clang! The man twisted, deflecting with one dagger while slashing with the other.

John barely avoided the counter, feeling the blade nick his shoulder.

Blood bloomed across his robe.

Without hesitation, John stepped back and breathed deeply.

"Twelve Circle Slashes!"

The air around him began to hum as spiritual energy coiled into twelve glowing rings around his body.

With a burst of momentum, he shot forward, each slash like a lightning wheel, tearing through the alley walls and gouging the earth.

The force behind each blow cracked the stone tiles beneath their feet.

But the hooded man grinned, his daggers glowing with dark energy. "You think brute force will save you?"

He ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding John’s slashes, and retaliated with vicious sweeps that grazed John’s chest and thigh.

One dagger struck true, plunging into John’s left side, just below the ribs.

John gasped and staggered back, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Let me show you real despair!" the man hissed, throwing a talisman into the air.

It exploded into a wave of black fog, and out of it, he emerged with shadow tendrils surrounding his arms, his true technique activated.

Just as the man lunged again, John’s eyes narrowed.

"Soul Piercing Gaze!" he roared.

A brilliant beam of white light shot from his forehead, striking the assassin in the chest.

The man screamed, staggering back, coughing blood, but he didn’t fall.

His qi flared in fury.

"You bastard! DIE!"

With a shriek, the man flashed forward like a shadow, driving both daggers toward John’s heart.

John raised his saber too slowly.

One dagger struck him in the stomach, the second grazed his side again.

He coughed violently, his knees buckling.

"JOHN!" a voice roared from the rooftops.

BOOM!

The earth erupted.

A hundred violet tendrils of qi burst from the ground like living chains, wrapping around the hooded man and pulling him back.

Caros leapt down, his hand pressed into the soil, sweat dripping from his brow.

"Hundred Grabbing Vines!"

The assassin struggled, roaring, as he was yanked to the ground and pinned by the violet restraints.

Before he could retaliate, a sharp, emerald-green light screamed across the alley.

"Greenblade Thorn!" shouted Riara, her sword glowing with verdant fury.

She thrust forward, her strike impossibly fast, aimed straight for the assassin’s heart.

But...

CRACK!

A golden barrier burst forth from the man’s chest, a defensive talisman.

"Damn it!" Riara hissed, stumbling back.

The man laughed, breaking the vine technique with a surge of qi, leaping upward to escape.

But John, battered and half-conscious, rose to one knee.

"Soul Piercing Gaze!" he shouted again.

Another searing beam struck the man in midair, blasting through his legs.

Bone snapped, and the assassin screamed as he crashed to the ground, legs mangled.

Caros disappeared in a blink and reappeared atop the man, his foot crushing the man’s spine.

"Now, Riara!" Caros roared.

Riara’s eyes blazed with fury.

She stepped forward without hesitation and drove her sword through the man’s back, piercing his heart.

"Gghhh, hah..." The assassin gasped, his mouth twitching with blood.

"You... you bitch," he croaked. "You think this is over...? My brother... My brother will come for you. He’ll tear you apart and, h-he’ll violate you again and again before he kills you..."

Riara’s face didn’t flinch.

She twisted the sword.

CRACK.

The light in his eyes faded.

Silence returned to the alley.

Only the soft panting of the three remained, and the blood cooling on the stone.

As the dust settled and the corpse of the assassin slumped lifelessly to the ground, the faint night wind whispered through the alley, carrying the scent of blood and burnt talisman fragments.

John collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily, blood trickling from the gash in his side where the dagger had pierced him.

His hand trembled as he tried to push himself up, but couldn’t.

FLASH!

A ripple of violet light burst beside him, and Caros appeared using his teleportation technique, appearing with a flicker of light just as John faltered.

"Damn it, John," Caros muttered, kneeling and catching him before he hit the ground again. "You just can’t wait, can you?"

John managed a crooked smile, his breath ragged. "What can I say? I wanted a head start on the stabbing..."

Caros rolled his eyes but pulled out a deep violet healing pill from his pouch and gently placed it into John’s mouth. "Chew. Slowly. And try not to pass out."

The bitter taste hit John’s tongue, and a warm, soothing wave began spreading through his torn muscles and damaged qi channels.

A few seconds later, Riara walked into view, stepping over a broken tile, her green robes flowing behind her like a wave of disdain.

Her sharp eyes scanned the scene, the blood, the corpse, and finally John being supported by Caros.

"You absolute idiot," she said flatly, her arms crossed. "We explicitly said we’d go after him in the morning, together."

Caros nodded with a sigh. "She’s right, you know. I thought you were reckless, but this... this is almost suicidal."

John chuckled weakly, wiping the blood from his chin. "I don’t remember agreeing to the ’no midnight solo missions’ clause in the contract. Must’ve missed that part."

Caros smirked. "Yeah, it was written right after the ’don’t flirt with death unless you’re buying it dinner first’ clause."

Riara’s brows twitched.

"You two are the worst," she muttered, glaring at both of them.

Then her eyes narrowed on John again, her tone turning cool and prideful. "Next time, if you go alone and die, I won’t feel bad about it. I’ll just call you a fool. A dead fool."

John placed a hand over his chest in mock hurt. "So cold. I thought we had something, Riara. At least a little fondness between comrades who nearly died together."

Riara huffed and turned away with a dramatic swirl of her robe. "Hmph! Peasants and their delusions."

Caros helped John onto his feet, chuckling. "Come on, hero. Let’s get you cleaned up before she kicks your other side out of frustration."

The next morning, the trio stood at the massive gates of the Greenstone Royal Palace, sunlight glinting off the gemstone-encrusted towers that lined the sprawling fortress.

Two heavily armored guards escorted them through grand marble halls and opulent courtyards until they arrived before the king’s audience chamber, a lavish room lit by hanging crystal chandeliers and scented with rare incense.

John carried a severed head wrapped in spirit-sealed cloth, the remains of the assassin who had murdered the Crown Prince.

A court official stepped forward and announced in a booming voice, "Presenting disciples of the Blue Cauldron Sect, heroes of justice, slayers of the traitor who slew our beloved Crown Prince!"

The massive double doors opened, revealing King Edgoran Luin, dressed in flowing golden robes, seated on a throne inlaid with jade and silver.

His expression was stern, aged with grief, but his eyes lit up with relief when he saw them.

John stepped forward and unwrapped the bundle.

The assassin’s head dropped onto the marble floor with a dull thud, rolling a little before stopping at the king’s feet.

Gasps filled the chamber.

A tense silence followed... and then King Edgoran slowly rose.

"You have avenged my son," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "The debt of blood cannot be repaid with mere gold—but I shall still try."

He clapped his hands.

Suddenly, dozens of servants rushed in, some carrying trays of exotic dishes, others bearing scented oils and silken towels.

Music began to play in the background, soft and regal.

A wave of pampering overtook the trio.

Riara’s eyes sparkled as she was led to a private massage room by six attendants.

"Now this is how you treat nobility," she murmured with a content smile, sinking into plush cushions while sipping chilled fruit wine.

John and Caros, meanwhile, were taken to a hot spring room filled with aromatic steam and healing herbs.

As they sat shoulder-deep in the mineral-rich water, two maidens in sheer silk dresses entered with trays of fruit and tea, and very flirtatious smiles.

"Would you like us to... warm your beds tonight, noble cultivators?" one asked, gently massaging John’s shoulders.

John chuckled, leaned back, and raised a hand. "As tempting as that sounds, I’ll have to pass. My heart’s only warmed by spirit stones and danger."

Caros flushed slightly as one of the maids pressed closer to him. "Uh, n-no thank you," he said, waving his hands awkwardly. "I...I don’t really... um..."

Just then, a royal attendant entered and bowed low. "His Majesty requests to speak privately with the young noble, Caros."

Caros frowned, wrapping a robe around himself and heading toward the inner chamber.

A few moments later, a startled yell echoed from the hall:

"What do you mean, marry your daughter?!"

John burst out laughing, nearly choking on his tea.

Even Riara, who had just walked in with a silk robe draped around her, raised a brow and smirked.

Moments later, Caros returned, flustered and red-faced. "He...he tried to betroth me to his third daughter! Said it was ’the least he could do!’ What kind of thank-you gift is that!?"

John grinned. "Well, I’d say that’s an upgrade from spirit stones."

Riara smirked. "Maybe you should accept. It’s the closest you’ll get to nobility, peasant."

Caros scowled. "I should’ve just stayed in bed."