Time flew by, and two days had passed.
At dawn, before the sun had risen, by the roadside outside Shenghun Village, beneath a large tree, stood a boy who looked about eleven or twelve years old.
His appearance was ordinary, except for one striking feature: his cold, emotionless eyes, and his long, strong fingers.
In his hands, he held a dossier containing some information:
Jiang Chen, six years old, just awakened his Martial Soul — a Zombie Martial Soul, innate full soul power, considered a plague by all the villagers of Shenghun, born with divine strength, enjoys fishing in the river early in the morning...
The information on the dossier was incredibly detailed, even including a portrait of Jiang Chen that bore about an eighty to ninety percent resemblance.
This dossier was the result of a day's investigation by their organization, combined with information provided by Matheno.
The assassin organization had specialists dedicated to gathering intelligence. Extracting information about Jiang Chen from the villagers of Shenghun without raising suspicion was not difficult.
Matheno had given them three days; one day had already passed, and the boy was ready to begin his operation.
"A Zombie Martial Soul? What kind of Martial Soul is that?" The boy looked puzzled. As assassins, they often took on various targets and had their own research on Martial Souls, but he had never heard of a Zombie Martial Soul before.
When he saw Jiang Chen's "born divine strength," a hint of disdain flickered across his dull face. He thought the investigators were far too cautious to even include such useless details.
A six-year-old child — even with divine strength, how could he possibly escape someone like him, a level nineteen Soul Master?
To him, the so-called divine strength was probably only about a hundred jin (roughly 50 kg), and most likely exaggerated by the villagers of Shenghun.
Unfortunately, the investigator hadn't witnessed Jiang Chen running while carrying a stone millstone. Otherwise, they would have circled "born divine strength" in red ink and added detailed notes.
In fact, at the time, the investigator had shared the boy's skepticism — thinking the villagers were exaggerating — but ultimately still recorded the information.
"Enjoys fishing in the river early in the morning." A faint glint of coldness flashed in the boy's dead eyes. He folded the dossier neatly and tucked it into his clothes.
"Shadow!" he whispered sharply. A yellow soul ring appeared on his body, then briefly flared. His entire form seemed to liquefy and pour down, melting into the shadow of the tree, leaving no trace.
His goal was to cause Jiang Chen's accidental death. If Jiang Chen went fishing in the river, that would be perfect.
But if Jiang Chen didn't come out all day, he would have to sneak into Shenghun Village at night.
He was skilled in countless methods of killing — enough to make Jiang Chen's death appear accidental: fire, venomous snakes, a fall into a well...
The boy waited silently, like a hunter lying in wait, his mind calm and undisturbed.
He had started killing at the age of six. After so many years, his heart had hardened like iron and stone. Even killing a six-year-old child didn't stir a trace of guilt within him.
Yet, there was a hint of regret deep inside — born with full soul power, an unparalleled genius, the hope of the entire village... such a pity.
Not long after, a small figure emerged from the entrance of Shenghun Village, briskly walking toward the big tree.
It was Tang San, who never missed his daily mountain training. His steps were light, each stride three meters long, and the distance between each step was almost perfectly even.
Once a safe distance from Shenghun Village, Tang San accelerated with all his might, passing swiftly by the tree like a gust of wind.
The hidden assassin boy recognized that this was not his target, but Tang San's terrifying speed startled him inwardly. This small, skinny boy of five or six years old actually possessed such incredible speed — truly a monster.
His speed rivaled that of a level nineteen Soul Master.
If the assassin had not been invisible, anyone could have seen his usually calm eyes filled with shock.
But professionalism kept the assassin's aura perfectly still — stealth was an essential skill for every assassin.
Tang San flashed past the tree without noticing anything unusual, heading up the mountain under the cold gaze of the assassin.
The boy resumed his patient vigil, like a cold, venomous snake hidden in the shadows, ready to strike lethally at any moment.
Finally, another small figure stepped out of Shenghun Village — Jiang Chen, heading out early to forage.
Having just finished a whole night of training, Jiang Chen wasn't as impatient as Tang San. He leisurely strolled toward the river.
Though training brought him comfort, he still needed moments of relaxation. Early morning, when all living things were awakening and the air was filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, was the best time to lift one's spirits.
"The king sent me to patrol the mountain, to catch Tang San for breakfast..."
Jiang Chen hummed a tune as he took slow, easy steps past the large tree.
Suddenly, his song stopped, and his footsteps halted. His face showed a flicker of confusion.
His nostrils twitched slightly — he sensed the presence of a stranger nearby.
Yet, as he scanned the area around him, he saw no one else.
Jiang Chen slowly moved under the tree's shadow, pacing back and forth a few times.
"Strange... could it be a problem with my perception?" he murmured.
In the end, he shook his head helplessly, confusion lingering on his face. Whether it was his senses playing tricks or not, fishing was the priority now — he still had training to do later.
After Jiang Chen's figure vanished, a shadow suddenly emerged from within the tree's shade. Gradually, the shadow took the form of a teenage boy.
His expression was a mix of surprise and suspicion — Jiang Chen's reaction had truly startled him. Jiang Chen had sensed his presence!
But since Jiang Chen couldn't find where he was, the boy eventually left in confusion.
"Maybe that's the ability of the Zombie Martial Soul," the boy thought to himself, following Jiang Chen's departing figure.
The target had appeared; it was time to act.
A six-year-old boy drowning in the river — such a thing would seem perfectly natural. Surely no one would suspect murder.
By now, Jiang Chen had stripped off his clothes and submerged himself at the riverbed. The river was deep, full of fish, and catching them was effortless for him.
At that moment, he faintly heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by the unmistakable aura of a stranger.
The presence was much stronger than before. Jiang Chen knew someone was walking toward the riverbank.
The assassin boy stopped at the river's edge, where Jiang Chen's clothes lay. His gaze swept the river's surroundings.
Jiang Chen looked up at the figure standing still by the water's surface, puzzled. Suddenly, he surfaced.
He stared at the boy with curiosity, noticing the strange, intense look in the youth's eyes.
"You must be Jiang Chen," the boy said coldly.