Chapter 64: An Inner Sect Mission
The trio of inner sect disciples stepped into Withered Orchid Villa with quiet deference, their presence subdued yet weighted with unspoken authority. At center stood a female cultivator who commanded silent respect from the two men flanking her.
She wore a plain hemp robe, her head wrapped in a black mourning cloth, as though she had just stepped away from a funeral. Her beauty was striking—delicate as an ink painting, with softly arched brows, wide innocent eyes, and lips the color of dark wine. Her skin was pale as moonlight, her features flawless, yet something about her was profoundly unsettling. There was no warmth in her stillness, no breath in her poise. She moved with the eerie grace of a corpse given motion.
Slender and slight, her frame was almost fragile—save for the unnatural contrast of her full, heavy breasts. But what drew the eye more than anything was the massive black coffin lashed to her back with thick iron chains. The coffin's polished surface gleamed like a starless night, its craftsmanship both exquisite and ominous, large enough to hold three grown men. Dao Fulus plastered its surface, their script glowing faintly under the heavy chains that bound it shut.
As she drew closer, Lordi Payne caught the sound—muffled thuds, slow and deliberate, followed by the shrill scrape of nails dragging against wood from within. His chest tightened. Every instinct screamed at him to flee.
Her companions stood behind her. The younger, draped in an azure cloak, had a sharp, pallid face. The elder, clad in violet, bore the rugged simplicity of a common labor mortal man, though his eyes betrayed the lethality of a seasoned cultivator.
"Enough formalities," Kinson Wexford cut in, raising a hand before turning to Lordi Payne. His voice was steady. "These three are core disciples of our Deathveil Bloodline."
Through Kinson Wexford's introduction, Lordi Payne learned their names. The lady was Oen Shinae—Mid-Phase Foundation Stage, Kinson Wexford's right hand and one of the Bloodline's deadliest forces. The azure-cloaked youth man, Fang Jit, was an Early-Phase Foundation cultivator, a master in both poison and medicine. The older male, Sharky Ink, also at Early-Phase, specialized in formation arrays.
"I've already briefed Shinae on the mission," Kinson Wexford said, his gaze sweeping over the trio before settling into a grave tone. "The inner sect is in chaos recently. Expect complications on this journey underground. Stay sharp."
The three clasped their fists in unison. "Aye! Bloodline Lord!"
Kinson Wexford's eyes hardened. "The mission can fail. But Lordi Payne's life is non-negotiable. If danger strikes—"
Oen Shinae interrupted, her voice soft yet ironclad. "My Lord, rest assured. So long as we breathe, Junior Brother Payne will come to no harm. Even if outmatched, we will die to cover his retreat."