Chapter 86: Uninvited Geusts
Grim moved silently through the garden, keeping to the shadows cast by the tall hedges. Luna remained on his back, but Echo was drawn and ready in his hand. Chen Xing followed behind him. His curved blade gleaming faintly in the dying light. Huangyan took the center path, seemingly unconcerned about stealth, her own sword still sheathed.
The eastern wall of the Ambrose estate was problematic. It was too close to a large tree whose branches provided an easy path over the twelve-foot stone barrier.
The intruders were moving like a well piled machine. They were in unison as the made theyre way to the manor. Professionals, not common thugs. Four figures dressed in dark clothing, their faces obscured by cloth masks that revealed only their eyes. They carried an assortment of weapons: short blades, a crossbow, and what appeared to be throwing knives.
"Assassins," Chen Xing whispered.
Grim nodded grimly.
The lead assassin spotted them and signaled to his companions. Rather than retreating, they spread out into an attack formation. The message was clear: they hadn’t come to observe but to eliminate.
"Remember," Grim called out, loud enough for the intruders to hear, "I want one alive."
The assassin with the crossbow fired first, the bolt whistling through the air directly at Grim’s chest. He deflected it with Echo, the metal singing as the bolt ricocheted into a nearby tree trunk.
Huangyan finally drew her blade. She rushed foward as she turned into a blur.