190: Chapter 190 Blocking the Secret Passage? Staking Out and Taking Down the Killers

Northwest of Black Wind Valley.

Below the abandoned black stone tower, the night pressed down on the ridge like a heavy black cloth.

After reading the secret report sent by Pavilion Master Ye Ling, Lin Zhe didn't waste a single word.

He simply raised his hand and called out twenty names.

They were all the assassins from the Vanguard Army with the strongest Stealth capabilities.

Ye Mao Zi, Shadow Step Silent, Blade Back Wind, Night Walker...

They were all from the Assassin class. Their levels weren't the highest in the server, but they were veterans in concealment, burst damage, camping, and ambushing.

The twenty players stood before the tent, their eyes bright with excitement.

Lin Zhe handed a hundred bottles of Top-grade Stealth Potions to Qing Yu, who then distributed them to the group.

“The secret tunnel exit is on the outskirts of the Abyss Rift Valley,”

Lin Zhe's voice was flat.

“Go there ahead of time and camp it.”

“If one comes out, take one down.”

Ye Mao Zi grinned on the spot. “Don't worry, Boss Lin Zhe. We're experts at camping for kills!”

Shadow Step Silent tucked the Stealth Potion into his belt and chuckled. “Qing Yan wants to run? He'd better ask if we agree first.”

The twenty assassins didn't make a scene.

After drinking a bottle of Top-grade Stealth Potion, their figures faded in unison.

Buzz—

A grayish-blue medicinal light covered their bodies.

Footsteps vanished.

Presences vanished.

Even their shadows seemed to melt into the night.

Following the route provided by Pavilion Master Ye Ling, they bypassed the front of Black Wind Valley and crept along the rocky slopes toward the outskirts of the Abyss Rift Valley.

The area was a wasteland of abandoned black rock flats.

Fissures crisscrossed the ground, and in the distance, dark purple abyssal mist churned.

The secret tunnel exit was hidden behind a half-collapsed giant boulder.

If it hadn't been clearly marked on the secret report, an ordinary person could walk past it ten times without realizing there was a door here.

Ye Mao Zi crouched atop the boulder and lowered his voice. “This is the place.”

Blade Back Wind pressed his ear to the ground and listened. “There's movement inside, but not much.”

“Don't rush.”

Shadow Step Silent raised a hand and signaled.

The twenty assassins immediately dispersed.

Some hid in the fissures.

Some lay prone behind black stones.

Some hung directly in the shadows above the exit.

They remained motionless.

They camped there for the better part of a day.

Halfway through, an abyssal wind blew past, carrying a cold, rotting scent.

A few low-level Shadow Bats flew overhead, but they didn't notice the group at all.

On the world channel, frontline players were still farming ores and mobs, and showing off their loot.

But these twenty assassins were like nails, firmly hammered into the secret tunnel exit.

Until the next morning.

Click.

A very faint mechanical sound came from behind the giant boulder.

The eyes of all the assassins instantly lit up.

The tunnel entrance slowly cracked open a gap.

The first to emerge were two Black Dragon death soldier members.

They scanned left and right, and after confirming no one was around, they beckoned inward with lowered voices.

“Hurry up!”

“The Elder said to send these three crates of mid-grade dragon crystals out first. Once the general offensive causes chaos, he'll retreat from here.”

“Keep your movements light. Don't alert the people outside.”

Soon, over a dozen rebels emerged from the secret tunnel.

They were carrying three Black Iron Chests.

The chests were very heavy; every time they hit the ground, the earth vibrated slightly.

A rich golden crystalline light leaked from the cracks of the chests.

Ye Mao Zi's eyes widened.

“mid-grade dragon crystals.”

Shadow Step Silent licked his lips. “Three crates.”

The leading Black Dragon guard was still urging them on. “Move! Get them to the Abyssal rendezvous point before dawn.”

The words had just left his mouth.

Swish!

In the night, twenty flashes of cold light exploded simultaneously!

“Attack!”

Ye Mao Zi was the first to pounce from the boulder, his dagger stabbing directly into the Black Dragon guard's neck.

Critical Hit!

The health bar was instantly drained by a huge chunk.

Shadow Step Silent flashed out from the side, delivering two clean throat-slitting strikes.

Blade Back Wind used a Backstab, pinning a rebel carrying a chest directly to the ground.

The rest of the assassins burst into action at the same time.

Sap.

Backstab.

Eviscerate.

Poisoned Blade.

One combo after another, they were as fast as black lightning.

The rebels didn't have time to react at all.

“Ambush!”

“The secret tunnel is exposed!”

“Go back and report!”

A Black Dragon death soldier member turned to dive back into the tunnel, but after just two steps, his feet were caught by a pre-laid Snare Trap.

In the next second, three daggers were plunged into his back simultaneously.

Puchi!

Health bar hit zero.

The lead guard let out a roar, attempting to breathe out Black Dragon Breath.

Ye Mao Zi backhanded a bottle of Silence Poison Powder at him.

“Shut your trap!”

The Black Dragon Breath had just reached his throat when it was cut off.

Shadow Step Silent seized the opportunity, turning into an afterimage and stabbing seven times with his daggers.

The final strike hit right next to the dragon core.

Boom!

The guard's health bar emptied, and he fell heavily to the ground.

In less than three minutes,

The dozen or so rebel escorts were completely wiped out.

Not a single one escaped.

Not a single one returned to report.

On the black rock flats, only three Black Iron Chests remained, along with a ground littered with dropped black scales, short blades, and Key Runes.

Ye Mao Zi took a breath, his hands shaking with excitement.

“Open the chests!”

Blade Back Wind picked up a Key Rune from the guard's body and pressed it onto the first chest.

Click!

The lid popped open.

Golden light instantly burst out.

Inside were neatly stacked mid-grade dragon crystals.

The second chest was the same.

The third chest was also the same.

The twenty assassins were stunned for a second.

Then, their internal channel exploded.

“We're rich!”

“Qing Yan's private stash of mid-grade dragon crystals! Three crates!”

“This old geezer was really planning to take the money and run!”

The news quickly reached Wanlong City.

Lin Zhe stood on the city wall, looking at the returned loot list with a calm expression.

“Deposit everything into the Public Warehouse.”

“It will serve as rewards for the subsequent suppression of the rebellion.”

Qing Yu immediately bowed her head. “Yes.”

In the next second, a server-wide announcement popped up.

[Server Announcement: The Vanguard Army Assassin Squad has successfully intercepted Qing Yan's secret tunnel transport team!]

[The escorting rebels have been wiped out, and three crates of Qing Yan's private mid-grade dragon crystals have been seized!]

[All seized materials have been deposited into the Public Warehouse and will be distributed as rewards for suppressing the Dragon Domain rebellion!]

The world channel instantly erupted in laughter.

“Hahahaha! Qing Yan wanted to run, but he ended up sending his money out first?”

“Three crates of mid-grade dragon crystals! This old geezer was really loaded!”

“The Assassin Squad is awesome! Camping for kills is so satisfying!”

“Qing Yan: I haven't even run yet, and my fortune is already gone.”

Black Wind Valley Main Stronghold.

When the news reached Qing Yan, he was frozen for a full three breaths.

“The secret tunnel... is exposed?”

A confidant knelt on the ground, his voice trembling. “Y-yes, Elder.”

“The three crates of mid-grade dragon crystals sent out ahead of time have all been intercepted.”

“The escorts are all dead as well.”

Qing Yan's vision went dark.

Pffft—

A mouthful of dragon blood was spat out on the spot.

All the rebels in the tent knelt down in fear.

Qing Yan clutched his chest, his face pale yet hideous.

That secret tunnel was his last escape route.

Those three crates of mid-grade dragon crystals were the capital he had prepared for a comeback.

Now, it was all gone.

And since the enemy could intercept the first batch, it meant the tunnel entrance, exit, and route were all exposed.

Going that way now would be suicide.

Qing Yan's teeth gritted together, making a clicking sound. Finally, he squeezed out his voice from his throat.

“Seal the secret tunnel.”

“Everyone retreat to the main stronghold.”

“Defend to the death!”

The faces of everyone in the tent turned even paler.

The escape route was gone.

The treasure was gone.

They could only remain in Black Wind Valley, waiting for that army outside that was drawing closer and closer.