30: Chapter 30 The Emergence of Clues

Shen Xun'er watched her expression; Liu Ruyan's phoenix eyes were deeper than usual, with a layer of subtle tension in that hazy, mist-like aura, like a string pulled to its absolute limit.

Shen Xun'er did not ask further, merely nodding: "Then come in and sit down, have a cup of Spirit Tea."

Liu Ruyan walked into the tent and sat by the fire pit.

Her hands rested on her knees, fingertips slightly curled, and her gray-brown short outfit was stained with grass leaves and mud from the Savage Beast Forest, yet her posture remained as upright as a willow.

Her slender waist was held straight, and her long legs were placed together to one side, her demeanor as poised as a meticulously framed painting.

Shen Xun'er handed her a cup of Spirit Tea; Liu Ruyan accepted it, holding the cup with both hands, but did not drink.

Her phoenix eyes were fixed on the dancing flames of the fire pit, the gravity in her gaze like the water of a deep pool, bottomless.

Shen Xun'er sat down opposite her, not asking any questions, just quietly keeping her company.

The two women sat by the fire pit for a full hour until Wang Sheng's footsteps were heard outside the tent.

"Xuner? Ruyan?" Wang Sheng lifted the tent flap and walked in; the wound on his left rib had basically healed, with only a pale pink scar faintly visible beneath his Savage Beast hide robe.

He saw Liu Ruyan at a glance; the mud and grass on her gray-brown outfit indicated she had just returned from outside, and the gravity in those phoenix eyes was even heavier than yesterday.

"You're back?" Wang Sheng sat down opposite her. "Any new discoveries?"

Liu Ruyan took a deep breath and placed the teacup on the ground; her phoenix eyes finally moved away from the fire and met Wang Sheng's gaze.

"Yes." Her voice was steady, but carried a hint of subtle tension not present before. "It's more important than what we discovered yesterday."

She began her report.

From the behavioral patterns of the beast-kin merchant to the precise location of the Shadow Clan's Spirit Rune mark beneath the abandoned stall, and finally the entrance to the underground passage that opened when the merchant activated the Spirit Rune on the tree trunk—Liu Ruyan's report was like a precise military briefing.

Every detail was accurate to an astonishing degree, and every inference was backed by sufficient observational evidence.

"The Shadow Clan has a stronghold beneath the Myriad Races Market." Liu Ruyan's voice echoed in the tent, every word like a nail driven into a wooden board.

"This isn't simple espionage; it's a long-term operation with organization, systems, and infrastructure.

The beast-kin merchant is just one link in this intelligence chain; behind him is some core organization of the Shadow Clan, likely directly subordinate to Ying Wuyue."

The tent was silent for a moment.

Shen Xun'er's almond eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of unease furrowed her brow: "An underground stronghold... This means the Shadow Clan has been operating in the Myriad Races Market for quite some time.

The neutral barrier of the Myriad Races Market only protects the area above ground; the underground is not covered by the barrier. This is a loophole."

"Correct." Liu Ruyan's phoenix eyes lingered on Shen Xun'er for a moment, a flash of approval crossing their misty, hazy depths—Shen Xun'er's analytical ability had always been strong.

"The Shadow Clan utilized this loophole to establish an intelligence stronghold beneath the Myriad Races Market.

The market above ground is the open trading venue, while the underground stronghold is the clandestine intelligence hub. Both the overt and covert lines operate simultaneously, without interference."

"What is inside that underground stronghold?" Wang Sheng asked.

"Not sure. I only saw the entrance and a section of stairs; I didn't go in deep."

Liu Ruyan answered truthfully, the light in her phoenix eyes dimming slightly; this was the only gap in her report today, and she never allowed her intelligence to have leaks.

"The Shadow Clan Spirit Runes on both walls of the staircase emitted a purple glow, indicating the formation was still active.

There should be Shadow Clan personnel and facilities inside the stronghold, but the specific numbers and configuration cannot be determined from the outside."

"Why didn't you go deeper?" Wang Sheng's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

This was not an interrogation; Wang Sheng would never use an interrogative tone with any woman.

But the question itself was a form of consideration: Liu Ruyan was a Phantom Assassin; stealth and infiltration were her core abilities, so she must have had a reason for giving up on going deeper.

Liu Ruyan was silent for a moment.

Her phoenix eyes met Wang Sheng's gaze—those eyes were calm and focused, like two bottomless clear springs.

She saw the trust in his eyes, his respect for her judgment, and also a hint of subtle concern; he wasn't asking "Why didn't you complete the mission?", but rather "What did you encounter that made you hesitate?"

This question made Liu Ruyan's heart tremble slightly.

She was rarely seen through by others; in class, she was a "transparent person"—unnoticeable, never speaking first, always standing on the outermost edge of the crowd.

After transmigrating, she was the Eye of the Shadow, observing from the dark, acting from the dark, and guarding from the dark; no one cared what a transparent person was thinking, and no one would notice the gaze in the shadows.

But Wang Sheng would.

"The Spirit Rune formation in the underground stronghold... had an aura that made me uncomfortable."

Liu Ruyan's voice was softer than before, the light in her phoenix eyes reflecting the fire pit like two deep, dark lakes.

"It's not fear; a Phantom Assassin does not fear the shadows.

It's... a feeling of being watched. As if something was on the other side of the Spirit Rune formation, looking at me through the runes."

She paused, her phoenix eyes shifting slightly, no longer looking directly at Wang Sheng's gaze: "If I had rashly gone deeper, I might have been discovered by the Shadow Clan's perception formation.

Once exposed, not only would I be in danger, but information about the Bright Tribe would also be confirmed by the Shadow Clan. Rather than taking that risk, it was better to bring the intelligence back and wait for you to make a decision."

Wang Sheng was silent for a moment.

Inside the tent, there was only the sound of the fire pit burning and the sound of the Lingxi River outside.

Shen Xun'er sat to the side, her almond eyes scanning back and forth between Liu Ruyan and Wang Sheng, her lips slightly pursed; she understood the subtext in Liu Ruyan's report.

This Phantom Assassin, who was always calm and rational, had voiced subjective feelings like "uncomfortable" and "being watched" today; this was not Liu Ruyan's style.

Unless she was truly frightened.

No, not frightened; there was no fear in Liu Ruyan's phoenix eyes; what surged in those misty, hazy eyes was a different kind of emotion.

Shen Xun'er's almond eyes narrowed slightly, then curved; she recognized that emotion.

Unlike the scorching temperature hidden beneath Frost Mage Lin Shiyun's iceberg, what was hidden in Liu Ruyan's shadow was something quieter yet equally intense.

"You are right." Wang Sheng's voice broke the silence.

"Not risking a deeper infiltration was the correct judgment. Your safety is the priority.

The intelligence you brought back is already important enough; the Shadow Clan has an underground stronghold in the Myriad Races Market and is systematically collecting intelligence on transmigrators, and it is very likely directly subordinate to Ying Wuyue.

This information elevates our understanding of the Shadow Clan to a new level."

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, but her phoenix eyes still did not fully relax; within that misty, hazy luster, there was still a lingering gravity, like an undercurrent pressed beneath the water's surface, ready to surge out at any moment.