C4 Dark Night Spell

Before they knew it, night had fallen. Nie Feng and the little monkey were asked by their boss to take the night shift, and Nie Feng had willingly agreed to stay.

"Feng, I'm going to check on areas 01 through 05. The remaining five households are on you. If anything comes up, hit me up on the walkie-talkie." The little monkey passed a walkie-talkie to Nie Feng and vanished into the darkness.

Nie Feng glanced toward Zhang Menglin's house and saw that the lights were out. Menglin must have gone to bed. But just then, Nie Feng caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting across her rooftop.

"Not good!" A sense of urgency gripped Nie Feng, and he dashed toward the house.

Switching off his flashlight, Nie Feng opened Zhang Menglin's window and slipped inside. The house was silent. Having chased a rat there earlier in the day, Nie Feng was familiar with the layout. He knew Menglin's room was the first one on the second floor, so he tiptoed in that direction.

Suddenly, Nie Feng sensed a murderous intent behind him. His ring emitted a bright glow. Instinctively ducking, he narrowly missed a gleaming dagger that whizzed over his head. With a frosty look, Nie Feng lashed out with a kick. The assailant grunted and vanished into thin air.

Nie Feng unclipped his baton and scanned the room warily. The intruder wasn't particularly skilled, but he was good at hiding—Nie Feng couldn't spot him.

"Come out. No more hiding. Did you really think you could pull this off today?" Nie Feng called out icily.

There's a saying: you can tell a pro by their first move. Nie Feng had already clashed with the intruder, who, if he had any sense, would realize he was no match for Nie Feng.

Then, a figure clad in a night suit and mask stepped out before Nie Feng and spoke, "Kid, I don't know who you are, but I'd advise you to stay out of this. There are some people you just can't afford to cross."

"Oh? Really? I generally prefer not to stick my nose into other people's business, but this girl is a resident here, and as a security guard, it's my duty to ensure her safety. If I don't, I'll be out of a job. So, it looks like this has become my concern," Nie Feng said, smiling.

"Hmph, nice try twisting the truth. But let me be clear: Zhang Menglin is as good as dead today. You think you can save her? That's just wishful thinking," the man in black said as he pulled a remote control from his coat.

A wave of shock hit Nie Feng, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"I rigged the villa with dozens of bombs before I came in. They're powerful enough to reduce this whole place to rubble, and you'll be going down with it," the man in black declared, his voice laced with confidence.

"Ah! Who are you people? Why are you in my house? What do you want?" Just then, Zhang Menglin, alarmed by the noise, emerged from the house and asked in a panic.

Upon seeing Zhang Menglin, the man in black wasted no time and hurled his dagger at her. Blowing up the villa was a last resort. If he could simply kill Zhang Menglin, only an idiot would resort to explosives! Besides, the blast would make too much noise, making his escape difficult.

Nie Feng wasn't about to let the assailant succeed so easily. He leaped up, seized the angel statue in the center of the living room, vaulted to the second floor, and positioned himself in front of Zhang Menglin. Snatching the dagger from the air, he hurled it back at the man in black.

The man in black was too slow to dodge; the dagger struck his wrist with precision, sending the remote control clattering to the floor.

In the instant the dagger was thrown, Nie Feng sprang into action. A second later, his baton came crashing down on the man in black's head, toppling him to the ground. Nie Feng quickly scooped up the remote control and secured it carefully.

Zhang Menglin stood frozen in shock. When the man in black had thrown the dagger at her, she was sure she was a goner. As the Zhang family's eldest daughter, she was worldly and wise, but Nie Feng's prowess left her dumbfounded. Why would someone with his abilities be working as a mere security guard? Could it be a cover for another identity? Recalling how Nie Feng had taken down Zhao Dahai, Zhang Menglin's suspicions grew. It seemed increasingly likely that Nie Feng was a professional hitman.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Menglin, Nie Feng had taken the job as a security guard simply because he couldn't afford his rent.

"Spill it, who are you really? Why are you after Zhang Menglin?" Nie Feng demanded, gripping the arm of the man in black and pressing down on his shoulder.

But the figure beneath him was motionless. Puzzled, Nie Feng turned the body over and was met with the stench of death. The man was already dead, his face rapidly decomposing. Nie Feng removed his mask, only to witness the flesh rotting away before his eyes.

In an instant, the corpse vanished, leaving nothing but a heap of clothes. Nie Feng's eyes bulged in disbelief. What in the world was happening?

Zhang Menglin was equally terrified. The disappearance of a living, breathing person was beyond comprehension.

"Who... who was he?" she asked, approaching Nie Feng.

Nie Feng shook his head. "I don't know, but with someone out to kill you, you need to stay on guard. If there's nothing else, try to get some rest. I'm heading out." With that, he leapt from the window, vanishing into the night.

"What a peculiar man," Zhang Menglin mused, watching Nie Feng's retreating figure with a smile.

Suddenly, an old man in a white robe materialized before Zhang Menglin, dropping a sack at her feet. "Miss, all the bombs that man planted are here."

"Grandpa Bai, is Nie Feng really the man my father mentioned? My husband?" Zhang Menglin asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Well, I can't be certain just yet, but the young man's quite skilled. It's very possible he's the one. Miss, don't fret too much. There's always a solution. The right person will show up, and the Zhang family will be saved," Bai Fu reassured her, bowing respectfully.

"I hope so. I'm just worried about how my parents are..." Zhang Menglin's voice trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.

After circling the villa and finding no trace of the bombs the man in black had mentioned, Nie Feng realized it was a bluff meant to intimidate him. Annoyed, he tossed the remote control into a trash bin and strode toward the security room.

Nie Feng hadn't gone far when an elderly man in white appeared beside a trash can, retrieving a remote control from within.

"Who's there?" Nie Feng's gaze turned icy as he swiftly hurled a dagger over his shoulder.

Bai Fu was taken aback, not expecting Nie Feng to detect his presence. With an agile backflip, he evaded the incoming dagger and vanished into the night.

Nie Feng's brow furrowed in thought. The old man was impressively skilled! His speed was such that even Nie Feng might not catch up. Could this old man be a fellow cultivator?

With this thought, Nie Feng removed the red ring from his finger. The ring, made of a unique metal, bore the patina of age. Concentrating, Nie Feng summoned wisps of white smoke around his hands, and the ring began to levitate. Suddenly, it transformed into an ancient parchment inscribed with the words "Dark Night Spell."

Indeed, the ring was more than a mere heirloom; it was a manual of cultivation techniques intended for cultivators. Though Nie Feng had never met his parents, the ring had been with him since childhood, likely a legacy from them.

Many believed cultivators belonged solely in the realm of movies and novels. Nie Feng had shared this belief until the day he accidentally activated the ring, setting him on a path of cultivation and fundamentally altering his perspective on the world.

Without a mentor, Nie Feng had spent years navigating his cultivation journey alone. Currently, his power had reached the Middle Period of Foundation Building. The Dark Night Spell outlined four major levels of cultivation: Foundation Building, Qi Refining, Golden Body, and Dao Seeking, each with its own Early, Middle, Late, and Peak stages.

The Dark Night Spell contained not only cultivation methods but also martial techniques, though these required reaching the Golden Body Stage to master. For now, Nie Feng could only enhance his physique by absorbing the Genuine Qi from the environment.

Judging by the old man's prowess, he was at least at the Qi Refining Stage. This realization sent a shiver down Nie Feng's spine. Had he inadvertently crossed a Qi Refining expert?

It was well known that each level of cultivation represented a vast difference in power. A Qi Refining master could easily overpower a Foundation Building master, much as Nie Feng, a master of Foundation Building, could effortlessly outmatch any ordinary individual.

"Feng, what's the situation? Anything to report?" Little Monkey approached with a curious look.

"Nothing... nothing at all. How about you?" Nie Feng kept the details of his clash with the man in black to himself. It was too far-fetched to share; the guy had vanished into thin air. Who would buy that story?

"All clear on my end," Little Monkey replied with a grin.

"Back from patrol, you two? No issues, I hope?" Just then, Third Master entered the security room, throwing a significant glance Nie Feng's way.

Nie Feng's heart skipped a beat. Did the old man somehow catch wind of his recent encounter?

"Captain, all's quiet," Little Monkey reported earnestly.

"Good to hear. Nie Feng, it's your first day on the job. If there had been trouble, you'd be packing your bags." Third Master's tone was nonchalant.

Nie Feng paused, sensing an undercurrent in the old man's words.

"Third Master, any chance I could get an advance on this month's salary? I promise to work hard!" Nie Feng asked, beaming. Without that money, his landlord would surely kick him to the curb.

"No can do, I don't have that authority," Third Master dismissed the request without a second thought, leaving Nie Feng awkwardly hanging.

"Feng, it just so happens I got my pay today—four thousand yuan. If you're in a pinch, it's yours," Little Monkey interjected, sliding an envelope across the table to Nie Feng.