One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

It was 11:27 p.m.

The city, like a giant beast gradually falling into slumber, slowly quieted down from its daytime clamor. Traffic on the main roads thinned considerably, with only a few cars speeding by, their taillights leaving blurry red trails in the night. Most of the shops along the street had closed, their shutters drawn, revealing complete darkness inside. Only 24-hour convenience stores, internet cafes, and a few barbecue stalls remained lit, like scattered fireflies in the darkness.

A breeze blew from the end of the street, carrying the coolness unique to the night and the damp mist drifting from the distant river. The glow of the streetlights swayed slightly in the wind, casting the shadows of the roadside trees on the ground, twisting and elongating like countless ghostly hands waving.

Nie Lingfeng stood in the shadows at the alley entrance, two streets away from the Grand Hyatt Hotel, his body pressed against the cold, rough brick wall, almost blending into the darkness.

He did not act immediately, but observed, perceived, and calculated.

When the Ice Heart Technique was activated to its fullest extent, his consciousness spread out like water, covering an area of ​​about 100 meters in radius. Every sound, every breath, and every faint fluctuation of "Qi" was captured, analyzed, and located in his sensory network.

The Grand Hyatt Hotel is an eight-story building with beige-colored tiles on its exterior, which look somewhat worn in the night. The neon sign is missing a few words; the three characters "君悦宾" (Grand Hyatt Hotel) are still lit, but the character "馆" (hotel) has gone out, leaving only a dim "飠" (food) radical flickering forlornly in the darkness. The building is L-shaped, with the main building facing the street and the annex extending to the rear, enclosing a small backyard used as a parking lot.

At this moment, the hotel was brightly lit.

Inside the glass doors of the first-floor lobby, shadowy figures moved about, with at least a dozen people talking. Most of the windows on the second and third floors were lit; some had curtains drawn, others were open, revealing people organizing equipment, cleaning weapons, or gathering to smoke or play cards. Above the fourth floor, the lighting was sparse, but Nie Lingfeng could sense fluctuations of "Qi" there, weak but stable, like hidden sentries on guard.

A rough estimate suggests there are at least fifty people in the entire building.

Among them, three auras stood out, like three flames in the night, scorching, violent, and full of aggression.

The first aura was cold and viscous, like a venomous snake slithering through the grass. It was located in the rest area on the right side of the first-floor lobby, and its aura carried a clear intent to grapple and dislocate bones—it was Ghost Hand, the head of the Wang family's "Ghost Division," a master of close combat and grappling.

The second aura was scorching and violent, like a red-hot iron being plunged into cold water, making a sizzling sound. It was located near the reception desk on the left side of the first-floor lobby, filled with the sharpness of a blade and a bloodthirsty thirst—it was Blood Blade, the head of the Wang family's "Blood Division," known for his ruthless swordsmanship and bloodlust.

The third aura was elusive and hidden, like a reflection in water, rippling when the wind blows, yet always present. Located in the easternmost room on the third floor, the aura was almost completely concealed, only revealing a trace of cold killing intent in the slightest changes in breathing—it was Shadow One, the head of the Wang family's "Shadow Department," an expert in stealth and assassination, and Wang Ai's most trusted informant.

Besides these three, there were at least ten other core members in the hotel with considerable auras, all of whom possessed cultivation levels above ordinary superhumans. The rest were mostly peripheral thugs hired or coerced by the Wang family, their strengths varying, but their numbers made up for it.

Nie Lingfeng slowly opened his eyes, a faint blue light flashing in his pupils in the darkness—a sign that the Ice Heart Technique had been activated to its fullest extent.

"Timing, location, and people," he murmured to himself, his voice as soft as a sigh. "The timing is late at night, all is quiet, perfect for infiltration, and also perfect for... murder. The location is that I'm in the shadows, they're in the light. Xu Si has already given me a detailed floor plan of this building's structure, entrances, and fire escape routes. As for people..."

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips: "They outnumber me, but I'm stronger. And besides, they're not a monolithic entity."

Nie Lingfeng's phone vibrated. He took it out; the screen displayed the last message Xu Si had sent:

"Shadow One is on the third floor, room 308, having an encrypted conversation with Wang Ai. Ghost Hand and Blood Blade are setting up on the first floor. Wang Xiao is in the deluxe suite 205, with two women and three sycophants. There are four hidden sentries on the perimeter, one behind the water tank on the roof, one at the corner of the backyard wall, one at the third-floor window opposite the hotel, and one at the street corner newsstand. Be careful, show no mercy."

After reading the message, Nie Lingfeng deleted it and put his phone away.

"No mercy?" he repeated in a low voice, his eyes icy. "I've never intended to show any mercy to the Wang family."

He touched the Yin-Yang jade pendant on his chest. A warm, cool sensation seeped through his skin, like a clear spring flowing gently through his heart, calming the slightly agitated blood and qi caused by killing intent. With the Ice Heart Technique and the Seeking Ease Technique operating simultaneously, his heartbeat, breathing, and blood flow remained at their most stable state.

"Start with the outer perimeter."

He moved with lightning speed, like a wisp of smoke merging into the night breeze, silently leaving the alleyway entrance and moving towards the back of the hotel, hugging the shadows of the buildings.

---

The backyard wall was about two meters high, with barbed wire strung on top. A warning sign that read "High Voltage Danger" was hanging on the wire—of course, it was fake, just to scare ordinary people. At the corner of the wall, a young man in his early twenties, wearing a black jacket, was squatting, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

He was one of the outer sentries, codenamed "Night Owl," an outer member of the Shadow Division, skilled in infiltration and observation. Tonight, he was sent here to monitor the backyard and parking lot.

Night Owl took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and felt a surge of irritation. He'd been doing this monotonous surveillance mission for three days straight. He'd heard that a full-scale operation to wipe out that guy named Nie Lingfeng was going to begin tomorrow; he figured he'd get some credit then. He didn't need much, just enough to make an appearance in front of the old man.

As he was thinking, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

It wasn't the wind blowing; it was the feel of some kind of metal, cold and sharp, pressed against his carotid artery.

Night Owl froze, the cigarette in his mouth falling to the ground, sparks flying. He tried to turn his head, but the grip on his neck held him still. He tried to shout, but his throat felt blocked, and no sound came out.

"Don't move, don't shout." A calm voice rang in his ear, very close, its breath almost brushing against his earlobe. "I'll ask, you answer. If you say one wrong word, or shout even once, you'll die."

Night Owl nodded frantically, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

How many people are in the building right now?

"Fifty...fifty-three people." Night Owl's voice trembled. "Fifteen in the lobby on the first floor, eighteen on the second floor, twenty on the third floor, and several more sentries on the fourth floor and above..."

"Where are Ghost Hand, Blood Blade, and Shadow One?"

"Lord Ghost Hand is in the first-floor rest area, Lord Blood Blade is at the reception desk, and Lord Shadow is in room 308 on the third floor..."

Where is Wang Xiao?

"Young Master Xiao is in suite 205. He brought two women and three attendants..."

What other hidden sentry positions are there on the outer perimeter?

"There's one behind the water tank on the roof, one on the third-floor window opposite the hotel, and one at the newsstand on the street corner..."

"Very good." The voice paused. "One last question: Are you a direct descendant of the Wang family, or a peripheral employee?"

Night Owl paused for a moment, not understanding why she was being asked this, but still answered honestly, "I... I'm an outer member of the Shadow Division, I only joined last year, I'm not a direct descendant of the Wang family..."

"Oh," the voice responded, then Night Owl felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

Nie Lingfeng dragged the unconscious Night Owl into the shadows of the wall, handcuffed his hands, taped his mouth shut, and then stuck a "sleep talisman" on his body—a little gadget he'd smuggled from Longhu Mountain that could make someone fall into a deep sleep for twelve hours and then temporarily lose their memory upon waking.

"You're not a direct descendant of the Wang family, so you shouldn't have much blood on your hands... I'll spare your life."

He stood up, dusted off his hands, and looked at the other hidden sentry posts in the backyard.

The one behind the water tank on the rooftop has been dealt with—ten minutes ago, Nie Lingfeng struck his pressure point with a pebble from the rooftop next door, rendering him unconscious. The one in the third-floor window across from the hotel was observing the street through binoculars, completely unaware of the silently approaching shadow behind him, and was also knocked unconscious with a single palm strike. The one at the newsstand on the street corner was the most alert, but under Nie Lingfeng's high-speed approach using "Wind God Leg - Catching the Wind and Shadows," he didn't even have time to react before collapsing.

The four outer sentries were all cleared out in less than fifteen minutes.

The whole process was as quiet as a silent film.

Nie Lingfeng walked to the back door of the hotel. The door was an ordinary fire door, unlocked, and slightly ajar—this was to allow people inside to enter and exit. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Behind the door was a narrow corridor, with storage rooms and staff break rooms on either side. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and mildew. At the end of the corridor, a middle-aged man in a security guard uniform was dozing off in a chair, his head nodding, the walkie-talkie in his hand had slipped down to his lap.

Nie Lingfeng walked over and gently pressed the "Anmian" acupoint on the back of the man's neck. The middle-aged man tilted his head and fell into a deeper sleep, even snoring softly.

Nie Lingfeng took the walkie-talkie from his lap, switched it to silent mode, and then put it back in his hand.

"I'm sorry, sir. Get some sleep, you'll be fine tomorrow."

He continued walking inside.

At the end of the corridor was a double door, behind which one could faintly hear voices and footsteps. That was the hotel's kitchen area, which had been temporarily converted into a rest and supply point, where several members of the Wang family were eating and chatting.

Nie Lingfeng didn't go that way. He turned to the left, where there was a door to a fire escape. Pushing open the door, he found himself in a stairwell leading upwards.

He quietly went up the stairs to the second floor.

---

The second-floor corridor was carpeted in dark red, soft and silent underfoot. Most of the doors on both sides were closed, but some light shone through the cracks, and sounds of talking, playing cards, and television programs could be heard.

Nie Lingfeng pressed himself against the wall, moving through the corridor like a shadow. With the Ice Heart Technique's perception fully activated, the aura behind each door surfaced in his consciousness.

Most of the rooms were filled with ordinary thugs and guards. Some were playing cards, shouting incessantly; some were drinking, the bottles clinking loudly; some were already asleep, snoring loudly. These people all had very weak "qi" (vital energy), some even almost none, clearly ordinary people or newly initiated peripheral members.

Nie Lingfeng did not touch them.

His target was clear: the core members of the Wang family, especially those direct descendants and key figures who had blood on their hands and committed numerous evils.