CHAPTER 20 — The Broker of Shadows
The masked assassins advanced in perfect silence, blades glinting under the dim lanterns. Jason Wu stepped forward, calm as still water. Leon Fong rolled his shoulders casually, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment to stretch.
"Three against two. Fair fight," Leon smirked.
Jason corrected, "Three against Leon is fair. Three against both of us is bullying."
Leon grinned proudly. "My brother! Finally someone recognizes my greatness!"
The assassins didn't wait for more banter—they lunged.
Jason moved first, his footwork light, precise, almost effortless. With a twist of his wrist, he deflected the first assassin's blade using only the reinforced guard on his arm, then slammed his elbow into the man's chest. The impact sent the assassin stumbling back, gasping.
Leon intercepted the second attacker with a roundhouse kick that sent the man flying into a wooden stall. "And stay there!" he barked.
The third assassin circled behind Jason, movements fast and trained. But Jason anticipated it. He ducked, grabbed the enemy's ankle mid-strike, and pulled sharply. The man hit the ground face-first with a grunt.
Within seconds, silence returned to the lantern district—broken only by the groans of three defeated assassins.
Jason Wu exhaled, gaze sharpening. "They were testing our strength again."
Leon nodded. "But they underestimated how good we are at humiliating people."
Jason crouched beside the first assassin, gripping him by the collar. "Who sent you?"
The assassin remained silent, but his eyes trembled with fear.
Jason's voice turned cold. "Speak now, or I let Leon do the questioning."
Leon cracked his knuckles loudly. "I'm very creative."
That did it.
"T-The broker… Black-Veil Ren!" the assassin stammered. "He sent us to slow you down! Said you must not reach him alive!"
Jason and Leon exchanged a look.
Jason stood. "Where?"
"T-The old abandoned teahouse… near the southern canal…."
Jason released him and stepped back. "If you value your life, leave Qinghe City. Today."
The assassins scrambled away, leaving a trail of dust behind them.
Leon stretched. "So, southern canal?"
"Southern canal," Jason confirmed.
---
### **THE TEAHOUSE OF WHISPERS**
The journey took them through winding alleys and broken bridges until the air grew colder. The southern canal district had long been abandoned—its buildings leaning, roofs caved in, water dark and sluggish. Lanterns flickered weakly like dying fireflies.
They stopped in front of a dilapidated teahouse. Half the signboards hung crooked, and the windows were boarded up. But spiritual traces—faint, careful, almost invisible—lingered in the air.
"He's here," Jason murmured.
Leon sniffed the air. "Smells like mold… and crime."
Jason pointed to a side door. "We enter from there. Quiet."
Leon blinked. "Since when are we the 'quiet' type?"
"Since our enemy uses poison and traps."
"…Fair."
Jason gently pushed the side door open. It creaked loudly—too loudly—echoing unnaturally. The pair froze.
*Whish—*
A thin needle shot toward Jason's neck.
Jason tilted his head slightly, catching the needle between two fingers.
Leon stared. "How do you make that look so easy?"
Jason shrugged. "Talent."
They entered cautiously, finding the interior filled with dust-covered tables, shattered teapots, and faded scrolls. But the aura—they could feel it. Someone was hiding here.
Jason closed his eyes for a moment, letting his spiritual sense expand.
Footsteps… breathing… and—
"There," he whispered.
He kicked a wooden panel in the wall.
*CRACK!*
A secret compartment burst open, and a cloaked man tumbled out, landing awkwardly. His veil—thin, black, and patterned with faint sigils—slipped slightly.
Leon pointed. "You must be Black-Veil Ren."
The man tried to escape, but Jason blocked the entrance with a single step.
"Stay," Jason ordered.
Ren froze.
Jason approached slowly, cold aura radiating with every step. "You arranged the attempt on my life. Why?"
Ren's mouth twitched. "I… I merely relay information. I don't choose the targets."
"Who hired you?" Jason's voice was calm, but it carried a quiet, unshakable authority.
Ren swallowed. "A figure known only as 'The Patron.' He always uses proxies. I've never seen his face."
Jason narrowed his eyes. "Then give us something else. A detail. A location. A name. Anything."
Ren hesitated before finally whispering, "He always contacts me through the Moonshadow Crypt. I drop messages in a stone locker beneath the old catacombs. In return, I receive payment and contract instructions."
Jason exchanged a glance with Leon.
The Moonshadow Crypt was notorious—an ancient underground labyrinth rumored to be haunted by resentful spirits and used by the underworld for secret dealings.
Leon whistled. "Great. Just what we needed. A spooky underground maze."
Jason focused on Ren again. "Why target me specifically?"
Ren hesitated, sweating. "Rumor says… The Patron fears your potential."
Leon scoffed. "He should."
Jason stepped back, considering. "We're going to the Moonshadow Crypt."
Ren's eyes widened. "You're insane. No one returns alive from that place!"
Jason's response was steady. "Then we'll be the exception."
---
### **AN UNEXPECTED GUEST**
As Jason and Leon exited the teahouse, a familiar voice called out from the shadows.
"So I was right. You two *were* coming here."
Lily Chen stepped forward, arms crossed, face full of worry—and irritation. "You said you would investigate. You didn't say you'd walk straight into death traps!"
Leon whispered, "She's mad."
Jason sighed. "Lily, I told you—"
"You told me you'd be careful." She pointed accusingly at the broken door and scattered needles. "Does this look careful?"
Jason opened his mouth to explain.
But Lily suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve tightly, and stared into his eyes.
"Just… don't die," she said softly. "I don't want to lose someone important again."
The air fell still.
Jason gently squeezed her hand. "I won't die. I promise."
Leon smiled knowingly. "Romance flag raised."
Lily blushed. "Shut up, Leon!"
Jason finally spoke, voice steady. "We go to the Moonshadow Crypt next."
Lily's expression shifted—fear, then determination. "Then I'm coming with you."
Jason froze. "Lily—"
"It's not up for discussion," she said firmly. "You'll need someone who understands ancient formations. And traps. And poisons."
Leon whispered, "She's more prepared than us combined…"
Jason sighed, defeated. "Fine. But stay behind me."
Lily smiled triumphantly. "Deal."
And so, the three walked toward their next destination—
the Moonshadow Crypt.
A place of secrets, shadows, and the first true brush with fate that would shape Jason Wu's path toward becoming unstoppable.