With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter

"I wonder what the Ninth Prince thinks will happen tonight," Zinu asked, pouring wine for Han Fei as she enjoyed the melodious music played by Nongyu. Han Fei was undoubtedly skilled at indulging in the pleasures of life, though this tendency often led to criticism. Despite the fact that Confucianism hadn't yet reached the point of dominating all other schools of thought, it was still the mainstream. The Six Arts were a mandatory curriculum for all noble children, and Han Fei's behavior was clearly out of line with the standards of "li." One could only imagine what Xunzi, a Confucian scholar, would think upon seeing Han Fei like this.

"I can't predict exactly, but his actions today show that he's prepared for tonight's events. Now it's just a matter of seeing how he handles things."

Since Daniel knew something was bound to happen tonight, he naturally made preparations. He gave all the maids the night off and sent away the members of the Seven Assassins Hall. Keeping them around would only result in unnecessary casualties.

For groups like the Seven Assassins Hall or the Scorpion Gang, they might seem formidable among common folk, but they were nothing to the true powers. Wei Zhuang wiped out the Scorpion Gang in a single night, and the Seven Assassins Hall met the same fate at the hands of Bai Niao. Even Bai Niao, despite its status, wasn't considered a major organization. The true powers were the top ten of the Hundred Schools of Thought and organizations like the Net Trap (Luo Wang).

Despite Nightfall's influence in Korea and the Blood-Clothed Marquis's endless posturing, they were nothing compared to the likes of Wei Zhuang from *The Qin Dynasty*. If he were here, the Blood-Clothed Marquis would have no chance to boast.

"What should I do tonight?" Sitting in the garden of the estate, Daniel sighed as he sensed the situation around him with his Kenbunshoku Haki. With his current strength, he was invincible in this world. Even if the likes of Beimingzi, Ghost Valley Master, Xunzi, or Donghuang Taiyi teamed up, they wouldn't stand a chance against him.

However, that was only on the surface. The waters in the world of *Tianxing* and *Qin Shi* were deep. The Yin-Yang School had elders suspected to be Emperor Shun and Lady Xiang, and there was Xiao Li, the tearful incarnation of the Nine Heavens Profound Maiden. 

"These people really can't stay still, huh?" Daniel noticed that some people had made a move, but their target wasn't him—it was the glass products in the exhibition hall. For some, obtaining just one of these glass items could bring them enough wealth to be thrilled.

"Idiots." Daniel smirked as he sensed the intruders through various means. The moment they laid eyes on the valuable glass items, they were already doomed. Knowing what was to come, Daniel had prepared accordingly. While guarding every place by himself might be a hassle, there were other methods—like poison.

If he hadn't been concerned about making the scene too bloody, he might have filled the rooms with nen threads.

"Looks like a guest has arrived." Just as Daniel finished speaking, black feathers began to descend from the sky. Moments later, a handsome young man dressed in black appeared before him—it was Moya, leader of Bai Niao.

"Bai Niao's Moya... General Ji Wuye really doesn't live up to his reputation. 'Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will never be defeated.' Yet he sends you, the leader of Bai Niao, without knowing anything about me. It seems his days are numbered. How about finding yourself a new master?"

Moya, who had been about to speak, froze at Daniel's words. As a seasoned assassin accustomed to the darkness, Moya could tell there was no bluff in Daniel's tone. His words were filled with absolute confidence.

Within an instant, Moya made his decision and attacked. Initially, he had planned to take a more diplomatic approach, but Daniel's demeanor had convinced him that tonight's operation might not go as planned.

As Moya made his move, a white figure appeared behind Daniel—Baifeng had joined the fray, launching two white feathered darts at Daniel's back. Their teamwork was seamless.

"Why rush things?" Daniel murmured as he moved, appearing directly in front of Moya. His right hand reached for Moya's throat while his left hand flicked away Baifeng's darts.

Moya's expression changed once again as he felt Daniel's grip on his throat. But just as quickly, Moya seemed to vanish, transforming into a flock of crows that escaped Daniel's grasp.

"Retreat," Moya ordered coldly to Baifeng, who was rushing to help him. He then leaped toward the roof.

"Interesting." Daniel smiled, watching as Moya slipped from his grasp. He then turned to see Baifeng, mid-air, change direction and retreat.

"Come when you please, leave when you please—don't you think that's underestimating me?" Before Moya could fully land on the roof and make his escape, he realized that Daniel was already standing about three meters away, holding a black sword pointed directly at him.

In the next moment, a bronze short sword emerged from the armor on Moya's right arm. He used it to deflect Daniel's sword and aimed a strike at him.

Daniel remained still as Moya attacked, his sword effortlessly parrying the strikes. As the fight progressed, Baifeng re-entered the fray. Unlike the feather blades he would later wield, Baifeng now fought with silver spikes that resembled a bird's talons, perfect for assassination and integrating with his martial arts.

Facing Moya and Baifeng's combined assault, Daniel finally began to move, skillfully countering their attacks with his sword. He held back, careful not to strike too hard, as he didn't want to accidentally kill them.

"This guy's strength..." At Zilan Xuan, Wei Zhuang, who had been ready to intervene, tightened his grip on the Shark Tooth sword as he observed Daniel effortlessly holding his own against Moya and Baifeng. Wei Zhuang had been instructed by Han Fei to prevent Ji Wuye's plot from succeeding, even if it meant stepping in himself. But from the looks of it, his intervention wouldn't be necessary.

"Consider what I said earlier," Daniel remarked as Moya signaled to the surrounding area. Suddenly, twelve black-clad swordsmen appeared, their lightness skills exceptional. They moved in unison, surrounding Daniel and cutting off any escape routes.

"Retreat." As the twelve black-clad men engaged, Moya and Baifeng swiftly retreated. After fighting Daniel, Moya had realized the depth of his opponent's strength. What had been planned as an inescapable trap now served only to buy time for their escape.

To Moya, the lives of the Bai Niao members—save for a select few—were expendable.

As the twelve swordsmen closed in, Daniel raised his sword and swung it in a circle above his head. He didn't use the Overlord's Blade but mimicked its movements. Though he had moved so quickly that the twelve swordsmen appeared to be slain simultaneously.

"This should keep them in check for a while." Daniel stood beneath the eaves, sword in hand, scanning the shadows where others still lurked. Seeing that they had no intention of attacking, he turned and left.

The cleanup would be left to the Seven Assassins Hall, including the members of the Scorpion Gang who had been poisoned inside. The Seven Assassins Hall had an opportunity to rise from this.

"Failure... Useless fools." In the General's Mansion, Ji Wuye, who had been drinking with Jade Tiger, eagerly awaiting good news, crushed the glass goblet in his hand and kicked over the bronze table upon hearing Moya's report.

"Please punish us, General," Moya and Baifeng knelt, accepting responsibility.

"There's no need to be so angry, General. There will be other opportunities. As long as he's in Korea, he can't escape your grasp," Jade Tiger said, attempting to placate Ji Wuye.

"Get out of my sight." As furious as he was about Bai Niao's failure, Ji Wuye knew he had no choice but to accept it. There would be punishment for Moya and Baifeng, but that could wait.

At that moment, all the lights in the room suddenly went out, and a tall, slender figure appeared by the window. In the moonlight, a man in a blood-red robe with long white hair could be seen—it was the Blood-Clothed Marquis, Bai Yifei.

"It seems there's plenty of excitement in Xinzheng these days." His voice was cool as it echoed in the hall, causing Ji Wuye to release the hilt of his sword, which he had instinctively grabbed.

"Must you always be so mysterious?" Ji Wuye grumbled, clearly annoyed by the Blood-Clothed Marquis's theatrics.

"The light was too bright."

"Greetings, Marquis." Jade Tiger, ever obsequious, greeted Bai Yifei with utmost respect. Among the Four Fiends of Nightfall, Jade Tiger was undoubtedly the lowest in status and the least dignified.

The other three would never stoop so low, even when dealing with Ji Wuye.

In truth, the Blood-Clothed Marquis outranked Ji Wuye. Though Ji Wuye held the title of Great General, his noble rank was low. To some, only those with noble titles were true aristocrats, and Ji Wuye clearly wasn

't.

On the palace floor, the Blood-Clothed Marquis stood in a position higher than Ji Wuye.

Among the Four Fiends of Nightfall, aside from Jade Tiger, the others had more of a partnership with Ji Wuye. The Blood-Clothed Marquis sometimes followed Ji Wuye's orders because Ji Wuye was his superior and commanded the Korean army. However, Ji Wuye led all of Korea's military forces.

King Han An was willing to entrust Ji Wuye with the role of Great General partly because Ji Wuye lacked a genuine noble title. Such a status would make it nearly impossible for him to stage a successful coup.

Although King Han An appeared to be a foolish monarch, he wasn't entirely without wit. After all, he had won the last Han royal power struggle and was far from naive. The young King Han An likely bore some resemblance to the current Fourth Prince Han Yu.

But years on the throne had softened him, eroding his once sharp instincts through a life of luxury. With a harem of dozens, even the most vigilant ruler would find it hard to resist the pleasures of power. After all, "a life of ease is the grave of heroes."

And King Han An's harem included the likes of Hu Meiren and Mingzhu Furen.

The saying "even the greatest heroes falter before beauty" wasn't just a cliché. Even Ying Zheng, with all his wisdom, made mistakes when it came to Li Ji.

"What about Yan Lingji? Is Tianze safe?" After taking a seat across from Jade Tiger, Bai Yifei immediately asked about the situation. He had come to Xinzheng in such a hurry because of the news of Yan Lingji's escape.

"Our investigation suggests that someone rescued her. We're not sure who, but if I catch him, he'll regret it." Bai Niao excelled at tracking and stealth. Since Daniel hadn't been particularly careful, it wasn't surprising that they had traced him.

"What happened earlier?"

"You'll have to ask the Tiger about that."

"Marquis, the situation is as follows..." Jade Tiger quickly explained the events.

"General, you were too hasty this time. You should have waited until we knew more about him." Jade Tiger's account caused a flicker of greed to appear in Bai Yifei's eyes.

Such an immense fortune was tempting for Ji Wuye, and Bai Yifei felt the same. The Blood-Clothed Marquis had been pursuing the Baiyue treasure for years, even using illusions to extract information from Yan Lingji. He had kept this from Ji Wuye.

"From the West, you say? I suppose I'll have to visit him myself." Compared to Ji Wuye, Bai Yifei was undoubtedly more intelligent and far stronger.

"What about Yan Lingji?"

"Simple. They're trying to rescue their master. If we let a bit of information slip, they'll walk right into our trap. We can deal with them once I return."

As the commander of ten thousand troops, Bai Yifei couldn't appear in the capital whenever he wished. He had arrived in Xinzheng ahead of his forces by traveling light, but to officially appear, he needed to wait for his troops to catch up.

"I wonder if showing Ji Wuye this mark would be enough to stop him from making a move." Back at his estate, Daniel looked at the menacing black spider he had drawn and chuckled.

Luo Wang—omnipresent, all-seeing.

Pretending to be part of Luo Wang and making contact with Ji Wuye was something Daniel had considered but ultimately dismissed. While impersonating Luo Wang was easy, it would complicate matters later.

"The Han Guang Sword... Should I find an opportunity to visit the Confucianists and take it from Yan Lu?" During this time, Daniel had studied the famous swords of this world.

The Reverse Scale hadn't made the list, and the Abyss Rainbow hadn't yet appeared.

Among the famous swords, Daniel was most intrigued by the Han Guang Sword, one of the three swords of Confucius. Unfortunately, the other two had been lost.

As for the other swords, Daniel wasn't interested.

"Then again, Zinu's Chain Snake Sword is quite fascinating. I wonder how it's made. Perhaps I should borrow it for research."

"I didn't expect his martial arts to be so good. How does he compare to you?" After the Bai Niao members retreated, Han Fei scratched his head and looked at Wei Zhuang, only to receive a cold glare in return.

"It's not just his martial arts. He's also skilled in pharmacology. The Scorpion Gang members were poisoned with something rather unusual," Zinu added. When it came to medicine, Zinu was an expert.

"Such a person in Xinzheng... I can't tell if it's a blessing or a curse," Han Fei muttered.

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