Chapter 1653: Ghost of the Night

Two days later, beneath the silent midnight sky, the moon hung high above the vast ocean, casting a pale silver glow across the dark waters.

A black speedboat tore through the waves at astonishing speed. Its sharp hull sliced across the ocean’s blue-black surface like a blade, sending sprays of seawater cascading into the air. The roar of the engine echoed across the otherwise quiet sea, disturbing the stillness of the night.

Yet standing at the very front of the speeding boat was a man who seemed completely untouched by its violent movement.

Zhao Li Xin stood with his hands behind his back, his posture straight and unshakable. The boat rocked and jolted beneath his feet, but his balance remained perfect, as though the turbulent waves were nothing more than a gentle breeze.

He wore his usual black robe, the ancient robe he used to wear, understated, simple yet elegant in its own way. Along the sleeves, intricate golden flames had been embroidered into the dark fabric, their delicate patterns catching the faint moonlight whenever the wind swept past him.

His long black hair fell loose down his back, the strands whipping violently in the cold sea breeze. Pale moonlight traced the hard lines of his handsome, unreadable face, revealing an expression stripped of the warmth he had shown only two days ago, when he kissed his beloved wife in his arms.

No. Tonight, he was not Zhao Li Xin—the attentive husband, the quiet and devoted expectant father.

Not tonight.

Tonight, he had returned to who he truly was. The real him. The monster. The devil incarnate. The ghost that crawled from the deepest pit of Hell for one reason alone.

Retribution.

To those who had dared to harm his beloved again and again, the price of their actions would soon become painfully clear. They would learn the full weight of the consequences they had brought upon themselves. He had tried to be magnanimous. He had tolerated their provocations and allowed their offenses to pass without making a move.

But they had crossed the line when they attacked the very home where his pregnant wife rested. That was when they touched his bottom line, And there was no mercy left for them now.

The cold ocean stretched endlessly before him. Zhao Li Xin stood at the edge of the speeding boat like an immovable shadow, his golden-flame sleeves fluttering in the sharp sea breeze as the vessel continued to cut through the darkness. 𝖿𝖗ⅇℴ𝑚

A few moments later, the speedboat gradually slowed before coming to a complete stop. The man at the helm was dressed in a black tactical suit, his expression disciplined and alert. He was one of the Noxcra agents, entrusted with accompanying Zhao Li Xin into the middle of the open sea.

"Sir, is this distance all right?" he asked. There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, almost bordering on worry.

Zhao Li Xin glanced over his shoulder. "It’s fine." His voice was low and cold, devoid of even the slightest trace of emotion.

"Understood." The agent immediately nodded. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "Then, I’ll come back to pick you up in two hours," he confirmed.

"Yes." Zhao Li Xin gave a short reply.

His gaze then returned to the sky. The full moon hung above the dark ocean, its pale light shimmering across the waves. Gradually, thin clouds drifted across the heavens, swallowing the moon piece by piece until its silver glow faded. Soon after, the darkness around them deepened, and the wind became colder.

Zhao Li Xin slowly raised one hand, then opened his palm. With a faint flicker of energy, something appeared in his palm.

A mask.

But it was not the golden mask he used to wear. No, this was a new kind of mask. The mask was shaped like a human face, its features smooth and almost unnervingly lifelike. Its porcelain-like surface seemed to absorb what little moonlight remained, while a pair of delicately carved red lips stood out against the colorless face.

The contrast was almost eerie. Beautiful and unsettling, just like him. Zhao Li Xin stared at the mask for a moment before slowly placing it over his face.

As the last sliver of moonlight vanished behind the clouds, the white mask swallowed his features completely. For a moment, he stood motionless against the endless black sea, his pale, lifeless face hovering within the darkness. It was as though the darkness itself had found a vessel.

The Noxcra agent who had been given the task of bringing Zhao Li Xin to his destination suddenly stiffened as he saw Zhao Li Xin. A chilling thought suddenly crept up his spine.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as though he were watching a ghost emerge from the darkness itself, a faceless specter standing silently upon the black sea, its pure-white face and crimson lips appearing even more unnatural against the night.

The agent swallowed hard. He was certain the man was human... Wait, he was human, right? His throat bobbed as he unconsciously gulped. But the next second, he felt embarrassed by his own reaction.

Why was he acting like a scaredy-cat? He cursed himself inwardly. He was a trained Noxcra agent, damn it! He had faced armed enemies, deadly missions, and situations far more terrifying than this. So why the hell was he frightened by a man wearing a mask? The agent secretly glanced at Zhao Li Xin again.

The man stood perfectly still without a word, his expression hidden behind the cold white mask. The wind swept across the ocean, causing his black robe to flutter in almost slow motion. The agent involuntarily shivered.

...Okay.

Perhaps being a professional Noxcra agent did not mean he was immune to getting the creeps. Because whatever Zhao Li Xin looked like right now, he really, really gave him the creeps.

Zhao Li Xin didn’t pay attention to the poor Noxcra agent’s reaction because his mind was somewhere else. He looked at the dark sky, feeling the chilling wind brush against his skin, leaving only the sound of waves gently hitting the boat.

[Today is a good day,] Zhao Li Xin muttered.

"Did you say something, Sir?" the agent asked.

"...No."

Without another word, Zhao Li Xin stepped onto the edge of the speedboat.

A second later, he made a gentle leap, and the next moment, his black figure shot upward, rising from the surface of the ocean and into the night sky. The Noxcra agent’s eyes widened.

For an instant, Zhao Li Xin seemed to defy gravity itself. His black robe billowed behind him, the golden flames embroidered along his sleeves flickering beneath the faint moonlight.

Then his descent began. Yet instead of plunging into the sea, his foot touched the surface of the water as lightly as a falling leaf, leaving only a small ripple. A single circle of ripples spread beneath his foot. Before the waves could even fully disperse, Zhao Li Xin lightly pushed against the ocean once more.

His body rose again.

Like a swallow skimming across a lake, he soared into the air before descending farther ahead. Each movement was impossibly light and graceful.

The vast ocean beneath him became nothing more than a path beneath his feet. With every gentle touch, the water responded with only a faint ripple before he was already gone again. His movements were neither hurried nor forceful. There was no wasted motion.

He simply glided forward through the darkness, his figure rising and falling between the sea and the sky with the effortless elegance of a celestial being traveling upon the clouds.

From the speedboat, the Noxcra agent could only stare as Zhao Li Xin’s figure slowly disappeared into the distance. He watched the last glimpse of the black robe vanish into the darkness before letting out a long sigh.

"Okay... that’s definitely not something you see every day." The Noxcra agent could only stare, his lips twitching between a stunned smile and sheer disbelief.

Meanwhile, beneath the vast, moonless sky, Zhao Li Xin continued forward. The moon had long since disappeared behind the thick clouds, leaving the ocean almost completely swallowed by darkness.

Only the faint lights from the distant horizon and the occasional glimmer of stars barely pierced through the night.

Zhao Li Xin moved across the ocean as though the water were solid ground, each step barely disturbing its surface.

Until something enormous gradually emerged from the darkness ahead.

A warship.

The colossal vessel looked less like a ship and more like a floating island. Its immense hull pushed steadily through the ocean, forcing enormous waves outward. The sound of the water crashing against its sides carried across the otherwise silent sea.

As Zhao Li Xin drew closer, the enormous silhouette of the warship became clearer.

Towering structures rose from its deck. Guard towers stood like watchful sentinels, their artificial lights cutting narrow paths through the darkness, and across its massive flight deck, hundreds of aircraft were parked in perfectly organized rows.

The waves generated by the enormous vessel rushed toward Zhao Li Xin. Then he stopped, and, without hesitation, he flicked his wrist.

Whoosh!

A rope dart shot through the darkness. The metal tip struck the warship with a sharp clang. Zhao Li Xin pulled the rope taut. His body was immediately lifted from the surface of the ocean, swift and light. He soared through the air, his black robe streaming behind him, before releasing the rope at precisely the right moment.

A second later, he descended toward the enormous flight deck, his feet touching the steel surface almost soundlessly. Zhao Li Xin straightened, then his eyes swept across the wide space around him.

The flight deck was enormous. Hundreds of aircraft rested in neat formations across the vast steel surface, their dark silhouettes barely visible beneath the scattered artificial lights. Several massive guard towers rose above the deck, while armed soldiers patrolled between the aircraft.

Yet despite the imposing military presence, the deck was quiet. Understandably, most of the crew and soldiers were asleep, leaving only the necessary personnel awake to maintain security.

Zhao Li Xin stood beneath the cold artificial lights. He wasn’t trying to hide. There was no reason to, and he didn’t want to... Too much hassle, in his opinion.

He slowly opened his palm. A faint surge of energy gathered within it, and the next second, a sword materialized in his hand. Though it wasn’t the Crimson Lightning Sword, he thought it was unnecessary for this occasion. So he simply summoned one of his own sword creations.

Even though it was no match for a spirit weapon like the Crimson Lightning Sword, as a high-level Armament Master, how could his creation be ordinary?

The sword’s silver surface glistened under the dimmed light, his fingers closing around the hilt. Simple, smooth, and deathly, just like tonight. Zhao Li Xin lowered the blade slightly and began walking forward.

His footsteps echoed across the enormous flight deck.

He didn’t sneak. He didn’t conceal his presence. He didn’t even bother avoiding the patrols. Because tonight, he hadn’t come to steal valuable information, nor to locate an important asset, and he certainly hadn’t come to make a scene.

No. Tonight, he had come for one purpose.

To create carnage.

Zhao Li Xin walked straight into the heart of the enemy turf. Just as he had done countless times in the past, step by step, steadily, calmly, openly. As though the hundreds of armed soldiers surrounding him were nothing more than obstacles waiting to be removed.