Su Changhe first froze, then broke into a genuine smile. In others’ eyes, he was always someone with a smile playing at his lips, but his eyes never showed true joy—only mockery. Yet at this moment, his eyes shone with genuine happiness.
“Good!” Su Changhe nodded emphatically before striding out with the Sleeping Dragon Sword.
The Shadow Spider members exchanged glances before looking at Su Muyu, who followed close behind Su Changhe. Su Muyu gave them a slight nod. Without further hesitation, they laid down their weapons and knelt. As Su Changhe continued outward, Su Muyu turned back to look at the Patriarch, still seated inside.
The Patriarch lifted his hand slightly toward Su Muyu, gesturing for him to continue forward.
Su Muyu nodded and turned to follow Su Changhe.
Bai Hehuai asked the Patriarch, “Patriarch if we begin acupuncture now, we might buy a few more days… During that time, I could think of something. There might still be a chance.”
“No need. Please go out, Divine Physician,” the Patriarch closed his eyes. “Let me remain here alone.”
Bai Hehuai hesitated, but finally left, closing the door behind him.
A gloomy yet amused voice sounded behind the Patriarch: “You’ve made a terrifying decision.”
The Patriarch kept his eyes closed: “Perhaps such change can bring forth a new Darkriver, becoming a different kind of shadow in this world.”
“Then I shall watch. Though Patriarch, whatever the outcome, you won’t be here to see it.” The speaker placed their hand on the Patriarch’s head.
“I am no longer the Patriarch,” he closed his eyes. “I’ve borne the surname Mu, and then Su, yet never stepped beyond this river.”
“A shadow is just a shadow, never able to reach the light,” the visitor sneered.
Su Changhe raised the Sleeping Dragon Sword and pushed open the door, walking before the Bi’an members.
“Su Changhe of the Su family, approved by the former Patriarch and granted the Sleeping Dragon Sword, from this day forward succeeds as Patriarch!” Su Muyu announced clearly.
The Bi’an members knelt without hesitation: “We pay respects to the Patriarch!”
“Su Muyu of the Shadow Spider Assassins relinquishes his position as Puppet and assumes leadership of the Su family,” Su Changhe continued.
The Bi’an members were stunned, exchanging glances before looking at Su Luandan at the front. Su Luandan lowered his head even further and was first to say: “We pay respects to the Family Head!”
“We pay respects to the Family Head!” The others sighed in relief and followed suit.
“Jumping clown, the Sleeping Dragon Sword is in my possession—how dare you make such bold claims while holding a fake?” Mu Zizhi arrived with the Mu family members, their white robes billowing eerily in the night wind.
Su Changhe stroked his mustache: “Finally arrived—today’s last act.”
Mu Zizhi frowned slightly at the sword in Su Changhe’s hand, identical to his own: “Su Changhe, you’re a Nameless One—what right have you to succeed as Patriarch?”
“Silence!” Su Changhe shouted harshly. “The Ceremony of Names stated we are blood kin until death. So why do we still speak of Nameless Ones and bloodline members?”
Mu Zizhi sneered: “The so-called Nameless Ones are merely Darkriver’s killing tools.”
“Are there no Nameless Ones behind you? Are they merely your tools?” Su Changhe asked.
Mu Zizhi narrowed his eyes, realizing he’d rushed too hastily into his opponent’s trap.
Mu Qingyang tossed his peach blossom coin and caught it: “I am a Nameless One, and I certainly don’t feel like anyone’s tool. The Fate Scripture says my fate is my own, not Heaven’s!” With that, he suddenly drew his peach wood sword and thrust it at Mu Zizhi.
Caught unprepared, Mu Zizhi barely dodged, his sleeve shredded by the blade. He staggered back three steps: “Mu Qingyang! You traitor!”
Mu Qingyang laughed: “If in your heart Nameless Ones aren’t family, then we were never companions—how can you speak of betrayal?”
“Kill him!” Mu Zizhi ordered.
As the other Mu family members moved to act, a cloud of poison mist forced them back. Mu Xuwei, hands pressed to the ground, was its source. She spoke gravely: “Don’t move.”
Mu Zizhi laughed in fury: “Well done, Mu Xuwei! You’re truly Mu family by blood, yet you…”
Mu Xuwei shook her head: “There is no ‘truly.’ We are all abandoned by this world. Only by trusting each other can we move forward!”
“Let’s end this,” Su Changhe rushed before Mu Zizhi, swinging the Sleeping Dragon Sword. Mu Zizhi raised his sword in response. Though swordsmanship wasn’t his strength, he hoped to use his “Sleeping Dragon Sword” against Su Changhe’s—if he won this bout, the one-sided situation would instantly reverse.
But it was not to be. Within ten exchanges, Su Changhe’s horizontal slash severed the head of Mu Zizhi’s “Sleeping Dragon Sword.”
“It seems the Water Official’s fake sword was cheaply bought,” Su Changhe withdrew his blade and kicked Mu Zizhi in the chest, sending him flying.
Mu Zizhi angrily threw aside the broken sword and spread his arms, preparing to use the Puppet Killing Art.
“Enough, let’s end this quickly.” Su Muyu deflected the flying sword head with his blade before leaping forward to aid Su Changhe.
In the moonlight, atop the eaves, sat a thin middle-aged man who had appeared unnoticed. Smoking, he spoke in imperfect official dialect: “The three of us together once fought the Demon Cult.”
“Uncle Zhe,” Su Muyu called up.
“The Demon Cult couldn’t withstand us, let alone the Mu family,” Su Changhe laughed loudly.
White Hehuai stood in the courtyard, watching the battle outside when he suddenly turned—the house behind him had burst into roaring flames.
“Patriarch…” Bai Hehuai whispered.
On this day in Darkriver, old stars fell as new ones rose.
The new revolution was complete, baptized in blood.
This was Darkriver’s Night of Blood.
And in the silent streets of Jiuxiao City, a beautiful woman in purple robes ran wildly, screaming:
“Tang Lianyue! Tang Lianyue! Tang Lianyue!”