Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 582: Catching a traitor

Chapter 582: Catching a traitor

The city of the Ironwrought Syndicate sprawled before her, a jagged landscape of twisting metal and thick smoke. As Su Jing navigated the bustling streets, the rhythmic hum of machinery pulsed like a heartbeat, saturating the air with promise and despair. Towers of scrap and steel towered above her, casting long, dark shadows over the alleys where the sun rarely pierced through.

Grease-streaked workers shuffled past, their faces drawn and weary, each carrying the weight of exhaustion as they headed toward their hostels. They were thin, almost ghost-like, as if the air around them had leached away their strength. A potent scent of oil, rust, and something more acrid hung over the city, a reminder of the lives sacrificed at the altar of industry.

In stark contrast, the heart of the city throbbed with lavishness. Here, the elite feasted in opulent halls, their laughter echoing through the streets while the poor toiled endlessly beyond their gilded walls.

The leaders revelled in excess, dining and drinking as though the world might end tomorrow. Su Jing shivered at the thought of their tyrannical ways. A slight cough or misstep from a servant could mean death, a brutal reminder of the power they wielded.

She pushed the bitterness aside and focused on her mission. The Forge Citadel loomed in the distance, its massive industrial structure a hive of activity. It churned out weapons and armoured machines for the Syndicate, sustained by the glimmering nuclei extracted from the zombies and mineral exchanges from their Eremites’ mine.

Su Jing took a deep breath, the smell of the city filling her lungs; it was both familiar and nauseating. Corrupt families ruled from their high towers, indifferent to the fragile lives that toiled below. She and her team had found a chink in their armor, a way to slip through the city unnoticed.

She pulled the scarf tighter around her face, the fabric rough against her skin. Her team moved like ghosts, their disguises blending seamlessly into the grime-covered civilians trudging through the Syndicate streets.

The soot and dirt that masked them ensured they were nothing more than another group of exhausted workers returning from the refineries, no one spared them a second glance. She followed Xiang Yu’s every instruction and soon they reached the street he had mentioned.

Su Jing tilted her head at the decrepit house up ahead. It was the perfect hideaway in the heart of the Syndicate’s underbelly. Without hesitation, one of the women in her team stepped forward. Her fingers traced the rusted lock, eyes glowing faintly with embers.

A low hiss filled the air as heat surged from her palms, the metal warping and melting into liquid before dripping onto the stone floor. A soft click. The door swung open. They slipped inside, closing the door behind them.

The house was well furnished with all their basic needs. Su Jing exhaled, pressing her back against the wall, listening. Outside, Syndicate workers moved about their routines, oblivious to the intruders within their fortress. The security in this place was too lax due to poor leadership making it easy for trained people to slip in unnoticed.

She turned to her team, voice steady but low. "Let’s settle here for now," she said before glancing at Da Hei who seemed gloomier ever since they parted ways with the rest of the team. Da Hei glanced at her and tried to put on a smile. Seeing that smile Su Jing felt guilty.

How could such a sweet person be a traitor, as Xiang Yu said? It was ridiculous. She thought so, but she had already promised Xiang Yu, so she could only do as he said. "We will attack tomorrow night so rest up."

The others acquiesced while settling in. Da Hei suddenly asked, "Sister Jing, where are we attacking? Is it dangerous?"

Su Jing smiled and said, "Their central vault around midnight. We will arrange all weapons later tonight."

Da Hei said, "Sounds good, I will go take a rest now." Su Jing nodded her head and didn’t say anything. She looked around and found that this place was truly comfortable.

She couldn’t help but wonder how Xiang Yu knew this place existed in the city. What Su Jing didn’t know was that Overseer Kira had long infiltrated all the cities under the alliance with sleeper agents everywhere.

They had safe houses scattered all over the cities, which is why Xiang Yu knew about them. Her purpose for this was to cause chaos from within and when the time came, she would take advantage of the situation. Unfortunately for the Overseer, her dream would not be realised in this life, even in her past life.

***

The moon hung high in the sky, a pale witness to the quiet tension that wrapped around the flickering streetlights. Su Jing stood in the centre of the dimly lit room, the glow of her makeshift map illuminating her focused gaze. Her team watched her closely, waiting for instructions.

"Tonight, we go in and out. No casualties unless absolutely necessary," Su Jing declared, her voice steady. She held up the weapons she had gathered, their cold metal glinting under the overhead light. Everyone nodded, anticipation mixed with anxiety. "Da Hei, you will be with me and Kyra can stay watch."

Da Hei suddenly moved forward and said, "Sister Jung can l keep watch instead," he asked his tone almost pleading. Su Jing didn’t think anything of it, after all this was Da Hei’s first mission.

She shrugged, dismissing any thoughts about the risks. "Fine. Stay alert." She didn’t dwell on his decision as she already felt guilty.

As they left, the night stretched out before them like a shroud. Halfway through their journey, Su Jing halted unexpectedly. Her team looked at her, questions forming in their eyes. "Change of plans," she said abruptly, her expression darkening. The unease rippling through the group silenced their inquiries.

She led them to an abandoned building, its cracked walls and broken windows looming like ghosts of the past. "Head back to the safe house after an hour," she instructed, her tone leaving no room for debate.

"What about you?" one team member piped up.

"I will be right back," Su Jing assured, her voice firm. With that, she vanished into the night, a shadow among the shadows.

Perched on the roof of the building across from the vault, she squinted into the darkness, her heart the only sound breaking the stillness.

Time crawled as she waited, each tick of her watch a reminder of her mounting impatience. Midnight was creeping closer, and the tension coiled tighter in her chest.