ACSP: Chapter 172: Killing all the enemies who find me is the perfect infiltration!
In fact, the moment Ronan had returned earlier, Jiang Chen had already sensed a faint, lingering trace of Ocular Power clinging to him.
It was a specific, distinct energy that Jiang Chen recognized instantly. He had felt this exact same aura once before, back in the Forest of Death secret realm.
It was undeniably the signature of Kotoamatsukami.
Ronan's subsequent bizarre behavior only confirmed his suspicions. There was no doubt left—Ronan had been caught in the jutsu's invisible snare. Otherwise, the intel he provided wouldn't have conveniently dropped hints urging Jiang Chen to rush to Jinghai City immediately to rescue people.
It was an obvious, calculated trap.
Of course, this didn't mean Ronan had intentionally turned traitor and become an East Island lapdog like Ling Kai. In all likelihood, Ronan himself had no idea why he had even uttered those words.
And that was precisely what made Kotoamatsukami so terrifying. It subtly hijacked a person's free will, forcing them to execute an enemy's agenda while completely convinced they were acting of their own accord.
"If Kotoamatsukami is really that powerful, then aren't we just walking straight into a slaughterhouse by heading to Jinghai City?" Lei Li asked, his expression darkening with anxiety.
Ronan's level and strength could be said to be the highest among them.
Now even he had fallen under that genjutsu.
Then wouldn't we also fall for it if we went?
"When a Dojutsu is used against someone with a higher Ocular Power level than oneself, its power will be relatively weakened. Just leave that guy who can use Kotoamatsukami to me when the time comes, you don't need to worry..."
Jiang Chen's tone was still as calm as ever.
He was already able to suppress Uchiha Shisui's genuine [Kotoamatsukami] with Ocular Power when he was in his 20s.
Now that he was level 51, would he still be afraid of someone else's knockoff [Kotoamatsukami]?
Seeing Jiang Chen's confident look, Lei Li and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
...
Ten minutes later, outside the perimeter of Jinghai City.
Jiang Chen materialized silently at the edge of the woods, with Lei Li, Li Dala, and the rest of the team flanking him.
The city ahead was a grim sight. Thick plumes of black smoke spiraled into the sky from inside the walls, yet an eerie, unnatural silence hung over the area. No clashes of steel, no explosions, no screams.
The only signs of life were the numerous patrols circling the city's outskirts. All of them wore distinct East Island armor, including a prominent vanguard of samurai clad in silver steel helmets, their hands resting menacingly on the hilts of their tachis (longswords).
"It's way too quiet in there," Lei Li whispered, keeping his head low as he tracked a patrolling squad in the distance. "Jinghai City must have already fallen to the Dongdao Contractors. I just hope our people haven't been completely wiped out."
Li Dala immediately offered a solution. "Only one way to find out. We slip past the perimeter, infiltrate the city, and scout it out."
"Seems like our best option," Lei Li agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "We should isolate a lone patrol first and squeeze them for intel. Boss, what's the play?" He turned to Jiang Chen for the final word.
"Fine by me," Jiang Chen replied, his tone entirely nonchalant.
However, the moment his voice fell,
his figure had already disappeared from the spot.
When he reappeared...
He was already holding the Kusanagi Sword, standing before that group of Dongdao Contractors in the distance.
—Clang!
A dazzling flash of lightning-imbued sword shadows burst forth.
Before Lei Li and the others could react, they saw those Dongdao Contractors had all been decapitated, their bodies collapsing to the ground one after another.
No.
One person there was still alive.
However, that person was currently being held up by the throat with one hand by Jiang Chen.
"Holy crap, why did the Boss suddenly attack?"
"What a fast Body Flicker Technique..."
"Stop talking nonsense, let's get over there and look..."
Once they snapped out of it, Lei Li and the others immediately rushed out from their hiding place.
Meanwhile.
Jiang Chen had already used his Sharingan to read the man's memories, learning what had happened in Jinghai City during this time.
"It seems the situation here is even worse than I imagined."
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at Lei Li and the others as they approached. Simultaneously, he applied pressure with his fingers, snapping the man's neck directly before tossing him onto the ground like a piece of trash.
Li Dala glanced at the corpses of the Dongdao Contractors on the ground and swallowed hard. "Boss, didn't we agree to a secret infiltration just now? Why did you kill all these people?"
Jiang Chen sheathed his blade. "I killed every enemy who discovered me. Isn't that the most perfect infiltration?"
This...
Everyone looked at each other in dismay.
Jiang Chen's words at this moment completely subverted their prior understanding of a 'perfect infiltration.'
But on second thought.
What Jiang Chen said seemed to make sense.
The most perfect infiltration is not being discovered.
If they kill every enemy who sees them...
...then no one can discover them, right?
Lei Li composed himself and looked at Jiang Chen, asking, "Guild Leader, you just said the situation here is worse than you imagined. Did you obtain some reliable intelligence from that man?"
"Yes."
Jiang Chen nodded noncommittally.
At this point, he didn't hide anything from Lei Li and the others, immediately revealing the intelligence he had just gathered.
Following the Dongdao Contractors' brutal surprise attack on Jinghai City, the civilian casualties were devastating.
At present, the survivors within the city walls had been forced into two distinct camps. The first group consisted of those who had broken under pressure and chosen to surrender. They had already been reorganized into a treacherous puppet faction known as the 'Eastern Coalition Army,' doing the dirty work for their East Island occupiers.
The second group comprised those who refused to yield but still possessed some form of value to the enemy—predominantly young women. They were currently mass-imprisoned inside a prominent commercial trade building, heavily fortified and watched over by a massive contingent of Dongdao Contractors.
As for anyone who had actively fought back during the invasion? They were all dead. Even the City Lord, Li Hongfei, had been executed.
"Those spineless, pathetic bastards actually surrendered," Lei Li spat, his rage flaring instantly as the intel sunk in. "I don't care how bad it got—how could they willingly become dogs for the East Island?!"
He truly couldn't understand it.
Great Xia and East Island had an ancestral blood feud. Weren't those people afraid of being cursed for generations for choosing to surrender?
A look of cold disdain flashed in Song She's eyes. "Traitors and running dogs have always existed. There's nothing surprising about it."
Li Dala snorted in disgust. "They're just a bunch of cowards terrified of dying. Surrendering doesn't make them special; it just makes them trash. Just watch—I'll drop a massive blast right on their heads later and send every last one of them to hell."
Jiang Chen pondered the layout for a brief moment before turning to the group, his voice cutting through the tension as he assigned their objectives.
"Song She, Li Dala—you two are responsible for tearing the city apart. Create as much chaos as possible, and execute any Dongdao Contractor you lay eyes on."
"Lei Li, Cai Kun—your objective is the Commercial Trade Building. Secure the hostages, clear the guards, and show no mercy."
"Finally, Yang Ke, He Gen—fall back and hold the forest north of the city. If any reinforcements try to push inward from the coastline, cut them down."
Jiang Chen's eyes went cold as he delivered the final directive. "Remember, this is a clean-up operation. No survivors, no prisoners. I only want body counts."
...
----
📚 Want to read the next 130+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
✨ Patreon members get instant access!
👉 Join on -
🌟 patreon .com/Rogue_Reader