Several waves rippled through the Derschek Region and the Shadow Isles. For the first time in a long time, the Shadow Isles experienced more emigration than immigration. The Martial Squires and the Martial Apprentices weren't dumb.
Five Martial Seniors were assassinated back to back, roughly once every five days. There was no common pattern in the allegiances or loyalties of the Martial Seniors as far as the organizations that they had joined went. There were no common patterns in any regard except for the fact that they were at the bottom of the informal rankings among the Martial Seniors.
Many subscribed to the hypothesis that an assassin was targeting all the Martial Seniors of the Shadow Isles. Many further extended that subscription that the assassin was targeting all assassins and was beginning with Martial Seniors. Perhaps if and when this assassin succeeded in killing all the Martial Seniors, they would move on to the Martial Artists of the lower Realms.
If that were to happen, they were undoubtedly screwed. That was why there was a group of particularly fearful Martial Artist assassins that actually chose to leave the Shadow Isles.
Unfortunately, they didn't know that Martial Seniors were not allowed to unscrupulously bully particularly large numbers of the Apprentice and Squire Realm unless in retaliation to a provocation or an antagonization.
Funnily enough, while the Panamic Martial Federation enforced this rule, it also enforced a rule that prevented Martial Apprentices and Squires from learning of this rule.
Martial Seniors were to be respected and feared.
Thankfully, it worked in Rui's favor.
What didn't work in his favor was the fact that the Martial Seniors began finally waking up to the threat that Rui represented after the fifth victim.
The biggest issue was that despite retaining the corpses of three bodies, a cause of death had still not been established. Rui's incredibly delicate care ensured that he dialed down the force even further to prevent the truth from being discovered.
He had managed to walk an incredibly thin line successfully, optimizing the outcome in his favor.
Without knowing the manner in which he was killed, the other Martial Seniors could not be on the lookout for this particular manner of assassination. They couldn't take the appropriate measures to protect themselves.
The only other pattern that existed aside from the Martial Seniors being at the bottom of the totem pole was the fact that they were killed when they were out on assassination commissions.
The moment this pattern was discovered, several Martial Seniors took an indefinite hiatus from undertaking assassination operations, much to the dismay.
"Tsk, what a pathetic excuse for a Martial Senior you are, Sonel." One woman snorted when she heard of this.
"You only get to say that because you've been in the Senior Realm strong enough to not be immediately targeted, Riya." The man replied coldly.
"If you're that terrified, then why don't you partner up with another Martial Senior?" Riya asked. "That way, you'll have more of a reassurance. Some of us have already begun doing that."
"I don't trust anybody else to protect my life."
The fear of being assassinated had already begun hindering the Shadow Isles.
"Things are unfolding within my calculations," Rui remarked calmly as he read through the transcripts of confidential conversations held between important individuals in the upper echelons of the assassination sector of the Shadow Isles.
"It is?" Professor Carl asked as he organized several more documents for Rui.
"Death is powerful, but fear of death is much stronger," Rui replied. "Getting rid of Martial Apprentices and Squires without killing them would have been a challenge if not for the fact that they are terrified of Martial Seniors, as they should be. The best part is that the fear is affecting the Martial Seniors as well."
"What did you intend to do about the Martial Seniors that have ceased undertaking commissions?" Professor Carl inquired with a curious expression.
"I'll kill them, of course," Rui replied with a composed tone. "Not immediately, it's more convenient to eliminate the Martial Seniors that still have the courage to undertake commissions. It will be a little challenging if they do partner up with another Martial Senior. But I can't indicate that this is any sort of hindrance, otherwise, they will all start relying on this method."
"And how do you intend to fulfill your end goal of learning out the assassination sector all by yourself if they rely on grouping up with each other.?" The man inquired.
"I will create an environment that is simply untenable," Rui replied calmly. "I've looked at all of the profiles that the Beggar's Sect has prepared on all the Martial Seniors. Each of them is deeply individualistic. Not just in a Martial Art sense, but also in a conventional sense. They are solo players and are unaccustomed to grouping up for a common goal. The fact that there hasn't been a single joint operation in eight years only proves that. They are not the type that can handle being paired and grouped in groups of more than two."
The professor understood where Rui was coming from. "So you don't need to kill them if you end up making it better to leave than to stay."
Rui nodded. "That's the most convenient way to rely on assassination to wipe out the entire assassination industry. Furthermore, by not touching those who decide to leave the Shadow Isles and the Derschek Region forever, I am making leaving a clear and attractive option. Eventually, they'll be inclined to."
"That's a very level-headed and practical plan." The professor murmured. "All the internal Martial Seniors we have deployed, all the external ones we have commissioned. And to think this annoying problem is shaping to be solved by a single Martial Senior."
Rui shrugged. "It's not that big a deal."
Professor Carl simply stared at him. Memories of the many years that he and his colleagues had to deal with the disruptions to their operations by the indiscriminate assassinations flooded back to the man's mind.
Such a nightmarish problem that seemed impossible to solve without deploying a Martial Master was now very thoroughly being beaten back by a single Martial Senior. He began to understand why the regional head had personally beckoned Rui to join the Beggar's Sect. Given the sheer ability of a Martial Senior as young as him, he would very well be an incredibly powerful asset in time.
