Other Shore Pavilion's Response
Black Cliff Wasteland.
A lawless land at the border of three nations.
It did not belong to the territory of any country.
Thick deathly and yin qi drifted across the pitch-black, desolate plains. Unattended rotting corpses and heaps of white bones often appeared on the plain, only to be buried beneath dust again, drawing no notice whatsoever.
Danger, slaughter, and death were the dominant notes here.
Vicious wanted criminals, evil cultivators, and ferocious beasts all regarded this place as paradise.
Yet in such a dangerous region, a colossal entity stood upon the wasteland.
It was a gigantic, entirely black spired castle. At its highest point floated the phantom of a crimson flower, red as blood. Its petals spread in every direction like hundreds of tiny dragon claws raised skyward, giving off a dense, dark-red glow.
No matter how violent or wicked they were, all beings kept their distance upon seeing that flower, because they knew it was beyond their power to provoke.
The enormous spired castle beneath the flower was the headquarters of the large cross-border assassin organization, Other Shore Pavilion!
At this moment, a great number of top experts had gathered within the castle. They were all powerful figures urgently summoned back from various countries.
The Pavilion Master, the Heavenly Ghost King, wore a black robe embroidered with patterns. His flamboyant crimson hair fell over his shoulders, and his features were exceptionally refined and elegant, carrying a contradictory air of wild arrogance and quiet gentility. He sat upright upon his throne, his fingers lightly tapping the head mounted on its armrest—a fresh human head.
"It has failed for the second time... It was originally just an ordinary mission, yet our Other Shore Pavilion has suffered two consecutive failures... Even the Azure Dragon Elder was lost in the process..." No emotion could be heard in the Heavenly Ghost King's voice, but everyone knew a volcano that could erupt at any moment lay hidden within those words.
More than thirty Heaven-grade assassins exchanged glances, yet not one dared speak.
Assassins of lower rank were not even qualified to show their faces at this meeting. Those able to attend were all peak experts whose strength could influence the course of a small nation.
"Pavilion Master." At this moment, a gaunt-faced old man slowly stepped forward. "I believe that the origin of the expert beside Ji Hongxue is unknown, and his strength has reached at least the Spirit Attunement Realm. There is absolutely no need for our Other Shore Pavilion to keep grinding away against such a mysterious expert. Knowing when to cut our losses and withdraw is what we should do."
The assassins' expressions tightened. The speaker was the Black Tortoise Elder, one of Other Shore Pavilion's elders. His cultivation had reached the fifth layer of the Spirit Attunement Realm, and he was also the most senior expert in Other Shore Pavilion, so his words carried tremendous weight.
"But... if we do that, it will be difficult to answer to Ji Wuye. He has the imperial family of the Soaring Dragon Empire behind him. Abandoning the mission target would have too great an impact on our pavilion." The Heavenly Ghost King spoke with some hesitation.
"There is no need to abandon the mission." At that moment, a soft, seductive voice rang out.
A ravishing woman clad from head to toe in tight red clothing, her proud figure displayed to the fullest, stepped forward with light footsteps. She laughed sweetly. "Let me carry out this mission."
"Vermillion Bird Elder, are you sure you wish to carry out this mission? You should know that the opponent's strength has yet to be determined..." the Heavenly Ghost King said evenly.
The Vermillion Bird Elder's red lips curled upward. "Azure Dragon was merely a cultivator at the Spirit Gathering Second Layer, while I am at the seventh layer of the Spirit Attunement Realm. One realm, one heaven apart... My strength may not necessarily be inferior to that mysterious expert's."
"Besides, have we assassins done too little fighting across realms? Even when facing an enemy stronger than me, I have plenty of ways to deal with him... Beauty is also a deadly weapon. As long as the other party is a man, mm, hehe..."
Her voice seemed to possess a special magic. Even the strong-willed assassins below could not help blushing and feeling their hearts race when they heard it.
The Heavenly Ghost King looked at the confident woman, and a smile finally appeared on his face. "Good! The Vermillion Bird Elder will be responsible for this mission!"
"Oh, right. Pick a few Heaven-grade assassins to assist you with the mission as well. You may choose anyone here." The Heavenly Ghost King added.
"How annoying... I don't want any third wheels..." The Vermillion Bird Elder covered her mouth and laughed coquettishly.
Some of the assassins revealed disappointed expressions.
"Oh, right, don't forget to make the Soaring Dragon imperial family raise the price..." The Vermillion Bird Elder lightly blinked her peach-blossom eyes.
"Rest assured, you will definitely be satisfied with the reward." The Heavenly Ghost King nodded.
Royal City of the Azure Kingdom.
Jinyang City.
A great city situated on a fertile plain.
The city contained bustling market districts, all manner of large inns, restaurants, shops, and theaters. Everything that ought to exist in the mortal world could be found here. It was an extremely well-developed metropolis.
When An Bulang arrived in Jinyang City, he had an absolute blast.
Many things in Jinyang City were experiences he had never had before.
Watching operas in the theater, listening to storytellers in taverns, buying and buying and buying in the markets.
Ji Hongxue was in no hurry to enter the royal palace. She only wanted to serve this little ancestor with all her heart.
In any case, stopping Ji Wuye's rebellion was already impossible. All she thought about now was taking all the spirit stones from the royal palace and using them as payment to properly repay An Bulang. Beyond that, she truly had no other thoughts.
At this moment, she honestly acted as An Bulang's purse.
"Sister Hongxue, I want to eat peerless Flying Heaven Pig Trotters!"
"Alright, buy buy buy!"
"Sister Hongxue, this Thousand Mechanisms Cube looks pretty good. Mortal wisdom is quite interesting too."
"Alright, buy buy buy!"
"Sister Hongxue, why are a group of women waving at me from that House of Pleasure? Shall we go take a look?"
"Alright... Huh? Get lost!!"
Spring sunlight was just right. An Bulang held Ji Hongxue's slender, soft jade hand as they wandered through Jinyang City, having the time of their lives all the way.
Pedestrians on the streets repeatedly cast sidelong glances at the pair.
Ji Hongxue in particular wore a red dress like blazing fire, accentuating her graceful and voluptuous figure. Her skin was white as snow, her lips like cherries, and her bright eyes were captivating with every glance. Some people could not tear their eyes away from her. Even in Jinyang City, where beauties gathered like clouds, they had never seen such a beautiful woman.
It was also because of this that An Bulang received quite a few envious and jealous looks along the way.
Of course, he did not care about such things. Being envied was precisely proof that he was outstanding!
Though he did not quite understand what there was to envy about walking beside a three-out-of-ten girl.
"Hm? Isn't that Third Princess Ji Hongxue?" Inside an exquisitely decorated two-story teahouse, a richly dressed young man fixed his gaze upon the Woman in Red on the street outside the window. His expression darkened somewhat. "A princess of a nation is actually fooling around with a youth of unknown origin. What kind of conduct is this?!"
"Hehe, don't worry, Young Master Jia. The Third Princess will not be happy for many more days." A middle-aged man in purple gently stroked his teacup and smiled. "When the nation undergoes a drastic upheaval, her situation will become precarious... At that time, won't she have to rely on you? Very soon, the woman who once treated you with such indifference will completely become your plaything."
Upon hearing this, the young man surnamed Jia gazed at Ji Hongxue on the street, his eyes flickering as he nodded softly. "Then I shall wait a few more days. Heh... I truly look forward to seeing her beg me in a few days..."