Assassination

Around 7:30 PM, the second watch of the dog hour.

Ping An Inn, Room Jia-3.

This was the best room in Pingding City's finest inn.

Paintings, screens, porcelain, expensive furniture, and the Four Treasures of the Study were, of course, a given.

The bathroom, which supplied hot water for twelve hours a day, alone made Zhang Yu marvel that ancient people, in their pursuit of comfort, were no less advanced than later generations, and in fact, due to technological limitations, were exceptionally ingenious.

The ceramic bathtub steamed, and four herbal sachets floated on the water's surface, emitting a faint, elegant fragrance.

Water splashing, Zhang Yu rose from the tub and dried himself with a bath towel, the fatigue and grime of the past few days washed away.

In the bronze mirror.

The young man changed into a black robe, fastened with a silver-buckled belt, and stepped into deerskin boots. His appearance was seven parts handsome and three parts heroic. He smiled, thinking that compared to his previous life, this body was not only younger and healthier but also more handsome!

"When wandering the martial world, appearance is also a capital asset. In this life... I have ample capital!"

This brocade robe was a gift from Qi Zhaogu; their physiques were quite similar. After changing into the new attire, his demeanor became even more dashing and extraordinary, unlike that of an ordinary cult member. It wasn't wrong to say he was Wu Lianjiang's disciple; his master had imparted his techniques and entrusted his family to him on his deathbed, a nameless but substantial inheritance.

Zhang Yu wasn't seeking fame; it was just that this identity served as a ladder, allowing him to interact with the cult's high-ranking officials.

Within the Sun Moon Divine Cult, it was difficult for even a regular Deputy Flag Master to befriend an Incense Master.

"Is Brother Zhang in?" Qi Zhaogu's voice came from outside the room.

Zhang Yu opened the door. "Incense Master Qi."

"Ah, no need to be so formal. We can call each other brothers." Qi Zhaogu held a jar of fine wine and a booklet.

"Brother Qi, what is this booklet?"

"The Cult Master's Precepts. Take a good look; these are all profound words of wisdom."

Qi Zhaogu thrust the booklet at Zhang Yu. He was already slightly tipsy, still holding the wine jar, and chuckled, "I wanted you to go to the Thousand Red Pavilion for drinks, but you didn't, so I had to bring the wine to you. But if you had gone, Brother, with your character and looks, wouldn't the courtesan Lady Shen have welcomed you with open arms? She'd never look twice at an old fellow like me."

Qi Zhaogu, true to his name, was eloquent and skilled in speech.

The two sat down at the table. When the seal on the wine jar was broken, the aroma immediately filled the room.

Zhang Yu poured two cups of wine and smiled, "With your status, Brother Qi, are there any women in Pingding City who wouldn't show you respect?"

Qi Zhaogu sighed. "The Thousand Red Pavilion is Shangguan Yun's business. As for Lady Shen... let's not talk about it. Drink, drink."

Shangguan Yun was in charge of the White Tiger Hall and was known in the martial world as the 'Sculpture Hero.' Among the twelve Hall Masters, his Qinggong was on par with Wu Lianjiang, the 'Flying Cloud Divine Ape.' He was adept at handling people and, like Tong Baixiong, was one of the ten Grand Elders within the cult, holding a high position.

They each drank seven or eight cups and talked at length.

Then, Qi Zhaogu whispered, "The Purple Cloud Guards have arrested the disciples left behind at the Cloud Water Hall and are severely interrogating them on Blackwood Cliff, determined to solidify the evidence that Hall Master Wu colluded with the Five Great Sword Sects to betray the Divine Cult. You'll have to go to Blackwood Cliff tomorrow, Brother, you should be worried."

When Wu Lianjiang was ordered to attack Mount Heng, he took almost all the elite disciples, leaving only twenty or thirty at the Cloud Water Hall. These disciples were the last embers of the Cloud Water Hall.

Zhang Yu picked up his wine cup and drained it, feigning righteous indignation. "Brother Qi, does the Cult Master know that Yang Lianting is doing this?"

Qi Zhaogu said softly, "Hard to say, hard to say. The Cult Master has rarely appeared in recent years. There are many rumors outside, but Manager Yang's martial arts are mediocre. Although those Purple Cloud Guards were promoted by him, they are more loyal to the Cult Master. They shouldn't be able to do anything to the Cult Master."

"Isn't Yang Lianting afraid of chilling the hearts of the cult brothers by doing this?"

Qi Zhaogu put down his wine cup and sighed deeply.

"Brother Zhang, this is hardly the only thing that chills people's hearts. In the first five years after Eastern Cult Master took the throne, how glorious was our Sun Moon Divine Cult?"

"The twelve halls were filled with experts, the cult had nearly thirty thousand members, and the subordinate sects that submitted to us stretched from beyond the northern frontier to Yunnan in the south, to the Western Regions in the west, and even ninja clans from Japan in the east. How glorious! How brilliant!"

"But now? With the destruction of the Cloud Water Hall, plus those before it, only six halls remain: Enforcement, Wind and Thunder, White Tiger, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and Flying Phoenix."

Zhang Yu asked, "Why has it come to this?"

Qi Zhaogu seemed about to say something but ultimately didn't. He just kept drinking cup after cup, his drunkenness deepening, muttering incoherently, "Hard to say... hard to say. Can't explain it, no one... can explain it. I don't want to understand. I'll drink today and see Lady Shen tomorrow. Brother Zhang, you are... a righteous person. Big Brother can only advise you to take things lightly and not get stuck in a rut."

More than half of the pot of fine wine went into Qi Zhaogu's stomach. He appeared thoroughly drunk, but when he got up to leave, his steps were surprisingly steady.

"Brother... Jiang, I live next door to you. Tomorrow... I'll come for another drink."

Zhang Yu saw Qi Zhaogu off, then closed the doors and windows, blowing out the other candles in the room, leaving only the silver candlestick by the bed, its single flame flickering faintly.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, cultivating his internal energy.

"The Twelve Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, circulating up and down..."

With the aid of the Green Jade Thumb Ring, his internal energy flowed rapidly through the cycle, finally gathering in the 'Golden Pool.' In a short period, he made rapid progress.

The pool, which had been dry and bottomless, now had a faint layer of mist, and his internal energy was slightly replenished.

The Purple Gold Lotus Seed also showed signs of life.

He recalled that day on the arena in Pingyang City. With meager resources, the sword thrust at Fan Zhutian had consumed sixty to seventy percent of his internal energy. Now, his pockets were finally a little richer, but his "internal energy deficiency phobia" had not yet disappeared.

Zhang Yu knew well that he had started late. Even with the Green Jade Thumb Ring, he needed to work twice as hard.

Three years later, with the struggle for the Bixie Sword Manual as the prelude, the conflicts between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path, and within each path, would fully erupt, plunging the martial world into a bloody storm.

If he wanted to avoid being drowned in blood, and even have the strength to help those he cared about, he could only cultivate desperately.

"It would be best if I could obtain a divine martial art like the Great Star Absorbing Technique."

"At West Lake's Plum Manor, not to mention the experts secretly deployed by Dongfang Bubai, even the four friends of 'Qin, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting' are all formidable martial artists. Furthermore, Ren Woxing's personality is domineering and eccentric; even if I rescued him, he might not necessarily teach me the Great Star Absorbing Technique."

Three top-tier martial arts manuals.

Nine Swords of Dugu, held by Feng Qingyang, was meant for his Mount Hua Sect grand-disciple Linghu Chong. It had extremely high aptitude requirements, so touching it himself would be suicide!

"As for that thing in the old Lin Family residence in Xiangyang Alley, Fuzhou, it's actually the easiest to obtain and the fastest to learn. It's practically a cheat. If one were truly determined, severing the root of all trouble..."

Zhang Yu quickly shook his head, driving away the terrifying thought.

"Don't even think about it! Territory and beauties, you must grasp both with equal firmness!"

Leaning on the Green Jade Thumb Ring, Zhang Yu easily cast aside distracting thoughts, his mind becoming clear, and entered the optimal training state in one second.

Red oil dripped onto the silver candlestick, and the candle gradually shriveled.

At the second watch of the dog hour, the room was plunged into complete darkness.

The window screen was poked through from the outside, and a slender bamboo tube was inserted.

A puff of sleeping gas was sprayed from the tube.

The bamboo tube was withdrawn, and the window opening was plugged again.

After some time, the sleeping gas enveloped the entire room. The window was pried open from the outside, and a figure flipped in. The entire process was incredibly smooth, making almost no discernible sound.

The person walked to the bedside, flicked their wrist, and a steel longsword coated in black lacquer thrust out.

The sword pierced the bedding but not flesh and blood; it must have been a pillow inside.

This was a scene assassins would only see in nightmares.

"Not good!"

The assassin quickly drew his sword to block, but a sharp pain erupted from his back as his kidneys were struck twice by a sharp weapon. Immediately after, in the darkness, someone accurately kicked his sword away.

"How is this possible? He can see in the dark."

The assassin fell to the ground. The person pressed a sharp weapon against his throat, their voice icy.

"Who sent you?"

"I really didn't expect you to still be awake so late..." the assassin said with a bitter smile, the blood flowing from his lower back quickly soaking the carpet beneath him.

"Not talking? If you don't talk, you die."

The person, however, smiled. Their lips moved, and black blood slid down the corner of their mouth. They immediately gasped their last breath.

Zhang Yu sighed and lit the candle in the room.

There was no way he was getting any rest tonight.

"Brother Zhang, are you alright? I heard fighting inside?" Qi Zhaogu's voice sounded from outside the door.

The door opened.

Qi Zhaogu entered the room and immediately covered his nose.

"How much sleeping gas did they use? The effect is so strong!"

He saw a corpse lying on the ground, dressed in black and masked, blood still flowing from its back.

A blood-stained silver candlestick lay on the floor.

The other furnishings in the room were undamaged, clearly indicating that this well-trained assassin had been dealt with easily.

Qi Zhaogu gave a thumbs-up. "Brother Zhang has great skills."

"It's nothing. I just stayed up late, and he was unlucky."

Zhang Yu wiped the blood from his hands and walked to the corpse. Seeing Qi Zhaogu pull down the masked man's face covering, "What, Brother Qi, do you know him?"

"I have some impression... Isn't this a pimp from the Thousand Red Pavilion? I think I saw him a few times when I was out drinking and visiting courtesans."

Zhang Yu looked at Qi Zhaogu and asked, "Could it be Shangguan Yun's people?"

Qi Zhaogu smiled and shook his head. "The Thousand Red Pavilion is a mixed bag; it's hard to say, hard to say."