A Big Job

Chu Qing ultimately withstood the temptation buried deep within his heart and drew back his restless little feet.

Young Miss Wu finally noticed that something was wrong behind her.

She whipped around and met Chu Qing's half-smiling gaze.

"Dignified Eldest Young Lady of Heavenly Dance City, sneaking around like a thief in broad daylight?

"What treasure are you trying to steal? Need me to lend you a hand?"

Wu Qianhuan's face darkened. This bastard had walked without making the slightest sound, his inner breath steady as he concealed himself silently. He truly deserved his reputation as an assassin.

"Why didn't I notice you?"

"If you could notice me whenever you pleased, how would I make money killing people?"

Chu Qing shook his head.

"Besides, when it comes to vigilance, you're far too lacking.

"This is only Heavenly Dance City, where no one is trying to assassinate you. Otherwise, at that distance just now, ten of you would already be dead."

"..."

Wu Qianhuan rolled her eyes at him, removed a sword from her waist, and casually tossed it to Chu Qing.

Chu Qing caught it with one hand and looked at Wu Qianhuan in surprise.

"What does this mean?"

"My father told me to prepare a generous gift for you.

"I thought it over. Your sword was damaged last night, and my father happened to acquire a treasured sword before the New Year. He originally intended to give it to me... but I'm used to my current sword and have no plans to replace it.

"So I simply decided to give it to you. This sword is called 'Profound Gloom.' I heard it was forged from meteoric iron from beyond the heavens..."

Before she could finish, Chu Qing abruptly interrupted her.

"Does this sword bring misfortune to its owner?"

He did not ask how Wu Qianhuan knew he would come here.

Once he knew Tang Xi cultivated the Hate Heart Demonic Art, there was no need to think further about who the Hate Heart Person was.

And it went without saying who had commissioned Chu Qing. After all, the matter involving Er Gou had caused quite a stir.

That was why she had waited here.

"..."

Wu Qianhuan had no idea why Chu Qing had suddenly asked that. After thinking carefully for a moment, she finally answered.

"It does not."

"That's good, then. It probably isn't radioactive."

Chu Qing mused inwardly. Weapons forged from meteoric iron from beyond the heavens at every turn truly could not be used casually.

Things that fell from the sky were often radioactive. These people did not understand the reason and used them to forge swords and temper sabers. One slash, one dose of radiation damage—once word got out, it became something divine and unfathomable.

Yet such weapons often came with rumors that they brought misfortune to their owners.

After all, carrying a radioactive sword every day, even if your internal arts were formidable, you would not last ten or twenty years.

Sooner or later, you would die from radiation...

But if there were no rumors of misfortune to the owner, then it was most likely fine.

He held the sword in his hand and gave it a light turn. The longsword spun once in his grip, then he placed two fingers against the guard and lightly slid it outward.

With a hum, the sword left its sheath by half.

Dim blue light gleamed from the blade, chilling to the eye.

Chu Qing's pupils contracted slightly, and he nodded.

"Indeed, a fine sword."

Wu Qianhuan smiled.

"As long as you're satisfied. You killed Tang Xi and wounded Tang Yinfeng, making it exceptionally easy for our City Lord's Mansion to take Falling Rain Hall. So don't refuse this sword—"

Before she could finish, Chu Qing had already sheathed the drawn blade and taken the sword in hand, as naturally as if it had always belonged to him.

Wu Qianhuan felt there was no need to say anything more.

This bastard possessed neither the virtue of modest refusal... nor such a thing as shame.

She took a deep breath and tried hard to calm her agitated heart.

Then she said,

"I came here primarily to deliver this sword to you.

"Besides that, there is one more matter..."

Chu Qing looked at her with mild surprise.

"Let's hear it."

Wu Qianhuan spoke softly.

"I want to hire you to kill someone!"

"Oh?"

The corner of Chu Qing's mouth curled up.

"That's a good thing. Come, Young Miss Wu, shall we find somewhere nice to sit and discuss it at leisure?"

"There's no need."

Wu Qianhuan shook her head.

"We can speak here. You wouldn't have me discuss killing someone with you in broad daylight before everyone, would you?"

"That might not be impossible."

Chu Qing smiled.

"But never mind that. Who does Eldest Young Lady wish to kill?

"For the sake of an old customer, I can charge you a little less silver."

"...Night Emperor, you have always been greedy for money, treating it as dear as life itself. For an iron rooster like you to pluck even a feather is truly surprising."

Wu Qianhuan suddenly laughed.

"Has the sun risen in the west today?"

"Eldest Young Lady... can't you tell I was merely being polite? Please don't take it seriously."

Chu Qing said helplessly.

"You don't truly expect me to give you a discount, do you? Since when has the City Lord's Mansion been so short of money?"

"I knew it..."

Wu Qianhuan snorted.

"You really are a money-grubber to the bone. In the future, don't put on such fake politeness. Be careful someone might actually believe you.

"Enough idle talk... I told you before that Heavenly Dance City and the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights were bound to fight soon."

"You want me to help you kill people from the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights?"

Chu Qing smiled. This was a big job.

Moreover, this matter had not been easy to handle before, but after speaking with Chu Tian last night, he knew that a pit aimed at the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights had already been dug.

Now that Wu Qianhuan had come knocking, it was practically the same as delivering a reward to him.

At that thought, Chu Qing felt that Heavenly Dance City truly was a blessed land of fine geomancy.

Yesterday had brought two jobs in one day, and today a big deal had rushed to his doorstep. If he lived here for ten years or so, would he not become invincible beneath heaven?

"That's right."

Wu Qianhuan did not deny it.

"But I cannot tell you yet when, where, or how we will act.

"In any case, you cannot leave Heavenly Dance City these next few days."

"Heavenly Dance City is guarded so tightly that not even a fly can escape now, right?"

"...The flies cannot escape, but you can."

Wu Qianhuan glanced at him.

"Also, give me a way to contact you.

"I will notify you before it begins."

Chu Qing stroked his chin, feeling that this was somewhat troublesome.

He was currently working alone. No one helped him find jobs, and he had no messenger to deliver letters. There were certain matters he had to handle personally, which was rather inconvenient.

But when he glanced toward Er Gou, who was sitting atop a stone within the Land God Temple, he suddenly smiled.

"Fine. How about this? I'll tell you a method for writing secret messages.

"Say... do you know Records of Strange Tales?"

"...Of course I know it."

Wu Qianhuan frowned.

"But you should read fewer works about supernatural phenomena."

"Mind your own business..."

Chu Qing rolled his eyes.

"Here is how it works: use Records of Strange Tales as the basis for the secret message.

"You select whatever words you wish from it. In the letter, you can directly write things such as the first line, the fifth character; the second line, the third character; and so on...

"But when writing it, do not write the actual content you want directly. Instead, move it two places earlier."

Wu Qianhuan pondered it briefly and understood what Chu Qing meant.

"In other words, if the character I truly want to tell you is the seventh character in the first line, then I write the fifth character in the first line in the letter?"

"Precisely. Eldest Young Lady truly is clever as ice and snow."

Chu Qing smiled.

"There are countless miscellaneous books under heaven. Even if someone discovers the secret message and finds Records of Strange Tales, following the clues would still get them nothing."