Nine Kill Mansion

Xu Shouyi, as the Garrison General, held significant power within Li City, but it wasn't absolute. For instance, he had little influence within the Martial Arts Academy.

By the time he received news that Protector Gao had arrived in Li City and Wu Yuan had lifted the Ten Thousand Jin test stone, it was already late.

His first instinct was to seek out Dean Zhang Da.

He was shut out!

Dean Zhang Da not only refused to explain anything to him but wouldn't even see him. He directly returned the Qi Nourishing Pills Xu Shouyi had gifted him previously.

His refusal to meet and his attitude spoke volumes.

This was a clear attempt to distance himself!

"Wu Yuan, did he really just lift a Ten Thousand Jin boulder?" Xu Shouyi harbored doubts. "Simply lifting that much weight shouldn't instill such fear in Zhang Da."

What if he had Ten Thousand Jin of strength at fourteen?

Such talent was indeed extraordinary. With normal growth, becoming a First-class Expert was practically guaranteed.

But that was at least ten years away!

Moreover, during a martial artist's growth, they faced life-and-death trials and ventured into the world. Casualties were common!

"So what if he becomes a First-class Expert? Someone like Gao Yu is already incredibly strong among First-class Experts, very close to the peak masters," Xu Shouyi mused internally. "But even he wouldn't dare to kill a Garrison General like me."

"I also have my master's protection!"

"I still have the potential to break through. In the future, I might become a First-class Expert myself." Xu Shouyi still had some confidence in his own potential.

The higher one's physical quality, the slower their body deteriorates. Second-class and First-class Experts typically only show significant signs of aging after sixty, and living to a hundred without major injuries was normal.

As for Earth Ranking Grandmasters, even at a hundred years old, their physique and vitality remained at their peak, though their recovery from injuries would be slower.

"Everything points to Wu Yuan's talent being far greater than what he's shown. It's more terrifying!" Xu Shouyi concluded.

This made his predicament even more troublesome!

What should he do?

"The enmity is formed, and it's hard to resolve! Either I confess my guilt to the Sect," Xu Shouyi pondered silently. "But manipulating the Martial Academy Grand Competition is a capital offense! Even if I confess voluntarily, even with my master's help, I'd likely be imprisoned for life, and my family would be ruined!"

Would Xu Shouyi choose this path?

"Or, I stall! I'll gamble that Zhang Da won't confess, gamble that the Sect won't find out, gamble that Wu Yuan won't have the ability to retaliate in the future, and at the same time, I'll have to guard against that scoundrel Jiang Dongque."

This path, frankly, was waiting to die! It wasn't Xu Shouyi's style.

"Kill!" Killing intent flared in Xu Shouyi's eyes. "Wu Yuan is the key. As long as Wu Yuan is killed, what can a mere Wu Clan do to shake things up?"

"But..."

"I cannot mobilize the Nanmeng Army, nor can I even mobilize my family's personal guards," Xu Shouyi closed his eyes in thought. "Wu Yuan is currently valued by the Sect. If he dies, the Sect will surely go mad. I cannot leave any trace."

"If it's confirmed to be me, I'm as good as dead."

Xu Shouyi thought this through and opened his eyes.

"Liu Ye!"

Clang~ The hall door opened, and Liu Ye entered, bowing slightly. "General."

"Abandon the plan to assassinate Wu Yuan," Xu Shouyi said softly. "Abandon all plans targeting the Wu Clan, and destroy all evidence."

"Abandon everything?" Liu Ye was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Your subordinate understands."

He didn't know the reason but would follow orders.

"You may go. Summon Steward Xu," Xu Shouyi said.

Liu Ye withdrew.

Soon, Steward Xu arrived at the hall. By then, servants had already cleaned the entire hall.

"Go and prepare ten thousand taels of silver. Tomorrow morning, send it to the Wu Clan that Wu Yuan belongs to," Xu Shouyi said slowly. "As a congratulatory gift for Wu Yuan joining the Sect!"

"Ten thousand taels of silver? To the Wu Clan?" Steward Xu was also astonished. Such a large sum of money, just given away?

"You may go," Xu Shouyi offered no explanation.

He then dismissed all the personal guards and servants.

Inside the hall.

Xu Shouyi was left alone. He confirmed no one was around, entered a side room, and pulled out a hidden compartment. Inside was a complete set of black clothing.

He put it on, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He then walked into another side room and took out all the gold notes and most of the silver notes from a large chest.

Being a general required keeping retainers, winning the loyalty of his subordinates, and enjoying his own life. All of this cost money.

"I truly can't accept this."

"I, a dignified Garrison General of a county, have to actively seek out the dark forces?" Xu Shouyi sighed inwardly.

He understood that the price for doing so would be very high, but it was the most secure method.

After preparing everything.

Turn off the lights.

"I'm going to rest. No one is to disturb me without my orders," Xu Shouyi commanded.

"Yes!" the guards standing far away replied in unison.

Instantly.

Xu Shouyi transformed into a black shadow, melting into the darkness, silently bypassing the mansion's heavy guards.

As a Second-class Expert, and intimately familiar with the General's Mansion's entire layout, none of the guards could detect him.

He traveled along numerous secluded streets and alleys.

Finally arriving at the south of the city.

...Here stood a very unremarkable tavern. One of the large red lanterns at the entrance had fallen off, and the other was dirty, its light dim, seeming like it could extinguish at any moment, giving it a dilapidated appearance!

Those who didn't know better.

Would simply mistake it for a run-down tavern.

But some high-ranking figures in Li City knew its terrifying nature!

This was a stronghold of the Nine Kill Mansion in Li City!

"Nine Kill Mansion?" Xu Shouyi, clad in black, gazed at the red lantern, a hint of doubt in his heart.

Was it really here?

But he carefully recalled the information he had received, and it was correct.

This was a terrifying organization that wreaked havoc across the land, a dark force that had existed for thousands of years, incurring the wrath of heaven and man. Many Heavenly Ranking Experts throughout history had tried to eliminate it!

But none had ever succeeded.

To this day, only within the overwhelmingly powerful Great Jin Empire did the Nine Kill Mansion maintain an extremely low profile.

As for other kingdoms, or within the territories of major sects?

The Nine Kill Mansion had strongholds everywhere.

Various forces were extremely reluctant to provoke such a dark force. As long as the Nine Kill Mansion didn't go too far in its actions, most would turn a blind eye.

Xu Shouyi concealed his presence.

And stepped into the tavern.

"Guest, please stop. We are closed. You may dine elsewhere," a waiter in hemp clothing respectfully approached, intending to usher him out.

"Guests come from all nine heavens and eight directions; why would we be closed?" Xu Shouyi said softly.

"Ten thousand mansions, a thousand kills, all for silver. May I ask if the guest is hanging red or submitting red?" the waiter maintained his respectful demeanor.

"Hanging red!" Xu Shouyi uttered the two words.

Hanging red meant placing a bounty.

Submitting red meant an assassin accepting a mission!

"The mortal world is vast; may I ask where the guest comes from?" the waiter asked again.

"Bronze!" Xu Shouyi flipped his palm, revealing a peculiar token, seemingly made of bronze, in his palm.

The front of the token bore the image of mountains, while the back displayed a ferocious character for 'Kill'!

The Nine Kill Mansion was a top-tier dark force, and not just anyone could come to place a bounty. One had to possess a sufficiently high status or prove their strength.

As the General guarding the prefecture, Xu Shouyi had received a 'Bronze Kill Token'!

This was the lowest tier of token.

"Guest, please turn left outside, the twenty-first shop from the start. Go upstairs, and someone will handle the hanging red," the waiter confirmed the token's authenticity.

Xu Shouyi nodded.

He instantly understood that this dilapidated tavern was merely a transit point for the Nine Kill Mansion.

He exited, walked forward.

Arriving as instructed, he pushed open the door, went upstairs.

On the second floor, there was only a small private room.

In the darkness, a woman sat indistinctly, her figure graceful, only her pair of icy eyes clearly visible.

"To hang red, please state the detailed identity of the mortal guest, along with all the information you possess, and finally, state your additional request!" the woman said coldly.

"I want to kill Wu Yuan of the Wu Clan, belonging to the Xing Wu Cloth Shop! He is fourteen years old and a disciple of the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy!" Xu Shouyi said quickly. "He should have the strength of a Martial Master..."

Xu Shouyi recounted all the information he knew.

"I wish for the clues left behind after Wu Yuan's death to point towards the 'Great Jin Empire' as the perpetrator," Xu Shouyi added.

When the Sect investigated, they would need a scapegoat. Who was the most suitable? Xu Shouyi's first thought was the Great Jin Empire.

The woman listened, writing on a piece of paper.

"Please wait a moment."

"We need to gather information on our side, and at the same time confirm the final amount needed for the bounty," the woman said, handing the paper into the darkness behind her.

A sound, then silence.

A long time.

Just as Xu Shouyi was starting to get impatient, a slip of paper was finally handed to the woman from the darkness.

The woman took it and glanced at it.

"Before I give you a quote, I need a hundred taels of silver upfront!" the woman said softly.

"Upfront?" Xu Shouyi frowned.

"It's the rule," the woman said calmly. "Gathering various information takes time and effort."

Xu Shouyi gritted his teeth and handed over a bank note.

Even someone as powerful as him had to curse 'blackmail' in his heart!

After taking the bank note, the woman said directly, "To kill Wu Yuan as you requested, the price is two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Two hundred thousand taels?" Xu Shouyi's eyes widened, a hint of anger in his voice. "To hire a Third-class Expert, it only costs a thousand taels! Killing a Martial Master, what's so difficult? To demand so much money?"

He was prepared to pay a certain price.

But two hundred thousand taels of silver was beyond his expectations; that was enough to hire a First-class Expert.

"Killing Wu Yuan is not difficult!"

The woman's voice held no emotion. "What's difficult is how to disguise the evidence, how not to be detected by the Hengyun Sect."

The news that Wu Yuan would be specially recruited had spread for a short time, but the Nine Kill Mansion had already gathered it.

The price of two hundred thousand taels of silver was mainly due to the Hengyun Sect!

The risks involved were very high.

The cost for the Nine Kill Mansion to assassinate Wu Yuan might only be ten thousand taels of silver.

But once Wu Yuan died, and the Hengyun Sect found out it was the Nine Kill Mansion's doing, they would definitely launch a sweep and crackdown on the Nine Kill Mansion's strongholds within the territory. At that time, the losses would be at least a million taels!

Therefore.

The final confirmed price was two hundred thousand taels!

"Two hundred thousand taels? Too expensive! Too much of a rip-off!" Xu Shouyi shook his head. He had considerable wealth and should be able to afford it.

But much of it was tied up in fixed assets and couldn't be liquidated quickly.

Moreover.

The most crucial point was that sentence: it had to withstand post-event investigations!

If he liquidated everything and obtained a large amount of cash, and the Sect investigated the matter and listed him as a suspect, how would he explain it?

"One hundred and twenty thousand taels! That's the highest price I can offer," Xu Shouyi gritted out.

"Our Nine Kill Mansion only approves bounties, we do not haggle," the woman said plainly. "If you don't have enough money, please go downstairs."