Nine Kill Mansion

Xu Shouyi was the Garrison General, and though he wielded great power in Li City, he was far from all-powerful. The Martial Academy, for instance, was beyond his reach.

By the time he received word that Protector Gao had arrived in Li City and Wu Yuan had lifted the ten-thousand-jin test stone, it was already late.

He immediately went to seek Dean Zhang Da.

He was turned away!

Dean Zhang Da not only refused to explain himself, he wouldn't even show his face. He had also returned the Qi Nourishing Pill Xu Shouyi had given him.

The refusal alone said everything.

Zhang Da was cutting ties!

"Wu Yuan really lifted a ten-thousand-jin boulder?" Xu Shouyi was doubtful. "Lifting a ten-thousand-jin boulder alone shouldn't have terrified Zhang Da this much."

So what if he could lift ten thousand jin at fourteen?

That kind of talent was indeed extraordinary. If he grew up normally, becoming a First-class Expert was all but certain.

But that would be at least ten years from now!

And during a martial artist's growth, life-and-death trials and roaming the world were part and parcel of the journey. Death and injury were commonplace!

So what if he really becomes a First-class Expert? Even Gao Yu, one of the strongest among First-class Experts, is close to the top experts, Xu Shouyi thought. But even he wouldn't dare kill a Garrison General like me without cause.

I still have my master's protection!

And I still have a chance to break through. I may yet become a First-class Expert, Xu Shouyi thought, still somewhat confident in his chances.

The stronger one's physique, the more slowly the body declined. Second-class and First-class Experts usually didn't show clear signs of aging until after sixty. If they avoided serious injuries, living to a hundred was perfectly normal.

As for Earth Ranking Grandmasters, even at a hundred, their vigor and vitality remained at their peak. They simply took longer to recover after being injured.

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

That only left him more troubled!

What should he do?

"The feud is already made, and there's no easy way to resolve it. One option is to confess to the sect," Xu Shouyi thought in silence. "But manipulating the Martial Academy Grand Competition is a capital offense! Even if I confess voluntarily, even with my master's help, I'll probably be imprisoned for life. My family will be finished!"

Would Xu Shouyi be willing to take that path?

"The other option is to stall! Bet that Zhang Da won't confess, bet the sect won't find out, bet Wu Yuan won't be capable of taking revenge in the future—and stay on guard against that bastard Jiang Dongque."

Put plainly, that option meant sitting around waiting to die! That wasn't Xu Shouyi's style.

"Kill!" Killing intent flared in Xu Shouyi's eyes. "Wu Yuan is the key. If I kill him, what can one Wu Clan do? Turn the world upside down?"

"But..."

"I can't mobilize the Nanmeng Army, and I can't even mobilize my family's personal guards." Xu Shouyi closed his eyes and pondered. "The sect is paying attention to Wu Yuan now. If he dies, the sect will go mad. I can't leave behind a single clue."

"If they confirm I did it, I'm dead for sure."

At that thought, Xu Shouyi opened his eyes.

"Liu Ye!"

Clang—the hall doors swung open. Liu Ye entered and bowed slightly. "General."

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

"Abandon everything?" Liu Ye was briefly taken aback, then said, "Understood."

He didn't know the reason, but he followed orders.

"Go. Call Steward Xu," Xu Shouyi said.

Liu Ye withdrew.

Soon, Steward Xu arrived at the hall. By then, servants had thoroughly cleaned the place.

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

"Ten thousand taels of silver? For the Wu Clan?" Steward Xu was just as astonished. Such a huge sum, simply given away?

"Go," Xu Shouyi said, offering no explanation.

He then dismissed all the guards and servants.

In the hall,

Xu Shouyi was left alone. After making sure no one was nearby, he entered a side room, opened a hidden compartment, and took out a complete set of black clothes.

He put them on, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Then he entered another side room and took all the gold notes and most of the silver notes from a large chest.

As a general, he had to support his retainers, win the loyalty of his soldiers, and indulge himself. All of that cost money.

"I can't accept this."

"I'm the Garrison General of an entire commandery. And yet I have to go beg a dark organization?" Xu Shouyi sighed inwardly.

He knew the price would be steep, but this was the safest way.

Once everything was ready,

he turned off the lights.

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

"Yes!" the guards standing far away replied at once.

Then,

Xu Shouyi became a shadow and melted into the darkness, quietly slipping past the layers of guards around the estate.

As a Second-class Expert who knew every detail of the General's Mansion's layout, he naturally went undetected by its guards.

He traveled along numerous deserted streets and alleys.

Only then did he reach the southern part of the city.

...There stood an inconspicuous tavern. One of the large red lanterns at its entrance had fallen, while the other was filthy and glowed faintly, as if it might go out at any moment. The place looked terribly run-down!

Anyone who didn't know better

would think it was just a dilapidated tavern.

But the powerful figures of Li City knew how terrifying it was!

This was one of the Nine Kill Mansion's bases in Li City!

"Nine Kill Mansion?" Xu Shouyi, wrapped in black, stared at the red lantern, a trace of doubt in his heart.

Was this really the place?

But he carefully recalled the information he'd received. It was correct.

It was a terrifying organization that brought chaos to the world, a dark force with a thousand-year legacy. It had incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and countless Heaven Ranking Experts across the generations had tried to wipe it out!

Yet none had ever succeeded.

To this day, only within the mighty Great Jin Empire did the Nine Kill Mansion keep an exceptionally low profile.

As for other lands, and the territories of great sects?

The Nine Kill Mansion had bases everywhere.

The various powers were all too reluctant to provoke such a dark force. As long as the Nine Kill Mansion didn't go too far, most turned a blind eye.

Xu Shouyi kept himself hidden.

He stepped into the tavern.

"Guest, please stop. We're closed for the night. You can go drink somewhere else," a shop assistant in hemp clothes said respectfully, though he was clearly turning Xu Shouyi away.

"The Nine Heavens and Eight Directions are full of guests. How could a place like this ever close?" Xu Shouyi said softly.

"Ten thousand mansions, a thousand kills—all for silver. Tell me, guest, are you hanging a red banner or wearing one?" The shop assistant remained deferential.

"Hanging one!" Xu Shouyi said.

Hanging red meant placing a bounty.

Wearing red meant a killer was accepting a mission!

"The mortal world is a churning sea. Which road have you come from, guest?" the shop assistant asked again.

"Bronze!" Xu Shouyi turned his palm upward. In it lay a strange token that seemed to be made of copper.

Mountains were engraved on the front of the token, while the back bore a savage-looking character: "Kill."

The Nine Kill Mansion was a top-tier dark force. Not just anyone could come there to place a bounty. One had to possess sufficient status or prove one's own strength.

As a Garrison General of a commandery, Xu Shouyi had received a Bronze Kill Token!

It was the lowest-grade token.

"Guest, please leave and turn left. Go to the twenty-first shop. Head upstairs, and someone will handle the bounty for you." The shop assistant confirmed that the token was genuine.

Xu Shouyi nodded.

He understood at once that this dilapidated tavern was merely a way station for the Nine Kill Mansion.

He left and continued on.

Following the directions, he arrived, pushed open the door, and went upstairs.

The second floor had only one small private room.

In the darkness, a woman sat indistinctly. Her figure was graceful, and only her pair of icy eyes could be seen clearly.

"To place a bounty, please give the target's full identity and all the information you know. Then state any additional requirements," the woman said coldly.

"I want Wu Yuan of the Wu Clan, owners of the Prosperous Wu Cloth Shop, dead! He's fourteen and a disciple of the commandery Martial Academy!" Xu Shouyi said quickly. "He should have the strength of a Martial Master..."

Xu Shouyi gave her all the information he knew.

"I want the clues left behind after Wu Yuan's death to point to the Great Jin Empire," Xu Shouyi said.

If the sect investigated, they would need a scapegoat. Who was the best choice? The Great Jin Empire was the first thing Xu Shouyi thought of.

As she listened, the woman wrote on a sheet of paper.

"Please wait a moment."

"We need to gather information and determine the final price of the bounty," the woman said, passing the paper into the darkness behind her.

There was a brief rustle, then silence.

A long while passed.

Just as Xu Shouyi was growing impatient, a slip of paper finally emerged from the darkness and was handed to the woman.

She took it and glanced at it.

"Before I quote the price, you must first pay a hundred taels of silver," the woman said softly.

"Pay first?" Xu Shouyi frowned.

"That's the rule," she said calmly. "Gathering all kinds of information takes time and effort."

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

Even a powerful man like him couldn't help cursing inwardly: What a rip-off!

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

"Two hundred thousand taels?" Xu Shouyi's eyes widened, and anger edged his voice. "Hiring a Third-class Expert costs only a thousand taels! What's so hard about killing a Martial Master? Why does it cost so much?"

He'd been prepared to pay a substantial price.

But two hundred thousand taels was beyond anything he'd expected. That was enough to hire a First-class Expert.

"Killing Wu Yuan isn't difficult!"

The woman's voice held no trace of emotion. "The hard part is planting evidence and making sure Hengyun Sect doesn't notice."

The news that Wu Yuan had been specially recruited had spread only recently, but the Nine Kill Mansion had already collected it.

The price was two hundred thousand taels of silver, mainly because of Hengyun Sect!

The risk involved was considerable.

The Nine Kill Mansion might spend only ten thousand taels of silver to assassinate Wu Yuan.

But if Wu Yuan died and Hengyun Sect discovered the Nine Kill Mansion was responsible, the sect would surely sweep through the Mansion's bases in its territory. The resulting losses would be at least a million taels!

That was why

the final price was set at two hundred thousand taels!

"Two hundred thousand taels? Too expensive! A total rip-off!" Xu Shouyi shook his head. He was wealthy enough to afford it in principle.

But much of his wealth was tied up in fixed assets that couldn't be liquidated quickly.

Besides,

the key point was that the whole thing had to withstand an investigation afterward!

If he liquidated everything and raised a huge sum in cash, what would he say if the sect investigated and listed him as a suspect?

"One hundred and twenty thousand taels! That's the most I can pay," Xu Shouyi said through gritted teeth.

"The Nine Kill Mansion accepts bounties and carries them out. We don't haggle," the woman said calmly. "If you don't have enough silver, please leave."