One Sword

Ever since he killed the Iron Horse Seven Bandits, he hadn't had a job in seven or eight days.

As a killer with the Assassin System, how could he grow if he didn't kill anyone?

Had he never left the Sin Mirror Platform, he would naturally have had no shortage of killing jobs.

But now he had not only lost his organization, he also had to evade the Sin Mirror Platform's pursuit. Finding a job that involved killing someone was no easy matter.

Now that an opportunity like this had come along, he naturally had to give it a try.

If this could trigger a commission, all the better.

But as soon as he said it, not only did Wu Qianhuan's eyes widen, Xin Youhen gave a cold snort as well:

"You don't know what's good for you."

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

Wu Qianhuan stared fixedly at Chu Qing, too.

Back in the front courtyard, she hadn't gotten a clear look at Chu Qing's swordsmanship. He had drawn his sword too quickly, and at the time, Wu Qianhuan's attention had been entirely on Fake Chu Qing.

By the time she came to her senses, Chu Qing was already standing on the wall, showing off.

Now, hearing him say this, she was simply stunned...

How could Chu Qing possibly kill Xin Youhen?

Had he gone mad?

"Make up your mind. He's about to lose patience and make his move. If you don't hire me to kill him, with your skills, you'll most likely die at his hands."

Chu Qing raised his chin toward Wu Qianhuan.

"But if I make a move, one sword will be all it takes. This man is as good as dead."

"Ha ha ha ha!!!!"

Hearing this, Xin Youhen couldn't help throwing his head back and laughing.

"I, Xin Youhen, have roamed the martial world for over ten years, and this is the first time I've ever met someone as arrogant as you!

"Fine. Since you've made me laugh today, I'll give you a chance. You may strike first with one sword. Let's see how you'll kill me with it!"

Chu Qing didn't even look at him. He just watched Wu Qianhuan.

Wu Qianhuan took a deep breath, then suddenly smiled.

"Fine. If you really can kill him, then I'll believe you're not that person.

"I'll pay one thousand taels of silver to hire you to kill him."

[Commission: Kill Xin Youhen!]

[Accept?]

Chu Qing's eyes lit up. It really had appeared.

He'd only had a sudden idea. There was a client here, a target, and a killer, so he'd brought it up.

He hadn't expected it to actually work.

But if so, could he use this to farm treasure chests?

Later, he could have Wu Qianhuan take him to the City Lord's Mansion's dungeon and bring out the condemned prisoners, then place commissions on them one by one?

But after thinking it over, he felt that probably wouldn't work.

After all, if it did, why would his system be called the Assassin System?

It might as well be called the Executioner System.

Still, whether it worked or not, he could always try later...

With that thought, he already had his sword in hand and was walking toward Xin Youhen.

By rights, if they truly fought, Chu Qing was no match for Xin Youhen.

If he could assassinate him, there was a seventy- or eighty-percent chance he could kill him in one strike.

But in a situation like this, he had no chance to disguise himself, hide, and suddenly strike... Fortunately, what he'd said earlier wasn't just hot air.

Sometimes, killing someone wasn't only a matter of martial prowess.

Take the Sin Mirror Platform's assassination of Chu Yunfei. They hadn't simply found someone more skilled than Chu Yunfei and beaten him to death.

Instead, they had laid out a whole game of chess, then made two moves to checkmate Chu Yunfei.

If Chu Qing hadn't appeared as a variable outside the board, the outcome would still have been uncertain.

Now, Chu Qing wasn't going to kill Xin Youhen through martial prowess alone... Though his skill would play a decisive role, first he needed to secure a massive advantage.

And he had already gained that advantage.

It was the one sword Xin Youhen had granted him.

This wasn't coincidence... It was calculation.

From the fact that Xin Youhen had dared to barge into the Chu Family alone, openly entering Chu Fan's courtyard to kill him, Chu Qing could tell just how arrogant the man was.

So Chu Qing had deliberately claimed that he could kill Xin Youhen with one sword. A man with such absolute confidence in his own martial prowess, and a temperament this arrogant, how could he believe that a young man could kill him with a single strike?

That was why he'd boldly offered to let Chu Qing strike first.

Besides, Chu Qing knew Xin Youhen was injured.

Though he'd hidden it well, he still hadn't fooled Chu Qing.

Just think: why would someone as arrogant as him resort to a sneak attack against a junior like Wu Qianhuan?

After his first strike failed, judging by everything he'd done earlier in Chu Fan's courtyard, he should have thrown a second punch, then a third, without a second thought, and kept going until he'd beaten Wu Qianhuan to death.

But he hadn't...

So Chu Qing guessed he'd been wounded while being pursued by Chu Fan, Junior Sister Wen, and those two crazy women.

That earlier exchange had made it look as though Wu Qianhuan was at a disadvantage, but Xin Youhen had hardly come away unscathed.

The reason he'd hesitated instead of attacking was that there was now an unfamiliar swordsman of unknown skill and origin in their midst.

So he was playing it safe.

He hadn't rushed to attack because he was waiting for Chu Qing to leave.

Once Chu Qing was gone, Xin Youhen would face Wu Qianhuan alone and have a sure chance of victory.

Now, Chu Qing's words and Wu Qianhuan's commission had caused him not only to stay, but to face Xin Youhen.

Yet this was still within the bounds of what Xin Youhen could accept.

After all, he was still as arrogant as ever. In a one-on-one fight, even against a swordsman whose background he didn't know, he still believed he was certain to win.

As long as he killed Chu Qing first and stopped him and Wu Qianhuan from joining forces, he could defeat them one by one and leave victorious.

Of course, Chu Qing couldn't guarantee his deductions were absolutely correct.

But... as long as he got to strike first, even if he couldn't kill Xin Youhen, he could wound him and make his injuries worse.

Then, if Chu Qing called on Wu Qianhuan to join forces, no matter how formidable Xin Youhen was, he would likely have no chance of escaping death.

All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Chu Qing's hand was already resting on his sword hilt. He looked up at Xin Youhen.

"Watch closely..."

The long sword slid slowly from its sheath. Light fell upon its blade, gleaming with a splendid brilliance.

Just then, Chu Qing lifted his head and gave the blade the slightest tilt. Its reflected light fell directly into Xin Youhen's eyes.

Xin Youhen narrowed his eyes slightly. In that very instant, the sword moved!

When had it left the sheath?

Xin Youhen felt as though his eyes had missed a moment. He hadn't seen the long sword being drawn.

But he had sensed a killing intent!

Killing intent and sword intent intertwined, and it seemed that the moment they appeared, they had already pierced straight through the gates of his heart.

Gather his energy!

Build his momentum!

Strike!

In that brief instant, Xin Youhen had already reacted.

But just as he raised both hands, the howl of a sword rang beside his ears!

Buzz!!

The sound was in his ears... but the sword was in his heart.

Every movement came to a halt. Xin Youhen lowered his head and looked at the sword piercing his chest, his face full of disbelief.

"How... could this be..."