A New Job

Chu Qing pretended not to hear the question.

He kept searching through Mei Qianluo's clothes. After a while, he found a needle case in her sleeve.

Only then did he smile.

"Found it."

"Plum Blossom Needles."

Xia Wanshuang's expression changed.

Chu Qing glanced at her.

"You recognize them? Do you know which one is the antidote?"

"...I don't know."

Xia Wanshuang shook her head. It wasn't because Chu Qing hadn't answered her question and she resented him for it.

She genuinely didn't know.

Plum Blossom Needles were a hidden weapon Mei Qianluo would never reveal. Xia Wanshuang would never have learned of them if she hadn't kept a close eye on the Shashen Gang.

Chu Qing wasn't disappointed. He had considered every possibility before coming. The most straightforward approach would have been to force Mei Qianluo to hand over the antidote.

But when he saw Ge Jingchun, he knew that would probably be difficult.

Ge Jingchun was Guizhang Fulong, a man with endless schemes who mixed truth and lies, reality and illusion. Trusting anything he said without caution would be foolish.

And Mei Qianluo, as the Shashen Gang's Third Boss, wouldn't hand over the antidote easily either.

Rather than waste time here dragging things out, only to end up with an antidote that might be fake, it was better to pin them down first, and then...

Chu Qing took the needle case over to Ge Jingchun and pried one of his hands open.

"Don't be afraid. I'll be gentle."

Gentle with what?

Ge Jingchun's confusion lasted only an instant before a Plum Blossom Needle pricked his palm.

His expression changed at once.

"You actually used a Plum Blossom Needle on me!

"Quick, the green bottle has the antidote!!"

Chu Qing looked at the bottles in his hand, then immediately set the green one aside.

"You're going to die tonight. How could you be so desperate to cling to life?

"You refused to tell me where Cheng Sihai was, even if it meant dying. Now you're trying to use me to give yourself a quick end?"

"..."

A deathly pallor spread across Ge Jingchun's face.

"Looks like I guessed right."

Chu Qing let out a breath.

"You people are all far too cunning..."

Mei Qianluo had three bottles on her. Setting aside the green one left two.

He took the red bottle, poured out a pill, and shoved it into Ge Jingchun's mouth.

Ge Jingchun swallowed the pill without expression.

A moment later, the blackened color on his hand began to fade at a visible rate.

Chu Qing smiled.

"Looks like luck's on my side tonight. One try was all it took.

"By the way, what's this one for?"

He picked up the last little bottle. It contained ointment.

Chu Qing thought for a moment, then cut a small gash on Ge Jingchun with his knife. Once the bleeding had mostly stopped, he took some ointment and smeared it over the wound.

But after watching for a while, he saw no sign that Ge Jingchun was in pain.

"Is it for healing wounds and stopping bleeding?"

Things like this usually didn't show results quickly.

And there was so little in the bottle. Against the injuries Mei Qianluo and Ge Jingchun had suffered, it would be a drop in the bucket—not even worth using.

Mei Qianluo had lost an arm to Chu Qing and hadn't even tried to use it to stop the bleeding.

Chu Qing searched Ge Jingchun again. He was much more straightforward than Mei Qianluo and had no bottles or jars on him.

He had no Silver Notes, either, but he did have plenty of silver.

Chu Qing pocketed it all without ceremony, then put away the antidote for the Plum Blossom Needles and looked at Xia Wanshuang.

"Do you have a grudge against Cheng Sihai?"

"...Yes."

"Do you want me to help you kill him?"

Chu Qing's question was simple and direct.

Xia Wanshuang's gaze shifted several times before she finally nodded firmly.

"You killed Ge Jingchun and Mei Qianluo. You and Cheng Sihai are already locked in a fight to the death."

"That's not how you settle accounts. We have to take things one at a time."

Chu Qing spoke softly.

"I can help you kill Cheng Sihai, but if you want me to do it, you'll have to pay a price."

"A price..."

Xia Wanshuang didn't understand. How had things suddenly come to this?

Even if she hadn't said anything, this man would probably have gone after Cheng Sihai anyway.

So why was she the one who had to pay now?

"What do you want?"

Xia Wanshuang asked quietly.

"Silver or gold. Either is fine."

Chu Qing's answer was almost shamelessly materialistic.

"...You're an assassin?"

Xia Wanshuang looked at Chu Qing in astonishment.

Chu Qing touched his face covering.

"Isn't it obvious?"

A dim look came over Xia Wanshuang's eyes. Assassins had always killed for money.

After hearing what she'd just said, even if this assassin had already been at odds with Cheng Sihai, he might not kill him now.

After all, it could bring him a reward.

Thinking this, Xia Wanshuang found herself blurting out:

"I don't have much money... but I'm not bad-looking. If I don't have enough silver, could I make up the difference with myself?"

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

The words had already left Xia Wanshuang's mouth. She couldn't take them back.

She could only watch as Chu Qing glanced at her stiffly, then muttered under his breath:

"Crazy..."

What had he said?

Xia Wanshuang's eyes widened. She could hardly believe her ears.

Chu Qing looked at the prompt before him.

[Commission triggered: Assassinate Cheng Sihai, leader of the Shashen Gang!]

[Accept?]

Though he felt the system was making trouble, Chu Qing accepted without hesitation.

He had always felt his system was extremely rudimentary.

It had no artificial intelligence and couldn't communicate with him. Its triggering conditions were rigid... It didn't even have any requirements for the person posting a commission, and the reward could be whatever they wanted.

Of course, whether Chu Qing accepted those rewards was up to him.

The system never asked about that. It only triggered commissions and provided rewards.

In a way, it was crude... but convenient.

Xia Wanshuang was still reeling from Chu Qing's words when she heard him speak softly.

"Deal."

"??"

He called her crazy, then agreed to her terms?

Was this assassin of two minds?

Whatever the case, at least he had agreed.

Killing Cheng Sihai would be difficult. When he was in the Shashen Gang, Xia Wanshuang had never had a chance.

Now Cheng Sihai had brought the Four Great Protectors and several other bosses to Heavenly Dance City. It was the perfect opportunity for an assassination.

Unfortunately, she was badly wounded and couldn't act.

Otherwise, why would she ask this stranger, whose origins and background were a mystery?

She could only hope he would keep his word... and not make empty promises.

With his martial arts, if he really went through with it, perhaps she could finally avenge herself.

As for the payment...

Xia Wanshuang bit her lip, a stubborn glint flashing in her eyes.

"I'll just pretend a dog bit me!"