Sharp Blade

Qi Nu's plan was as follows:

"That person," Han Shiqi, was highly skilled in martial arts and very alert. During his first "favor" to the two brothers, they had already experienced his prowess when they resisted. Even with eight young male servants working together, they were no match for him, so only assassination was an option.

This was Golden Peng Fortress, and the idea of assassination naturally occurred to Qi Nu's mind. The key was how to carry it out, as their target was a seasoned Assassin.

First, they couldn't be unarmed. They needed a sharp weapon. Xie Nu solved this problem. He had gone to the kitchen to collect food several times and took the opportunity to steal a small, unused meat-cutting knife. The blade was about four inches long. Although miniature, it was very sharp.

Second, someone needed to distract that person. Since Han Jinu had once again chosen the two brothers, they would be sacrificed again.

"I want to see him die with my own eyes," Xie Nu said hatefully. He rarely spoke, but at this moment, he was like a small, enraged lion, his teeth grinding.

Finally, and most importantly, someone had to make the move. This was the most crucial reason the brothers had found Huan Nu.

"Your martial arts are the best. You can kill him without making a sound."

Qi Nu's praise made Gu Shenwei blush slightly.

When he was still the young master of the Gu family, although he didn't consider himself a master, he thought he could defeat ordinary martial artists. However, the experiences of the past few days had cruelly revealed the truth: the guards he had defeated before were faking it, and he wasn't even a match for an ordinary bandit.

But Gu Shenwei was willing to take on this task. Han Shiqi was not only a villain who lusted after him but also a "traitor" to the Gu family and the murderer of his entire clan. It had been over a month since his family was destroyed, and he had been reduced to a lowly slave in Golden Peng Fortress. He desperately needed to plunge the small knife into his enemy's body with his own hands to slightly appease the restless beast of vengeance within his heart.

What would happen after the murder?

None of the three mentioned it. Gu Shenwei thought about it afterward and found it incredible. At that time, they were all so eager to kill that they were willing to pay any price, with no energy left to consider the consequences.

Gu Shenwei had watched someone die before his eyes just the day before and felt his heart had hardened considerably. Therefore, he readily agreed and took the small knife, even smaller than a dagger, from Xie Nu.

The last time Han Shiqi "favored" the two brothers was in Han Jinu's room. This time, it was estimated to be there again. In Kindling Courtyard, this room was the most comfortable. Jinu would be sensible enough to sleep in another room.

Gu Shenwei needed to sneak into the room beforehand. This could be easy or difficult, depending on when Han Jinu finished the roll call and left the bedroom. If Gu Shenwei couldn't find an opportunity, the assassination chance would have to be postponed, and the brothers would suffer humiliation for nothing again.

Gu Shenwei often cleaned Jinu's room and was very familiar with it. There was a bed instead of a heated brick bed, which was good. He could hide under the bed and patiently wait for the moment Han Shiqi became lost in his desires, then stab upwards from under the bed.

The knife was too short. The three removed the wooden handle, exposing the blade, which was a little over three inches long. They then reattached the two pieces of the wooden handle to the end of the blade, clamping only about an inch. This made the blade about six inches long, enough to pierce Han Jinu's thin wooden bed and stab the flesh above it.

The timing of the assassination was crucial. The three agreed that Qi Nu and Xie Nu would lure that person to the right spot. The code word was to call out "Brother." Upon hearing these two words, Huan Nu, hiding under the bed, would immediately thrust the small knife upwards.

There was still one problem: the person under the bed could not be discovered beforehand, so extreme quiet was necessary. Even slightly heavy breathing could alert Han Shiqi, who was, after all, an Assassin with keen hearing and senses.

Just a few days ago, Gu Shenwei wouldn't have been able to achieve silence. However, he had just mastered the first level of Yin Jin, allowing him preliminary control over his internal energy, and thus, to some extent, control over his breathing.

They practiced. Gu Shenwei lay on the heated brick bed, breathing as smoothly and continuously as possible. The brothers gradually approached from the doorway, listening intently, and then gave their judgment.

The first few attempts were not very successful. Gu Shenwei could only control his breathing for a short period. He slowly adjusted, extending the duration, and finally, he could hold his breath for fifteen minutes.

As the three were practicing, a young boy walked in. He glanced at Huan Nu, who was lying stiffly on the heated brick bed, his expression changed drastically. He turned and ran, almost falling.

Although this scene was comical, it also reminded the three of an important issue: how to avoid the notice of the other five young boys.

San, Xin, Lei, Qian, and Zhao Nu were all timid and fearful, deeply influenced by Yao Nu. They had not been in the fortress for long before they resigned themselves to their fate as slaves. They would be very willing to betray their companions in exchange for wealth and status.

The three discussed for a while. Xie Nu came up with an idea but didn't explain it immediately, only saying to leave it to him. He then left alone and returned a long time later, saying he had solved the problem and, incidentally, brought back lunch.

Xie Nu wandered around the courtyard, whispering to each boy. Finally, the five boys went to Han Jinu together, claiming they would rather live in the shabbiest room than share one with Huan Nu.

Kindling Courtyard had not recently taken in dying individuals, so there were plenty of empty rooms. With the five boys fawning over him, Han Jinu was happy to do them a favor. At the same time, he reiterated his order: Huan Nu was absolutely forbidden to leave his room.

"I told them you were showing signs of demonic possession, and my brother and I learned magic when we were young, so we're performing an exorcism for you," Xie Nu explained with a grin. After this conspiracy, he had become closer to Huan Nu and talked more.

"Heh heh, there's quite a bit of evil to exorcise from me."

"Did you really kill Yao Nu with magic?" Xie Nu asked curiously, the question clearly having been on his mind for a long time.

"Don't ask nonsense. It's none of your business," Qi Nu pulled his brother behind him, stopping him from prying.

"I'm not as good at magic as you are," Gu Shenwei said with a smile, not wanting to mention Yao Nu.

Xie Nu didn't detect the evasiveness and thought Huan Nu was denying it, his face showing confusion and a little disappointment.

Qi Nu's gaze, however, held a hint of inquiry. They all had their secrets, and he wouldn't pry further.

In the afternoon, Qi Nu and Xie Nu went to Han Jinu's again to learn "techniques." Gu Shenwei continued to practice holding his breath and controlling his energy alone, holding the modified small knife in his hands, pressing it against the imaginary underside of the bed, and then swiftly and forcefully thrusting upwards.

In his subsequent imagination, a large amount of blood sprayed out, and he had to roll to the side quickly to avoid it.

"He's an enemy," Gu Shenwei told himself. "Han Shiqi is the first cornerstone of my revenge. Killing him is enough. Every enemy I kill from now on will be a bonus."

When will the revenge be considered complete? Gu Shenwei asked himself softly.

The hatred for the destruction of his clan must be repaid with the destruction of the enemy's clan.

He didn't find this thought ridiculous at all. Although he was now just a slave lying on a heated brick bed practicing with a small knife, his ambition still soared to the heavens.

Planning an assassination was difficult, but waiting was the hardest part.

Occasionally, he heard the voices of other young boys outside the room. They represented another world, real, simple, and forgetful.

Gu Shenwei even felt a little envy and jealousy, but he immediately reminded himself that even without the burden of revenge, his world should not be like that of the slaves outside. What he had lost was more and more beautiful than all the slaves in Golden Peng Fortress combined.

Gu Shenwei practiced the simplest upward thrust countless times. As the sun set, he felt confident and stopped practicing, getting off the heated brick bed to walk around and stretch his muscles.

Stabbing in would end a life. Missing or stabbing inaccurately would cost three lives. Yet, he felt no fear or doubt, as if what he was about to do was the most natural thing in the world, as if he were already experienced.

He remembered his father, Gu Lun, always shaking his head when talking about him, worried that he would grow up to be neither skilled in academics nor martial arts, unable to farm or do business, and end up utterly useless.

"Perhaps I was born to be an Assassin," Gu Shenwei thought, his lips curving upwards into a smile he himself didn't notice.

During the roll call in the evening, Han Jinu didn't mention Huan Nu at all and didn't come to his room to check. This was a good sign that the plan was succeeding.

Xie Nu delivered dinner, bringing news that everything was proceeding smoothly and no one suspected an assassination plot was underway. He and his brother would soon find a way to distract Han Jinu and the other youths, while Huan Nu needed to slip into Jinu's room as quietly as possible.

Han Jinu often ate in the same room as the youths, though not at the same table. He reveled in the feeling of being surrounded and praised; to him, flattery was the most delicious dish.

Gu Shenwei wasn't hungry at all and still forced down some food. He didn't want his stomach to growl suddenly while hiding under the bed.

After finishing his meal, he stood by the door and listened. Laughter and cheers came from a room to the east. He waited for the laughter to reach its peak before ducking out of the room, quickly crossing the courtyard, and entering Han Jinu's bedroom. He was very familiar with the place and didn't need to look around before darting under the bed.

The bed frame was almost three feet above his head. Gu Shenwei lay on the cool, hard ground, stretching out his arms. The sharp knife in his hand was aimed three feet from the head of the bed, one and a half feet from the edge. Fortunately, this spot was right in the gap between two bed boards, saving him a lot of trouble.

This was the spot he and the Qi Nu brothers had agreed upon beforehand. If the plan succeeded, Han Shiqi's back would be hanging right above it.

One stab, only one stab, and only this one chance.

They had all witnessed the prowess of the Golden Peng Fortress assassins. Even severely wounded, Han Shiqi had easily killed three youths. Moreover, outside were Jinu and vigilant guards. Any abnormal shout could invite deadly peril.

The sky grew darker, and it was pitch black under the bed. Gu Shenwei kept one finger on the assassination point to prevent missing the target later.

Finally, footsteps entered the room from outside. A cough, a few steps, the lighting of a lamp, the discarding of shoes. The person jumped onto the bed, pressing down heavily on the bed boards and shaking off a layer of dust. Gu Shenwei, caught completely off guard, sneezed.