While Annie was being treated to the finest food and drink in the Song stronghold's mountain city in Lingnan, and enjoying herself so much that she'd forgotten all about home, far away in Chengdu, Bashu, Yang Xuyan—the "Shadow Assassin," who had once crossed swords with the Twin Dragons and been gravely wounded by Annie—was meeting privately with a bald, obese man who looked like a Buddha in an ordinary residence with only one small courtyard.
Of course, perhaps "conferring in secret" or "plotting" would be more accurate?
"..."
"Hmph!"
"Old An, you're absolutely right!"
"The Twin Dragons stole the He Clan Jade from Luoyang, then went to Chang'an and stole the Evil Emperor's Relics. And a little while ago, they even killed my subordinate Cao Yinglong and took all his military supplies..."
"That makes this a grudge we can never settle."
"Shi and I will never let them get away with it!"
The first to speak was naturally the cold and ruthless "Shadow Assassin," Yang Xuyan. Even in the secret room, his unsettling gaze roved restlessly around like a hunter's.
After failing to spy on them in Luoyang and being gravely wounded by Annie, he'd fled on the spot to recover. Since he'd shown up again, he must have mostly healed.
"Can't argue with you there!"
"Those two lads really do have some tricks up their sleeves."
"But..."
"They're still no threat compared with their master!"
"The only one to blame is Cao Yinglong for being such an idiot. He had forty thousand soldiers, yet Flying Horse Ranch wiped them out with just five thousand cavalry. What a useless fool—he couldn't get anything right!"
"Enough!"
"Let's not talk about those four dead men. Let's get back to business!"
The ugly, obese, bald man who looked like a Buddha was none