Jing Ke Assassination of the King of Qin

Zhu Juntang emerged after changing her clothes, her hair possessing that unique, heavy dampness that swayed against her slender waist with every step she took.

Even after the most wretched of moments, Zhu Juntang had recovered the elegance and composure of a young lady, head held high, her face displaying that arrogant yet charming smile characteristic of the Third Miss Zhu.

"I forgive your impetuosity," Zhu Juntang said, looking at Liu Chang'an. "Those who possess talent and arrogance are always indulged by some. Back then, Crown Prince Dan of Yan was only able to win over Jing Ke and make him willing to sacrifice his life to assassinate the First Emperor of Qin because he could endure being stabbed three times by him. This mere 'Wild Goose Descending on the Sand' move is nothing I would take to heart."

"Jing Ke assassinated the King of Qin, Zheng; it was only six years later that Ying Zheng declared himself Emperor. Also, where on earth did you hear that Jing Ke stabbed Crown Prince Dan of Yan three times first?" Liu Chang'an looked at Zhu Juntang, finding her logic unfathomable.

"I have read many books; surely one of them must have written it that way. Could it be that I invented history myself?" Zhu Juntang casually picked a book off the shelf, flipped it open, the corners of her mouth curling slightly. A look of contemplation appeared in her eyes as her fingers gently pinched the page, and then she looked up at Zhong Qing in a daze, as if her entire being radiated a fresh and pure aura, along with that adorable ignorance.

Zhong Qing quickly captured this beautiful, vacant, and adorable moment by taking a photo of Zhu Juntang, then turned the phone screen around to show it to her.

Zhu Juntang nodded with satisfaction. "Touch it up with that pink filter... send it to me in a bit."

After the photo was taken, Zhu Juntang tossed the book aside. Liu Chang'an glanced at the prop; it was a copy of Shuowen Jiezi.

"When I walked in, I saw that you had many books, even a very large library..." Ever since her claim about Jing Ke stabbing the Crown Prince three times, Liu Chang'an had become suspicious of the purpose of her library.

"I like to read." Zhu Juntang's smile was calm and poised.

"Then you should read more." Liu Chang'an prepared to take his leave.

"Wait."

Zhu Juntang naturally did not intend to let Liu Chang'an off so easily. After waving away Zhong Qing and the servants, she placed her hands behind her back to press against her hips, eyeing Liu Chang'an with hidden vigilance, biting her lip before letting it go.

"I heard everything you said to Zhong Qing. What you said makes sense, but you also kicked me, so we are even."

Liu Chang'an nodded; he was a man of reason, provided the other party was willing to reason with him.

"Zhuge Liang visited the thatched cottage three times... no, wait, Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times to express his sincerity, but actually, Zhuge Liang had long wanted to go off and rob houses with Liu Bei." Zhu Juntang looked at Liu Chang'an with burning eyes. "I, the Third Miss Zhu, am also thirsty for talent. As long as you are willing to work for me, I can help you keep your secrets, grant you endless wealth, and give you many, many women."

Everyone has desires and wants to satisfy them; Zhu Juntang was firmly convinced of this, and even though she had just been kicked into a swimming pool by Liu Chang'an, she was not shaken in the slightest.

"You are a woman, too." Liu Chang'an looked at Zhu Juntang with profound meaning.

Zhu Juntang had always considered herself an ambitious girl, so to achieve her ambitions, sacrificing a little pride and stooping to compromise was acceptable.

Thus, a shy light flickered in Zhu Juntang's eyes. She bit her lip, and after a brief hesitation, closed her eyes with a hint of resentment and determination. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the hem of her skirt slightly, and just as she was about to undress, she insisted with a shy, reluctant sense of modesty: "Turn around first."

Liu Chang'an turned around as requested.

Zhu Juntang's eyes widened, her expression shifted, and she retreated a few steps, held her breath, then accelerated and jumped, kicking straight at Liu Chang'an's backside!

This was what they called giving someone a taste of their own medicine! Zhu Juntang sneered inwardly. Men were vulgar creatures after all; they were so blinded by lust that they dared to profane even a fairy, so she would make him pay the price for profaning one!

Liu Chang'an stepped aside at the perfect moment, watching as Zhu Juntang's expression changed, wailing as she kicked at empty air, flailing her limbs as she landed, and stumbling forward a few steps in an attempt to steady herself, only to fail and land flat on her face with a thud.

Liu Chang'an looked at her expressionlessly. What a foolish woman.

Zhu Juntang lay on the ground, motionless. She couldn't quite accept reality; less than an hour had passed since the last time she was this wretched, yet here she was again, prostrate in such unprecedented humiliation. In the life of the Third Miss Zhu, indignities came one after another, and an infinite sense of grievance welled up in her heart, causing tears to stream down her face instantly.

At this moment, Liu Chang'an walked over. Zhu Juntang made up her mind: whether he came to pull her up, apologize, or coax her, she would never forgive him! Once is enough, never again—unless he agreed to become her subordinate.

Liu Chang'an walked past Zhu Juntang, headed out, stepped into the elevator, and went downstairs.

Zhu Juntang lay on the floor for a long time, but she never waited for Liu Chang'an to turn back and pull her up, finally realizing that he had actually just left!

"Zhong Qing! Zhong... Qing!"

Zhu Juntang's infinitely aggrieved voice echoed through the room.

Liu Chang'an went downstairs to the construction site and found the dead dog, letting out a sigh of relief. He had been worried that someone might have picked it up while he was upstairs.

He looked up; the lights on the outer wall of the Baolong Center were still bright, sparkling like a glowing jade pillar, and at the top of the building lived a... little fairy.

Liu Chang'an smiled. He wasn't worried about Zhu Juntang leaking his secrets. The longer one lived, the more powerful one became; he wasn't about to become overly cautious, but he certainly wasn't easily threatened.

Apart from him, no other security personnel came by. Liu Chang'an didn't care that Fan Jian had asked him to keep watch at the behest of Zhong Qing, and he continued to patrol the construction site as usual.

The soil emitted a faint, raw scent; construction sites always had a smell mixed with dust, paint, and the spray of water and mortar. Liu Chang'an saw a truck parked too close to the edge of the foundation pit and walked over to push it back a bit.

No problem; his strength was immense.

A night passed, and Zhu Juntang did not send Zhong Qing to find Liu Chang'an again. At the first light of dawn, Liu Chang'an carried the dead dog back home.

The ground was covered in sycamore leaves, and in a daze, it felt as if autumn had traveled through several months to arrive at the beginning of summer, carrying a desolate flavor. Liu Chang'an stood under the tree with the dead dog on his shoulder, turning to look at the box truck before him.

After a brief hesitation, Liu Chang'an swept the sycamore leaves into a pile, gathered some bricks and stones to enclose them, and lit the drier leaves. Using a long wooden stick to maneuver the dead dog, he began to singe the fur off over the fire.

The fire roared, and the burning dog fur emitted a foul stench. Fortunately, the Rottweiler had short fur, and it was clean after a while. Liu Chang'an used a knife to chop off the dog's head, placed it in a large basin, and put it into the truck bed. He watched the bronze coffin for a long time, and seeing it remained motionless, he finally closed the truck door.

The rest of the work was naturally to gut the dead dog. After the skin had been singed, the internal organs were slightly cooked, making them easier to clean. Liu Chang'an kept the dog liver for himself; among the eight delicacies of the Shang and Zhou dynasty imperial courts, the "liver-fat roast" was made with dog liver—this was the most authentic method.

Some people used pork, goose, or duck liver, but the standard method for liver-fat roast was to wrap the liver in the fat found between the intestines and grill it, which tasted excellent.

The other organs were cleaned and kept; Liu Chang'an did not intend to make the common dog meat hotpot or braised dog meat found here in Junsha. These organs were the most suitable raw materials for making dog meat sauce.

He kept some for himself and set the rest of the dog meat on a wooden rack at his doorstep, waiting for the neighbors to wake up so he could sell it.

"Brother Chang'an, did you kill a little pig?" A little girl brought over some soy milk, looking at Liu Chang'an with curiosity.

"This is a dog." Liu Chang'an took the soy milk and began to drink. The little girl was named Zhou Dongdong, and she and her mother, Zhou Shuling, rented the apartment above Liu Chang'an's.

"How could you kill a doggy!" Zhou Dongdong immediately pouted, tears welling up in her eyes as she began to sob. "How could you kill a doggy..."

"Why is it okay to kill a little pig, but not a dog?"

Zhou Dongdong wiped her eyes, bit her finger, and froze, unable to find a reason. She continued to cry: "How could you kill a doggy..."

Liu Chang'an sighed. Men and women both required reason, but a little girl was a lost cause; Liu Chang'an decided not to reason with her.