Assassin

Dusk spread like ink soaking through rice paper, and withered branches let out faint, broken groans in the night wind.

Two or three cold crows swept past the waning moon, their hoarse cries like rusty knives scraping across bluestone, startling the crickets in the grass into sudden silence.

Li Chen Zhou was dragged all the way by the man in black, darting into the red maple forest beyond the Capital City. Fallen leaves carpeted the ground, rustling beneath their feet like countless whispered voices. Before his breathing had settled, the system's prompt sounded in his ear:

"Ding—Mission completed: Escape the Eastern Depot's encirclement. Reward: one-time top-grade hidden weapon—Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles."

System, how powerful is this hidden weapon? Li Chen Zhou silently asked.

"Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles, a secret transmission of the Tang Clan. Twenty-seven needles per release, every needle poisoned. Those struck will surely die within three steps," the system replied mechanically.

What restrictions are there on using it?

"Its power is too great. It is a one-time consumable and will disappear immediately after use."

He lowered his head to look at his palm. An exquisite black iron lotus pedestal silently appeared there, its petals slightly unfurled, concealing twenty-seven poisoned silver needles that gleamed with an eerie blue light beneath the moon.

Suddenly, every hair on Li Chen Zhou's body stood on end.

"Ding—Detected killing intent directed at the host."

There were only two of them now. The one who had rescued him... was an assassin.

"Ding—New mission issued: Escape the assassin's attempt on your life. Reward: one random martial art technique."

The moment the system's voice fell silent, Li Chen Zhou's body bristled again. The leading man in black slowly turned around, a sharp dagger somehow already in his hand. His gaze was icy and utterly devoid of emotion.

"Young Master Li, I have wronged you."

Li Chen Zhou shouted, "Wait—"

System, what do I do? Li Chen Zhou urgently demanded in his mind.

"Dodge—"

"..."

"Analyzing target... Peak sixth-rank martial artist. Primarily cultivates Ghost Shadow Steps. The dagger is coated with 'Seven-Step Soul Severing Powder.' Recommendation: Do not engage in close combat."

"Young Master Li, you should be on your way sooner rather than later."

Before the words had faded, the dagger shot forth like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, stabbing straight for Li Chen Zhou's throat!

Clang—!

The blade slashed across his neck, only to be forcibly blocked by the Golden Bell Shield covered in Sanskrit script. Sparks flew as the dagger collided with golden light, producing a shrill grinding sound.

The assassin's pupils contracted slightly. He clearly had not expected Li Chen Zhou to block that lethal strike. His wrist went numb, and the dagger nearly slipped from his grip. He hurriedly retreated half a step and shook his numb right hand, surprise flashing through his eyes.

"Thirteen Guardian Golden Bell Shield? Interesting!"

System, confirm his identity!

"The tattoo on his neck matches the database. It has been identified as the mark of the 'Net of Heaven and Earth' organization. Based on muscle-memory analysis, this man specializes in assassination and has completed seventeen..."

"Get to the point!" Li Chen Zhou cut in.

"His weakness is three inches beneath his left ribs. An old wound has yet to heal."

He then asked, "One of Prince Jin's men?"

The assassin frowned and blurted out, "How did you know my identity?"

Li Chen Zhou sneered. "How many trump cards does Duke Zhen's Estate have? As the dignified eldest young master, how could I not know? Besides, you're so confident in your own strength that you did not even bother concealing the tattoo on your neck. It's the same tattoo as that assassin in the prison who claimed to serve Prince Jin."

A night-owl-like chuckle spilled from the assassin's throat. "What a sharp-tongued noble young master. Once I cut open your throat, let's see how many taels of cleverness you can still spit out."

Before his words ended, the dagger turned into a streak of light and stabbed straight for Li Chen Zhou's Shanzhong acupoint! The trembling blade even tore through the air with a ghostly wail!

Li Chen Zhou pushed the Golden Bell Shield to its limit. Golden light guarded his body, Sanskrit characters flowed, and his eyes constantly shifted as he tried to catch the assassin's figure.

System, what now...

System! Calculate a defensive plan in real time!

"Plan One: Block head-on. Success rate: 43%

Plan Two: Dodge sideways and counterattack. Success rate: 67%

Plan Three: Lure the enemy in deep, then coordinate with the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles. Success rate: 89%"

Yet the assassin's movement technique was incomparably strange. His figure suddenly blurred, transforming into seven afterimages, half real and half illusory! Force swept up a vortex of fallen leaves, and wherever the dagger's cold gleam passed, shattered leaves surged toward Li Chen Zhou's eyes like a swarm of locusts.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Sanskrit incantations on the Golden Bell Shield spun madly,

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With every three strikes it endured, the Golden Bell Shield dimmed another degree. Sparks scattered, branding scorched marks into the ground.

"Warning! Protective true qi remaining: 58%..." the system prompted.

"Shut up! I'm counting his footwork!" Li Chen Zhou gritted his teeth. "Before every change of move, he always withdraws his right foot first..."

Li Chen Zhou clenched his teeth and held on bitterly.

The assassin snorted, his eyes full of disdain. "Hmph, let's see how much longer you can keep forcing yourself to hold on!"

The golden light before Li Chen Zhou's chest grew increasingly faint, like the last candle flame in the wind, swaying on the verge of collapse amid the raging tide of attacks.

The assassin keenly caught that detail, and a sinister curve lifted at the corner of his lips. "So this is your fatal weakness!"

With that, his assault abruptly shifted, pouring down upon Li Chen Zhou's chest in a dense torrent like wind and rain!

"Young Master Li, farewell!"

The assassin roared, pouring all his power into a fatal strike!

Crack—!

The Sanskrit radiance of the Golden Bell Shield suddenly shattered, turning into specks of dim light that scattered into the air!

The dagger drove straight in, plunging viciously into Li Chen Zhou's left shoulder!

Squelch!

Blood splattered. Li Chen Zhou gave a muffled grunt and staggered back two steps.

Having succeeded, the assassin's lips curved into a cold, smug smile, as though proclaiming victory in this hunt.

However—

System, now!

The assassin sensed that something was wrong. His face changed drastically, and he tried to pull out the dagger and strike again, only to discover that Li Chen Zhou had clamped down on his arm with an iron grip, leaving him unable to move!

"You—!"

Li Chen Zhou flipped his right hand, and the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles were already pressed against the assassin's chest. The corner of his lips lifted into a confident, faintly teasing smile as he said coldly:

"You fell for it... This time, let's see where you can run!"

The assassin's pupils shrank abruptly as he cried in terror, "Rainstorm Pear Blossom...!"

Before he could finish, Li Chen Zhou pressed the mechanism with his finger!

Twang—!

The instant the lotus pedestal bloomed, twenty-seven streaks of silver light wove a net of death!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The sound of silver needles piercing flesh was like rain beating against banana leaves. The assassin's entire body trembled, his terrified expression freezing into a statue.

Thud!

The corpse slowly fell to the ground. Blood seeped from every needle hole, accompanied by a peacock-blue haze of poison.

Li Chen Zhou also collapsed limply to the ground. After a moment, he rose and walked over to the corpse. With one kick, he rolled over the assassin's body, then tore open the clothing on his back to reveal an eerie, spiderweb-like tattoo.

"As expected, one of the Net of Heaven and Earth..."

He sneered and pulled a hard jade pendant from the assassin's robes. The characters "Net" and "Heaven" were engraved upon it.

"A Heaven-ranked assassin... Prince Jin truly was willing to pay the price."

"Ding, congratulations, host. Mission completed: Escape Prince Jin's assassin's attempt on your life. Reward: one random martial art technique."

The system's voice rang in his mind. Li Chen Zhou let out a long breath, slumping to the ground as he panted heavily.

"Next... I should go find Liu Xian."

Liu Xian—the only person he could make use of for now. Nothing was more reliable than being bound together by shared interests.

He clenched the jade pendant in his hand, cold light flashing in his eyes.

Prince Jin, I'll remember this debt.