Meanwhile, Lin Yi had already returned from the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion.
He had just reached the courtyard when a figure quietly appeared before him. It was Wang Yue, the leader of the Net.
"Wang Yue pays his respects, my lord!"
"No need for ceremony!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. He did not care for such empty formalities; what mattered was a person's heart.
He smiled. "How did the mission go?"
That was right. He really had arranged the assassination this time.
The Ran Clan was the chief suspect. Even without evidence, everything pointed to them, so there was no need for evidence.
Although he could not kill them outright, he still had to take revenge.
Their assassin had not hurt him, but the attack had done little damage and dealt a great insult. Lin Yi could not tolerate that.
A grudge must be repaid!
With an ace like Wang Yue in his hand, killing Ran Zijin was as easy as turning over his palm.
Unless Ran Zijin hid in the military camp, he had no chance of surviving.
Wang Yue nodded and smiled. "I handled it personally this time. My sword struck one fen from Ran Zijin's heart. It wasn't fatal, but it was enough to wound him severely!"
Damn!
Hearing that, Lin Yi could not help marveling. That accuracy was truly terrifying, down to the last fraction. Wang Yue was worthy of being called a master.
What does it mean to be a professional? This is a professional!
He said one fen, and it was exactly one fen, without nicking the heart in the slightest. That was not something an ordinary person could do.
At that moment, Wang Yue suddenly took a stack of banknotes from his robes and placed them before Lin Yi.
"What's going on?" Lin Yi looked utterly bewildered.
Wang Yue said solemnly, "I know you've been short of money lately, Young Lord. When I assassinated Ran Chao earlier, I found a large number of banknotes on him, nearly twenty thousand taels, so I brought them back to present to you, my lord."
This...
Lin Yi was deeply moved. Wang Yue was a proud man, yet he had resorted to killing and robbing for his sake. This had undoubtedly put him out, so Lin Yi would have to reward him handsomely.
With a thought, a treasured sword appeared in his hand. Lin Yi said solemnly, "Wang Yue, you did very well. It seems I was right to entrust the Net to you. I bestow this Heaven-Relying Sword upon you. I hope you'll use it to carve out a place for me beneath the heavens!"
The Heaven-Relying Sword!
At the sight of the sword, a flicker of emotion and longing crossed Wang Yue's eyes, but he suppressed it.
He had seen this sword before. It could cut through iron like mud; it was unquestionably a peerless blade.
Although he liked it, it was not a sword he could accept.
He shook his head with difficulty and said in a low voice, "My lord, this is a king's sword. It is not mine to lay hands on."
"Hahaha, it's just a sword!"
Lin Yi laughed it off and tossed the sword straight to him. "I'm entrusting it to you. You wield a sword for me, so you're qualified to carry it. If it ever comes to the point where I need to use a sword myself, then you'll have failed in your duty!"
He had a musket, which was enough to protect himself.
Wang Yue also protected him in ordinary times. If an enemy got close enough to reach him, it would not be something a sword could resolve anyway.
In Wang Yue's hands, the Heaven-Relying Sword could bring out even greater strength. That was certainly no loss.
He then looked at the banknotes in his hand, a strange look flashing in his eyes. Could this be the money Zhang Long and Zhao Hu had used to buy the salt mine?
If so, Ran Chao would probably cough up blood.
He had lost his wife and his soldiers!
Thud!
Wang Yue dropped to his knees and solemnly accepted the Heaven-Relying Sword. Choking with emotion, he said, "I swear to protect you with my life, my lord. Anyone who wishes to harm you will have to step over my corpse!"
A warrior dies for the one who understands him!
His lord had given him a king's sword without hesitation. Such trust set his heart surging, and so he chose to offer the highest salute.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. Win People Over with Virtue has successfully moved Wang Yue, leader of the Net under your command. Celebrity reward doubled. You have obtained a Young Lü Bu Equipment Card!"
Lü Bu?
Lin Yi's pupils contracted as he stared at the notification in disbelief. This was an equipment card equivalent to Lü Bu's full strength.
In other words, as long as he activated the card, he would possess Lü Bu's strength at his peak. Wasn't that terrifying?
Lü Bu was unquestionably a divine general of the Three Kingdoms, a man who had fought Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei single-handedly. The strength of someone like that was off the charts.
Now the system had rewarded him with it. Wouldn't that make him practically invincible?
"Ding! An equipment card has been detected in the host's possession. Would you like to activate it? You will gain the full strength of the military general on the card."
"Activate!"
He chose to activate it without hesitation.
Once he activated it, any future assassination attempts would be a joke. They could burn incense and thank their lucky stars if he didn't assassinate them.
In an instant, Lin Yi appeared perfectly still, but his entire body was actually undergoing an earth-shaking transformation. His gaze grew sharper as well.
Crack, crack, crack!
He rolled his neck, and it immediately crackled. It was a rhythm brimming with power, as though every joint in his body had been strengthened. His hands were filled with strength, too. He was certain that if he threw a punch with all his might now, not even an ox could withstand it.
"That feels good!"
Lin Yi let out a long breath, feeling refreshed and better than ever.
He had traded one Heaven-Relying Sword for Lü Bu's full strength. Was that a loss?
He had struck it rich!
How could one Heaven-Relying Sword compare to all of Lü Bu's strength? It was practically worth several hundred Heaven-Relying Swords.
Wang Yue also sensed that something was amiss. He could feel his lord's strength increasing rapidly, and Lin Yi himself was becoming even more unfathomable.
He grew anxious, worried that something had happened to the young lord.
"Young Lord, your body..."
"Don't worry, I've never felt better. Perhaps this is an epiphany!"
Lin Yi spoke with a smile.
Hiss!
Wang Yue sucked in a breath of cold air. The young lord had become a peerless master in an instant because of the legendary epiphany. He was truly a peerless martial arts genius!
Even Wang Yue had never experienced an epiphany, much less improved so much in an instant. The young lord was practically a god.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. Win People Over with Virtue has increased your subordinate Wang Yue's admiration for you. Reward: one hundred of Cao Cao's personal guards."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. Win People Over with Virtue has caused your subordinate Wang Yue's admiration for you to rise wildly. Reward: five hundred of Cao Cao's personal guards." ```
"..."
Uh!
Seeing the messages flood his vision, Lin Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had not expected that an idle boast would utterly break Wang Yue's composure, leaving him thinking he had seen a god.
He had actually received nearly a thousand of Cao Cao's personal guards in one go. This was something else. It fucking worked, too?
Nothing more to say!
The system was awesome!
But on reflection, it made sense. With his strength increasing so wildly, a master like Wang Yue would naturally notice at once. It would have been strange if he weren't shocked.
After all, Wang Yue had trained painstakingly for thirty years to reach his current level.
Lin Yi had achieved it in a single step. Wang Yue had no choice but to be impressed.