Rumble
After a few muffled claps of thunder, a torrential downpour began on both banks of the river.
At Shangjin Ferry, where thousands of sails converge, pedestrians hurriedly ran to avoid the rain.
In an inconspicuous inn on the street, strategist Huang Guan sat in a room, scrutinizing the young man standing inside. His eyes were full of suspicion. "This is the assassin you found on Black Dragon Island? My lord doesn't want some clueless greenhorn."
The young man looked to be under thirty, with a scholarly air about him, making him appear more like a student from an academy.
Qian Zhong, the leader of Black Dragon Island, stood to the side, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Appearances can be deceiving. This is Zhang Jin. His grandfather used to be an official in the imperial court, but he offended the current Emperor of Yan, and his entire family was murdered. He was taken by his servants and fled to Dongyuan Lake to hide, where he was raised by fishermen. For more than ten years, he has devoted himself to martial arts training and has worked very hard..."
Huang Guan felt that Black Dragon Island was indeed of little use, and the person they had found was far inferior to that of the Eight Pillars Hall.
However, assassinating the emperor in the palace was a one-way trip. Money-grubbing killers wouldn't take the job, and trusted confidants would easily be exposed. The only option was to find war orphans like Yang Tuyan, who harbored deep hatred and resentment.
Huang Guan remained silent for a moment, then looked at the silent young man:
Who is your grandfather?
Zhang Jin was very polite, cupping his hands in greeting:
Zhang Zhiping.
As an elder of the Duke Who Protects the State, Huang Guan remembered who had been executed along with their entire family over the years, and briefly recalled:
"A veteran of the previous dynasty, he successively served as Imperial Diarist, Assistant Minister of Rites, and Imperial Secretary, and served Emperor Huai and Emperor Ai. Later, he was implicated in the ' Song Wei Rebellion Case,' and his family was raided and he was executed."
The Song Wei treason case occurred after Emperor of Yan ascended the throne. Song Wei, a student of Wu Chenglie, outwardly submitted to the new emperor but secretly formed a faction, attempting to restore the Great Zhou Dynasty. His plot was exposed and he was executed, triggering a purge that implicated many others.
Given this background, the motive to assassinate the Emperor of Yan was sufficient, but entering the palace to assassinate him required courage. Huang Guan then inquired:
Have you ever killed anyone before?
Zhang Jin nodded. "Yes, I have."
Huang Guan was skeptical. He first glanced at the street outside the window, then took a dagger from his sleeve, turned it upside down, and handed it to Zhang Jin.
"Give it a try."
Zhang Jin paused for a moment, took the dagger, and then:
Sa
Qian Zhong, standing to the side, was about to ask Zhang Jin to go outside and find someone to testify to his courage when he sensed something was wrong out of the corner of his eye. A chill ran down his spine, and he immediately pulled back. But before he could even touch the hilt of his sword, the sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out, accompanied by a few drops of blood.
Pfft~
Ta-da~
Qian Zhong staggered back two steps, his chest quickly stained crimson with blood. He stared at Zhang Jin in disbelief, then, after a moment of stunned silence, drew his sword and glared angrily. "You son of a bitch..."
Huang Guan was also startled and jumped up, pinning the knife in Qian Zhong's hand, his anger burning:
Why did you kill him?! I was using him right now...
Zhang Jin, expressionless, turned the dagger back and handed it to Huang Guan.
"Now that I'm out here, I have no intention of going back. It doesn't matter who I kill."
Qian Zhong's face was ashen, and his eyes seemed to want to devour someone.
Fortunately, he retreated quickly and wasn't killed by a single stab. He was also using this assassin's weapon; after a moment's hesitation, he looked at Huang Guan again:
"Isn't that ruthless enough?! I brought him here myself, treated him like a father the whole way, and this guy didn't even flinch, it was like stabbing him in the heart..." "Enough, enough..."
Huang Guan wasn't blind; he could open the chest of the Black Dragon Island leader with a single strike, even if it was an attack that caught him off guard, demonstrating his martial arts skills were up to par.
Those who dared to stab Qian Zhong were prepared for a one-way trip, and immediately took out life-saving pills from their pockets:
"You'll come back to the capital with me first. You can choose any of the most beautiful courtesans there, and food and drink will be provided..."
All I need is a good weapon.
"You don't need to worry about that, it's definitely more powerful than the Ravine-Leaping Tiger..."
Qian Zhong was stunned with anger, but he couldn't beat up the assassins, so he shouted angrily:
"He won't give it to me! Seriously, this is the first time I've ever seen something like this in my entire life..."
"Alright, alright, we have them all..."
As Huang Guan was bandaging Qian Zhong's wound and trying to comfort him, he suddenly frowned and quickly lowered his voice.
Qian Zhong and Zhang Jin, at the same time, frowned and turned to look at the harbor outside the window...
Splash~
A strong wind whipped up the dark clouds, and a torrential downpour began.
Banners fluttered wildly in the strong wind at the dock, and laborers carrying loads and pushing carts could be seen scattering in panic.
Hongyu knelt in the comfortable guest room, the window slightly ajar. She used her binoculars to focus on the boats bobbing on the river, a jade pendant beside her, and whispered:
"The thugs are all sheltering from the rain under the eaves; they can board the boat now."
Meanwhile, in the middle of the river.
Ye Xingge activated the Water-Repelling Pearl, submerging himself underwater. The wind and rain raged, and the waves were surging, making it impossible to see the surface. Only after hearing Great Beauty's prompt did he surface, clinging to the stern of the boat.
Whoosh~
As my head surfaced, the howling wind and rolling thunder were clearly audible. Although there was some noise coming out of the water, it was completely undetectable in the downpour.
Ye Xingge glanced up briefly to make sure there were no sentries, then threw out the Filth-Severing Whip, which wrapped around the fence and quietly pulled him up.
Because the ship's cabin was full of experts, he moved with extreme caution, almost slowly vaulting into the corridor. Then, he took the Fate-Robbing Saber from his waist and listened carefully. He could faintly hear voices from inside the ship's cabin:
"The bounty for the famous soldier is easy to discuss, but how do we divide the Fate-Robbing Saber '?"
"Only those with a strong constitution dare to wield the Fate-Robbing Saber, and even then, there's a high chance of a violent death. It's far more practical to Gold-Chasing Bell..."
Outside, the wind and rain were raging, and the boat was rocking violently. The sounds were not very clear, but it was easy to tell that there were quite a few people.
Ye Xingge thought for a moment, and seeing that the small door behind the ship's deck was locked and no one was inside, he put the Fate-Robbing Saber back into his waistband and took out the " Gold-Melting File ". The Gold-Melting File looked like a triangular file and was easy to use.
Ye Xingge covered the lock with his sleeve, gently rubbed the copper ring with a file, and simultaneously gathered his energy to control it.
With each rub, his palms burned, the feel like shaving chocolate, and there wasn't much noise. After a few rubs, the lock broke. Ye Xingge carefully removed the lock, gently pushed open the small door, and saw that the inside was a storage room that led to the kitchen at the back of the ship's deck. The main hall was still ahead; there was no one in the kitchen for the impromptu meeting.
Seeing this, Ye Xingge took out the Ravine-Leaping Tiger, smoke bombs, and Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers, and silently crept forward, his voice growing clearer:
"If you're not happy with that, then go solo. Nobody's stopping you..."
"What do you mean?"
"Hey, hey, everyone's giving Qin face..."
Inside the ship's main hall.
Dressed as a wealthy official, Qin Laosan sat in the main seat, raising his hand to suppress the group of heroes who were full of hostility, his eyes revealing a deep sense of helplessness. As a "broker" in the Yongzhou area, Qin Laosan had some connections with the eight major sects, especially with the River-Spanning Pavilion. In the past, the Jianghu people of Dongyuan Lake would go to him, Master Qin, for any needs they had.
But "donors" are also in need of money, and they don't dare to take on just any job, such as killing Ye Xingge.
Ye Xingge is clearly a rising star in the capital, backed by the Heaven-Observing Decree. Gathering intelligence is easy for him, but the commotion after the killings is too great, and he is very likely to be named by the Heaven-Observing Pavilion.
But once you're on this boat of life, you can't just get off whenever you want.
He'd provided assassins with intelligence before, and these dangerous individuals respected him because they'd need his help in the future. But what would be the point of his existence if he stopped doing business?
Simply by holding leverage over him and demanding bribes, you can drive him to the brink of despair.
Therefore, Qin Laosan had no choice but to gather these ruthless people who came to his door to discuss their demands, which boiled down to two points:
First, you must kill them. The Fate-Robbing Saber grows too fast; if you fail to kill it in one attack, it will come seeking revenge. Therefore, it's best to attack together. Second, you cannot take the Fate-Robbing Saber.
Qin Laosan knew what was happening in the capital and killed Ye Xingge, but most of the powerful and influential people in the capital didn't care.
But if you dare to steal the Fate-Robbing Saber, you'll be crossing the Emperor of Yan's inviolable taboo.
Seeing that many heroes held differing opinions, Qin Laosan earnestly advised them:
"The imperial court needs the Fate-Robbing Saber to deal with Wu Chenglie. Whoever takes it will not survive. Leaving it to the court will keep the matter under control. Besides, Gold-Chasing Gentleman's wealth is enough for everyone to share..."
Inside the spacious hall, eight large chairs were all occupied.
The cloaked swordsman at the top right is " Ye Jianxing," a professional assassin who takes on jobs at the River-Spanning Pavilion year-round. His cloak's special effect is [ Shadow Vanishes with the Form ], but its quality is much lower than that of Gold-Chasing Gentleman's. He is here for the Ravine-Leaping Tiger and the Wind-Traveling Talisman.
The chief on the left was an elderly man with white hair, leaning against a long spear. He was Zhou Lie, the Azure Dragon Spear, a wandering swordsman who traveled all over the country. His spear was a rare item.
To Zhou Lie's side was Pace Feather Lu Zheng, whose weapon was quite special, the " Dark Green Bow." Its magical effect, [ Gathering Power to Strike ], allowed him to apply a portion of his internal energy to the bow, increasing the speed and power of his arrows. It was nicknamed the " Little No-Strategy Bow."
The two brothers from Black Stone Stronghold sat near Ye Jianxing.
The eldest brother, Zheng Rong, was a burly man with a hint of banditry in his eyes. He carried a double-edged axe called " Elephant King," which served a common purpose. The second brother, Zheng Yi, had rat-like eyes and a hooked nose. He was rather thin and carried a unique weapon: a grappling hook.
Iron Claw is not a famous weapon, but the rope behind it is, called " Immortal Rope," and its function is [ Extend and Retract at Will ].
The remaining three seats were occupied by assassins who didn't make it into the Third Rank, but they still had some reputation in the martial arts world.
The most vocal among those present were the Black Stone Twin Fiends Duo, especially the elder brother, Zheng Rong, who was the most displeased and questioned:
"Killing Ye Xingge is enough for the two of us brothers. If we join forces, even without taking the Fate-Robbing Saber, how will we divide the loot and bounty among so many people? If the spoils aren't divided fairly, we'll end up killing each other. Who will benefit?"
This is clearly what others are worried about as well.
Qin Laosan responded:
"You all know what Ye Xingge did at the Forgetful River Mouth. If you think you can kill him without any help, then why don't you go and kill Gold-Chasing Gentleman?" This was the reason everyone was gathered here, and they remained silent.
Qin Laosan continued:
"Only if the man is killed and returns safely can we consider the profits. I, Qin, will find out this boy's whereabouts and his personal guards, and lure him out. Let's discuss how to divide the spoils first, then we'll act together. You are all seasoned veterans of the underworld, with reputations and influence..."
Just as they were talking, Ye Jianxing, who was sitting at the table, suddenly twitched his ears.
Then his figure blurred, turning into a hazy afterimage as he rushed towards the lobby entrance.
Everyone fell silent upon seeing this, Qin Laosan looked puzzled.
As the hall fell silent, the sounds of wind, rain, and thunder outside reached everyone's ears, mixed with a few...
Pee pee pee~
Whew~
The next instant, a black sphere appeared from under the curtain on the side of the back room and rolled directly between the eight chairs!
Glug glug~