Chapter 9: The Deadly Assassin
Chapter 9: The Desperate Assassin
Qin Yuan, face concealed, emerged from the nearby woods.
“Good thing you didn’t make a move just now.”
“I’m not afraid to die.”
The man, having misunderstood, spoke with displeasure. If not for this person’s interference, he would have already acted.
“It’s not about being afraid to die; it’s that you simply won’t succeed.”
“What exactly do you want?”
The man asked in confusion.
Heroes all have one flaw: their minds aren’t very flexible, and when faced with problems, they only charge ahead recklessly.
“I can tell you a place Yu Xian frequently visits—but you have to teach me your skill of bone-shrinking disguise.”
After speaking, Qin Yuan glanced at the man’s bulging backpack. “And the gold and silver inside it—anyway, you won’t be needing it anymore.”
The man’s mouth twitched; was this guy here to help or to rob him?
“I am Zhu Hongdeng of the Yellow Lotus Sect. May I ask who you are?”
Zhu Hongdeng, the Grand Protector of the Yellow Lotus Sect.
Weren’t they said to have been killed by Yu Xian?
Officials, it turns out, rarely speak the truth.
“So it’s the Grand Protector of the Yellow Lotus Sect in person. I am but an unknown soldier.”
No sooner had Qin Yuan finished, Zhu Hongdeng charged at him like a raging gale.
Bang!
Zhu Hongdeng slammed into a solid wall of energy, staggering and falling.
After a while, he got up, looking at Qin Yuan with awe.
The energy wall—only a Grandmaster could wield such a skill.
“Want to try again?”
“No need,” Zhu Hongdeng shook his head, respectfully pulling out a book and placing it along with the gold and silver on the ground.
“I heard from a friend that Yu Xian has recently been frequenting Rouge Alley, Fenglai Tower, looking for Miss Chunhua.”
“Senior, that friend you mentioned… could it be you yourself?” Zhu Hongdeng whispered.
“Ahem…”
Heroes have another flaw: they’re terrible at talking.
“Thank you, Senior.”
Zhu Hongdeng hastily cupped his hands and left.
After only a few steps, he returned, knelt down, and kowtowed several times.
“Anything else?”
Qin Yuan suddenly regretted meddling.
“If in the future the Yellow Lotus Sect suffers total annihilation, and you happen to encounter any surviving disciples, please lend them aid.”
Fearing refusal, Zhu Hongdeng produced a stack of silver notes from his bosom.
“This is 25,000 taels of silver.”
Religious orders are fast at making money.
Qin Yuan even felt tempted to start a religion himself.
“If I encounter them, I will act.”
Zhu Hongdeng kowtowed deeply again before rising and walking away without looking back.
Qin Yuan wrapped the book and silver in his outer robe, sprinted twenty miles to ensure no one was following, then carefully opened the pages one by one with a twig, memorized the contents, and shattered the book with a palm strike.
At the riverbank, he caught a fish and placed the gold and silver in a small puddle. After some time, nothing suspicious happened to the fish.
He then caught an insect and placed it on the silver notes, waiting a while longer, still no sign of poison.
Qin Yuan remained uneasy.
He rewrapped the gold and silver with his outer robe.
Though the Vajra Invincibility Skill renders one impervious to poison, who could guarantee no accidents?
After a quick disguise, Qin Yuan went to the money exchange, converting only part of the gold and silver—exchanging too much at once would attract unwanted attention.
Night had fallen.
Rouge Alley was bustling, red sleeves fluttering in the wind.
At Fenglai Tower, Miss Chunhua’s room exuded the scent of myrtle.
---
Having just finished his labor, drenched in sweat, Yu Xian lay resting.
One servant after another poured hot water into a large wooden tub in the room.
Lord Yu had a habit of bathing after work.
After some time—
“Sir, it’s ready.”
Yu Xian murmured in acknowledgment, about to rise.
A fierce, crushing blow struck his head, killing him instantly.
Yu Xian, with his seventh-grade martial skill, never had time to react.
His final thought: Damn, who killed me?
“Brothers and sisters, Zhu Hongdeng has avenged you!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A group of external martial arts masters burst in, swiftly killing the assailant Zhu Hongdeng.
---
Meanwhile, at the Zhonghe Theater,
On stage, the opera “Zhuan Zhu Assassinating King Liao” was being performed.
The audience below gathered from various trades, leisurely cracking sunflower seeds and cheering.
Vendors weaved through the crowd like busy bees, selling their wares.
The thick atmosphere of ancient times enveloped the place.
Qin Yuan found a discreet spot and quietly watched the play.
As a modern man, he initially couldn’t bear traditional opera—too noisy.
Over time, he began to appreciate its charm.
“Sir, want to buy a little booklet?”
Qin Yuan thought it was a bookseller.
Turning around, he saw a vendor selling tabloids.
Tabloids weren’t new—back in the Song Dynasty of his original era, they existed.
The treacherous minister Cai Jing had even been forced to explain himself due to slanderous tabloids.
Qin Yuan glanced and was surprised: the tabloid was a pirated copy of “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” which he had already finished reading.
Pirated copies sold to the author himself—nothing quite like it.
Qin Yuan’s face darkened. “No, thanks.”
The child vendor pouted and left, feeling wronged.
“No need to be so fierce if I say no.”
“Yuanda, you also enjoy Qiu Yuexiang’s operas?”
Li Guangqian suddenly appeared—this guy seemed to be everywhere.
“Yes, Qiu Yuexiang is the best old male lead in the capital,” Qin Yuan praised.
When he first arrived in this world, he couldn’t endure opera at all—found it noisy.
But after a while, he became captivated.
They chatted for some time until a group of playful children passed by, bringing amusement.
“You’re not young anymore. Want me to introduce you to someone? My wife’s younger sister is gentle, lovely, and well-educated.”
Li Guangqian was cut off by Qin Yuan.
“No, no, I’m a wanderer—unworthy of your sister-in-law.”
Qin Yuan quickly declined.
Being around each other day and night, anyone not foolish would notice his oddities.
Besides, he was faithful, forever enamored only with eighteen-year-olds.
“I’m telling you, you spend all your money on women—how will they help you have sons?”
Li Guangqian lamented.
Li Guangqian didn’t understand Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan didn’t understand Li Guangqian.
Except that Qin Yuan was immortal, and Li Guangqian’s life was short.
---
The two were born of different civilizations.
Li Guangqian hailed from an agrarian civilization, where rulers used marriage and family to bind men and restrict women’s sexual freedom, and men had strong desires to procreate.
Qin Yuan came from an industrial civilization, whose rulers controlled 120% of the world’s wealth, with individuals burdened by massive debts—there was no desire to reproduce.
After the opera, they left.
“I bought a magistrate position in Shiqu County,” Li Guangqian said calmly.
Qin Yuan was startled.
Buying a magistrate post cost a fortune.
He hadn’t realized Li Guangqian’s family was quite wealthy despite his quiet demeanor.
“Ahem, my father-in-law’s money,” Li Guangqian explained awkwardly.
Men living off women’s support always sounded bad.
“Ah, the power of Mount Tai.”
Qin Yuan suddenly understood.
Living off a woman was also a skill.
Many desired it but couldn’t achieve it—like readers who read books but never finish or vote.
“When do you leave?”
“In a few days. Suddenly, I’m a bit reluctant to leave everyone.”
Li Guangqian spoke sadly.
Humans are social creatures; staying long in one place makes it hard to move.
“You’ll feel differently after some time,” Qin Yuan smiled.
Every graduation season in his past life brought sorrow.
But with time, who cares?
Humans are social, but also forgetful.
Li Guangqian nodded, waved goodbye, and started to leave.
“Wait.”
“Huh?”
Li Guangqian turned back.
“Have you decided to live off a woman too?”
“No,” Qin Yuan said with a dark face.
“Then why call me back?”
“Aren’t we friends?”
“Yes.”
“Lend me some money?”
“Say that again.”
“Lend me some money.”
“The line before that?”
“Aren’t we friends?”
“No, hahaha!”
Li Guangqian laughed, then pulled out a stack of shimmering silver notes.
Qin Yuan waved his hand. “Just joking.”
“Until we meet again.”
“Until we meet again.”
Li Guangqian’s figure grew smaller and smaller as he walked away.
A few days later, Li Guangqian left.
Probably never to meet again.
Besides inconvenient transportation, his health was failing.
He might live another fifteen years at most.
…
(End of Chapter)