Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Outside Bianzhou City.

A swift horse galloped through the countryside, with Zhao Jiu naturally seated in the saddle.

After escaping Jianzhou, he had first taken a detour through Fuzhou before heading straight north. He had nearly ridden a perfectly good horse to death along the way.

Four days earlier, a Night Owl had brought Zhao Jiu a message. Four characters were written on the paper inside its Bamboo Tube:

Return to Bianzhou at once!

The message also bore six dots.

This was the special code Zhao Jiu used to communicate with his intermediary, Six Fingers. Six dots represented Six Fingers, while nine dots represented Zhao Jiu. They were arranged according to the circle tiles of mahjong from later generations, making the code impossible to counterfeit.

After four days of relentless travel, riding almost without rest by day or night, Zhao Jiu finally reached a small estate outside Bianzhou City.

He dismounted, pushed open the gate, and found Six Fingers fishing beside a lake.

“Six Fingers, what happened? Why did you summon me back in such a hurry?” Zhao Jiu drank a bowl of tea and asked impatiently.

“Old Nine, you really will accept any job, will you not? You even dared to kill an Imperial Envoy! Wanted notices bearing your likeness are plastered all over Jiangnan now,” Six Fingers said.

“Poverty leaves a man with few choices. Pay me enough, and I might even make an attempt on The Emperor.”

“Judging by your condition, you should be fine. None of your old Household Registration documents can be used anymore. I obtained several new ones for you. Be more careful. You only have one life.”

“I thought something serious had happened. At worst, after killing someone, I can simply hide in the mountains.” Zhao Jiu lay back on a reclining chair and rocked gently. “By the way, where is the remaining payment? Do not tell me you skimmed my share.”

“You bastard! I, Six Fingers, have a reputation to uphold!”

After saying that, Six Fingers handed a Banknote to the reclining Zhao Jiu.

Once Zhao Jiu accepted it, Six Fingers continued warning him, “Old Nine, your life is important. Stop accepting every job that comes your way. The Governor-Generals in every region now command vast armies. Offend the wrong person, and you will spend the rest of your life living like a rat underground…”

“Six Fingers, since The Old Emperor is so afraid of the local authorities growing too powerful, how did he manage to create the position of Governor-General in the first place? Has he lost his mind?”

“Hah. What else could he have done besides handing out power? During the reign of The Late Emperor, Jiexian invaded the border, and his forces advanced directly toward the Imperial Capital. If the court did not rely on generals who knew how to fight, was it supposed to rely on those civil officials who did nothing but compose poetry?”

“Once the war was over, the generals had to be rewarded according to their merits. The achievement of rescuing the sovereign was no less significant than helping an emperor ascend the throne. As a result, even the least of them received the title of General of Pacification—an Upper Third Rank position!”

“Generals need wars to fight, so the court dispatched them throughout the realm to suppress rebellions. At most, each of them was originally given only three thousand men. Was that not foolish? How could three thousand men possibly be enough?”

“They could only recruit soldiers locally. And once they started recruiting, how many soldiers they enlisted was entirely up to the generals themselves. A war that should have lasted one year was dragged out for five. The more the bandits were suppressed, the more numerous they became.”

“With soldiers and authority in their hands, the generals grew increasingly powerful. The court had no choice but to appoint them as Governor-Generals to demonstrate imperial favor.”

Six Fingers stretched and raised his head, loosening his body.

“They were raising bandits to preserve their own importance…” Zhao Jiu murmured.

“Hah. Who says those so-called bandits are really bandits?”

At those words, both men fell silent.

“By the way, there is another job. Are you interested?” Six Fingers asked casually.

“Oh? How much?” Zhao Jiu immediately became alert.

“Five hundred taels.”

“I will do it!”

“Then go to the Capital. I will send you the remaining details by Night Owl.” Six Fingers put away his fishing rod.

“You are not truly asking me to kill The Old Emperor, are you?”

“As though you were worthy of such a task.”

“…”

Zhao Jiu was rendered speechless.

Was Six Fingers looking down on him?

The old gentleman had taught them that they must dare to struggle!

“There is a First Rank expert beside The Emperor,” Six Fingers added.

“You truly are an excellent judge of character!”

Zhao Jiu’s cloudy expression instantly brightened.

“However, I must deal with something else first,” Zhao Jiu said.

“Oh?”

“I need to visit an old friend.” Zhao Jiu smiled.

The two continued eating, drinking, and chatting until darkness fell. Only then did Six Fingers leave.

…

Inside a tavern in Lin’an City, Zhao Jiu leaned against a window and drank wine.

Since he had come to Lin’an, he naturally had to enjoy a conversation with his “old friend,” Lord Chen, and strengthen the friendship between them.

Hiring him to kill an Imperial Envoy for two thousand taels was one thing, but they had even tried to silence him afterward.

Was his life not worth two thousand taels?

He had to provide Lord Chen with both physical and ideological education!

The little comrade had enjoyed a comfortable life for too long and lost his revolutionary convictions!

After several days of investigation, Zhao Jiu had already uncovered Lord Chen’s precise background.

Lord Chen’s real name was Chen Wu, and he served as the Assistant Prefect of Lin’an. He had an amiable temperament and was known throughout official circles as an agreeable peacemaker. His wife had died many years ago, and he had neither sons nor daughters.

His only hobby was visiting Lianchun Pavilion to temper his resolve as an official, exchange experiences in governance, and provide assistance to destitute young women.

To gain a more thorough understanding of Chen Wu and avoid repeating the mistake he had made with Jiang Ruhai, Zhao Jiu had specifically followed Chen Wu for five days. During that period, he had even tested him twice with Hidden Weapons.

His final conclusion was that Chen Wu was, at most, a Seventh Rank martial artist.

Zhao Jiu had followed Chen Wu for five days and kept watch over him for another two. For seven consecutive days, the bastard had visited the brothel every single day, always reserving a Grade-A First-Class Room.

What a kindhearted man!

He tirelessly helped those angels with broken wings who had fallen into the mire. He was truly a model for their generation—especially when it came to the condition of his kidneys.

Now that Zhao Jiu’s information was accurate and the instability in his foundation caused by forcibly breaking through to the Fifth Rank had settled, the time to act had arrived.

“Open the Panel,” Zhao Jiu commanded silently.

Host: Zhao Jiu

Cultivation Rank: Fifth Rank

Martial Arts:

Chasing the Stars and Pursuing the Moon (Perfected)

Taiqing Yuxu Scripture (Sixth Level)

Heavenly Origin Saber Art (Proficient)

Secret Arts:

Tang Sect Arcana: Thousand Flowers and Myriad Stamens

Disguise Technique

Turtle-Breathing Technique

God of Wealth Points: 5,100

Over the past few days, Zhao Jiu had purchased two bottles of White Jade Flesh-Regeneration Pills to heal his injuries without the slightest hesitation. Each bottle cost fifteen hundred points. They were damned expensive.

He had also bought five bottles of Foundation-Nourishing Pills, raised the Heavenly Origin Saber Art to Proficient, and purchased a supply of Hidden Weapons.

Just like that, he had spent 7,200 God of Wealth Points.

Zhao Jiu’s heart practically bled.

Those accursed capitalists!

After nightfall, Zhao Jiu changed his clothes and disguised himself as an arrogant young master before entering Lianchun Pavilion.

The moment he stepped inside, before he could even call out, cries of “Young Master” came from the left and “My lord” from the right, each one tugging seductively at his heartstrings.

Zhao Jiu grinned so widely that his mouth nearly split apart. He waved his hand generously.

“Everyone will receive something! Everyone! Hahahaha! This young master cannot bear to witness suffering in the mortal world!”

Ah, the gambling father, the sick mother, the divorced former husband, the wailing infant waiting to be fed, the endless family burdens, and the broken woman herself…

Let Zhao Jiu enter their world and face those raging waves alone!

Thus, Young Master Zhao wrapped an arm around a woman on either side and gave the madam a lecherous grin.

“A Grade-A Second-Class Room! As a pure little stream in this boundless sea of lust, I intend to conquer the entire battlefield tonight and leave no one standing! Hahahaha! Bring wine and food, and do not allow anyone to disturb me!”

With that, he tossed out ten taels of silver and pinched the cheeks of the women in his arms, eliciting a burst of coy laughter.

The Grade-A Second-Class Room was directly opposite the Grade-A First-Class Room.

The instant they entered and the door closed, Zhao Jiu struck each woman with a knife-hand blow, knocking them unconscious. He tossed them onto the bed, then ate meat and drank wine while monitoring the room opposite his own.

Before long, he heard the door across the corridor open, followed by a sickening exchange of affectionate flirtation.

Zhao Jiu nearly vomited from listening to it.

Damn it. Did that bastard come to a brothel every day just to act like an innocent young lover?

After finally hearing the sound of clothes being removed, Zhao Jiu hurriedly walked lightly to his door. He punctured the paper window opposite him and blew the contents of two Bamboo Tubes filled with Knockout Powder into the room.

Only after everything had fallen silent did Zhao Jiu push open the door to the Grade-A First-Class Room and enter.

The two occupants were already unconscious on the bed.

Zhao Jiu took a rope and a scrap of cloth from his Storage Space. He stuffed the cloth into Chen Wu’s mouth, tied him to a chair, and tested the rope.

It was secure enough.

He then administered some Tendon-Numbing Powder to Chen Wu before splashing a cup of tea over him and waking him.

Chen Wu opened his eyes and saw a young nobleman standing before him with a hammer in hand.

He tried to call for help, but his mouth was packed with cloth. He tried to stand, but his body would not obey him.

By then, he had already guessed most of what was happening.

Zhao Jiu raised a finger to his lips, then removed the cloth from Chen Wu’s mouth.

“Lord Chen, is Jianzhou still under lockdown?” he asked slowly.

“Young hero, please judge this matter fairly. Jianzhou’s lockdown had nothing to do with me!” Chen Wu said bitterly.

Zhao Jiu smiled, seized Chen Wu’s jaw, and stuffed the cloth back into his mouth. He then swung the hammer twice, striking Chen Wu’s feet.

You filthy dog.

I had already come all the way to your door, yet you were still pretending not to understand.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Unable to speak, Chen Wu could only grunt and struggle. Zhao Jiu waited until he had stopped moving entirely before removing the cloth again.

“Lord Chen, do you require another round of the Advanced Memory-Restoration Technique?”

Chen Wu shook his head repeatedly.

The man before him wore a radiant smile, but his methods were utterly despicable. He specifically targeted the toes!

Although the toes might not be connected directly to the heart, they still hurt!

How could Chen Wu dare continue lying?

“Tell me what happened. Surely a southern official like you did not hire someone to murder a Third-Rank official over a personal grudge and then attempt to silence the assassin afterward?” Zhao Jiu smiled while idly swinging the hammer.

Chen Wu thought for a moment before speaking.

“Jiang Ruhai belonged neither to the Governor-Generals’ faction nor to The Emperor’s. He tried to place his bets on both sides, which left him with only one road—the road to death.”

“To make matters worse, he was appointed as an Imperial Envoy to inspect the salt trade. From that moment onward, his chances of survival were nonexistent.”

“The salt tax revenue has steadily decreased over the years. We took our share, but the palace also wanted its cut. If he had investigated the accounts, there was no telling how many people would have lost their heads.”

“More importantly, the matter involved the palace itself. Therefore, Jiang Ruhai had to die.”

“As for you, you were merely the result of a compromise among the various parties.”

“No one wanted to place a piece on the board personally, so they decided to turn the murder into an unsolved case. Once you died, all their problems would disappear.”

“Hexi would gain another position for a general with command over troops. It could then recruit more soldiers with perfect justification and take the opportunity to extend its influence into Shu.”

“Those within the Imperial Court could use the Imperial Envoy’s death to extort a fortune from us, and we would have no choice but to pay.”

“As for our side, we would gain more time.”

“All three parties would obtain what they wanted. Only a single chess piece had to die.”

Zhao Jiu shook his head.

“Tell me something I do not already know. How did you find me?”

“Through the Ghost Market, of course. Whoever accepted the job was destined to die. Whether it was you or someone else did not matter.”

“What mattered was whether everyone obtained the result they were supposed to obtain.”

Chen Wu’s face was pale. He sighed before continuing, “I am merely an insignificant figure. The decision to silence you was not mine to make. There is no personal enmity between us!”

Zhao Jiu stroked the hammer as he considered Chen Wu’s words.

When Chen Wu raised his head, Zhao Jiu swiftly knocked him unconscious. He applied medicine to Chen Wu’s injured toes, untied the rope, and slipped out of Lianchun Pavilion through the rear courtyard.

They were all people without choices of their own. Why make life more difficult for one another?

Killing Chen Wu would not solve the true problem.

Everyone trapped within the game was merely another chess piece.

Zhao Jiu left the city that very night and hurried back to Bianzhou.

When he returned to the small cottage in the countryside, a Night Owl was already perched on the windowsill.

He removed the Bamboo Tube attached to its leg and opened the message inside.

Capital. Guimiao Manor.

After reading it, Zhao Jiu tossed the paper into the stove. He then brewed tea and admired the moon.

It was time to expand into a new market.

Not because he was afraid, of course.

How could an assassin’s affairs ever be described as fear?

Guimiao Manor.

Interesting.

With cassia oars and orchid paddles, we strike the moonlit emptiness and row upstream through the flowing light.

Boundless are my thoughts as I gaze toward the beauty at the far end of the sky.

The Rhapsody on the Red Cliffs was truly well written.

Truly well written.