25: Chapter 25 Assassination of the Gu Master

Zhang Yan's gaze was unyieldingly firm, filled with anticipation for Xia Shaoxin.

Xia Shaoxin had not expected him to have such a grand ambition: to kill his superior and take his place.

"Heh, fine. How should I kill him? Tell me."

Zhang Yan took out a map.

"You should be very familiar with Li Family Hollow. This is a route I designed for you. Follow this, and it will be absolutely foolproof."

Xia Shaoxin was greatly surprised; he had not expected Zhang Yan to have planned this far ahead.

He took the map and, upon looking at it, couldn't help but admire how detailed it was written!

It was still dark before dawn. Once the gates of Li Family Hollow opened, Zhang Yan would go to the Gu Bureau to check in.

Most of the Bug Catchers had already submitted their goods, and the people at the Gu Bureau were busy counting and transporting the Poisonous Insects to the capital, so there were far fewer people around.

Today, he had to wait for the assassins to return and report, so Liu Xinglong would not be checking in properly. He would quickly return to the inner hall and wait in a place where servants would not enter.

This was the perfect opportunity.

Inside the Gu Bureau, there was a secluded corner near the main street, an empty space between two wing rooms. The area was narrow, unsuitable for storing sundries or growing vegetables, and overgrown with tall grass.

Climbing the wall here was a blind spot.

This hidden corner was very close to Liu Xinglong.

The map clearly marked the wall-climbing point, the spot where Liu Xinglong would wait for the assassins, and the living quarters of the surrounding servants.

Xia Shaoxin clicked his tongue in amazement. It seemed that Zhang Yan had not just decided to kill Liu Xinglong on a whim.

Xia Shaoxin was not the least bit interested in the internal strife of the Gu Bureau, but this map was very useful.

Zhang Yan told him to hide in that spot and wait for Liu Xinglong to return, at which point he could take the opportunity to assassinate him.

"Your Bug Catcher register requires the imperial seal to be removed, so you cannot be struck from the records. I can only help you escape."

"Doesn't the Yue Kingdom have Qi Refiners? If I escape and am hunted by Qi Refiners, can I hide from them?"

Zhang Yan laughed. "Is it worth hiring a Qi Refiner to hunt down a Bug Catcher? Do you think the imperial Qi Refiners have nothing better to do than wander around all day?"

Xia Shaoxin asked again, "You've set up a Formation here. Someone like me can't get out, right?"

"There is a Magical Artifact bell on the city gate. You, as well as I, are on the register. Without a token, the bell will sound."

Xia Shaoxin chuckled. So, you are all just like us, imprisoned here as well.

Zhang Yan scoffed, "The Land of Poisonous Miasma is different from other places. You and I are indeed restricted, but at best, I am the jailer, while you are the one serving time."

Xia Shaoxin was choked up and had nothing to say.

"On the contrary, those merchants, farmers, and people carrying night soil or selling vegetables can come and go freely." Zhang Yan also looked wistful.

Xia Shaoxin listened with fascination. The Immortal Sects are truly powerful!

By setting up a Formation and using a Magical Artifact, they can trap people.

"After you kill Liu Xinglong, take the token on his body, and you won't trigger the alarm."

"Do you have a token on you?"

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, then pulled a rectangular wooden plaque from his bosom. Under the moonlight, it shone with a strange, dark luster.

He handed it to Xia Shaoxin to look at, pointing out the two characters "Zhang Yan" written at the bottom.

He only showed it for a few seconds before quickly putting it away.

"This is mine and cannot be given to you. After you kill Liu Xinglong, you will have one."

By now, it was almost dawn.

The two separated and entered the city one after the other.

Following Zhang Yan's plan, Xia Shaoxin walked to the wall of the Gu Bureau.

This place was not by the roadside but was a patch of wasteland. He found a way to climb up the wall, and upon crossing over, he found himself at the wing rooms of the Gu Bureau's backyard.

This must have been the Gu Bureau's storage room, as no one was living there.

There were at least thirty or forty people in the Gu Bureau, yet this area was relatively abandoned.

Between the wing rooms was a small passage that could only accommodate one person. The ground was covered in weeds and mud, and there was a flower bed at the entrance that provided perfect cover.

Xia Shaoxin walked in and squatted down.

He inwardly admired Zhang Yan. How long had he been planning this?

Of course, Zhang Yan hadn't just decided to assassinate Liu Xinglong now; it just happened to coincide with Xia Shaoxin's arrival.

Not long after, a person walked over from the front courtyard. Upon arriving nearby, he said in a low voice, "I will be resting here; none of you are to come over."

Afterward, there was the sound of a door opening, followed immediately by the sound of it closing.

Xia Shaoxin stood up, walked out on tiptoe, and slowly approached.

Just as he reached the door, Liu Xinglong shouted, "Who is outside? I said not to come over casually."

"Ahem, it's me—"

Xia Shaoxin pinched his throat to respond, then pushed the door open.

The room was simply furnished with a few bookshelves and a desk, but Liu Xinglong was not reading; he was lying on a recliner, resting with his eyes closed.

Xia Shaoxin closed the door behind him and slashed with his sword.

"It's you!"

Liu Xinglong was extremely surprised. He sprang up from the recliner, his sword flashing out of its scabbard to block Xia Shaoxin's strike.

"How did you get here?"

"Because I didn't die," Xia Shaoxin replied with a smile.

Liu Xinglong's face was full of disbelief, not knowing where things had gone wrong.

"You killed all three of them?"

"Yes, they're all dead!"

"How is that possible? Didn't they take the strength pill?"

"They did, all three of them."

Liu Xinglong shook his head bitterly. "I truly underestimated you!"

As they spoke, the two exchanged several blows in the narrow room. Xia Shaoxin hadn't expected Liu Xinglong to be a martial arts expert with tremendous strength.

He was slammed by Liu Xinglong, and together they crashed out of the door.

"Someone, come! Catch the assassin!" Liu Xinglong shouted.

Xia Shaoxin regretted not taking the strength pill before entering the room. How could he have been so negligent!

He had no choice but to stuff a strength pill into his mouth.

"What are you eating?" Liu Xinglong looked at him in shock.

"Just what you mentioned a moment ago: a strength pill."

"Where did you get it? My Gu Bureau has never sold those!"

Xia Shaoxin smiled slightly. "Guess!"

The two moved outside the courtyard. Liu Xinglong danced his sword with a fierce whistling sound.

Unfortunately, Xia Shaoxin had taken the strength pill, and Liu Xinglong had no chance at all. With brute force breaking all techniques, he knocked the sword out of his hand in one move, and in the second move, he pierced his chest.

"I will give you whatever you want," Liu Xinglong said in terror.

"I don't want anything; I only want your life."

Xia Shaoxin did not drag things out; he pulled out a dagger and slit his throat.

He reached out to search his body and sure enough, found a token. It was the same shape as Zhang Yan's, with the three characters "Liu Xinglong" written at the bottom.

He also found three thousand taels of silver banknotes, the very stack he had given him.

He hurriedly tucked them away and ran toward the wall.

The people outside the courtyard had long since heard Liu Xinglong's shouts and were rushing over together.

Xia Shaoxin's own sword was stained with blood, so he picked up Liu Xinglong's sword, which was clean and of better quality, and carried it with him as he left.

Just as he climbed onto the wall, he heard a familiar voice behind him: "The Gu Bureau chief has been killed! Quickly, chase the assassin!"

He didn't look back; the voice was too familiar.

Zhang Yan!

After jumping down from the wall, he was surprised to see a horse standing outside.

He understood; this had been arranged by Zhang Yan.

He hurriedly mounted the horse and galloped toward the city gate.

According to the laws of the Yue Kingdom, galloping was forbidden within the city; violators would be fined three hundred coins.

Fortunately, the market had just opened, and there were few people on the street. Xia Shaoxin galloped all the way without knocking over a single pedestrian or stall.

He only elicited a string of curses behind him.

"Are you racing to a funeral!"

"Did your father or mother die!"

When he reached the city gate, he dismounted and calmly exited the city.

No blood had splattered onto him, so he didn't attract the attention of the gate guards and managed to slip out easily.

He felt even more grateful to Zhang Yan; the plan had been perfect.

He also had himself to thank; the execution of the plan had gone without a hitch.