Behind the bedroom, Jiu Yue found a suitable tree to perch on.
She was quite satisfied with her current situation.
She was gradually adapting to the original owner's body. Compared to the mechanical movements when she first arrived, Jiu Yue was now a nimble and agile superhuman! Coming and going without a trace was a piece of cake!
However, she hadn’t fully mastered all her skills yet.
Staying at Prince Sima Qing’s residence for three months served multiple purposes. First, she could continuously practice and refine her abilities—practice makes perfect, and Jiu Yue believed she would grow stronger during this time.
Second, she could leverage the prince’s influence to gather intelligence. The information here was far more comprehensive than what she could pick up in a teahouse. Knowing oneself and the enemy was the key to victory. Once the system assigned her a mission, she’d be able to complete it swiftly!
And third… well, heh, a hundred taels of gold per month! Only a fool would pass up such an opportunity!
Thinking this, Jiu Yue couldn’t help but grin. She even began fantasizing about the triumphant moment when she would complete her mission, return home with billions in cash, and live the ultimate power fantasy—
Suddenly, a leaf sliced through the air in front of her.
Jiu Yue’s eyes narrowed. Reacting swiftly, she tilted her head and caught the leaf between her fingers before flinging it back toward its source.
Silence followed.
But there was killing intent in the air.
Frowning, Jiu Yue was about to alert her two colleagues stationed at the front of the house when a figure landed soundlessly in front of her and raised a hand.
Jiu Yue’s pupils contracted as she dodged, and three hidden darts embedded themselves into the tree behind her.
Playing dirty with hidden weapons, huh?
With a cold snort, Jiu Yue yanked the darts out and hurled them back with full force.
The whistling sound of the projectiles was unmistakable. The figure on the ground clearly hadn’t expected Jiu Yue to possess such strength and barely managed to evade. When they turned back, Jiu Yue was already charging at them, a massive blade resting on her shoulder.
The person’s temple twitched. There was no escape now—they could only draw their short sword and engage Jiu Yue in close combat.
On her first day on the job, someone dared to threaten her livelihood? Jiu Yue held nothing back. Her blade was heavy, her attacks relentless and fierce. Gradually, her opponent realized they were outmatched in close quarters and hastily retreated, resorting to hidden weapons to create distance.
Jiu Yue narrowed her eyes.
Let’s see how many tricks this hidden-weapons guy had up his sleeve. She had plenty of strength and methods to spare!
And so…
Just as Sima Qing was about to retire for the night, a cacophony of clashing blades erupted outside his window. Having experienced such disturbances before, he immediately recognized the sounds of combat.
Neither Mo Jin nor Fu Yu had come to report, so Sima Qing initially ignored it.
The people he employed were no weaklings.
He was about to dismiss the noise and continue resting when—the commotion persisted for over an hour, making it impossible to sleep.
Sima Qing: "…"
His temple throbbed in irritation as he rose, flung open the window with a blank expression, and was greeted by the sight of Jiu Yue pinning Qiu Dongfang to the ground.
The candlelight from inside spilled out, illuminating their bruised and battered faces.
Wiping blood from the corner of her eye, Jiu Yue offered an awkward laugh. "Your Highness, did we disturb your rest? I’ll take care of this guy right away! Please, go back to sleep, haha~"
She then proceeded to drag Qiu Dongfang toward the grove—clearly intending to dispose of the evidence.
Qiu Dongfang, still on the ground, couldn’t take it anymore and cried out, "Your Highness! Control her! She destroyed all my hidden weapons!"
Jiu Yue: "…?"
After a brief moment of confusion, Jiu Yue looked up at Sima Qing, who wore an expression that screamed, "Having you two is truly my blessing."
"That’s Qiu Dongfang, not an assassin," Sima Qing said, rubbing his face tiredly before pointing toward the front courtyard. "Both of you, scram to the front. Send Mo Jin and Fu Yu to the back!"
Jiu Yue and Qiu Dongfang exchanged glances before obediently slinking away.
Once they were far enough from the prince’s quarters, the two sized each other up, reintroducing themselves.
"So you’re the new recruit—what was it, ‘Yue’?" Qiu Dongfang crouched on a stool and pulled out an oil-paper package from who-knows-where. "Want some? I had Old Wang’s roast goose shop make it fresh for me!"
"Not ‘Yue’—Jiu Yue, as in ‘wine’ Jiu," she corrected, rubbing her hands together before accepting the goose leg with a grin. "Thanks for the treat, colleague. I won’t hold back."
"No big deal. Just remember to share if you’ve got something good next time," Qiu Dongfang said generously between bites. "You don’t seem like a local. Why’d you come to work for His Highness?"
Jiu Yue suspected he was fishing for information.
But honestly, how bad could a guy who patiently waited for fresh roast goose be? He was just nosy—what harm was there in that?
So she didn’t beat around the bush. "I only arrived in the capital recently. A friend told me about the job market and recommended His Highness—said the pay was good and the boss was decent… This goose is amazing, by the way. How much does it cost?"
"One tael of silver. Old Wang’s been perfecting his craft for over a decade!" Qiu Dongfang wiped his mouth and continued, "You’ve got a friend in the capital? Are they in our line of work too?"
"Not at all. Just an ordinary civilian," Jiu Yue replied, shaking her head.
Qiu Dongfang chuckled. "I see. Let’s hang out with them sometime."
Jiu Yue waved it off. "We’ll see… By the way, did you make all those hidden weapons yourself?"
"Of course not. I’m not a blacksmith," Qiu Dongfang said, amused. After a pause, he added, "You’re still new, so you probably haven’t been to the training camp yet."
"Training camp?" Jiu Yue licked her fingers, intrigued. "Is that where you guys usually train?"
Qiu Dongfang nodded but didn’t elaborate. "Don’t worry. After you complete a couple of missions, His Highness will probably toss you in there. If you have a preferred weapon or hidden tool, you can request it—His Highness will provide."
A training camp? Sounded like the perfect place to grind her skills!
Jiu Yue was already looking forward to it.
…
At dawn, the morning shift arrived. Mo Jin and Fu Yu escorted Jiu Yue to the dining hall, while Qiu Dongfang slipped into Sima Qing’s bedroom.
"Instead of using the door, should I dig a dog hole just for you?" Sima Qing remarked dryly, eyeing the man hanging from the rafters.
Qiu Dongfang scratched his head and obediently sat down. "My apologies, Your Highness. Mo Jin mentioned there might be spies in the residence, so I was just being cautious."
"Cautious?" Sima Qing scoffed. "Is that why you got pinned and pummeled last night?"
Qiu Dongfang: "…"
With a dejected sigh, Qiu Dongfang admitted, "I underestimated her, Your Highness. Jiu Yue is seriously strong—no wonder she managed to stab your thigh and walk away unscathed."
Sima Qing: "?"
Was that really necessary to bring up?
