In the secret tunnel, Qiu Dongfang was pushing a cart full of children at a frantic pace.
No one was chasing them from behind. As he ran, he kept an eye on the kids in the cart. Aside from a few who hadn’t yet been drugged, most of the children were unconscious.
He had no idea where Ma Dachun had gotten so many kids from.
Disgusted, Qiu Dongfang was relieved when they finally emerged from the tunnel.
And the exit… He immediately recognized it—the alley behind Feng Sheng’s private residence.
That old eunuch.
Qiu Dongfang dragged the cart to another street. It was already late at night, and the streets were deserted.
Earlier that afternoon, he had informed Mo Jin about the operation. To assist them, Mo Jin had already stationed people throughout the city, so it didn’t take long for Qiu Dongfang to run into a colleague.
After quickly handing the children over, Qiu Dongfang turned to head back and help Jiu Yue in the fight. But as he passed the cart, a small hand suddenly grabbed his.
He turned and saw the child Jiu Yue had handed to him earlier.
Her face was filthy, but her eyes were bright and clear.
Qiu Dongfang studied her for a moment, narrowing his eyes. There was something familiar about her.
“What is it?” he asked sternly.
The child spoke without hesitation. “Save my mother.”
Qiu Dongfang froze. “…Who’s your mother?”
“The one who carried me earlier.”
The one who carried her… Wait, that couldn’t be Jiu Yue, could it?!
The child’s words left Qiu Dongfang utterly bewildered. Still dazed, he returned to the secret chamber in the brothel just in time to see Jiu Yue leap into the air and land squarely on Ma Dachun’s stomach. Ma Dachun let out a choked cry as a fountain of blood gushed from his mouth before he collapsed, barely breathing.
Jiu Yue patted off the mess on her clothes with a look of disgust.
It felt like vomit—utterly revolting.
Her face twisted in displeasure as she jumped down and met Qiu Dongfang’s conflicted gaze.
Wiping her face, she walked over and said in a tone of understanding, “I know, I’m amazing. You’ll just have to accept it.”
Heh.
Qiu Dongfang: “…”
After a moment of speechlessness, Qiu Dongfang pulled out a vial and sprinkled its contents over the corpses on the ground. The bloodstains dissolved instantly.
Jiu Yue’s eyes lit up. “Whoa,” she said, reaching out. “Can I have some?”
Qiu Dongfang frowned. “What for?”
She pointed outside. “I kinda messed up a girl’s room earlier.”
His lip twitched, but he handed her a vial anyway.
Tucking it away, Jiu Yue asked, “So what now? Just take Ma Dachun’s head back to Prince Ping?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Qiu Dongfang said, rubbing his face. He took the item from her hand and hesitated before finally asking, “Jiu Yue… do you have a child?”
She didn’t catch the probing tone in his voice and shook her head instinctively. “Why? Did you become a dad or something?”
Qiu Dongfang: “…”
Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “Never mind. You’ll find out when you get back.”
With that, he strode off, dragging Ma Dachun’s severed head behind him.
Jiu Yue: “?”
Wait, he hadn’t even explained what she was supposed to find out!
Shaking her head, she double-checked the remaining corpses in the chamber to ensure no survivors before heading toward the tunnel entrance.
Silence settled over the secret room.
Then, after a while, a trembling hand emerged from the pile of bodies.
Yi Yao struggled to crawl out. She was badly injured, her organs screaming in pain, but she knew she had to escape the chamber if she wanted to live.
Her gaze fell on the headless corpse nearby, and fear flashed in her eyes.
That person’s strength… was terrifying.
As someone who had spent years in the underworld, Yi Yao instantly recognized the level of skill displayed in that fight. There were only a handful of people in the capital capable of crushing Ma Dachun like that.
Could it be…?
Her eyes widened in disbelief, but the idea seemed absurd.
How could that be? How could that person betray Prince Ping?! No, she had to get this information back.
Swallowing the blood in her throat, Yi Yao staggered to her feet and limped toward the tunnel entrance.
She knew the exit would be guarded, so escaping that way was out of the question.
Besides, the most dangerous place was often the safest. No one would expect her to crawl back into the brothel.
With that thought, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes.
But just as she stepped into the tunnel, a shadow loomed over her, and a hand silently rested on the back of her neck.
“Heh, surprise!” The voice was cheerful—the kind that would charm anyone under normal circumstances.
But now, it sent chills down Yi Yao’s spine.
Goosebumps erupted across her skin as she stiffly turned her head, barely making out a silhouette in the dim light.
The smile on that face looked utterly harmless.
Jiu Yue had deliberately left Yi Yao alive.
Now that they were alone, she didn’t waste time. Leaning close, she whispered into Yi Yao’s ear, “What’s Prince Ping been up to lately?”
With her life hanging by a thread, Yi Yao stammered, “H-His Highness… hasn’t been in the capital. He was ordered to Qingnan half a month ago to manage the flood control.”
Not in the capital?
Jiu Yue frowned. That meant she couldn’t eliminate this threat right away.
Oh well. She’d deal with it later.
Sensing the shift in Jiu Yue’s demeanor, Yi Yao squeezed her eyes shut and begged, “Jiu Yue! I know it’s you! I—I can help you! Spare me, and my life is yours!”
Terrified, the words spilled out in a frantic rush.
Jiu Yue paused, then asked curiously, “Why would I want your life? It’s not even a good one.”
Yi Yao: “…”
She was on the verge of tears. “Y-You’re right… my life isn’t worth much, but I can still be useful! I can help you against Prince Ping! Really!”
That got Jiu Yue’s attention.
So she knew who she was—and about her feud with Prince Ping. That wasn’t surprising. If the prince had issued a kill order, his people would’ve been briefed.
Still… leaving Prince Ping as a loose end was risky. He’d become a real problem later.
“How exactly can you help me?” Jiu Yue murmured.
Yi Yao struggled to speak. “I’ll be your spy… Don’t worry, I’ve served His Highness for over a decade. He’d never suspect me.”
“Over a decade?” Jiu Yue mused, then sighed. “Ah, what a shame. In that case, you’d better die.”
“No—!” Before Yi Yao could finish, her breath was cut short.
If she could betray Prince Ping after serving him for so long, Jiu Yue wasn’t about to trust her as a spy.
Once Yi Yao was dealt with, Jiu Yue tossed the body back into the chamber, counted the heads, and casually set the whole place ablaze.
The roaring flames were just another blur of blue in her vision.
Humming to herself, Jiu Yue skipped out of the secret room.
Today’s kill count: 30.
Another productive day for the ultimate assassin!
