The scattered silver was looted from the "mosaics." Jiu Yue had some small change on her, but since she needed to plan for her future livelihood, she didn’t spend it recklessly.
Under the Little Beggar’s recommendation, Jiu Yue arrived at a rather modest inn.
"This place is affordable, but the food tastes amazing!" The Little Beggar licked his lips and said, "I’ve dug through their kitchen trash to eat several times."
Though his clothes were ragged, his eyes brimmed with vitality, and he spoke of scavenging without a trace of shame.
Jiu Yue quite liked this kid.
As soon as they entered, the Waiter came forward, his gaze landing on the two shabbily dressed figures. For a moment, he froze.
But Jiu Yue had already slapped the scattered silver onto the table in advance.
Only then did the Waiter snap out of it, putting on a smile to greet them.
"What would you two like to order?"
Jiu Yue handed the menu to the Little Beggar, who was flattered. After cautiously observing Jiu Yue’s expression, he finally ordered three dishes and a soup.
They also asked for two large bowls of rice to go with the meal.
The Little Beggar enthusiastically recommended, "Big brother, you have to try this! It’s really good!"
But Jiu Yue just smiled and nodded at him. "It’s fine, you go ahead and eat."
The Little Beggar seemed too hesitant.
Jiu Yue sighed.
"I genuinely wanted to treat you to this meal." Her voice trailed off, her eyes turning distant as she added regretfully, "Why won’t you accept my kindness?"
The Little Beggar paused.
The two locked eyes for a moment. The instant their gazes broke apart, sharp blades suddenly jutted out from beneath the table. The Little Beggar kicked hard, sending the table flying straight toward Jiu Yue.
In the blink of an eye, Jiu Yue drew her broadsword and cleaved the table in two.
The Waiter and the Innkeeper joined the fray.
Half an hour later.
Jiu Yue wiped her blade clean and stared impassively at the three "mosaics" on the ground.
Trouble right after entering the city—was this the daily life of an assassin?
She shook her head with a sigh, then turned and rummaged behind the counter, hoping to find something valuable. But after a thorough search, she found no gold or treasures—only a portrait.
It looked like a wanted poster.
Jiu Yue pulled out the paper and studied the crude drawing for a long time… yet couldn’t tell if the person was male or female.
Oh well.
Her gaze dropped to the fine print below:
"Reward for this person’s head: One thousand taels of gold."
Jiu Yue: "!!!"
So this was how assassins made real money!
She searched again carefully but found nothing else of value, so she gave up.
After leaving the inn, Jiu Yue encountered several ambushes of varying intensity over the next three days. She became an emotionless "mosaic-making machine," cutting down every attacker without hesitation—
Until the last survivor turned on his allies.
"Spare me, great hero! We have no grudge against you, we’re just trying to make a living!" The man clung to her leg, crying pitifully.
"I have an elderly parent and children to feed! I never wanted this life, great hero!"
Jiu Yue stroked her chin, thinking for a moment before replying, "Then take me to your home. I’ll kill your family first, so you can die without regrets!"
The man: "…"
He wiped his face, his expression shifting through a myriad of emotions before finally letting go. "Shameful. I thought my father was exaggerating when he said you killed without blinking. Turns out he was right."
Jiu Yue, still holding her blade, grew intrigued. "You know me?"
At present, she knew nothing about her identity beyond what the system had told her.
But judging by the man’s surprised expression, he not only recognized her but seemed to know her well.
Sure enough, the man blurted out in astonishment, "You don’t remember me?"
Jiu Yue shook her head.
The man sucked in a sharp breath, circling her twice. "Then you don’t remember my father either?"
Jiu Yue shook her head again.
The man clutched her leg and wailed, "No way! If you don’t remember anything, who’s going to clean up my father’s mess?! Hurry up and remember!!!"
Jiu Yue: "…"
She widened her eyes.
The man thought she’d recalled something.
Jiu Yue pointed at his teeth. "You’ve got food stuck in your teeth."
The man fumed. "You have the nerve to say that! You knocked out that tooth! I had to get it replaced with premium jade!"
Jiu Yue grew wary. "So you’re here to make me pay for it?"
She reached for her blade.
The man: "…"
The man seemed utterly drained, his voice weak. "Pay my ass! That tooth’s been gone for years. Why would I come after you now?"
Only then did Jiu Yue relax. Eventually, the man led her to an unremarkable little courtyard. Leaning on his chin, he told her many things.
At last, Jiu Yue pieced together her past.
In short—she was a badass!
A legendary badass in the martial world!
Some old man had admired her skills and invited her to be the mascot of his stronghold. She refused, and the old man’s son, unwilling to accept defeat, kept provoking her until she beat him into submission.
"And then…" The man sighed. "Word is you offended some big shot, and now the entire martial world is after your head."
After her…
Jiu Yue thought for a moment, then pulled out the wanted poster-like paper and asked, "Is this it?"
The man laughed at the sight. "So you’ve seen it too? And you still dared to come to the capital?"
Jiu Yue pointed at the drawing seriously. "Does this look like me? What part of it resembles me?"
The man, exasperated, dragged her to a water vat. "See for yourself."
Jiu Yue looked down. The calm water reflected her current appearance—neither distinctly male nor female, so disheveled she could pass for the grubbiest of beggars.
Turns out, what she thought was an abstract drawing was actually hyper-realistic!
Jiu Yue fell silent.
The man burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying her disgruntled expression before finally taking pity and leading her to a tailor’s shop.
After buying two sets of clothes, Jiu Yue returned to the courtyard to wash up. For the first time in over half a month, she shed her "wilderness survival" look and donned a fresh new outfit.
Her inky black hair cascaded down as she sprawled lazily on the courtyard’s stone table, basking in the sun. When the man returned and saw her lounging like a cat, he couldn’t help but ask, "Your martial skills are still intact, right? Why not use your inner energy to dry your hair?"
Jiu Yue shook her head. "Don’t know how."
At present, the only skills she’d unlocked were movement techniques, lightness skills, and some instinctive danger perception.
The man: "…"
He immediately called for a physician. After checking her pulse, the physician said, "There’s a blood clot in her brain—likely from a severe injury."
Jiu Yue curiously touched her own head but felt nothing unusual.
The man sent the physician away, now fully convinced of Jiu Yue’s amnesia.
With a complicated expression, he lifted a strand of her jet-black hair to demonstrate. "Watch, it’s like… Wait, what’s this?"
As he brushed the hair behind her ear, he suddenly noticed a faint wrinkle near her temple.
Jiu Yue was also startled, instinctively reaching up—and seemingly tugging at her own skin.
Huh?
She yanked hard, and a human mask peeled off.
Jiu Yue exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, my face has been ripped off!"
The Man: "..."
This was no amnesia.
This was downright insanity!
