Si Shui was stunned by the other party's self-righteous tone, and after recovering, he couldn't help but feel furious.
"Seems like you're determined to court death." Not only refusing to return his whip but also humiliating him—this was beyond insulting!
Jiu Yue was equally incensed.
"Take this—one, two, three, four slashes!" Was this guy serious? She was just here to clean up, for heaven's sake! Did he not understand the concept of cleaning? Jumping straight to threats of death without even hearing her out—today, she’d teach him exactly why flowers bloom so red!
Both sides were convinced the other was being unreasonable, and without another word, they clashed.
Si Shui’s weapon of choice was his tail whip, but since it was currently in the other’s possession, he had no choice but to resort to hidden projectiles.
Jiu Yue initially wielded her blade, effortlessly deflecting his projectiles before her eyes gleamed with mischief. She then flicked the whip coiled around her waist.
Noticing the faint trace of humiliation in his gaze, Jiu Yue smirked.
"I heard you’re quite skilled with the whip. Dodging it should be child’s play for you." With that, the whip sliced through the air with a sharp crack, lashing toward him.
Si Shui cherished his whip dearly, so much so that he couldn’t bear to use his projectiles to block it. Instead, he relied solely on his agility to evade.
The "whoosh whoosh whoosh" of the whip was unmistakable, and Si Shui didn’t even need to look back—he could dodge perfectly just by sound alone.
But gradually, he realized something was off.
The whip’s strikes were growing faster.
Relying solely on sound became a mistake, and he was caught off guard, the whip striking his arm.
The whip was lined with metal barbs—with enough force, it could easily tear flesh from bone.
Si Shui glanced down at the armor on his forearm, feeling an unusual surge of relief.
Gritting his teeth, he continued running while pondering—how had things escalated to this point?
All he’d wanted tonight was to retrieve his whip…
So why was he now in such a sorry state?
"Hey, distracted much? Want me to whip your backside?" Jiu Yue’s voice suddenly rang out behind him, and Si Shui instinctively reached back to cover his rear.
He couldn’t endure that humiliation a second time!
Jiu Yue: "…"
Seriously? It was just a joke! They weren’t sworn enemies—she wasn’t that twisted!
Her lips twitched, and it dawned on her why Sima Qing had insisted she bring the whip—
He’d wanted her to find herself a laborer!
The whip’s sharp cracks abruptly ceased, leaving only silence.
Si Shui remained wary until he spotted the assassin standing ahead of him, grinning cheekily. "Hey, how about a deal?"
Si Shui: "?"
In the abandoned palace, a shadowy figure was scrubbing the floor with great effort, while another darted around searching.
"Whip Guy, where’s the little girl who lived here?" Jiu Yue had scoured the place but found no trace of the child—or any of the palace servants, for that matter.
Without looking up, the figure below replied, "Moved to another abandoned palace."
Jiu Yue frowned. "Why move?"
It wasn’t like they were relocating to someplace better.
Si Shui: "…"
He paused, then asked dryly, "What do you think?"
Jiu Yue gave him a puzzled look… then noticed the word "murderous" scrawled on his back.
Jiu Yue: "…"
Jiu Yue: "Haha… uh, carry on. I’ll shut up now."
Pursing his lips, Si Shui resumed scrubbing—for the sake of his whip.
Jiu Yue lounged on the rooftop, sighing as she pulled out a stick of candied hawthorns from her sleeve.
She’d hoped to give it to the little girl if she saw her today.
She’d even gone out of her way to have the old vendor make it with tiny tangerines.
Oh well.
Jiu Yue exhaled, twirling the treat between her fingers before glancing down. Under the moonlight, she could see the bloodstains on the ground were nearly gone.
Way faster than when she’d scrubbed the courtyard earlier!
Blinking, she flipped down and asked curiously, "Did you use something special? How’d you clean it so quick?"
Si Shui shot her a look, as if baffled. "You’re an assassin—surely you’ve heard of blood-dissolving agents?"
Jiu Yue gasped. "You’re a genius!"
Why hadn’t she thought of that this morning?
She smacked her forehead—clearly, she wasn’t creative enough with these tools. Who’d have thought to use them as cleaning supplies?
Si Shui: "…"
He stared at her blankly.
Jiu Yue grinned and tossed the whip back to him.
"Mission accomplished. I’m outta here." She turned to leave but hesitated, then pulled out the oil-paper-wrapped candied hawthorns. "Want some candied tangerines?"
Si Shui: "?"
He coldly declined.
Just like the day before, as soon as Jiu Yue leaped over the palace wall, Mo Jin was there waiting with his men.
Honestly, she was touched. Who knew this seemingly rude colleague had such a good heart?
He’d even tailed her to make sure she was safe on her first mission.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Jiu Yue strode over and clapped Mo Jin on the shoulder. "Sorry, buddy."
She’d never mock him behind his back or threaten to poke his nose with a scallion again.
Mo Jin, who’d only been there to prevent her from fleeing: "?"
He didn’t get it, but he couldn’t be bothered to ask.
Summer was approaching, and the days were growing longer. As they made their way back, Jiu Yue looked up—the horizon was already tinged with the faint glow of dawn.
She asked Mo Jin, "Do we report directly to His Highness when we get back?"
Mo Jin grunted in affirmation.
Eager to bond with her colleague, Jiu Yue pressed, "By the way, what should I call you?"
Mo Jin shot her an annoyed glance… only to meet her bright, earnest eyes.
Stubbornly persistent.
Mo Jin: "…"
He relented and gave his name.
From then on, every sentence from Jiu Yue followed the same pattern: "Mo Jin, xxxxxx."
What should’ve been a short journey felt endlessly long to Mo Jin—so, so long…
Thankfully, they made it back to the manor before daybreak.
Jiu Yue also finally got the details on the manor’s benefits: meals and lodging covered, decent pay, and occasional bonuses if Sima Qing was in a good mood.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
She really couldn’t afford to eat out much longer.
The moment they stepped inside, Mo Jin bolted. "You report to His Highness yourself."
He couldn’t take another second of her chatter—it was downright unbearable!
Jiu Yue understood. Before leaving, she thoughtfully offered, "Want some candied tangerines?"
All she got was Mo Jin’s rapidly retreating figure.
Guess not.
