Chapter 027: The Assassination of Zhou Xing

The words had barely left his lips when a long blade struck out. Murong Huan lightly tapped Ashu on the shoulder with his right hand, pushing her aside, while parrying the attack with only his left.

The man in black, who had lunged forward with the blade, had no time to react before he felt a sharp pain in his wrist, accompanied by the crunch of shattering bone. The sword instantly fell into Murong Huan’s grasp.

"Ashu, keep running to the left. That is the location of the Guozixue in Xiuwen Ward. As the highest institution of learning in the Great Tang, it is a place of cultivation—no one would dare to disturb it!"

Despite her confusion, Ashu, seeing Murong Huan surrounded by seven or eight men in black, quickly regained her composure through her worry. She knew that the Murong Huan before her was no longer the "Ah-Huan" she knew, but regardless of who occupied this body, it was still her own; she could not abandon him to save herself.

"Go! Quickly!"

At the moment of her hesitation, Li Linghuan’s gaze fixed upon her with sharp, commanding intensity, carrying an aura of absolute authority that brooked no refusal. It was a presence that struck awe into the heart, compelling one to submit.

As a blade swung toward Ashu, Li Linghuan roared, "You seek death!" The long blade in his hand sliced through the night like a flash of white light, piercing straight through the chest of the attacker.

"What are you waiting for? Go to Xingyun Pavilion and wait for me!"

Under Li Linghuan’s stern command, Ashu stood stunned for a heartbeat before nodding and sprinting toward the far end of the street, where the sounds of bustle and flickering lights could be seen.

In the starless, moonless night, countless sparks and flashes of lightning intertwined, accompanied by the rhythmic clashing of steel. To the men in black, Li Linghuan appeared as nothing more than a phantom, impossible to pin down. By the time a rainbow-like arc of light blinded them and they opened their eyes again, the mocking smile on Li Linghuan’s lips was already inches away.

With a sharp *ding*, several long blades clattered to the ground, and the men in black collapsed. Without pausing for even a second, Li Linghuan stripped a black robe from one of the fallen, donned it, and, light as a swallow, scaled the eaves of the street.

"What happened? We haven't even made our move yet, how did they all fall?"

"This lad's movements are eerily incredible..."

"Damn it, where has she gone now? If we lose the trail, how will we answer to the Grand Pavilion Master?"

"After her!"

...

Upon receiving the news, Xiao Muchen stood up in astonishment.

"You say she killed all eight assassins from Zhou Xing’s manor by herself?"

"Yes, Grand Pavilion Master. The lad has extraordinary skill—a natural-born assassin! But his demeanor is like a completely different person from before!"

"And where is she now?"

"She runs extremely fast, and we could barely keep up, but judging by the direction, she must be heading a hundred miles east toward Xiuwen Ward!"

"That leads straight to Zhou Xing’s manor!" Xiao Muchen mused for a moment before saying urgently, "Quickly, go and assist her!"

"At once!"

...

As twilight descended, Li Xiaolian had already applied her exquisite makeup, a spot of cinnabar between her brows, draped in a gown of rainbow feathers, looking for all the world like a celestial consort.

A blind old woman combed her cascading hair, humming a lullaby from her childhood.

"In the past, my greatest wish was to see Xiao Lian grown, to find a husband of her heart’s desire, and for me to prepare a bountiful dowry so she could be married off in splendor. But my wish has changed now. I only want Xiao Lian to live well, to live happily!"

"Do not worry, Mother. Xiao Lian will live well. I will live in the hearts of all of you, forever. I will watch over my sisters as they grow, and once I have earned enough, I will send them off to be married in glory. If they are happy, then I shall be happy too!"

"But you once said, 'It is easy to find a priceless treasure, but hard to find a man of true heart.' How many men in this world can truly remain devoted until their hair turns white, or even possess half a shred of sincerity?"

The old woman sighed, "No, Xiao Lian. Those worldly things—whether one has them or not is of little consequence. Not every woman in this world finds her true harbor in a husband."

"Indeed, Mother. In truth, whether one lives well depends entirely on one's own choices. Do not beg, do not show weakness, do not settle..." After pinning a golden hairpin adorned with a red gemstone into her hair, Li Xiaolian stood up, embraced the blind woman, and touched her cheek. "Mother, wait for my good news! Once this is done, we shall truly find a place where few know us, hide away, and live a life of peace and seclusion."

The old woman nodded, stroking Li Xiaolian’s hair again and again until the young woman rose to leave, at which point she wept in silence.

As Li Xiaolian stepped out of Shaohua Courtyard, the guards from Zhou Xing’s manor stormed in. Just as they were about to seize her, she smiled with calm grace. "Xiao Lian knows the Vice Minister wishes to see me. I shall accompany you to the Zhou manor. I only ask that, seeing as I am but a frail woman and a frequent guest of your master, you grant me a modicum of dignity."

Dressed with such care, her beauty was even more radiant, her eyes filled with a captivating, pitiful charm.

The guards found it difficult to treat her roughly. The leader said, "Very well. As long as you play no tricks and give us no trouble, we shall do you no harm. Please!"

Once inside the ornate palanquin, Li Xiaolian stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist and the hairpin in her hair until they arrived at the Zhou manor. Under the guards' escort, she was brought before Zhou Xing.

Zhou Xing was in a foul mood, which she had fully anticipated.

"Xiao Lian greets Vice Minister Zhou."

Before she could finish her curtsy, Zhou Xing stormed over, grabbed her hair, and slammed her against the wall, cursing, "You slut! You still dream of seducing me? Tell me, was it you who betrayed me?"

"This servant does not know what the Vice Minister is talking about!" Li Xiaolian, in pain from his grip, wept silently.

But Zhou Xing had no pity for her beauty; the more these noble women, once so high above him, appeared pitiable now, the more it excited him.

He tightened his grip. "You don't know? If you don't know, how did you get involved with the Fifth Lady of the Wang family? And how did you get her to invite that young master from the Su family and Vice Censor Xiao to meet you at Shaohua Courtyard? Did you think I wouldn't find out about these things?"

"What 'Tale of Huo Xiaolian'? Did you compile your own history into a script and deliberately spread it through every street and alley in Luoyang, just to let everyone know what a pathetic life you’ve led?"

"Vile woman, what a calculated scheme! Tell me, did you kill the Ninth Young Master? Was it you?"

"He was playing at your place for the better part of that day, and met his end shortly after returning home. Those idiots at the Supreme Court actually didn't suspect you? Tell me, was it you?"

Li Xiaolian was thrown violently to the floor, her head striking the ground and drawing blood. Even the servants in the manor felt a pang of pity and wanted to help, but were driven back by a single vicious glare from Zhou Xing.

"What? Seeing her in such a pathetic state, you want her, do you?"

"Come! Come here! I’ll give you the chance!"

The servant trembled in fear, but under Zhou Xing’s frantic abuse, he was forced to step forward and lift Li Xiaolian up.

"Master, how could I dare?"

At this moment, Li Xiaolian sobbed softly, causing Zhou Xing’s expression to soften slightly. He walked toward her, lifted her chin, and said, "It would have been fine if you had just spoken earlier. You forced me to beat you. I am not a man without pity for beauty; you truly do look heartbreaking like this."

As he spoke, he opened his mouth to bite into her fair skin. At that instant, a guard shouted, "Master, watch out!"

Zhou Xing shoved Li Xiaolian away, and they saw a golden hairpin in her hand. It had been aimed at him, but he had slapped it aside, narrowly escaping.

Li Xiaolian gave a bitter, sorrowful smile, then smashed the bracelet she held against the floor. A spider crawled out from within, racing toward Zhou Xing!

Zhou Xing shrieked in terror, and his guards rushed forward, frantically swatting at the spider on his body until they crushed it on the ground and stomped on it.

Seeing the spider destroyed, Li Xiaolian felt a moment of emptiness. Zhou Xing, his face twisted in rage, strode over, grabbed her hair, and hurled her against the wall again.

"Vile woman, you dare attempt to assassinate me? You have no desire to live, do you?"

Just as Li Xiaolian reached for the hairpin to end her own life, Zhou Xing seized her, and the pin fell to the floor.

"Dying? It won't be that easy!"

"Speak! Who sent you to assassinate this official?"

Li Xiaolian remained silent. Zhou Xing gave a cold, sinister laugh and roared:

"You won't talk? Guards! Bring the instruments of torture. Today, I will let this wretch taste the cruelty of my newly invented jar punishment!"

"Yes!"

The servants retreated in fear, and before long, they brought a massive jar into the hall.

Just as they were about to set up the torches, a shout of "Fire!" erupted from within the manor. Someone rushed in to report, "Master, disaster! The storehouse is on fire!"

The storehouse? That was where he kept all the wealth he had amassed through bribery!

"What are you standing there for? Go and put out the fire!"

"At once!"

The crowd scattered, and the Zhou manor fell into chaos, filled with shrieks and cries.

Zhou Xing, flustered, was about to run toward the fire when he suddenly heard a voice call out, "Vice Minister Zhou, I trust you have been well?"

Zhou Xing felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head. He looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a "youth" dressed in night-traveling gear, with only his eyes visible, looking at him with a half-smile.

"It’s you! You set the fire?"

"Indeed! Your guess is correct!"

The "youth" leaped down from the rafters, landed in front of Li Xiaolian, helped her up, and pressed a bottle of medicine into her hand.

"Go! You should know how to escape from here!" the youth whispered in her ear.

Li Xiaolian’s eyes filled with tears; though she could not see his true face, she had already guessed who the "youth" was.

"I am but a base creature; I am not worth the Young Master’s rescue!"

"If you despise yourself, then you are truly base. To die here killing a man like him—that would be the true waste."

After saying this, Li Linghuan gently pushed Li Xiaolian away. When Zhou Xing’s guards tried to intercept her, Li Linghuan used a long silk ribbon in his hand to whip around their bodies, pulling them back and tossing them directly into the jar in the hall.

The ribbon danced in his hands again, and wherever the wind passed, all the surrounding doors slammed shut.

"Lad, playing the hero? Saving a beauty all the way into my Zhou manor? You have quite the courage!"

"You flatter me!"

Watching Li Xiaolian depart, but seeing the youth made no move to leave, Zhou Xing said again:

"She has gone, why do you not leave? It seems you are not just here to play the hero—you are here to assassinate me."

With that, Zhou Xing drew a long blade from the wall.

"Want to be Jing Ke assassinating the King of Qin? There has already been one failure—do you wish to be the second?"

"Vice Minister Zhou, you overestimate yourself. I am no Jing Ke, and you are no King of Qin. Though the King of Qin was a tyrant, he at least unified the world. What, pray tell, are you?"