Chapter 464: Chapter 428: Assassin
Hua Qianmian disrupted the original plan, separated from Sang Que, and for a moment didn’t know where to go. She didn’t dare to return to Zuo Jinye’s courtyard, so she could only continue pondering over Zuo Jinye’s character and wandered aimlessly within the Evil Suppression Bureau, appearing deeply concerned.
According to the original plan, Zuo Jinye was supposed to be moved by familial affection and agree to release Nine Songs’ people. Then, using the heart of the Yin Child, they would lure Sang Que with benefits to assist Zuo Jinye. After some persuasion, Sang Que would agree.
This way, the people would be rescued, the heart obtained, and Hua Qianmian would successfully advance, all without any need to engage in conflict with anyone.
Afterward, through He Buning’s channels, she would leave Shengjing City, completing the mission with everything turning out well.
At first, Hua Qianmian also thought there was no problem, but the more she delved into Zuo Jinye’s role, the more she felt they had oversimplified matters. Someone who could rise from being an entertainer to becoming the Prime Minister would surely have far more complex thoughts.
The courtyard of the Evil Suppression Bureau was brightly lit everywhere, and the lights cast long shadows of Hua Qianmian. As she walked, an unexpected chill rapidly surged from behind, startling her into almost instinctively counterattacking.
She remembered that within the Evil Suppression Bureau, no one dared to act against Zuo Jinye, and Zuo Jinye’s strength made him unafraid of anyone. His demeanor within the bureau should be relaxed.
Hua Qianmian forcefully suppressed the urge to resist and evade, merely stopping her steps and allowing the chill to approach.
In the next instant, Hua Qianmian felt the chill envelop her, and the shadow cast by the lights beneath her began to distort, like a giant hand ready to rush up and strangle her neck.
She slowly turned her head, and from behind a garden rockery emerged a person draped in a raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat, their face masked by black cloth, making their features indistinguishable, with hawk-like eyes fixated on Hua Qianmian.
Nine Songs’ assassin!
...
Sang Que was now a bit flustered. She had anticipated various situations, but never thought Hua Qianmian would abruptly improvise.
Handing her over to Qiu Wanjun for safekeeping, what’s the meaning of Hua Qianmian running off on her own?
The worst scenario they envisioned was the two of them taking down Qiu Wanjun together and then riskily entering the Evil Ghost Bureau to rescue people.
If they encountered an assassin, they planned to delay a moment, and she could withstand pressures from all sides, first getting everyone back to the present safely before figuring out what to do next.
Now that she was alone, how was she supposed to continue this act?
Sang Que wasn’t worried about Hua Qianmian. Back in Wangshan City, when they first met, they collaborated to imprison the Gambling Ghost, a situation fraught with danger. Hua Qianmian did not flee in panic but fought with all her strength to help until the end.
So Hua Qianmian would certainly do nothing to harm her. Hua Qianmian must have another plan.
The problem is, how should she coordinate with Hua Qianmian?
"Forget it, I won’t think about it. If Zuo Jinye did bring me here, he wouldn’t let me go without learning the secrets of the Immortal Country. I might as well get some sleep and wait to see what happens."
Sang Que drained the tea on the table, walked into the back bedroom, flopped onto the bed, and closed her eyes to sleep.
She refused to believe that by dawn, Hua Qianmian would not appear.
The night quietly passed. As dawn approached, the Yin Child sounded an alarm, sharply waking Sang Que from her slumber. The moonlight cast the window’s shadow onto the ground, and that shadow was swiftly stretching towards the bed.
This time, Sang Que hadn’t brought anything, so seeing the situation, she could only use Instant Teleportation to flash to the door.
Pushing open the door, a person suddenly appeared before her, and Sang Que almost collided with them unprepared.
Upon retreating to stand again, she realized it wasn’t a person but a dark shadow, like a person’s silhouette cast by light, only the shadow stood at the doorway like a living being.
An assassin!
Sang Que immediately knew who it was; He Buning had mentioned to her that Nine Songs’ assassins command the ’Shadow,’ which implies concealment. Simply put, it’s a ghost shadow, but in the Deceit Dynasty, these ghosts are called ’Shadow.’
The Shadow can freely transfer positions through various shadows, control people and kill using shadows, making it extremely hard to guard against.
The assassin’s appearance intensified Sang Que’s pressure, and the Yin Child felt the same, emerging from Sang Que’s body voluntarily, standing by Sang Que’s side, looking up at the shadow in the doorway.
Sang Que glanced outside in surprise—wasn’t Qiu Wanjun standing guard out there? How was there no reaction?
The shadow at the door turned its head, looked at the Yin Child for a moment, then turned to Sang Que and said, "Zuo Jinye has been trapped by me. To rescue them, follow me."
Sang Que widened her eyes in shock, wanting to ask if he had subdued a false Prime Minister or the real Prime Minister. Wasn’t the assassin supposed to align with Zuo Jinye? What was this unexpected scenario?
The shadow didn’t give Sang Que time to think, swiftly lowering back to the ground, shrinking into the shadow of a tree in the courtyard, indicating direction as the shadow pointed opposite to other trees.
Could the assassin be pretending to side with Zuo Jinye, waiting for her to emerge and then assist her?
Sang Que’s mind was bewildered, and at this moment, she couldn’t care about acting or not. Every reaction and expression was genuine.
Hesitating just briefly, Sang Que decided to follow the assassin. Regardless of the situation, as long as Zuo Jinye and the people from the Evil Suppression Bureau wished to learn the secrets of the Immortal Country, they wouldn’t easily kill her. Following would let her determine if the assassin had any harm intended toward Hua Qianmian.
Sang Que followed the various strange shadows along the way out of the small courtyard and at the courtyard gate saw Qiu Wanjun standing like a tower. He appeared awake, eyes bright, occasionally scanning back and forth, fully vigilant.
Though his hair and beard were graying at an advanced age, he still exuded a formidable countenance, as if he could hold back a thousand men by himself.
The shadow on the ground passed by Qiu Wanjun’s feet, to which he paid no mind.
Sang Que stood her ground, reading the shadow’s intention to walk right past?
In confusion, Sang Que used Ghost Eye to observe Qiu Wanjun, immediately seeing something different: his shadow rose from the ground and stuck to his back, reaching out three pairs of hands from the shadow.
One pair covered his eyes, another his ears, and the last his mouth and nose.
Don’t see, don’t hear, don’t smell.
So, Qiu Wanjun thought he maintained his vigilance, but in reality, no matter how someone shouted or jumped around him, he couldn’t see or hear?
Sang Que felt a chill in her heart. This assassin’s ability was terrifying.
Sang Que wore a serious expression, slowly walking past Qiu Wanjun. He only slightly noticed, turned his head in her direction, but even though Sang Que was right before him, he couldn’t see her.
Following the shadow, Sang Que discovered that the patrolmen along the way were the same as Qiu Wanjun, and the direction the shadow led was towards the Evil Ghost Bureau. He Buning had warned her, never enter the Evil Ghost Bureau, as entering might mean never coming out.
The Evil Ghost Bureau in Shengjing was built underground, with its entrance below a high stage shaped like Eight Diagrams. It required no guards since inside the cells below were all Zuo Jinye’s Corpse Slaves, who guarded the prisoners as ordered.
Standing at the entrance, hesitating whether to enter, Sang Que suddenly heard the sound of a stone door opening and closing. Before long, she saw a person in a raincoat with a bamboo hat, carrying an unconscious, frail old man out.
The Suo Yike placed the old man before Sang Que, said nothing, and returned underground, soon emerging with someone Sang Que found familiar.
The storyteller, Mo Yan Shu. He was indeed also imprisoned in the Evil Ghost Bureau!
So, the Suo Yike was the assassin, and he was truly helping her?
