A spring thunder suddenly cracked.

“Whoa!” Su Muyu sharply pulled the reins, calming his black stallion that had suddenly grown anxious. This horse, selected at great expense, wouldn’t normally be startled by mere thunder. As the horse settled, Su Muyu lifted his head to look at the three figures who had appeared before him.

The leader carried an enormous sword on his back and had an imposing build, wearing a gentle smile on his face. Beside him stood two women with bewitching figures – one wearing an ethereal purple garment, the other in flowing red robes that danced like flames. The burly man laughed, “Brother Yu, you truly live up to your name – wherever you go, rain follows.”

Su Muyu frowned slightly. “Su Changli, Su Ziyi, Su Hongxi – did Chang He send you?”

The burly man called Su Changli nodded, “Big Brother sent us. He said to stop you, and if that’s not possible…”

Su Hongxi covered her mouth and laughed, “Then we’re to put you to sleep.”

Su Muyu’s pupils contracted slightly. He immediately dismounted as a strange red flower shot toward him from Su Hongxi’s raised hand. As Su Muyu landed, the flower passed over his head, its six petals exploding and piercing through his black horse. Su Muyu quickly opened his umbrella and stepped backward, blocking the spraying blood.

Su Ziyi sighed softly, her voice alluring, “Sister Hongxi, don’t be hasty. Did you think you could kill Brother Muyu with just one Six-Petal Flying Flower?”

Su Muyu looked at his fallen horse, his expression blank. “You’re trying to delay me.”

Su Changli did not attempt to hide it, nodding directly, “Big Brother wants the Patriarch dead but doesn’t want you dead. So the best approach is to delay you.”

“Do you think I won’t kill you?” Su Muyu turned around, slightly raising his oil-paper umbrella to reveal his eyes.

The three of them were shocked.

The killing intent that instantly flowed from those eyes made their hair stand on end. The great sword on Su Changli’s back began to vibrate involuntarily. Su Ziyi’s seductive expression froze on her face, leaving only a bead of sweat slowly rolling down her forehead.

Because the man holding the umbrella was suddenly standing behind them.

If Su Muyu had truly intended to strike, the three of them would already be dead.

“Chang He thinks I won’t kill you, so he sent you to stop me. He believes he can read my mind. But I was once the Umbrella Ghost of the Su family, and now I’m a puppet of the Spider Shadow Assassins. I’ve killed many people, and there are times when I cannot control my killing intent.” Su Muyu gently twisted the umbrella handle.

Su Changli swallowed hard, struggling to raise his hand against the overwhelming pressure and place it on his sword hilt.

“You want to draw your sword?” Su Muyu asked coldly.

Su Changli’s heart jumped, his back already soaked, his sword hand trembling slightly. He managed a forced smile, “It was just too noisy!” He pressed down firmly on the sword hilt, instantly suppressing the vibrating sound.

“Go tell Chang He that the Patriarch cannot be killed,” Su Muyu walked forward, “and won’t be killed.”

Only after Su Muyu had walked a hundred paces did Su Changli collapse onto the ground. Su Hongxi and Su Ziyi beside him were both drenched in fragrant sweat. Su Changli licked his lips and smiled bitterly, “Big Brother put us in a tough spot, sending us to deal with Brother Yu. I feel like he could kill me with his killing intent alone, without even moving.”

Su Hongxi watched Su Muyu’s retreating figure and said softly, “Do you think if I released all my flying flowers at him now, I could hurt him?”

Su Ziyi gave a cold laugh, “You’re welcome to try.”

Su Hongxi reached into her clothes, then her expression changed dramatically.

“What’s wrong?” Su Ziyi asked.

Su Hongxi waved her hand, scattering red petals on the ground. She smiled bitterly, “When Su Muyu passed by us earlier, he had already destroyed all my Six-Petal Flying Flowers.”

Su Changli glanced at the dead horse before them and said gravely, “This horse died, and he was angry. If you weren’t Su Hongxi, you might already be dead.”

“Over a horse?” Su Hongxi frowned.

Su Changli stood up, “Brother Yu is a strange person. It’s hard to see what lies behind those eyes of his, what he’s thinking. In all of Dark River, I think only Big Brother understands him.”

“So our mission is complete?” Su Ziyi asked.

“It is. It’s almost laughable – we’re considered top assassins in Dark River, yet Big Brother’s mission for us was just to kill a horse.” Su Changli rubbed his temples, “Let’s leave the rest to them.”

“It’s you.” In the forest, Su Muyu stopped walking and gently raised his oil-paper umbrella.

A middle-aged man with a black cloth wrapped around his eyes sat there. Before him were a pot of tea, a Go board, and a sword. Hearing Su Muyu’s voice, he seemed pleased and nodded, “It’s been a long time. No, I should say it’s been long since I’ve heard your voice.”

Su Muyu’s hand gripped the umbrella tightly, his voice angry, “That bastard Su Chang He!”

“Don’t blame Chang He. I came here of my own accord,” the middle-aged man said calmly. “I thought after this matter, we might not have another chance to meet, so I came to see you and perhaps play one last game of Go.”

“I’m in a hurry. I don’t have time,” Su Muyu moved forward with his umbrella, “Teacher.”

The middle-aged man smiled, “You always call me teacher, but I was just an instructor in the Crucible. I didn’t teach you your martial arts, and your Eighteen Sword Formation has nothing to do with me. I merely played Go with you a few times.”

“Back then in The Crucible, without you, Chang He and I might have died long ago,” Su Muyu bowed his head slightly, his expression respectful.

“You know my swordsmanship is poor,” the middle-aged man lifted his head, though he couldn’t see Su Muyu.

Su Muyu looked at the sword on the table, seeming to guess something.

“Let’s play one game.” The middle-aged man reached out, already placing a black stone on the board.

Su Muyu put away his paper umbrella and sat formally at the stone table, raising his hand to place a white stone in response. “Did you come here to persuade me to join forces with Chang He?”

The middle-aged man nodded, “You’ve broken through many dangerous situations together. You’re the most incredible partnership Dark River has seen in a hundred years. This time, I believe you can still succeed.”

“In every previous case, our positions were aligned. But today, he wants to kill someone I’ve sworn a blood oath to protect with my life,” Su Muyu said gravely.

The middle-aged man paused, then asked, “Is the Patriarch worth such dedication?”

Su Muyu hesitated before answering, “No, he isn’t.”