“I believe you! I believe you the most!” the madman hastily replied.
Seeing that Yelü Huangwu remained silent, the madman carefully tugged at her sleeve. “I’ll be good. Don’t be angry.”
“He deceived me,” Yelü Huangwu said.
The madman quickly responded, “I’ll go kill him!”
“Good,” Yelü Huangwu suddenly smiled, like the moon emerging from behind clouds. “If you kill him, I won’t be angry anymore.”
“Mm!” The madman nodded vigorously and scrambled towards the cabin.
In the pitch-black passenger cabin, An Jiu abruptly opened his eyes and whispered, “The madman is heading to the lower deck. The target is still on the upper deck.”
Chu Dingjiang said nothing but swiftly carried An Jiu to the upper deck.
They landed silently on the mast, their forms blending with the dark brown wood. Unless one looked closely, it was impossible to notice their presence.
Yelü Huangwu ordered someone to dispose of the water and stood up, seemingly preparing to return to her room.
Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu exchanged glances. Seeing her nod, he placed his hand on her back, infusing her with true qi.
Unlike the excruciating pain An Jiu had experienced when the madman injected his qi, Chu Dingjiang’s energy felt pleasurable. Hot streams of qi filled her body, revitalizing her meridians like spring rain on withered trees.
An Jiu focused on Yelü Huangwu, rapidly calculating environmental factors affecting the shot. After the qi circulated through her body, she raised the Subduing Dragon Bow, concentrating energy at her fingertips.
The arrow shaft seemed to blaze with fire. An Jiu sensed the bow’s joyful hum, its usually dull body brightening slightly, whether from the firelight or some other cause.
Chu Dingjiang suffered the most, his internal qi rapidly depleted, leaving his limbs momentarily cold as his dantian struggled to replenish the energy.
The brightness of the bowstring wasn’t particularly eye-catching among the ship’s multiple light sources. However, anyone looking up at that moment would certainly notice.
The helmsman checked the sails every quarter hour. Chu Dingjiang mentally calculated that the time was about now, but he didn’t rush.
Achieving a one-shot kill wasn’t as simple as merely releasing an arrow.
Yelü Huangwu seemed to sense the subtle qi fluctuations around her and turned to scan her surroundings.
At that moment, a figure stumbled onto the deck, rushing to the railing to jump ship. However, just as he was halfway over, a shadow flashed behind him, dragging him back and preparing to strike his crown.
“Xiao Chenzi!” the man cried out in desperation.
The hand stopped abruptly. The madman looked at him, confusion in his eyes.
“Xiao Chen, it’s that woman who harmed you and the Cui family!” Lu Danzhi scrambled up, grabbing him emotionally. “How can you serve the enemy?”
“No, that’s not…” The madman’s eyes reflected Lu Danzhi’s pained expression, his mind buzzing.
Yelü Huangwu watched this unfold, taking a few steps forward. She spoke slowly, “Madman, kill him. He’s a liar.”
The people on the ship, startled by Lu Danzhi’s shouts, began peering out to watch, but none dared approach the tense scene.
As the madman stood uncertain, Yelü Huangwu’s voice reached his ears, influencing him like a demonic incantation.
Despite his youth, Cui Yichen’s temples were streaked with gray, and wrinkles had formed at the corners of his eyes, giving him the appearance of a middle-aged man. His expression was a mix of confusion, idiocy, and childlike innocence. Lu Danzhi’s heart ached at the sight, a jumble of emotions overwhelming him.
On the mast, An Jiu’s aim followed Yelü Huangwu’s movements. As she stopped, An Jiu drew the bowstring back further.
She sensed a powerful fighter approaching.
Seizing the fleeting moment of stillness before reinforcements arrived, she released her fingers.
The long-absent cry of a crane echoed across the river.
The madman’s eyes suddenly cleared. Seeing the arrow speeding towards Yelü Huangwu’s chest, his eyes bulged. In a flash, his true qi erupted as he darted forward to deflect it.
The arrow silently embedded itself in the madman’s shoulder. Having just expended his qi to alter the arrow’s speed, he had no defense against it. The qi exploded within his flesh, blood gushing from his seven apertures.
Yelü Huangwu’s guards arrived.
An Jiu froze for a moment before Chu Dingjiang grabbed her waist and leaped with her into the river.
A brief silence fell over the scene, broken by a scream as chaos erupted on the deck.
As An Jiu fell through the air, she saw the madman’s blood spraying like rain. Yelü Huangwu stood motionless, her ivory clothes blooming like red plum blossoms. Her cold gaze, almost tangible, pierced through the bloody mist and fixed on An Jiu.
Even in the face of death, Yelü Huangwu’s composure never wavered, her demeanor remaining calm and indifferent.
Lu Danzhi, snapping out of his shock, tears streaming down his face, gritted his teeth and jumped overboard.
Yelü Huangwu knelt, supporting the madman. Her pale hand gently wiped the blood from his face. “Kill them all. Leave no one alive.”
“Yes!” A group of black-clad figures responded, dispersing like ghosts.
A night of slaughter ensued.
In the dim light of dawn, a black-clad man reported at the bow, “Master, apart from us, there were 109 people on board. Two assassins and Lu Danzhi escaped. The rest of the bodies are accounted for.”
Yelü Huangwu gazed down at the madman’s handsome, pale face, her red lips tightly pressed together.
She had prepared herself for this possibility when entering Song territory, but his death was too sudden. She had believed that a martial artist of his caliber wouldn’t be so fragile…
After a pause, the black-clad man gently reminded her, “Master, we’re too close to Bianjing. We shouldn’t linger.”
Yelü Huangwu stood up. “Take him with us. Burn the ship.”
“Yes!” A large man hoisted the madman’s body, and they all leaped ashore.
Within moments, the ship was engulfed in flames, leaving a long red trail in the river water, the stench of blood permeating the air.
There were no small boats on the wide river. Other nearby vessels, witnessing this scene, dared not approach and hurried to shore to report to the authorities.
…
After reaching the shore, An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang traveled on foot for several miles before purchasing two strong horses to ride to Yingtian Fu.
Though this assassination attempt had failed, killing a master of the Huajing realm was like severing one of Yelü Huangwu’s arms. It would be nearly impossible for her to find an equally capable replacement.
“Chu Dingjiang, given Yelü Huangwu’s methods, do you think she’ll kill everyone on the ship?” An Jiu asked.
Chu Dingjiang remained silent for a long while before responding, “Your heart has softened.”
An Jiu’s once rock-solid resolve had already developed cracks. For a cold-blooded assassin, such hesitation often spelled doom. A moment’s hesitation could give an opponent the chance to counterattack, with life and death hanging in the balance.
“Where there is oppression, there is resistance. If you choose to resist, don’t hesitate,” Chu Dingjiang said. “Otherwise, you’ll end up sacrificing much only to fail in the end.”