The cold moon hangs high, and a thin crow caws sharply.

The pale moonlight dappled through the woods, and one could vaguely see nimble black shadows leaping back and forth among the towering trees, silently approaching the faint light on the riverbank under the cover of darkness and the shade of the trees.

"Hey, Twenty-Four, what are you spacing out for?"

One of the masked men noticed that his brother, who was supposed to be following behind him, had suddenly stopped moving. He turned around, lowered his voice, and urged the other man to hurry up and catch up.

The masked man called Twenty-Four swayed, and he raised his hand in disbelief to touch his throat. When he tried to open his mouth, a strange gurgling sound came from his throat.

His pupils, visible outside his mask, contracted and then rapidly dilated, finally fading into a blank gray expanse.

Recently, it fell straight down from the tree onto its back.

With a "thud," it fell completely silent.

The commotion startled all the masked men in black, and they all became alert. The leader of the group stepped forward to investigate, and his face turned ashen instantly.

"Twenty-four died."

A piercing wound was inflicted on his chest by an old reed stalk so brittle it could be easily crushed, and a very thin reed was also shot into his throat. The "gurgling" sound he had just heard was the sound of blood gushing out of his throat and then flowing back up and being blocked.

It's astonishing that an ordinary reed stalk could be used as a hidden weapon, projecting power comparable to an arrow.

Moreover, Twenty-Four is considered a highly skilled headhunter within the organization, not to mention he has so many brothers by his side.

He was actually killed right in front of his eyes!

Dozens of masked men involuntarily gripped their weapons, back to back, and warily surveyed their surroundings.

"Could it be someone from the imperial court? Did Thirty-Three's whereabouts get exposed? Wasn't that guy surnamed Fu held back?"

"Damn it, I don't care if his surname is Fu or Heavenly King, I want to see who's so arrogant as to kill my brother right under my nose!"

A burly man with a rough voice spat viciously, brandishing a short knife in his hand and gritting his teeth.

However, before he could finish his boastful words, the next second, a reed stalk shot from an unknown direction pierced his shoulder, and he was even blown backward by the strong wind until he was pinned to the tree trunk by the reed stalk.

This turn of events completely shattered the peace of the entire masked group.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

Someone spoke, their voice trembling as they tried to remain calm.

The moonlight shimmered, and the reeds swayed gently.

Not far away, the clear, rippling sound of water echoed, followed by a short, helpless sigh.

The girl in white and green was still holding the reed in her mouth. Her fair and innocent face was filled with sorrow, and her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she was troubled by the mud from the riverbank that had gotten on her skirt.

She sighed repeatedly.

"It's dirty again. Luckily, I'm not the one who does the laundry at home. If it had been left for a while, it might have become impossible to clean! I'd better hurry up and get Master Shen home so he can clean it for me right away."

She continued talking to herself, only belatedly realizing that there was a group of people watching her from the woods by the riverbank.

The girl raised her eyes, two sweet dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth, but her deep, dark eyes held no smile.

Her eyelids were half-closed, calmly reflecting the pale light of the cold moon.

She raised her hand and slapped her head in frustration.

"Oh, I'm in a bit of a rush right now, you can all come together."

——

With a casual flick of his thumb, Zhan Xinjia wiped away the bloodstains that had accidentally splattered on his cheek. Bored, he spat out the reed stalk in his mouth and stopped looking at the mountain of corpses behind him.

She walked briskly toward the dilapidated house with the lights on.

As the girl passed by the dilapidated house with its broken and fallen plaque, she paused, but did not stop.

The old wooden door was knocked on.

A slight noise came from inside the room, followed by an alert male voice.

"who!"

The half-open door was pushed open from the outside, and a soft, white face peered in under the dim light.

The little girl smiled sweetly, her voice deep and resonant. Between her parting lips, two slightly pointed canine teeth could be vaguely seen, making her extremely adorable.

"Excuse me for disturbing you so late at night. Is my husband, Mr. Shen, a guest here? I'm so sorry, it's really too late today and the dishes haven't been washed yet..."

Thirty-three, who was inside the house, was clearly not expecting that the person who arrived was not his companion, but the gentle and harmless-looking little girl who had met him once before in the yard, holding a cat.

...?

How did she even find this place?!

Thirty-three felt a surge of immense unease.

His pupils trembled, and like a dead duck whose throat was being choked, his breathing became rapid and involuntary. He stared intently at the frail girl in front of him, trying to discern something.

For some reason, he felt a little breathless.

Zhan Xinjia was never a patient person. Seeing him blocking the doorway, she flicked her hand from her sleeve and, as if by magic, produced a sharpened reed.

However, before she could make a move, the young man's coughing came from inside the room.

"Ah Zhi...?"

Shen Suqing's tone was hesitant, as if he couldn't believe how she had found this place.

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man pressed his fist to his lips and coughed heavily a few times, clearly having caught a cold.

He sat under the lamp, his face pale, his dark sideburns damp with a thin layer of mist, yet he remained upright and ramrod straight, his tone carrying a firm sense of protection.

"The person you want to tie up is me, don't hurt her."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Xinjia's eyes darted around, and she immediately changed her mind.

She pretended to be bewildered and innocent as Thirty-Three "captured" her and brought her into the house. She obediently had her wrists tied with hemp rope and was bound together with Shen Suqing to a table in the corner against the wall.

"Master Xiao Shen."

As soon as she entered the room, she helplessly snuggled against his knees and softly called to him.

Shen Suqing pursed his lips, his eyes filled with anger and deep sorrow.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the yard and lock the door? How did you end up here? I already told you it's extremely dangerous outside. It's one thing to be a little willful normally, but this is a matter of life and death... Why are you so disobedient!"

"But the skirt is dirty."

The letter was written with great confidence and conviction.

"What if it won't be clean by tomorrow? And you've been gone for a long time, I'll come pick you up."

She refused to talk about how she found the place, only giving vague and ambiguous answers to evade the question.

Now that things have come to this, no matter how anxious or angry Shen Suqing is, her safety is his first priority.

No one knew better than him how dangerous the assassins under Lan Jiang's command were.

After calming his breathing and subtly hiding her behind him, Shen Suqing looked up at Thirty-Three, who was standing at the door looking somewhat dazed for some reason.

Despite his scholarly and gentle demeanor, Shen Suqing's face was unusually gloomy at this moment. His back was straight, and he exuded the intimidating and oppressive aura of a high-ranking official.

His jet-black pupils were like a fine inkstone, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"Release her, or your master will not be satisfied if I die here."

After he finished speaking, he turned to the side and gave the little girl a reassuring look, mouthing something to her.

Don't be afraid.

Zhan Xinjia, who was hiding behind Shen Suqing, was dumbfounded.

Holy crap, using the weakest, trashy fighting force to deliver the most pretentious lines, even though he himself is in dire straits, he still thinks about protecting her, someone he just met by chance and has only known for a few days.

Oh my god, what a male bodhisattva!

He even threatened to kill himself to force her to release him. I'm so upset, I could cry.

Who says that the most captivating male protagonist in a novel must be a young swordsman with unparalleled martial arts skills and a stunning swordsmanship?

At least in Zhan Xinjia's eyes right now, Lord Shen is like a god surrounded by a halo, so dazzling that she can't open her eyes and can't bear to look at him.

Thirty-Three scoffed coldly, his tone sarcastic: "A man like Lord Shen can kill dozens of my brothers with just a few words. How could I dare to touch Lord Shen?"

After speaking, he glanced warily at the frail little girl hiding behind the young man, who only timidly showed half her face. The unease in his heart grew stronger, and his heart pounded violently in his chest.

"Why haven't they come yet... why haven't they come yet..."

Thirty-three clutched his wounded abdomen, gazing out the window at the calm river surface, undisturbed by the moonlight, and murmured to himself.

The signal was sent a full incense stick's time ago; the reinforcements should have arrived long ago. Were they held up by the soldiers, or did something else happen?!

The more I thought about it, the more nervous and uneasy I became.

Finally, the knocking sounded again.

Thirty-Three's mind instantly calmed down, and his worried expression vanished as he eagerly opened the door—

A fine sword was placed against his neck.

Fu Shouan walked in with a bright, white smile.

"Damn, Brother Chen, you're still alive! Is this considered overtime? How about we go to the palace tomorrow, hug His Majesty's leg, and cry our hearts out so he can give us a raise?"

He even had the mood to joke, showing Lord Fu's extraordinary ease.