Chapter 1212: A Just Cause (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Even though his eyes clearly saw the assassin's neck about to be captured, his fingertips touched nothingness. Had he missed?

Shen Tang was shocked.

Even if the transformed form is far weaker than the original, it can still easily defeat ordinary mid-to-high-level martial artists. No matter how special the assassin's methods are, the difference in their cultivation levels and combat experience is undeniable.

However, she failed.

Little did she know that the assassin was even more shocked than she was.

Not to mention that his martial arts intent was entirely for assassination, and that he hadn't revealed any flaws while deceiving his target, timing his attack perfectly. The target's sudden alertness was only due to his own killing intent being leaked! He held the absolute initiative and had the advantage of surprise attack; normally, he could send someone to their death in just a few rounds. How many so-called masters had died unwittingly at his hands? The person before him was an exception.

Not only did he step on his own signature move barefoot, but he also gave his hidden true form the illusion that his neck was cold!

He calmed himself down.

"Naturally, it's the one who will take your life!"

The voice is strange, making it impossible to tell if it is male or female, or what age it is.

In an instant, it transformed into a wisp of strange green smoke, clinging tightly to Shen Tang's blind spot like a vengeful ghost. Its moves were bizarre and unpredictable, and its limbs could be twisted into any terrifying shape, attacking from any inhuman angle that was beyond the comprehension of common sense.

"What the hell are you?" Although Shen Tang could counter the attacks, she couldn't shake off the assassins or kill them, and she also had to concentrate to avoid being ambushed, which made her feel uncomfortable all over.

Over the years, the enemies she had encountered on the battlefield were either like Gong Xi Chou, who used overwhelming force to suppress the enemy, or like Yun Ce, who used technical skills to subdue the enemy with swift and decisive methods. She had rarely encountered an assassin like this. After more than twenty moves, her patience was completely exhausted.

The blade suddenly turned and plunged backward.

The assassin whispered a mocking tone in Shen Tang's ear.

"It's no use!"

Shen Tang was completely unaffected.

With a single, precise strike, the blade pierced the assassin's palm, tearing it in half.

As his hand landed, the assassin's wound didn't spurt blood as expected. Instead, it dissolved under the sunlight, turning into a wisp of dark blue smoke: "Fool, you've wasted your time. What can you do to me?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Shen Tang saw black mist gushing from the severed limbs of the other person, which instantly healed completely. Taking advantage of the moment when Shen Tang's strength was released, the assassin, whose next move was not yet powerful enough, slashed diagonally across her neck.

The sharp, eerie laughter seemed to come from both near and far, sometimes real, sometimes ethereal, stubbornly piercing her eardrums. As if influenced by the strange laughter, whether Shen Tang opened her eyes or closed them, she could see countless overlapping yellow and black eyes quietly opening in all directions.

These eyes gradually twisted into countless killers.

As the blade coated with a special poison drew closer and closer to its target, the assassin's eyes filled with excitement, agitation, and trembling!

Just a hair's breadth away!

"Well--"

This narrow gap became an insurmountable barrier for him.

"Although it was slightly off, the shadow at noon isn't very big, so it should have hit it, right?" The assassin stared at Shen Tang in disbelief. The latter's right hand, holding the knife, was stabbing the shadow at the heart of its feet, calmly saying words that sent chills down his spine.

Although it was a question, it was phrased with certainty.

As if to prove her words, gushing dark red liquid gushed from the cut, turning into several winding little snakes that flowed out of the shadows and were completely exposed to the sunlight—it was fresh human blood!

"With such meager skills, you dare to steal my kill?"

It's a real shame that they have such talent for creating supernatural effects instead of using it to create special effects for the Fengluo Pear Garden theater and attract visitors.

He could have made a stable living, but he chose to risk his life for her.

The assassin was so angry he almost vomited blood.

His body began to melt and fold from the top of his head, pooling on the ground into a puddle of something resembling asphalt. Shen Tang frowned slightly, disdainfully moving her bare right foot away, afraid of getting even a speck of it on her—her strong defense didn't mean her shoes were equally defensive. She had been caught off guard by the assassin's sneak attack and had no choice but to take the hit with her foot, resulting in her wooden clogs being ruined on the spot, forcing her to go barefoot.

The shadow beneath my feet quickly swallowed up the "asphalt".

Shen Tang tried to strike again, but the blow only hit the bricks on the ground.

The feel is completely different from the last cut.

"Tsk, didn't kill him with one stab."

Stabbing a shadow with a knife, while the tip of the knife may feel like it's cutting through the ribs, is slightly different from piercing the heart; it should be off-center by an inch.

This injury won't kill the valiant martial artist.

"My lord—"

Liao Qian's voice came from beside the carriage at the entrance.

Oh no, it should be said that the Cui family made meat buns. The identity of Liao Qian is currently still being used by Liao Jia, while the real Liao Qian stays by Shen Tang's side as a lackey, supervisor, and henchman, acting in a low-key and reserved manner, and is almost invisible.

He looked at Shen Tang, who was standing motionless at the door, with suspicion.

And, a pool of blood suddenly appeared at her feet.

Liao Qian's pupils constricted sharply: "My lord, you—"

Shen Tang asked in return, "What's wrong with me?"

Liao Qian: "..."

Judging from the location of the blood, it seemed more like Shen Tang had accidentally cut his sole while barefoot. Such behavior might seem absurd to an ordinary person, but it was perfectly normal for this lord. Over the years, Liao Qian couldn't recall how many unconventional and illogical things the other man had done. This barefoot outburst wasn't a one-off occurrence.

Is this something he can say?

Shen Tang looked around.

Her hand holding the knife was empty.

If it weren't for the pool of human blood still warm beneath her feet, even she would have doubted that the assassination attempt was just her imagination.

"Zunguang, what did you see just now?"

"Just now? There was only the lord."

Liao Qian only saw Shen Tang emerge from the government office with one bare foot, her steps uneven, standing motionless at the door like a silly pillar, seemingly lost in thought. At first, he thought she was lamenting the passing of spring and reluctant to leave the post she had worked so hard for hundreds of days and nights, but he quickly realized something was amiss—even if she was standing at the door reminiscing, it shouldn't have taken this long, right?

Liao Qian felt a chill run down his spine.

He tried to remedy the situation, carefully looking around but found nothing amiss. However, judging from his lord's reaction, something must have happened just now.

"Has someone come to assassinate our lord again?"

"Don't bother looking. It ran away when it saw things were going badly. If you were expected to discover the enemy, you would have been buried on my seventh-day memorial day long ago." Shen Tang patted his shoulder, looked at the spot where the "asphalt" had been, and gathered her scattered thoughts. "It was just a sneaky little mouse."

Something crawled out of the gutter!

"I have temporarily repelled the person. I just don't know which faction sent him. His moves are bizarre, but his abilities are quite interesting. My initial assessment is that he seems to be able to hide his true form in someone else's shadow to carry out close-range assassinations. His aura concealment is perfect. He is either a special martial artist's incantation or the will of some martial artist... It would be a waste of talent for such an ability to be an assassin."

"Hiding your true form in someone else's shadow? Doesn't that mean you can kill whoever you want? Wherever the shadow is, you can lurk there?" Others might be furious if their boss insulted their work ability, but Liao Qian could brazenly pretend nothing happened. His attention was focused on his assassin abilities. Even looking at his own shadow at his feet made his scalp tingle. He said, "Isn't this ability a natural-born assassin?"

I subconsciously imagined the role this ability would play on the battlefield. I can't even imagine how useful it would be to kill the commander-in-chief in front of the three armies.

It's practically a powerful tool for reaping military merits!

“The opera troupe is even more in need of this kind of special talent. He can perform four shows a day, just by showing up briefly, and his share of the profits is higher than his single ticket, plus he's not in any danger. This ability can only be used at noon, because if he runs into me, he'll be in trouble sooner or later.” Shen Tang dispelled Liao Qian’s nervousness in a few words. He was no longer worried, but just had a wry smile on his face. She then became serious, “His ability must have many limitations, otherwise he would have become famous long ago.”

Assassins belong to a very special group of martial artists. While other martial artists always have a legitimate reason for their actions, assassins are different. They kill without regard to good or evil, right or wrong, only for the sake of profit or orders.

The bigger the assassin's reputation, the more business he gets.

The fastest way to gain fame is nothing more than stepping over the corpses of your targets and demonstrating your assassination efficiency to your employer. If an assassin could use this ability without restraint, he would be the king of assassins or a fearsome general... If he has neither, it can only prove two things—his ability is greatly limited and he cannot do whatever he wants; or this guy may belong to some private force.

"Next time, I'll turn that sneaky little mouse into a dead rat in the gutter!"

Shen Tang didn't show it on her face, but she was still depressed inside.

It's reasonable to suspect that both her true self and her avatar have been living in comfort for too long, causing their skills to atrophy. Even a lowly assassin dares to cause her trouble! Indeed, a sharp blade needs constant sharpening to maintain its edge. And she hasn't fought a battle in two years!

He sits in the office every day, reviewing memorials every day.

If it weren't for her self-discipline, her abs would have all disappeared. That Liao Qian just knows how to bring up the most sensitive topics.

"Didn't the lord kill the men?"

This was somewhat unexpected. Although Liao Qian didn't know that the master before him was actually just an avatar, nor did he know Shen Tang's true strength and realm, he knew from their interactions over the past two years that Shen Tang was very strong. Whether it was the treacherous martial arts contest for marriage back then, or the subsequent use of force to suppress those who openly and secretly plotted against her, she handled everything with ease, never making a mistake, let alone suffering a loss.

What was meant as a normal inquiry took on a different meaning in Shen Tang's ears.

He kicked it in a huff.

Liao Qian dodged directly, a natural smug look in his eyes, as if to say—Hey, you can't hit me!

Shen Tang: "..."

Liao Qian looked at her bare feet and offered a sincere suggestion: "Shall I get you a pair of wooden clogs? The ground is uneven, and even if your feet are invulnerable to swords and spears, walking barefoot will still be uncomfortable."

"If you don't speak, I won't assume you're mute."

Liao Qian and Liao Jia are indeed related.

When Liao Jia doesn't smile, he's a respectable young gentleman; but when he smiles, he becomes a lewd, treacherous human trafficker. Liao Qian doesn't have this physical flaw, but his mouth, combined with his habit of doing only what he's paid for, gives him a strange and unpleasant aura.

Even after getting into the carriage, Liao Qian remained absent-minded.

"Does my lord have any clues about the mastermind behind this?"

"Whoever profits is the mastermind behind it all."

"Judging from the lord's social interactions, it's really hard to guess."

To put it bluntly, according to the lord's logic of guessing the real culprit, Liao Qian sees everyone as a suspect. Leaving aside how many people she offended during the martial arts contest to choose a husband, in just two years of governance, she offended her superiors, her subordinates, and a group of people who tried to take advantage of her but were ultimately dealt with. Furthermore, the lord's excellent governance also alienated his entire neighborhood.

Liao Qian spoke a profound truth: "We are enemies on all sides."

The southwestern continent is prone to natural disasters during the rainy season. While not every year, there are usually two every five years. This necessitates a huge expenditure of manpower and resources to reinforce dikes and clear river channels. After the disaster, emergency repairs, relief, and reconstruction are required. If agricultural harvests are affected, taxes for the year must be reduced or waived as appropriate, and money must be spent to appease the victims. Under such circumstances, it is not uncommon for officials to deceive their superiors and embezzle disaster relief funds.

She stood out from the crowd of people crying and wailing.

Only a few houses collapsed and a few people were injured; the losses were so minor that the royal court didn't need to allocate disaster relief funds. This made the neighbors seem particularly out of place. Natural disasters affect many areas at once, and no one is spared. Either Shen Tang is faking it, or her neighbors are. So, who pocketed the profits that were embezzled, and who will bear the responsibility for the losses caused by dereliction of duty?

Shen Tang ripped off their trousers and tore them to shreds!

The source of many previous assassinations lies here.

"There are too many people who want to harm our lord." Liao Qian knew this like the back of his hand, recalling how many people wanted to harm her and how their methods were endless. "At the border, we once stopped a group of sneaky villains. After questioning them, we found out that they had smallpox scabs and pus on their bodies."

These all came from smallpox patients.

This also shows how much people hate her, my lord!

Once smallpox spreads, nine out of ten houses will be empty.

Liao Qian muttered under his breath, "To put it bluntly, even the king dislikes you and wants to kill you."

He then emphasized it again.

"Of course, not this time, but in the past."

If it weren't for the fact that the lord's official position was so unconventional, illuminating the filth within the room, the king could have continued living his life with his eyes closed—too much purity leaves no fish, and corrupt officials who amass wealth while also doing their jobs, ensuring the stability of the royal court, are beneficial to the king.

"The king needs you now, so of course he won't make a move."

After ruling out one ruler, the rest are all suspects.

Considering their current predicament of being surrounded by enemies, Liao Qian felt a sense of unease. His lord was powerful enough to withstand the shadow assassin's sneak attack, but he himself was not. Fortunately, the assassin was targeting his lord; if they had attacked those close to him, a whole host of people would likely have perished.

By completely stripping away her wings, Liao Qian could indirectly weaken her lord's power, deterring outsiders from easily joining her ranks. The mastermind behind this might have some integrity, or perhaps hadn't considered this possibility, which is why Liao Qian remained unscathed: "Since the lord has gained such an important position, someone must have had to step down... My lord, do you think it could have been done by the person who was forced out?"

This is the most direct conflict of interest.

Shen Tang finally gave him a response.

"You guessed it was Mei Jinghe?"

Liao Qian was formerly with the Cui family, so he was naturally familiar with Mei Jinghe. He also knew that Mei Jinghe was the first meritorious minister who helped the king ascend the throne. Not only did Mei Jinghe have immense power in the Qi Kingdom, but he also took the initiative to launch several wars of annihilation against neighboring countries. He was definitely a ruthless person!

He pondered for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "Such a heroine would surely disdain such shady dealings; it shouldn't be her."

Not everyone likes to use assassination to deal with political enemies.

Anyone with even a little bit of arrogance would look down on this.

Shen Tang vaguely guessed a few things.

"It's not her, but the people around her might be."

|ω`)

The heat is so intense that it's making everyone feel listless.