However, Xue Lingyu, who should have been resting inside, quietly left through the back door of Likun's mansion.
She was dressed in men's clothes, her face was deliberately blackened, and her features were slightly altered. Under the moonlight, she looked like a thin, dark-skinned Tuyuhun boy, and her original appearance was not visible.
Xue Lingyu dodged the patrol teams on the street and went straight to the lower end of the street.
The area around the lower street corner was quite lively at night. Although it was much colder at night than during the day, there were still quite a few people there.
There were gamblers, drinkers, and vendors selling all sorts of trinkets—the list was endless.
Of course, there were also beggars and stray dogs everywhere.
Xue Lingyu looked at the filthy beggars on the ground with disgust and cursed, "Get lost, don't come near me."
If she weren't afraid that Li Kunge would find out about her affairs in Da Jin, she would never come to such a place where lowly people gather again.
After dealing with that annoying woman, she would never set foot here again.
Thinking about it, she walked straight towards a secluded alley.
Little did she know, not far from her, someone was quietly watching her in the darkness.
As soon as Xue Lingyu entered the secluded alley, she saw a dozen people squatting on the ground gambling by the dim light of an oil lamp.
"Big, big, big."
"Small, small, small."
A group of people were staring at the dice cup, arguing excitedly, their eyes gleaming with excitement and agitation, as if they were treating something reverent—it was utterly bizarre.
Xue Lingyu frowned slightly and called out to the person inside, "Is Ma Zi here?"
Upon hearing this, the young man on the outermost side looked up at her, sized her up and down several times, and then said with displeasure, "What, what do you want with me? To gamble?"
Xue Lingyu glanced at him, took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and unfolded it, "Find the person on this page, kill her, and the money is negotiable."
Ma Zi glanced at the person in the portrait and casually said, "At least three hundred taels, or I won't do it."
Xue Lingyu was startled and somewhat displeased, "Three hundred taels? You're asking for way too much."
She remembered that in the past, these people would only receive a few dozen taels of silver for each task, so how come she received three hundred taels?
Ma Zi didn't even glance at her before turning and leaving.
Xue Lingyu was so angry that she gritted her teeth and said, "Three hundred taels it is, we must kill him."
Three hundred taels wasn't much for her now, but it still stung.
However, as long as I can kill that bitch, the three hundred taels are worth it.
After all, it involves killing a person, so it's understandable that it's more expensive than other things.
Thinking this way, she felt much more at peace.
Ma Zi was somewhat surprised.
The people in the alley stopped what they were doing and all looked at Xue Lingyu.
Xue Lingyu frowned, somewhat annoyed by the scrutinizing gazes, and asked with displeasure, "Are you in or not?"
Ma Zi hurriedly took the portrait and said with a grin, "Yes, of course I'll do it, but you have to pay a deposit first, one hundred and fifty taels."
Xue Lingyu looked at him suspiciously, "What if you don't do the work after we give you the money?"
She remembered that the deposit used to be much less.
It's just that she didn't stay here long before leaving. She only saw these people taking on missions, doing all sorts of things like gathering information, finding people, and teaching people a lesson.
If she hadn't been afraid that having the guards of the Likun Manor deal with the woman directly would arouse Likun's suspicion, she certainly wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
Ma Zi just chuckled and said, "Isn't this the first time I've handled a murder case? Young man, this way please. You should at least tell me where this girl usually hangs out, right?"
Xue Lingyu simply nodded.
The person I saw today was on Heyue Street. Since he wasn't in a carriage, he must live nearby.
Without thinking much, she followed Ma Zi to the very end of the alley.
However, as soon as she turned into the shadows, she was instantly grabbed by the neck and choked tightly.
A sharp pain spread from her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. After a while, she could no longer bear it.
She gripped the hand tightly around her neck, her eyes, bulging with bloodshot, staring at the other person, silently begging for mercy.
But the person showed no sign of letting go; instead, they tightened their grip even more.
Her mind began to spin in an instant, and the scene before her eyes gradually blurred. Just when she thought she was really going to die, the other person let go of her hand.
She lost her support in an instant, collapsing helplessly to the ground, clutching her neck, and gasping for breath.
Ma Zi just smiled and said, "Compared to killing the person in the portrait, it seems simpler to just kill you. After all, you can casually throw three hundred taels at a time."
Xue Lingyu then realized why the other party wanted to kill her, and immediately cried out in panic, "No, don't kill me! I, I can give you more silver. Let me go. I, I will send you more silver tomorrow."
She, she finally escaped from the Great Jin to Tuyuhun, and finally started living a good life. How could she die here, in this filthy place?
Ma Zi burst out laughing instantly. "Do you think I'm stupid? If I let you leave now, you'll definitely run away long ago. Why would you come back to deliver more money?"
However, since you can casually produce three hundred taels, you must be some young master from a wealthy family. Wouldn't it be more convenient for me to just take you and ask your family for the money?"
Xue Lingyu trembled with fear, and it took her a while to remember something. "I, I am from the Li Kun family. If you, if you capture me, you won't get any money from the Li Kun family."
"No, no, why don't you release me now? I'll go back now and send someone to give you the silver shortly."
Ma Zi laughed loudly, "You're from the Li Kun family, and I'm a member of the royal family. Don't give me that. Either I kill you right now, or you tell the truth and expose your family."
"If they give me enough money, I might be in a good mood and spare your life."
Xue Lingyu was only a little anxious. Seeing that the other party did not believe her, she suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, "I, I am really a member of the Li Kun family."
I'll tell you a secret: you can enter Li Kun's house without being detected by his guards.
"Then you can steal whatever you want; it will definitely be worth more than my few hundred taels."
Everyone knows about the wealth accumulated by the Li Kun family over generations. Since the other party is after money, she only needs to tell them how to enter the Li Kun family without being discovered, and they will surely survive.
That was a passage she discovered by chance.
Ma Zi was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at the person in the darkness before glaring fiercely at the person in front of him. "You brat, stop talking nonsense. What kind of place is Li Kun's house? If I went in, I would have a chance to come out alive. You don't even use your brain when you're trying to harm people."
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