Chapter 3: First Confrontation in the Governor's Mansion
A stone flew through the air, silently but precisely striking the bronze bell hanging from the eaves. "Ding-ling!" The crisp sound echoed like thunder in the silent night. "Assassin!" The guards within the mansion were instantly alerted, countless torches lit, and shouts and footsteps echoed throughout the courtyard.
This sudden change caused the internal energy that Su Qinghan had gathered in her fingertips to dissipate instantly. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her body frozen in place, and a turbulent storm surged in her heart.
Failed!
At the moment when she was about to deliver the fatal blow, when her spirit and murderous intent reached the peak, this mysterious colleague completely shattered her assassination in a way she could not have expected.
This was not an accident, this was intentional!
Su Qinghan was incredibly clever, figuring out the whole situation in a flash. The enemy had been lurking for a long time, fully aware of her presence and intentions. He chose not to engage her head-on, nor did he launch a sneak attack. Instead, at the most crucial juncture, he used the simplest and most effective method to detonate the entire Governor's Mansion's defenses.
Why did he do that?
A terrifying thought came to her mind: the other party's goal might be completely different from hers. He was sabotaging her actions just to achieve his own goals.
And I, from beginning to end, was just a chess piece on his chessboard!
"Quick! Protect the lord! The assassin is over there on the rockery!"
"Archers ready! Seal all exits!"
The shouts of the guards were getting closer, the firelight illuminated the rockery where she was hiding, and several arrows flashing with cold light were aimed at her direction.
Cold murderous intent surged from all directions, yet Su Qinghan felt no fear at all. Instead, she felt a sense of humiliation and anger at being manipulated. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging blood and energy, her eyes regaining the calmness expected of an assassin.
The mission has failed, the most important thing now is to escape.
She no longer hesitated, tapping her toes lightly on the rocks. Her entire body, like a weightless willow catkin, shot back in the direction she had come from. Her "Treading Snow Without Leaking" skill was at its peak at this moment, as she weaved between the shadows of the columns and eaves, escaping the encirclement in a few leaps and bounds.
At the same time, above the beams, in the shadows, the deep night was watching everything below with indifference.
The chaos in the courtyard, Wei De's panic, the guards' running around, were all within his expectations. This was a farce he had personally directed, and he was the only spectator who stayed out of it.
He saw the female assassin's retreat. Her movements were agile and her path clear. Even in such a chaotic situation, she was able to find the safest path. Her reactions were swift, without a single sluggish move.
"He's a promising talent," Chen Ye thought calmly. It was a pity that he wasn't calm enough, and his murderous aura was exposed, so he was being used as a pawn without even realizing it.
His gaze withdrew from her retreating figure and returned to the study. All the guards were drawn to the window, while Wei Zhongxian himself hid under the table, trembling with fear.
Perfect timing.
The deep night no longer waited for anything. His body separated from the shadow of the beam, like a drop of ink merging into a river, drifting down silently.
His movements created no sound, and the Lightless Heart Sutra minimized his presence. He landed quietly on the solid floor, and the moment his feet touched the ground, not even the slightest dust was raised.
Wei De, who was hiding under the table, was concentrating on listening to the noise outside and was completely unaware of the death that was approaching.
Shen Ye's target was not him. He didn't even glance at the fat governor and walked straight towards the rosewood box.
His movements were lightning-fast, yet carried a strange rhythm. His left hand rested lightly on the lid of the box, and he placed two fingers of his right hand together, a faint wisp of Qi lingering on his fingertips as he pressed them precisely against the lock core of the copper lock.
“Crack.”
A very slight crisp sound was heard, perfectly masked by the noisy voices in the courtyard. The Tianji Pavilion's specially developed lock-picking technique could instantly destroy the most fragile mechanism within the lock.
The lid of the box was opened, and a thick account book lay quietly inside.
Shen Ye reached inside, took out the account book, and stuffed it into his arms. The whole process took no more than a breath.
Mission accomplished.
Without stopping for a moment, he turned and rushed towards another window in the opposite direction of the female assassin's retreat.
At this moment, Su Qinghan, who had retreated to the edge of the encirclement, out of the instinct of a top constable, couldn't help but look back at the brightly lit "Wentao Pavilion" at the last moment before escaping danger.
She wanted to confirm what the troublemaker was trying to do.
It was this one glance that made her see a scene she would never forget.
When all the guards had their backs to the study, nervously searching for her, the "fake assassin", a dark blue afterimage, like a ghost emerging from the darkness, suddenly emerged from the study window.
That is not "fast", but the connection between "disappearance" and "appearance".
Her eyes couldn't even catch the other person's complete movements, only a vague outline flashing by in the moonlight. He landed silently, then tapped his toes on the ground. His figure once again transformed into a shadow, almost impossible to grasp with the naked eye. After a few rises and falls, he completely merged into the distant darkness.
Fast! It’s almost as fast as it can be!
Su Qinghan's heart seemed to stop beating at that moment. She considered herself a master of lightness skills, but compared to that afterimage, she was like a toddler. That speed wasn't something a mortal could possess; it was more like... an illusion.
From beginning to end, none of the so-called elite Governor's Palace guards noticed this true "uninvited guest." Their attention was completely drawn to her, the bait that was pushed to the front.
In an instant, all the doubts were answered.
The other party's goal was indeed not Wei De's life. The only thing in the study that was worthy of such a person's attack was the account book that the master had just put in!
What a deep calculation, what a terrifying strength!
Su Qinghan's back was covered in cold sweat. She finally understood what a terrifying opponent she was facing tonight. Not only did he completely crush her in martial arts, but he also played her mentally, toying with her like a toy.
She didn't stop, quickly leaving this troubled place. After confirming that no one was chasing her, she landed on the rooftop of a secluded house, gazing at the still chaotic Governor's Mansion from afar, her chest heaving violently.
Shame, anger, fear...all these emotions intertwined together and eventually turned into a strong sense of unwillingness.
In the chaos, she only saw a dark blue afterimage, flashing through the study like a ghost before disappearing into the night. The assassination attempt failed, but the image of that incredibly fast figure, along with its calculating calmness, had been deeply imprinted in her mind.
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