Chapter 9 He never kills women.
Lou Bingling's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She immediately lifted her skirt and knelt down, pleading, "Your Highness, you must never utter such words again! Walls have ears, and if someone with ulterior motives overhears this, it would be a grave offense of disrespect!"
"Your Highness is a princess, and the Emperor's grace is boundless. Good fortune is sure to follow. The current misfortune is nothing more than the work of villains and a temporary calamity. I hope Your Highness will not wallow in sorrow and harm your spirit."
A moment of silence.
Jiang Fushi smiled wryly and helped her up: "Thank goodness you've been by my side all these years."
"Your Highness is too kind," Lou Bingling sighed. "How about we arrange for an opera troupe to come to the manor and perform a few lively plays to drive away the bad luck and help us relax? What do you think?"
"No, I'm not in the mood right now."
"Then..." Lou Bingling pondered for a moment, "How about we invite a storyteller to tell some novel and interesting stories about the martial arts world?"
“A few days ago, I heard a gentleman lecturing on ‘The Legend of the Martial World’ at Dongsheng Pavilion in the south of the city. He was very good. Bingling, shall I go and invite him to entertain Your Highness?”
Jianghu?
Jiang Fushi was slightly taken aback. Confined within the deep palace walls, she knew very little about the martial world. Hearing Lou Bingling's words, she became somewhat curious and finally nodded.
Half an hour later.
A storyteller dressed in a blue cloth robe was led to the flower hall of the princess's residence.
The storyteller was a seasoned veteran. Upon seeing the two elegant ladies in the hall, especially the woman at the head of the table with her refined beauty and undeniable air of authority, whose demeanor far surpassed that of an ordinary daughter of an official, he immediately straightened up, stepped forward, and bowed deeply: "This humble one, Liu Jingting, greets Your Highness, may Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"
Jiang Fushi raised her hand slightly, "Mr. Liu, please sit down. I invited you here today to hear some interesting stories from outside the palace and to relax your mind. Please feel free to tell me any interesting or interesting stories you have."
"Yes, yes, I obey." Liu Jingting respectfully withdrew and stood behind the rosewood table. His gaze quickly and respectfully swept over the two noble ladies before finally landing on Jiang Fushi. He carefully inquired, "I wonder if Your Highness would like to hear some romantic tales of talented scholars and beautiful women, or stories of loyal ministers and generals on the battlefield? If you prefer strange tales, I also know a little about the extraordinary people and events in the martial arts world."
"I'm tired of hearing about talented men and beautiful women. Do you have any interesting tales from the martial arts world, like those about chivalrous heroes?"
A glint flashed in Liu Jingting's eyes, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "There really is one."
"Has Your Highness ever heard of the 'Number One Assassin Under Heaven,' Han Ren?"
Upon hearing this, the man hidden in the shadows momentarily froze, his aura almost imperceptibly fading, as if he had merged with the darkness.
A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Fushi's eyes: "The number one assassin in the world? I have never heard of such a title. What is so special about him?"
The name itself is terrifying.
They seem like characters created from storybooks.
"Is there really such a person as the world's number one assassin?"
Seeing that he had piqued the nobleman's interest, Liu Jingting slammed his gavel and lowered his voice to create a tense atmosphere: "Please allow me to explain in detail, Your Highness."
"Four years ago, a group of bandits from the Jiangbei Waterway were entrenched. Relying on their great power, they had been oppressing the people on both sides of the river for many years. Moreover, because their leader was highly skilled in martial arts and had many guards around him, the government's several attempts to suppress them had all failed, and the people suffered greatly."
"Unexpectedly, on the summer solstice night that year, a man wielding a long sword broke into the headquarters of the Canal Gang alone. Amidst a hundred guards, he took the life of the gang leader with a single sword strike."
"The gang members were furious and gathered hundreds of people to surround the man, intending to cut him to pieces and avenge their leader."
"As a result, the man moved swiftly, and his sword light was as cold as frost. No one could get close to him. Instead, he cut a bloody path through them and drifted away, leaving hundreds of his followers helpless."
Jiang Fushi took a sip of the tea Qingdai offered her, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "Since the one who was killed was a local tyrant and gang leader, wasn't Han Ren's action righteous? How could he be known as the world's number one assassin?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Jingting quickly put down his teacup and bowed to Jiang Fushi: "Your Highness, this is only the beginning of his fame. What he did later will truly solidify his reputation as an 'assassin'."
"Oh? Please tell me quickly, sir."
Liu Jingting straightened up, slammed the gavel down again, and said in a deep voice: "In Jiangnan, there was an honest official who had retired to his hometown. Although he was no longer in the court, he was very famous in the local area. Unexpectedly, three years ago, on the eve of the spring equinox, all fifty-three people in his mansion suffered a great disaster. None of the men survived, and only one person survived."
"This is the extermination of an entire family?" Jiang Fushi was shocked, her bright eyes widening in disbelief.
Unbeknownst to her, the sound of her rapid heartbeat reached Zhan Xiao's ears completely.
Zhan Xiao possessed profound inner strength and his five senses were far more acute than those of ordinary people. As a means of protection, he was aware of every breath and every movement of Jiang Fushi.
At this moment, her heartbeat was like thunder and drums, echoing clearly in Zhan Xiao's heart, gradually merging with his own, becoming indistinguishable.
"Who survived?" she pressed.
"It was the honest official's eight-year-old daughter. When she was found, she was huddled under the bed, unharmed, with a piece of candy beside her."
"This is another reason why Han Ren is famous in the martial arts world. He has a principle: he never kills women."
Jiang Fushi's astonishment deepened, "Not killing women?"
“Yes.” Liu Jingting continued, “The last time Han Ren made a move was half a year ago. He single-handedly slaughtered the entire headquarters of the Remnant Moon Sect, from the sect leader and elders to ordinary disciples. He spared no man, a total of 168 people. Only the female disciples survived.”
Lou Bingling covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, "This person is really strange. He commits murder, yet he adheres to such principles. Could it be that he has pity for women, or is there some special reason?"
"Legend has it that a hundred years ago, the swordsman Hanshan, who created this sword technique, was besieged by the martial arts world and driven to the top of a snowy mountain because of his excessive killing. Before his death, he swung his last sword, and the snow on the entire mountain collapsed, burying the true essence of the sword manual. It is said in the martial arts world that whoever masters this sword technique is the number one in the martial arts world."
No one knows how Han Ren learned this long-lost peerless sword technique.
"It is said that when Qionghua Wuyingsha strikes, the temperature within a radius of ten feet will drop suddenly, the air will condense into frost, the sword will be sharp and the cold sword energy will be like a blizzard pressing down. Those who are hit will not be injured on the surface, but their internal organs will be covered with ice. The cold air will penetrate to the bone and freeze them to death."
Seeing that the two noblemen looked pale and held their breath, Liu Jingting softened his tone: "However, on the other hand, the Crescent Moon Sect has a notorious reputation in the martial arts world and is not a benevolent group."
"Han Ren's actions can also be considered as acting on behalf of Heaven."
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Fushi asked curiously, "This person has committed so many killings that he must have made many enemies. Has no one seen his true face and sought revenge against him?"
Shaking his head, Liu Jingting lowered his voice: "Your Highness may not know, but every time Han Ren makes a move, he wears a silver mask, and no one in the entire martial world has ever seen his true face."
"Or rather, all those who have seen him are dead. Rumors in the martial arts world say that he has the face of a demon, ferocious and terrifying; others say that he is actually as handsome as Pan An and Song Yu, but he wears a mask to cover his face so as not to be distracted when facing enemies. But what is the truth is unknown."
The word "silver mask" suddenly reminded Jiang Fushi of the man who had barged into the bathhouse that day.
Although they both wear masks, they are probably not the same person as the ruthless killer Han Ren.
Han Ren was a martial arts assassin, and had absolutely no connection with a member of the royal family like her.
She shook her head, dismissing the absurd association as a mere coincidence.
As expected of a famous storyteller in the capital, Liu Jingting told his stories vividly and captivatingly. Even the servants standing under the eaves were mesmerized, and his two personal maids, Qingdai and Zisu, were so engrossed that they didn't come back to their senses for a long time.
It wasn't until Jiang Fushi coughed lightly that she remembered to refill the slightly cool tea.
His martial arts skills were superb, yet he did not kill women and always acted with his face covered; this was truly astonishing.
This sense of mystery naturally lends a legendary air to this 'world's number one assassin'.
It's like looking at flowers through the fog; no wonder it has aroused much speculation among the world.
After a couple of sips of hot tea, Jiang Fushi's heartbeat gradually calmed down: "This person is both righteous and wicked, truly a... indescribable character."
Lou Bingling patted her chest and replied with lingering fear, "Yes, my palms were sweating just listening to that. It's better for such characters to only exist in stories. If they actually appeared in front of me, I'm afraid I would faint from fright."
Upon hearing this, the man in the shadows curled his lips into a chilling smile, as if mocking the naive words, yet also acknowledging the unquestionable fear.
He wasn't too surprised, after all, his hands were indeed covered in blood, and such a judgment from the world was perfectly normal to him.
"Today's story was truly fascinating." Jiang Fushi gestured to Qingdai to bring out a silver ingot and rewarded Liu Jingting with it.
Liu Jingting accepted the reward money with profuse thanks, bowed deeply, and was led out of the mansion by a servant.
Before we knew it, the sun was setting and dusk was approaching.
It was time for Lou Bingling to take her leave and return home. She took Jiang Fushi's arm and they slowly walked towards the bedroom.
"Your Highness, has your amnesia improved?"
Jiang Fushi paused slightly, shook her head, and gently patted the back of her hand: "What happened in Misty Valley is still a blank, but it doesn't matter. I just can't remember those few days, so it won't affect anything."
"Your Highness is blessed with good fortune. If you can't remember, there's no need to force it. Perhaps it's Heaven's will that you forget the unpleasantness of those days."
Amnesia?
Zhan Xiao, who had overheard the entire conversation, frowned slightly.
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