"What a pity," Mo Qingchen laughed self-deprecatingly, "that I actually lost to you."
His gaze swept over the man behind Chuanliu, he raised an eyebrow, then lowered his head dejectedly and said, "I never expected that A-Qiang was the legendary Zhui Ming. No wonder..."
Suddenly, he raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes. "I know that even if I survive this wave of poison, I won't live... But Chuanliu, I haven't lost! I won't lose!"
Chuanliu stood there quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Mo Qingchen struggled to get up from the stone path, his body swaying precariously, as if he might collapse again at any moment.
As if he had made a decision, his gaze fixed on Zhuiming. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "So what if Chuanliu invited you? You can't protect her!"
As he spoke, he suddenly pulled on the rope in his hand. The other end of the rope was tightly tied around Chuanliu's waist, and it had become his last bargaining chip.
Mo Qingchen roared fiercely, "Chuanliu, if I die, you won't live either!"
With that, he pulled hard on the rope and jumped down the narrow stone path without a care in the world.
To everyone's surprise, the girl showed no sign of panic.
Mo Qingchen's body fell into the abyss like a kite with a broken string, the biting wind slapping against his face like needles.
However, to his utter surprise, the rope that should have been tightly bound around Chuanliu's waist came loose from the girl's waist the moment he exerted force, like a kite that had lost its owner, swaying helplessly in the air.
Disbelief filled Mo Qingchen's eyes; he had never imagined such an outcome. Gazing at Chuan Liu's cold and calm face, an indescribable fear welled up within him. In his final moments, that icy gaze was etched deeply into his heart, becoming a despair he could never forget.
The knot that Chuanliu wore around his waist wasn't meant to be held by Mo Qingchen for protection; it was a magic knot designed to test him, one that would break apart under any force.
You may not know much about me...
You may not know much about me...
The girl's words kept echoing in his mind.
At this moment, Mo Qingchen truly understood the meaning of those words.
He still lost.
A gust of wind suddenly swept between the two cliffs. Gazing at the bottomless abyss, Chuanliu sighed. After all that struggling, the wound in his abdomen had begun to throb.
"Let's go," she said to Zhui Ming.
"Little ancestor, can we not do such thrilling activities next time?" Zhui Ming crossed his arms, shook his head, and followed the girl.
Not far away, a heavy wooden door stood silently, as if guarding the "secret door." The door was simple and elegant, its surface meticulously cleaned. The brass rings on the door had become smooth from the wear and tear of time, reflecting a faint golden light.
Chuanliu gently knocked on the wooden door, and with a creaking sound, the door slowly opened, revealing a dark corridor behind it. There was no one behind the door; only a gentle breeze stirred up a cloud of dust.
Chuanliu and Zhuiming exchanged a glance and went inside together.
On both sides of the porch, lush vegetation swayed gently in the breeze, releasing a faint fragrance. The diverse plant species, intertwined together, made the entire path anything but dull.
They passed through the porch and arrived at a traditional Chinese courtyard house.
In the main hall of the front yard, two or three figures hurried past, each busy with their own affairs.
These people glanced at Chuanliu and Zhuiming, who were wearing masks, and continued their work, seemingly uninterested in the two unexpected visitors.
In the right corner of the main hall, a middle-aged man sat writing something in a notebook. Seeing the two arrive, he said impatiently, "What are you two doing here? Do you even know where you are?"
Chuanliu stepped forward and said in a low voice, "I was introduced by a friend and I'd like to place an order." She didn't directly say that she wanted to find "Queen of Spades," but used a different way of putting it.
The mention of orders immediately pricked up the middle-aged man's ears. Although he didn't improve his service attitude, he still patiently continued to ask, "What type of order is it? Do you have any assassin levels you'd like to book?"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man acting as customer service handed Chuanliu a booklet.
Chuanliu began to look through it.
The kill order she currently carries is one form of service offered by "The Dark Gate," which can actually provide customized services, such as specifying service content, duration, and level.
In the case of kill orders, the client can set the price, and the assassin can freely choose whether to accept the job. Most other service types, however, have clearly defined prices, such as the cost per person for assassins of different skill levels.
After reviewing everything, Chuanliu closed the booklet, as if he had made a decision, and said, "I won't look at the specific people. I need to hire bodyguards, and I want your best assassins."
"This is 'The Hidden Door,' sir. We offer murder services." The customer service representative lazily raised her eyelids and rolled her eyes as she spoke.
Chuanliu pulled up a stool and sat down facing him. "As my bodyguard, I'm not only responsible for protecting me, but also for killing anyone who wants to kill me. Does that count as murder?"
The customer service representative was persuaded by Chuanliu, but still felt it was against the rules, so she refused, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, we don't offer that service..."
"I'll offer 300,000," Chuanliu suddenly interrupted the customer service representative.
The customer service representative suddenly raised his eyelids, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He shifted his position, sat up straighter, and said, "Three hundred thousand... that's indeed enough to hire one of our top assassins. Although we don't have a precedent for bodyguards, we can offer customized service contracts."
As he spoke, he pulled out a contract from under the table and began filling it out with practiced ease. "I'll fill out the form for you now. Will you be paying in cash or by debit card?"
Instead of answering his question, Chuanliu countered with, "If your top assassin dies protecting me, who will continue to be responsible for my safety?"
The customer service representative confidently stated, "Don't worry about that. We're always results-oriented. If our assassin dies, an assassin of equal caliber will take over, seamlessly fulfilling your needs."
Chuanliu nodded. "Okay."
As he spoke, he carefully read through the contract handed to him by customer service and signed his name on it.
"Then let me verify the information with you."
The customer service representative was secretly pleased to have completed such a large order and enthusiastically picked up the contract to read it aloud.
However, when his gaze fell on the client's signature at the end, his smile suddenly froze.
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