Assassination

As Xin Long rode away, he turned back to glance at the fortress gradually fading into the distance. His jaw tightened instinctively. He had committed to memory the structure of the stronghold and the faces of certain individuals before leaving. Now, as he clenched his teeth, those images resurfaced in his mind.

Riding beside him was Wei Wei, clad in her usual pristine white garments, with a soft woolen shawl draped over her shoulders. Her face was quiet, subdued. He knew he had gone too far last night. He also knew she was hurt and distressed because of his actions. Even now, she remained silent, her expression unreadable. But he couldn't afford to offer any words of comfort—not now.

If she asked him the wrong questions at the wrong time, he wouldn't have any answers to give.

His enmity with Sangguan Jin Hu couldn't be exposed yet. Wei Wei hadn't fully submitted to him—she hadn't placed her complete trust in him. He couldn't take that risk. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. If she found out, it was only a matter of time before others did too.

He stole a glance at her but then shifted his gaze forward.

A small forest welcomed them with patches of lingering snowfall.

A sigh escaped him as he recalled the way Sangguan Jin Hu had smirked just before they left, his eyes gleaming with a knowing sharpness.

The small forest before them wasn't far from Golden Tiger Fortress. It was only by chance that they had run into Sangguan Yun'er earlier—she had been hunting in a different part of the woods, near the other side of the city. If they had chosen to hunt here instead, their paths might never have crossed.

Something about this place gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was not a safe forest to pass through. His instincts screamed at him.

He turned back to Wei Wei, his voice laced with quiet urgency.

"Be careful when we enter the forest."

Wei Wei, who had been silent all this time, snapped her head toward him.

Even without words, her expression was clear—she hadn't yet forgiven him for what had happened the night before.

She didn't understand him. Not yet.

But when she looked into his eyes, she saw something unusual—anxiety. Not just for himself, but for her.

She understood.

Sangguan's eyes, the way they had followed them as they left, had carried a heavy weight—like a predator watching its prey.

If an attack were to come, the forest would be the perfect place for an ambush. Xin Long knew it. And now, so did she.

With a subtle nod, she urged her horse forward, carefully picking up speed as they approached the dense woods ahead.

…

Zhen Yi sat quietly, contemplating the events that had unfolded within the dense forest. He had been watching Xin Long and the Seductress, observing their every move as per the command of their sect leader. He had witnessed their conflict with the Golden Tiger Fortress members, and later, the incident inside their headquarters. He had been a mere bystander in the background, blending in with the civilians, which allowed him to gain insight into these events.

As he continued to observe Xin Long and the Seductress, Zhen Yi felt uneasy. Time was running out, and by nightfall, he saw around twenty assassins, armed with blades, leaving the Golden Tiger Fortress and entering a small forest on the outskirts of the city. He quickly followed them, realizing that a battle was imminent.

As he entered the forest, he noticed the assassins had already concealed themselves among the trees. Their heavy, sharp breathing betrayed their positions. The stillness of the night and their hidden movements heightened his awareness of the danger ahead.

In the middle of the path, as he was about to leave, he was ambushed by a group of assassins. They attacked swiftly, but Zhen Yi, with his superior skills, effortlessly fought them off. In mere moments, he had sent the assassins to their deaths.

After dispatching the last assassin, Zhen Yi proceeded to gather the scattered corpses along the road, carefully placing them into nearby pits and mounds. Once the task was complete, he waited silently behind the trees, observing Xin Long and the Seductress as they approached.

As he reflected on recent events, he heard the rhythmic clatter of hooves approaching. Slowly but steadily, two figures on horseback emerged from the depths of the forest—Xin Long and the Seductress Wei Wei. Seeing them, he let out a deep sigh.

That sigh was not merely an unconscious reaction; it was a release of the lingering worries in his heart. As he exhaled, a thought crossed his mind—why would the Golden Tiger Fortress Lord, Sangguan Jin Hu, go through the trouble of orchestrating an ambush in the forest when he could have easily eliminated Xin Long and his companion within the palace itself?

The question lingered in his mind, and he suddenly realized—he was grappling with a puzzle that had no easy answer.

Meanwhile, as he continued to watch them, he saw Xin Long and the seductress walk past the tree where he had been hiding and continue toward Kunming City.

In reality, Sangguan Jin Hu, fearing his daughter's wrath, had sent low-ranking assassins to ambush Xin Long and the seductress in the forest. The purpose behind this was twofold: if the assassins succeeded in harming Xin Long, they would have cleared the debt to their enemies; if they failed, Sangguan Jin Hu would gain insight into Xin Long's martial prowess.

The assumption was that they were simply protecting themselves, but Zhen Yi had miscalculated. He had no idea that he was being watched by the hidden presence of Zhen Yi, who had been following them quietly.

End - 12