Chapter 76: Assassination

Zhang Dahui had also heard of the Wenxiang Sect, the most violence-prone branch within the White Lotus system. A few years ago, Xu Hongru's Wenxiang uprising had swept forward with irresistible momentum, shaking several northern provinces, only to be swiftly extinguished once the tide turned. Yet the Wenxiang Sect displayed tenacious vitality — the intensifying social conflicts of the late Ming provided it with the best soil, and its hidden strength was still not to be underestimated.

With such a secretive opponent appearing halfway, Zhang Dahui asked urgently, "Brother Lu, what do we do?"

Before Lu Lvzi could speak, Nie Hong snorted beside him, "What do we do? Kill them all the same. This sect, that sect — I was sick of them back when I was a boat tracker. A few bankrupt households daring to call themselves Marshal and Regional Commander — damn their mothers."

Lu Lvzi said approvingly, "Nie Hong's right. The orders the lord gave me are very clear: kill Han Bin. Well, a soldier's duty is to obey orders. Never mind some little shopkeeper — even if Xu Hongru himself showed up, I'd still kill him." Lu Lvzi had been bullied by the Luo Sect in Tianjin and, by extension, now hated all the other White Lotus branches as well.

Having said this, he glanced at the two of them. "Stick to the original plan. Dahui goes in and swaps out Zhou Shifa. That bastard's men have been following him the whole time — there's no chance around here. The place for the hit is set: that alley by Mianchun Tower."

The men acknowledged and split up. After Zhang Dahui swapped out Zhou Shifa, he took some loose silver in the Hongyun Gambling Den and played coin-toss — a game using five or seven copper coins where the arrangement of heads and tails determined the winner. The house experts could toss all heads or all tails in a row. Even though Zhang Dahui used very little loose silver, he still lost over two taels within a single two-hour period.

On the other side, Han Bin, who was playing dominoes, had terrible luck today and kept cursing nonstop. Finally, he drew a Long Three hand. Laughing heartily, he revealed it — only for the dealer to show a Double Four Heaven hand. Han Bin lost twenty taels in a single round.

"Your mother!" Han Bin had already lost over fifteen hundred taels over the past few months. Frustrated in business and frustrated at the gambling table, rage flared up inside him. He slammed a fist onto the domino table, which split in two with a crack. The dominoes on the table flew high into the air and scattered everywhere. Hearing the commotion, the gambling den erupted in panic. Several enforcers watching the floor came over and saw it was Han Bin — a regular customer, a big spender, just with a rather bad temper. He'd already smashed three tables.

Han Bin and his three men all had fierce looks, their hands tucked into their sleeves. Zhang Dahui spotted the hilt of a Japanese sword peeking from one man's sleeve. The enforcers were not inclined to start a fight over a single table. The shopkeeper came out to smooth things over, and knowing Han Bin had lost heavily, did not make him pay for the table. Han Bin cursed his rotten luck and strode off with his men.

Zhang Dahui looked at the two halves of the table on the floor and clicked his tongue quietly. Gripping the knife in his sleeve, he followed them out. Since Han Bin had lost money, he might well head to a brothel alone — today, the chance to strike had arrived.

Having lost his silver, Han Bin took his anger out on others after leaving the gambling den. Ignoring the pleas of the hawkers, he overturned two or three small stalls along the way. Passersby, seeing their brutish faces, dared not meddle. The four men then entered the nearby Huixiang Restaurant and went straight up to the second floor. Zhang Dahui, not daring to keep appearing in their line of sight, took off his hat and sat drinking tea in the tea house diagonally opposite, just able to see Han Bin at the second-floor window.

After Han Bin and his men had eaten for about three-quarters of an hour, they came downstairs to pay. Seeing them descend, Zhang Dahui left the tea house first and headed into the street, walking in the direction of Mianchun Tower. As he turned at the front gate of the academy, he spotted Han Bin walking this way alone out of the corner of his eye. He immediately quickened his pace and reached the small street where Mianchun Tower stood. This little street had a few shops, and the surrounding alleys branched out in all directions, allowing a quick and covert escape — the perfect place to strike. Zhou Shifa was at a roadside gambling stall, betting on dice with a crowd that periodically erupted in excited shouts.

Zhang Dahui entered the small street, and Zhou Shifa by the roadside spotted him. Zhang Dahui touched his hat with three fingers, signaling that Han Bin was right behind him. Zhou Shifa quietly drew the Japanese sword from his sleeve and held it concealed in his right sleeve. Zhang Dahui continued forward and saw Lu Chuanzong, who was squatting on the left side of the street with a bamboo basket full of small sugar cakes set before him, waiting. Zhang Dahui gave him a look as well. Lu Chuanzong pulled his hat brim down a little and also quietly drew his short blade. Finally, there was Nie Hong, squatting by the street. After watching Zhang Dahui pass, he fixed his gaze on the street entrance.

Han Bin's graying head turned in from the alley entrance. Lu Chuanzong and the others had secretly rehearsed here before. Watching Han Bin walk past the gambling stall, Nie Hong rose and hid behind a few passing porters, walking toward him head-on, observing Han Bin's position through the gaps between them and adjusting his stride according to Han Bin's speed. When the porters ahead walked too fast, he switched to following behind three women. Back in his hometown, Nie Hong had once staked out outside a money shop for three days before killing the owner who had driven his wife to death — his psychological fortitude was extremely formidable.

After Han Bin passed the gambling stall, Zhou Shifa cursed his bad luck a couple of times, then rose and swaggered along about ten paces behind Han Bin. Lu Chuanzong's position was in the middle — the designated strike point. Zhang Dahui had by now walked back opposite Lu Lvzi, pretending to look at the lacquerware in a roadside shop. Because his strength was somewhat lacking and he had never used a blade before, he was designated as backup. Wang Yong, carrying a back-basket, stood outside Mianchun Tower, also as backup. Since he might need to remain in Dengzhou afterward, he would not act unless absolutely necessary — but if Han Bin tried to escape, he was to intercept him.

Han Bin, utterly unaware of the approaching danger, drew closer and closer to Lu Chuanzong's position. Behind him, Zhou Shifa slightly quickened his pace, closing to within ten paces. Ahead, Nie Hong, hidden behind the three women, was already thirty paces away.

Han Bin had drunk a little wine earlier, and a faint flush was just visible on his dark face. Recently, neither his business nor his gambling had gone smoothly, leaving him deeply stifled. He needed to drink every day just to feel at ease. Now, Mianchun Tower was in sight ahead. Thinking of that courtesan's soft body and her sweet, lilting moans, he felt a reaction below. Just then, three young women were approaching from ahead. He gave them a lecherous once-over and began humming a tune.

"There is a widow so coquettish and coy, always coming to flirt and toy; and there is a nun most bewitching and playful, forever tugging me along to fondle; in the dark pine grove below, I've no idea how many sights I've beheld…"

Riding the wine, Han Bin fantasized about the scenes in the bawdy song. The three women, seeing his expression, covered their faces and stepped aside to let him pass. Han Bin grinned wide, his head swiveling to follow the women.

At that very moment, a sudden change erupted. From behind the three women ahead, a man burst out diagonally — dressed in a short black outfit, his eyes blazing with ferocity, a short Japanese sword thrust straight at Han Bin's chest. Behind him and to his left, footsteps sounded simultaneously, accompanied by the rustle of clothing. Han Bin had spent years facing death at sea and had weathered a hundred battles. Without even turning his head, he knew blades were coming from behind and from the left. Although he carried a short blade in his own sleeve, the attack was far too sudden — the sword was already at his chest, leaving him no time even to draw.

"Yah!" Han Bin bellowed. In that critical moment, he caught the frontal blade with his bare right hand, deflecting it slightly to the right, while his left arm blocked to the left side, using the scabbard of the Japanese sword in his sleeve to parry the blade coming from the left. But his center of gravity was unadjusted, and his feet had no time to move. The Japanese sword from behind had already stabbed into his back. At the brink of death, Han Bin demonstrated the ability forged through years of bloody combat: he twisted his back slightly, so the sword did not plunge straight in but carved a long, gaping gash along his back. The clothes on his back were instantly soaked in blood.

But even using all his strength, he had only evaded the initial killing blows. The man in front with the fierce eyes, seeing his blade caught, twisted his wrist and wrenched his arm in the opposite direction. In a flash of blood, the razor-sharp Japanese sword sheared off four of Han Bin's fingers at the root. Han Bin screamed in agony and tried to roll away onto the ground, but the man behind him grabbed his clothing firmly and dragged him back. The blades from the left and behind struck again simultaneously. With his fingers gone, Han Bin could no longer draw the Japanese sword from his left sleeve. Using the pulling force of Zhou Shifa behind him, he half-turned his body, kicked out with his right leg at Nie Hong, and swung his left sleeve — with the sheathed sword — at Zhou Shifa, while his fingerless right hand went directly to block Lu Chuanzong's Japanese sword.

Han Bin had now turned to face the left side of the street and could see the trajectory of Lu Chuanzong's blade. Risking another wound, his right arm blocked Lu Chuanzong again. But this time, his left arm failed to block. Zhou Shifa behind him was gripping Han Bin's clothes tightly. He had already noticed how Han Bin had blocked Lu Lvzi's earlier slash. Dodging past Han Bin's left arm, Zhou Shifa lunged forward, pinning Han Bin's arm behind his back. Using the momentum of his charge, his right hand drove the blade into Han Bin's side. The Japanese sword tore through the muscles of his ribcage, scraped against a rib, and plunged straight into Han Bin's lung. The foreign object and the pain caused the muscles around the wound to contract violently, clamping down on the blade. Blood gushed out along the blood groove.

Han Bin's face contorted. Internal bleeding in his lung turned to bloody froth that he coughed up from his mouth with a gurgling sound. He raised his right hand to strike Zhou Shifa, but Zhou Shifa twisted the Japanese sword in his grip. Han Bin let out a long, agonized scream. The pain made his body hunch slightly, and he froze entirely. Then his body jerked violently twice — Lu Chuanzong and Nie Hong had successively stabbed their Japanese swords into his abdomen. Zhou Shifa wrenched his blade out with force, and blood from the wound sprayed far. Han Bin felt all the strength drain from his body. He went limp, about to collapse, but the three blades and the hands gripping his clothes kept him from falling, pinned motionless among the three men. Seizing the chance, Lu Chuanzong and the other two stabbed wildly at Han Bin's abdomen and back, each striking three or four more times before stopping. Their bodies and the ground were already splattered with blood.

Lu Chuanzong was now right in front of Han Bin. Han Bin's head was tilted slightly to the right, and the twitching of his facial muscles had stopped. He finally saw the killer's face — it was actually the galley cook from the ship, Lu Lvzi. In a flash, he knew who wanted him dead.

He tried slightly to raise his right hand, the one with the severed fingers, wanting to point at Lu Chuanzong's face, but he could not lift it. Blood dripped one drop after another from the stumps. He tried to say something, but still only coughed up a mouthful of bloody froth. Lu Lvzi wore a cruelly smiling expression, slowly twisting the Japanese sword still lodged in Han Bin's abdomen. The immense pain made Han Bin's face contort again, and his mouth gaped wide with a rasping sound.

Only then did Lu Chuanzong lean close to Han Bin's ear and say in the lowest voice, "Second-in-command, Accountant Chen sends me to see you off." Han Bin's mouth was open, but he could no longer make any sound. He stared blankly at Lu Lvzi's face, the light in his eyes slowly fading, his whole body beginning to tremble rhythmically.

Lu Chuanzong suddenly yanked out his Japanese sword, slashed it across Han Bin's throat, and opened a deep gash. By now, Han Bin was already lifeless, but Lu Chuanzong still stabbed fiercely at his heart once more, twisted the blade, and withdrew it. Nie Hong and Zhou Shifa followed suit, stabbing several more times. Then the three men released Han Bin's clothes. Han Bin's burly frame hit the ground with a thud. The spot beneath him had long since been dyed red with blood.

Screams erupted throughout the street. Hawkers and pedestrians fled far away. The three women nearby collapsed on the ground, wailing loudly. The entire assassination had taken only a few brief breaths. When they heard Han Bin's shout and turned their heads, they witnessed that bloody scene with their own eyes. Their legs were so weak they could not run at all.

Han Bin's eyes were wide open. Nie Hong crouched down, reached out to check his breathing, and nodded to Lu Chuanzong. The three men put away their Japanese swords and calmly turned into the eastern alley. After several turns, they reached a secluded spot and saw Wang Yong, who had arrived there first. Wang Yong took off his back-basket, lifted the ragged cloth on top, and revealed three new dark-colored straight robes and three new pairs of shoes inside. Lu Chuanzong and the other two stripped off their old clothes, wiped the bloodstains from their faces and hands, and threw the clothes on the ground. They took out the straight robes and changed into them, swapped their bloodied shoes, put on their square hats, checked each other over, and nodded to Wang Yong.

None of them said a word. Spaced ten paces apart, the three men turned through several alleys and walked onto Shangshuimen Street. Zhang Dahui was already waiting opposite the alley entrance they emerged from. Shangshuimen Street knew nothing of the assassination several streets away and was still bustling. It was nearly time for the city gates to close, and large numbers of people buying New Year's goods were heading out of the city. The three men blended into the crowd and entered the western gate arch of Shangshuimen.

Zhang Dahui waited until the three had passed, observed for a while, and only left once he was certain no one was following. Wang Yong, carrying his empty back-basket, trailed far behind the four, constantly checking front, back, left, and right. He watched until all four had entered the gate arch one after another, then waited on the spot for a moment. Seeing nothing unusual at the gate, he knew the four had left the city safely. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned away without drawing any attention.

When Wang Yong got home, he recalled the operation he had witnessed with his own eyes and looked at those men in a new light. Han Bin was a battle-hardened veteran who always carried a blade. Wang Yong had worried all along that a head-on fight would likely cost them casualties. But through advance rehearsal and refining their plan, using passersby as cover, they had launched a simultaneous three-pronged attack from the very start, cornering Han Bin. Moreover, they were ruthless and swift, completing the mission and disengaging in mere moments. The entire plan and execution had been extremely precise. The only flaw was failing to strike a vital spot in the very first instant to deprive Han Bin of his ability to resist.

He knew the man who had guided Lu Lvzi was none other than Chen Xin — someone he also admired. He sighed inwardly, "This Lord Chen truly has the talent of a great general."