Chapter 52: Assassination

Jiang Xiaomu's finger slid across the map, his mind constantly simulating various possibilities.

Cao Meng is crafty and also commands strong troops and sturdy horses; a head‑on clash would surely bring no advantage.

"Chief."

A slightly hoarse voice interrupted Jiang Xiaomu's thoughts.

Bai Shen held a thick booklet in his hands.

"What is it?"

Jiang Xiaomu's tone was calm, but a faint ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Bai Shen handed the booklet over:

"This is the roster of brothers killed and wounded in this battle."

Jiang Xiaomu took the booklet; it felt heavy in his hands.

He casually flipped open a page; dense names met his eyes, each name marked in vermilion with the two characters "killed in action".

As he turned page after page, his face grew darker, his grip on the booklet tightening until his knuckles whitened.

"How many?"

Jiang Xiaomu's voice sank to a terrifying low.

Bai Shen:

"Reporting to Chief, we lost 317 men in this battle."

"87 seriously wounded, 108 lightly wounded."

"Now, including you, Chief, the entire Tieniu Stronghold has fewer than a hundred men still fit for combat."

"Three hundred seventeen..."

Jiang Xiaomu muttered to himself; this simple number struck like a heavy hammer, slamming hard into his heart.

The Tieniu Stronghold originally had over five hundred members; after this battle it lost another three hundred plus, meaning more than half of its brothers are now casualties!

Jiang Xiaomu snapped the booklet shut with a dull thud.

His chest heaved violently as an unnamed fire blazed within him.

War is cruel; casualties are expected, but he never imagined the price would be so grave.

Jiang Xiaomu sighed, rubbed his temples, and waved his hand:

"Bai Shen, you may withdraw."

Bai Shen bowed and withdrew, leaving Jiang Xiaomu alone staring at the "Cao" mark on the map.

"Those 317 lives were mostly desperate refugees who had banded together in the Tieniu Stronghold merely seeking a way to survive."

"Now even that path is narrowing further."

Night deepened; Jiang Xiaomu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Cao Meng's threat left him unable to rest or eat in peace.

In his daze, the System's voice sounded in his mind:

【Host detected in extreme danger; Cao Meng has sent assassins to kill the host.】

【Host mortality 100%, survival 0%; advise activating emergency alert!】

The System's voice instantly cleared his mind, and his heart began to pound violently.

"Cao Meng, he actually moved this fast!"

"Almost at the same moment, a clatter of weapons rang outside, mixed with a few cries of anguish."

Jiang Xiaomu swung out of bed, snatched the long blade at the head of his bed, and rushed out.

"The black‑clad figures were agile, each move lethal—clearly trained assassins."

"The brothers of Tieniu Stronghold fought valiantly, but being outnumbered they gradually fell back."

"Lei Bao!"

Jiang Xiaomu let out a loud shout.

"Chief!" Lei Bao, seeing Jiang Xiaomu,

"caught a live one!"

Jiang Xiaomu quickly approached Lei Bao and saw a black‑clad man trussed up and pressed to the ground, a rag stuffed in his mouth, emitting muffled whimpers.

Jiang Xiaomu yanked the rag from the black‑clad man's mouth and demanded sharply:

"Speak! Who sent you?"

"The black‑clad man lifted his head, revealing a young face full of fear, yet he clenched his teeth and stayed silent."

Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly, stepped hard on the black‑clad man's chest, and ground down:

"If you won't talk, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"The black‑clad man's face turned ashen, large beads of sweat beading his forehead, yet he still said nothing."

"You've got a tough mouth, huh?"

A flash of cold light crossed Jiang Xiaomu's eyes as he drew the dagger at his waist and pressed it to the black‑clad man's throat,

"I'll ask you one last time: who sent you?"

"The threat of death finally broke the black‑clad man's psychological defenses; his lips trembled as he stammered:"

"It… it was Cao… Cao General…"

"Cao Meng?"

"Jiang Xiaomu's eyes flashed with killing intent,"

"What did he give you to make you come here to die?"

"The black‑clad man, face full of grief, said:"

"Cao General…… promised to give me…… give me a hundred taels of gold and silver, promote me to a hundred-household commander…… let me…… let me kill you……"

"A hundred taels of gold and silver, a promotion to hundred-household commander?"

Jiang Xiaomu let out a cold laugh,

"Hmph, it seems my life really is worth something!"

"Quite the grand gesture! Too bad you have the luck to earn money but not the luck to spend it."

Jiang Xiaomu raised his hand and dropped his blade; the black-clad man died instantly.

"Chief, what should we do now?"

Lei Bao asked.

Jiang Xiaomu looked at the corpse on the ground:

"Don't rush, I have my own arrangements!"

"Pass the order down, strengthen defenses, strictly guard against Cao Meng sending people to attack again!"

"Yes!"

Lei Bao received the order and departed.

Jiang Xiaomu waved off Lei Bao, turned, and returned to the room.

He casually lifted a chair, sat down, but felt as if sitting on pins and needles.

The system's cold prompt still echoed in his ears:

【100% death.】

But those assassins just now, although skilled, were far from enough to be lethal.

Although I didn't use my full strength, I shouldn't have been this embarrassed.

Could there be… another move?

In Jiang Xiaomu's mind surfaced the terrified gaze of that black-clad man before his death—not only fear of death, but more like… fear of some unknown thing.

He abruptly stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

The system wouldn't be wrong; since it warned of 100% death, there must be a lethal danger lurking in the dark. He must quickly uncover this hidden threat!

Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and a thin-built man entered carrying a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup.

"Sir Jiang, this is what Elder Brother Tieniu specially ordered me to make for you."

"They said it's to calm your shock and let you rest in peace."

The man smiled honestly and placed the chicken soup on the table.

Jiang Xiaomu stared at the bowl of chicken soup, his brows furrowed tightly.

Li Tieniu?

Why would he send chicken soup over at this time?

He never gets this treatment normally.

He stared at the chicken soup, as if it weren't a tonic but a poison.

"Alright, put it down and go."

Jiang Xiaomu's voice was a little hoarse.

The man froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting Jiang Xiaomu to react this way.

"Sir Jiang, this soup should be drunk hot; if it cools, it'll go bad……"

"I said I know! Put it down!"

Jiang Xiaomu's tone grew a bit heavier.

The man dared not speak further, set down the soup, bowed, and retreated.

Jiang Xiaomu walked to the table, picked up the soup spoon, and gently stirred the chicken soup.

He scooped a spoonful of chicken soup with the spoon, brought it to his nose to smell, and detected nothing abnormal.

Could it be that I'm being overly suspicious?

【Lethal poison detected: Crane's Crown Red. If the host ingests it, mortality rate 100%.】

Jiang Xiaomu's hand trembled, the spoon fell onto the table with a clear sound.

Crane's Crown Red! Indeed there's deceit!

He abruptly looked toward the doorway, his eyes icy.

Who is it? Li Tieniu? Impossible, he has no reason to harm me.