Chapter 53: Assassin

In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind.

Jiang Xiaomu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Now was not the time to panic; he needed a plan.

He picked up the chicken broth on the table, walked to the door, and flung it open.

Outside, the man who had delivered the chicken broth was crouched by the door, furtively eavesdropping.

"It's you!"

Jiang Xiaomu shouted angrily and flung the chicken broth from his hand.

The man dodged with a swift sidestep.

His body twisted in a way that defied human biomechanics, and he quickly scaled the nearby rock wall, moving as fast as a gecko.

Jiang Xiaomu's pupils contracted sharply, his heart filled with shock.

This wasn't any ordinary man—clearly, he was a monster!

That 'man' climbed to the top of the rock wall, tore off the human-skin mask on his face in one motion, revealing a handsome yet ferocious

woman's face.

The system's icy voice sounded again:

【Assassin, nickname "Blood Spider", skilled in disguise, assassination, and poison arts.】

【The host is defeated, fallen in battle! Tieniu Stronghold lacks a leader, the entire army annihilated!】

"Jiang Xiaomu, you are indeed alert. Too bad, you're still too slow."

The woman's voice was sharp and piercing.

Jiang Xiaomu instantly realized that those black-clad men were merely a decoy; this woman was the true assassin's spear!

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Jiang Xiaomu forced himself to calm down and asked in a low voice.

"What do you mean? Isn't this obvious? Of course, I'm here to take your life."

The woman smirked, drew a slender soft sword from her waist, and lunged to stab him,.

"Hmph, you think you can kill me? Just you?"

Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly, drawing the saber at his waist.

The woman flickered, her soft sword turning into a blue light that thrust straight at Jiang Xiaomu's throat.

Jiang Xiaomu had anticipated this, sidestepped the deadly blow, and swept his saber horizontally to push her back.

The two clashed in the courtyard, blades flashing, killing intent permeating the air.

The woman's movement was uncanny, her attacks vicious, each strike aimed at Jiang Xiaomu's vital points.

Although Jiang Xiaomu was highly skilled in martial arts, facing a woman whose skill matched his own, he also felt somewhat strained.

【Warning! Host's HP dropped to 70%!】

The system's alert tone made Jiang Xiaomu's heart jolt!

This woman's martial far exceeded his expectations, and the poison coating her soft sword was impossible to guard against.

Jiang Xiaomu's saber was heavy and powerful, while the woman's soft sword was light and elusive; they exchanged blows, and for a moment it was hard to tell who was superior.

【Warning! Host's HP dropped to 60%!】

Damn it! Who the hell is this woman?

The system alarms kept blaring, and Jiang Xiaomu grew increasingly anxious.

Just then, two figures leapt in from outside the courtyard wall, joining the fray.

"Chief, we've come to help you!"

The newcomers were Nanshan and Leibao, Jiang Xiaomu's two trusted lieutenants.

"Don't kill her—capture her alive!"

Jiang Xiaomu gave a low shout, his saber strikes becoming even more fierce.

With Nanshan and Leibao's addition, the battle situation shifted instantly.

Yet the woman showed no fear, instead letting out a cold laugh:

"With trash like you, you think you can stop me? Dream on!"

Her movements were ghostly and unpredictable, weaving between the three of them, her soft sword swaying like a serpent spitting its tongue, making defense impossible.

"This movement technique..."

Nanshan frowned, a sense of familiarity rising in his heart, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen it before.

Leibao was hot-tempered; he roared:

"You damned woman, playing tricks! Watch me drag you out and turn you into a human pig!"

He swung his spiked club, smashing fiercely at the woman.

However, she dodged a step ahead, the club striking the ground with a dull thud.

"Damn it! This woman is as slippery as a loach!"

"You can't even touch her, let alone catch her!"

Leibao couldn't help cursing, then swung his club again in attack.

Nanshan, meanwhile, was more cautious, carefully observing the woman's movements to find a flaw.

"Something's off," Nanshan said in a low voice,

"Her movement style—I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

"Is now the time to ponder this? Hurry up and grab her!"

Leibao attacked while shouting.

The woman's speed kept increasing, her figure grew more and more blurred, weaving back and forth among the three.

Although Nan Shan and Lei Bao were highly skilled in martial arts, they could not even touch a hair of her.

"This movement… is Phantom Shadow Step!" Nan Shan suddenly exclaimed,

"I remember now! This is a lost secret art from the martial world, Phantom Shadow Step!"

"Phantom Shadow Step?"

Jiang Xiaomu's heart jumped.

It is said that when this movement technique is cultivated to the extreme, it allows one to move instantaneously, ghostlike, making defense impossible.

Could this woman be a master of the martial world?

Jiang Xiaomu was filled with doubt, yet the force of his blade did not lessen in the slightest.

【Warning! Host life value dropped to 50%!】

The system's alarm sounded again, and Jiang Xiaomu's heart suddenly sank.

He must find a way to break the situation!

Just then, Jiang Xiaomu suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a plan.

He deliberately revealed a flaw to lure the woman into attacking.

The woman indeed took the bait, her figure flashing as her soft sword thrust straight at Jiang Xiaomu's chest.

Jiang Xiaomu suddenly dodged sideways, and at the same time backhanded a knife strike at the woman's wrist.

The blade swept past, but the expected scene of blood spraying did not appear; the woman's arm was unharmed, not even her sleeve torn.

"What the hell! What's going on!?"

Jiang Xiaomu blurted out, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Nan Shan and Lei Bao also froze, their weapons hanging in midair.

"What's going on? Is this lass a monster

Lei Bao was the first to break the silence, asking in a rough voice,

"I saw with my own eyes the blade cut into my hand—how could this be?"

Nan Shan frowned tightly, carefully observing the woman, trying to find any clue.

The woman gave a light laugh, her voice clear and pleasant, yet with a hint of mockery:

"Hmph! A bunch of idiots."

"I've said it before—just you ordinary mortals trying to hurt me? Really overestimating yourselves."

Her figure flashed again, appearing behind Jiang Xiaomu, her soft sword coiling around his neck.

"Kid, now your life is mine."

The woman's tone was icy.

【Warning! Host life value dropped to 40%！】

The system's alarm sounded again, and Jiang Xiaomu's heart sank.

He felt a cold chill on his neck; if the woman exerted even a little force, his life would be over here.

"Wait!"

Jiang Xiaomu forced himself to calm down, speaking in a deep voice,

"Who exactly are you? What benefits has the Cao-surnamed person given you!"

"However much gold and silver he gave you, I can give you double!"

Jiang Xiaomu realized for the first time how close he was to death!

The woman gave a cold snort:

"Gold and silver? What do you think I am?"

"Only ordinary mortals care about gold and silver."

"The conditions set by General Cao are something you can never offer."

"Kid, cut the nonsense, because you're about to die."