Chapter 103: The Fan Mansion in the Capital
Setting aside that strange blue light, the middle-aged guard before them possessed strength above the ninth rank—far beyond what the two of them, disciples of the Four-Sided Sword, could handle!
The two female assassins exchanged a silent glance, then suddenly scattered a vast cloud of toxic powder, tapped their toes, and turned to flee.
Trying to run?
The middle-aged guard sneered, completely ignoring the toxic dust swirling in the air, and closed the distance to the two women with even greater speed.
At the same time, the courtyard wall ahead of the carriage shattered violently—a towering, two-meter-tall giant burst through the stone bricks, flying backward like a cannonball and crashing heavily to the ground.
“Puh—”
The giant spat a mouthful of blood, rose to his feet clutching his twisted arm, and glared furiously at the large hole in the wall.
From within the broken wall stepped Fu Hao, equally massive, his bare upper body covered in blue patterns, his eyes blazing with malice as he stared at the wounded giant.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Cheng Jushu, the hardened expert from the Northern Qi?”
“A mere eighth-rank hardened martial artist dares to assassinate my young master in the capital…”
“Speak! Who sent you?!”
Hearing Fu Hao’s menacing words, Cheng Jushu grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood—he showed no intention of answering.
Fu Hao erupted in rage, seized Cheng Jushu by the neck, and lifted his massive, heavy body into the air.
“Speak—”
“Zheng—”
Before he could finish, a streak of emerald sword light slashed in from the side, severing Cheng Jushu’s head in an instant.
Skin normally impervious to blades and spears proved as fragile as tofu before this sword light, easily pierced through.
Red and white fluids oozed from the blood hole in his forehead; Cheng Jushu froze for a moment, then watched the world before him fade, his consciousness sinking into utter darkness.
Staring at the lifeless eyes before him, Fu Hao swallowed the words he had been about to say.
He slammed Cheng Jushu’s corpse onto the ground and glared at Nie Kang as he approached: “You!”
“What do you mean ‘you’?”
Nie Kang replied bluntly: “Did the young master order you to interrogate assassins in the street?”
Fu Hao fell silent, his aura fading as he glanced nervously toward the carriage.
Nie Kang snorted, glancing at him: “Remember—around the young master, do less, not more. And quickly remove these corpses—they’re blocking the carriage!”
“...”
Fu Hao grimaced, shot Nie Kang a glare, then sullenly dragged away Cheng Jushu’s body.
At that moment, two dark shadows flashed over his head and landed on the open ground before the carriage.
Fu Hao and Nie Kang turned to see the two female swordswomen Fan Xian had mentioned.
Moreover, Shi Hanwu emerged from the courtyard, carrying another black-clad figure—his chest rose and fell slightly, indicating he was merely unconscious, not dead.
Thus, every assassin on Niulan Street had been captured.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Fan Xian sat calmly inside the carriage, his fingers lightly tapping the table before him, seemingly indifferent to the commotion outside.
“Brother Wu, all taken care of?”
Nie Kang stepped forward with a smile.
Shi Hanwu nodded and tossed the unconscious black-clad man against the wall.
Seeing Nie Kang’s smile, Fu Hao growled: “You scolded me for interrogating Cheng Jushu, but why don’t you say anything about Wu for capturing another man?”
“Are they the same?”
Nie Kang rolled his eyes, then glanced at the black-clad man: “Wu, who is this?”
Shi Hanwu replied calmly: “Another assassin. He wields wind arts—he’s a mage.”
Indeed, in the novel “The Legend of Qiongyu,” besides qi cultivators, there were also mages regarded as heretical sects.
Their spells were mostly useless—capable of fooling common folk, but utterly insignificant before martial artists.
“A mage who wields wind arts?”
Nie Kang’s eyes lit up: “Wu, excellent work! The young master has long wanted to meet such mages!”
He even shot Fu Hao a mocking glance, making Fu Hao’s temple veins bulge and his body tattoos glow brighter.
Meanwhile, Teng Zijing, the carriage driver, turned his head and whispered through the small window: “Young master, all under control!”
“Good.”
Fan Xian nodded calmly: “Bring the three captives aboard. I’ll interrogate them after returning to the mansion.”
Teng Zijing paused, puzzled: “Young master, the Second Prince is still waiting for you at the banquet...”
Fan Xian glanced at him through the curtain, annoyed: “I’ve just been assassinated—do you expect me to go to a banquet as if nothing happened? That’s an invitation for the entire capital to fear me!”
“They say the crying child gets the milk. To make full use of this assassination, I absolutely cannot attend that banquet!”
“Do as I say—return to the mansion, tell my father, and spread the news throughout the capital!”
Teng Zijing had no further hesitation: “Yes!”
The order given, the three guards immediately moved, hauling the two female swordswomen and the mage into the carriage.
As for the three of them, they would walk alongside the carriage, guarding the recently traumatized Young Master Fan.
On the way back to the mansion, Fan Xian opened his chat group and sent Lin Yu an invitation.
After Lin Yu accepted, silver light erupted inside the carriage, and a handsome young man in white stepped out.
Instantly, Lin Yu cast a soundproof barrier as Fan Xian had requested.
But then he saw the scene inside the carriage, and his expression turned peculiar.
“Young Master Fan, you’re playing big!”
“...”
Fan Xian froze, followed Lin Yu’s gaze to the two unconscious female swordswomen, and blushed: “Brother Lin, let me explain—this isn’t what you think!”
Before he finished, he saw the teasing glint in Lin Yu’s eyes and realized the man was merely joking.
“It’s the Niulan Street assassination, isn’t it?”
Lin Yu chuckled: “According to the plot, these two women are granddisciples of the Four-Sided Sword Grandmaster. You spared them—do you want to extract the Four-Sided Sword Art, or cultivate ties with Dongyi City?”
“Both.”
Fan Xian smiled, then turned to the lone male captive: “As for this guy—he wields wind arts. He’s a mage.”
As for this guy, he uses wind techniques—he must be a mage!
Lin Yu said with interest: “So this is actually a novel world?”
Fan Xian shook his head: “Not necessarily—I’ve seen things unique to TV dramas too.”
Lin Yu nodded: “Then it’s a fused world...”
After a few casual remarks, Lin Yu began soul-searching the three assassins.
The results were disappointing, especially the so-called mage—his magical energy was just radiation qi, offering no useful insight.
As for the Four-Sided Sword Art, it was somewhat intriguing.
In Lin Yu’s view, it had already reached the spiritual realm—the world’s so-called sword intent.
Unfortunately, the two women’s memories held an incomplete version of the art—either they were poorly trained, or the Four-Sided Sword never taught his disciples the full set.
After extracting all he could, Lin Yu shared his findings.
Fan Xian uploaded the files according to the rules, earned points, and smiled: “Alright, these three now serve only one purpose—to prove the Niulan Street assassination. I’ll lock them up for a few days, then hand them over to the Surveillance Bureau.”
Lin Yu glanced at him: “They’ve seen your guards’ true strength. Need me to erase those memories?”
Fan Xian thought for a moment, then shook his head: “No. My retainers were openly recruited—all identities are clean. Even if the Surveillance Bureau notices their strength improved, they’ll only guess eighth rank.”
Because the eighth rank was universally accepted as the absolute limit achievable through external means.
The ninth rank could only be reached through innate talent—no external force could push one there.
Hearing Fan Xian’s words, Lin Yu nodded: “True. Three eighth-rank experts are enough to handle this assassination. As for their true strength—even if you told people, no one would believe it...”
The two chatted and laughed as the carriage headed toward the Fan Mansion.
Upon returning, Teng Zijing drove the carriage inside, stopping at the archway between the front and rear courtyards.
“Young master, we’re home!”
Teng Zijing leaned close to the small window and whispered.
Fan Xian grunted, then raised his hand to lift the curtain.
But the first person to step out was not Fan Xian—it was the handsome young man in white.
Seeing this, the three guards froze, instantly gripping their weapons, eyes sharp with suspicion.
Seeing this, the three guards froze, then instantly gripped their weapons, watching the young man with wary expressions.
[90] Fan Xian jumped down after Lin Yu and smiled lightly at the three: “Don’t be tense—this one is surnamed Lin, an elder brother I knew in the past; he’s passing through the capital and will stay at the Fan residence for a few days.”
Fan Xian jumped out right after Lin Yu, smiling at the three: “Don’t be alarmed—this is Brother Lin, an elder I knew before. He’s passing through the capital and will stay at the Fan Mansion for a few days.”
Fan Xian jumped down after Lin Yu and smiled lightly at the three: “Don’t be nervous—this one is surnamed Lin, an elder brother I knew in the past; he’s passing through the capital and will stay at the Fan residence for a few days.”
The three guards blinked, immediately loosening their grips and bowing: “Greetings, Young Master Lin!”
Lin Yu waved cheerfully, then followed Fan Xian toward the study of Fan Jian, master of the Fan Mansion.
Only after their figures vanished through the archway to the rear courtyard did the three lower their arms and exchange glances.
Fu Hao whispered: “When did Young Master Lin get into the carriage? I didn’t sense a thing.”
Nie Kang shook his head: “Not just you—even I noticed nothing.”
Shi Hanwu walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and glanced at them: “The young master’s sworn brother can’t be ordinary.”
“You two—stop standing there like fools, come help!”
(End of Chapter)
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