Chapter 9

First Volume, Chapter 9: Assassination on the Street

Before Liu Hongyan even applied force, Qin Feng let out a loud wail, startling her.

"Sister, hold back—I won't dare again."

Liu Hongyan felt a wave of disappointment; those poems truly weren't Qin Feng's work—he must've gotten lucky and picked up a manuscript from some reclusive literary master.

At that moment, Qin Feng quickly added: "I won't dare show off again."

Liu Hongyan froze, then burst out laughing at Qin Feng's audacity; since this brat was fished out of the water, he'd been spouting bizarre phrases nonstop—she'd grown used to them.

"You little brat, do you ever say anything true?" Liu Hongyan released his ear; she wouldn't have pinched it unless she was truly angry—most times, it was just a scare tactic.

His ear saved, Qin Feng exhaled in relief, collapsing onto the carriage in a sprawled, undignified heap: "Sister, I'd never lie to you—those poems really came from me. Do you know how many brain cells I wasted recalling elementary and middle school texts?"

Who says copying poems is easy? Don't you have to strain your mind remembering every text you memorized in primary and middle school…

Qin Feng reached over to the small table beside him, grabbed a handful of grapes, and shoved them whole into his mouth, showing not a shred of noble Young Master decorum, chewing as he mumbled his explanation.

"Back then, with sisters protecting and spoiling me, I just wanted to live quietly, be a wastrel who eats and waits to die. Why waste the privileged life my parents worked half a lifetime to build—when I could've just lived off their wealth instead of pretending to be talented?"

"But seeing how hard you've worked, how worn out you've become for my sake… I couldn't help but ache. So I realized—if even you haven't given up on me, how can I give up on myself? To live a dull, aimless life, eating and waiting to die—that's not worth it."

"So I've decided—I'll strive upward!"

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Liu Hongyan felt a warmth in her heart; all her efforts suddenly felt worth it.

Liu Hongyan felt it no longer mattered whether she believed Qin Feng—what mattered was that he knew he had to change, that he was seeking self-improvement; that was the best possible return—for her, and for the entire Qin Family.

The carriage slowly pulled away from Shenglin Academy, heading toward the Qin Residence.

Liu Hongyan, shedding her usual stern demeanor, sat beside him and offered a peeled grape to Qin Feng's mouth.

Qin Feng cradled his head with both hands, legs crossed, unceremoniously swallowing the grape whole, occasionally letting out soft, deeply satisfied hums.

Qin Feng, who had spent his whole life hustling, felt this life now was like a dream.

He silently swore to protect this hard-won life at all costs—no one would ever lay a finger on it.

As Qin Feng basked in Liu Hongyan's indulgence, the carriage suddenly jolted, then came to an abrupt stop.

Seeing Liu Hongyan stumble, Qin Feng's face darkened; he yanked open the curtain and shouted: "What the hell are you doing? If you hurt my sister, fine—but if you ruin my grape-eating, I'll kill you!"

Right after speaking, Qin Feng felt a kick to his buttocks from Liu Hongyan.

The coachman stammered: "Y…Young Master, there are men blocking the road ahead—they seem hostile."

At this, Qin Feng followed the coachman's gaze and saw two men standing squarely in the middle of the road.

Both wore black robes and face masks, revealing only their eyes, which glared menacingly at Qin Feng.

Qin Feng's heart dropped; their attire matched exactly the assassins from movies.

Qin Feng instantly understood. Without showing alarm, he pulled Liu Hongyan close and shouted at the Black-Clothed Men: "Good dogs don't block the road!"

The lead Black-Clothed Man let out a cold laugh: "No wonder you're the Ministry of War's son—under these circumstances, you still dare to speak so boldly. When your head hits the ground, I wonder if you'll still have the nerve to shout."

In broad daylight, in the heart of the most heavily guarded Liang Capital—could they truly dare commit murder on the street?

Who the hell were these people?

Qin Feng didn't believe it. He was about to roar back when Liu Hongyan grabbed his arm.

Liu Hongyan was tense, but forced calm: "Gentlemen, we've never wronged you, never clashed with you—why are you targeting us?"

The Black-Clothed Man slowly drew his blade, sneering: "We're merely hired to take care of a problem."

Liu Hongyan's brows furrowed: "May I ask who hired you? My father is the current Minister of War—if he learns of your actions today…"

The Black-Clothed Man stepped forward, growing impatient with her persistent questions: "What does the Minister of War matter? Enough talk! Just remember—someone paid us to take your heads!"

Before his words faded, the two Black-Clothed Men lunged at the carriage—faster than sight, covering eight zhang in a blink, arriving at the carriage's front.

A flash of cold steel—the coachman's head rolled off his body.

Had Qin Feng not reacted fast and used the curtain to block it, the spurting blood would have drenched him.

A living human life vanished right before his eyes.

Qin Feng's heart pounded with horror; this was his first time witnessing a murder face-to-face—his stomach churned, his body recoiled, and he nearly vomited on the spot.

But the next second, Qin Feng grabbed Liu Hongyan and threw himself backward, dodging the incoming slash, instinctively kicking the Black-Clothed Man off the carriage.

"Sister! Run!"

Qin Feng shouted, gripping Liu Hongyan tightly, leaping from the carriage and sprinting toward the nearby Alleyway.

The two Black-Clothed Men chased without pause, catching up in mere steps, slashing at Qin Feng's back.

In desperation, Qin Feng didn't care about dignity—he rolled on the ground eighteen times, barely escaping.

But then his heart sank—the Alleyway was a dead end!

Cornered, Qin Feng clutched Liu Hongyan tightly, retreating while forcing a smile: "Big brother, it's a misunderstanding! All a mistake! How about this—how much did your master pay you? I'll pay double. Triple, even."

The Black-Clothed Man, still seething from the kick, flew into rage: "Are you mocking us? Even ten times the price won't save you—you're still dead!"

Seeing they wouldn't relent, Qin Feng's face stayed calm as a dog, but his heart was screaming in panic.

Qin Feng's past life was just a sales rep—spending days schmoozing clients, weak muscles, chronic ailments, low combat effectiveness, high blood pressure—a Level Three Cripple.

Holding out this long against ruthless Assassins was already a miracle.

Fight? What a joke! Qin Feng was destined to become the richest man in Shedynasty—he planned to take a hundred concubines. Would he rather die in a dagger's blade than under the petals of a peony? How humiliating!

Just as Qin Feng was trapped in utter despair, a crisp set of footsteps echoed from the Alleyway's entrance.

Along with it came a woman's cold, clear voice: "Who gave you the Courage to touch a Qin Family Member?"