Chapter 238: Without a bit of teamwork, we're all done

The black shadow approached swiftly like a ghost.

As Gu Xixi turned, she saw only a large hand lunging at her face.

The sudden sense of oppression made her heart clench, and her mind had no time to react.

At the critical moment, she heard He Jinglan's shout, "Xixi, lie down!!"

As her consciousness received the signal, Gu Xixi acted without hesitation.

She relaxed her whole body and fell backward.

Gu Xixi fell to the ground, and the black shadow lunged at empty air.

A sharp hard object whistled through the air, grazing the black-clad person's ear.

Everything happened in an instant.

The black-clad person, not yet knowing what had struck him, steadied his footing and had to dodge aside from his original angle, then turned sideways to look toward the gate.

The small stone struck the hall's windowsill and clanged to the ground.

Having just landed, Gu Xixi quickly rolled several times toward her house to put as much distance as possible from danger.

Taking advantage of the moment the black-clad person turned, she rose and ran into the house.

She had no time to ponder how this black-clad assassin had broken in, what Master Liu's men and the He family Shadow Guards were doing.

Gu Xixi only knew that this outsider was a professional assassin, utterly incomparable to the ordinary North Departure soldiers she had dealt with before or the bandits who had raided the village.

Considering that falling into his hands would likely make escape impossible.

Gu Xixi didn't want to gamble on her chances in a head‑on clash; she could only flee first and quickly grab her backpack.

The black‑clad person immediately pursued Gu Xixi, but several stones were then shot hard at him.

The black‑clad person nimbly dodged away and glared fiercely toward the outside.

Shitou held up an iron‑made slingshot, and although he was a little afraid, he still shouted loudly:

"This slingshot is a genuine weapon crafted by Western Regions peoples! Its power is tremendous!"

"I just gave you a warning, advising you not to act rashly."

"If you dare take another step, next time I will surely aim for your head; at this distance, opening a bloody hole is easy!"

The black‑clad person turned his head to glance at the house where Gu Xixi was.

He actually reversed direction and walked toward the gate.

Because he thought a little girl running back into the house was merely hiding for a brief moment.

He might as well first deal with the two troublemakers outside.

Especially the He family's eldest miss; this time he was ordered to take two hostages, and it didn't matter which he caught first.

Shitou stepped in front of He Jinglan, took out the small stones from his pocket, and shot them with all his might.

However, the black‑clad person merely waved his weapon a few times, and without even drawing his sword, he easily blocked all the stones.

He wasn't masked, his face grim as he stepped closer.

He Jinglan naturally understood the assassin's intent, but she couldn't run now; she had to buy time for Gu Xixi.

"Wait!" He Jinglan suddenly said.

"There are many people in the village; aren't you afraid I'll shout loudly and summon everyone?"

The black‑clad person frowned, but he still had the mood to chat, "Miss He, go ahead and try that."

"The outcome would merely be that I silently take two people, or I take two people and at the same time slaughter the whole village."

His companions were elsewhere delaying all the village's Shadow Guards, including the guards stationed near this small courtyard, who had been drawn away.

He had infiltrated alone, temporarily unseen and unheard, naturally not regarding the weak woman and child before him as anything.

"Slaughter the village?" He Jinglan's face darkened, "Your master behind you is truly vicious!"

"What do they consider human life to be?"

The black‑clad person laughed, "Just ants, that's all."

"Compared to them, Miss He's life plus that of the female head of the household is far more precious."

No matter how leisurely he felt, he would not forget his mission, and so he stepped forward again.

He Jinglan saw a corner of the curtain of Gu Xixi's house lifted.

To avoid the black‑clad person noticing, she thought quickly and shouted loudly, "Why are you dressed all in black?"

The black‑clad person was puzzled.

He Jinglan continued, "You lot wear black at night to avoid notice when doing wrong, but now it's broad daylight—doesn't running around in all black make you even more conspicuous?"

Shitou chimed in, "Exactly! Afraid no one will know he's up to no good—how stupid."

As he said that, he also made an exaggerated, contemptuous grimace.

Seeing Gu Xixi hurrying over with quick little steps, the person was already nearly in the middle of the courtyard.

He Jinglan chuckled lightly, "Hey, I might as well make you a wooden sign saying I'm the assassin's lackey, hang it on your chest—it would surely suit you."

The black‑clad person felt he had been clearly insulted, provoked, and despised.

He flew into a rage, the veins on his forehead bulging violently, "Even at death's door you dare to toy with me!"

The black‑clad person ferociously drew his long sword: "I'll kill this brat first, then seize the people!"

He Jinglan suddenly pointed at the black‑clad person's rear and shouted, "Xixi! Quickly beat this villain to death!!"

The black‑clad person also sensed someone approaching from behind, and without further thought turned around.

He Jinglan seized the opening, grabbed Shitou, and ran.

Whoosh!

Gu Xixi blew hard at the black‑clad person, simultaneously covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve as she quickly retreated.

The black‑clad person saw only a yellow mist rising before his eyes.

He sensed something was wrong, but when he tried to hold his breath again, it was already too late.

He gritted his teeth, raised his knife to swing forward, but before the blade could lift, a large mouthful of blood spurted out with a 'wa'.

The black-clad man still wanted to struggle and lunge at Gu Xixi, but suddenly his abdomen felt as if pierced by a knife, pain making his whole body tremble; he could no longer hold the knife in his hand, and it clanged to the ground.

His whole body also went out of control, and he fell to his knees on the ground.

At that moment, Gu Xixi was standing under the eaves.

The black-clad man lifted his head with his last strength, his vision blurred, and he could no longer make out Gu Xixi's appearance.

"You... you... actually..."

"Antidote, give me the antidote..."

Gu Xixi looked at him calmly, "This is my best poison, it's expensive, and I wasted so much of it on you."

"If I gave you more antidote, wouldn't I be losing big?"

Although she had prepared two doses of the antidote, those were meant as backups in case her own people accidentally came into contact with it.

The black-clad man's voice trembled from pain, "As long as I stay alive, I'll give you... I'll give you everything I have!"

Gu Xixi smiled.

"Just go ahead and rest easy, this medicine is potent."

Sure enough, as soon as her words fell, the black-clad man's body shuddered, he tilted his head, and breathed his last.

Outside the small courtyard, He Jinglan pulled Shitou, leaning against the courtyard wall as they waited.

Shitou cocked his ear to listen, "Why is there no movement? Sis Xixi won't have been caught, will she?"

"Or I'll go take a look!"

He Jinglan, however, gripped Shitou tightly, not letting him run, "Don't go; not hearing any movement now is actually a good thing."

Shitou didn't understand, "Why can't a good thing be gone to?"

"And besides, just now, why did we have to run?"

The innocent little Shitou had never seen his sister Xixi's hidden strength.

He frowned and said, "Sister Jinglan, you're not scared, are you, leaving Sister Xixi alone?"

He Jinglan, angry, knocked Shitou on the head, "What nonsense are you spouting? Am I that kind of person, grandma?"