Chapter 18: The Eccentric Young Assassin

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Xu Shuangyi forcibly drove Liang Shucheng out. When she returned to the study, she dragged over a chair and sat down directly opposite Xu Mu, her face dark with displeasure.

“What is it?” Xu Mu asked.

“I’m your elder sister. Could you show me a little respect?” Xu Shuangyi said coldly.

Xu Mu leaned back in his chair and lifted his bowl of tea, gently scraping the tea leaves with the lid.

Then he frowned and set the bowl down.

“The tea’s gone cold.”

“I’m talking to you!” Xu Shuangyi snapped.

She had discovered that although Xu Mu possessed some ability, he was truly infuriating.

As far as she knew, Xu Mu had been a complete good-for-nothing these past three years, without the slightest change.

So when had he become so arrogant?

Given Xu Shuangyi’s temper, she genuinely felt like slapping him a few times.

Xu Mu immediately broke into a grin, his entire face radiating harmless innocence.

“Understood, Sis.”

“You practically told him outright that we were the ones who took the money. Do you think the owner will simply let the matter go?” Xu Shuangyi asked.

“Liang Shucheng was the one who lost the money. They’ll only pressure him to hand it over. The money was dirty to begin with. Do you think they dare make a great public show of searching for it? I simply didn’t expect that idiot Liang Shucheng to actually send more than two thousand eight hundred taels over.” Xu Mu smiled faintly.

What ability did that good-for-nothing Liang Shucheng have to recover the money?

He was now completely bankrupt, and the powerful figures behind it would soon come looking for him.

His days of happiness with Su Hanwei were well and truly over.

After leaving Splendid Pavilion, Liang Shucheng cursed everyone he could think of, whether they deserved it or not.

He never would have imagined that Xu Mu, who had once treated him with the utmost deference, would suddenly become so vicious.

The young lady of the Xu family obeyed Xu Mu’s every command, behaving almost like a maid. He had no idea what kind of bewitching spell Xu Mu had cast upon Xu Shuangyi.

It had to be because he had stolen Su Hanwei away from Xu Mu. Xu Mu was using Xu Shuangyi to take revenge on him!

Xu Mu clearly had no intention of returning the money. Liang Shucheng would be unable to give the Assistant Governor an explanation, which was tantamount to forcing him onto a dead-end road.

“Xu Mu! Xu Mu! You bastard! I’ll make sure you die a miserable death!”

For the first time in his life, Liang Shucheng had conceived the desire to kill someone.

How could he, a man of standing, be bullied so ruthlessly by a useless nobody?

He would kill Xu Mu first, then negotiate with Xu Shuangyi. If she still refused to hand over the money, he would have no choice but to bring all his connections to bear and pressure her.

Even if Splendid Pavilion was an enterprise of the Xu family, Xu Shuangyi was still merely a woman. Once she had come to Liangzhou, whether she was a dragon or a tiger, she would have to keep her head down.

No matter what, Xu Mu had to die!

Liang Shucheng arrived at a small tavern. After a brief exchange with the proprietor, the man invited him upstairs.

After waiting for a while, a youth who appeared to be no more than sixteen entered the room.

Liang Shucheng examined the boy’s still-childish features and was somewhat taken aback.

The lad looked as though he could barely lift a chicken. Could he really kill someone?

“Little sheep or big sheep?” the youth asked directly.

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“Big sheep.”

“Ram or ewe?”

“Ram.”

“Does he know martial arts?”

“Perhaps not.”

“One hundred taels. Fifty taels as a deposit, with the balance after the job is done.”

The youth did not ask about his identity or background. He simply named his price.

“Sheep” was code for a person. One hundred taels to kill someone was not particularly expensive, though it depended on whom one wanted dead.

Liang Shucheng felt that one hundred taels was far too much to kill a useless man like Xu Mu. Xu Mu was not worth that price at all.

Seeing his hesitation, the youth said, “Business is poor these days. Many of my fellow assassins have already changed professions. I’m the only one here today. You won’t find anyone else willing to take the job. So don’t bother haggling.”

The boy clearly lacked experience.

“What if you fail?” Liang Shucheng asked.

“I am Ye Shiyi. I take money to do a job, and I do not stop until the target is dead. This is my first commission since entering the martial world. If I fail, how will I ever establish myself within it?”

The boy had even given his own name. Could this assassin really be trusted?

This was Liang Shucheng’s first time hiring someone to kill, and he was no expert himself.

Liang Shucheng pulled a piece of jade from his belt and placed it on the table.

“This jade is worth one hundred taels. Take it as full payment.”

Ye Shiyi reached for the jade, but Liang Shucheng pressed his hand down upon it.

“How long?”

“Give me the name and address. It will be done before tonight.”

“Xu Mu. He is at Splendid Pavilion right now. If he isn’t there, he may have gone to the Xu residence.”

“Good.”

Ye Shiyi pocketed the jade and rose to leave.

Liang Shucheng suddenly let out a sigh of relief. The pendant was a counterfeit, worth no more than a hundred copper coins.

Fortunately, the boy had not seen through it.

In broad daylight, Ye Shiyi arrived at the entrance of Splendid Pavilion with a short sword in hand.

“I’m looking for Xu Mu. Is he here?”

The waiter knew that Xu Mu was upstairs, so he stepped forward and asked, “You’re looking for Young Master Xu for what reason?”

“To kill him.”

“What?”

“Go and call him down.”

The waiter gave an awkward nod and hurried upstairs.

“Young Master Xu, there’s a young man downstairs who says he wants to—well, kill you.”

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“What?”

Xu Mu was baffled and went down to the first floor.

A young man with slightly immature features stood in the very center of the main hall.

“You’re Xu Mu?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“Remember this well. My name is Ye Shiyi, and I will one day become the greatest assassin under heaven. You have had the honor of walking through this mortal world; to die beneath my sword is your good fortune. Today, I shall offer your blood in sacrifice to my blade.”

Xu Mu was rendered speechless on the spot.

What kind of adolescent nonsense was this?

The boy had come in demanding to sacrifice him to his sword.

Could this be the assassin Liang Shucheng had hired?

But even in broad daylight, was there any need to make it so obvious?

The youth’s gaze abruptly sharpened. With his thumb, he lightly flicked the sword guard.

In an instant, Xu Mu felt a fierce killing intent envelop his entire body.

This boy’s aura was extraordinarily powerful!

The short sword had already left its sheath. Its hilt shot toward Xu Mu like a bolt of lightning.

Xu Mu’s eyes widened. He abruptly leaned backward, and the sword flew past his face in reverse.

His startled expression was reflected as a blurred image upon the blade.

What powerful vital energy!

Xu Mu reacted with astonishing speed, rolling sideways.

By the time he rose, the youth had already leapt toward him and seized the sword hilt.

At that moment, Xu Mu suddenly raised a hand.

“Wait!”

The melodramatic youth was just about to strike, but to Xu Mu’s surprise, he actually stopped.

“If you intend to become the greatest assassin under heaven, you should not win through unfair means,” Xu Mu said, feigning composure.

“Hmph. I never said you weren’t allowed to fight back. Besides, you’re only at the Body Tempering Realm. Even if you resist, you’re no match for me.”

That was true. Fortunately, Xu Mu had already entered the realm; otherwise, he would have found it difficult even to evade the blow from the sword hilt.

“A true hero should face his opponent openly and honorably. You have a weapon, while I have none. Even if you defeat me, it will be an unfair victory—and I will not accept it, even in death.” Xu Mu furrowed his brows and spoke coldly.

The youth pondered this for a moment and found Xu Mu’s words extremely reasonable.

He had not expected a mere Body Tempering martial artist to possess such martial spirit. His opinion of Xu Mu rose several degrees at once.

“How do you wish to fight?”

“Wait here while I go upstairs to retrieve my weapon. Then I will fight you with all my strength. Even if I die, I will have no regrets.”

Xu Mu’s voice was solemn.

“Very well. Go and fetch your weapon.”