Rainwater passed through the gaps between the leaves, there was one drop that happened to land on his brow.
Su Li blinked skillfully, which prevented the droplet from flowing into his eye; the hideous, terrifying scars on his face served as “natural canals” at a time like this. Su Li had his own set of facial muscle adjustments, which allowed him to always maintain his best condition.
He remained still unless he moved, and once he moved, it was a sure-kill strike.
——Somewhere a thousand miles away, Meng Qi was telling Qiu Jing of Fengxing Pavilion not to send anyone else to assassinate the Tianshou King. If Su Li, who had come from the once-top assassin organization Piaoping Pavilion, had failed, then sending anyone else would have meant certain death.
When two armies fought, assassinating the opposing commander was not actually a good tactic.
It was not about the tactic itself, but rather that it was too difficult to pull off.
The military camp would not have been like those in storybooks, where any assassin could easily sneak in.
This kind of thing probably only happened in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and by the Qin and Han dynasties, it had already become rare.
Because warfare was also a discipline, developing ceaselessly over time: how to pitch tents, how to patrol, all fell under the art of war. Such strict precautions and dense guard patrols were not set up to catch assassins, but to prevent enemy raids on the camp.
If an assassin directly went to the largest, most central, and most heavily guarded tent, they would most likely only find supplies.
When emperors and nobles went hunting, their wide tents resembled entire houses and could be partitioned into several rooms, something one could see from afar. Those camps stationed long-term could be identified by direction and tent size, but once the battle actually broke out, that was hard to say.
Especially for that type of army that camped today and would break camp tomorrow.
The personal guards around the commander were not useless. It was impossible that only two people stood at the tent entrance foolishly while giving the assassin a chance to cut open the tent and sneak in, then slash the sleeping general with one stroke.
At that point, it had not yet been a full hundred years since the late Chen Dynasty, when many warlords rose up. The army largely preserved the same habits, building camps as solid as gold and soup. There would be at least twenty personal guards around the commander, and more than ten rotating on night watch inside the tent alone.
Suppose the assassin possessed outstanding agility and remarkable luck, and managed to feel out the tent of the general he intended to kill.
In the pitch-black darkness, the general would not have been wearing his distinctive fine armor, and there were more than a dozen people inside the tent; adding in the guards on duty outside, that was already utter chaos. That was under conditions of zero preparedness—if two or three more experts were lying in ambush, the assassin’s failure would have been perfectly normal.
Assassination was something best left to those more skilled in it.
Su Li never expected that less than two months after leaving the martial world, he would once again “return to his old trade”.
Although the news was brought by Meng Qi and Mo Li, they merely retrieved what had been left behind previously and prepared to depart. Su Li thought it over repeatedly, then decided to make his move.
In truth, this was still an unfinished job. The King of Wu had offered six hundred gold for Piaoping Pavilion to assassinate the Tianshou King.
Su Li was not interested in money. He emerged from seclusion because he did not wish to see the villagers near Feihe Mountain be forced into the reed marshes. Among those villagers was his blood-related grandfather, along with the fishing village where his grandfather had lived his entire life. Though life was bitter, it was still sustainable.
Seeing those ruined villages along the way only made Su Li’s resolve even firmer.
This was what he did best.
The rain stopped.
In the distant camp, the clamor of voices surged. Steam from hundreds of cooking pots almost converged into one continuous cloud.
The Tianshou King led a hundred-thousand-strong army to invade Jingzhou. What lay before them was the main force; even though there were not fully one hundred thousand, there were at least fifty thousand. Spread out, they formed a vast, dark mass. Never mind trying to break in—an ordinary person would have felt fear at the sight, which had nothing to do with martial arts. It was simply the uncontrollable reaction upon discovering that reality differed from imagination.
Consider Qin Wuyang, who was Jing Ke’s deputy. He was a renowned warrior in Yan, and his grandfather was a famous general there. He was not someone who had never seen the world; if he had truly been afraid of death, he could have fled on the way to Qin. But once he stepped into the Qin King’s hall, his face changed abruptly, and he trembled uncontrollably.
Clearly, the Qin King’s palace was not like the Yan King’s palace.
——He had intended to go through the motions and leave his name in history, only to suddenly realize that he was entering a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den.
Su Li slightly frowned and continued to remain motionless.
This was the best position; he wanted to observe how manpower was distributed throughout the camp, and of course, it was easiest to do so during mealtime.
Besides the soldiers in the camp, there were also numerous followers of the Holy Lotus Sect. They wore various ritual robes and carried copper bells, dharma beads, and golden wheels. Some with higher status moved about with a group shouting and bustling behind them, all flaunting no small degree of pomp. This time, nearly the entire main force of the Holy Lotus Sect had come forth and gathered around the Tianshou King. In just this short while, Su Li noticed that at least two of them possessed martial skills high enough to match the leaders of those major sects.
In the martial world, they would all have been renowned figures.
This raised doubts in Su Li’s mind: did the Holy Lotus Sect truly have such profound strength?
From this distance, Su Li could not make out who these people were, nor could he figure out what was going on. He simply chose not to ponder it, silently making his assassination plan more thorough. He intended to make just one strike, and would not kill anyone before seeing the Tianshou King. He would become like a breeze, a tree, a stone, blending himself completely into his surroundings.
Before then, he lay there in the muddy thicket without any hint of killing intent, so much so that even a wild hare dared to leap over the puddle by stepping on his back.
“Rustle, rustle.”
Footsteps on fallen leaves and dead branches sounded in the woods— a group of Holy Lotus Sect followers entered the forest.
They needed to search the area near the camp and check for anything unusual, such as a river channel where the water had receded drastically, or the corpse of a dead animal. The former might have indicated that an upstream water source had been blocked, the latter that someone had poisoned the water.
Not only that, but they also had to chop away overly dense undergrowth and forcibly pull out some of the dead grass. That way, if a fire broke out in the woods, it would not spread too quickly, and soldiers in the camp would not be choked by thick smoke and unable to move.
Though these tasks seemed complicated, they were actually quite simple to execute. On top of that, it had just rained, leaving everything wet, which saved even more effort on cutting trees.
They halfheartedly poked through the thicket a few times, circled around a bit, then started grumbling in the Yi Prefecture dialect all at once.
Su Li could not understand a word of what they said. Though he had roamed the martial world and picked up phrases in various regional dialects, these people apparently came from some remote backwater area and had heavy accents. Only a few curses were easy to catch.
As they continued to stir up the thicket, a wild hare bolted out, and the group yelled in pursuit.
The ground was slick with mud, and they only knew some rudimentary martial arts. The hare got away, prompting a fresh round of swearing and cursing.
“They said Jiangnan was a land of wealth and pleasure, a den of indulgence— total nonsense. ”
“A den of indulgence? That refers to Yangzhou… we’re still far away!”
“If you ask me, nothing beats filling our stomachs first, because I’m about out of fat in mine. Those on the flank troops lived in comfort and ease— nothing like us, who must catch wild hares and pheasants to satisfy our craving. ”
The group immediately quarreled over whether feeding the belly or the pleasures of the lower half were more important, hurling crude words without restraint.
They searched the forest up and down, and with evening drawing near, still found nothing.
“What a lousy place. They said no one in these parts ever starved to death and that gold and jewels were hidden everywhere! They claimed there was always a river just outside one’s doorstep for fishing, and climbing a mountain took less time than it took to burn a stick of incense… except they never mentioned these mountains were too small even for tigers to live in!”
With that, they launched into another burst of cursing, as if long-repressed.
Su Li remained calm, watching them depart through gaps in the vines and mud.
Night fell quickly. Under the cover of darkness, Su Li wrapped himself in a cloak and climbed a tree, hiding half his body among the branches, exposing only his eyes to watch the distant camp.
Clearly, there was no one around, yet being this cautious might have seemed laughable. Su Li even draped vines over himself for camouflage. Along with his two-layer face covering and cloak, he hung in the tree at an odd, twisted angle.
Others would either crouch on the trunk or lean against it. Not him. If the moon suddenly emerged or someone entered the forest and lit a torch unexpectedly, the shadow cast by the trunk would not reveal his presence.
Su Li told himself he did not have the brains to spar wits with others for dozens of rounds. He only knew how to struggle and fight, so he compensated for what he lacked with caution. After all, the one who died was always the one who made the most mistakes.
Who could be certain of the moment when their mistake might occur? Far too many had died without ever understanding where they erred.
——Who said that people lacking intelligence had no way of surviving without it?
At this very moment, Su Li’s caution was put to good use.
Within the Tianshou King’s camp, someone used a distance-viewing scope to scan the surrounding high ground. Only upon confirming there was nothing unusual did that person set down the valuable brass and crystal tube.
“General Zheng was truly loyal to the Tianshou King.” An old man beside him spoke in a mocking tone.
Renowned in the martial world, Zheng Tu was a man of remarkably heroic looks—sword-like brows, starry eyes, a wasp waist, and arms like an ape. He seemed as though he had stepped right out of a black-and-white illustration in a chivalrous storybook. He stood a full head taller than that old man, appearing a circle wider than others when standing there, yet he did not look like he had a tiger’s back and a bear’s waist, nor did he move clumsily or slowly.
Facing the old man’s ridicule, Zheng Tu’s face showed not the slightest anger. He calmly said, “Elder Lei, please do not jest. I merely fulfilled my duty and dared not be careless. ”
The old man let out a disdainful snort, speaking in a patronizing tone, “Young folk like you from the martial world cannot keep calm when things happen. As the saying goes, ‘Hairless lips get nothing done steadily.’ This isn’t a truth you can grasp just by growing a few strands of beard. You must consult others more often. When General Zheng reaches my age, he will come to understand many principles in this world. ”
“You!”
The personal guard at Zheng Tu’s side erupted in rage, hand already resting on his saber hilt.
Zheng Tu, unmoved by the eight winds, waved a hand and said, “Show no disrespect to Elder Lei. By order of the Tianshou King, Elder Lei Xian is his esteemed guest. ”
The personal guard reluctantly returned the saber to its sheath. The old man let out a cold laugh and strode away.
“General, these people from Thunderbolt Hall were truly infuriating. Ever since their great contributions at Xuanchuan Pass, they’ve practically wanted to lord it over you. ”
The personal guard complained. Zheng Tu did not even lift his gaze as he spoke blandly, “Isn’t that good? Let him think I’m no threat. Then, who will they aim to deal with?”
At these words, the faces of all the personal guards changed at once, then showed gloating grins.
The greatest power under the Tianshou King’s command was obviously the Holy Lotus Sect!
“The General sees it clearly. These days, the people of Thunderbolt Hall have been drifting about like flies, buzzing with infuriating remarks, yet we can’t chase them away. Besides, Xuanchuan Pass wasn’t really conquered by them; at most…”
“Enough, are you free to talk like that?” Zheng Tu barked sharply with a cold face, “I chose you as my personal guards because you still have some brains, not because you are muddle-headed fools or starving ghosts. You have no discipline even in front of me—how about before the Tianshou King? Don’t cause trouble for me!”
The personal guards did not dare retort, only lowered their heads in aggrieved acknowledgment.
Only then did Zheng Tu pick up the distance-viewing scope again. As he looked, he said, “Even if this lot from Thunderbolt Hall is as annoying as flies, they’ve still brought us some good stuff. This telescope is much better than those broken gadgets we had before. ”
The personal guards were hesitant, thinking this was nothing new. A few years ago, when times were toughest, all levels of their ranks could only eat wild grass and drink watery rice broth. Later, life gradually improved, and the Tianshou King’s temper also seemed much better—until he listened to the Holy Lotus Sect’s bewitching talk, genuinely believed he was the Purple Star Lord incarnate, wore a mask day and night, and busied himself with incense offerings to Heaven, paying little attention to his old subordinates.
Yet without the Holy Lotus Sect, they couldn’t have assembled these one hundred thousand troops at all. Those gullible masses had to be hoodwinked one by one, or else nobody would fight. As for Thunderbolt Hall… they would just tolerate them a while. Once the General’s people stealthily learned their gunpowder formula, why fear them making further waves?
“General, it’s already late. We can’t see anything outside. Why not rest early?” Privately, the personal guards felt that Zheng Tu was overly fond of that scope, always holding it in his hand and fiddling with it. Outside was pitch-dark tonight, no moon at all—what was there to see?
“No matter, I’ll just take a look. ”
Zheng Tu set down the scope. When scanning the forest on that elevated ground earlier, he inexplicably felt one particular tree looked quite strange.
This was Jiangnan, not the deep mountains of Yizhou. Trees here were generally lower, and rarely of peculiar shapes.
Zheng Tu examined it carefully, confirming that in that mass of shadow there was no outline resembling a person before moving the scope along. It wasn’t that Zheng Tu was overthinking things; in fact, he did not view that many spots, usually just those higher vantage points that could see the camp’s condition clearly. If an uninvited guest were there, he would catch them at once.
Finding no abnormalities now, Zheng Tu did not probe deeper.
After all, that strange sight was likely just two trees growing too close and overlapping, looking like a single tree from a distance.
“The General need not worry. Those martial world folk were frightened out of their wits. Last time, a dozen or so died and were hacked to pieces on the King’s orders, then discarded. These past few days have been much quieter. ”
“…We’ve already reached the heartland of Jingzhou. The closer we get, the less we can afford any negligence. ”
Zheng Tu gripped the scope, suddenly lowered his voice, and said, “You should all stay away from the royal tent these few days. If there’s a disturbance, do not take the lead in stepping in. Without my order, you are not permitted to act on your own. ”
“General?”
“It’s not as though true masters of the martial world don’t exist. No matter how formidable Master Luo and his people might be, eventually they’ll hit a wall. ” When Zheng Tu said this, he almost smiled, but immediately returned to composure, “My teacher was once acknowledged as the foremost master in all the martial world, and yet he still died in Taijing. That’s enough. The Tianshou King is exceedingly wise. In a few more days, when we reach Nanping County, we can throw off the burdens that must be cast aside. Those disorderly troops will burn, kill, and loot in Jingzhou. Those who return can bring us some grain; those who never return simply save us rations. By the time Jingzhou’s nobility reacts, we’ll already have blasted open the city gates. Speed is paramount in warfare. Every moment counts. Go rest. ”
After speaking, he headed toward the tent. Zheng Tu possessed extremely high martial skills, often using meditation practice instead of sleep.
One night passed, and Zheng Tu rose early. After washing and donning his armor, as soon as the personal guard brought him food, he casually picked up the distance-viewing scope to look again.
“Hmm?”
Zheng Tu fixed his gaze on the woods.
Gone—the strange-looking tree was gone?!
Zheng Tu was quite certain of its position, but in daylight, it looked entirely different.
An ordinary person would have assumed it was just the night’s shadows playing tricks, yet Zheng Tu was not that foolish.
“Someone, go to the royal tent…”
He had barely spoken when a figure strode up to him.
Around that person were about a dozen slender women, all in white clothing with veiled faces.
“Patriarch Luo?”
Zheng Tu’s face turned grim, yet the newcomer did not break stride and headed straight into Zheng Tu’s tent.
Those women stood neatly outside. Soldiers passing by actually bowed to them and prayed.
“General, this…”
“It’s fine. You all wait outside. ” Zheng Tu spoke casually.
The Holy Lotus Sect’s Patriarch Luo sat inside the tent. He did not look like some immortal-like con artist, but rather like a common roaming hero in the martial world— with a full beard. Earlier, his superior, arrogant demeanor had greatly irked Zheng Tu’s guards.
Yet at this moment, Patriarch Luo changed faces like a stage performer; all his insolent swagger vanished. Upon seeing Zheng Tu enter alone, he immediately moved closer and said, “Something happened in the royal tent. ”
Zheng Tu’s pupils contracted. He thought of that strange tree, and his expression twisted for an instant.
Patriarch Luo looked equally grim.
“Quite the assassin. How many were killed?” Zheng Tu suddenly asked.
“He… only killed one person. He merely sealed the others’ pressure points. They’re still unconscious, and my subordinates are guarding them now. ” Patriarch Luo, unable to contain his rage, slammed his fist on the table, fuming, “That puppet was our most obedient one. We do have spares, but not at such a critical time. If the assassin comes again, won’t our secret be exposed?”
Zheng Tu glanced at him, sneering, “What secret? The one everyone knows full well? Aside from my personal guard and your saintesses—those ornaments who haven’t a clue—everyone else has guessed it. Anyone who didn’t go along has already died. Our only headache is the new Thunderbolt Hall; we’ll solve that soon and dismiss them. ”
Perhaps Patriarch Luo felt disgruntled. He could not hold back a cold laugh, “In the martial world, it’s not me who has a good reputation, but General Zheng, right? If word got out that the Tianshou King had long since died, that he was only a living puppet on display, and that everything from breaking Xuanchuan Pass to attacking the Central Plains was General Zheng’s idea… If in the future the one who sits on the throne is General Zheng, how would the world see it?”
“Shut up. ” Zheng Tu did not bother with politeness.
Patriarch Luo’s face changed drastically. He suppressed himself, sat back down, and spoke stiffly, “Forgive me, General Zheng, I let my temper get the better of me. In an hour, the army must break camp. We can’t wait any longer. That killer will surely brag about his success. What do we do about this ‘Tianshou King’s assassination’ situation?”
Author’s Note:
Zheng Tu obtained the item “distance-viewing scope”
Zheng Tu searched the map for hidden objects (the “assassin”) and failed
Penalty for failure: puppet died
————
Swordsman: Did I do all that for nothing?
Zheng Tu: You never expected that I’m actually the final boss—the true Tianshou King!
