The first spring thunder rumbled.
"Whoa!" Su Muyu sharply pulled the reins, calming the suddenly skittish black horse beneath him. This steed, carefully selected at great expense, wouldn't normally be startled by mere thunder. Once the horse settled slightly, Su Muyu raised his head to see three figures who had abruptly appeared before him.
The leader carried an enormous sword on his back, his burly frame matched by a gentle smile. Beside him stood two women with bewitching figures—one clad in eerie purple robes, the other in fluttering red garments like dancing flames. The burly man laughed: "Brother Yu, you truly live up to your name—wherever you go, rain follows."
Su Muyu frowned slightly: "Su Changli, Su Ziyi, Su Hongxi. Did Chang He send you?"
The burly man called Su Changli nodded: "Eldest Brother ordered us to intercept you. If absolutely necessary..."
Su Hongxi covered her mouth with a giggle: "We're to bed you."
Su Muyu's pupils contracted as he immediately dismounted. A sinister red blossom shot toward him following Su Hongxi's gesture. Landing swiftly, the flower passed overhead as its six petals suddenly exploded, instantly piercing the black horse's body. Su Muyu snapped open his umbrella, retreating to block the splattering blood.
Su Ziyi sighed softly, her voice dripping with charm: "Don't be hasty, Sister Hongxi. Did you really think a single Six-Petal Flying Blossom could kill Brother Moyu?"
Observing the fallen horse, Su Muyu stated impassively: "You mean to delay me."
Su Changli made no attempt at concealment: "Eldest Brother wants The Head dead but wishes you no harm. Delaying you is the optimal solution."
"Do you presume I won't kill you?" Su Muyu turned, slightly raising his oilpaper umbrella to reveal his eyes.
All three opponents shuddered.
The murderous intent flashing in those eyes made their hair stand on end. Su Changli's massive sword vibrated uncontrollably on his back. Su Ziyi's seductive expression froze, leaving only a bead of sweat the size of a pea slowly trickling down her forehead.
For the umbrella-wielding man had suddenly appeared behind them.
Had Su Muyu chosen to strike, all three would already be dead.
"Chang He believes I won't kill you, hence your dispatch. He thinks he understands my heart. But I was once the Su Family's Umbrella Ghost—now I'm the Spider Shadow Assassins' Puppet. I've slain countless souls, and sometimes... the bloodlust cannot be restrained." Su Muyu gently rotated the umbrella handle.
Su Changli swallowed hard, forcing his hand onto the sword hilt against the overwhelming pressure.
"Do you draw your blade?" Su Muyu asked coldly.
Su Changli's back drenched with sweat, his trembling hand barely maintaining grip. He forced a smile: "Merely silencing its clamor!" A firm press on the hilt instantly stilled the vibrations.
"Tell Chang He this—The Head must not die." Su Muyu strode forward. "Nor can he be killed."After Su Muyu had walked a hundred zhang away, Su Changli finally plopped down onto the ground. Beside him, Su Hongxi and Su Ziyi were also drenched in sweat. Su Changli licked his lips and forced a bitter smile. "Big brother really is a menace, making us deal with Brother Yu. I feel like Brother Yu wouldn’t even need to lift a finger—his killing intent alone could scare me to death."
Su Hongxi gazed at Su Muyu’s retreating figure and murmured, "Tell me, if I were to unleash all my Flying Blossoms at him now, could I even hurt him?"
Su Ziyi sneered. "You can try."
Su Hongxi reached into her sleeve, then her expression changed drastically.
"Well?" Su Ziyi asked.
Su Hongxi flicked her wrist, scattering a shower of red petals on the ground. She smiled bitterly. "Just now, when Su Muyu brushed past us, he already destroyed all my Six-Leaf Flying Blossoms."
Su Changli glanced at the corpse of the black horse in front of them and said gravely, "This horse is dead. He’s furious. If you weren’t Su Hongxi, you might already be dead."
"For a horse?" Su Hongxi frowned.
Su Changli stood up. "Brother Yu is a strange man. It’s hard to see what lies behind those eyes of his. In all of Dark River, I think only big brother truly understands him."
"So, our mission is complete?" Su Ziyi asked.
"Complete. It’s laughable, really. We’re among the top assassins in Dark River, yet big brother’s task for us was just to kill a horse." Su Changli rubbed his temples. "The rest is up to them now."
"It’s you." In the forest, Su Muyu halted his steps and lightly raised his oil-paper umbrella.
A middle-aged man with a black cloth tied over his eyes sat calmly in front of a teapot, a chessboard, and a sword. Hearing Su Muyu’s voice, he seemed pleased and nodded. "It’s been a long time. No—it’s been a long time since I last heard your voice."
Su Muyu’s grip on the umbrella tightened slightly, his voice tinged with anger. "That bastard Su Changhe!"
"Don’t blame Chang He. I came here of my own will," the middle-aged man said softly. "I thought that after this matter, we might never meet again. So I came to see you one last time and play a game of chess."
"I’m in a hurry. I don’t have time," Su Muyu said, stepping forward with his umbrella. "Teacher."
The middle-aged man chuckled. "You always call me ‘teacher,’ but I was merely an instructor in The Crucible. I didn’t teach you martial arts, and your Eighteen Sword Formation has nothing to do with me. I only played a few games of chess with you."
"Back in The Crucible, if not for you, Teacher, Chang He and I might have died long ago," Su Muyu said, bowing his head slightly with respect.
"You know my swordsmanship is poor," the middle-aged man said, tilting his head up though he couldn’t see Su Muyu.
Su Muyu glanced at the sword on the table, as if he had guessed something.
"Let’s play one game," the middle-aged man said, placing a black piece on the board.
Su Muyu closed his umbrella and sat down across the stone table, immediately placing a white piece in response. "Teacher, did you come here to persuade me to join forces with Chang He?"
The middle-aged man nodded. "You’ve overcome countless crises together. You’re the most incredible duo Dark River has seen in a century. This time, I believe you can do it again.""Every time before, our stances have aligned. But today, the one he wants to kill is someone I once swore a blood oath to the heavens to protect with my life," Su Muyu said solemnly.
The middle-aged man paused, then asked, "Is The Head truly worth this sacrifice from you?"
After a moment's hesitation, Su Muyu replied, "No, he's not."
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