Chapter 29: The Assassin
Jiang Ruan raised her head once more to scrutinize the man before her. As she retreated, he had already leaned against the door, blocking the exit. His hand rested on the hilt of a dark green short sword at his waist. His gaze was cold—so cold it could almost be described as calm—devoid of even a hint of killing intent. Yet Jiang Ruan was certain that the slightest movement from her would prompt him to slit her throat with that blade.
This was an unmistakable threat.
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Ruan slowly stepped forward, deliberately moving at a measured pace to demonstrate she meant no harm.
The young man paused his movements, watching as she approached until the distance between them was no wider than a finger’s breadth—an uncomfortably intimate proximity.
Jiang Ruan rose onto her tiptoes. She only reached his chest, making it somewhat difficult to lean close to his ear. In a hushed voice, she whispered, “I saw nothing.”
The man’s gaze abruptly turned icy as he lowered his head to scrutinize her. Jiang Ruan frowned, noticing the silver-embroidered qilin patterns on his clothing—proof that he was no ordinary person. After a brief consideration, she continued, “Since you’ve taken refuge here, you clearly don’t want to escalate matters. Killing me would only bring unnecessary trouble. While it’s not impossible to resolve, it’s certainly not what you desire.”
“Who are you?” The handsome young man finally spoke, his voice deliberately low and slightly hoarse.
“The eldest legitimate daughter of Jiang Quan, Minister of War,” Jiang Ruan replied. Jiang Quan held a significant position in court, and she had no qualms about leveraging that identity when useful. She wasn’t worried about unforeseen consequences. Firstly, in her past life’s memories, the Jiang family had no such enemy. Secondly, even if the worst came to pass and this man did have some grievance with the Jiang family, he would surely know that her status within the household was lowly—merely a legitimate daughter in name, with no real influence over Jiang Quan.
Killing her would bring no benefit, only potential complications. Jiang Ruan had laid out the stakes plainly; now it was up to him to decide.
Yet despite her outward calm, inwardly, she remained extremely cautious.
The man’s gaze lingered on her. Jiang Ruan knew her current attire was shabby—deliberately so, as she had instructed her servants to dress her in old, repurposed clothes from her days on the estate. She must have looked utterly disheveled, likely prompting his skepticism about her identity. To dispel any doubts, she added, “Imperial Censor Wang and Constable Li Mi are both in the men’s quarters. If anything were to happen to me, they would inevitably be implicated, and the investigation would drag on indefinitely.”
The young man studied her for a moment longer before turning away and sheathing his weapon. Jiang Ruan exhaled silently in relief, knowing he had decided against killing her—though not necessarily because of her threats.
The moment the door opened, a shadowy figure rushed in, bowing to the man. “Master, it’s done.”
By the moonlight, Jiang Ruan could see the ground littered with corpses—all clad in black, each with a single fatal slash across the throat.
The subordinate, who had addressed the young man as “Master,” looked up in surprise upon spotting Jiang Ruan, clearly not expecting anyone in the temple to still be awake. Hesitantly, he asked, “Master?”
Is he asking whether to silence me? Jiang Ruan sneered inwardly.
“No need,” the man replied coldly.
Jiang Ruan’s mind raced. These assassins had undoubtedly come for this young man, yet in such a short time, he had dispatched them all without alerting anyone else in the temple. His background must be formidable. If she could find a way to use this…
Suddenly, she smiled. “Sir, there’s still one left.”The other party seemed somewhat surprised and turned to stare at her. Jiang Ruan said, "Wait a moment," then stood up and walked toward the adjacent room. Inside, Zisu and the other two had just finished tying up the unconscious men, completely unaware of what was happening outside. When they saw Jiang Ruan enter, Lianqiao asked, "Miss, what—"
Jiang Ruan shook her head, placing a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence, and whispered, "Stay here and don’t move." With that, she laboriously dragged one of the men on the floor toward the door. Lianqiao wanted to follow but was pulled back by Luzhu, so she had no choice but to stay. Jiang Ruan made five trips back and forth before finally dragging all five men before the stranger.
The young man and his attendant waited for her explanation. Jiang Ruan smiled. "These men were drugged—their bodies are paralyzed, but their minds are fully awake. They can hear every word of our conversation right now. Once they wake, who knows what trouble they might cause you? So, as a favor, I’ll hand them over to you. Please, dispose of them as you see fit."
Both of them had been pursued to this lonely temple on a snowy night—their fates should have warranted mutual sympathy. She spoke with utmost generosity, as if offering an incredible bargain, but the two men opposite her were no fools; they recognized her ploy of using another’s hand to kill. Yet her reasoning was sound. The young man gave a slight wave, and his attendant stepped forward with his sword. In moments, five flashes of cold steel later, the men on the ground were lifeless.
Jiang Ruan understood clearly. If even his attendant possessed such formidable skill, his master must be no ordinary man. Yet he had remained hidden all night—undoubtedly evading something. And when one evaded, loose ends had to be tied. He hadn’t killed her, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, only because it might bring trouble. But these five nameless men could be dealt with freely. She had initially planned to handle it herself, but now that a ready solution presented itself, a clean, fatal stroke would leave no suspicion on her. A flawless exoneration.
The thought inexplicably lifted her spirits. Jiang Ruan smiled at the man. "The path is clear now. You may go first."
The young man glanced at her, his ink-dark eyes inscrutable and chillingly cold, then turned and strode into the night. Jiang Ruan watched his retreating figure, lost in thought. Such striking elegance and presence—she had never seen his like in either this life or her past one. But... Her brow furrowed tightly. When had the Da Jin Dynasty produced such a man? Just who was this mysterious stranger?
...
The night passed.
At dawn the next day, the monastery erupted in clamor. The door was pounded urgently, and Li Mi’s voice carried a note of anxiety. "Miss Jiang! Miss Jiang!"
Jiang Ruan pushed herself up from the bed, instructing Zisu and the others to check outside while she dressed quickly. By the time she threw on her outer robe and stepped out, the heavy stench of blood assaulted her senses.
Seeing Jiang Ruan unharmed, Li Mi exhaled in relief and asked nervously, "Are you all right, Miss?"
Jiang Ruan looked at him in confusion. "Why do you ask, sir? Has something happened?" She then peered past him and gasped, turning away in apparent fright. "This—"
Bodies lay strewn haphazardly across the snow, blood pooling everywhere—a scene straight from a slaughterhouse. Zisu and the others subtly moved to shield Jiang Ruan.
Li Mi shook his head. "Bandits came last night, and this is what we found this morning. I feared something might have happened to you, Miss Jiang. Thank goodness you’re unharmed."
Jiang Ruan frowned. "Then... why was I spared?""It likely wasn't aimed at you," Li Mi said seriously. "It might just be an ordinary grudge. Fortunately, no innocents were harmed, but I must stay to investigate this matter. Miss Jiang, duty calls—I apologize, but I must remain here today. The remaining journey isn't far; Xiao Ma will escort you back to the capital."
Jiang Ruan quickly returned the courtesy. "There's no need for you to worry about me, sir. This matter here is far more pressing—human lives are at stake. Since the murder occurred here, everyone in the temple will inevitably be implicated. I wonder if there's any way I might be of assistance."
(End of Chapter)
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