Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Three
An Jiu's group was the Sky Group, while the other was the Earth Group.
Within the Sky Group, Sui Yunzhu was unanimously chosen as the leader—he was intelligent and willing to take responsibility for others. Lou Mingyue, though the most skilled in martial arts, remained aloof and indifferent to the affairs of the group.
An Jiu, too, was accustomed to looking out for herself, so she had no objections to this arrangement for the time being.
The six of them moved swiftly with light footwork, silent as shadows, while the unfortunate An Jiu had to make her way step by step on her own.
Fortunately, the mission had a four-month deadline; otherwise, she would likely have ended up with another solid negative score.
The night was deep, and a thin mist draped the streets and alleys like gauze, enveloping the staggered rooftops with their soaring eaves and intricate designs.
The prosperity of the Great Song Dynasty was, in truth, no less than that of the Tang era. The capital was grand and imposing, but the Song people favored elegance over ostentation. Whether in architecture or attire, they pursued understated refinement—luxury hidden in every brick, tile, stitch, and thread, discernible only to those with an eye for sophistication.
This was the first time An Jiu truly took in the ancient capital before her. The broad streets were paved with smooth stone slabs, flanked by rows of shops. Some clinics and inns still had lanterns lit outside their doors.
In the Tang Dynasty, residential wards and marketplaces were strictly separated, but in the Great Song, the boundaries between living quarters and commercial districts had blurred. Shops lined the streets, while residential areas exuded a more vibrant sense of life.
On this quiet night, as she hurried toward bloodshed, her heart inexplicably felt a sense of belonging.
She truly had a second life—she had truly become a citizen of the Great Song!
With these thoughts, An Jiu slowed her pace, savoring the moonlit beauty of Bianjing. Panlou Street wasn’t far from the Crane Control Institute, and she could already see a towering building rising above the sea of rooftops.
That was the government-run tavern—Panlou.
Taverns in the Great Song were divided into government-run and private establishments. Bianjing alone had seventy-two government-run taverns, and Panlou had been famous since the Five Dynasties period. Now, it was one of the most renowned government-run taverns, and the street before it was named Panlou Street in its honor.
Even from a distance, An Jiu could hear the clamor. Looking up, she saw silhouettes moving about in the brightly lit building, accompanied by laughter and the loud responses of waiters.
She avoided the main entrance, channeling her Inner Force to conceal her presence as she darted through dark alleys.
After her body’s reforging, her running speed had increased significantly. What pleased her most was that she no longer felt the crushing exhaustion that used to come so quickly.
Only when she reached the vicinity of the Fan residence did she withdraw her Mental Strength.
Soon, Sui Yunzhu emerged to meet her. "You’re late," he said.
An Jiu offered no explanation and simply asked, "What’s the situation?"
Sui Yunzhu led her into the shadows, his lowered voice grave. "According to Lou Mingyue’s preliminary reconnaissance, their defenses are tight. There are over forty martial arts masters with Inner Force at the fourth rank or higher, plus the target’s eight personal elite guards."
They all had code names, but none of them were willing to abandon their true identities, so they still used their original names in private.
The target drawn this time was named Fan Yunchao, known as Master Fan, one of Bianjing’s wealthiest merchants. His main businesses were silk, leather, and iron ore, with additional ventures including three private brothels, two taverns, and two gambling houses.Fan Yunzhao primarily made his fortune through iron mines. Since the vast majority of iron mines were monopolized by the imperial court, Fan only owned one mine within the Song Dynasty's borders, but he possessed no fewer than ten mines in territories like Western Xia.
"From the moment I saw the mission deadline, I knew something was off. I never expected it to be this tricky." Sui Yunzhu clicked his tongue, though his eyes already burned with fighting spirit. "The court wants this done without a trace. If I'm not mistaken, they've already prepared people to impersonate Fan Yunzhao's men!"
After all, abandoning the Fan family's iron mines would be a waste.
"What's your plan?" An Jiu asked.
"Nothing concrete yet." Sui Yunzhu's gaze fell upon the Dragon Subduing Bow strapped to her back. The entire black bow gleamed with a silvery moonlight sheen, extraordinary in its brilliance. "Can you hit a target from eight hundred paces away with that?"
"This bow can't be used," An Jiu replied.
Sui Yunzhu was taken aback, thinking to himself: This is practically the only thing you're good at, and you're carrying around a bow you can't even use? Are you just here to watch?
Yet when he met An Jiu's striking eyes, something seemed to occur to him. Without pressing for an explanation, he simply smiled gently and said, "The intelligence provided by the academy is too limited. Let's observe for a few more days before deciding."
Assassination was like hunting.
To succeed, one first had to thoroughly understand the prey's habits and frequented locations. Impatience had no place here—only patience. Once everything was under control, all that remained was waiting for the perfect moment to strike with a single, lethal shot.
"I'll go scout too," An Jiu turned to leave.
Sui Yunzhu hastily reached out to stop her, but the moment his hand made contact, An Jiu seized his wrist in a flash. With a sharp tug forward, she spun around, her knee stopping just short of his abdomen.
"Never approach from behind," An Jiu warned.
Sui Yunzhu stood frozen in shock. Long after An Jiu's figure had vanished from sight, he remained dazed. That momentary eruption of terrifying killing intent had chilled him to the bone—as if, in that instant, he'd already been a dead man! Such horrifying bloodlust surpassed even Gu Jinghong, the Crane Control Army's so-called "God of Slaughter"!
(To be continued...)
PS: Got too absorbed in research materials. Will add another 500 words to this chapter later—readers, don't forget to check back.
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