An Jiu twitched the corner of her mouth, reached out to take it, and ate it directly, leaving Blood Fiend dumbfounded. What kind of assassin could be so careless?
Savoring the sweet taste in her mouth, An Jiu popped an Antitoxin pill and asked, "Do you know Mo Sigui?"
"Miraculous Doctor Mo?" Blood Fiend straightened up. "Has he come to Xingzhou too?"
An Jiu had only meant to flaunt her immunity to poison, but she didn’t expect Blood Fiend to be so interested in Mo Sigui. "He’s in Hejian Prefecture."
"Really?" Blood Fiend’s eyes lit up.
As someone who lived by the blade, even if he didn’t die in the end, his body would inevitably be riddled with ailments. Realizing this, An Jiu seized the opportunity. "Mo Sigui is our army doctor. There aren’t many of us, so he personally oversees everyone’s health."
At present, Mo Sigui was indeed responsible for everyone’s well-being, but that might not last. He was busy and wouldn’t waste time on trivial matters.
Blood Fiend pondered for a while. "You’re too naive. The Liao Kingdom’s overall military strength surpasses the Song’s. Even if you reforged a Crane Control Army in Hejian Prefecture, it wouldn’t save the entire Song."
"If everyone thought like you, the Song would truly be doomed!" An Jiu tried to imagine his circumstances from her own perspective. "Don’t delude yourself into filling the void with other things. Speaking from experience, it’s impossible. Whether you spend your days whoring, gambling, marrying, or embroidering silk flowers, your heart will still feel empty. Because even life itself is fragile and fleeting—how could such insignificant things bring you any real satisfaction?"
Blood Fiend froze for a moment. He had done all the things An Jiu mentioned these past days. At first, he had felt exhilarated by the freedom and novelty, but as time passed, a strange longing had begun to grow in his heart—one that left him feeling increasingly lonely.
Back then, he hadn’t understood what he was longing for. But now, hearing An Jiu’s words, it suddenly dawned on him. It was blood. What he missed was the thrill of reaping lives with his blade.
He had always believed he was tired of killing. Yet beyond that weariness, he had unknowingly become addicted.
There was no contradiction here. A drug addict might despise narcotics, but that wouldn’t stop them from sinking deeper.
Seeing his expression soften, An Jiu pressed on, "Don’t you want to try it? It’s far more interesting than wasting your remaining years in emptiness. Defending your homeland while satisfying yourself—why not?"
In the past, her organization had lured her into killing the same way. They’d say: Go on, kill him. Only then will your soul find peace.
Now, An Jiu knew that was wrong. But given the current situation, defending the nation would inevitably involve killing. Surely, what she was saying now was acceptable...
"I only made it onto the Crane Control List three years ago," Blood Fiend murmured, gazing at the azure sky, his eyes growing gentler. "It was after I killed ten assassins from Misty Villa in a covert battle. I had planned to wipe them all out, but in the end, one called Blood Fiend escaped. When I earned the right to choose my own codename, I took the name Blood Fiend. There’s only one Blood Fiend in this world—and he must die. But before I could act, Lord Chu led a raid on Misty Villa, and Blood Fiend died in the attack."
His expression twisted in pain, his eyes burning red. To an outsider, it might seem as though that Blood Fiend had been his flesh and blood. But An Jiu knew the truth—his torment came from an unresolved knot in his heart, the regret of not having killed that man himself.An Jiu suddenly recalled a saying from her former psychological mentor: As a top-tier assassin, one either becomes numb and unfeeling, wearing an eternally frozen icy expression, or turns into an emotionally unstable freak.
Looking at it now, was Blood Fiend also a freak?
"I'll go with you," Blood Fiend said.
Seeing that he didn't lose control, An Jiu thought to herself, his condition wasn't that severe after all!
"Good!" An Jiu replied.
From that day onward, she ventured into a brand-new field in her life, feeling confident that she could now provide psychological counseling to the assassins around her.
An Jiu managed to recruit a martial arts master and was quite satisfied with the trip. However, their recruitment efforts in Xingzhou weren't particularly smooth. Over seven days, they only managed to gather a little over sixty people, including men, women, and children.
After all, some would rather live as beasts of burden than march to their deaths.
Thanks to Gao Dazhuang's help, Sui Yunzhu decided to visit him before leaving to express their gratitude and also ask for another favor.
Xingzhou Military Camp.
Gao Dazhuang held a teacup with his pinky raised, sipping delicately, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed. Though his demeanor was effeminate, there was no denying his good looks—his features weren't flamboyant, and if not for that hint of femininity, he might have been a handsome man.
"Sir, we truly appreciate your help in this matter," Sui Yunzhu said. "This is a tonic prepared by Miracle Doctor Mo to aid in cultivating mental strength. Please accept it as a token of our gratitude."
Gao Dazhuang remained expressionless but didn't refuse.
An Jiu observed his lowered brows and eyes, thinking to herself that he was probably secretly overjoyed. Back at the Crane Control Institute, he had desperately tried—and failed—to cozy up to Mo Sigui!
"Go ahead and say what you're thinking out loud if you dare!" Gao Dazhuang couldn't stand her gaze any longer.
An Jiu paused for a moment before asking, "What kind of seed is 'daring'?"
Gao Dazhuang scoffed, his face clearly mocking her as an illiterate.
Sui Yunzhu thought to himself, An Jiu really is a simple woman.
"I see," An Jiu said, impressed by her own insight. "My Chu Dingjiang has it, but I don't."
Sui Yunzhu wiped his sweat and silently retracted his earlier assessment.
An Jiu looked at Gao Dazhuang and added, "Neither do you."
Clang!
Gao Dazhuang instantly lost his temper, slamming the teacup down and drawing his blade to strike!
An Jiu reflexively pulled out the sword hidden behind her back.
"Sir!"
In the span of those four words, Sui Yunzhu hadn't anticipated such a sudden turn of events. Without time to think, he rushed between the two.
The murderous aura surged as the blade nearly pierced Sui Yunzhu standing between them. Gao Dazhuang and An Jiu simultaneously redirected their weapons, clashing five feet in front of him.
Sparks flew as their blades ground against each other, neither willing to yield.
Both were assassins—every strike was lethal. Sui Yunzhu grew frantic. "Shi Si, stop! We have more important matters to attend to."
Hearing this, An Jiu immediately withdrew.
Gao Dazhuang's blade, however, didn't stop, slashing straight toward An Jiu's face.
Sui Yunzhu tried to block it, but he wasn't fast enough.
An Jiu stared at the cold steel, not retreating an inch. Instead, she straightened her back even more.
The blade veered again, the powerful protective energy grazing past her. The doors and windows behind her shattered from the force, her clothes and hair fluttering wildly—yet her expression remained unchanged.
"Take this little runt and get out of here!" Gao Dazhuang pointed his blade at Sui Yunzhu. "Get as far away as you can!""Are you interested in fighting the Liao People?" An Jiu suddenly asked.
Sui Yunzhu felt a drop of sweat trickle down his temple, thinking, Good heavens, why must you be so oblivious? Is this really the time for such talk?
He quickly tugged at An Jiu's sleeve. "Let's go, hurry."
Having successfully persuaded Blood Fiend, An Jiu's confidence had soared to unprecedented heights. She felt that recruiting Gao Dazhuang would surely make things twice as effective. (To be continued...)
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