She did not dare to look back, and she did not want to. From above her head came a gentle, loving voice: "Don't be afraid, my good child. Protect your Young Lady well in the future."
*Thump.* Something hit the ground. What was it? The voice from a moment ago had sounded so familiar.
"Mutong, Mutong! You promised me you’d play chess and drink with me. You liar!"
The old man wept and cursed, accusing someone of deceiving him.
"Cough." It had taken Wen Jiu a moment to break through her acupuncture points. She had not expected that in those few seconds, she would lose Uncle Mu. She had watched with her own eyes as he was stabbed. She could not make a sound; her eyes turned blood-red, like a Yama king coming to claim a soul.
In a single breath, she decapitated the man who had done it.
"Fine. You showed yourself; that saves me the trouble."
Wen Jiu ignored him and walked straight toward the old man.
"Old man, old man, I’m here. Please, don't be sad."
"Jiu'er, Jiu'er... your Uncle Mu, he..."
"I have avenged him. I will kill them all—every single one of them. You wait for me." She glanced at the motionless Xuanling and whispered in her ear, "Pull yourself together. We’re going to kill these people and avenge Uncle Mu. We can settle our own accounts later."
"Y-Young Lady?"
"Get up."
"Yes."
"Charge! Make them die here at Yanchuan Pier! The bounty when we return will be enough for us to live in luxury!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Both sides fought with murderous intensity. The two women were struggling, but in moments, neither side gained an advantage; instead, the assassins were dying in droves.
"Hahaha! Young Lady, would you like to see who I have in my hands?"
Wen Jiu looked up and realized the old man had been captured. She ground her teeth. "If you dare to touch him, just try it. I will use the heads of your organization and everyone behind you as a sacrifice!"
"Little girl, don't be so arrogant. You never know what lies beyond the heavens or who stands above you." As he spoke, the blade in his hand sliced into the old man's neck, and blood began to flow.
Wen Jiu panicked. When one panics, one makes mistakes. At that critical moment, a stern voice rang out: "Wen Jiu, today your master gives you your final lesson. The big picture is what matters. To sacrifice oneself for others is often the height of stupidity. You must consider that if you *are* to sacrifice yourself, it must be in a way that can bring you back from the brink of death—that is the only way it is acceptable. Do not just sacrifice yourself blindly. Is that person even worth your life? Of course, in these cruel times, what I am teaching you may seem heartless, but it is the foundation of your survival. Stay unattached to all things to remain light and free. When you go back, suppress your pride and impatience, and reflect on my teachings. And... bury me and your Uncle Mu behind our home."
"Jiu'er, my dear Jiu'er. Being able to raise and teach you for over a decade has been the happiest, proudest time of my life."
"Old man, old man, what are you saying? I don't want to hear it! Behave and don't move, or I won't forgive you!"
"Enough talk! Drop your weapons at once..."
"Don't you dare! Wen Jiu, I tell you, to drop your weapons before the enemy is to lose. How could I ever let you be put in a difficult position?" *Slish.* The sound of flesh being cut.
"This old man... tch, what a nuisance." He kicked the body several yards away.
"Old man! Old man!" Wen Jiu sprinted toward him, fell, and crawled the rest of the way. She pressed her hands against the old man's neck, but the blood kept spurting out.
"Jiu'er, you’ve graduated. You should be able to pass the assessment now, right? Call me Master one more time."
"Master, Master... you'll be fine." Tears fell like broken strings.
"Good girl. I believe your life is not meant to end here. I still wanted to see you get married. What a pity... I won't live to see it. If you face trouble in the future, go to the Fu family in Jiangnan. This is a jade pendant; tell them you are my, Fu Ruming’s, last disciple..."
"Ah, ah! Master, Master! Old man, I beg you, don't leave me, please!" Her heart-rending cry reached Xuanling, who was fully engaged in the fray.
"Young Lady! Master! I’m going to kill you bastards! Ahhh!"
"Young Lady, watch your back!"
*Clang.* Wen Jiu used her dagger to block the sword behind her, then gently set the old man down.
At that moment, she was enveloped in a murderous aura that no one could stop. It was terrifying. She moved with the speed of a ghost, unstoppable. The last assassin, who tried to flee, was killed instantly when Wen Jiu kicked a sword through his chest.
The Yanchuan pier was dyed red overnight.
The river was filled with dismembered bodies.
No one knew who had done it. Only the heads were missing.
Wen Jiu carried the old man on her back, and Xuanling carried Uncle Mu. They returned to Nanhua Mountain, to their home—the home that had once been so warm... but was now beyond recognition.
"Young Lady, if you’re in pain, just cry."
"I have no tears left, Xuanling. I’ve become an unwanted child again. No... I am not a child anymore. I’ve grown up. Is this the price of growth?"
"Young Lady, you still have me. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry." Xuanling knelt and began to slap her own face.
"Stop. Stand up."
"Young Lady, it’s all my fault, it’s all..."
"Shut up. It is not your fault. Remember this: you are mine. No one can hit you except for me, including yourself. You’d better remember that. And don't let this happen again, including disobeying my orders."
"Yes. *Sob, sob, sob.*"
"If you want to cry, then cry. Once you’re done, prepare to rest. We aren't going to the Capital for now. They want to play at assassination? That’s perfect practice for us. I want to see just how ruthless my methods can be."
"Yes, Young Lady. The graves for Master and Uncle Mu are ready. Let’s go back."
"Xuanling, go to the house and get some wine. I want to keep the old man and Uncle Mu company. We will be very busy next; so busy that we will be receiving assassins at night and cultivating our own assassins by day. I won't have time to see them then. I don't know if they will blame me."
Wen Jiu thought that rather than just improving her defensive capabilities, she should cultivate her own forces. At the very least, she would ensure that today’s tragedy would never happen again. She needed the strength to stand against them.
Nobility, is it?
Well, come and see the ruthlessness of Wen Jiu. I hope you can handle it.
The following days were busy, wave after wave, batch after batch. Both of their martial arts improved significantly.
A year passed, and their network began to reach toward the Capital at a pace visible to the naked eye.
"Oh? A letter? No one came this time? It seems they’ve run out of money and can no longer afford to hire anyone."
"Young Lady, what does the letter say?"
"It says my maternal grandfather is about to reach the Capital, and Grandmother Wen’s birthday is approaching. It tells me to be obedient and return quickly."
"Is the Young Lady’s maternal grandfather the Defender-General of the State?"
"Yes. I’ve never seen him since I was little, and there is no real affection there, but it is indeed time to go back."
"Let’s go. Tonight, we’ll drink with them until we’re satisfied. Tomorrow, when we wake up, we’ll rent a carriage and leave. The old man left us plenty of silver."
"I wonder what Master did for a living? He was so wealthy."
"He must have been a high-ranking official. Come on, let’s go."
"Old man, tomorrow Xuanling and I are going to the Capital. I don't know when I’ll be able to come back, but I’ve kept everything you gave me safe."
"Fu Ruming, you little old man, I’ll miss you. I’ll miss Uncle Mu, too," Wen Jiu whispered, falling asleep against the tombstone.
Beside her, Xuanling sobbed, saying goodbye to the man who had promised to protect the Young Lady, swearing that she would return to visit them and that she would do her utmost to take care of the Young Lady.
The Young Lady was drunk, but she could not be. She had to stay alert and vigilant...