Ich denke an dich, wenn der Wind weht

Kapitel 3

"Young master, you must be tired. Try some freshly picked mulberries and berries first. The lily and white fungus soup will be ready in a little while."

The fresh berries still have water droplets left from washing, and they taste sweet and refreshing.

"Your name is..."

"This servant girl, Lüyi, please give your orders, young master. Miss and young master are the masters here."

"How long have you been here?"

"I've been here for four years, served three different masters, and served you, Miss, for over a year." The girl blinked her round eyes and answered fluently.

"Are all three masters among the Seven Killers?"

"yes."

"And how much do you know about shadow guards?"

“This servant only knows that shadow guards are usually chosen by their masters, and it is extremely rare for someone like you, young master, to be appointed by the King.” She glanced at him and smiled with a tilt of her head. “Shadow guards are the master’s confidants, following him closely, sharing both honor and disgrace. This is why the King holds you in such high regard.”

"Why is it that only she in the Seven Kills Sect has no Shadow Guards?"

The girl hesitated slightly. "Miss did have that in the past, but later..."

"Killed?" he asked directly. "Why?"

"Please, sir, don't ask any more questions. These are things we servants shouldn't say," the girl pleaded, looking pitiful.

“I need to know what she’s sensitive about.” He tried to smile and coax her as much as possible. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if she accidentally offended me?”

Seeing his smile, the girl's face suddenly turned red, and she lowered her head and murmured. "Miss is aloof, but she is very clean and doesn't like others to get close to her. She doesn't have any particular taboos."

"Do you occasionally visit the other members of the Seven Killers?" Seeing that he couldn't get any information, he changed the subject.

The girl visibly relaxed. "We hardly ever interact."

"Are there many matters to attend to in the church?"

"It is very rare for Miss to need to go in person; it only happens a few times a year."

"It doesn't look like it at all." He murmured to himself, recalling that icy face.

Clearly knowing what he was talking about, the girl covered her mouth and laughed. "If that's how you see it, young master, then Qi Sha is probably not like that at all."

He was taken aback. "Are the others this size too?"

“How could that be? Miss is the youngest one,” she couldn’t help but giggle, her body trembling with laughter. “What I meant was that the other young masters and ladies don’t seem to be…” She stammered slightly, as if unsure how to put it. “Anyway, you’ll see when you meet him, there’s plenty of time.”

Seeing that it was almost noon, the girl didn't say anything more, bowed, and took her leave.

In three days, he hadn't been able to find out much.

Although the servant was extremely respectful, he became evasive and claimed ignorance when questioned further, so he still didn't know much. Suddenly, there was a knock on the window lattice. He pushed it open and looked out. Jiuwei's face was hovering on the wall. When she saw him lean out, she smiled and waved silently.

Upon seeing their companion, they were in high spirits. The two ran to a secluded spot and sat down. Jiuwei jumped onto a tree branch and chatted while looking around.

"how?"

"It's alright." He breathed a sigh of relief, unsure how to describe it. He hadn't even seen Jia Ye these past few days, so he had no idea what to do with her or her personality.

Jiuwei listened to his general explanation. "I also inquired about him for you; this guy is no ordinary person."

"How so?"

"Don't you find it strange that she could be ranked among the Seven Killers at such a young age?"

He remained silent, deeply puzzled. Even if she was a genius... according to his father, he was already considered to have excellent aptitude, yet he still couldn't imagine that a young girl could fight her way up from the slave camp to her current status.

"In her youth, she was chosen by a former elder to be his personal disciple. After completing her training, she directly joined the Quefeng Camp. Two years ago, the King of Shule, relying on his country's strength, refused to continue paying tribute under the pretext of a natural disaster. The King of the Sect was furious and, to intimidate other countries, dispatched elites to assassinate two kings in succession. It was not until the third king submitted and resumed paying tribute that the sect's reputation spread far and wide. The price was that five out of seven were killed, and the assassination team also suffered heavy losses. She was promoted that year and successfully assassinated a high-ranking official of the Cheshuai Kingdom... Don't underestimate her; so far, she has never failed."

He listened intently, his gaze solemn.

"Shuying, I'm a little worried..." After thinking for a moment, Jiuwei still spoke up. "Her predecessor as Shadow Guard was from the Central Plains, but she killed him for some reason. You..."

“I know.” He lowered his eyes.

How could he not know? The Pope placed him here with the intention of monitoring him, even if...

"Shuying, I've heard that if a person from the Central Plains manages to survive a kill-making group, they must take the Crimson Pill. Have you ever..."

“I have already taken it,” he replied indifferently. “Two days ago, it was personally delivered by the Right Envoy; how fortunate I am.”

Seeing his expressionless face, Jiuwei was speechless for a long time.

I heard just the other day that the King had issued a decree that any Central Plains person who became an assassin must take a Red Pill made with special medicine, with a periodic antidote. If they fail to take it within the specified time, the Gu worms in the Red Pill will penetrate their brains and bite them, causing excruciating pain and death. Most of them go mad with pain as soon as the attack begins. With this kind of restriction, even if they have the chance to escape Tianshan, no one will dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts.

After a long silence, he smiled and said, "You don't need to look at me like that. I'm fine. But I do want to ask you, do you know what exactly a Shadow Guard is?"

Jiuwei pondered for a moment. “Missions personally undertaken by Qisha are extremely difficult, often requiring well-coordinated cooperation and assistance from partners. They also demand a high level of skill, which is why Shadow Guards were created, considered their secret agents. If a Shadow Guard causes trouble, the master must also bear the consequences.” He hesitated slightly, then added, “Shuying, you must gain her trust. It's best to do your best to help her. Remember, if the master dies, the Shadow Guard will also…”

"Washed?"

He wasn't surprised when the other person nodded.

Such an inseparable relationship inevitably means that everyone's fate is intertwined; the same fate means everyone's fate. No matter how unwilling one is, one has to obediently work hard—it's indeed a good way to motivate people.

"Stop talking about me, how are things on your end?" He broke the silence by asking about Jiuwei.

"We'll be coming down the mountain in ten days." The boy shook his head and jumped down from the tree.

"A mission so soon?"

"Hmm." Jiuwei agreed. "There shouldn't be any too difficult matters at the beginning, it's good to gain some experience."

He frowned. "It's best to be cautious."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely come back alive. I'm not that easy to kill." Straightening his back, the boy looked at the distant, rolling mountains, their faint dark hues almost merging into the sky.

“Special Shadow”.

"Um."

"You shouldn't die either."

Seven Killings

How to approach a hostile person.

It's difficult.

Not to mention gaining her trust.

They spent almost every day together, but every face-to-face moment was spent in training and instruction.

How to approach an assassination target, how to escape stealthily after a successful assassination, how to disguise oneself to facilitate reconnaissance, and also methods such as poisoning, ambush, reconnaissance, interrogation, espionage, employing others, understanding different languages and customs...

He never imagined that becoming an assassin would require so much learning.

In contrast, what they learned in the War Slave Camp and the Tempering Camp was only pure combat, which was simpler.

She spoke very little, only pointing out the essentials and occasionally demonstrating, leaving the rest for him to figure out on his own. If he didn't do it correctly, she never scolded him; she would simply turn away without a word, leaving him standing there, unable to describe the feeling.

During their year-long time together, she occasionally left a few times, but unlike the other shadow guards, she never took him down the mountain.

The guards who should have been inseparable from him were left idle in the sect, and he was well aware of the rumors. He didn't care about the contemptuous looks, but he was secretly a little anxious, wondering when he would find an opportunity to escape this predicament.

Jiuwei is already an experienced assassin, completing her missions swiftly and skillfully. She recently had another audience with the King and received many rewards.

When they weren't on missions, the two often chatted. Jiuwei always remembered to bring back some new gadgets from the foot of the mountain; he was his only friend here.

Aside from that, he was very silent. Because of her, he became even more silent.

Despite her young age, the girl behaved like a hermit monk, rarely going out, never indulging in any vices, and having few distracting hobbies. What she did on the second floor of the small building every day was still a mystery even after more than a year. There was always an invisible wariness that prevented any possibility of testing her.

Perhaps I will eventually be trapped in the mountains, spending the rest of my life in a comfortable yet cold cage.

If that were the case, he didn't know if he would go crazy.

Must I forever remain like this, waiting outside the palace for her to come out, then returning to follow her like a shadow?

He could faintly hear mocking remarks, but he didn't bother to look up.

The young members of the Assassination Group were probably too energetic for their age, and they were always picking fights when they weren't on missions. The Pope didn't care about this, perhaps because he saw them as pet dogs that needed some exercise.

However, no one dared to provoke them openly.

Jia Ye's status was far higher than that of ordinary people. Although he was not valued, he was only ridiculed and mocked in private. No one dared to risk offending Qi Sha.

He ignored the harsh words that were spoken to him.

If this had happened back in Jiangnan, he probably would have drawn his sword in a fit of rage.

Yes, if we had been a little more patient and a little smarter back then, we wouldn't be in this situation now.

The afternoon sun shone through the leaves and flowers, casting deep, dark shadows on the ground like sifted gold coins.

He laughed self-deprecatingly.

Zi Su unconsciously slowed her pace.

The young man stood beneath the flower trellis, and even the surrounding noise seemed to quiet down. Lost in thought, his sleeves were slightly tucked in, his handsome face slightly aloof, and his drooping eyelashes obscured his starry eyes. His blue robe stood out against the shadows of the flowers, giving off an inexplicable sense of loneliness.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Who are you?"

The question was ordinary, but the voice was anything but.

Her voice was soft and alluring, carrying a hint of reproach and a touch of love and resentment; just listening to it made one's soul melt.

He looked up, as if a ball of fire had been reflected in his eyes.

Her curly black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making her skin appear as white as ivory. A gold chain adorned her forehead, with a bright red gemstone resting precisely between her brows, swaying gently as she walked.

Her cat-like eyes were slightly sunken, and her nose was as delicate as jade, exuding an indescribable allure. Even more captivating than her appearance was her curvaceous and exquisite body, which was infinitely charming under the light drape of a golden gauze dress.

He didn't answer, but a captivating sweet fragrance reached his nose, and he took another step back.

As if oblivious to his avoidance, the woman moved closer, scrutinizing him even more brazenly.

"A newcomer to the Assassination Squad? I've never seen him before." Jade-white fingers seemed to brush against his face, but he subtly dodged them. "Tell me, what's your name?"

“Special Shadow”.