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Killer Plum

Yi Mei is a very famous and ruthless killer.

Some say her swordsmanship has transcended form and reached a divine level, even surpassing that of the Master of Wuyou Tower; others say she is nothing more than a thief who steals fame and fortune; some say she is in the prime of her youth, stunningly beautiful; conversely, some say she is already past forty, with graying temples.

Yi Mei was an assassin. Legend has it that when she killed, she was dressed in black, her face hidden. But everyone knew her sword: narrow-bodied, thin-bladed, entirely black, and without luster. Yet, this sword was named Han Guang (含光).

It is said that the first person Yi Mei killed was none other than Wu Yifeng, the handsome young man who was famous throughout the southeast.

Back then, Wuyi Peak captivated countless young women with budding romances. It seemed that every young girl in the world knew of Young Master Wu's iron-faced landscape fan.

However, Young Master Wu's Iron-Faced Mountain and Water Fan could not block the fifteenth move of Han Guang Sword.

At that time, Yi Mei was not yet famous, and her customers were only willing to pay twenty taels of silver. Thus, those twenty taels of silver bought the dreams of countless young girls.

Young Master Wu sighed softly, "What a pity, such a woman..."

Women like her are rare.

Willow branches greet the painted boats, and the water reflects the carved beams.

The couplet on the carved beams of the small building is in cursive script, written in a wild, unrestrained style, carved on two dark, matte wooden boards. Only those who know their stuff would recognize that this barely legible cursive script is actually the work of the calligraphy master who lived to the age of thirty-one three hundred years ago; and that these two unassuming wooden boards are made from a rare piece of black wood that only grows once every few hundred years in the dense forests of the far south.

Liu Tianyi sat in a large sandalwood chair covered with a fur rug, his steady fingers holding a jade porcelain teacup. He seemed lost in thought, as if his mind was undisturbed. He slowly brought the teacup to his lips, took a sip, and a relaxed smile immediately appeared on his face. His movements were gentle, and his smile was warm, as if it came from the depths of his heart.

Anyone sitting in such an exquisite and cozy little building, drinking this top-grade Mao Feng tea brewed with the purest mountain spring water, would smile with the same contentment as him.

Moreover, a very famous woman has now sent him a visiting card and is requesting an audience.

The ornately decorated pavilion housed six beautiful concubines, each with a captivating charm and graceful bearing. Their most admirable qualities lay in their intelligence and understanding; they could serve men with a charming and gentle demeanor, making them feel completely at ease. Such beauties were a rare find, priceless, yet Liu Tianyi possessed all six. He was a man who knew how to enjoy life, and on this snowy night, in the warm pavilion, he should have been embracing his concubines, spending a blissful evening together.

Even so, he found it hard to refuse the crude visiting card. The card seemed to possess a kind of magic, overcoming the gentleness of six exceptionally beautiful women.

The name on the visiting card was that of a very ordinary, down-to-earth woman: Yi Mei.

Yi Mei was truly an ordinary woman. She wore the simple clothes of a common girl, and her face was covered with a piece of hemp cloth, revealing only her unremarkable eyes. Only the dull, black sword hanging at her waist barely confirmed her identity. So, she was Yi Mei.

Yi Mei's eyes swept around the carved beams of the small building, and she said politely, with a hint of unease, "Master Liu, hello."

Liu Tianyi frowned and asked, "Are you the assassin Yi Mei?"

Yi Mei said, "I am Yi Mei." She answered honestly, but with a hint of surprise, as if to say: If I am not Yi Mei, then who am I?

Liu Tianyi coughed lightly and said frankly, "I originally thought that an assassin as famous as you should have a more assassin-like demeanor."

These words hit the nail on the head, so Yi Mei smiled and said, "Master Liu, to be honest, I also think my outfit today is too strange, I don't look like an assassin at all." She smiled again, but there was a hint of embarrassment in her smile, "It's just that I lost money in business, and I even sold my assassin's gear - it was a set of top-quality black fabric, head and toes."

Upon hearing this, even someone as worldly-wise as Liu Tianyi was momentarily stunned. But in an instant, he seemed to understand, yet he didn't say anything, only letting out an "Oh—" and asking, "So, you came to see me for...?"

Yi Mei laughed and said, "Master Liu, in the martial arts world, we don't beat around the bush. 'Carved beams and small buildings, full of treasures,' how many people who come to you, Master Liu, aren't after money?"

Liu Tianyi chuckled and said, "You're quite straightforward, being a woman."

Yi Mei sneered, "What are you saying, Master Liu? Is there some rule that only men are allowed to be happy? You men have never understood the benefits of women."

Liu Tianyi raised his eyes, looked her up and down, and smiled, "I can't speak for other women, but I know that no one can underestimate the assassin Yi Mei."

Yi Mei chuckled lightly and said, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me. It's a pity that I'm not as shrewd in business as Master Liu. If my small business hadn't lost money this time and I didn't even have money for food, I wouldn't have taken this deal."

Liu Tianyi remained expressionless and said calmly, "Wrong, wrong."

Yi Mei was somewhat surprised and asked, "Where did I go wrong?"

Liu Tianyi's well-maintained fingers stroked the white jade teacup as he casually asked, "How do you know you're sure you can take this job?"

Yi Mei opened her ordinary eyes wide, thought for a long time, and asked, "Why can't I do it?"

Liu Tianyi said, "Starting from the eighth day of the sixth lunar month this year, it has been exactly half a year today. A total of thirty-five assassins have come to this building. Of these thirty-five assassins, only five dared to take this job, and each of them was one of the most powerful figures in your line of work. Now, all five of them are dead. Two of them have had their bodies found, two have had their remains found, and the remaining one has not even had his remains found."

Yi Mei laughed and said, "What Master Liu said is also wrong."

Liu Tianyi asked curiously, "Where did I go wrong?"

Yi Mei said, "If they are top-notch and powerful figures, there should only be one. How can there be as many as five?"

Liu Tianyi couldn't help but chuckle, saying in a slightly sarcastic tone, "Could that person be you?"

Yi Mei said, "Although I am not a top-notch expert, I am definitely stronger than them."

Liu Tianyi asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Yi Mei laughed and said, "They are dead, and I am still alive. Am I not better than them? Besides, my business deals are almost always successful."

Liu Tianyi stared into her eyes, but Yi Mei just smiled. Her face was covered with burlap, and her smile came from her eyes, as if the cash commission had already been safely deposited into her pocket.

So Liu Tianyi sighed and said, as if conceding, "Master Wuyou. The one you want to kill is Master Wuyou."

Yi Mei's expression changed rapidly.

Even if the top ten swordsmen in the martial arts world were chasing her from behind, even if their swords had already pierced her body, her eyes could not change so quickly.

Unfortunately, Liu Tianyi was referring to the Master of Worry-Free Pavilion.

In the world of martial arts, every era has its legends.

For example, Dugu Qiubai, Chu Liuxiang, and Ximen Chuixue—whether they truly existed is no longer known; they are merely legends. The martial arts world is divided into different classes, and they belong to no one of them; they are legendary figures.

A legend, or rather, a legendary man, is always otherworldly and mysterious, carefree and calm, dashing and handsome, always the dream man of women in their boudoirs.

The Worry-Free Boss is a legend.

The sword of the Worry-Free Pavilion Master is named the Beautiful Sword. Yet no one knows just how beautiful his sword is; nor does anyone know just how beautiful his swordsmanship is. Perhaps some once did know, but those people were already dead when they did.

If that's the case, how did the reputation of the beautiful swordsman spread throughout the martial arts world?

Nobody knows.

Therefore, the story of Meijian Wuyou is just a legend.

Legend has it that the sword of the Lord of Worry-Free Pavilion is like the setting sun in spring, the willow branches in the mist; like the celestial music, like pear blossoms and plum blossoms in snow, like the spring breeze and candlelight, like a lone swallow drinking wine...

Like all the beauty imaginable in the world. So beautiful that you would die willingly.

Yi Mei finally sighed softly and said to Liu Tianyi, "Why do you have to make an enemy of someone like Master Wuyou?"

Liu Tianyi said, "No one can make an enemy of him, but I can."

Yi Mei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"

Liu Tianyi said, "Because I have money."

Liu Tianyi smiled and said, "The Master of Wuyou Pavilion may not be the number one martial artist in the martial arts world. Even if he is now, he will eventually retire. However, I will always be the richest person in the martial arts world. With money, you can buy the best assassins and hire the best bodyguards—in fact, no one can fully explain the wonderful uses of money. Don't you think so?"

Yi Mei nodded and said, "Yes."

Liu Tianyi nodded in satisfaction and said, "Just like you, you came to the carved beams and small building for my money."

Yi Mei smiled and said, "Master Liu, you've got it wrong. I came to the carved beams and small building for money, not for your money."

Liu Tianyi's smile froze instantly.

Yi Mei said calmly, "I lost a hundred taels of silver. My small business, which I've run for several years, is in dire straits. Now I'm penniless. I even had to sell my assassin's gear. I had no other choice. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken this job. Sigh."

Yi Mei's final "sigh" was genuine, yet Liu Tianyi's face showed an expression of disbelief.

"The asking price is six hundred taels to kill the owner of the carved beams and small building," Yi Mei said in a sinister tone. "I think it's a good deal, so I had no choice but to take the job."

"Who is your employer?" Liu Tianyi's voice was filled with surprise. He couldn't understand why Yi Mei would think it was a good deal. He said, "I can give you ten six hundred taels of silver each. Please go and kill him."

Yi Mei sneered, "This person has already paid half the deposit, and there's no going back now. Master Liu is also a businessman, so he naturally knows the importance of reputation. Besides—" Yi Mei revealed a mysterious expression and sneered, "This person, you can afford to offend him, but I don't want to."

Liu Tianyi's attacks were swift. As Yi Mei spoke calmly, his double fans suddenly unfolded. Liu Tianyi's double fans were called "Shadow-Following Fans." The double fans were like shadows, following their targets so closely that even something as small as an insect or fly could not escape their net. As long as there was a shadow or form, it would be instantly injured by the fans.

As expected, Yi Mei couldn't dodge it; her clothes were torn by the sudden gust of wind from the fan.

Inside the ornately decorated building, the candlelight was bright and warm. However, in the midst of a flash of lightning, a very faint "whoosh" could be heard. A sharp black shadow flashed in front of the candlelight, causing the flame to tremble slightly.

The two fans suddenly froze in front of the candlelight, their shadows reflected on the snow-white wall, forming a strange butterfly shadow.

Liu Tianyi slowly retracted his double fans. His face turned ashen, and countless wrinkles appeared on his face in that instant, making him look much older than ten years.

Yi Mei stood calmly in the spot, a sword now in her hand. The blade was jet black, making the extremely thin bloodstain on it almost imperceptible.

Liu Tianyi's lips trembled, and he remained silent for a long time. After a moment of silence, he suddenly sighed, "What a fast sword."

Yi Mei straightened her clothes slightly and said with a smile, "Master Liu, farewell."

Liu Tianyi said, "Assassin Yi Mei lives up to her name. Tell me, who is your employer?"

Yi Mei approached him and whispered in his ear, "Master of Wuyou Pavilion."

Liu Tianyi's face was pale, and he remained silent. Suddenly, his chest was stained with bright red blood, and the bloodstains spread rapidly across his luxurious and exquisite clothes. It seemed that only a short moment had passed before he collapsed to the ground with a "thud," his eyes tightly closed.

Yi Mei walked out gracefully, only to find the carved beams and small building completely silent. The wind and snow seemed even stronger against this backdrop of silence.

The snow on the ground was already ankle-deep. A man in a straw raincoat and hat walked slowly through the snow, leaving a faint trail behind him, which was soon covered by the heavy snow. On such a snowy night, the world was terrifyingly dark, and the insignificant figure was like a small boat in a vast ocean, ready to be swallowed up at any moment.

Yi Mei walked steadily. At midnight, she could vaguely see a faint light shining through the snow and mist ahead. Yi Mei paused briefly, then continued walking towards the light at a leisurely pace. After walking another hundred steps or so, she could see that the light was actually a large lantern hanging under the overhanging eaves, swaying gently in the wind.

This is a large house with a hipped roof, but it has no courtyard or gatehouse, standing alone in an empty space.

Yi Mei wasn't surprised. She walked to the eaves, took off her straw hat and raincoat, shook off the snow, and pushed open the door to enter. Inside was a spacious hall, but it was covered with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. Only one corner was spotlessly clean, with a felt carpet on the floor and a brazier of charcoal burning brightly.

The fire was tended by a young man in his early twenties, his hands tucked into his sleeves. Hearing the noise, he looked up.

He looked up, revealing a pair of eyes as clear as a spring and as smooth as ancient jade. Upon seeing Yimei, he smiled slightly and said, "You've come."

Yi Mei took a few steps forward, until she reached a spot warmed by the charcoal fire, and nodded, saying, "The matter is settled."

The young man said, "Very good, the money is here." He then gestured toward a brocade pouch on the ground and said, "Fifty taels of silver in cash, plus five hundred and fifty taels of cash-backed banknotes."

Yi Mei said, "Thank you."

The young man smiled slightly and said, "Liu Tianyi's double-fan skill is quite difficult to deal with, isn't it?"

Yi Mei said, "It's alright, but he's still considered a top-notch expert."

The young man smiled and said, "Assassin Yi Mei, you really don't hold back at all."

Yi Mei said, "I'm never polite. He's already been killed by me, so I have even less reason to be polite."

The young man said slowly, "Twenty years ago, there was a deadly poison circulating in the martial arts world called the Thousand Corrosion Ointment. Once the skin came into contact with this poison, it would rot away to the bone after thirty days, and the scar after healing would be reddish-purple. Liu Tianyi has such a scar on the back of his hand, about two inches long. Can you identify this scar?"