Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 7

"Very well. Please, Your Excellency, speak well of us to the King and help us forge lasting friendship. Shache will be eternally grateful." With a slight raise of his hand, a servant immediately presented a golden platter, piled high with large, dazzling gemstones.

Jia Ye glanced at it indifferently and nodded her thanks.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will certainly pass on your message."

"May I ask what brings you here, Your Excellency...?" The king could no longer contain himself.

Jia Ye seemed to suddenly remember, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "I came to congratulate the king on the birth of his beloved daughter, nothing else."

The king, filled with doubt and uncertainty, exchanged a glance with his close advisors. While the tributary system did indeed involve visits from the Demonic Sect on occasions of celebration, this time…

"Elder Jing has always been in charge of all relations with various countries. Are you two his subordinates?" a civil official asked with a smile.

"good."

"Your humble servant has been impolite. In the past, Elder Jing's subordinates were mostly from the Western Regions, and it is rare to see two such outstanding young talents." The civil official's eyes were fixed on her.

Of all the factions within the Demonic Sect, only the renowned assassin group in the Western Regions is composed entirely of young people, a fact known to all.

"And who is this gentleman?" she asked, her expression unchanged.

“It is my close advisor, Sawali.” The king forced a smile, offering a symbolic rebuke. “You must not be disrespectful to your envoy.”

Before the other party could bow and apologize, Jia Ye indicated that it was alright.

"Actually, what you said is right, sir. We were originally subordinates of Elder Kui." As soon as the words left his mouth, it was tantamount to admitting that he was an assassin, and the people of Shache around him turned pale.

“However…” she slowly finished her sentence. “My coming here was purely by chance.”

"What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?" Shawari asked calmly.

Jia Ye smiled and said, "We were originally on our way to Dayuan when Elder Jing and his entourage were urgently summoned back to Shanwuwu by the King of the Sect. So he sent us to visit him on the way, so as not to be disrespectful to the King."

She let out a soft sigh, as if with regret. "It is inconvenient to go into details about internal church affairs, but we did not expect that this would frighten the king. It is our fault."

"Not at all, I just missed Elder Jing very much after not seeing him for so long, so I was just sending my regards. Please don't take offense, Your Excellency."

"Your Majesty is too kind. On behalf of the King, I wish Her Highness Princess a long and healthy life, and may she enjoy peace and happiness forever." Jia Ye took out a gift list from his bosom, which was then presented to the King by a servant. "This is the King's congratulatory gift. May Shache and our religion remain friendly neighbors forever."

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Please come into the palace to rest after your journey." The king relaxed a little, stood up, and smiled. "It is getting late today. Our country will hold a grand banquet for Your Excellency tomorrow to welcome you back."

His residence was extremely luxurious, even more so than that of a king or nobleman.

The fact that the Demonic Sect treated the two envoys with such respect demonstrates its significant influence among the Western Regions.

The dishes served were plentiful and tempting, but Jia Ye only tasted a little of each before putting down his chopsticks, seemingly not very interested. He immediately gave orders after he finished eating.

"Shuying, go and monitor someone."

"who."

“Sawali.” She pondered silently for a moment. “He’s quite skilled. You’re good at light footwork, so try to get close to him. Make sure you don’t alert him. Observe who he’s in contact with, what he’s saying, and what arrangements he’s made. Finally, have a secret agent investigate his background.”

"yes."

The lights in the distance still blare, and this night is destined to keep some people awake.

"how?"

"He and the king discussed this in secret for a long time. The king believed that we were just passing through the country to get the gold and pearls, and that we were not coming for Shache. But Savari did not think so. He persuaded the king to strengthen the guard and arranged for the army to protect the palace overnight. Tomorrow's banquet will be our last chance to meet the king."

The banquet's attendants would likely be replaced by bodyguards, making an assassination under such unprecedented security extremely difficult. She smiled silently.

"Anything else?"

"Sawali is not from Shache, but a merchant. He has been entering and leaving the palace under the guise of a nominal eunuch for less than two months, but he has made extensive connections and befriended many other important officials. It is said that he is very generous and often frequents restaurants and dance halls."

"Shuying, go and instruct the secret agents to spread rumors throughout the city, saying that the King of Khotan is seriously ill and may die at any time. Tomorrow, continue to monitor Shawari and see what he does. Tell the servants that we have traveled a long way and need to rest, and that we should decline all social engagements except for the dinner."

"yes."

Within a day, news of the King of Khotan's serious illness spread throughout the streets and alleys, finally reaching Shawari's ears by evening.

He was stunned for a long time upon hearing the news, then quickly rushed into the carriage and ordered the driver to hurry to a villa.

As Jia Ye listened to his report, seemingly expecting it, she lowered her eyes to look at her palms.

Her hands were very small, with delicate and pitiful fingertips, like jade-carved scallion leaves.

She slowly bent over and clenched her fist.

"There's still half an hour before the banquet, very good."

Strategies

The alluring dancers spun rapidly, their graceful steps fluttering and soaring. Torches blazed on the walls, illuminating the hall brightly.

The room was filled with dignitaries and distinguished guests. Lamb and fine wine were piled high on the table, and gold and silver cups gleamed. All the arrangements were made to welcome the two young men.

Jia Ye sat at the head of the table, chatting and laughing with the king with a relaxed and cheerful expression, seemingly very satisfied with the banquet.

After several rounds of drinks, the guests and hosts were all in high spirits, and the Shachechen generals present all breathed a sigh of relief. They figured that as long as they could get through the banquet, they could send the evil spirit on its way the next day.

Unexpectedly, the guards outside the palace rushed over in a panic, and were about to report the news when Jia Ye suddenly stood up, faced the king and spoke, and everyone turned to look at him.

"I am deeply grateful for the King's hospitality." She smiled, raised her cup in a toast, and drank it down in one gulp before everyone's eyes. The King hurriedly raised his cup to drink with her, and the hall erupted in cheers.

Jia Ye put down his wine cup and stood up straight. "To ensure that I establish an eternal friendship with Shache, I have also prepared a gift. I hope Your Majesty will accept it."

A gift? The king and Sawali exchanged a bewildered glance. The gift list from yesterday had already been received; what else was there that warranted His Majesty's special mention?

With a gentle tap of her jade hand, two servants carefully placed a large box, decorated with gold-painted phoenixes, in front of the hall.

Jia Ye slowly walked to the box and said, "Please, Your Majesty, take a look."

Curiosity got the better of them, and all the ministers craned their necks, including the king.

As the lid of the box was lifted piece by piece, the hearts of everyone tightened with each step. When it was finally opened, everyone gasped in shock, unable to contain their horror. Some of the beautiful women even cried out in alarm and fainted.

Inside the exquisite box, eight heads were neatly arranged, dripping with blood, and the stench of blood filled the inner hall. These nobles had never seen such a scene before, and many of them couldn't help but cover their noses and feel like vomiting.

The king, his face ashen, took a few steps back, his guards swarming forward, swords drawn, a tense standoff imminent.

Jia Ye remained calm and composed, as if the target of everyone's attacks was not her.

"These eight are secret envoys from Khotan, plotting to undermine the friendship between our religion and Shache. Killing them would be too lenient. I learned of this the other day, and considering that the king is celebrating a joyous occasion and it would be inconvenient to disturb him, Jia Ye took it upon himself to make this decision. May I ask if the king is satisfied with this great gift?"

The palace was as silent as a tomb. The grand banquet had taken such a shock that the king's face turned pale and then red, and he was unable to utter a word.

Shawari's face turned red with rage, and he raised his voice to summon his guards.

Before he could finish speaking, a white light suddenly swept across the hall.

Like a silent breeze that rises and falls suddenly, disappearing before people even realize it.

Like a spring breeze blowing a withered leaf off a branch.

When the breath ceases, a person's life also comes to an end.

The man's head rolled onto the thick, soft carpet, and the hot blood spurting from his neck splattered all over the screen, soaking the nearby guards.

Screams echoed throughout the hall, and everyone abruptly stepped back, as if a terrifying demon stood in the middle.

Jia Ye's hands hung naturally at his sides, as if he hadn't moved at all, showing no trace of killing intent.

“This person is also an accomplice, and he bribed ministers with large sums of money and stirred up trouble in many ways. He deserves to be executed. I beg Your Majesty to forgive Jia Ye for acting arbitrarily.”

The king's throat gurgled, and he was unable to speak several times.

“It was my fault… I was careless… I have troubled you, Your Excellency…” The words that were barely uttered sounded like a sob.

"Not at all. My sect and Shache are bound together by fate, we are not outsiders, so there is no need for such trouble." She bowed her head and patted her chest in apology. "It is truly regrettable that we have soiled the King's palace and disturbed the important ministers."

Unable to come up with any perfunctory words, the king claimed to be tired and fled the banquet as if escaping.

The girl in white smiled and watched them leave, her manners extremely respectful.

Looking back at the silent hall, pairs of eyes lowered under her gaze, the entire hall was filled with dread, no one dared to conceal her sharp edge, even the court attendants with drawn swords and spears couldn't help but retreat.

They watched helplessly as she walked with her head held high, passing through the ranks.

Her long dress trailed on the ground, the candlelight flickering red, set against her cold, pale cheeks, creating an awe-inspiring presence.

He stood at the corner of the hall, silently watching the slender figure.

Single-handedly orchestrating events, he wiped out the nascent Three Kingdoms alliance overnight.

He cleverly lured the Khotan envoy to his hideout, then executed the treacherous minister from Shule in court, thus openly intimidating the ruler and officials of Shache…

At this moment, she revealed a strength far exceeding martial arts skills.

This is one of the methods of the Seven Killings.

The gap is as vast as that between the stars and the sun and moon.

Spending the night in the desert, the stars shone brightly.

After the sun sets, the western frontier is as cold as water.

She gently wiped the short sword with a plain handkerchief, and a soft blanket was draped diagonally over her shoulders, making her appear even more delicate and frail.

The sword was thin and narrow, delicate and exquisite, clearly belonging to a woman.

The material of the sword is unknown, but its light is clear and deep, as pure as if it had absorbed the moonlight.

"What do you want to ask? You can speak now." The girl broke the silence by gently stroking the short sword with affection.

"Who is the strongest among the Seven Killers?"

She was slightly taken aback, then pondered for a long while.

"I'm not sure, we've never fought." He flicked the blade, which rang out like a dragon's roar in the cold night. "It's safe to say it was definitely not me."

"You've never fought each other?"

“Each of the Seven Killers has its own strengths.” She smiled slightly. “No one would be foolish enough to challenge an evenly matched opponent unless absolutely necessary.”

"you…………"

“Unlike the people of the Central Plains, we don’t care about these titles and ranks.” She glanced sideways, speaking frankly. “There are many ways to kill, but fighting to the death is the most troublesome. The King only cares about the result, not the means used.”