"I overheard their transaction by chance while searching for someone. Both parties were masked, so their identities are unknown. But please rest assured, Master. I have already spoken to Anmei and strengthened the defenses around you. Although Piaohong is currently the number one assassin in the martial arts world, he can't touch anyone from our Dark Night Tower!" Anwu's pride was not unfounded. The people placed around the Master this time were all elites from the tower. Even Xiao Suo and Shan Yun, who hadn't been active for many years, were dispatched, disguised as guards, to protect Qingluan. It can be said that not even a fly could get in.
"Yes, we still need to investigate who the buyer is," Qingluan instructed.
"Please rest assured, Master," Anwu replied.
Piao Hong is a rapidly rising assassin organization that has emerged in the last decade. Its leader is named Piao Hong because he is invariably deadly and has never failed in his attacks. Due to his immense fame, his real name is largely unknown. In recent years, he has trained a group of highly skilled assassins to work for him, rarely carrying out his own kills unless they are deemed challenging targets. Piao Hong's gender, age, and appearance are all mysteries, as he is adept at disguise; no one has ever seen his true face. Those he kills often stare wide-eyed, as if unable to believe they have been murdered. However, according to Dark Night Tower's intelligence, this is because he often impersonates a close confidant of his target, allowing him to succeed with remarkable success.
Who is trying to harm me this time? Qingluan frowned, deep in thought.
This precaution was a matter of life and death for the palace master, so no one dared to be careless. A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire palace.
The Qi state, still recovering from years of war and further struck by natural disasters, found itself in a precarious situation. The allied forces, however, had the advantage of favorable timing. The Qi king's reputation for cruelty was widespread, having alienated the people. In contrast, the benevolent reputation of Jun Yifeng had spread far and wide in recent years, winning the support of the Qi populace. Faced with the choice between national destruction and their own lives, the people chose the latter – this was what Qingluan meant by "the people's support." Under Jun Yifeng's wise and insightful leadership, and by adapting to local conditions, Qi's cities were conquered one by one. Many surrendered through negotiation or voluntary submission. With these cities as a stronghold, just as Qingluan had predicted, with the perfect storm of favorable timing, location, and popular support, Jun Yifeng led his army to conquer the Qi capital. And this tremendous victory was achieved in just one year.
At the moment the capital of Qi was captured, Jun Yifeng's prestige reached an unprecedented peak. He not only gained the support of the Zhou army, but also the praise of the Shu army! However, this great battle not only made Jun Yifeng an unparalleled overlord, but also Ye Zhanqing and Sang Peijiang, who displayed their talents in the war. They also fulfilled their long-cherished wish and became great heroes in the hearts of the people!
Upon receiving the battle report of the conquest of Qi, Qingluan stood up excitedly, tears welling in her eyes, her fists clenched, her excitement overflowing. "Father, Mother, your daughter has finally avenged you!" Besides the excitement of her wish being fulfilled, she was also overjoyed that Jun Yifeng had taken the most crucial step in unifying the world.
Qingxi and Zhiqiu were also delighted and quickly prepared an incense table so that Qingluan could comfort the spirits of her parents as soon as possible.
Zhi Qiu lit the incense, then helped Qing Luan kneel down. She slapped her forehead and said, "Qing Xi, look at my memory! I prepared some pastries for the old lady to offer, but I forgot to bring them. Could you please go and get them for me?" Qing Xi agreed and went out.
Qingluan respectfully kowtowed, incense smoke curling from the altar. Raising her head, the excitement in Qingluan's eyes had subsided, and she coldly asked, "Who are you?"
Zhi Qiu was stunned, then smiled and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
Qingluan stood up, looked at her coldly, and said, "Although your imitation was so lifelike that you almost fooled me, you don't know that Zhiqiu has a habit of wearing red clothes with green shoes."
"Zhi Qiu" looked down at her red shoes and laughed mockingly, "How can this girl have such terrible taste!" Then she sat down leisurely, looked at Qing Luan, and said calmly, "So what if you saw through me? Although this place is airtight, there is no one in this world that I cannot kill. The people outside have been drugged by my incense, and I have already dealt with the two experts hiding among the guards. You cannot escape my grasp!"
Qingluan laughed as well, sitting opposite "Zhiqiu," and asked, "Are you Piaohong? How do you plan to kill me? Since I am doomed, why don't you tell me who bought my life, so I can die knowing why?"
The smile in Piao Hong's eyes deepened: "Don't think I don't know your purpose. You're stalling me for time because you want someone to come and rescue you, and you want to find out who the buyer is. You won't achieve either of these goals, because you're about to die!"
Slowly, he drew a short sword from his boot and placed it against Qingluan's neck, his voice trembling with excitement. Qingluan remained unmoved, casually saying, "I really don't understand why a perfectly normal man would dress up as a woman. Do you have such a fetish?"
Piao Hong's surprised gaze swept over her: "You're really an interesting person. I'm almost reluctant to kill you!" Her voice changed from Zhi Qiu's steady female voice to a male voice, which was very pleasant to hear, like pearls colliding.
Seeing that she had guessed correctly, Qingluan continued to think and maneuver around him: "How about we make a deal? If you don't kill me, I will offer you double the reward?"
"What a pity, I only do business once, I don't sell to two places!" The crimson sword grazed Qingluan's neck, revealing a bloody mark. "However, if the reward were you, maybe I would agree?"
Ignoring his ambiguous tone and his face getting closer and closer, Qingluan secretly calculated the time and did not reply for a moment.
“Hehe…” Piao Hong chuckled softly, “If you’re waiting for this incense stick to work, it seems you’re going to be disappointed. When it comes to using sleeping potions, no one can surpass me!”
Qingluan's surprised expression lasted only a moment: "Really?"
Feeling a slight weakness in his limbs, Piao Hong's heart tightened. He hurriedly thought of a solution, but his face remained impassive. He said, "With a beautiful woman by my side, I suddenly don't want to kill anymore." He gently leaned closer to Qing Luan and said, "Why don't you come with me and become my woman? I won't kill you, how about it?"
Qingluan was unsure whether he had fallen for her trick, so she could only feign compliance: "Okay, isn't it interesting for you?"
“I have lots of interesting things there, you’ll see when we get there,” Piao Hong gently raised her hand, forcing Qing Luan to stand up. “But you have to be obedient, otherwise if my hand slips on the way, the beauty will perish!”
Qingluan followed for a few steps and noticed that his steps were unsteady and that he had lost his inner strength. She cheered inwardly, "It's done!" So she stopped and didn't move.
Piao Hong noticed her unusual behavior and asked, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Qingluan calmly said, "Of course I'm not leaving, and you—don't even think about leaving!" With a flick of her silver needle, she easily inserted it into Piaohong's acupoint. Piaohong's body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground. Her eyes showed no panic, but rather endless amusement, finding it very amusing.
A voice drifted in: "Master, shall we kill him?"
Qingluan was not surprised to hear the voice and replied, "No need. Carry him to the bed; I still have a use for him."
A man dressed as a guard walked in. It was Xiao Suo. He had been pretending to be dead while being ambushed by Piao Hong, and then followed him over. He discovered that the host had been captured, so he had no choice but to hide outside the door and wait for an opportunity.
"Where are the others?" Qingluan asked.
"The others are all unharmed, only affected by the sleeping potion. Only Shan Yun was killed with a single sword strike!" Xiao Suo replied emotionlessly.
"Go and handle this first, leave this to me," Qingluan instructed.
Knowing that the host was out of danger, Xiao Suo agreed and went out.
Lying on the bed, Piao Hong asked with a smile, "How did you do that?"
As Qingluan used the method taught by the Dark Dance Sect to remove the human skin mask from Piaohong's face, she replied expressionlessly, "I noticed something was wrong when you came in. When you turned around to get incense, I put something in the incense burner, but that was just to confuse you. What really worked was this." Qingluan raised her wrist, "I also smeared some cartilage powder on my hand. This is my exclusive formula, and it smells very similar to rouge. I kept talking to you to get your attention, and with the incense in the burner as a cover, of course you wouldn't suspect anything."
"Wow! You really are a wonderful person!" Piao Hong exclaimed.
The human skin mask was removed, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face to Qingluan. She had never known a man could be so beautiful—his skin was as white as jade, his eyes were phoenix-shaped, and his lips were red, making him look incredibly alluring. Qingluan's face darkened: "Are you really a man?"
"Hehe, are you satisfied with my appearance?" Piao Hong was pleased to see Qing Luan's expression. "If this face wasn't so unforgettable, why would I have to impersonate someone else every time I kill someone?"
Qingluan, her face dark, began to undress him again, a blush rising on her flushed face: "Hey, what do you want to do? I want you to be my woman, but I'm too weak right now to cooperate with you."
Qingluan smiled strangely: "Are you scared?" Her hands, however, didn't stop; she had already pulled open his shirt, revealing his smooth chest. Looking at Piaohong's face, which had been feigning emotion, and now flushed red, Qingluan suddenly felt quite pleased.
Just as Piao Hong was sweating profusely with anxiety, Qing Luan stopped. She used silver needles to prick several acupoints on Piao Hong's chest, and then took out a bottle and placed it under Piao Hong's nose. "Achoo!" Piao Hong sneezed, and her body gradually regained strength, but she still couldn't raise her internal energy.
"Get up. There are men's clothes in the closet. Go change into them. I don't want to talk to someone who's neither male nor female!" After Qingluan finished, she walked to the chair and sat down, no longer looking at him.
Piao Hong secretly circulated his inner energy, only to be shocked to find that all his internal strength had vanished without a trace. He realized he probably couldn't even defeat a strong, ordinary man. Knowing that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, he understood that Qing Luan didn't want to kill him, so he obeyed her instructions and went behind the screen to change into one of Jun Yifeng's casual clothes.
☆、19、Red
With a flick of her sleeve, Piao Hong, now dressed in men's clothing, emerged from behind the screen. The slightly loose robe draped loosely over her body, making her appear slender and petite, yet not effeminate; rather, she resembled a frail scholar, possessing an indescribable air of dashing elegance. "A spring outing, apricot blossoms blowing in the wind. Whose young man on the roadside is so dashing?" Qing Luan suddenly imagined such a beautiful scene. He was two inches taller than when he was disguised as Zhi Qiu, a head taller than Qing Luan. "So he can shrink his bones," Qing Luan thought to herself.
Seeing Qingluan looking at her coldly, Piaohong didn't care and asked with a smile, "Speak, what are your conditions?"
Qingluan knew he was very intelligent, and it was easy to talk to a smart person. She said, "I want you to submit to me."
Piao Hong approached Qing Luan with a wicked grin, wanting to put his arm around her shoulder, but was stopped by the silver needles in Qing Luan's hand. He didn't feel embarrassed at all, and took the opportunity to sit down next to Qing Luan, saying, "She's already yours?"
Qingluan frowned: "Can't you be serious for once? How can you be the number one assassin who is renowned throughout the martial world?"
Piao Hong's eyes lit up with surprise, and her radiance made Qing Luan pause slightly. He said, "Is that really how you see me? Do you really think I'm that amazing?"
Qingluan's face darkened again. Looking at Piaohong, who was probably a few years younger than her, she felt like she wasn't negotiating with a cold-blooded killer, but rather deceiving an innocent younger brother.
Watching Qingluan's constantly changing expressions, Piaohong was secretly delighted, but she continued to pretend. Having received assassin training since childhood, if she were really that naive, she would have died hundreds of times over!
Qingluan desperately tried to control herself, telling herself that the person in front of her was not so easy to deal with. After finally calming her slightly rippling emotions, she continued, "I have sealed your acupoints with silver needles, so you cannot use your internal energy for the time being. In short, without my permission, you will be an ordinary person from now on. Once you step out of this door, there will probably be many people who want to kill you. I don't need to remind you of the consequences, do I?"
Although Piao Hong was young, his experience in the martial arts world was several times richer than Qing Luan's. He had just secretly tried it and confirmed that, as Qing Luan had said, the method used to seal his eight extraordinary meridians was quite unique. It was probably only Qing Luan who could undo it. In recent years, he had offended many people in the martial arts world. If the news spread that he had lost all his martial arts skills, he probably wouldn't see the sunrise tomorrow.
Her flushed face paled slightly, yet she maintained a bright smile. If she had only found this woman amusing when she was captured, now she felt a growing respect. She had entered the martial arts world at twelve, becoming a renowned figure by sixteen, inheriting her adoptive father's assassin organization and developing it into a powerful force within two years. While danger had been present during this time, none had left her as helpless and at a loss as she was now. Was this woman truly just an ordinary woman raised in the inner palace, as her buyer had claimed? Regardless of the experts who swore to protect her, she herself was calm under pressure, possessed unparalleled wisdom, and knew how to concoct intoxicating incense, administer medicine, and perform acupuncture—and what other talents remained untapped? She was a veritable treasure trove…
Seeing that Piao Hong remained silent, Qing Luan knew that he was considering what she had said, so she did not urge him and waited quietly.
“If I submit to you, how can you guarantee I won’t go back on my word? What if I’m only pretending to submit now to gain your trust—” Piao Hong paused here, smiling as she looked at Qing Luan.
Qingluan was somewhat surprised, thinking he was going to negotiate with her, but she didn't expect him to be thinking of her. Suppressing a strange sense of guilt in her heart, she realized that this man was a ruthless killer, and she felt like she was forcing a good woman into prostitution.
Clearing her throat, Qingluan said, "Uh, you don't need to worry about this for me." As she spoke, she took out a bright red pill. "This is the 'Entanglement' pill I created. Once you take it, you must protect me with all your might. If I die, you cannot live. Moreover, if I suffer, you will not be able to avoid it either." Her eyes were a little reluctant to look at the redness, but Qingluan hardened her heart and handed over the pill.
Piao Hong's expression remained unchanged. She reached out and picked up the pill, examining it closely. She said, "Wow, I told you you were a wonderful person! You really are!" After saying that, she threw it into her mouth, smacked her lips, and said, "The taste is not bad."
"Hey!" Qingluan didn't expect him to take the medicine so quickly and subconsciously wanted to stop him.
"What, you feel sorry for me? Anyway, I've been an orphan since I was a child. No one cares about me or anyone loves me. After being taken in by my adoptive father, I became an assassin. I don't even know when I'll die. I've never cared about this life..." Piao Hong's words, as light as a feather, made Qing Luan feel guilty again.
"Alright, don't be sad. As long as you stay by my side and protect me from now on, and don't do anything wicked again, you won't die," Qingluan comforted her.
“I’m not sad at all. On the contrary, I’m very happy. After I took this medicine, your life and my life are linked together. I’m no longer alone!” Piao Hong’s tone was very cheerful, so cheerful that it made Qing Luan’s heart ache.
Not knowing what to say, Qingluan decided to first release Piaohong's pressure points before figuring out how to settle him. She said to Piaohong, "Take off your clothes!"
Without hesitation, Piao Hong quickly unbuttoned her shirt, her ambiguous tone making Qing Luan blush: "Since you can't be mine, it's the same if I'm yours!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Qingluan blushed, and several flashes of silver light appeared as the reddened acupoints were released.
"Since you won't let me be an assassin anymore, then will you support me from now on?" Piao Hong breathed softly, her orchid-like fragrance gently caressing Qing Luan.
Qingluan answered naturally, "Of course!" But then felt a little awkward.
Just then, Xiao Suo entered and reported to Qing Luan on the situation outside. Shan Yunyun, who had already died, was taken out of the palace for burial, and the others would wake up once the effects of the sleeping incense wore off. He saw Piao Hong, who had returned to normal but was disheveled, but showed no surprise whatsoever. After reporting the matter, he withdrew.
"Not only are you interesting, but your subordinates are interesting too." Piao Hong was in a good mood.
"Don't worry about other people's business. Go and settle your subordinates first. I have only one request: your assassin organization must be disbanded and you must not commit any more crimes in the future," Qingluan said calmly, ignoring him.
"You're just letting me go like this? Aren't you afraid I won't come back?" Piao Hong was surprised. Was there really no one who could cure this drug?
"Will you come back?" Qingluan looked at Piaohong's handsome face, her cool gaze shining.
"Of course I'll come back." Hearing her own voice, Piao Hong realized that she had spoken her true thoughts. Her face flushed, and before Qing Luan could notice, she turned and floated away.
In the early morning, a few rays of sunlight warmly shone into the room. Qingluan opened her half-closed eyes and saw Piaohong lying on the edge of the bed, gazing at her intently. She was not surprised that he had appeared in her bedroom without a sound. The number one assassin who had recovered his power, who could stop him?
"You're back. Don't do that again. Don't you know there's a difference between men and women? Has everything been taken care of?" Qingluan asked.
"I'm yours now, of course I have to be by your side every day, otherwise people will be heartbroken if they can't see you!" Seeing Qingluan's eyes starting to blaze with anger, Piaohong quickly composed herself. "The matter is all settled. I've properly taken care of the obedient people. They will listen to my orders from now on and won't kill innocent people indiscriminately. As for the disobedient ones—"
Seeing the bloodthirsty glint in Piao Hong's eyes, Qing Luan knew those people were doomed. Yet, she couldn't help but ask, "You killed them?"
"Heh, I won't do a losing business. I've already taken the money from their mission, but they probably won't be coming back." Seeing Qingluan's pitiful look, Piaohong knew what she was thinking. "Are you pitying them? Do you know how many lives they have? Now, while I can still control them, I'll get rid of them. If I'm not around in the future, who knows how much bloodshed will ensue!"
Qingluan knew that Piaohong was telling the truth. These people were only so obedient because of Piaohong's suppression. If they were free from his control, then using violence to control violence might not be a bad idea!
"You think I'm cruel? Do you know that if I weren't like this, I would have died a thousand times over. How could I have survived to meet you?" Piao Hong looked at Qing Luan with hazy eyes.
Qingluan recalled what Piaohong had said about his background that day. Sometimes people really are not in control of their own lives. Piaohong killed people because of this, but how clean were her own hands? In order to help Jun Yifeng, didn't she also plot to kill people? Thinking of this, Qingluan felt that Piaohong was also very pitiful. He was trained to be a killing tool before, and now she had to guide him properly.
"Alright, from now on, you are my younger brother. You must obey my orders and never kill anyone without cause again," Qingluan instructed patiently.
“Brother? No—absolutely not.” Piao Hong pouted her little mouth in refusal.
"Then what do you want?" Qingluan asked helplessly, unable to harden her heart in the face of such beauty that transcended gender.
"I don't care about anything. You and I are the closest people to each other now. No one can compare to me!" Piao Hong said proudly.
Qingluan knew he was talking about intimate matters and that he loved to boast, so she had no choice but to let him be.
Qingluan's tacit approval encouraged Piaohong, whose excitement and joy shone through. Qingluan understood that he was genuinely happy, and she also felt a pang of sympathy for this pitiful boy with no relatives.
Despite the many troubles on Qingluan's side, she finally managed to resolve the assassination crisis. Later, she asked Piaohong who wanted to kill her, but Piaohong said he didn't know either. The other party was making the deal while concealing their identity, and according to the rules, they couldn't inquire about the buyer's identity.
Meanwhile, the battle reports from Jun Yifeng's side at the front lines never stopped, and were submitted on time.
After capturing the capital of Qi, the King of Qi hanged himself, and the entire royal family was buried with him. When Jun Yifeng led his army into the palace, it was an empty, lifeless place. Jun Yifeng accepted those courtiers who were willing to surrender, and those who were unwilling were simply exiled to the frontier. After this battle, Jun Yifeng's prestige was unmatched. With the disparity in national strength between the two sides, the Empress Dowager of Shu presented a letter of state, willingly relinquishing her position as a vassal state, paying tribute annually and coming to court every year. Thus, at least nominally, Jun Yifeng was now the sole master of the land, finally ending this chaotic era!