Mo Xi took the silver notes from Hongyuan Pawnshop and then strolled around the street.
The streets of Qiantang have a unique local character, with shops facing each other along the street, and a row of stalls in the middle. She strolled slowly toward the Biluoxuan Qiantang branch, which she had visited a few days ago.
The shop assistants here are very perceptive. Since most of the customers are scholars, they are quite arrogant and dislike it when shop assistants boast. So the shop assistants don't usually go up to talk to them, but just observe from the side and only say a few words to those who are really interested in buying.
"Young man, would you like to try our newly released peach blossom ink? You'll know its wonders when you grind it; it has a faint peach blossom fragrance."
"I bought this a while ago; it's the most basic model that you're recommended."
"Alright, take a look at this one. It doesn't even have our Biluoxuan mark, but it works exactly the same." The shop assistant saw that his clothes were ordinary and guessed that he was short of money, so he didn't point it out and readily recommended it.
Mo Xi tossed out two strings of coins, weighed the ink in his hand, smiled with satisfaction, hired a donkey cart, and headed towards the city gate.
The fourth rule of assassins: Don't be overly particular about things that shouldn't be.
At first, she didn't suspect Liu Yanhe of faking her death, although the origin of the notebook was quite suspicious. It was plausible that Liu Yanhe's personal maid had obtained it and was seeking revenge for her mistress. The only clue in the notebook was the paper from Biluoxuan, thanks to the shop assistant who recommended peach blossom ink. Mo Xi, with her professional instincts and keen sense of smell, immediately bought it and, upon returning to the inn, ground the ink to compare. The notebook was indeed written afterward, using peach blossom ink from the very beginning. Although some time had passed, the fragrance hadn't faded, though ordinary people wouldn't notice it. Liu Yanhe left the notebook for only one purpose: to guide her into feigning death. This was the simplest and most direct way to achieve the effect of "fear before death." And to make Xiao Yu believe her bride was possessed, she needed to use details of their lives known only to Xiao and Liu, details naturally all stemming from this notebook. This Miss Liu was indeed meticulous and methodical. The only flaw was the peach blossom ink. It is evident that fetishism can sometimes be a fatal flaw.
The donkey cart arrived at the city gate in less than an hour, and from afar, she could see a large crowd gathered in front of the city wall. With her sharp eyesight, she could easily see that the wanted poster for the Chen family was posted on the wall.
Assassin's Rule Five: Although the nature of the industry dictates that working alone is the main approach, occasionally outsourcing is a reasonable use of resources.
The Chen family, a group involved in honey trap scams in the Jiangzhe region, had migrated to Qiantang. Using the Xiao family's immense wealth as bait, they easily secured their cooperation. Mo Xi simply changed her appearance and, posing as a personal maid, was brought into the Xiao residence openly by Chen Lan.
Prince Rui's Mansion.
Steward Zhou knelt under the midday sun, his clothes getting wet and then dry, then wet again, over and over again.
Three years ago, Prince Rui led the Northwest Army to fight against the Chiyan Army. Seven million dan of official grain from the imperial court was intercepted by a group of rabble from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world). Later, this grain was openly circulated in Jiangnan. Due to insufficient supplies, the Northwest Army was defeated in Luoyang. Prince Rui was dismissed from his post and demoted, and was naturally furious. He sent people to investigate the matter. He then went to Qiantang to carry out the order.
Prince Rui, Li Yi, flipped through the three account books Feng Shao had brought back, finally letting out a long sigh. Having overseen the Ministry of Revenue for three years, he naturally had a good grasp of the finances and provisions, and reviewing a few account books was no problem for him. Having confirmed the authenticity of the account books, a smile finally appeared on his handsome face, and he gestured for someone to bring Feng Shao in.
"Who else has looked at these account books?"
"Your Highness, even I have not turned a single page, and I would never dare to leak it."
Prince Rui nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "What happened to that江湖人 (jianghu person)?"
Feng Shao knelt down in fear, his knees thudding against the gleaming blue brick floor. He said, "The people the Seventh Prince sent were all masters of internal martial arts. I dared not linger, so I had no time to deal with them. Liu Yanhe had intended to surrender to Your Highness, but unfortunately, I was outnumbered and outmatched. If I had taken her with me, I wouldn't have been able to escape myself. I had no choice but to kill her on the spot." He paused, then looked up and said, "However, this martial arts practitioner was someone Liu Yanhe hired to stir things up. He didn't know how dangerous this place was. He just thought he was avenging Liu Yanhe, and he killed Xiao Yu and left."
"Never mind. Did you bring back any of the Liu family's belongings?"
"I am incompetent and have searched everywhere without success. Either the Chen family has obtained it, or Xiao Yu is hiding outside. It is also possible that it is the Seventh Prince."
Prince Rui sighed and said, “It’s not entirely your fault. I was reprimanded by the Emperor and ordered to reflect on my mistakes in the palace. So many eyes were watching me, so I couldn’t make a big fuss. Jiangnan was originally my seventh brother’s territory. He had been operating there for many years and his influence was deeply entrenched. It’s understandable that you were constrained there.”
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At this moment, Mo Xi was doing something incredibly rustic: hiding treasure. It wasn't some kind of trap; she simply buried the account books she had copied herself in a crooked tree on the back hill of her house. Since they were a combination of simplified Chinese characters and Arabic numerals, no one would recognize them as mere scribbles.
She coveted the Liu family's wealth, but it was too hot to handle; taking it would surely mean certain death. It was better that the Chen family got it. Neither the Seventh Prince nor the Fifth Prince were easy to deal with; either one could easily confront them, saving her the trouble of taking matters into her own hands.
Mo Xi's eyes crinkled into a smile, making her look like a little fox. She went into the bamboo forest to cut bamboo; she'd make bamboo rice for dinner tonight.
industry gathering
( ) Mo Xi recalled the gossip she had heard at the Jinling Hall that morning with a sorrowful expression. The top two on the internal rankings had joined forces and made a move. These two, not content with just securing a base, decided to cause a complete upheaval. Together, they took over the headquarters, swiftly dismantling its resources and seizing their files.
Assassins indulging in romance is simply delusional. Besides, if you want to retire, then retire. In this line of work, it's a matter of advancement or regression. The top fifty don't have a fixed salary; it's all about performance-based pay. Even with high scores, if you idle for a few years, hiding in some remote corner of the mountains, refusing to go on duty, and your ranking falls out of the top fifty, nobody will take you seriously. Even if there's a raid, it'll only be small fry, easy prey. Is it really necessary to make such a huge fuss?
The organization doesn't control its employees with poison (like the Three Corpse Brain-Controlling Pill used by Dongfang Bubai, a biological weapon with exorbitant research and development costs) as outsiders might imagine. Instead, each employee has a historical file, recording the success or failure of every case they take on, and archiving it. Year-end performance reviews are based on this ranking. Those ranked higher have priority when choosing cases. It's fair and just. If someone betrays you, not only will they be relentlessly pursued, but if necessary, the file will be sent free of charge to the victim's relatives and friends. Since they've been hated to the point of hiring someone to kill, they must have some skills, and there must be some ruthless characters among their relatives and friends. As for the organization itself, they aren't afraid of retaliation. First, they have enough power; second, everyone follows the rules of the underworld—it's just business—and the client's ID will never be leaked, often unknown even to the organization; third, once the person is expelled, the organization is not responsible for their actions once the employment relationship is terminated.
Mo Xi had always regarded rankings as fleeting, adhering to the doctrine of the mean. With these two on the run, her ranking automatically rose two places. Such windfalls never end well; before she could even gloat for two hours, she received an urgent call to arms that afternoon. Everyone in the top 35 was eligible, and she, of all people, was unfortunately called up. She wondered who that barely 35th place person was, even more wronged than her. These two starving lovers really lacked common sense. If they had taken her share, she might have even offered some financial assistance for their escape, or perhaps they would have burned it all, benefiting many colleagues—there would surely be retribution. It's clear that those caught up in petty romances do nothing but foolish things.
I was planning to take a vacation, but now it's a tragedy. I'm stuck with those two humanoid weapons. It's like being part of a suicide squad.
Mo Xi encountered the biggest challenge of his career.
There was no other way but to obediently pack my bags and head to headquarters for a meeting.
Assassin's Rule Six: Go into battle lightly equipped.
Assassins cannot possess too much wealth. An assassin's home should be a place they frequently stay in within a certain period. They must be ready to travel at any time and escape at any time. They are not allowed to keep plants or animals for the former, nor are they allowed to leave behind any items bearing any personal markings for the latter.
Packing two sets of clothes, silver, medicine, cosmetics, and a national map produced by Muyanzhai, I set off.
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Mo Xi rode a fast horse, galloping along the official road, raising clouds of dust.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. Upon closer inspection, he realized there were four horses. Turning around, he saw four fine horses pulling a dark, lacquered wooden four-wheeled carriage galloping towards him. The official road wasn't very wide, and not wanting to cause any trouble, Mo Xi slowed down and moved aside to let them pass.
Unexpectedly, the luxurious carriage slowed down as it approached her. The door opened, and a head popped out—it was a little boy with a bun hairstyle. He chuckled and said, "My young master invites you. Is this young lady going to Mo City? Why don't you get in and come along?"
Mo Xi laughed heartily and said, "Thank you. Once we reach the next post station and hand over the horses, we will naturally be able to bother you."
The young boy was slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't expected Mo Xi to agree so readily. His eyes darted around, and he chuckled, "Miss, you don't need to be so polite. We'll be waiting for you at the post station ahead." He ducked back, closed the door, and the carriage drove away into the distance.
Although Mo Xi was disguised as a man, it wasn't surprising that the other person recognized her as a woman at first glance; after all, she possessed the same discerning eye. However, knowing that she was going to Mo City was quite intriguing. From this official road to Xiaoyang County in Yunzhou, switching to waterways along the Grand Canal to Mo City was the fastest shortcut. Yunzhou was extremely wealthy; eight out of ten people traveling this route were heading there. Knowing that she was going to Mo City could only mean one thing: the other person's skill far surpassed hers, and they knew her true abilities. Perhaps they were colleagues.
Mo Xi didn't refuse, partly to test the other party's capabilities, but also because since the other party was stronger than her, there was no point in being wary, so she might as well cooperate for now. Besides, she didn't like to be taken advantage of.
When they arrived at the post station, they indeed saw the carriage waiting by the side, but there were no horses, presumably they had been taken to drink water.
Seeing that she was travel-worn but still maintained a calm and casual demeanor, the young servant's displeasure at his young master inviting a stranger to ride with him lessened somewhat. He nimbly opened the carriage door, lowered the footrest, and chuckled again, saying, "Please, young lady." Mo Xi thanked him and stepped into the carriage. The young servant was stunned again, thinking to himself, "This young lady is much more polite than the noble ladies of the capital."
The carriage was fairly spacious, but it still felt cramped for standing. Mo Xi didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.
The interior was exquisitely decorated, with velvet-cushioned backrests and a roof made of four perfectly polished, semi-transparent glass panels, which made the interior very bright when sunlight streamed in. On the table was a tea tray and a tea set, nothing else.