ghost forest

The dagger glided across the guard’s throat and blood spattered all over Wu Ya’s hands. She beckoned the Rank III Assassin next to her, and they immediately provided the corpse with long gashes across the chest. Around her, bodies sank to the ground like stones falling into a riverbank.

Such messiness and inefficiency, Wu Ya thought. It appeared as though a flood of blood had just washed over the Grand Chancellor’s manor. The stench was so strong that it rippled, giving Wu Ya waves of nausea. Those missing their souls were also missing various body parts. It was quite the attack on her eyes.

Wu Ya did not understand. She could have simply slit everyone’s throats and called it a day. But her Master had insistedthat they made the scene as gruesome as possible.

Actually, Wu Ya understood a little. The Assassin Pavilion must have wanted to use this massacre as a scare tactic. What Wu Ya couldn’t comprehend was who they needed to scare. After all, Chi Ke Ting was known for their ruthless and capable killers.

After a couple more reluctant strides, her foot occasionally sinking into the body parts, she gave up and decided to use her qinggong, the skill of swiftness, to travel onto the tiled roof. While she flew, the tiles clicked as her toes lightly brushed the surface. The Grand Chancellor’s manor seemed like a labyrinth. However, Wu Ya knew exactly where to find the Zai Xiang. The study.

Arriving at the study, she kicked down the doors. “My dearest Zai Xiang, any last words?” she asked as she advanced.

He replied, “You will regret this, you sinner. Zhong gua de gua, zhong dou de dou.” Sow melons, reap melons. Sow beans, reap beans.

Wu Ya rolled her eyes. Scholars are always speaking like this, beating around the bush, proving they were better than you. “Grow whatever you want. Hopefully, the King of Hell has fertilized soil from all the corpse he has collected.”

She continued her advance as she spoke, and the Grand Chancellor held his sword out. From his posture, it was clear to Wu Ya that while he must have had training, he was not very skilled in his swordsmanship.

Tsk tsk tsk, another easy prey. No fun at all, Wu Ya thought. Perhaps killing him wouldn’t be such a pity. The empire will dwindle anyways, without a counselor well versed in both brains and hands. Technically, it won’t be a shame that he will be on his way today.

Right?

She shook herself mentally. There was no use debating the worth of a man who had his fate already sealed. She threw the dagger on her right hand towards the minister and luckily for him, he dodged it.

Unluckily for him, he slammed into his shelf, and everything came crashing down like an avalanche.

Also, unluckily for him, one is not often lucky twice. As the beads and shards flew all over the room, he made the mistake of sparing his otherworldly possessions a sideways glance. It was a small moment of weakness but all that she needed. Wu Ya’s left dagger soared through the air and pierced his chest. He staggered a bit before slumping onto the ground, his sword following with a clank. For good measure, Wu Ya gave him a good kick in the chest and slitted his throat, leaving behind a waterfall of blood.

Satisfied with herself, Wu Ya took in the room for the first time. The room was built with gorgeous dark wood and delicately crafted furniture. The shelves were filled with a wide collection of fine pottery, jades, and various works of art.

Wu Ya figured that the Grand Chancellor would not be needing these treasures anymore. After all, how much treasure could one possibly bring across the River of Oblivion? Therefore, she would be doing him a favor by scavenging his items and putting them to use! She snatched a light green jade pendant and shoved it into her pocket. She picked a couple of gold jewelry and took care to keep them hidden under her robes.

Just as she was able to leave, a particular vase caught her eye. It was smashed from the struggle, but the blooming magenta still looked full of vitality. She picked it up and took a sniff.

As the floral fragrance filled her lungs, she noticed a small, white item poking from underneath the soil, just barely visible. Wu Ya pulled out the item which revealed itself to be a small slip of paper with a short sentence on it. The strokes were messy, almost as if written in a hurry. It writes: The leader has a secret army.

Before Wu Ya could dwell on the mystery, the doors flung open. She quickly shoved the slip of paper into her pocket as the Assassin bowed. “Everyone has been killed. Master, please check the bodies.”

“I will be there,” Wu Ya replied.

“Alright.” He paused before asking, “What were you holding, Zhu Ren?”

She jolted, not realizing he had noticed. She masked it with a warning, “Don’t be so curious, newbie. It won’t do you much good around here. Those who are ignorant cannot be faulted.”

The irony of the situation did not escape Wu Ya. She should have left the note alone, and she should have stopped thinking about it. But Wu Ya has never been good at following advice.

Especially her own.