Chapter 54: The Assassination

The abrupt question caught even Liuchou off guard, leaving him uncertain of its underlying meaning. However, he reacted quickly, smiling immediately: "A candidate for Marquis-General—does that not simply mean a reserve position, a title held in vacancy?"

"And do you know how many Sub-Generals and Marquis-Generals in our Tianshan Dun are waiting for these twenty-eight vacancies to open?" Ye Jiang asked, then answered her own question: "Seventy-two Sub-Generals and three hundred and sixty-seven Marquis-Generals. And that is only before the expansion; once the expansion is complete, the number of Sub-Generals will exceed two hundred, and the Marquis-Generals will surpass a thousand, all vying for those few sparse positions."

Such a prelude surely led to a specific point. Liuchou immediately grasped the situation and said coolly, "If Ye Shen says this, surely you don't just want me to retreat in the face of difficulty? If there is something to be said, please speak plainly."

Ye Jiang was slightly stunned. In her mind, she had imagined Liuchou would not discern her intent so quickly and would require further guidance and layering before he understood. Beside her, Tuzhu coquettishly raised a pinky finger, gently brushed her eyebrow, and laughed, "I already told you, Liuchou’s wit is extraordinary. Just speak plainly."

Ye Jiang felt no embarrassment and smiled magnanimously. "There is a task you must do. If you succeed, Tuzhu and I will guarantee you a seat—a position as a Zheng-General of the Mirage Tower."

Liuchou smiled without a word. He refilled his wine cup without even looking at Ye Jiang, appearing entirely unmoved by the grand opportunity she dangled before him.

Having learned from her earlier experience, Ye Jiang was not surprised by Liuchou’s indifference. She looked at him with profound meaning and said, "This matter is not easy. It is fraught with danger and beyond the reach of ordinary men. That is why Tuzhu recommended you. I will give you one night to decide; you may come to answer me tomorrow."

Liuchou finally picked up his cup, drank slowly, set it back on the table, and said calmly to Ye Jiang, "No need for a night; I can answer you now. But I must know the full story behind this killing—at the very least, who I am to kill, who might stand in my way, and what assurance I have that I will become a Zheng-General."

Ye Jiang looked toward Tuzhu, who pondered for a moment and said, "This is all one and the same matter; it cannot be concealed."

Ye Jiang nodded after a moment's thought. "Indeed. Since you have asked, I shall tell your student the full details. I hope he knows how to conduct himself..."

As she spoke, Ye Jiang turned to face Liuchou and began her tale:

"Three days ago, the demon clan attacked Yunzhan Manor. The Eagle-Yang Army was annihilated. A Great Demon took action, and as you were there and witnessed everything, I will not repeat the details, but rather speak of what followed..."

"In truth, when your report was received, Lie Gang sent a request for reinforcements. General Huang then relayed this message to the Lord of Hunting West. Li Zhengbei arrived by ship, but unfortunately, the demon clan moved first. By the time he arrived, the entirety of Fuling Mountain had been turned into a sea of fire, and no one was spared."

"The Lord of Hunting West naturally did not take this lightly, but for reasons unknown, he did not slay the demon. Instead, he brought a small demon back and imprisoned it in the Western City. It is said this demon’s ancestors had ties to the Li family, and thus it was spared. However, a demon is a demon; what talk is there of old ties? Thus, word came from the Canine Mound for us to act as we see fit—to slay the demon, uphold the law, and sever this connection to the Li family."

"What you are to do is to slay that demon."

Liuchou’s expression did not change in the slightest. He remained calm and steady. "So the meaning is that I am to kill the demon under the protection of the Lord of Hunting West, and face his wrath alone?"

Ye Jiang suddenly grinned and said slowly, "The Lord of Hunting West is formidable, but is our King Xuanji not his match?"

King Xuanji was Jiang Yuji, a descendant of Jiang Shang and the nominal head of Tianshan Dun. Ye Jiang’s sudden mention of him made Liuchou realize that the six kings were not a monolithic block; there were gaps and conflicts between them. But this was of little importance to him. Since he was being asked to face the wrath of the Lord of Hunting West, his own safety remained paramount. Without concrete guarantees, even the promise of a Zheng-General position was not enough to make Liuchou take the risk.

"King Xuanji may not fear him, but I do," Liuchou straightened his posture. He sat as rigidly as a soldier trained in the harshest conditions of his past life. His tone was as if he were discussing a commoner, not the head of Tianshan Dun. "And the most important point is this: the one who truly pleases King Xuanji might not be me. Therefore, if you want me to act, while your terms are sufficient, they lack security. Even if I succeed, the end result might be a dead end, which is meaningless."

Liuchou glanced at Tuzhu, then back at Ye Jiang, and said slowly, "May I hear your plans for escape? If there are none, then I refuse this opportunity."

Ye Jiang sighed, but did not answer his question directly. She glanced at Tuzhu and said, "You were right indeed. The student you chose is far more intelligent than I anticipated. The probability of success has increased by thirty percent..." Having said that, she addressed Liuchou: "I can lend you a Cloud Ship. Once you succeed, you can flee back to the Canine Mound immediately to ensure your safety."

Liuchou shrugged and said directly, "My fear is that even if I board the Cloud Ship, I will be shot down by the Lord of Hunting West..." He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "If I recall correctly, the Universe Bow and the Heaven-Shaking Arrow are in the hands of the Lord of Hunting West, are they not?"

Ye Jiang was slightly embarrassed by this question and picked up her wine cup. Tuzhu, sitting beside her, spoke at the opportune moment: "Although the Lord of Hunting West is in the city, he does not guard the demon personally. It is guarded by the Nine-Beat Guard. Furthermore, tomorrow at the hour of the sheep, the Lord of Hunting West will be in communication with Huang Chenyuan for nearly an hour. That is when you can act."

Liuchou pondered for a long time, tilted his head back, poured the light wine into his mouth, and then said, "In that case, please provide me with a map of the city and send someone familiar with the layout to mark the location of the prison, the Lord of Hunting West, and the Cloud Ship. I will study it, and I will tell you tonight whether I will do it or not."

Ye Jiang immediately summoned someone to lead Liuchou out through the back door and into a room. The exterior of the building appeared simple, but once inside, it was entirely different—neat, clean, and furnished with elegant, substantial items, certainly not lacking in quality.

Ye Jiang and Tuzhu remained in the tavern, drinking and talking slowly, but no one dared to disturb them...

Soon, the map was delivered. Liuchou examined it carefully. The prison was located in the northwest of the city, near the wall, while the Lord of Hunting West was staying in the magistrate’s residence, three or four streets away, making it difficult for any commotion to reach him. However, the wilderness outside the city to the northwest had no place to dock a Cloud Ship.

Liuchou stood by the window, pushed it open, and swiftly departed through it.

Before long, he appeared near the prison and observed the streets all the way to the magistrate’s residence, taking in every detail. Afterward, he left the city and, in the wilderness to the northwest, found exactly what he needed.

A towering tree, with thick branches and lush leaves, stood in the middle of the wilderness like a watchtower.

Returning to his small alley dwelling, Liuchou began to mentally rehearse his thoughts, calculating several times until late into the night. Only then did he draft a flawless plan, primarily focused on how to conceal his trail and make his escape. As for sneaking into the prison to kill, it was simple for Liuchou; possessing the Art of Godly Form, blending in anywhere was not a great difficulty.

As for escaping, with his current level of cultivation in the Art of Godly Form, it was not enough to deceive the Lord of Hunting West.

The only difficulty lay in how to hide or, better yet, how to lure the Lord of Hunting West away if he discovered the crime and gave chase, allowing Liuchou to escape.

The strength of the Lord of Hunting West was comparable to a Great Demon. Liuchou knew little about him, which was one of the important issues he had to consider. Based on the current situation, the best method was...

At that moment, Liuchou suddenly sensed someone approaching the house with hurried footsteps. A moment later, there was a knock on the door. When he opened it, he saw Guanlan and Moyun. As soon as they entered, Guanlan said directly:

"Tuzhu has ordered me to assist you in this matter."

"What?" For a fleeting moment, Liuchou thought he had already made his request, but he immediately realized that since his plan had only just taken shape and he hadn't told Tuzhu yet, the purpose of this action...

Having consumed countless spiritual pills and attained enlightenment, it took only an instant for Liuchou to guess Tuzhu’s intention.

Guanlan was a fatted calf prepared for Liuchou by Tuzhu.

Although the plan was not yet finalized, Tuzhu had already roughly conceived a method: preparing an individual as a backup. If Liuchou were discovered by the Lord of Hunting West, this person would suffer in his place, ensuring Liuchou’s escape. This was the sincerity Ye Jiang and Tuzhu expressed toward Liuchou—a guarantee for his survival.

As for how to arrange it, or whether to use it at all, the decision-making power was left to Liuchou.

Liuchou did not hesitate in the slightest. He summoned the two to the table and, pointing to the map, explained his plan in detail. He did not mention the Lord of Hunting West, only saying that he needed to follow the orders of the Canine Mound to assassinate a target. Guanlan’s task was to lead the guards to assist. Liuchou divided them into groups, arranged them throughout the streets, and waited for the signal from the prison to act.

Liuchou did not deliberately arrange for Guanlan to die, but he did not avoid it either. Everything was left to fate...

As for Moyun, he was to guard the Cloud Ship and maintain security.

The plan was simple and clear. Guanlan understood the key points upon seeing it and, without overthinking, wanted to go and dispatch the men. Liuchou stopped him, ordering the guards outside the door to summon them all.

Soon, a group of drunken guards arrived at the tavern and, under Ye Jiang’s arrangement, stayed there, waiting for the following day’s events.

As for the map, it was already deeply etched in Liuchou’s mind. He knew what he needed to know. Beyond that, he had other things to attend to: finding a Nine-Beat Guard jailer to replace. He did not intend for Tuzhu and the others to know about this, so even if it was troublesome, he had to do it himself and could not delegate it to others.

The only thing Ye Jiang could help him with was inquiring about the rotation schedule of the Nine-Beat Guard jailers; nothing more.

The jailers were not part of the Nine-Beat Guard. Being one of the four guards, the Nine-Beat Guard only had about a hundred men there, each performing their own duties, with only a few involved in the prison. Thus, the jailers were selected from the garrison soldiers, and their combat ability was ordinary—not enough to pose a threat to Liuchou.

The one Liuchou selected was the person in charge among the Nine-Beat Guard, and the most suitable person for the assassination.

Soon, he locked onto his target based on the clues he had, kept it in his heart, and waited for nightfall...