Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Nora

The morning sun slowly grew brighter, and the breeze gradually settled. The green sprouts that had brushed past the knees no longer swayed. Xue He released his right hand, and his broken arm no longer bled. He picked up the seven blades from the ground, and slowly returned them into their sheaths. In the entire process, a painful grimace flashed across his face from time to time. Obviously, these usually simple actions were extremely difficult for the current him.

Su Li and Chen Changsheng had already left on the pair of furry deer, but he did not leave. Instead, he just sat down and thought about a few matters as he bandaged his wounds. After the Ivy Festival and the Grand Examination, Chen Changsheng’s reputation had already become widely-spread, reaching out to even beyond the capital. His brother Xue Xingchuan had specially mentioned this teenager in his letters. Xue He knew that this teenager was the youngest Principal of the Orthodox Academy in all of history, and could even represent the voice of the Orthodoxy and the imperial family had made to the Divine Empress. It was just that this teenager should have been undergoing trials in the Garden of Zhou, so why did he suddenly appear in the north of the Tianliang County, traveling with Su Li?

Obviously, the main reason why he did not immediately leave right away was not because of his pondering, but to wait for the assassin hidden in the green fields to appear. He did not know who the assassin was. Although he had learnt of Su Li’s tracks from him, he only knew that since the assassin was not far away, this meant he was in grave danger—when they had left, Su Li had said to Chen Changsheng that it was likely for the assassin to kill Xue He while he was heavily injured, and then push the matter to Chen Changsheng—Xue He also had similar thoughts himself.

A breeze suddenly appeared in the quiet fields without the slightest indication. The verdant sorghum stalks swayed gently in the breeze, revealing a shape that seemed extremely like a rock.

Swiftly, the shape disappeared again. It had probably come even closer.

Xue He extended his right hand before his body and grasped the hilt of a blade.

As a Divine General of the Zhou Dynasty, even if he could not fight anymore, he wanted to die in battle. If he really was fated to die by the hands of these treacherous people, he would rather die under his own blade.

The breeze continued to blow, but the assassin did not appear.

After an unknown amount of time, the sunlight slowly became scorching. When Xue He, who had lost too much blood, almost could not endure it, he suddenly realized that the assassin had already left.

Why did that assassin leave? Xue He could not understand it. He used the blade to support himself to stand up and then saw that on the ground not far away, someone had used a sword to write a line of very clear words.

It was probably because the assassin had seen this line of words that he did not act.

“Liu Qing, Zhou Tong will know of what you have done.”

Xue He’s expression changed slightly. He did not imagine that the assassin was actually the legendary Liu Qing, and never imagined that Su Li and Chen Changsheng actually left behind such a line before they had left.

It was the line that had saved his life.

Five hundred li away, north of the Tianliang County by a lake, the two furry deer currently had their heads down, drinking. Chen Changsheng was currently following Su Li’s instruction to collect and wash the grass and fruit for the furry deer to eat. The lake water was slightly cold. He looked at Su Li who rested by the side of the lake and asked out of curiosity, “Who is Liu Qing?”

He had used the dagger to write the words in the sorghum fields, but the content was actually dictated by Su Li. He did not understand what it meant at all.

Su Li said, “It’s that guy who never revealed himself in the birch forest or the sorghum fields.”

Chen Changsheng was slightly surprised. He said, “That assassin? Is he very strong?”

Su Li said casually, “When those old guys in the Pavilion of Divination were bored, they once personally made a ranking for the assassins in the continent. Liu Qing was ranked third.”

“Third in the Ranking of Assassins...”

Chen Changsheng thought about how they were followed by such a terrifying assassin along the way and immediately felt that the breeze from the lake was rather cold. He subconsciously looked around.

It was just that... the name of a terrifying assassin that placed third on the Ranking of Assassins was actually so ordinary? He was slightly confused.

Su Li opened his eyes and said, “The more professional an assassin is, the less attention he raises. That outstanding assassin who always places first on the ranking doesn’t even have a name.”

Chen Changsheng felt that what Su Li just said was rather weird. Just what kind of person was the number one assassin in the rankings, to actually receive a word of praise from even Su Li? It had to be known that even if it was the Tianhai Divine Empress or the Pope, they would not receive too much respect from Su Li. He could not think it through and turned around to ask, “Your reason for making me leave behind that sentence was?”

“Xue He is Xue Xingchuan’s younger brother. Xue Xingchuan is Zhou Tong’s only friend. If Zhou Tong knew that Liu Qing had killed Xue He, Liu Qing would definitely suffer a very miserable outcome.

“Liu Qing also fears Lord Zhou Tong?”

“The more a person cannot be in the light, the more they fear Zhou Tong.”

“Including that outstanding assassin who places first on the Ranking of Assassins?”

“He’s obviously an exception.”

“But Senior had said before, after he kills Xue He, he can fake it so that it seemed like it was me who did it. Since it’s the assassin who is third on the Ranking of Assassin, he definitely would be able to do it flawlessly.”

“I know he is Liu Qing, then as long as I live, Zhou Tong will know.”

“Will Lord Zhou Tong believe your words?”

“He doesn’t need to believe, he only needs to suspect that it was Liu Qing who killed him.”

“But... there isn’t any evidence.”

“When Zhou Tong acts, since when did he need evidence?”

Chen Changsheng thought about the terrifying rumors that surrounded Zhou Tong and thought that it was indeed like that.

The citizens of the capital all said that Zhou Tong could stop infants from crying at night. Looking at it now, he could also intimidate the assassin who placed third on the Ranking of Assassins.

He said, “I still don’t understand why that assassin wanted to kill Xue He.”

Su Li looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He said, “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t kill Xue He.”

“Divine General Xue He came to kill Senior, and not me. Just like you have said, after he knew who I was, he obviously did not have any killing intent towards me. Even if it was so, he was already incapable of killing Senior, so why must I kill him? Senior... you seem to have forgotten, but speaking of factions, Divine General Xue He and I should be closer than you and me.”

Chen Changsheng said, “On the other hand, since Senior wanted me to kill Xue He, why did Senior make me leave that sentence before?”

Su Li said, “Since you didn’t want to kill him, we obviously needed him alive. Enough favors can save us a lot of trouble.”

Chen Changsheng did not know how to reply to what Su Li said, and decided to change the topic, “I wonder when the assassin will act.”

He looked at the surface on the lake in the dusk, and was very worried. The Mount Li Junior Martial Uncle’s fame for fighting prowess was even greater than that of Zhou Tong, but now, Su Li no longer had such deterrent force, especially after he helped Chen Changsheng block Xue He’s blade.

“Assassination is an occupation that places success in the highest regard, and thus is the occupation that requires one to be most on guard.”

Su Li looked at the dusk in the lake and said, “Before completely confirming my injuries and the limits of your strength, he will not appear, much less act. He will only keep waiting like someone weak-minded.”