Hua Xuening finally tracked down Lu Chengwen's hideout. She couldn't believe his audacity—he'd stayed in the hotel the whole time.
As a top-tier assassin, Hua Xuening was in her element. She secured a hook on the rooftop and rappelled down the building's exterior with practiced ease. This method had never failed her.
With Huo Wendong, a wealthy outsider from the South, suddenly entering the game, Lu Chengwen's importance had diminished. If he died, the Lu family would collapse swiftly. After devouring the Leng family and stabilizing the situation, they could move on the Lu family next. So, Long Aotian had ordered Lu Chengwen's assassination.
Hua Xuening wasn't entirely on board. She'd witnessed Long Aotian and Lu Chengwen kneel together, swearing brotherhood as master and disciple. No matter how you sliced it, Lu Chengwen was the Young Master's sworn brother. Was killing him really necessary?
But Long Aotian had said it was for the people of Xuecheng, the North, and all of Huaxia. He'd bear the pain of sacrificing his brother and apologize in the afterlife. His selfless love for the greater good moved Hua Xuening deeply.
She knew she understood nothing. She was aware she grasped little. She accepted her ignorance. But that didn't matter—the Young Master knew everything. Following his orders was foolproof. He was a true hero, shouldering all the pain for the greater good.
Her resolve to kill Lu Chengwen solidified.
She knew the room, the layout. Sneaking in through the window, even eight Lu Chengwens wouldn't stand a chance. She could end him silently.
Hua Xuening secured the rope and descended to the window, spotting Lu Chengwen chatting with Zhang Shener. The cop? She's a good person. Can't kill her.
Hmph, I can still take him out right in front of her.
She slid down further, poised to slip inside, when Lu Chengwen walked to the window and slammed it shut. Hua Xuening's fingers were crushed, the pain excruciating. She plummeted down the glass facade.
Lu Chengwen, oblivious, headed to the wine cabinet. "Care for a drink, Officer Zhang?"
Zhang Shener's face was stern. "I don't drink. Let's stick to the case. I feel you're holding something back."
Hua Xuening's skill kept her fall silent. Dangling at the rope's end, she stared at her bloodied fingers, seething. That jerk who stole my first kiss! He set me up! My hand!
Gritting her teeth, she wrapped her fingers in gauze and climbed back up. This time, you're dead!
Zhang Shener snapped, "Why'd you close the window?"
"Adds some ambiance."
"Open it!"
"Fine, I'll open it."
Hua Xuening, waiting outside, braced herself. Lu Chengwen flung the window open, and a sudden gust of air slammed it into her face. She bit back a scream and fell again.
Lu Chengwen returned to the lounge, pouring himself a drink. "Happy now?"
Zhang Shener pressed, "Did you send people to rescue someone or to kill someone?"
He laughed. "We'll find out soon. Sure you don't want a drink?"
Hua Xuening, furious, wiped blood from her broken nose. Lu Chengwen's too cunning! With burning determination, she climbed again. I'll kill you yet!
She switched windows. That one's cursed! Positioning herself at a new one, she prepared to enter.
Lu Chengwen popped a champagne bottle. Pop! The cork shot out, heading straight for her face. Thinking it was a hidden weapon, she dodged, but her injured left hand slipped. Her body swung out, crashing into a protruding stone beast on the building's exterior—a mythical guardian, its horn piercing her side.
Crack!
She stifled a groan as her rib snapped. Clinging to the rope, sweat beaded on her forehead from the agonizing pain. Lu Chengwen, you're insidious!
Every movement stabbed her organs, but with sheer willpower, she climbed again. This time, I'll charge in and hack him to pieces!
Exhausted, she drew her dagger, leaped into the room, and roared, "Lu Chengwen, you little—argh!"
Lu Chengwen had casually left an empty wine bottle on the carpet earlier, unnoticed when the curtain knocked it over. In her pain-fueled rush, Hua Xuening didn't see it, stepped on it, and slipped. The bottle rolled, and she crashed down, her own blade slicing her chest.
Her broken rib made every movement unbearable—she was already a titan for climbing back up. The fall drove the rib into her organs, and a gush of blood sprayed from her mouth. The pain overwhelmed her, and she blacked out.
Lu Chengwen, seeing Zhang Shener out, called, "Take care, Officer Zhang!"
Turning back, he froze. "Holy—! What's this? A person?"
Cautiously nudging her with his foot, he gasped. "Hua Xuening?!"
His scalp tingled. My location's exposed! But why's she half-dead in my living room?
Minutes later, Hua Xuening stirred, waking to searing pain. Barely moving, her eyes darted around. Still in the suite. Damn it! He caught me alive!
The humiliation was crushing. She, a veteran by the Young Master's side, taken down by a mere entry-level martial artist like Lu Chengwen? How can I face the Young Master now?
Wait—her pressure points weren't sealed, her limbs unbound. What's going on?
Lifting her hand, she saw it bandaged, as was the wound on her abdomen.
She overheard Lu Chengwen on the phone. "Are you idiots? Where am I supposed to go? Stop wasting my time! Huo Wendong's nothing! If he bets his fortune, I'll match it! Keep fighting! I won't let Leng Qingqiu wake up to find her family's company gone!"
It's him! What's he doing?
Hua Xuening tried to rise to finish her mission but collapsed in pain.
Another call came. Lu Chengwen answered irritably. "What now? I know! Of course I know! So what if she's Long Aotian's? She's lying half-dead in my living room—should I just let her die?"
"No way, she's a good person! Listen, she's probably the purest, kindest, simplest girl I've ever met. Yes, exactly—a total dummy. Didn't I make that clear?"
"She's badly hurt. I don't know how, but it's obvious someone powerful did this. She's a top-tier expert— whoever took her down isn't ordinary!"
"Look, forget she's with Long Aotian! She's not like him. If he died in front of me, I wouldn't blink, but she's good. She's pitiful, trust me!"
"If she was here to kill me, I'd be dead already. One leap through the window, one slash, and I'm meeting the King of Hell."
"What? Me, swayed by her looks? Sure, I'm a pervert, but come on, this is serious! She's loyal to Long Aotian—probably destined to be his bed-warmer. Even with a knife to her throat, she wouldn't spare me a glance!"
"Alright, alright, talk slow. Let me see if I can follow. Mm-hmm, got it."
He hung up. Hua Xuening closed her eyes, pretending to be unconscious, her hand gripping her dagger. One sudden strike, Lu Chengwen, and your luck runs out!
He walked over, sighing. "Poor girl, why follow someone like Long Aotian?"
He continued, "I sent your picture to Xu Xuejiao. She says your rib's definitely broken and has pierced your organs. If we don't adjust it soon, it's dangerous."
"Sorry, to save your life, I have to…"
He grabbed a medical kit, lifted the blanket, and started cutting her clothes with small scissors.
His mind raced: [Poor thing, beaten so badly. She should be sharp as a whip, but her spirit's sealed, making her so naive.]
[Long Aotian! Pfft! What kind of garbage protagonist? Child of Destiny, my ass! Using dirty tricks to manipulate girls!]
[All this mess is their doing—brainwashing her to risk her life for him, sealing her mind to keep her docile, then tricking her into giving up her body under the guise of 'unsealing.']
[Saying she owes him her life, making her repay with it! Is there anyone lower than that?]
[Such a sweet girl, played like a pawn, and she'll thank him for it, happily becoming his toy. What a shame.]
Hua Xuening's arm shot up, her dagger at his throat. Sweating, eyes blazing, she rasped, "How did you know my spirit's sealed?"
Lu Chengwen froze, feeling his life hanging by a thread.
[I'm done. Screwed.]
[One moment of softness, and I'm finished! Am I getting my exit ticket?]
[Why play the good guy? She's Long Aotian's, and her head's not right—she doesn't even know I'm saving her!]
[She's so single-minded, she'd kill me without blinking, not even understanding what she's doing!]
[Dying like this, what a pathetic end!]
Hua Xuening's eyes brimmed with tears. "Speak! How did you know? Or I'll kill you!"
_
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