“That name is not for you to call,” Xu Nianxue said, finally looking him in the eye.
“Why? It sounds so lovely.”
———Riiip!
A fang-like dagger thrust toward him, only to be blocked by that human-skin umbrella. However, the impact tore a hole in the umbrella canopy. Now that the umbrella was no longer open, others could clearly see that the inside of the canopy was lined with the faces of young, beautiful women.
They all had their eyes closed, as quiet as if they were asleep.
The fang dagger had pierced through the eye of one of those faces. Thick blood seeped from the empty socket, a hair-raising sight.
The Umbrella Bearer's expression turned unsightly for a brief moment before returning to normal, a hint of regret flickering across his face.
“What a shame. This face was actually my favorite.”
“If you don't mind ruining a few more, you can try calling my name again,” Xu Nianxue said. She lightly opened her hand toward the fang dagger; pulled by her inner force, the weapon flew back and landed firmly in her palm.
Watching her retreating back, The Umbrella Bearer did not call her name again. After all, losing another face would truly break his heart.
Standing nearby, Ghost Lament Blade gloated over the scene. Holding back his laughter was already one of his few mercies.
The Umbrella Bearer ignored him, raising his umbrella and leaving on his own. Although Ghost Lament Blade was ranked third and The Umbrella Bearer was second, the rankings on the Heaven List were not determined by sheer strength.
Instead, they were decided by the difficulty of the assassination targets and the efficiency of the mission's completion.
Aside from the number one on the Heaven List, the strength of the other ranked assassins varied wildly.
The full moon was shrouded by dark clouds, plunging the cliff into absolute darkness. Within this dark gloom, an operation targeting the Tianwu Kingdom quietly unfolded.
...
Meanwhile, inside the imperial palace in Fengcheng, the capital of the Tianwu Kingdom, a figure draped in imperial dragon robes sat upright in the imperial bedchamber. Upon closer inspection, however, one would find that his body was trembling uncontrollably.
The Prime Minister sat before the desk in dragon robes, reviewing imperial memorials, but his hands shook like leaves.
He did his best to maintain his composure on the outside, but his heart was pounding with sheer dread.
Your Majesty... this is going to be the death of me... the Prime Minister cried out in his heart.
Just the day before, Ji Ye had pulled off a classic bait-and-switch scheme, having the Prime Minister handle the affairs of court in his stead while he himself set off toward the Northern Desert.
He had not taken the Emperor-Protecting Shadow Guards with him, choosing instead to leave them by the Prime Minister's side.
Right now.
Along the highway, a battered carriage hurtled forward. The driver wore coarse hemp robes, yet they could not hide his upright, imposing figure.
Nor could they conceal his murderous aura.
【I am the eldest son of the Grand General Protecting the State, and also a young general of the battlefield. Today, I am doing something absolutely insane. I am actually speeding along with the current Emperor in my carriage...】
Inside the carriage, Ji Ye kept his eyes closed to rest his mind, completely unbothered by how violently the carriage jolted.
Elder Li was already in Yinhan City, so only Eunuch Wang accompanied him to guard his person on this journey.
Inside the carriage, Eunuch Wang looked at him with a miserable face, his hands hovering in the air as if trying to cushion any bumps, terrified that the Emperor's imperial body might suffer even the slightest jostle.
“Oh, Young General, please slow down! His Majesty's imperial body cannot take such violent jolting!”
“It is fine,” Ji Ye said flatly, his voice calm and unruffled. “The pass of Yinhan City is of paramount importance. In how many days will the Zhenbei Army arrive?”
Eunuch Wang sighed. “They have already been on the march for two days. They will surely arrive within five days.”
Ji Ye nodded and fell silent.
The Kingdom of Liang must have also taken action. He had to reach Yinhan City as soon as possible and secure this pass. After a brief period of rest and reorganization, he would be able to mobilize the strength of the entire nation for the Northern Expedition.
The Emperor leading the expedition in person would serve as a vital reassurance to the soldiers!
The Northern Emperor certainly had not received the news yet. Massive, soaring mountain ranges separated both the Kingdom of Liang and the Tianwu Kingdom from the North.
Relaying information took time. Even if the Kingdom of Liang dispatched messengers to travel day and night without rest, it would still take about a month.
A month was more than enough time for many variables to arise.
Great unity under heaven—I shall be the one to achieve it.
An unprecedented revolution was about to begin. Yet, despite being at the core of this monumental shift, the people within Yinhan City were entirely oblivious; only the City Lord was fully aware of the current situation.
...
Jiang Moran had been enjoying a very leisurely time in the city over the past two days.
In the mornings, he would buy a flatbread from the old woman, leaning against a cypress tree to munch on it while chatting. At noon, he would head to the teahouse with Old Chen to listen to stories, and at night, he would drop by the City Lord's Residence to freeload some fine wine.
Life was exceptionally pleasant, far more interesting than his time spent at that small courtyard by the riverbank.
Furthermore, since he had drunk too much of the plum blossom wine from that young girl's inn, drinking the wines from other shops always felt a little lacking.
Yet another evening arrived, and Jiang Moran went to the City Lord's Residence for wine as usual. Even the guards at the entrance no longer bothered to stop him.
Tsk.
“So unprofessional,” Jiang Moran muttered, walking straight into the City Lord's Residence.
The estate was grand, and he easily navigated his way to the wine cellar. Row upon row of wine barrels lined the walls, the natural chill of the cellar keeping the wine at an excellent quality.
After carefully selecting a barrel, Jiang Moran popped open the lid and took a sip, nodding in satisfaction.
This was the one.
Humming a little tune, he immediately filled his gourd. But as soon as he turned around, he saw the Young City Lord standing at the entrance of the cellar, looking at him with utter helplessness.
Seeing Jiang Moran's carefree and leisurely demeanor, the young man covered his face.
Ever since that day, this powerhouse had come here to fill his wine gourd almost every single night without fail. If any guard tried to stop him, they would end up getting slapped across the face a few times.
“I say, Senior... why are you so fond of drinking?” the Young City Lord couldn't help but ask.
“A jianghu without wine—can that even be called a jianghu?” Jiang Moran smiled, his tone relaxed and easygoing. “What I am drinking is not wine, but the flavor of the martial world. Some drink it bitter, some drink it with sorrow, but I drink it with pure delight.”
The jianghu has flavor, and it can be tasted in wine...
Looking at the man before him, the Young City Lord suddenly found him highly intriguing and couldn't help but smile.
“Thanks for the hospitality, I'll be off now.” Jiang Moran shook the wine gourd in his hand and made a graceful departure.
Seeing that he was about to leave, the Young City Lord finally remembered his original purpose for coming here and hurriedly stepped forward to call out to him.
“Wait, Senior, please hold on for a moment!”
Hearing this, Jiang Moran stopped his footsteps and turned his head back in confusion, waiting for him to continue.
“My father has prepared a banquet tonight. Would Senior do us the honor of joining us for a chat?” the Young City Lord invited sincerely, bowing with cupped hands.
Jiang Moran raised an eyebrow, gave it some thought, and then nodded.
After all, he still held a favor from them.
Following the Young City Lord's lead, Jiang Moran arrived at the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Residence. There were no grand or lavish decorations; only the quiet, cold light of the moon and a table of simple, plain food and drinks.
A middle-aged man sat at the table, a deep, persistent gloom on his face that simply could not be dispelled.
“Father,” the Young City Lord called out as he walked forward.
Only then did the middle-aged man raise his head, the exhaustion in his eyes clearly visible under the moonlight.
“Ah, you must be Young Hero Jiang. Please, have a seat!” the middle-aged man said with a smile, personally pouring a cup of wine for Jiang Moran.
The fact that the City Lord was so approachable caught him somewhat off guard. Almost everyone he had encountered in the city showed great hostility toward these visiting jianghu martial artists.
The three sat down around the table. Without much idle chatter, they simply focused on drinking and eating.
Rather than inviting Jiang Moran for a drink, it was more like the City Lord himself wanted to get drunk. Only when the alcohol started going to his head would the worry on his face disperse slightly, allowing his entire body to relax.
“Young Hero Jiang,” the City Lord suddenly spoke, setting down his cup.
Jiang Moran paused mid-sip, lifting his eyes to look at him.
The City Lord paused, staring forward with blank eyes. His lips parted and closed, but he was unable to utter a word for a long moment, before ultimately letting out a soft sigh.
“Leave this place early.”
Leaving behind these words, the City Lord finished his last gulp of wine, stood up, and walked toward the inner chambers.
Jiang Moran sat in his place, quietly watching his retreating back. The dense sense of loneliness and helplessness radiating from the man was suffocating.
“Tomorrow, all the citizens in the city will be evacuated,” the Young City Lord suddenly murmured in a low voice.
“Yinhan City is located in a highly strategic position—a contested battleground. Remaining here will only throw away the lives of everyone in the city.”
The Young City Lord filled his cup once more. The wine rippled in circles, as if speaking of his inner troubles and helplessness.
Yinhan City—the key to the city's name lay in the word 'yin,' meaning to hide. When it could no longer remain hidden, things were bound to get chaotic.
The non-stop patrols over the past half-month had been nothing but a joke, utterly meaningless. Perhaps sensing this truth, many jianghu figures had grown restless, no longer suppressing their true emotions.
The Young City Lord's grip on his wine cup tightened until his knuckles turned white. Jiang Moran's eyes were as dark as ink, shielding his thoughts from view.
The full moon wore a veil, and a thick, dark night blanketed the entirety of Yinhan City. As Jiang Moran walked out of the City Lord's Residence, this was the first time he returned without bringing any wine.
...
“Why hasn't Master woken up yet?” Ning Qingzhu looked toward the tightly shut bedroom door with a look of worry.
This courtyard had cost them a fortune to rent; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stay overnight within Yinhan City.
Fengqingzi remained perfectly composed. Worrying about someone like Jiang Moran was a feeling only Ning Qingzhu could muster.
“He probably drank too much last night. After all, Senior returned quite late,” he said in a relaxed tone.
“Is that so...” Ning Qingzhu nodded thoughtfully.
As the two of them walked away, the door opened with a soft creak. Jiang Moran stepped out, his hair in complete disarray as he lazily stretched.
Grumble...
His stretch halted. The food he had eaten last night was already fully digested, and he felt a pang of hunger the moment he woke up.
Looking up to check the sky, he saw that it was already close to noon. The old woman's food stall should still be open.
With this in mind, Jiang Moran quickened his pace. He left the courtyard and headed straight for the old woman's flatbread stall. Along the way, he saw that many shops had their doors tightly shut, likely because the owners had already evacuated the city.
Soon enough, Jiang Moran caught the familiar savory scent of meat flatbreads. The old woman's stall was indeed set up right there.
“Old Ma'am, one meat flatbread, please,” Jiang Moran said with a smile as he lined up in front of the stall.
“Alright, young man, please wait a moment,” the old woman nodded in response, though her usual warm smile was missing from her face.
Seeing this, Jiang Moran did not ask further. After all, they had already discussed the evacuation of the citizens during last night's drinks. Under such circumstances, who could possibly smile?
A moment later, the meat flatbread was ready. Jiang Moran paid his money, took the food, and walked toward the cypress tree as usual.
Hm? Jiang Moran paused mid-step, subconsciously looking down.
The snow had piled up beneath the cypress tree. Stepping onto it, his foot sank halfway in, a freezing chill creeping up his trouser leg.
Why was snow beginning to accumulate under this tree?
“Young man, why don't you sit on those steps over there to eat?” the old woman spoke up, a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
“The stubborn old man passed away last night. Some outsiders ran him over in the middle of the night and broke his legs, leaving him to freeze to death in the snow.”
Jiang Moran's hand holding the flatbread froze. He slowly looked up at her, catching the glint of tears in her eyes—the only water in this frozen world that would not turn to ice.
Perhaps because those tears were warm, born of deep sorrow.
Whew! Jiang Moran exhaled a puff of warm air, carrying the heat of the flatbread as it dissipated. He did not choose to sit on the steps to eat; instead, he simply walked along the street.
The flatbread still tasted the same, and the meat was just as savory, but the old woman's hands must have shaken today—the flatbread was a little too salty.
There were far fewer outsiders in Yinhan City now, likely because they knew this place would fall in the near future.
Yet there were still those who simply did not care, continuing to eat, drink, and make merry. Only, because the patrols had ceased, the order on the streets had become somewhat chaotic.
Martial artists brazenly provoked others, and no one cared even if they came to blows. After all, once today passed, this place would become an empty city.
Jiang Moran kicked aside a man holding a sharp spike, stepping right over him as he walked into that inconspicuous tavern.
The tavern had also grown much quieter, with only a small head visible behind the counter.
Jiang Moran leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow at the small head.
“Hey kid, your father actually felt safe letting you run the counter to sell wine?” Jiang Moran teased with a laugh.
But his smile quickly froze. As the little girl raised her head, several long strands of bangs fell over her face, yet they could not hide her red, puffy eyes.
Tear stains still clung to her tiny face, impossible to wipe away, showing faint red marks from where she had rubbed her face too hard.
“Fa... Father... was killed the day before yesterday...” the little girl sobbed. She choked back the tears that wanted to flow, an action she had clearly repeated many times.
“Big... Big Brother... what wine do you want... I'll get it,” she said haltingly between unstoppable hiccups.
The curve of Jiang Moran's lips flattened. Something appeared in the depths of his eyes—something dark, heavy, and profound.
“Plum blossom wine,” Jiang Moran said, though his eyes drifted to the absolute furthest corner of the cabinet inside.
“And another jar of sorghum wine. The expensive one.”
...
When Jiang Moran returned, Fengqingzi was still sparring with Zhang Wuji. However, the latter was clearly no match, completely suppressed and beaten back.
“Little Feng, come try this wine.”
Hearing Jiang Moran's voice, Fengqingzi immediately halted his movements and turned around.
He felt that Senior was a bit unusual today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was off...
The two went to sit at the stone table in the backyard. Jiang Moran set the sorghum wine aside and popped open the jar of plum blossom wine.
A fragrance of wine carrying a crisp chill instantly filled the air.
Fengqingzi's eyes lit up. He had never tasted such wine in the Central Plains, but one whiff was enough to tell him it was top-notch stuff.
Jiang Moran poured a cup and passed it to him.
Fengqingzi took a small sip. The plum blossom fragrance blossomed on his palate, leaving a lingering, wonderful aftertaste.
“Does it taste good?”
Fengqingzi downed the wine in a single gulp, nodding in satisfaction.
“Excellent wine!”
“Is that so?” Jiang Moran stared at his own cup of wine. The deep, heavy shadow in his eyes cracked open, revealing eyes as black and bottomless as an abyss—a void that would swallow everything whole, with no escape.
“Then wouldn't it be a terrible pity if you could never drink it again?”
Rate on N.U.
