Cold Blade, Warm Wine - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Assassin carried me all the way back to the inn. I didn’t dare make a sound, continuing to play the part of a limp rag.

He tossed me onto the inner side of the bed and said resentfully, “So disobedient. You deserve a beating.”

My heart constricted in fear.

My hands were pinned above my head as the Assassin leaned down, pressing his weight against me.

I felt a sudden coolness on my lips. This was a real kiss-gentle and protective, as if whispering the most romantic thing in the world. It made me tremble; it made my heart throb.

Then, he slowly applied more pressure, the kiss becoming wanton and lingering.

Only when I was nearly out of breath did the Assassin finally pull away with visible restraint.

As a punishment, he gave my lip a sharp nip before burying his head in the crook of my neck. “Marrying and having children is impossible for me in this lifetime,” he declared, “and don’t you even think about it either. We’ll just stay entangled like this forever.”

Me: …

Was this still that cold-faced gentleman?

***

That misty scene returned.

My brother was pulling me along, running for our lives. I looked down; my legs were so short. I reached out my hand; it was so small and tender, like a child of about three.

The flash of swords and the shadow of blades were everywhere. The hidden guards protecting our retreat fell one by one. Uncle Bi, my father’s confidant, risked his life to clear a path for us.

At the edge of a cliff, with nowhere left to retreat, the enemy surrounded us with bows drawn.

Jumping was the only chance for survival, so our group leaped together.

That sensation of weightlessness from the rapid fall terrified me, and I began to wail, “Mother… Mother!”

Someone reached out to embrace me, and I fell into a firm, warm hug.

That person gently patted my back. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just a dream. It’s okay, I’m here.”

The dream clashed with reality. I couldn’t tell which was real and which was false, but the sense of security made me sink into it. I let my mind go blank and burrowed into the embrace before me, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

***

From the moment I descended the mountain, I was destined to face danger head-on.

I sent a secret letter to Zhishen regarding the brothel on East Street.

On my way back, I realized I was being followed. Several groups were pursuing me.

After swallowing a pill, I ducked quickly into a dark alley.

However, I saw the Madam from East Street standing in the shadows, her lips curled in a faint smile.

A cloud of powder was thrown toward me. Before I lost consciousness, my last thought was: *A perfect trap for a turtle in a jar.*

***

A bottle was brought close to my nose. I startled and woke up instantly.

What met my eyes was a dim hall. A person sat on a high seat at the front, their back to the firelight.

The flickering torches on the pillars were like fireflies in the wilderness-insignificant.

It was impossible to see who was sitting in the hall.

Putting on such a mysterious act.

I guessed that this person held a high position and was likely the Hall Master of the Assassin Hall.

I stood up nonchalantly and found a place to sit.

The Hall Master let out an eerie, eccentric laugh. “Interesting. You actually take after your father a bit.”

I remained calm. “Adjutant Xia, you flatter me.”

The Hall Master choked for a moment. “So you really do know,” he said, his voice turning vicious.

Then, he feigned a gentle smile. “When you were young, I used to hold you.”

He was temperamental; I couldn’t be bothered to deal with him.

The Hall Master wasn’t annoyed. He chuckled softly. “There’s a child in my Hall who ran out to find you and had so much fun he forgot to come back. I sent people to bring him home, and guess what? He actually killed them. Tsk, tsk… he’s really been corrupted by you.”

“This hellhole of yours doesn’t deserve to be called a home,” I said with disdain.

He didn’t seem to care. “I’ve sent word to him, saying you’re here as a guest. Listen, he’s here.”

The heavy doors creaked open, and the Assassin walked in. Ignoring everyone else, he looked straight at me.

I nodded to show I was unharmed. Only then did he give a slight nod and take a seat in the chair beside me.

The Hall Master gave a strange laugh. “Well, everyone is here.”

“Indeed. The Three Heroes of back then,” I spoke calmly. “Two were murdered by you. Fortunately, their descendants are still here to claim your life.”

“What did you say?” The Hall Master’s face paled with shock. He clutched his chest and began to gasp for air. The guards beside him hurried forward to give him medicine, and he only settled down after taking it.

“What else do you know? Tell me everything,” the Hall Master said sinisterly.

I spoke indifferently. “Years ago, when the imperial court was moving palaces, a shipment of gold and jewels was intercepted by the reckless Black Wind Fort during transport. Grand General Situ and his lieutenant led the army to crush them. You, as the adjutant, grew greedy for those treasures. The night before the treasures were to be handed over, you pretended to celebrate with your brothers, but you used poisoned wine to hunt down the two sworn brothers who treated you like their own sibling-all just to embezzle the wealth.”

My hand gripped the armrest so hard my knuckles turned white without me realizing it. It wasn’t until a warm, broad palm covered the back of my hand that I slightly relaxed my grip.

I turned my head to look at the Assassin. “Ye Wuchang is actually Situ Mo, the son of Grand General Situ, isn’t he?”

The Assassin-no, from this moment on, he should be called Situ Mo-remained completely unfazed upon hearing his true identity!

“Fine, so you’ve investigated everything after all,” the Hall Master shrieked. With a wave of his hand, men stepped forward to lock the main doors. “Today, not a single one of you will leave here alive.”

The assassins within the hall lunged forward. Situ Mo charged with his blade, ruthlessly harvesting them like weeds.

The Hall Master took out a bell and began to shake it.

“Clang, clang, clang…”

Situ Mo’s movements suddenly stiffened. Cold sweat poured down his face as if he were suffering a devastating blow.

Yet, he forced himself to endure it until he struck down the final opponent. Then, his knees gave way, and he collapsed to the floor.

Terror gripped my heart. I rushed over to him, but no matter how I tried, I couldn’t help him up. All strength had left his body; his face was deathly pale, and sweat dripped from his brow.

“I can’t move.” Situ Mo’s voice remained flat, but I could tell he had reached his absolute limit.

I held him carefully in my arms. His head tilted, and blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth, the flow growing more heavy by the second.

“Are you poisoned? I didn’t detect it last time.” Overwhelmed with self-reproach, my hands shook as I reached out to check his pulse.

He pressed down on my hand and shook his head. The light in his eyes was fading, looking as though it might flicker out at any moment.

“It’s no use. Listen to me… all my belongings are buried under the osmanthus tree at the peak of Green Mountain. They’re all yours. You must… stay alive.”

My eyes grew red with tears.

“Tsk, tsk. Such deep affection!” The Hall Master clapped his hands and descended from the dais.

“Such a fine blade. I was always reluctant to discard you, but you forced my hand. Did you think that after training you for so many years, I wouldn’t have a backup plan? Impossible. You are more outstanding than anyone else, so naturally, I had to be more ruthless.”

“Little nephew, can we talk about the treasure of Green Mountain now?” Believing the threat was neutralized, the Hall Master signaled for his guards to step back. He trusted no one.

“In the Hantan Cave on Green Mountain. I’ll give it all to you, everything!” My voice trembled, bordering on madness. “Save him first! Save him!”

Satisfied, the Hall Master stood up and said soothingly, “There’s no rush. Stress is bad for the health. Don’t worry, he won’t have to suffer much longer. He’ll be free soon.”

He picked up the bell and suddenly crushed it with his internal energy. Before it shattered, the bell let out a sharp, piercing cry.

Situ Mo coughed up a mouthful of blood and went still.

With shaking hands, I checked for his breath. There was none. I felt for a heartbeat. Nothing.

He was dead.

It felt as if my brain had been struck by a heavy club. I forgot how to think; I forgot how to breathe.

The Hall Master relished the sight. He crouched down with a smile to look at Situ Mo.

“Why must the people of your Situ Family be so strong? You alone enjoyed the Emperor’s favor. But look, in the end, didn’t you all die by my hand?”

Suddenly, the breathless, deathly pale Situ Mo snapped his eyes open. Faster than his eyes were his hands; with lightning speed, he reached out and dislocated both of the Hall Master’s shoulders.

“I’ve finally found an opportunity after all these years. You have secret passages hidden behind your seat and flee at the first sign of danger. It wasn’t easy to lure you down here.” Situ Mo calmly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His arms useless, the Hall Master retreated in terror. “Impossible… impossible! You clearly have the Child Gu inside you!”

“Are you looking for this?” Situ Mo pulled out a palm-sized glass bottle containing bright red blood. Because the Gu parasite had released its toxin upon hearing the bell, the blood had begun to turn black.

Situ Mo threw the bottle to the ground. It shattered instantly, revealing a snow-white insect.

Deprived of the nourishment of blood, the insect writhed frantically. Situ Mo fired three throwing daggers, slicing the creature into mincemeat.

He looked at it with pure disgust. “To keep you from getting suspicious, I fed it with my own blood every day. Finally, I can chop this disgusting thing to pieces.”

“How did you get it out?” The Hall Master was in disbelief.

“Remember the last time you triggered it to warn me? That allowed me to confirm its location, so I carved it out.” Situ Mo’s expression was cold.

I thought back to the wound on his waist from before. He had stabbed himself. This man was truly ruthless.

“Guards! Guards!” The Hall Master was terrified, shrieking like a ghost.

Situ Mo simply opened the main doors for him.

Outside the hall stood a dense formation of soldiers.

“How… how can this be?” the Hall Master muttered in despair.

I spoke up. “I wasn’t actually drugged. I left markers all along the way.”

Situ Mo added, “I ran into them at the foot of the mountain and brought them up with me.”

Zhishen stepped inside.

“Why are there two Su Zhishens?” The Hall Master was stunned.

I removed my disguise. “I am Su Yanqian.”

“Impossible! When the family was massacred years ago, the younger twin sister clearly perished in the fire with her mother!” the Hall Master shrieked.

“My wet nurse swapped her own daughter with me.” This was the memory I hated most. Situ Mo took my hand, helping me shoulder half the pain.

“All these years, I kept my eyes on Green Mountain, never imagining there was a double secretly making moves outside. I miscalculated one step and lost the whole game… I lost everything!”

The Hall Master had gone mad, but his retribution had only just begun.

I had already administered the Heart-Eroding Poison to him. Starting every night at midnight, his heart would feel as if it were being gnawed by ten thousand ants for a full hour. He would endure this agonizing pain until the day he died.

The suffering Situ Mo endured-it was only right that he should taste it as well.