"Are there any reliable assassin organizations in the jianghu?"
"What's the price for assassinating Prince Zhong?"
Qi Huan's rapid-fire questions resounded like thunderclaps in Yan Ge's ears.
She gazed at the delicate young lady before her with a complex expression and asked, "Why is Miss Qi inquiring about such matters?"
"To hire an assassin. To kill Prince Zhong."
"Miss Qi, I don't mean to discourage you, but assassinating a prince of the current dynasty is extremely difficult to pull off. Especially since Prince Zhong is surrounded by skilled fighters."
"An assassin would expend considerable effort just dealing with Prince Zhong's guards. Once the Five Cities Military Command arrives, success becomes even more unlikely."
Don't ask how she knew so much - they had attempted assassinations and poisonings before.
Yet, the scourge lived on.
Prince Zhong always managed to survive, escaping danger by a hair's breadth.
After hearing her words, Qi Huan pressed her lips together, falling silent for a moment before finally speaking: "I still want to try."
Seeing her obstinate expression, Yan Ge refrained from further persuasion.
It seemed Miss Qi wasn't unaffected after all, but rather bottling up her emotions. Since she wanted to assassinate Prince Zhong, it was best to indulge her wishes and let her vent.
"The largest assassin organization in the jianghu is the Misty Rain Pavilion. They operate across three countries and have an extensive, well-organized network. As long as you pay enough silver, they'd unflinchingly attempt to assassinate even the emperor. They have a branch in Meizhou. I'll make arrangements for Miss Qi."
When she finished speaking, Qi Huan continued, "Besides assassination, I also want to try poisoning. A two-pronged approach."
"I have a type of medicine here. When ground into powder, is it possible to find a way to add it to Prince Zhong's food?"
"I know Prince Zhong has food tasters. But this medicine itself isn't poisonous, so it won't be detected. Add a few pieces to each meal over several days, and when Prince Zhong drinks heavily, it will trigger the drug's effects."
Cephalosporin with alcohol - a fatal combination.
She returned to her room and brought out ten boxes of cephalosporin, handing them to Yan Ge.
"Also, gold is too heavy for me to carry. Have someone take it to the money exchange to convert it into banknotes. Let the Misty Rain Pavilion handle both the poisoning and the assassination."
Yan Ge accepted the cephalosporin and glanced at the gold ingots. "Miss Qi, the Yunying Caravan will cover the cost of hiring the assassins."
His Highness certainly wouldn't want Miss Qi to spend her own money. As His Highness's most capable subordinate, she couldn't use Miss Qi's funds.
With that, she clasped her hands behind her back, resolutely refusing to accept the gold ingots.
Qi Huan didn't insist. Instead, she turned to gaze at Yan Ge with dewy eyes. "Fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged Sister Yan Ge, can you take me to find Shu?"
Her watery gaze left Yan Ge defenseless.
Yan Ge adored dainty young ladies the most!
Moreover, Miss Qi had called her fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged, and even called her "sister"!
Ah, what to do?
She really wanted to agree!
After an intense internal struggle, Yan Ge finally refused: "Miss Qi, I can't."
"I promise I won't slow you down. ... I keep having nightmares. I can't bear to stay here another moment. Only when I'm on the road looking for him can I feel at ease. I really want... to see him."
Qi Huan tugged at Yan Ge's sleeve, shaking it gently. "Sister Yan Ge, please?"
"Alright... No, absolutely not!"
Yan Ge fled in a panic.
She feared that if she stayed any longer, with Miss Qi's coquettish pleas, she might truly give in...
She went into hiding.
At the same time, she ordered people to strictly guard the courtyard, preventing Qi Huan from sneaking out.
Qi Huan understood that Yan Ge meant well, but she dreamed of a bloodied Shu every night, unable to sleep properly, visibly losing weight.
At night, she lay awake, staring at the canopy, pondering what else she could do for Shu.
Suddenly, there came a rustling sound from the window.
A round, dark shadow tumbled in.
"Sister Qi."
Qi Huan turned to look, and upon recognizing the newcomer, smiled gently. "It's Qing Qing. Why are you still up so late?"
"Sister Qi, are you thinking about Brother Li?"
Yan Qing looked at her with concern and said, "Sister Qi, you're not eating or sleeping well. Do you want to go find Brother Li?"
"Yes, I miss him."
Through the many walls, across vast mountains and waters, Qi Huan gazed in the direction of Meizhou, her eyes brimming with endless longing.
"Sister Qi, I'll help you."
"I'll take you to find Brother Li."
"I don't understand all the big principles they talk about. I just know that I want Sister Qi to be happy."
Tears welled up in Qi Huan's eyes as she smiled and patted Yan Qing's little head. "Thank you, Qing Qing. But you're still young..."
Understanding that she was concerned for her safety, Yan Qing quickly rolled up her sleeve, showing off the muscles on her arm. "Sister Qi, I may be young, but I'm very strong!"
"And I've learned many skills from my two masters. I can protect myself and you too."
Yan Qing pulled two papers from her bosom. "Sister Qi, I stole our travel permits. The rain has stopped tonight. Shall we set off?"
Moonlight filtered through the window lattice into the room, falling on the yellowed thin papers, exuding an immense temptation.
Qi Huan's mind raced, rationally considering all aspects of the situation.
She had her spatial ability, enough to protect herself.
She could also protect Yan Qing.
After finding Shu, she could help him evade the assassins' encirclement and quietly move him to a safe place.
Having sorted out her thoughts, Qi Huan immediately dressed, quickly packed some belongings, left a note, and said to Yan Qing:
"Qing Qing, do you remember my identity?"
"I remember, you're a little fairy!"
She smiled with satisfaction. "That's right. So, sister is going to entrust you with a magical item. If you keep it safe, sister can hide inside and sneak out with you."
"Yay!" Yan Qing clapped her hands excitedly.
Qi Huan first stored her luggage in her spatial pocket, then removed the necklace from her neck and solemnly handed it to her.
"The courtyard is heavily guarded. Leaving in the middle of the night would raise suspicion. You should sneak back first. Tomorrow, when Yan Ge and the others discover I'm missing, you ask for a fast horse, pretending to go look for me. Then we'll leave the city."
"Okay."
Yan Qing committed her words to memory, carefully accepted the necklace, and reverently wore it around her neck.
The next day.
Yan Ge hummed a tune as she approached Qi Huan's door with light steps, a long-absent smile on her face.
Prince Zhong was finally dead!
She wanted to share this unexpected good news with Miss Qi.
Hopefully, upon hearing it, Miss Qi would cheer up, eat well, and put on some weight.
Otherwise, when His Highness returned and saw Miss Qi's gaunt appearance, she would surely be the first to face his wrath.
Yan Ge knocked for a long time, but there was no response.
"Miss Qi, are you awake?"
...
"Miss Qi, I'm coming in, okay?"
...
After calling out several times, she pressed her ear against the door to listen closely, only to find complete silence within.
A sense of foreboding crept into Yan Ge's heart. She pushed open the door, but there wasn't a trace of anyone inside.
She felt the bed—it was ice cold.
On the table lay a note: "Don't follow."
Yan Ge hurriedly summoned her secret guards to inquire, but there were no clues to be found.
She immediately dispatched people to chase towards the city gates, but not only did they fail to catch up with Miss Qi, they even lost another person in the process.
