247 At the Same Time (1/2)

Chapter 247: At the Same Time

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

The team of three killers thought that this mission would be unfruitful. If Slave Huan and Maid Lotus had not suicided off the cliff, they would be hiding in an unknown place within Jade City. It was impossible that they were still in the Stone Castle, where there were surveillance round the clock and no place for them to hide.

The team, however, had spent an entire night searching East Castle for a killer named Liuhua. The last area they had not searched was Reincarnation Cliff, after searching which they knew they would probably face reprimand because it was likely that Liuhua had also suicided off the cliff, meaning that they would return empty-handed.

They first checked Reincarnation Cliff and Giant Rock Cliff, within which they combed through every single possible hiding spot. They did not do things half-heartedly despite it being a pointless mission.

Finally, they searched the Arrow Tower.

As per their usual practice, one killer guarded the door while the other two entered the tower. They found nothing except dust on the ground floor, and subsequently climbed the stairs in a single file to reach one of the upper floors.

Slave Huan was sitting beneath a road-facing window and smiling at them.

The killers were startled and pulled their sabers out in unison. ”Where's Maid Lotus?”, one of them questioned.

”Behind you.”

Before Gu Shenwei had completed his answer, one of the killers' face had already stiffened. Just as the other killer turned his head, his expressions froze as well.

Maid Lotus disappeared for a while but quickly returned to the upper floor. Right as she did so, the two killers collapsed and tumbled to the bottom of the tower.

Maid Lotus' concealment ability was all along better than Gu Shenwei's. To most people, she was merely a rather outstanding female killer. Few knew that her swordcraft was of the highest level. The three killers were caught completely off guard and assassinated.

”We have to find another place.”

As Maid Lotus carried Gu Shenwei on to her back, she caught a glance of the saber and two swords leaning against a wall. She took the sword carved with the word ”Yun”, which she had given to Slave Huan, and left the other weapons where they were. She knew that there was no need to destroy the evidence - they would be quickly and completely exposed now that the three killers were dead.

Gu Shenwei took a final look at his saber and sword.

As it was currently daytime, they would not able to elude the guards in the castle no matter how good their Lightness Skills were. Maid Lotus thus chose a dangerous route. She walked towards the south along the edge of the peak, of which there were several sections which they needed to climb the cliff walls to pass through. There was a moment when Gu Shenwei thought about dragging her off the cliff and dying together, but it was nothing more than a passing thought, for he still needed her to take revenge on his behalf.

The southeastern section of Stone Castle was relatively desolate and contained several portions of wasteland. From here, Maid Lotus turned to travel towards the west. The southwestern section was where the compound inhabited by the servants was, and the large number of people there meant that the duo would be more likely to be seen. Maid Lotus snappily lowered Slave Huan on to the ground and the duo proceeded shoulder to shoulder. As they had put on the killers' black clothes, nobody dared to check on them or recognized these two seemingly ordinary killers.

When they reached the western side of the cliff, Maid Lotus raised Gu Shenwei on to her back once again and took a turn towards the north. Gu Shenwei finally understood what her destination was.

The duo had taken a huge detour from the easternmost Reincarnation Cliff to the westernmost Ghost Cliff.

The place contained symbolic meaning for both of them. Firewood Yard was only a wall away from here, while Slave Yao, who suffered from qigong deviation, had died here and his body was thrown off the cliff.

Gu Shenwei had taken great pains to purge the Peripheral Forces from his body. Despite being afraid of death, he seemed completely indifferent now that death was at hand, and even felt considerably more relaxed and easy.

Maid Lotus was a little exhausted from the non-stop journeying. Gu Shenwei saw as a layer of fine sweat seeped out from her neck when he suddenly suffered from a prankish impulse. Just as she stepped on to the ground of Ghost Cliff, he gently kissed her on the neck.

As if she was the one who suffered a qigong deviation, Maid Lotus reacted like she had been sneak attacked by a snake. She instantly flung the youth on to the ground and pulled out her sword. ”You...”

”I couldn't control myself, but you don't have to spare my life for that.”

Maid Lotus had a frosty look on her face. ”It would be useless even if I do, for I cannot resolve your qigong deviation.”

Gu Shenwei walked to the edge of the cliff with his back facing Maid Lotus, and smiled as he peered at the cloudy mist in the distance. Having received special training in Carvewood Academy, Maid Lotus was certainly not sensitive to physical contact with the opposite sex. What her reaction did reveal was her true feelings toward him.

She remained silent behind him, but when she opened her mouth once again, she was ablaze with anger, unlike her usual calm and collected demeanor. ”I shall go kill Luo Ningcha.”

Gu Shenwei turned around in surprise, and could not understand where her abrupt anger came from.

”She killed Maid Cui. I cannot let her off just like that.”

Maid Lotus offered a completely unnecessary explanation and subsequently ran off without waiting for Gu Shenwei's response. She leaped on to the roof of Firewood Yard and made her way towards the Eighth Young Master's forecourt to perform a kill in broad daylight.

Gu Shenwei could only roughly understand what was weighing on her mind, but he had no time to ponder over it. He took out the Wayless Book the moment she disappeared. The seventh chapter, which Shangguan Ru had sent, was still intact. He carefully read through it and memorized an outline.

There would probably be a chance to save himself if he practiced it for the coming month or so. Gu Shenwei's heart began to palpitate. He would have calmly accepted his fate if he had no choices to make. But he did not want to sit and await death, seeing as there was a possibility to live on.

Maid Lotus was at ease about leaving him alone on Ghost Cliff because she was certain that he would not dare to seek help from people in the castle, and furthermore, because he did not have the Internal Strength to run away.