The Aloof and Pure-Hearted Killer: She Was Just an Accident
Northwest of Lin Yue City, Moon-Cutting Mountain.
The wind howled through the dense forest, finally whining as it swept away the dust stirred up by footsteps.
Fang Xun’gui returned under the moonlight to the place where he had lived for sixteen years—
Blood-Severing Pavilion.
Outside the imposing redwood gate stood ten guards, swords in hand.
With a cold expression, Fang Xun’gui removed the jade pendant from his waist and presented the side engraved with the characters “Zhan Kong” to the guard captain.
The guard captain quickly verified Fang Xun’gui’s identity, his eyes widening in astonishment.
He bowed his head in respect and opened the gate.
Zhan Kong walked with practiced ease along the silent path, heading deep into the complex until he reached a tall tower.
Severing Blood Pagoda—a place accessible only to the Pavilion Master and the killers on the Celestial Ranking.
After verifying his identity once more, he ascended the eighteen-story pagoda. The tenth floor was Zhan Kong’s destination.
Behind the redwood square table at the center of the tenth floor, Zhan Yan had been yawning lazily. When she saw Zhan Kong standing before her, her enchanting eyes widened in surprise.
It took Zhan Yan a moment to react before she chuckled softly:
“As expected of Zhan Kong. I thought you had died at the hands of the Netherworld Hall.”
Zhan Kong’s expression remained unchanged, his voice cold and rigid:
“I’m here to deliver the mission report.”
Zhan Yan had been leaning back lazily behind the wooden desk. Hearing Zhan Kong’s words, she leaned forward curiously:
“The mission is complete? All three hundred Netherworld assassins from the northwest branch of the Netherworld Hall, including that formidable branch master ‘You Ye’—you killed them all?”
“All of them.”
“My heavens…”
Zhan Yan drew a sharp breath.
Blood-Severing Pavilion was the most renowned assassin organization in the martial world. Besides them, the Netherworld Hall was also a force not to be underestimated.
Several months ago, the Netherworld Hall, which had previously kept to itself, suddenly began expanding its territory. Its first branch was established on Moon-Cutting Mountain, northwest of Lin Yue City.
This was clearly a provocation against Blood-Severing Pavilion.
The Pavilion Master assigned the task of purging the Netherworld Hall branch to Zhan Kong.
Only to Zhan Kong.
It was common knowledge within the pavilion that Zhan Kong and the Pavilion Master had always been at odds.
“The Pavilion Master wants to use this opportunity to eliminate Zhan Kong.”
Everyone understood this without saying it aloud.
Yet Zhan Kong accepted the mission without uttering another word.
Five days ago, Blood-Severing Pavilion received news that only 299 corpses remained at the Netherworld Hall branch.
Zhan Kong had been pursued by the sole surviving branch master, “You Ye,” and his whereabouts were unknown.
“Consider him dead.”
The Pavilion Master uttered these words lightly before turning and leaving.
No one knew whether the Pavilion Master was referring to You Ye or Zhan Kong.
Until tonight, when Zhan Kong returned.
Zhan Yan studied the still icy-faced Zhan Kong with curiosity and asked:
“Have you been hunting You Ye these past five days?”
Zhan Kong was famously swift in delivering mission reports, always returning to the pavilion immediately after completing a task without delay.
This time, after the Netherworld Hall branch was purged, Zhan Kong returned only five days later. Zhan Yan could only think of one possibility: “hunting You Ye.”
It made sense—You Ye was incredibly powerful, and Zhan Kong’s task of eliminating over two hundred people from the entire branch was no small feat.
Hunting for five days, while not in line with Zhan Kong’s usual style, was still plausible.
Zhan Yan smiled as she marked the record book: “Congratulations. I didn’t expect you to return to the pavilion alive.”
She stamped the book with her personal seal and looked up again.
Zhan Yan’s expression shifted.
She examined the fine stitching on Zhan Kong’s clothes, lost in thought.
After a long while, a slow smile spread across her lips.”So it wasn’t because you were chasing You Ye…”
The woman let out a charming, coquettish laugh and said playfully:
“No wonder you always act so detached and emotionless. I thought you were truly heartless, but it turns out someone is sharing the mundane life with you.”
Zhan Kong coldly stared at Zhan Yan’s ambiguous smile and said in a low voice:
“No.”
Zhan Yan shook her finger with a smile:
“Hey, Zhan Kong, I may not match you in combat and assassination, but when it comes to observation and reading people, you’re far behind me.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You didn’t request your payment before taking on the mission, and you’ve never been someone who cares about material things. But look at these clothes—tsk tsk, the stitching, the clever repairs—this isn’t something you can get by paying the best seamstress.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, someone carefully washed the bloodstains off your clothes and mended the tears. Most importantly…”
Zhan Yan drew out her words, watching Zhan Kong’s unchanged expression.
With a half-smile, she stated her conclusion:
“Zhan Kong, this friend of yours knows who you are, yet doesn’t resist or fear you. And you—you actually allowed this unknown friend to get close to you and mend your clothes. My, my, who would have thought our cold-blooded killer, First on the Celestial Ranking, would have such good fortune… Zhan Kong, tell me, what kind of girl is she?”
Zhan Kong remained silent, not uttering a word, his grip tightening on his sword sheath.
He felt as if all the blood in his body had turned cold.
How could he have made such a mistake?
Zhan Yan continued on her own:
“Right, you grew up in the Blood-Severing Pavilion, never leaving the mountain except for missions. The Pavilion Master never had Zhan Xi investigate your personal connections. Who would have thought, Zhan Kong, that you’d have such a tender haven outside the pavilion…”
Zhan Kong coldly and sharply interrupted Zhan Yan:
“No, it was just an accident. Give me the payment for this mission. I still need to go down the mountain to pay her.”
Zhan Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise:
“Pay whom? Zhan Kong, you didn’t actually pay someone to mend your clothes, did you? Hahahaha… This is too amusing. Zhan Kong, the expression on your face right now—I’ve never seen you like this before.”
Zhan Yan doubled over with laughter. It took a long while before she turned around under Zhan Kong’s murderous gaze and retrieved a money pouch.
“Here, your payment—three hundred taels. Is that enough to pay that kind seamstress?”
“She’s not a seamstress.”
Zhan Kong took the money pouch and replied coldly.
Zhan Yan’s smile faded slightly.
She looked into Zhan Kong’s deep, frost-covered eyes, which now held a trace of barely noticeable panic.
Zhan Yan restrained her smile, as if suddenly thinking of something, then let out a scoff. She bent down and rummaged through a nearby cabinet, pulling out a black cloak.
She tossed the cloak onto Zhan Kong:
“Can’t even take a joke? How boring. Hurry up and leave. The night chill is heavy—wrap up tightly. Don’t let the wind get to your injury-riddled body. What would the Pavilion Master think if he saw you like this?”
After saying this, Zhan Yan waved her hand impatiently and returned to her initial lazy, drowsy demeanor.
Zhan Kong took the cloak and stood still for a moment, his eyes filled with confusion and doubt.
But a few seconds later, Zhan Kong suppressed all expression, unfolded the cloak, and wrapped it tightly around himself.
“Thank you.”
He whispered to Zhan Yan, then turned and quickly left the Severing Blood Pagoda.Zhan Yan lowered her eyes. At this moment, no one could detect the touch of emotion in her charming and affectionate gaze.
Zhan Kong…
I can only help you this far.
From now on, it’s up to you to protect what you hold dear.
…
In the desolate courtyard, Yuyi Yue watched the events unfolding around Fang Xun’gui through the projection of the Stellar Eye.
As the projection ended, the Stellar Eye couldn’t help but ask Yuyi Yue:
[Master, the way Zhan Yan looks at Fang Xun’gui is so subtle. Does she like him?]
Yuyi Yue shook her head, smiling faintly as she replied:
[She really is a good person.]