010 The Foolish Assassin.
Early the next morning.
As dawn barely broke, the inn waiter carried steaming breakfast upstairs. Just as he was about to knock on one guest room door, he spotted two indistinct blobs—one purple and one white—crouched outside the adjacent door.
…What were those?
The waiter carefully set down his tray and tremblingly extended a finger to poke the white blob.
The white blob squirmed, slowly lifting its head to reveal a face with dark circles under its eyes, looking as if it had died miserably two days prior. The waiter’s heart skipped a beat in fright. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the fugitive crown prince Qi Guyuan.
If that was the case… then the purple blob beside Qi Guyuan must be that ruthless Female Devil, right?
Qi Guyuan looked utterly lifeless, swaying drowsily.
He was deeply distressed. Last night, he had mustered his courage to sleep alone in his room. But the two people hanging outside his window had wailed mournfully all night, even breaking into heartbreaking songs of homesickness at emotional moments.
Unable to bear it, he considered secretly releasing them. But when he pushed open the window, the two began writhing as if injected with adrenaline, snarling: “How can you still sleep peacefully? Once we escape here, we’ll personally kill you.”
So Qi Guyuan closed the window again.
In the latter half of the night, the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. He felt that as a crown prince whose only qualities were being exceptionally talented, quick-witted, handsome, and perceptive—with no other practical skills—dying here would be far too unjust.
But clearly, he couldn’t sleep with Xie Diao either, as that might lead to an even quicker death.
After some deliberation, Qi Guyuan decided to settle for the next best option: sleeping with Nan Yao.
When he carried his quilt to Nan Yao’s door and knocked repeatedly with no response, he turned around to discover a purple blob already crouched outside Xie Diao’s door.
The purple blob lifted a face full of despair and pitiful charm, gave him a miserable glance, then retracted its head: “Wah.”
She had failed.
Failed completely.
Her “Make a Man Devoted to You in Three Days” technique had successfully shortened her lifespan to three days.
Yet even so, as the Savior, Nan Yao persistently kept watch outside the Evil Seed’s door, guarding the citizens of Nameless City.
Just as the waiter was pondering how to persuade these two slightly unsightly blobs to return to their rooms, the door creaked open.
Xie Diao leaned against the doorframe, glanced down at the white and purple blobs at his feet, then stepped over them and headed downstairs.
The waiter then watched as the two blobs slowly turned to watch Xie Diao’s departing figure, sniffling pitifully on the floor like helpless chicks watching their mother hen striding far ahead—a truly heartbreaking sight.
“You two can stand up,” the waiter reminded them.
“Don’t interfere with me,” Nan Yao whined, feeling the waiter didn’t understand men. “I’m acting cute.”
Hearing this, Xie Diao paused and leaned against the staircase railing to observe Nan Yao’s movements.
…Being watched made Nan Yao freeze. Feeling somewhat awkward, she tentatively asked: “Why did you stop walking?”
“Admiring the cuteness act,” Xie Diao said.
Being watched like this, Nan Yao found she couldn’t even pretend to be pitiful anymore. She crouched on the ground in contemplation for a moment, then stood up, dusted off her skirt, and headed downstairs as if nothing had happened: “I’m going to eat first then.”
The two of them left one after another, leaving only Qi Guyuan still crouching on the floor.
The waiter finally understood men: “I see, you want to keep acting pitiful to make them feel guilty and unable to bear leaving you? As expected of someone close to the Crown Prince, you really know how to endure hardship for revenge.”
“What are you analyzing?”
Qi Guyuan gritted his teeth: “I’ve been crouching so long I can’t stand up. Come help me already.”
After Qi Guyuan limped downstairs and took his seat at the table, he noticed the atmosphere had become rather strange.
Nan Yao, who had been full of energy since yesterday, was now resting her chin in her hand, pushing rice around in her bowl with her chopsticks, her brows slightly furrowed.
Xie Diao scooped a spoonful of rice soup.
Nan Yao said: “Ah, look at this rice. It grew so vibrantly, full of hopes and dreams for the future, never imagining it would be eaten in just a moment. As for who ate it, I won’t say.”
Xie Diao picked up some cold shredded chicken.
Nan Yao said: “Ah, look at this chicken. It was eagerly looking forward to the rest of its life, living vigorously with all its might, never imagining it would be treated so cruelly. As for who ate it, I won’t say.”
Xie Diao picked up some fish.
Nan Yao said: “Look at this fish—”
Xie Diao put down his chopsticks.
Nan Yao: “Look at these chopsticks.”
Xie Diao rested his hand on his sword.
Nan Yao turned and called out: “Waiter! What’s the meaning of serving such bland food first thing in the morning? Bring me braised pork knuckle in soy sauce, marinated chicken drumsticks, and a bowl of egg fried rice—and the eggs must be from that same chicken whose drumsticks we’re eating.”
Thus, the situation developed into: a well-fed Xie Diao leisurely making sarcastic remarks nearby, while a trembling Nan Yao fearfully enjoyed her lavish meal.
Nan Yao cautiously took a sip of congee.
“Look, who’s about to die.” Xie Diao drawled, mimicking Nan Yao’s tone, “I won’t say.”
Qi Guyuan couldn’t stand watching anymore and asked Nan Yao: “Why are you being so careful today?”
Nan Yao sobbed between sips of congee: “Because I only have three days left to live.”
Qi Guyuan had a moment of understanding, but soon became confused again: “Weren’t there still ten days left before we went to our rooms to rest yesterday? How did it become three days today?”
Nan Yao didn’t want to answer.
Seeing her remain silent, Qi Guyuan tactfully didn’t press further. He ate a few mouthfuls of congee before voicing another confusion: “Have you considered that maybe you could pay extra?”
…?
Is that how it works?
Can you extend your life by paying more?
Hearing this, Nan Yao felt as if she had been reborn, looking at Xie Diao with hopeful eyes.
Xie Diao rested his arm on the chair, fingers rhythmically tapping the backrest. Meeting Nan Yao’s gaze without even blinking, he straightforwardly calculated for her: “Fifty taels of gold plus thirty taels for protection fee. Minimum ten-day payment, no credit.”
Nan Yao now fully understood what Qi Guyuan had meant when he said “good thing I’m rich.”
She thought this might be the most business-savvy villain she had ever encountered in her life. To be able to scheme so thoroughly, be so ruthlessly calculating, and hold grudges to such an extreme was truly admirable.
So Nan Yao said: “I’ll take the monthly package first.”
After paying, Nan Yao felt dazed, thinking that Xie Diao truly lived up to his reputation as the most terrifying existence in the mortal realm. How could he make someone willingly spend money and still feel like they had profited?
How could there be such a scheming person!
But no matter what, Nan Yao, having regained a new lease on life, was in high spirits.
In good spirits, she ate with relish. As usual, while eating, she took out the Book of Wishes and browsed the forum. She skillfully switched the page to the “Gossip and Anecdotes” section to see if the homepage would push any gossip about her three uncles today.
However—
[“Tragic Love! A notorious death row inmate slaughtered an entire city for one person, wailing bitterly in the heavy rain; the crown prince lost his beloved but could only endure the pain and watch from the sidelines—truly deserving of his fate. Redemption and hope, what kind of ending will the three ultimately face?”]
[“Ill-Fated Love! Enraged for a beauty, the sinful crown prince and the death row inmate clashed over an unknown woman, just to spend a night with her? Who will emerge victorious? Stay tuned!”]
[“Thrilling! Why does a seemingly peaceful breakfast hide undercurrents? Is it loyalty? Betrayal? Or that detestable jealousy? How could a crown prince stoop so low as to fight over an innocent young girl!”]
Nan Yao stared at these posts that had stirred up a storm in the forum and fell into deep contemplation.
First, we can determine that there is only one crown prince.
And only one death row inmate.
So, could the innocent young girl be referring to me?
Qi Guyuan swallowed a tea egg whole, his cheeks bulging as he chewed with difficulty. Noticing Nan Yao staring motionlessly at the Book of Wishes, he curiously leaned over to take a look. When he saw those shocking headlines, his chewing stopped.
Who!
Who has ruined my lifelong reputation!
A glance at the poster—”An Unknown Cold-Blooded Killer.”
Nan Yao remained calm because, based on her analysis, these posts were not targeting her: “I think this killer must hold the most resentment toward you, Your Highness. Look, his words carry such strong emotions—can you feel it?”
Qi Guyuan could feel it.
He couldn’t bear it.
He had to uncover the villain hiding in the shadows, fabricating these stories.
After some analysis, Qi Guyuan deduced from the false rumor about “breakfast” that the killer must be in this tavern; otherwise, they couldn’t have known such details. But after yesterday’s big battle, no one had the leisure to come to the tavern for a meal.
So currently, aside from them, the only people in the tavern were the waiter serving tea and water, and Xiao Huang, who was munching on peanuts.
First, rule out Xiao Huang.
The waiter had no motive for the crime.
Then, the truth could only be one: the killer must be that unknown person hiding in the corner, wearing a black hood, who ordered a pot of tea and had been drinking it all morning!
Qi Guyuan immediately called the waiter over: “Go ask where that person in the corner is from.”
The waiter was used to this group’s sudden whims. He agreed, walked over to the unknown person, exchanged a few words, and then returned to reply: “Well, that young lady says she’s not a killer.”
“…”
But no one had even asked her that!
Thus, moments later, the unknown killer was forced to sit before the group.
“Take off your hood.” Qi Guyuan wore an unusually stern expression for the first time, deliberately lowering his voice to sound more intimidating. “Let me see exactly what kind of coward doesn’t dare show their true face.”
The assassin seemed inclined to stubbornly refuse, but when her peripheral vision caught Xie Diao—who had no interest in the matter and was borrowing a cloth to wipe his blade—she shuddered and obediently removed her hood.
Beneath the hood was a clean, pale face.
It really was a young woman.
Her brows carried a hint of heroic spirit, and with no makeup, she appeared neat and capable.
Qi Guyuan froze. “It’s you?”
The girl said, “It’s me.”
Just as Nan Yao thought there might be some lingering, complicated love story between them, Qi Guyuan pointed at the girl and exclaimed, “So it’s you! That idiot assassin who disguised herself as a courtesan to try and kill me, only to be seen through immediately!”
The idiot assassin flushed with anger. “I did not!”
“Why are you here?”
“To earn money.”
“Why aren’t you an assassin anymore?”
“Unemployed.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“Enter the mountains.”
“Why enter the mountains?”
“Friend danger knife save.”
“Oh, so we happen to be going the same way.”
Nan Yao couldn’t help interrupting, “I can understand everything else, but what is ‘friend danger save knife’?”
Qi Guyuan explained, “You’re so dumb. She means her friends and family are in danger because they’ve been captured by my imperial uncle’s people, so she needs to find the Soulslay Blade in the Demon Realm to save them.”
“? Do you think that makes sense?”
The idiot assassin nodded. “Correct.”
Nan Yao asked again, “How long have you been following us?”
The idiot assassin pointed at Nan Yao. “Post search follow straight.”
Qi Guyuan said, “She means she’s been following us since you posted the missing person notice at the city gate?”
Nan Yao: Wait, something’s not right.
Hearing this, Qi Guyuan also asked suspiciously, “What missing person notice?”
The idiot assassin: “Husband sick leave.”
Nan Yao was shocked!
“Husband sick leave?” Qi Guyuan fell silent.
How could this be? Why couldn’t he decipher this sentence?
Seeing Qi Guyuan deep in thought, Nan Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness.
The translator doesn’t understand everything after all.
Just then, Xie Diao—who had been wiping his blade all along—glanced at the relieved Nan Yao beside him, subtly straightened his posture, and decisively slapped his sword onto the table.
The table shook, causing the teacups to rattle.
The idiot assassin jumped in fright.
Xie Diao: “Say it again.”
The idiot assassin: “…The missing person notice said that her mother-in-law verbally abuses her, her husband treats her with extreme indifference, but one day she discovered her husband is critically ill and about to die, and he ran away from home. So she came here to look for her husband, Xie Diao.”
Nan Yao: …You can speak normally!!
Author’s note:
My messed-up sleep schedule made me wake up at 11 am.
Frantically editing the chapter, I promise not to be late next time.
To apologize on my behalf, Nan Yao stole 150 red packets from the Crown Prince this time, to be randomly distributed in the comments.