Xue Ling asked herself—even someone as slow-witted as her.
Pah, pah, where was she slow-witted?
Even as an Imperial Guard undercover agent like her, after receiving the undercover intelligence provided by the Imperial Guard, she had spent half a month memorizing and reviewing it based on her fake identity, striving for perfection. Her attire, appearance, and martial arts style were all completely different from the original Imperial Guard Xue Ling. Now, she was working as a cook at Xiao Hun Inn. If one day the Imperial Guard truly wanted to promote her as an unsung hero, it would definitely be at the level of enduring humiliation for a greater cause.
Xue Ling was certainly not foolish enough to still be wearing the flying fish robe of the Imperial Guard when she came to Xiao Hun Inn to apply for the position of Bee Wing under Fang Bie.
But why would this deep-thinking Ning Huaiyuan swagger into Xiao Hun Inn to have a meal? Did he not know that his identity was already on the Beehive's assassination list, and that this mission had been issued by the Mount Hua Sect?
"Could it be the Empty Fort Strategy?" Xue Ling asked.
After all, she still remembered watching that performance of the Empty Fort Strategy back in Yanjing City, where Prime Minister Zhuge sat high atop the city wall, burning incense and playing the zither, his feather fan and silk headband causing that young Sima to be so frightened that he fled in an embarrassed state, not daring to step even half a step into the city.
If Ning Huaiyuan were using such an Empty Fort Strategy right now, wouldn't Fang Bie be deceived and suffer a great loss?
Fang Bie looked at Xue Ling: "Do you feel it is the Empty Fort Strategy?"
Xue Ling gently bit her lips.
If it were her, she certainly wouldn't dare to use the Empty Fort Strategy. After all, swaggering in like this was equivalent to sticking four big words on one's forehead: "Who dares to kill me?"
Even Wei Yan couldn't handle such a massive flag; after shouting three times, Ma Dai would immediately strike from behind with a blade, and his human head would fall to the ground.
Unless Ning Huaiyuan knew that the assassin coming to kill him was Fang Bie, an assassin who was cautious to a pathological degree.
But right now, Fang Bie was essentially unknown to the world; what kind of attitude of fighting wits against the air would it take to want to play this Empty Fort Strategy with Fang Bie?
Xue Ling shook her head: "I don't think so."
"That's right." Fang Bie smiled: "Look, even you don't think this is the Empty Fort Strategy. Ning Huaiyuan wouldn't dare to swagger here in person, but rather used some unknown method to send a delicately disguised body double to his death."
"Tell me, should I kill him?"
Fang Bie's words left Xue Ling truly speechless.
"But the intelligence said he would come to Xiao Hun Inn at noon today, and told us to be prepared by then," Xue Ling said, unwilling to give up.
Fang Bie looked at Xue Ling and smiled: "The intelligence also said you would come to Xiao Hun Inn to take up the position of Bee Wing that day. Didn't I also not take that entirely at face value?"
Xue Ling couldn't help but pout. That day's experience had left her with a lifelong psychological shadow; in that instant, Xue Ling had felt as if her life had reached a dead end.
"The Beehive's intelligence is not as reliable as you imagine. Or rather, the Beehive's intelligence network is truly formidable, but intelligence is also tiered. We are not qualified to obtain the highest-level classified intelligence; we only have access to some well-known, low-level intelligence."
"For example, if the Beehive intelligence says that someone suspected to be Ning Huaiyuan will arrive at our inn at noon today, and this Ning Huaiyuan does indeed arrive at noon today, then the intelligence is not considered incorrect."
"The intelligence does not care whether this person is actually Ning Huaiyuan."
"However, whether or not to complete the mission depends on our own eyes and ears to confirm."
"All bees are individual entities, not tools that obey the Beehive's orders. There are thousands upon thousands of flowers in this world; the matter of gathering nectar is ultimately decided by the bees, not by the Beehive."
"But then?" Although Fang Bie spoke with perfect logic, Xue Ling still had to offer some resistance: "I know you are very cautious, but what is the use of being cautious? Ning Huaiyuan has already left. We didn't kill Ning Huaiyuan, and we didn't obtain his human head or a token, so that means the mission failed, doesn't it?"
After all, when all is said and done, an assassin's mission is to kill the target. Now, regardless of whether that person was Ning Huaiyuan, the target has run away, the mission has failed, so what is the use of being cautious?
"Who told you our mission failed?" Fang Bie laughed: "Didn't I say our only mission is to kill Ning Huaiyuan?"
"Now that Ning Huaiyuan is not yet dead, how could our mission have failed?"
Xue Ling felt completely confused by Fang Bie's brainstorming.
Xue Ling even felt that he shouldn't be an assassin, but should instead take the Imperial Examination or become a head constable at the Six Doors, so that his meticulous thinking could be put to its best use.
Being an assassin was truly using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
No—Xue Ling always felt that Fang Bie was just a "keyboard warrior" assassin.
Perhaps it was just because he saw that Ning Huaiyuan had high-level martial arts at the inn and didn't dare to make a move, so he was frantically making excuses for his behavior afterward?
At least the logic was perfect, right?
"Our mission is to kill Ning Huaiyuan. Now that Ning Huaiyuan is not dead, the mission has not failed," Fang Bie repeated this sentence again. "For example—if we kill Ning Huaiyuan tonight, then wouldn't the mission be completed?"
As he said this, Fang Bie lowered his head and took a large gulp of egg drop soup.
Yes, he spoke of this matter as if it were as simple as drinking soup.
"Where are we going to find Ning Huaiyuan!" Xue Ling said, feeling frantic.
For someone who was already wanted for assassination, there was basically no safe place left in this world. Originally, the Beehive intelligence said he would come to Xiao Hun Inn today, but now that the person had come, Fang Bie said it was fake.
Then where was the real one?
"The real Ning Huaiyuan," Fang Bie looked up at Xue Ling: "At the Mountain God Temple three miles outside the city."
His words were firm, without a hint of hesitation: "Eat first. After eating, rest for half a shichen. You don't need to move; you formulate the route and plan for me. Once that is done, we will set off."
Xue Ling had a confused expression: "What?"
He Ping, who had been quietly eating her food and drinking soup at the head of the table, spoke up at this moment and said softly: "Good."
Xue Ling could only nod: "Yes."
..
..
Xue Ling spread out the map of Luocheng under the bean oil lamp and earnestly formulated the action route for this trip.
This was also a Bee Wing mission. Upon arriving at any place, one must walk through the streets and alleys and know every route like the back of one's hand. Only in this way would it be convenient to avoid getting lost during execution and retreat.
Don't laugh—an assassin who doesn't get lost is truly a very important thing.
Because there were simply too many assassins in this world who liked to get lost.
The Mountain God Temple three miles outside the city; Xue Ling quickly found the address Fang Bie mentioned. It was a Mountain God Temple on a lonely little hill. The incense was not flourishing, and it was somewhat dilapidated. It was usually a gathering place for a group of beggars and looked like there was nothing unusual.
Could it be here? Xue Ling held the brush and couldn't help but lick the tip of the brush.
Only after waiting for the brush tip to spread out did she dip it fully into the ink.
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