“Wait, no matter how much the other party offers for my life, I will pay double.” Suo Lun said loudly.
“Double?” The assassin leader of the Dark Society said, “Guess what the price for killing you is?”
“Please speak plainly.” Suo Lun said.
“One hundred and thirty thousand gold coins.” The assassin leader of the Dark Society said.
When this price came out, even Suo Lun was completely stunned.
It was actually one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins?
This was completely an astronomical figure, completely exceeding a province’s annual tax revenue.
Was his life worth so many gold coins?
The assassin leader said, “Hard to imagine, is it not? In this deal, killing you is the easiest part. The hardest part is that after killing you, our Dark Society must bear the wrath of the King of the Angry Wave Kingdom. That is why the price is so high. Originally, our society was unwilling to take this deal, but a great figure stepped forward to guarantee it, so we accepted.”
Suo Lun said, “Then I will offer two hundred and sixty thousand gold coins to buy back my life.”
The assassin leader said, “First, you do not have two hundred and sixty thousand gold coins. Second, once our Dark Society accepts a deal, we absolutely do not go back on it, even if offered double the price. We value integrity.”
Suo Lun truly could not produce two hundred and sixty thousand gold coins at once.
Even within two years, he could not gather this sum. Moreover, he could hardly imagine how Zhi Li could take out one hundred and thirty thousand gold coins at once to hire the Dark Society.
The battle of Tianshui City alone cost him over one hundred thousand gold coins, plus the sixty thousand gold coins to ransom Tu Ling Duo and Gui Qin Qu, which he likely also had to pay.
Even if he were as rich as a nation, it would probably be difficult to suddenly produce three hundred thousand gold coins.
Then, the person paying behind the scenes might possibly include Fang Qing Shu.
“According to Dark Society rules, the person to be killed may still say one final last word.” The assassin leader said, “What is your last word, and to whom do you wish to say it? We can pass it on.”
The assassin leader placed his sharp sword against Suo Lun’s neck, already cutting through Suo Lun’s skin, blood slowly seeping out.
Suo Lun looked towards one of the Dragon Archers, “Lord Ba Du of the Divine Dragon Heavenly Star Hall. Although you wear a mask, I still recognised you. I never thought that you, a Dragon Archer of the dignified Divine Dragon Holy Hall, would also come to the Dark Society to earn extra money.”
Ba Du, during the graduation examination at the Royal Academy, had served as the chief supervisor. Later, because he participated with Zhi Ning in suppressing Suo Lun, he received punishment from the Divine Dragon Holy Hall.
The reason Suo Lun recognised him was because his arms were extremely long, completely abnormal compared to ordinary people.
Ba Du removed his mask, revealing his true face, and said, “Long time no see, Lord Suo Lun. Truly, after three days apart, one must look at him with new eyes.”
“Are you certain you have no last words to say?” The assassin leader said, “Then, welcome death.”
Suddenly, Suo Lun violently tore off his clothes, revealing a mark on his chest.
“Lord Ba Du, you should be able to recognise the mark on my chest, yes?” Suo Lun asked.
Suo Lun circulated his blood qi and dragon power, and instantly the mark on his chest grew brighter and brighter. It was a divine dragon mark, flickering with mysterious and sacred light.
Seeing this mark, Ba Du’s face changed dramatically, and he said in shock, “This mark, where did you get it?”
Suo Lun said, “Last time Fang Qing Shu framed me, he had the Punishers take me to the Divine Dragon Holy Hall Tribunal, where they interrogated me for two days and two nights. When I woke up, this mark was on my body. Fang Qing Shu was confined for several months, and the three spirit masters responsible for interrogating me were all executed.”
The assassin leader’s gaze also turned cold. Although he was not from the Divine Dragon Holy Hall, he still recognised this mark.
This was the highest protection mark of the Divine Dragon Holy Hall. Once the divine dragon mark appeared, all nearby Divine Dragon Holy Hall members must desperately protect this person.
At this time, Ba Du and the three Dragon Archers suddenly stepped forward.
It turned out that the Divine Dragon Holy Hall Heavenly Star Hall had sent more than just him to take side jobs.
The assassin leader said, “Lord Ba Du, this is a remote wilderness. Do you still intend to follow this contract of the Divine Dragon Holy Hall?”
Ba Du said, “The Divine Dragon is all-knowing and omnipresent.”
The assassin leader said, “But, you have already been expelled from the Heavenly Star Hall.”
Ba Du said, “I entered the Divine Dragon Holy Hall to study from the age of five. I am the Holy Hall’s person in life, and the Holy Hall’s ghost in death.”
The assassin leader frowned and said, “Then do you intend to turn hostile and fight me for Suo Lun’s sake?”
Ba Du said, “No, but I cannot watch you kill Suo Lun and remain indifferent. That would violate the iron rules of the Divine Dragon Holy Hall. Therefore, we can escort Lord Suo Lun to the employer’s location. Then we collect our money and leave. Everything after that has nothing to do with us.”
The assassin leader said, “You are truly hypocritical.”
Ba Du said, “The iron rules of the Divine Dragon Holy Hall, I cannot violate.”
The assassin leader fell into contemplation. If he immediately turned hostile and killed Ba Du and the other two, he could certainly do it.
However, Ba Du and the other two were after all great cultivators of the Divine Dragon Holy Hall. Although the Heavenly Star Hall was a non-mainstream institution within the Divine Dragon Holy Hall, the Dark Society feared no one, except for the Divine Dragon Holy Hall.
“Once we hand Suo Lun over to the employer, can he kill Suo Lun?” The assassin leader said.
“Of course.” Ba Du said, “That would be a grudge between secular people. The Divine Dragon Holy Hall will not interfere. Moreover, in that case, Lord Suo Lun would probably die even more miserably. That employer’s hatred for Lord Suo Lun is unparalleled.”
“Very well, then hand him over to the employer and let him kill him personally.” The assassin leader said, “However, doing it this way, the price must be reduced by thirty thousand. Your three people’s compensation will be nothing, and furthermore, our Dark Society will no longer welcome you in the future.”
Ba Du said, “That cannot be helped.”
Then, Suo Lun was thrown into a black prison cart, all his meridians locked, completely unable to move, even his mouth unable to shout.
Next, the assassin leader took out a bottle of liquid and poured it over Gao Ning Shi and the dozens of Imperial Guard experts. Soon these corpses gradually dissolved into pus.
“Go!” Thirteen Dark Society killers, escorting Suo Lun’s black prison cart, headed towards the northwest.
…
The thirteen Dark Society killers took a very hidden road, even more desolate and uninhabited.
After travelling three hundred li, all thirteen people changed their clothes, looking no different from ordinary people.
Suo Lun stayed inside the cart, with the Demon Star gradually impacting the meridian restrictions throughout his body.
However, the person who locked his meridians had martial arts far too high. After several hours, the Demon Star still had not broken through the meridians.
Moreover, he was inside the black carriage and did not know where the Dark Society killers were taking him. He only knew the direction they were heading seemed not to be the royal capital Zhi Du, but rather towards the northwest.
The further west they went, there gradually began to be signs of human habitation. They encountered several groups of people on the road.
However, at this time the thirteen killers were all dressed as ordinary people, looking nothing special.
Suo Lun’s meridians still had not been unlocked, still unable to call for help. Even if he could call for help it would be useless, because these were thirteen Dragon Warriors.
Who in the world could match them?
Thus, after several more hours, the thirteen Dark Society killers escorting Suo Lun had already travelled six hundred li.
Just at this time, Suo Lun’s meridians were finally unlocked. But a serious problem appeared. His entire body was bound by some indescribable rope. With his intermediate warrior cultivation, he could not break it, and his mouth was also tightly bound.
So, although his meridians were unlocked, he still could not move, nor could he shout.
It was at this moment…
Suddenly, Suo Lun felt the air seemed to grow slightly cooler.
Then, an enchanting and familiar delicate fragrance entered his nostrils.
This fragrance was mysterious and distant. Once smelled, it was almost impossible to forget.
It was A Shi Li Ren. He never thought he would encounter her here.
Very clearly, the thirteen Dark Society killers also sensed her presence. They all stopped as if facing a great enemy.
Then, the sound of horse hooves came, neither hurried nor slow.
Through the carriage gap, Suo Lun saw a figure of national beauty and heavenly fragrance, like an immortal. It was indeed A Shi Li Ren.
She rode a white horse, passing by alone on the road.
Suo Lun could not shout, so he could only concentrate his spiritual power and project it towards A Shi Li Ren’s direction, “Save me!”
This kind of long distance spiritual projection was extremely weak.
However, A Shi Li Ren’s spiritual power cultivation was truly too strong. She easily sensed Suo Lun’s spiritual call, her gaze immediately looking towards the carriage, then she stopped.
The lead assassin’s face was grave as he said, “The Dark Society is conducting business. Please leave on your own and do not meddle in others’ affairs.”
A Shi Li Ren stepped forward and gently lifted the carriage curtain.
“Shua shua shua…” Instantly, eleven Dark Society assassins at Dragon Warrior level or above all drew their weapons, faintly surrounding A Shi Li Ren.
A Shi Li Ren glanced at Suo Lun inside the carriage. Although Suo Lun was bound like a rice dumpling, A Shi Li Ren still recognised him.
However, it took her quite a while to recognise him.
This person, she had vaguely seen at the demon dream estate, and because of Jiang Xue’s gift of a sword, A Shi Li Ren had spared his life.
“Where is your sword?” A Shi Li Ren asked.
She was asking about the Dragon Gold Sword that Jiang Xue had given.
“At home.” Suo Lun could not speak with his mouth, so he could only inform her with his spirit.
However, A Shi Li Ren easily captured his spiritual message.
Then…
She simply let the carriage curtain drop, continued riding her horse, and left neither hurriedly nor slowly.
That’s right, she just left like that, with not the slightest intention of saving anyone.
Suo Lun was completely speechless with grief. In A Shi Li Ren’s heart, he truly was like a cat or dog. At the sorcerer estate, her sparing his life was already the greatest mercy.
For him to expect her to save him, Suo Lun had truly overestimated his own charm.
Seeing A Shi Li Ren leave, the thirteen assassins immediately breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then, the thirteen people accelerated, quickly leaving A Shi Li Ren behind.
After galloping madly for over ten li, the assassin leader stepped forward, struck the back of Suo Lun’s neck, directly knocking him unconscious, to prevent him from causing any more trouble.
Then, the thirteen people continued forward.
Ahead, there seemed to be a village, with more people about to appear.
The thirteen assassins tried their best to bypass the village, not passing through crowded areas. Here was a small path through the fields, with newly planted wheat on both sides.
Because the road was too narrow, the thirteen assassins directly spurred their horses, trampling through the wheat fields.
Instantly, all the farmers in the wheat fields knelt to the side trembling, completely not daring to block them.
The thirteen assassins acted as if no one else existed, trampling the tender wheat seedlings, galloping all the way.
“You cannot trample our wheat, otherwise we will have no food to eat.” Suddenly, a delicate child’s voice rang out.
This was a little girl of six or seven years old. At this time she was helping her parents pull weeds in the wheat field. Seeing these thirteen killers trampling the wheat seedlings, the adults were intimidated by their aura and completely dared not speak. The child was fearless and directly shouted out.
This little girl had dirt all over her face, a thin and frail body, but two big bright eyes flashing with stubborn light.
Hearing her scold these thirteen assassins, her parents were greatly alarmed, quickly covering her mouth and pressing her to kneel.
“My lord, please forgive us, my lord, please forgive us.” The little girl’s parents knelt in the wheat field, continuously kowtowing.
“I will not kneel. Clearly they are in the wrong, they are bad people.” The little girl said stubbornly.
The lead assassin stopped, spurring his horse to the front of the family of three, looking down from above, gazing at this little girl with amusement.
“Let me tell you something. Weakness is the original sin.” The assassin leader said coldly.
“Sou, sou…” The assassin leader flashed two lightning fast swords, directly killing the little girl’s parents.
Then, he directly placed his sharp sword against the little girl’s neck and said, “Your talent is not bad. Kneel down and acknowledge me as your master, otherwise die like your parents.”
This little girl was completely stunned, even completely unable to accept the reality of her parents being killed.
She bit her teeth, forcefully holding back tears, her eyes wide open staring at this assassin leader.
She completely did not know on what basis the other party could just kill her parents like this.
Although she was trembling the entire time, even having wet her pants, she still stood there unmoving.
“Unwilling, then die.” The assassin leader said, then raised his sword to sever the little girl’s head.
At this time, the Demon Star impacted Suo Lun’s brain, causing him to awaken and witness this scene.
Instantly, he used all his spiritual power to shout, “No.”
Then, concentrating all spiritual power, he fiercely impacted towards that assassin leader’s brain.
Instantly, that assassin leader trembled slightly, looking towards Suo Lun’s direction in puzzlement, then his sharp sword lightly cut.
The little girl’s tender neck was directly cut open, blood gushing out.
However, just as he was about to sever the little girl’s neck.
Suddenly, the air in the surroundings instantly turned ice cold. A blue enchantress, like lightning, shot towards them.
That assassin leader was startled, his sharp sword slashing towards the incoming hidden weapon.
“Bang…” The ice blue enchantress hidden weapon fiercely crashed into his sword.
Instantly, the sharp sword in the assassin leader’s hand and his entire arm were completely frozen solid.
At the same time, a figure of absolute beauty instantly arrived.
“Shua…” Like a sword from beyond the ninth heaven, transparent as water, directly splitting this incredibly powerful Dark Society assassin leader into two halves.
The wound where he was split was smooth as a mirror, frozen and dark blue, not even a drop of blood flowing out.
The person who came was of course A Shi Li Ren.
She could see Suo Lun die and not save him, but she could not see an innocent and lovely little girl die and not save her.
She gently embraced the little girl, her jade hand brushing over the wound on her neck, instantly freezing and stopping the bleeding.
Then, she held her sword in one hand, and with the other hand embraced the little girl and covered her eyes.
“Killing innocent civilians with such cruelty, worse than beasts. Attacking innocent children, even more deserving of death.” A Shi Li Ren said coldly.
“Sou sou sou…” The other two Dragon Swordsman assassins quickly arrived, flanking A Shi Li Ren from left and right.
While the remaining eight Dragon Archers quickly retreated, shooting continuous arrows towards her.
“Sou sou sou sou sou…”
The eight Dragon Archers, almost simultaneously shot over one hundred sharp arrows, each as fast as lightning, each shot hitting its mark, each arrowhead coated with deadly poison, certain death upon contact.
A Shi Li Ren’s sharp sword swept across.
Instantly, the air in a fan shape before her was instantly frozen solid. All over one hundred arrows flying towards her were frozen in mid air.
Her sword lightly shook.
Instantly, all over one hundred arrows completely shattered and broke.
Seeing this scene, all the Dark Society killers present were completely stunned.
The two Dragon Swordsman assassins immediately changed their plan, their sharp swords all thrusting towards the little girl in her embrace.
“Despicable!”
A Shi Li Ren’s beautiful eyes gazed at one of the Dragon Swordsman assassins, a powerful spiritual force bursting forth, instantly freezing that assassin in place, completely motionless.
This was a spiritual attack. Within these dozen or so metres, she could freeze a person in place.
Immediately after, without even looking, her sharp sword swept towards the other Dragon Warrior assassin.
” Ding ding ding ding…” Two swords rapidly crossed.
Instantly, that assassin’s sword was completely shattered, then his arm was shattered, and finally his entire body, from head to toe, was ground into pieces.
No blood, no horrible internal organs. The entire corpse was completely ground to pieces, as fine as sand, and all frozen solid into ice, not even a drop of blood could drip out, directly spreading across the ground.
Then, A Shi Li Ren still embracing the little girl, covering her eyes, came before that frozen Dragon Swordsman assassin, her sword blade gently tapping the top of his head.
Instantly, that assassin’s entire body violently exploded, instantly disintegrating.
At this time, the three Dragon Swordsman assassins were all killed, leaving eight Dragon Archers remaining.
“Sou sou sou sou…” These eight Dragon Archers still shot continuous arrows like lightning.
This time, A Shi Li Ren did not even bother blocking, directly facing the rain of arrows, stepping towards the eight Dragon Archers.
Before her body there seemed to be an ice barrier. All arrows, before coming within three chi of her, seemed to crash into some solid and terrifying thing, directly bending and falling.
Her jade foot lightly tapped, her body like a flash, instantly arriving before the eight Dragon Archers.
“This lady, we are people of the Dark Society. By doing this, you are making an enemy of the entire Dark Society.” One of the Dragon Archers said coldly.
“I, A Shi Li Ren, known as the Blue Enchantress.” A Shi Li Ren said coldly.
“Shua shua shua shua shua…”
Once Dragon Archers were approached, they had no power to resist whatsoever.
Instantly, the eight Dragon Archers were cleanly killed by A Shi Li Ren, including Ba Du and the other two Heavenly Star Hall members.
Thirteen powerful people, experts exceeding Dragon Warrior level, were actually cleanly killed by A Shi Li Ren alone within a few minutes.
This kind of power was not merely soul shaking, it was completely soul shattering.
This kind of power completely made one suffocate.
After A Shi Li Ren finished killing everyone, she still did not pay attention to Suo Lun, not even glancing in his direction.
Instead, she squatted down her delicate body, caressing the little girl’s face, kissing her dirt covered cheek, and said, “Little girl, come home with auntie, alright?”
This kiss made Suo Lun’s heart tremble, as if witnessing the most beautiful scene in the world.
The little girl could not help but glance towards her parents in the wheat field.
“We will bury father and mother, then come home with auntie.” A Shi Li Ren said.
Then, she and the little girl together dug a hole in the corner of the wheat field, burying the little girl’s parents.
After finishing, she took the little girl’s small hand and walked towards the west.
Because her horse had been shot dead, and other people’s horses, she disdained to ride.
As for Suo Lun inside the carriage, she still did not look at him even once.
Suo Lun could only watch her absolutely beautiful, matchless figure gradually walking away.
But at this time, the name A Shi Li Ren was deeply engraved in his mind.
This was an absolutely powerful, absolutely cold, both ruthless and kind, peerless beauty.
Facing the setting sun, just as Suo Lun was about to watch her figure disappear.
Suddenly…
In the sunset, A Shi Li Ren’s footsteps stopped, then her absolutely beautiful delicate body trembled slightly, directly collapsing to the ground, unconscious.
A Shi Li Ren collapsed just like that, unconscious, completely without any warning, without any reason.
The little girl immediately burst into tears, pulling A Shi Li Ren’s hand and shouting, “Auntie, auntie, wake up!”