Chapter 37: The Big Score
Chu Qing ultimately resisted the temptation deep in his heart and restrained his restless foot.
Wu Qianhuan finally sensed something amiss behind her. She turned sharply and met Chu Qing's half-smile, half-smirk.
"A respectable Young Lady of Tianwu City, stealing in broad daylight? What are you trying to swipe—want me to help?"
Wu Qianhuan's face darkened. He walked without a sound, his breath steady and hidden—truly fit for an assassin.
"How did I not notice you?" she asked.
"If you noticed me that easily, how could I make money killing people?" Chu Qing replied with a shake of his head.
"Besides, your vigilance is far inferior. This is Tianwu City; no one tries to assassinate you here. Otherwise, at the distance we were, ten of you wouldn't have survived."
Wu Qianhuan rolled her eyes, drew a sword from her waist, and tossed it to Chu Qing.
Chu Qing caught it casually and looked at her in surprise. "What's this for?"
"My father told me to prepare a generous gift for you. I thought about it—your sword broke last night, and my father just received a treasured blade he planned to give me.
I'm used to my current sword and won't change, so he said to give this to you. The sword is called Xuanyou; it's said to be forged from meteoric iron…"
She trailed off and Chu Qing interrupted, "Does this sword harm its wielder?"
He did not ask how Wu Qianhuan knew he would come here. Knowing Tang Xi cultivated the Resentful Heart demonic art made the rest clear—who the grudge cultivator might be needed little thought.
Whoever had commissioned him was obvious given Ergou's commotion. That was why she waited here.
Wu Qianhuan, puzzled by his sudden question, thought for a moment and then said, "It won't."
"Good, then it likely causes no radiation." Chu Qing noted inwardly that weapons forged of meteoric iron often carried rumors of radiation, and ignorant forgers would use such tales to inflate a weapon's prestige.
He turned the sword lightly in his hand; the blade slid halfway from its scabbard with a hum. A faint, chilling azure light shimmered. Chu Qing's pupils contracted and he nodded slightly. "Indeed, a fine blade."
Wu Qianhuan smiled. "I'm glad you like it. You killed Tang Xi, wounded Tang Yinfeng, and helped our City Lord's Mansion take Falling Rain Hall with remarkable ease, so don't refuse this sword—"
Before she finished, Chu Qing had sheathed the blade and taken it as if it had always belonged to him. Wu Qianhuan felt her remaining words unnecessary; he had no pretensions of courtesy or shame.
She drew a deep breath and steadied herself before speaking. "I came mainly to deliver this sword to you. Besides that, there's one more matter…"
Chu Qing looked at her with mild surprise. "Speak."
Wu Qianhuan lowered her voice. "I want to hire you to kill someone."
"Oh?"
Chu Qing's lips curved slightly. "Now this is good news. Come, Miss Wu, why don't we find a quiet place to sit and discuss it properly?"
"That won't be necessary."
Wu Qianhuan shook her head. "We can talk here. Surely you wouldn't have me discuss a murder contract in public, would you?"
"Not impossible," Chu Qing replied with a faint smile. "But very well. So, who is it you want dead? Since you're my old client, I can give you a small discount."
"Night Emperor, famed for greed and stinginess, offering a discount? How rare." Wu Qianhuan chuckled. "Has the sun risen in the west today?"
"Miss Wu… can't you tell I was just being polite? Don't take it seriously."
Chu Qing sighed. "You don't really expect me to lower my price, do you? When did the City Lord's Mansion become short on silver?"
"Knew it…" Wu Qianhuan snorted. "You truly are money-obsessed. Next time, spare me the fake courtesy before someone takes you at your word. Enough chatter—I told you before, Tianwu City and the Ten Thousand Night Valley will soon go to war."
"You want me to kill someone from Ten Thousand Night Valley?"
Chu Qing grinned. That was a lucrative job.
And after speaking with Chu Tian the previous night, he knew a trap for the Ten Thousand Night Valley had already been set.
Now that Wu Qianhuan was here, it was practically a reward delivered to his door.
He thought to himself that Tianwu City really was a land of fortune. Two contracts yesterday, a big one today—if he stayed ten years here, he might become invincible.
"Correct," Wu Qianhuan said without hesitation. "But I can't tell you when or where it will happen yet. For now, you must not leave Tianwu City."
"With the city under lockdown, not even a fly can get out," Chu Qing remarked.
"…A fly can't, but you can," she replied, glancing at him. "Also, give me a way to contact you. I'll inform you before we begin."
Chu Qing rubbed his chin, thinking it over. He had no partner to handle correspondence or clients, which made such matters inconvenient.
Then, glancing at Ergou sitting on a rock nearby, he suddenly smiled. "All right. I'll teach you a coded writing method. Ever heard of the Records of Strange Tales?"
"Of course," Wu Qianhuan said with a slight frown. "But those superstitious ghost stories aren't worth your time."
"Mind your own business," Chu Qing retorted, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, base the coded letter on that book. You'll choose the words you want to use and indicate something like—first line, fifth character; second line, third character, and so on.
"But don't write the real message directly. Shift it forward by two positions."
Wu Qianhuan pondered for a moment and nodded. "So if I want to tell you the seventh character of the first line, I should write fifth instead?"
"Exactly. Miss Wu, you're as bright as ever," Chu Qing said with a grin. "There are thousands of books in the world. Even if someone finds the letter and compares it with Records of Strange Tales, they'll still get nothing."
(End of Chapter)
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