Volume 1, Chapter 27: The Shadow Sect: This Client is Too Impolite!

There is a plum blossom forest in front of the courtyard.
A breeze blows by.
Flowers fall like rain.
Two figures walk hand in hand across the soft, petal-covered soil; the man is elegant and refined, the woman exquisite and captivating.
Anyone who saw them would surely sigh at the sight of such a rare and divine couple.

"We are truly lucky today to encounter such scenery the moment we stepped out!" The woman gazes at the sea of fallen plum blossoms, her eyes sparkling.

"I think the mountain's plum blossoms are the lucky ones. To witness a beauty of this world like you in their final moments of blooming—it makes their existence in this world worthwhile!" Tang Qian smiles, his gaze toward her as warm as winter sunlight.

A charming, bashful blush rises on Qiu Shanyue’s cheeks. "My husband is teasing me again!"

Tang Qian’s gaze remains tender. "Every word I say is true. You know I have never lied to you."

Qiu Shanyue feels her heart brimming with happiness and immediately throws herself into her lover’s arms.

Suddenly.

Recalling something, she looks up at Tang Qian’s face. "By the way, husband, I heard that the business on Tianjue Island has run into some trouble. Was that the doing of the young master of the Langya Chamber of Commerce?"

Tang Qian’s smile fades slightly, and his eyelid twitches for a moment, but he feigns composure. "Indeed. That Wang Mu threw money around on Tianjue Island, and by sheer blind luck, he caused the Langya Chamber of Commerce’s business on the island to multiply several times over! But do not worry, my lady; such things will not last."

Qiu Shanyue nods and says, "I have always trusted in your abilities! However, since we are husband and wife, we should face the matter of avenging your family together. If you encounter any difficulties, you must tell me, and I will speak to my father!"

Tang Qian holds Qiu Shanyue’s hand, his eyes filled with emotion. "With a wife like you, what more could a husband ask for?"

The two embrace tightly once more.

Suddenly, a communication jade talisman at Tang Qian’s waist emits a faint, intermittent glow. He remains calm, continuing to enjoy the plum blossoms with Qiu Shanyue.

A long while later.

"My lady, let us stop here for today. There are still many matters at the chamber of commerce that require my attention," Tang Qian says, looking at Qiu Shanyue.

"Very well, but do take care of yourself and do not overwork," Qiu Shanyue urges before turning to leave.

Tang Qian watches her figure retreat into the distance. The warmth in his eyes rapidly vanishes, replaced by utter coldness and indifference. He returns to his room and, with a wave of his hand, channels spiritual power into a landscape painting hanging on the wall.

Ripples form on the wall, appearing like a passageway. He steps inside, traversing a narrow, dim corridor. With every distance he covers, a formation rises behind him, completely isolating his presence.

Finally, he arrives at an ancient altar. He performs a secret technique, and a beam of spiritual light falls upon the altar.

*Hum—*

Runes light up, rising with radiance and thin smoke, coalescing into a blurred figure.

"The person you wanted has been found," the blurred figure says slowly, its voice dry and cold, like wind in a desert.

"Speak," Tang Qian says, a flicker of change appearing on his indifferent face.

"She appeared at the Ascension Assembly on Tianjue Island, was taken away personally by the young master of the Wang family, and is currently hidden within the royal palace of Daliang."

Tang Qian frowns, his voice growing colder. "Are you certain?"

"Intelligence is not the primary business of the Shadow Sect, but we have never had the habit of feeding our clients false information!"

Tang Qian’s eyes flash with dissatisfaction. "And you have the nerve to say that? If not for your incompetence, how could that brat have escaped? As one of the three great assassin organizations in the Northern Territory, you couldn't even capture a little girl who hadn't even begun her cultivation! I see the reputation of the Shadow Sect is nothing more than this!"

"..."

The figure across from him remains silent for a moment. "Client, your words are rather harsh!"

But he cannot refute it. Even within the Shadow Sect, they feel this entire affair is suffused with strangeness. To this day, they cannot fathom how a seven or eight-year-old girl managed to escape the assassins sent by the Shadow Sect. It is as if an invisible hand from the void were manipulating everything.

"That girl must die!" A fierce glint flashes in Tang Qian’s eyes.

"Given the previous oversight, we have discussed internally and can offer you a discount!"

"State your price!"

"Eighty million... high-grade spirit stones!"

"???"

Tang Qian’s eyelid twitches uncontrollably. "Have you lost your mind, or have I? It only cost me one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones to have that girl’s entire family wiped out last time! Eighty million high-grade spirit stones is enough to buy my own life!"

"The client jokes! Times have changed. That girl is now with the young master of the Wang family; trying to kill her is almost as difficult as killing the young master of the Wang family himself! That Wang family young master has two Transformation Realm experts guarding him in plain sight, to say nothing of those in the shadows... This price is already quite humane!"

Tang Qian: "Humane your—!"

"If that’s the case, why wouldn't I just pay a bit more and have you kill Wang Mu instead? Wouldn't that be better?"

"Uh, there is still a difference!" The Shadow Sect member hesitates. "If you were to issue a contract for the assassination of the Wang family young master, we would not accept it at all!"

Tang Qian: "..."

He does not continue the conversation. With a flick of his sleeve, the altar’s light dissipates, and the figure vanishes without a trace.

The secret room falls into darkness.

Tang Qian takes a human-shaped puppet from his storage ring; it is incredibly lifelike. If Wang Mu were here, he would see that the puppet looks exactly like him.

"Wang Mu! Wang Mu! It’s you again, damn it!"

"Damn! Damn! Damn!"

Tang Qian raises his fist, channeling spiritual power, and smashes it fiercely into the puppet’s face. The puppet emits a timely wail.

"..."

After venting, Tang Qian calms down, his pupils turning cold once more. He produces a new communication jade talisman, lights it with spiritual power, and says slowly, "I wonder if you have considered my previous suggestion? If we join forces, it will be enough to cause the Langya Chamber of Commerce to crumble, and we can carve it up in an instant!"

...

Northern Territory.

A hidden location.

"What did he say?"

"The client was very rude, insulted us, and then cut off the communication array directly!"

"Was the final payment settled?"

"It was!"

"...Then ignore him! I’ve seen plenty of people like that—wanting to achieve great things with small change, not treating us assassins as human beings at all! They don't think about the mortal danger our assassins must face when targeting someone around the young master of the Wang family! Sigh, these days, it is too hard to find a client with a conscience!"

"..."

...

Tianjue Island.

Daliang Royal City.

Inside the royal palace hall, Ren Pingsheng looks at the young man carefully reviewing the ledgers, his heart filled with an unspeakable complexity. He always feels this young master is different from before, but he cannot quite put his finger on exactly how.

"Not bad!"

Wang Mu puts down the ledger, his mood excellent. "The business on this island is doing so well; Manager Ren deserves much of the credit!"

Ren Pingsheng hurriedly replies with shame, "The young master jokes! This matter has nothing to do with this old man; it is entirely the return brought about by your own virtuous deeds, young master!"

As he speaks, he presents a storage ring.

"This is the reward bestowed by the Chamber President. This old man believes it belongs to you, young master!"

Wang Mu studies Ren Pingsheng for a long moment before laughing. "Manager Ren, you don't seem much like a businessman."

"Not so!"

Ren Pingsheng says earnestly, "Ren only earns the money that belongs to Ren. Only then can I sleep soundly!"