Chapter Nine, The Assassin

Wang Yuan remained motionless, frowning as he said: "Is this how you repay your savior?"

Ah? Huang San exclaimed in fear, his voice trembling as he said, "Then why didn't you report it to Zhao Fangzheng just now"

Wang Yuan angrily said: "I will act as I please, what can you do about it? Outside, there are checkpoints set up all over the streets of Wuhou, and I want to see where you can escape to. If you have the courage, then make your move"

Wang Yuan felt somewhat moved; Huang San was, after all, a simple and honest follower, not particularly bold. Yet at this moment, he stood firmly on his own ground without any hesitation to conceal the truth for Wang Yuan. This is what true brotherhood is. Wang Yuan had originally planned to find an opportunity to clean up the scene, so he immediately took action. The two of them tidied up the chaotic site, thoroughly cleaning the bloodstains on the ground and the leaves and weeds, making every effort to ensure that there were no flaws visible. Only then did they quietly leave.

Wang Yuan felt a secret joy in his heart, silently praying for the snow to fall heavier, for what he truly feared was that the panic and darkness of the previous night would leave many traces unremoved. Once dawn broke and the Wuhou entered the neighborhood to search, they would easily discover the flaws. As long as this heavy snowfall occurred, all traces would be covered, allowing him to be free from worry about this matter

Wang Yuan shook his head and said: "I am not sure either. I only know that after he released me, he leaped onto the wall of the alley and went west along the top of the wall. I do not know whether he exited Yong'an Alley or if he entered from another place to hide."

Upon returning to the room, Wang Yuan could no longer bear it after eating two pieces of bread with hot water. He moved the firewood stove from the west wing to the bedroom and slowly cooked a large pot of millet porridge. He spread a straw mat on the ground to serve as a bed, then collapsed onto the mat and fell into a deep sleep.

The sword on the neck paused for a moment, silently moving aside. Wang Yuan slowly turned around and saw the woman with one hand covering her shoulder and the other hand holding the sword, which hung down at her side. Her face was frighteningly pale, and she leaned weakly against the wall, gasping for breath, her body trembling uncontrollably.

The woman was taken aback and wanted to come over to stop him. As she moved, she suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, lying flat on her back. Wang Yuan hurried over to check the situation and saw that the woman had her eyes tightly closed, her hands and feet were icy cold, and her breathing was rapid and labored. After a moment, her cheeks flushed with redness, and when he touched her forehead, it was surprisingly hot to the touch

The woman was in a semi-conscious state, and while disinfecting the wound, she only let out a few soft moans, but did not awaken

Wang Yuan shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't want to, but I dare not. When I was patrolling to this place, I happened to see that fierce-looking assassin falling from the wall. The assassin was indeed injured, but it was merely a superficial wound. Before I had the chance to shout, he had already pointed his sword at my neck. The bloodstain on my chest must have been left by the assassin when he grabbed my clothing at the chest."

Wang Yuan turned around and saw that Huang San's expression was somewhat serious, as if he were burdened with heavy thoughts

Wang Yuan did not intend to tell Huang San the truth; he did not want to involve Huang San, as the outcome of this matter was uncertain. After getting dressed and formulating a plan, he waved to Huang San and said, "Sanlang, come with me"

The bedding on the bed was in disarray, yet it was empty; the masked woman who had originally been on the bed had vanished without a trace. As Wang Yuan was taken aback, he suddenly felt a chill on the skin of his neck. Glancing sideways, he saw a sword glinting coldly, its blade pressed against his neck. Immediately, someone coldly whispered in his ear: "Do not move, or I will sever your dog head."

Wang Yuan hurriedly laid her down on the bed and carefully examined the wound on her shoulder. He saw that the wound was a bloody mess, with surrounding areas swollen and red, indicating signs of infection

This young lady, have you heard the story of Mr. Dong Guo and the wolf? Had I known you would bite back, I should have let you die at the foot of the wall. If you wish to leave, then go on your own; I have not tied you up with a rope. You have made me very unhappy, and I will not help you. If you have the guts, then cut my throat with a sword.

Wang Yuan walked towards the location where he discovered the masked woman, with Huang San following closely behind, filled with doubts. Upon reaching the area beside the low trees, Huang San immediately noticed something unusual; the branches and leaves of the low bushes were broken and scattered, and there were signs of trampling in the surrounding wild grass

Wang Yuan and Huang San persisted in their patrol until dawn, spending most of the time wandering around the cleaned site to prevent anyone from discovering any traces there. Fortunately, no one took it upon themselves to search along the alley walls, and thus everything remained safe and sound

Wang Yuan felt a surge of anger; after going through so much fear to save this woman, he never expected her to be so unreasonable. Even if she wasn't grateful enough to offer herself in return, at the very least, she should have expressed some gratitude, shown him some courtesy. How could she shout threats upon their first meeting? It was truly baffling

"Er Lang, what is going on?" Huang San said in a low voice

Wang Yuan said softly: "I originally thought I would surely die, but the assassin did not kill me. Now that I think about it, he must have been afraid that killing me would expose his intentions. That assassin remembered my appearance and warned me that if I dared to reveal his whereabouts, he would take my life."

Why am I here? Who are you, and what is this place?

Huang San turned his head and looked around, fearing that the assassin was nearby. He swallowed hard, his throat rolling as he hoarsely said: "So, you mean to say that the assassin is indeed within our Yong'an Lane?"

The one who has the sword pressed against Wang Yuan's neck is precisely the masked assassin who was rescued.

With such anticipation, Wang Yuan deliberately paused for a moment in the courtyard, watching as the snowflakes transformed from tiny flurries into large, feather-like flakes dancing in the air, before he contentedly unlocked the door and entered the house

Wang Yuan coldly laughed and said: "What use is there in saying such things now? I was already implicated when I saved you. I kindly ask you, either give me a sword or put the sword away; this thing cannot intimidate me."

Wang Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he pretended to be indifferent as he said, "What could I possibly have to hide from you? Why would you think that?"

After a busy period, Wang Yuan felt dizzy, but he still mustered the strength to get up and go out. He hurried to Aunt Wen's shop on Cross Street and bought a dozen sesame cakes to bring back. Outside, heavy snow was falling, creating a hazy scene; the ground, rooftops, and treetops were all covered in white. The neighborhood was quiet, and it seemed that the Jinwu guards had not entered the area to conduct a search, which eased Wang Yuan's mind considerably

Huang San reached out and pulled Wang Yuan to the side of a low wall, illuminating Wang Yuan's chest with a lantern, and quietly asked: "So tell me, what is the cause of this bloodstain on you?"

Huang San exclaimed in shock, "So... so the assassin wants to kill you?"

However, what surprised Wang Yuan was that the woman fell silent for a while, and suddenly her tone softened: "If I could leave on my own, why would I have to force you? This young master, since you have saved me, please see it through to the end and find a way to help me leave here. I am being pursued by the Jinwu Guard, and staying here will only bring you trouble."

Huang San was momentarily taken aback, but suddenly began to quickly pick up the broken branches and fallen leaves from the ground. Wang Yuan frowned and asked, "What is Erlang doing?"

Sanlang, this is the place where the assassin infiltrated. I happened to see that assassin here during my previous patrol.

Huang San urged anxiously: "We must quickly take action to clean up the traces. If someone discovers the evidence and asks about it later, how will we explain ourselves? Since Erlang has already concealed it, we should keep it hidden until the end. The fact that the assassin has encountered Erlang must not be disclosed under any circumstances, as it would be detrimental to Erlang. Given that the assassin possesses the ability to traverse rooftops and walls, I believe the Jinwu Guard may not be able to capture him either"

"Er Lang, are you hiding something from me?"

I just discovered the bloodstains, didn't you see me deliberately standing in front of you to block your view? I was worried about being discovered by others. Erlang, what exactly did you do?

Wang Yuan shook his head and said: "Having sustained serious injuries and lost so much blood, if you do not wish to die, it is better to obediently lie down in bed and cover yourself with the blankets."

Wang Yuan quickly took off the uniform and turned it inside out to wear it again, after all, he was the one who kept and washed the uniform, and for the moment, no one would notice anything unusual. Huang San stood silently beside him, quietly watching Wang Yuan, seemingly waiting for his explanation

The woman behind fell silent for a moment, seemingly recalling the events of last night. After a brief pause, she said in a low voice: "I must leave here, please help me escape, and I will certainly reward you handsomely afterwards"

Wang Yuan naturally partnered with Huang San to patrol the area from Nan Yi Li to Si Li, which was also the outcome Wang Yuan hoped for. He had always been somewhat worried that bloodstains would be left at the location where the masked woman was discovered. If others were to search this area, it would be inevitable that these bloodstains would be found.

What happened? Wang Yuan asked with a smile

Wang Yuan replied without looking back: "Go and report, summon someone to capture you, this female assassin."

The woman scolded in a low voice: "With a wave of my hand, you will lie dead here. If you do not wish to die, think of a way to let me out. I must leave this place."

The woman's gasping was quite loud, seemingly infuriated. Wang Yuan felt a bit worried, fearing that if this madwoman truly swung her sword down, it would indeed be disastrous

In the early morning, the sky was overcast with leaden clouds, and it was unclear when the north wind had ceased. The air was unexpectedly warm, as if something was brewing. When Wang Yuan trudged into his own yard with heavy steps, he suddenly felt a cool and damp sensation on his face. Looking up, he was surprised to see snowflakes fluttering down from the sky.

Wang Yuan sneered and said: "Are you begging me or threatening me? I risked my life to save you, yet you threaten me with a sword pointed at my neck. This is truly outrageous. If you are begging me, at least you should have the demeanor of someone who is asking for help."

Wang Yuan secretly blamed himself for being too careless; if he had exposed the bloodstains on his body in front of everyone just now, it would have certainly caused great trouble. Fortunately, Huang San cleverly covered for him. No wonder Huang San had been intentionally or unintentionally hovering in front of him earlier; it was for this reason

Wang Yuan pretended to search along the top of the wall, while Huang San silently followed behind with a lantern. When they had moved far away from the main street of the alley, Huang San suddenly said: "Er Lang, I have something to ask you"

The room was silent and still, Wang Yuan lit the oil lamp on the table, lifted the straw curtain, and walked into the room. It was dim and dark inside, with a faint smell of blood lingering in the air. Wang Yuan raised the oil lamp and approached the bed, glancing at it, when suddenly he was taken aback.

Once the wound becomes infected and festers, the woman's life will undoubtedly be at risk, and immediate measures must be taken. Wang Yuan acted swiftly, going to the west wing to light a fire and boil water. He poured a bowl of the leftover turbid wine from a few days ago and brought it into the room. He tore away the clothing around the wound, poured the wine over the wound for disinfection, and then tightly wrapped the wound with a clean cloth.

Wang Yuan bent down to place the oil lamp on the wooden cabinet beside the bed, and the woman pressed the blade of her sword down, admonishing, "Do not move."

The woman stood stubbornly without moving, while Wang Yuan shook his head and stepped outside. The woman asked in surprise, "What are you going to do?"

Wang Yuan suddenly recalled that when he rescued her last night, there was a half-buried feathered arrow in her shoulder, but now the arrow was nowhere to be found, only a gory hole remained. It was evident that the woman had pulled the arrow out herself and had even used a knife around the wound, which made him somewhat astonished by her ferocity

After dawn, following the handover of duties at the South Square Gate, Huang San urged Wang Yuan to have breakfast. However, Wang Yuan politely declined, citing extreme fatigue and a strong desire to sleep. In truth, Wang Yuan was anxious to return and check on the condition of the masked assassin; after a night had passed, he was uncertain whether the person was alive or dead. If that individual were to die in his home, it would indeed be a troublesome matter

The woman angrily exclaimed: "Aren't you afraid of death?"

The self-inspection within Yong'an Lane lasted for more than an hour, causing chaos in every household, yet yielding no results. A fierce north wind began to blow at dawn, and the weather grew increasingly cold, prompting the lane's officials to huddle and curse, with most of the searches being conducted half-heartedly. Zhao Fangzheng was actually quite pleased with this outcome and immediately reported the news of no assassin traces in Yong'an Lane to the patrolling officer stationed at Qinghe Street, while the search within the lane also came to an end.

Wang Yuan looked down and discovered that there was indeed a palm-sized dark bloodstain on the front of his uniform, which startled him. It was evident that the stain had come from picking up that woman earlier. He remembered to wash his hands before leaving but forgot to check his clothes.

Wang Yuan furrowed his brows and said: "Have you lost your memory? If it weren't for your pleading last night, how could I have saved you, a hunted assassin? Now you dare to ask me these questions"

After the water in the pot boiled, Wang Yuan went to fetch a large bowl of lightly salted boiling water and pried open the tightly closed mouth of the woman, forcefully pouring it in. Moments later, beads of fine sweat began to emerge on her forehead, and her icy hands and feet gradually warmed up. Her short breaths also became steadier, and Wang Yuan finally let out a slight sigh of relief. At least for now, she had stabilized, and there was no immediate danger to her life.