The nine assassins formed a semicircle around Han Yunxi, who was backed against a corner of the walls. Hidden in the shadows, Long Feiye observed her coldly, a complicated look in his eyes. He had urgent business to take care of by immediately going inside that house. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to call Tang Li over for help. But seeing Han Yunxi's figure all but swallowed by the people surrounding her, he still stopped in the end.
Could this woman successfully pass this trial?
Why wasn't there any noise? He expected her to scream or shout for help, to yell for him or Tang Li, but everything was very quiet. Don't tell him she'd scared herself into unconsciousness again like that time in Medicine Forest!
As things were, Long Feiye didn't see that Han Yunxi was currently cool-headed and composed, holding the Pear Blossom Rain Needles expertly in a handgun grip. She carried the same sort of self-possessed steadiness when she treated patients, calm and scrupulous to every detail. The only difference today was that she was here to kill, not to rescue. Han Yunxi told herself firmly, this wasn't murder, but self-preservation. She had to save herself!
Though they'd completely surrounded her in what seemed to be a hopeless situation, she was very clear that her position was very advantageous at the moment. Her back was protected by a solid cliff wall, which meant that she didn't need to fear sneak attacks from that direction. Instead, she could completely focus on the danger in front of her. The only thing she could use were the Pear Blossom Rain Needles against these nine high-level experts. This had turned completely into a match of speed.
Which was faster, her hand or those women's swords?
Each of the nine assassins wielded a long blade capable of taking her life in an instant. But evidently, they all feared the thing in Han Yunxi's hands. Instead of making an immediate move, all of them gave her guarded looks. The leader asked her coldly, "Pear Blossom Rain Needles, you're from the Tang Clan?"
"You know it's Pear Blossom Rain Needles, yet you still dare to approach?" Han Yunxi was unwilling to be outdone. Though she was sitting on the ground, her imposing manner wasn't any inferior to these nine women.
That female assassin laughed coldly, but didn't move. Still, Han Yunxi's detox system had long sent out a warning that there was poison in the vicinity. It was a bewitching toxin that slowly condensed in the air. Since the Poison Humans had immunity, they naturally had no fear. The nine of them stood in place as they looked disdainfully at Han Yunxi.
Trifling skills!
Han Yunxi laughed coldly in her heart. She'd long started holding her breath. If the assassins wanted to play poisons with her, then perfect! It was all that she could wish for! Very quickly, Han Yunxi pretended that she had been poisoned and wrinkled her forehead, before slumping to the side in a dead faint. Seeing this, the leader gave a cold snort. "You dared to come here, but didn't even stop to figure out what kind of place it was!"
The other eight assassins immediately lowered their guards, while the leader personally approached Han Yunxi. A greedy glint shone in her eyes as she saw the Pear Blossom Rain Needles! Once she acquired this treasure, Master would definitely give heavy rewards!
As soon as the leader walked forward, Long Feiye immediately spotted Han Yunxi's situation. Seeing her unconscious, he was about to make a move when he noticed her hand still maintaining its stylish grip on the Pear Blossom Rain Needles. When he realized the implications, his lips drew into a light, relaxed smile. By now, he'd long put his urgent matters to the back of his mind.
The leader walked closer and closer while Han Yunxi silently counted her steps. Huddled up by the wall with her head bowed and her eyes half-shut, she was like a cheetah waiting for its chance to strike. Very soon, the leader came close enough to bend down and stretch out her hand.
This was it!
Han Yunxi's eyes flew open as she aimed the Pear Blossom Rain Needles at the woman's heart and shot a needle. Surprised, the female assassin met a violent death before falling towards Han Yunxi. In a flash, she'd grabbed the body to use as a shield while her other hand aimed the Pear Blossom Rain Needles towards the other assassins and shot from left to right!
As the weapon shifted across them, she pressed down on various switches. Shuashuashua, needle after needle flew out－no, it was more accurate to say they burst out－and accurately buried themselves in the various womens' hearts.
What were the Pear Blossom Rain Needles? Tang Clan's second ranked treasure, whose insane speed and power made it hard for even high-level experts to escape. How could the remaining assassins know that Han Yunxi hadn't been poisoned, much less expect their leader to just die like that? Faced with the sudden onslaught of needles, they didn't even have time to react before they fell one after another, each with a needle in their hearts that took away their lives!
Once they all collapsed, Long Feiye's line of vision cleared up. He saw Han Yunxi still sitting in the same place as before. She viciously shoved aside the assassin leader's corpse, her dainty face a little pale but filled with a frosty, fierce glare that…gave her an indescribable, ruthless beauty!
Actually, Long Feiye should have long stopped worrying with the formidable Pear Blossom Rain Needles in her hands. If she still couldn't survive with such a powerful weapon on hand, it'd be pointless to leave her around, wouldn't it? Still, he'd watched everything from beginning to end. As it turned out, Han Yunxi's speed to eliminating these Poison Humans exceeded his calculations, even with the Pear Blossom Rain Needles on hand. She'd been direct and efficient, her performance no less inferior than any high-level expert.
Han Yunxi didn't know Long Feiye was watching her from the side. After taking care of 10 Poison Humans, she took an antidote before being able to breathe at last. The taut nerves in her head finally relaxed as well. The roof of the building was guarded by these ten Poison Humans. Now that she'd dealt with them, this place had become secure. As for the 100 assassins beyond the house, Tang Li was taking care of them. Though that place was still a chaotic mess, Tang Li could guarantee that none of the assassins there would take half a step towards the house.
Han Yunxi was very safe.
She stepped past the crowd of corpses to lean on a railing, looking with interest and admiration at the fighting going on in the distance. Truthfully speaking, the struggles in the courtyard wasn't just a simple fight. Han Yunxi was intelligent enough to see through Tang Li's tricks. This fellow had two skills. One was to dodge his opponents' attacks, while the other was to assassinate them with hidden weapons. But he performed admirably in both skills, his figure flashing and weaving lightning fast as he lashed out with his weapons. Han Yunxi couldn't even see him clearly, only the trail of bodies that followed in his wake. All of them had been struck with weapons in their vital points.
The more she saw, the more enthralled she appeared. The more she saw, the more she lost herself. She thought, if she could learn a set of skills like Tang Li's, she'd smear fatal poisons on the weapons. This way, even if she missed any vital points, it'd still kill the victims in a very short time. Thinking up to here, Han Yunxi suddenly realized she had the potential to be a dangerous force as well, and chuckled at herself.
Long Feiye still hadn't left from his spot, but raised his eyebrow as he looked at her, feeling more and more satisfied.
Very good, this woman could still wear a face full of smiles and watch on leisurely in such a situation. She really did have the guts.
Cool and collected when dealing with problems, steady and composed, courageous and strategic, able to advance and retreat, and a set of high-level poison skills to boot. It'd be a waste to leave her by his side without using her skills. Long Feiye watched Han Yunxi as she watched Tang Li while the time passed by. Soon enough, Tang Li took care of all 100 assassins and left the mountain village with nothing but a mess of corpses! He stood amidst the bodies without a speck staining his white robes, his handsome face quiet, his eyebrows high and chilly. For an instant, he painted a desolate scene with his figure.
Han Yunxi only felt that this guy had suddenly reverted to looking like some otherworldly being again.
All right, that was a misconception.
Tang Li flew up to the building and glanced at the Poison Humans strewn on the ground. A look confirmed that they'd all died from Pear Blossom Rain Needles, one needle to each corpse. Although Pear Blossom Rain Needles were formidable, Han Yunxi had never used them before. For her to reach such standards on her first try really proved that Long Feiye had good eyes. Tang Li's eyes recognized her worth before his appreciation quickly faded. As soon as he opened his mouth, it was to ask, "Where's the Pear Blossom Rain Needles? Hand it over!"
His tone sounded like he was accusing her of misappropriating goods.
Without the slightest hesitation, Han Yunxi handed over the Pear Blossom Rain Needles. She didn't covet it a bit! The fussy Tang Li actually inspected it once to make sure it wasn't broken and that only 10 needles had been used, before packing it up. Han Yunxi's mouth twitched at the sight before she murmured, "Hey, these snow white robes don't suit you at all, seriously."
"What?" Tang Li didn't hear her clearly.
"Nothing," Han Yunxi chuckled.
Tang Li didn't pursue the matter, but asked, "Where's Long Feiye?"
How would Han Yunxi know? That hateful man had tossed her here before disappearing.
"He hasn't come out yet?" Tang Li was surprised.
"Come out? He's inside the house?" Han Yunxi was surprised too. When she looked inside the rooms, she only saw them empty. That's right, she remembered Long Feiye saying there was a poison master inside that he wanted to leave alive.
"Something couldn't have happened, right?" Tang Li was afraid. The reason Long Feiye wanted to eliminate this mountain village was to aim for that female poison master. Because he didn't want to waste too much time and meet with an accident, he'd found him for help. Otherwise, Long Feiye could've handled the entire thing himself even with Poison Humans here. Now the entire village had been decimated, but he still hadn't come out?
It was then that Long Feiye revealed himself from his hiding spot. He spared a glance for Tang Li and Han Yunxi before expressionlessly entering the rooms. Han Yunxi's head felt like it was in a fog. She still didn't know what this fellow was here for. Meanwhile, Tang Li chased after him in disbelief. "Long Feiye, you…where did you go just then?"
Long Feiye's eyes turned fidgety, but he didn't reply. His steps quickened. Truly, he should've gone inside much earlier, but he'd somehow delayed things to this extent. By the time he reached the center of the house, it was already too late. A female had killed herself inside the rooms, her breath long gone as she bled from her wrist. Han Yunxi saw a table full of poisons and realized that this was the woman Long Feiye wanted to leave alive. Unfortunately, she was already dead.
Tang Li stared at Long Feiye as if he was looking at a strange beast. He never thought this guy would lose his chance. Exactly what was he doing beforehand?! After all, he'd gone through a mass quantity of enemy spies before discovering the location of this mountain village. This territory was under control of Northern Li's Duke of Kang. While this female poison master lacked the strength to truss a chicken, she was an expert when it came to creating poisons. As a competent assistant to the Duke of Kang, she'd been left with plenty of able-bodied protectors. In the past, the Northern Li spies had used a poison very similar to the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion call Bone Fragrance, which was created by this very woman! In truth, Long Feiye had come because of the Bone Fragrance. Now that the person was dead, they couldn't ask her any question and had wasted their efforts.
"Where did you go just then?" Tang Li asked suspiciously.
The Duke of Kang's subordinates were all willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause, and would kill themselves to seal their lips when escape was impossible. Long Feiye knew this fact, but still came late?
"Urgent business." Long Feiye didn't bother to elaborate, but acted as if nothing had happened. He tossed a small blue and white porcelain bottle to Han Yunxi and said mildly, "Take a look at the poison inside this bottle."
Seeing the porcelain bottle, Tang Li had a fright. He was about to speak when Long Feiye silenced him with a look…