The Japanese woman stood up straight again, despite her injuries. She had tried to brace herself against the rock with her tanto to absorb the impact, but the force broke the blade. Discarding the steel hilt, she wiped the blood from her mouth, resolute.
"You come out here to kill people with just these skills?" Ye Qiu mocked, arms crossed. "Are they putting too much faith in you? Or do they think I'm just that weak?"
"Foolish man, you'll pay for your arrogance," the Japanese woman finally spoke, her voice laced with cold fury. Her Mandarin was clumsy, her words difficult to understand, but the killing intent and madness in her eyes were unmistakable—she wanted nothing more than to end Ye Qiu's life.
Ye Qiu had been trying to provoke her into speaking. A cold-blooded assassin who starts talking is already off-balance, making the upcoming battle or interrogation easier.
"I'm not smart, but I'm not stupid," Ye Qiu said with a smile, slowly advancing toward the woman. His face held a friendly smile, like the reaper smiling as he comes to claim a life.
When he was three steps away, Ye Qiu leaped into the air, aiming a powerful kick at her face. If this kick landed, it would knock her out for at least five hours, giving Ye Qiu plenty of time to either exact revenge or take her for interrogation—or something else entirely.
Ye Qiu had already noticed her shapely figure when they clashed earlier. She had a pretty face, a good figure, and just the right amount of curves—except she was cold, but that wasn't a problem. After all, wasn't it thrilling to engage with a female assassin? In this deserted mountain valley, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed—or perhaps, standing would be the best position.
The Japanese woman knew how dangerous Ye Qiu's kick was. Her hands clenched into fists twice, testing her arms for strength and flexibility. Although they hurt, she could still muster enough force.
She shifted her body to the left, dodging Ye Qiu's kick. As Ye Qiu adjusted his attack, she grabbed his pants and used his momentum to pull him back, then pushed forward with a move that resembled Taiji, redirecting his force with minimal effort.
Ye Qiu's kick had been fast and powerful, but the woman's Taiji-like counter sent him stumbling backward several steps before he could regain his footing.
"Aikido?" Ye Qiu asked, surprised. "Not bad, now you're acting like a real assassin."
He shook his right leg to shake off the numbness caused by the sudden blood flow reversal, smiling as he approached her again. "They say Aikido originated in China and shares some similarities with Taiji. Both focus on using softness to overcome hardness, redirecting an opponent's force. It's also said to be difficult to master. Let's see how you handle it."
The Japanese woman, though successful in her previous attack, didn't dare launch another offensive. She was severely injured and needed time to stabilize her inner energy, or she'd be dead in the next round. Seeing Ye Qiu approach confidently, she steeled herself.
With large strides, Ye Qiu reached her, switching between open hand strikes and powerful punches. Just as she began to defend, he feinted, switching to a chop aimed at her neck, while his right leg aimed for her lower body.
Bang!
Though the woman blocked Ye Qiu's hand strike, she wasn't as lucky with his leg attack. The groin kick, effective against men, was also devastating against women. Though women's anatomy could better absorb such blows, it didn't mean they were immune to the pain. In fact, women's bodies could be even more sensitive in certain areas—at least, that's what the old man had told Ye Qiu, though he hadn't verified it himself.
The Japanese woman's face turned purple as she clutched her groin, her eyes filled with both rage and humiliation as she crouched down. Even Tang Guo, with just a few days of practice, could take down a grown man with this move—let alone someone like Ye Qiu, who had been properly trained.
"Despicable…" the woman gritted out through clenched teeth. Even as an assassin, she couldn't believe that a man in the 21st century would use such a low blow against a woman.
"I don't deny it," Ye Qiu replied, nodding. He walked up to her and, with a mischievous grin, lifted her chin with his foot. "Now, care to tell me who sent you to kill me? What's your real objective?"
The woman bit her lip, refusing to speak, her face twisted in pain, her eyes filled with defiance.
Ye Qiu didn't mind. He moved his foot from her chin to her cheek, then pressed her face into the dirt. She toppled over, unable to keep her balance, her head pinned to the ground by Ye Qiu's foot. Sharp stones and grass cut into her skin, and she could feel the blood oozing out.
"This is the last time I'll ask you," Ye Qiu said, pressing down harder, almost burying her head into the soil. "Who sent you to kill me?"
But the Japanese woman had returned to her earlier silence. No matter how much Ye Qiu pushed, she wouldn't speak.
Ye Qiu didn't like using the strange ring unless absolutely necessary. While it could provide valuable information, it also came with a price—reliving the subject's past, experiencing their memories, joys, and sorrows. This was a painful process, and some memories were so strong that they could linger in Ye Qiu's mind, impossible to shake off.
But this woman was too much of a mystery, and Ye Qiu considered using the ring to probe her thoughts.
Just as he was about to act, he noticed a strange expression on the woman's face—both a look of relief and resignation.
"Not good," Ye Qiu muttered, pulling his foot away and trying to pry her mouth open. But it was too late—black liquid dripped from her lips, her eyes and ears bled, and her heart had already stopped.
What kind of organization would make someone value their mission over their life?
---
Half an hour later, a white van pulled up to the slope. A young man cautiously scanned the area before approaching the Japanese woman's body.
"Director, the female operative failed and took her life. The target left the area half an hour ago," he reported into the communication device in his collar.
"Collect the operative's body. Cease pursuit of the target for now to avoid alerting him. Coordinate with Operative 7 for the next phase."
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8