Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Rumor has it that the master is inhumane and cannot offer

ten thousand taels!!!

Even though Biezhi had heard that someone in the martial arts world had offered a reward of two hundred thousand taels of gold for the head of the current regent, Fu Huaiqing, she could not help but show a look of astonishment when she suddenly heard this number.

Her last mission, as the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, lasted for just over a month, and she only

earned eight hundred taels. Who on earth could have earned ten thousand taels?

You know, ten thousand taels of silver is enough for her to build a courtyard and then run a restaurant to live a leisurely life.

Biezhi's heart was beating like a deer.

She was moved.

"This man is the only son of a wealthy businessman in Jingzhou for eight generations. Most of those who are ordered to take his head are desperate criminals who will do anything to get him." Qingshan, who has been following his master in and out for many years, said, "There are many people in the capital and they have many opinions. In order to avoid attracting attention, only one person is needed for this mission."

When Biezhi heard this, she knew that she was doing the job of secret protection again.

Someone, I wonder who came up with this tactic: hiring a killer for a large sum of money to protect them, thus countering the assassins sought by their old enemies.

Xianyun Tower rose to prominence seventeen years ago and, in just five years, became the premier building in the Li Dynasty. Xianyun Tower comprises five pavilions: Mingyue Pavilion, which trains secret guards for dignitaries; Shanju Pavilion, which specializes in spying; Queshan Pavilion, which manufactures poisons; Youxu Pavilion, which trains archers; and Qingyin Pavilion, which specializes in assassinations.

Biezhi entered Xianyun Tower as a child, learning martial arts from a master along with his peers. According to Xianyun Tower tradition, everyone in the building must make a choice before reaching adulthood.

After careful consideration, Biezhi chose to join Qingyin Pavilion.

For no other reason than that, Qingyin Pavilion offers the highest bounty in Xianyun Tower.

Even without considering the current mission, simply eliminating the assassin who came to claim the orders of Qin Xiao, the Junior Justice of the Dali Temple, would earn him eight hundred taels of silver.

Ten thousand taels of silver was even rarer.

Biezhi ignored the look from her master, "Biezhi obeys the order."

The crisp and resolute voice echoed in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for a long time.

Biezhi, who had not heard a reply for a long time, quietly raised her eyes. The moment her eyes fell on the golden nanmu hundred flowers screen, it seemed as if a cold gaze pierced her, and her knees couldn't help but weaken a little.

She lowered her head, and her clear dark pupils moved rapidly for unknown reasons.

"I'll give you three days, think it over."

Before Biezhi could figure it out, a cold voice cut through the quiet tea room and fell into her ears neither lightly nor heavily.

She raised her head in astonishment, not understanding why the master would suddenly take back the task, "Master, your subordinate..."

Before she finished speaking, she was responded by the sound of the master standing up, followed by the sound of steady and powerful footsteps. As he left, the footsteps became lighter and lighter, and finally disappeared without a trace.

"Ten thousand taels!" Biezhi's vision darkened as she saw only the glittering silver coins receding further and further away. Bewildered, she turned to look at her master. "Why did he suddenly stop working for me?"

Seeing his face filled with resignation, she pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Shouldn't I just agree directly, and instead tell my master to split it in half?"

"Your hair is practically hanging down to your lips, and you're still thinking about taking on this job," Ling Feng laughed. He flung the sachet he'd been clutching for so long, "Go back and pop the scent beads inside. You'll pass out in a heartbeat. That'll be just the right amount for you."

Biezhi caught the sachet and examined it. "New?"

Ling Feng nodded.

Biezhi put it away, but she still felt a pang of discontent.

The thought of the duck that was so close to her mouth being snatched away was a suffocating feeling.

That was ten thousand taels of silver!

Ten thousand taels!

Even if she skipped food and drink for her entire life, she couldn't save up that much silver. "Master, what do you think our master is thinking?"

"I don't know." Ling Feng looked at his disciple, whose face was filled with regret, and shook his head. "You really should think about this. The desperate criminals in the martial arts world are often ruthless, unlike those you've encountered. You're a rookie, and in terms of ruthlessness, you're a far cry from them."

"When did Master become so cautious?" Bie Zhi waved her hand, pushed open the door, and walked out. "In our line of work, wealth and honor are achieved through risk."

This was what Ling Feng had told her before she chose to join Qingyin Pavilion.

Bie Zhi took it to heart.

She glanced back at her master, who looked slightly serious, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, "Master, don't worry. We'll take care of you in your old age. We won't take anyone's life lightly."

Seeing the young disciple's carefree and sharp smile, Ling Feng's expression cracked into a smile. "Get out. Your master is still young."

And with that, Bie Zhi quickly left.

Biezhi rolled a little far, rolling to the Suzaku Gate, which was facing Ding'an Gate in the distance.

It was afternoon, and apart from the captains on duty at the city gate, there were only a few civilians enjoying the cool air in the shade outside the Wuwei Shop.

She walked into the shop with familiarity and found a place to sit down.

The waiter in the shop saw her and came over with tea. "Same as usual?"

Biezhi nodded, her eyes quickly glancing around, but she didn't see the familiar figure.

She came here often, and the waiter was familiar with her, so he naturally knew what she was looking for. "Miss, you came at an inopportune time. The shopkeeper asked him to go to the West Market to pick up the goods. I don't know when he will be back."

Hearing this, Biezhi looked away disappointedly.

There were few people in the shop, and the waiter quickly brought the soup dumplings.

Biezhi took a bite of the steaming dumpling, and suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling over gravel. She raised her head and looked in the direction of the sound.

In an instant, a pair of legs that were longer than her life came into view.

Biezhi raised her eyebrows, took another bite of her dumpling, and gazed up the man's long legs.

Narrow waist, broad shoulders.

His simple brown cloth sensibly outlined his slender figure. His profile, his head bowed, flowed smoothly with the shopkeeper's countenance. The shadow cast by his straight nose shone against his long, slender eyelashes.

The dumplings tasted unique.

Perhaps because her gaze was too direct, the man turned his head to look at her. Her handsome face overshadowed the surrounding scenery, making everyone breathe more slowly, fearing to disturb him.

"What a shame."

"A beautiful face, ruined by this scar."

"Tsk, I don't know what the shopkeeper was thinking, putting him up front. Seeing his face makes me sick to my stomach. I almost vomited the water I drank last night."

The cacophony of conversation reached Biezhi's ears, and her delicate eyes grew colder as she glanced sideways at the chattering men.

The man froze for a moment, then, seeing she was a little girl, regained his composure: "What are you looking at!"

"Why bother with a little girl?" his friend stopped him from getting up.

A dark shadow loomed from above, and Biezhi realized he had suddenly reached her. She looked up at him, her gaze slowly scanning the scar on his face.

A long, narrow scar ran from his right eye, past the tip of his nose, and down to his left jaw.

Biezhi knew at a glance how brutal it was. If the perpetrator had been more ruthless, a single slash of the blade across his face would have truly ruined his face.

The man glanced at the soup dumplings on the table and raised his hand to make a gesture of eating.

"Yeah." Biezhi came back to his senses and nodded.

"Jiran!"

A voice called out, and the man's expression did not move at all.

Biezhi, who heard the call, looked back at the shopkeeper of the five-flavor shop who was waving at her, patted the man's big hand that had fallen on the table, and raised her

hand to point at the shopkeeper standing at the door of the backyard. He then looked back, and turned back to look at her, until she nodded, and Jiran hurried to the backyard.

Biezhi felt that the shopkeeper of the five-flavor shop was also a genius. He

actually named a deaf man Jiran.

The word Jiran is indeed suitable for a deaf man who can't hear or speak, but he can't hear, so he doesn't know how to pronounce the word Jiran.

The weather was hot, and the heat from the soup dumplings took a long time to dissipate.

Biezhi bit the dumplings slowly. When the man behind her got up and left, her eyelids drooped a little, and she watched the three of them walk to the door, her fingertips slightly raised.

The small, round gravel smacked the man's knee with a whoosh, sending him plummeting to the ground. A low groan of pain drifted on the breeze, reaching Biezhi's ears. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Her companions leaned over hastily, peppering him with questions. The man's mouth trembled, and he was stunned for a moment. When her friends helped him up, they saw his right leg give way, and he couldn't move for a moment.

Watching this amusing scene brightened Biezhi's mood. She finished the dumplings she hadn't finished eating in a while in just three or four bites.

She took out some small change and handed it to the waiter, then walked to the backyard with ease.

Only Jiran was sweeping the path in the backyard; the shopkeeper had disappeared, but in a matter of moments, he had already swept half the yard.

The afternoon sun shone through the treetops, casting dappled shadows across the man's tall, slender figure, a single glance that captivated her gaze.

When Biezhi walked up to him, he belatedly raised his head and looked at her.

Ji Ran waved the broom, indicating that he was sweeping the floor.

Biezhi nodded and followed him closely. "It's a good thing you can't hear. Just now, there was a fool who relied on his big mouth to point fingers. He looks so weird, but he didn't even vomit bile when he looked in the mirror."

Thinking of the man's contemptuous tone, Biezhi felt sick.

"But don't worry, I taught him a lesson. He won't be able to walk for ten days."

After the voice fell, Ji Ran suddenly stopped.

Biezhi looked up at him in confusion and saw him gesturing.

"Haven't you seen me in a long time?" Biezhi asked. Jiran's gestures weren't difficult to interpret; she figured them out after a moment's thought. Unsure of how to use them, she took the broom from his hand, drew a large circle, and pointed two dots, one to the south and one to the north. Regardless of whether Jiran could hear her or not, she said, "I've been away on a mission, and just returned to the capital today."

At this point, Biezhi had a lot to say.

"I just got back today, and the master sent me over to assign a mission. Just as I was about to accept it, he took it back. His temper is getting harder and harder to understand. I couldn't understand his thoughts to begin with, and now it's even more confusing." "

I heard from the master that the master has never married or had children. The women introduced to him with good intentions were kicked out of Xianyun Tower before they even saw him. Rumor has it it's because he's inhumane. Could it be that someone has recently used this incident to poke him in the heart again?"

Biezhi tilted her head in thought, frowning in confusion. A glimpse of Jiran's handsome face from the corner of her eye suddenly lifted her annoyance.

Their eyes met, and Jiran stared at her silently for a long moment.

His clear and deep pupils showed no other emotions, like a pool of stagnant water. Seeing that, Biezhi felt a little numb on her back. Then he stretched out his hand, raised his chin slightly, and motioned her to return the broom.

Biezhi suddenly realized and returned the broom to him.

"You have a bad temper." She muttered, and when she raised her eyelids and looked at his handsome face again, the corners of her mouth could not help but bend, and she felt a little relieved. "But it doesn't matter, as long as she looks good." She

was not going to take her home to live with him, so as long as she looks pleasing to the eye, nothing else mattered.