Chapter 48. The Skyward Sect has no time for boredom.

That dawn.

The two beggars were sleeping on the roof. Beside them, Jin Jiezi, with a flute in his mouth, was dozing off.

Two killers from the Wuji Assassins watched the scene from a distance.

They were almost indistinguishable from the darkness.

One wore deep blue, the other black, and they had even used concealment techniques.

Suddenly, the man in blue furrowed his brow and his eyes sparkled.

He was the same man in blue who had caught Hu Gong's attention at the inn in the evening.

As he turned his head west,

Rustle!

The sound of fluttering clothes revealed an old man.

The man in blue and the man in black immediately bowed respectfully to the old man.

"We greet you, Elder."

It was a pre-arranged meeting, so they had been waiting.

The old man skipped the formalities.

"Have you prepared the Wanmian Pills?"

"They are ready."

"We have already lost nine first-class killers. This time, we must succeed."

"The Grandmaster of the Tianhua Library and everyone in the Skyward Sect will not escape the blades of our assassins."

The killers deployed this time are of a different caliber.

Five special-class killers have been mobilized.

If the gap between second-class and first-class killers is ten steps, the gap between first-class and special-class is over a hundred. It was a rare operation to deploy five special-class killers, and it meant it had to be completed successfully.

"Remember, the opportunity to use the Wanmian Pills comes only once."

The old man warned against overconfidence. Even a perfect net needs to be checked and rechecked, and the best effort must be made.

"I will remember."

"What is the scheduled date?"

"It is planned for seven days from now."

"A week... a good time to let one's guard down."

The old man nodded.

If there is no immediate threat for a few days, it is inevitable that one's guard will drop, even if the situation is tense.

"Kill the young master of the Tianhua Library, Jin Jiezi, and the three others—Hangma San Nan, Wushan Shuang E, and the daughter of the Baihua Hall. Leave only the two from the Kai Sect alive."

"As you wish."

The two special-class killers understood the meaning.

If the two beggars, who are direct disciples of the Kai Sect's leader, are killed, it could turn the Kai Sect into an enemy. Killing Jin Jiezi alone would be a sufficient warning.

This operation will make the Wuji Assassins a terror in the shadows.

"What about the Miesha Sect?"

The man in blue asked cautiously.

"It's not good."

"..."

The Miesha Sect's momentum is fierce, and it has already become a threat to the Wuji Assassins. In fact, the Skyward Sect is not the main issue. This is why, paradoxically, this operation is important.

"The quickest way to collapse the Miesha Sect is the death of the Grandmaster of the Tianhua Library. Do not forget that the fate of our assassins rests on you."

"Yes!"

"Wait for the results."

The two killers bowed their heads and straightened up, but a wind blew, and the old man was gone.

The man in black spoke.

"I hope it doesn't rain that day."

"It will be a sunny day."

***

The group had been heading towards the Yaowang Sect for several days.

The carriage was steadily making its way through central Anhui.

Meanwhile, the Skyward Sect was suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms.

Since the first day, there was no sign of the Wuji Assassins, which was causing them great anxiety.

"Why aren't these guys carrying out their mission!"

"Do they not know that those who forget their duties do not deserve to live!"

"Calling ourselves Wuji! Endless! You bastards, get moving!"

Since the first day, Hangma San Xie had shown signs of anxiety, almost like a terminal patient, scolding and lecturing the absent Wuji Assassins.

Wushan Shuang Xiong also showed similar symptoms, though their behavior was different.

They didn't make a loud fuss but grumbled incessantly, and if you listened closely, it was all curses.

As always, Jin Jiezi remained calm.

Is this kind of composure a result of life experience?

He sat on the carriage, playing his golden flute without a single complaint.

Perhaps the noise around him was bothering him.

"Stop making a fuss. They will come when the time is right."

He put down his flute and calmly advised those around him.

"Mr. Jin Jie, you are also anxious inside, aren't you?"

One of the Hangma San Xie sneered.

"Me? Ha, you're making me strange. It's a good thing they're not showing up. Do you think I care about those assassins?"

"Ah, is that so? Then why has your flute been out of tune for the past four days?"

Jin Jiezi's face turned red.

"That's nonsense!"

"It's true. Everyone knows it."

"There can't be any out-of-tune notes in my flute playing!"

Jin Jiezi roared and huffed.

"I'll prove it to you!"

He immediately brought the golden flute to his lips.

Pip pip~ pip pip~ pip! pip pip~

It went out of tune halfway. Jin Jiezi put down his flute and looked dejected.

"It must be because I didn't sleep well. I need to take a nap."

"Let's sleep together, Mr. Out-of-Tune."

Jin Jiezi, refusing to admit his anxiety, lay down on the carriage.

Xiao Tian Kai jumped up beside him.

Jin Jiezi glared at him, but Xiao Tian Kai didn't care.

"Move over a bit."

"..."

The anxiety wasn't just outside the carriage.

It was also inside.

Miao Bingbing.

She had naturally boarded the carriage since yesterday, but she kept glancing out the window, fidgeting with her hands, and couldn't sit still.

"Why aren't they showing up? Could the Miesha Sect have wiped them all out? That would be disappointing... such weaklings."

Miao Bingbing pouted her plump, cute lips.

'What a ridiculous kid.'

Hu Gong, watching her from across, found it absurd.

Did she take the wrong medicine as a child?

Girls her age are usually obsessed with looking pretty, but Miao Bingbing was anxious because she hadn't killed anyone. What a peculiar child.

On the other hand, the more he looked, the more he found her adorable. Though not conventionally beautiful, her features were cute, and her plump hands made her look like a well-nourished child.

"Hey, kid..."

He started to speak but quickly coughed, realizing his mistake. It was a mistake to speak while looking at her plump hands.

"Cough..."

"Did you call me?"

Miao Bingbing tilted her head.

Hu Gong shrugged.

"Ha ha, of course not. I was singing an old song in my head and accidentally said it out loud."

"Is that so? For a genius, you're quite silly."

"He he..."

"If I was too harsh, I'm sorry. I'm just sensitive right now."

"It's fine."

Then, Hu Gong brought up what he originally wanted to say.

"Miss Miao, you seem to have a story. Is there a reason you must kill the assassins?"

"Do you not know why?"

"Should I know?"

"Of course. Look at me."

"..."

"No achievements. I'm part of the Skyward Sect, but I haven't killed a single assassin yet."

"Oh... I see."

He must have taken the wrong medicine as a child.

"Jin Jiezi got first place by killing two alone, Hangma San Xie got second by killing two together, Wushan Shuang Xiong got third by killing one. I'm fourth, tied with others. In terms of the number of people, I'm seventh. How can I not be anxious and try to catch up?"

"Indeed, it sounds serious."

"It is."

Encouraged by his agreement, Miao Bingbing continued.

Hu Gong only half-listened to her.

This was a time when he learned a valuable lesson: to avoid conversations with Miao Bingbing.

Then,

A loud shout came from the top of the carriage.

"Ah! They've appeared!"

It was Jin Jiezi.

Hangma San Xie also shouted.

"They're finally here!"

"Are you going to talk now?"

"Let's go!"

With cheers, Jin Jiezi and the Skyward Sect leaped out.

Miao Bingbing, who needed to improve her ranking, couldn't stay still.

"Let's go together!"

She broke through the carriage roof and disappeared.

Crack!

It was a busy moment.

The carriage with a missing roof.

Hu Gong looked up.

The sky was visible through the hole.

'The view has improved.'

The sky was clear, and the clouds were beautiful.

A white bird was circling high in the sky.

The carriage stopped, and Song Hua quickly cleaned up the wooden debris that had fallen inside.

"Master, it seems the Wuji Assassins have finally appeared. I thought they wouldn't come, but they are relentless, aren't they?"

"They're not the Wuji Assassins."

"Huh? But the Skyward Sect...?"

Hu Gong stepped out instead of answering.

"Since we've stopped, let's take a short break. The Skyward Sect will be back soon."

By the time Jin Jiezi shouted, Hu Gong had already figured it out.

There was only the sound of weapons clashing.

It wasn't the Wuji Assassins but a fight nearby.

Jin Jiezi and the others, knowing this, rushed out purely to vent their frustration.

'Damn them...'

Sure enough, the Skyward Sect returned shortly.

They had captured a group of people, about eleven in total.

"Ha ha ha! Master Fan, we've brought these Wuji Assassins."

Jin Jiezi said proudly.

Hangma San Xie made the group kneel and started yelling.

"Confess! What were you Wuji Assassins planning?"

"You were pretending to fight to make us let our guard down and then attack, right!"

"It's impossible!"

Immediately, explanations poured out.

"We are from the Shuanglun Sect. Wuji Assassins? We've never heard of them."

"We are from the Pawuyue Sect. We were fighting