Chapter 87

## Chapter 87. I've been waiting

Whoosh!

The black shadow landed lightly on the roof and reported to Baishulong, who was looking at the back of Maigeqian.

"Student Supervisor Maigeqian has entered the Blood Hall branch."

"Escape routes?"

Without turning around, Baishulong asked in a businesslike tone.

Though surprised by his unusual demeanor, the black shadow did not show it and answered succinctly.

"I've blocked them. I've cleaned up the surroundings, so as long as we deal with those inside the gambling den, no information will leak from the Blood Hall."

"Good job."

Baishulong, who gave a brief reply, looked down at the ground.

From the roof of the tallest building in the area, Baishulong observed the crowds gathering around the respectful Shoushu.

He had no time to look back at the black shadow.

"Three from the east. Two from the west. Two... no, three from the south."

His sharp observational skills and analytical abilities were shining brighter than ever.

Among the countless people, Baishulong accurately identified the assassins and informed their positions to his comrades on the ground via secret messages.

[Lianhao, grab the old man at the fruit stand in the east.]

[Yilao, approach the courtesan in red at the back.]

[Zhengxiaoying, see the young brother and sister about ten paces behind? Engage them in conversation and buy some time.]

It was like a giant chessboard.

Following Baishulong's instructions, the three restricted the assassins' movements, delayed their actions, and disrupted their paths to prevent them from reaching Shoushu.

After a brief pause in the secret messages, Baishulong narrowed his eyes and pointed in a direction.

Then he turned to the black shadow and said,

"Do you see that porter? He seems quite skilled. Can you handle him? If it's too difficult, I'll—"

"I'll go."

The black shadow seemed offended and snorted.

He immediately leaped off the roof and blended into the crowd.

Proving his worth as the former top assassin of Tianying, the black shadow dealt with the target discreetly and swiftly.

Baishulong smiled faintly at the sight.

"Not bad."

Despite his injuries not being fully healed, the black shadow was doing his part well.

The same went for E Lianhao, Ming Yilao, and Zhuge Xiaoying.

Thanks to their efforts, Baishulong had minimized his direct involvement since sowing discord between the Black Forest and the Blood Hall, focusing instead on monitoring and coordinating the situation.

'With Maigeqian in the Blood Hall, there's no need to worry about them anymore.'

The Blood Hall was a group formed by wandering knights and outlaws, closer to ronin than assassins, and was the largest of the three major assassin organizations, with branches established in many cities.

Of course, the locations of these branches were kept secret, but the black shadow had known their positions for a long time.

That's why he sent Maigeqian.

The strongest card in his hand.

As a typical righteous martial artist, Maigeqian would show no mercy to the butchers he despised the most.

'The assassins outside will be handled by the Black Forest.'

The Black Forest had also begun to move.

It seemed that the news of the Blood Hall's attack on them had finally reached the ears of the three major lords, and the assassins of the Black Forest started hunting down the Blood Hall's assassins.

Thud.

Assassins don't fight openly.

They quietly stab each other in dark alleys, under shaded walls, or while chatting like old friends.

Thud.

When the fight is over, one side closes their eyes as if falling into a deep sleep.

Assassins are accustomed to pain, so there are almost no screams.

The victor carries or supports the body to a deserted place to dispose of it.

'If a murder happens in broad daylight, the government will get involved. No one wants the situation to escalate.'

Thus, the battles between assassins here could only be silent wars.

"That's your weakness."

Baishulong watched the assassins' numbers dwindle as they killed each other across the city, his eyes emotionless.

This was not only to protect Shoushu but also to gather more information about the Blood Sect.

"Let's see who wins."

It would be a long and patient game.

The Assassins' Guild would wait until the most critical moment.

Of course, Baishulong had no intention of missing that moment.

* * *

"Hehehehe!"

Gongsun Shou looked particularly cheerful today.

Despite the fact that the sparring test was less than half an hour away, there was no sign of tension on his face.

Xian Yuanqiang, who was extremely tense, found this annoying and asked bluntly,

"Why are you so happy, old man? Aren't you nervous about the sparring test?"

"I was a bit nervous during the morning test, but now I'm fine."

Gongsun Shou looked around the bustling streets of his hometown with satisfaction.

"Time really flies, doesn't it?"

Until a month ago, this was a view he could only gaze at from his window.

His weakened body could only manage a light stroll, and to be honest, he didn't really want to go out and wander around.

A familiar yet strange place.

His childhood friends were all dead, and most of the streets and shops he knew were gone.

All that remained were a handful of faded memories.

He had planned to slowly savor them and tidy up his life before he died.

'But I've encountered something I never expected.'

What started as a brief indulgence in martial arts tutoring had changed the course of Gongsun Shou's remaining life.

His body, which had been deteriorating, became clean, and his physical condition, which even the Life and Death Doctor had said would only last a few more years, had improved beyond recognition.

Thanks to this, he could once again answer the emperor's call.

Gongsun Shou was happy about this but also felt a sense of regret.

"Hehe. Let's go take a look over there!"

"…Do we really have to go there now?"

Wei Zitian, who had been following with a nervous expression, said,

"Senior. Are you really feeling unwell? If you're tired, go in first."

"…Damn, Wei Zitian. You're even worse."

"Excuse me?"

Feeling Xian Yuanqiang's resentful gaze, Wei Zitian was bewildered.

"Come on, hurry up!"

Gongsun Shou led the two through the streets like a child, buying and eating candy, glancing at the beautifully dressed women as if he were a young man in his prime, and walking stiffly like a middle-aged man.

The years he had missed in his hometown were now being emulated, and Gongsun Shou's face was filled with a broad smile.

"Hehe! This is fun. I've never had such a pleasant outing in my life."

"Old age is making you silly…"

Xian Yuanqiang grumbled but did not forget to be on guard.

He could sense that something was happening around them, as he had been expanding his senses without a moment's relaxation.

'People who were approaching are disappearing one by one.'

A woman selling ice cream suddenly met an old friend and was dragged away, a courtesan who had been smiling and approaching from a distance suddenly retreated due to a man's advances, and a child who had been crying on the street suddenly stopped, put on a cold expression, and disappeared into a back alley.

'What… is happening around us?'

Xian Yuanqiang felt a chill run down his spine.

Gongsun Shou and Wei Zitian were completely unaware.

Neither of them was conscious of the existence of assassins, so they had no sense of danger.

Only Xian Yuanqiang knew the truth and was suffering internally.

"Hehe. Let's go over there."

"Wow! This looks delicious too!"

"Rather kill me…"

With a nervous heart, Xian Yuanqiang followed the two.

After half an hour, he was completely exhausted.

Gongsun Shou, with a regretful look, turned to him and said,

"We should head back to the Qinglong Academy soon. I want to play more, but we can't be late for the afternoon test."

"Finally… to the Qinglong Academy…!"

"Senior, why do you look so tired?"

"I'd rather die than suffer…"

The three headed towards the Qinglong Academy.

Gongsun Shou kept looking around, seemingly regretful.

Thinking that he might never return to this place after going to the palace, his steps kept slowing down.

"Old man, aren't you going to take the test?"

Xian Yuanqiang pressed his fingers into Gongsun Shou's back to urge him on.

"Hehe. I must go. I must go…"

Gongsun Shou forced himself to take a step forward.

A short while later, the massive signboard of the Qinglong Academy came into view.

Gongsun Shou said casually,

"…I just want to tell you two, even if I pass the entrance exam, I won't be able to attend the academy."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

To the two boys' puzzled expressions, Gongsun Shou smiled bitterly.

"As soon as the entrance exam is over, I'll have to return to the palace."

"Really? So suddenly?"

"What…?"

"It just happened. I only told them that I had recovered, and they called me back."

He had no complaints about the emperor.

On the contrary, it was an honor to be called back when he was old and past his prime.

However, feeling a bit regretful was inevitable.

"I'm content with having had a pleasant dream, even if it was brief."

"…"

"…"

The two had seen how hard Gongsun Shou had worked over the past month.

Yet, even if he passed the exam, he couldn't attend the Qinglong Academy.

They couldn't tell him not to go, so they remained silent.

"Ahem. I don't want to make things awkward because of me. Let's go in."

The Qinglong Academy was getting closer.

The afternoon sparring test was open to the public, so the academy was crowded with many people.

"Damn…"

Xian Yuanqiang muttered and suddenly stepped to the front of the group, turning to Gongsun Shou and saying,

"I'll protect you, old man."

"Hmm? What do you mean by protect?"

"…Never mind. No, you don't need to know. Just focus on the test and don't worry about anything else."

Xian Yuanqiang stepped forward and raised his inner strength, shouting loudly,

"Get out of the way, you brats! How dare you block the path of a third-year senior from the Qinglong Academy? Do you want to die?"

The Qinglong Academy's troublemaker revealed his fierce demeanor after a long time, and the blocked path was instantly cleared as he glared around.

Gongsun Shou burst out laughing at the sight.

"Hahaha! It feels like I have an army at my disposal. But Senior, won't you get in trouble with Mr. Bai later?"

"That's… I don't care! We'll think about it when the time comes. Let's hurry and get ready."

However, just as the three were about to enter the Qinglong Academy, someone suddenly stepped in front of them.

"I've been waiting."