Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Narrow Escape from Death

Chapter Update: July 16, 2013

Forty-Seven followed the trail left by Nineteen, and after an hour finally found him at the edge of a stream, feasting contentedly on roasted snake meat.

“Nineteen, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself. Here you are lazing around when you were supposed to be chasing that giant serpent, weren’t you?”

Nineteen swallowed his mouthful of snake meat awkwardly and looked at Forty-Seven approaching step by step. “It’s just been roasted—care to have some?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Forty-Seven grabbed a piece and gulped it down. Indeed, the snake meat was incredibly delicious; savoring a few bites would hardly delay them.

Sitting down across from Nineteen on the ground, Forty-Seven asked while enjoying the meal, “So chasing the giant snake was just your excuse to slack off, was it?”

“Not at all. I tracked the snake to this spot, but then its trail vanished. That snake was a treasure trove—might even have an inner elixir, and even if not, those snake eyes alone would make excellent night pearls,” Nineteen replied, chewing the meat but speaking clearly. “And the skin—if made into soft armor and worn close to the body, it could really save your life. But how did that giant snake, wounded fatally, vanish all of a sudden? It’s strange, and such a pity.”

After belching contentedly, Nineteen stretched and eyed Forty-Seven, who was still tearing into the meat. “By the way, what brought you here looking for me?”

Only then did Forty-Seven recall his purpose. He tossed the last piece of snake meat into his mouth and swallowed. “Thirteen has returned and wants you back. There’s a new mission.”

Nineteen’s lazy expression instantly vanished. He stood, carefully erasing all traces of his presence. “Then let’s hurry back.”

Forty-Seven savored the lingering taste in his mouth. The bit of snake meat he’d just eaten had hardly filled him, but business was business.

Not long after they left, about five fathoms below the surface where they’d been, the water rippled and a human head emerged—it was Qiu Yifei, the one swallowed by the serpent.

Nineteen could not have imagined that the giant serpent’s lair was right beneath his nose at the bottom of the stream, concealed by dense water plants. He simply hadn’t found it.

Qiu Yifei crawled onto the bank and pried a blue-glowing pearl from his mouth. Where his waist had once been plump, now two round bulges protruded on either side, and a gleaming soft sword was coiled there as well.

Strangely, though Qiu Yifei had just emerged from the water, aside from some holes in his clothing, there was not a trace of wetness on him.

He had narrowly escaped death. After the giant serpent was mortally wounded and returned to its lair, it did not last long before dying completely. Qiu Yifei waited until its heart had stopped, then struggled at great effort to crawl out from its belly. In the process, he sneezed and seemed to swallow something else.

He had barely taken a few steps before collapsing in a faint.

When he finally woke, feeling groggy, the first thing he noticed was the gentle glow of two snake eyes. Startled, he thought the serpent had come back to life and almost fainted again. Fortunately, under the soft light, he could still see the serpent’s fatal wound. Testing his steps, he found the snake truly lifeless.

Suddenly recalling the legend that python eyes could evolve into luminous pearls, he drew his soft sword and gouged out both eyes. Sure enough, they were true night pearls.

Overjoyed, he fell to the ground in delight. He thoroughly dissected the serpent but, to his disappointment, found nothing else of value.

Disheartened, he searched the lair once more with the night pearls in hand. Aside from the damp chill, he found only the blue pearl, a small consolation. Glancing back at the massive serpent corpse, he decided it was best to leave quickly.

Only upon exiting the lair did he realize the outside was all water. As he prepared to dive, he noticed the water around him parted, and the blue pearl in his hand glowed softly.

Indeed, as soon as he left the lair, the stream waters surged into the cave below. Qiu Yifei became even more convinced that this pearl was extraordinary.

Once, the very same serpent had nearly devoured him. Who would have thought the beast would meet its end before his eyes? What satisfaction!

At this thought, he halted, wary of the surrounding woods, and dared not go ashore.

Now that he possessed such a pearl, staying in the water was safer for him. Moreover, he recalled that a river from Floating Cloud Mountain flowed out from these woods.

It was safer in the water than in the forest. If last time’s desperate flight had seemed a fluke, this new ordeal made him suspect something within him was drawing beasts to him.

Without lingering, Qiu Yifei slipped into the water and swam downstream with the current.

About a quarter of an hour later, Qingfeng and Qingluan appeared at the stream’s edge—sent by Yue Lingjun to rescue Qiu Yifei.

After all, Qiu Yifei was their invited helper, and being swallowed by a snake right under their noses demanded that his fate be confirmed.

But as with Nineteen, they found no trace, and after searching the area, returned empty-handed.

Upon Forty-Seven and Nineteen’s return to the rendezvous point, Forty-Two and Thirteen had already been waiting for quite some time.

Thirteen cast a helpless glance at Nineteen before detailing the next mission.

“The young master has given us a death order—we must delay them for five days, regardless of casualties.”

He withdrew two porcelain bottles from his robe. “This is another task from the family head, to be handled by Nineteen and me. I’ll spare the details here, but suffice it to say it’s no pleasant errand. Nineteen, what do you say?”

Nineteen, just returned, sensed the tense atmosphere but was unaware of the recent events concerning Yu Wen Lingxi. Without hesitation, he replied, “Since it’s the family head’s command, I have no objections.”

“Good. The rest of you stay here and work out strategies to delay them. Nineteen, come with me.”

Thirteen and Nineteen walked a hundred paces away before stopping.

“Thirteen, what exactly is this task the family head has given us, to trouble you so?” Nineteen asked, lowering his voice.

Thirteen sighed, took a slip of paper from his robe, and handed it to Nineteen.

Puzzled, Nineteen took it and, upon reading the words, his face turned serious.

Word by word, as he read on, his expression changed, until by the end he was filled with terror. Swallowing hard, he asked, voice trembling, “And the young master…?”

Thirteen nodded, took the slip from the agitated Nineteen, and crushed it to dust with his inner force.

“So the young master wants to use us as a knife to kill? Is that it?”

Thirteen watched the ashes in his palm. “Even if so, you and I both know—our team has always been the young master’s whetstone. Since he was six, how many times have we stabbed him, tripped him up? Our lives were always meant to end by his hand. Haven’t we both been prepared for this?”

Thirteen tried to calm Nineteen. “That’s why only we can carry out this other task. No matter what happens five days from now, the others won’t live to see the sun rise.”

Nineteen fell silent, the pain in his heart plain on his face. “Has it really come to this? Is it truly unavoidable?”

“Didn’t we always wonder why, though our predecessors were all unmatched assassins, only ten elders survived within ten years of our own graduation? That’s the answer.”

Thirteen’s mood was no better. These ten had long been chosen—each the best in their field. Of course, should any of them fall, others would take their place.

“If we don’t do it, Tenth will. But then, we won’t have any chance to survive.”

At those words, Nineteen shuddered, then let his shoulders sag helplessly. “Which one do I handle?”

Without hesitation, Thirteen handed him the porcelain bottle marked with a pattern. “You’re responsible for Second Young Master.”

Nineteen nodded gratefully and tucked the bottle carefully into his robe.

If he truly had to turn on his brothers, he could not bring himself to do it.

The two stood in silence for a while, exchanging bitter smiles as they buried all their pain and dilemmas deep in their hearts.

Then, together, they began the slow walk back to the group. This time, both unconsciously moved with great slowness—but no matter how slow, the moment of arrival could not be postponed forever.