In a remote small town, Xing Yuan, clad in a black robe, took a sip of tea and casually placed her sword on the table.
Bloodstains, not yet dry, still adorned the blade. Seeing this, the merchants seated nearby subtly shifted away from her.
Xing Yuan paid them no mind. She had been in this world for a few days. Upon arrival, the original host had just accepted another contract. Xing Yuan, with nothing else to do, had dealt with the person involved.
This mission suited her perfectly. Tian Ling had been surprisingly reliable this time, finding her a suitable body.
The task in this world was also quite straightforward. The world mission was to help the Third Prince, Feng Liyu, ascend to the throne. The original host's mission was to protect someone.
Thinking of this, Xing Yuan twirled the teacup in her hand, a look of dazzling surprise appearing on her face. This time, she had personally "communicated" with the Heavenly Dao. The mission target was the reincarnation of A-jie in this life.
She could hardly wait to see A-jie!
The original host was the foremost assassin in this world. She was born during a famine in the Feng Yuan Dynasty, with widespread starvation and death. Having experienced hardship from a young age, she developed a habit of accumulating wealth!
Later, on the road fleeing famine with her family, her parents and relatives passed away one after another. Alone and struggling to survive, she met someone who changed her life – her master, Huangfu Song.
Huangfu Song was a renowned figure in the Jianghu. Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time.
When the original host met him, both were on the brink of death. Perhaps due to shared suffering, Huangfu Song, despite his injuries, taught the original host for a few days before passing away. He also left her a martial arts manual and half of a jade pendant as a token.
When Huangfu Song gave the original host the jade pendant, he made her swear that if she ever met the person holding the other half, she must unconditionally do three things for him, to repay his kindness in imparting inner strength.
That's right, before he died, Huangfu Song had transferred all his inner strength to the original host, allowing her to soar to unprecedented heights, surpassing those who had toiled for half their lives.
Coupled with the food Huangfu Song carried, which saved the original host's life, and being young and unaware of the world's harshness, she made a promise to him out of gratitude.
Later, as the original host's strength grew, her horizons broadened. She inadvertently discovered that the assassin profession was the most convenient way to amass wealth. Thus, whenever she was short of money, she would take on contracts from Wu Ren Gui. Over time, because she completed tasks the fastest and most efficiently, she was revered by the people of the Jianghu as the foremost assassin.
The original host was always taciturn and had no friends. If other assassins wished to challenge her, they could only wait at Wu Ren Gui. The original host had no interest in playing with them, defeating them with a single sword strike, rendering them incapable of resistance. In time, no one dared to challenge her, earning her the label of cold and ruthless.
However, a change was inevitable.
One day, the pavilion master of Wu Ren Gui offered a substantial reward for the original host to kill someone. Although the original host suspected a trap, her confidence in her own abilities and the immense reward convinced her to accept the deal.
At that time, the Second Prince, Feng Liyan, was in Changzhou to relieve the drought, residing in the county magistrate's residence. The original host, mistaking him for a mere county official, acted without hesitation.
Feng Liyan, being a prince, was skilled in both civil and military arts, and was accompanied by several experts. During their confrontation, the original host inadvertently noticed the jade pendant. Remembering her master's dying wish, she hesitated for a moment before truthfully revealing the truth to Feng Liyan.
Feng Liyan's eyes lit up. Although he didn't know who this person served, her martial prowess was exceptional. If she could work for him, wouldn't that be marvelous!
Thus, after his deeply moving persuasion, the original host's mind, which had been entirely focused on martial arts, became disoriented. She immediately quit the assassin profession and, instead, dedicated herself to becoming the Second Prince's bodyguard.
Feng Liyan was always tyrannical and resorted to any means to achieve his goals. While the original host initially overlooked his flaws due to her initial perception, she gradually began to notice something amiss. Once suspicion took root, even if he appeared as gentle as jade, the original host no longer believed him.
Feng Liyan also sensed this. One day, he suddenly summoned the original host, spoke to her with heartfelt sincerity, and then instructed her to assassinate the Third Prince. He promised that if she succeeded, he would grant her freedom, and they would have no further connection.
The original host hesitated for a few days before agreeing. She harbored no ulterior motives towards this prince. If not for her master's life-saving grace, she would have left long ago. Now, presented with such a rare opportunity, she acted after several days of preparation.
Feng Liyu was, after all, the male protagonist of this world, favored by the Heavenly Dao. However, his destiny had been suppressed considerably. After paying the price of severe injury, the original host successfully completed the mission, but she no longer had the strength to escape.
Feng Liyan had never intended to let her go. His words were merely a ploy to use her to eliminate his most formidable rival for the throne.
With his objective achieved, Feng Liyan, along with his confidantes, imprisoned her in the death row on charges of plotting against the imperial heir.
"You are truly foolish! For a mere inanimate object, you killed so many for me! Did so many things! Since you helped me so much, I'll let you be a ghost who knows the truth! Actually, this jade pendant isn't mine. Look how ridiculous you are!" Feng Liyan taunted, then ordered a cup of poisoned wine to be brought.
"Actually, I quite like you! After all, you're good-looking, skilled in martial arts, and valuable to me! What a pity! You're not sensible, so you must die." Feng Liyan shook his head, his expression seemingly tinged with regret.
Conspiring against the imperial heir was a grave offense, and the current Emperor was still alive. An interrogation of the killer was inevitable. To avoid further complications, it was safer to silence her permanently.
After listening to Feng Liyan's mockery and looking at her crippled body, the original host unhesitatingly raised the wine cup and drank it down in one gulp. Then, taking advantage of Feng Liyan's relaxed guard, she plunged the hidden needle into his throat.
As the guards' swords pierced her body and blood gushed out, a faint regret filled her heart. If she could have a do-over, she wouldn't believe in those ethereal things again. She only wished to live for herself.
Therefore, Xing Yuan arrived!
Xing Yuan admired the original host. Although her mind wasn't very sharp and she was easily deceived, she at least knew to take her enemy down with her in the end, which wasn't a loss.
An assassin? She had never been one before! A faint anticipation arose in Xing Yuan's heart. Perhaps she could delve deeper into this profession.