Chapter 43: Fierce Battle Under the Night Sky

“What a generous reward. The Zhou family truly lives up to its reputation as a clan of martial chefs—they certainly have money to burn.” Lu Yan couldn’t help but click his tongue in astonishment.

To think, a single portion of mutated Nine-Segment Heart Meat would fetch only about forty thousand taels. No one could resist such temptation; even the Marquises of the great noble houses were stirred and joined the hunt for the assassin. In the vast courtyard, only Lu Yan remained; everyone else had gone out to scour for any trace of the female killer.

To slay a Marquis, even one who had been poisoned, was a feat that spoke of terrifying strength—almost certainly someone who had broken through five limits. For ordinary warriors to hope to capture such a criminal was pure fantasy. Yet Zhou Hezhen, in his final moments, had wounded the assassin; perhaps she was now gravely injured, offering a rare opportunity. This gave hope to even those who had broken through only four times.

As for those below three breakthroughs, though their chances of success were slim, simply discovering the assassin’s whereabouts would earn them a reward of ten thousand taels. Ten thousand taels—how long would that take to save up through one’s monthly stipend?

Take the Crimson Guards, for example: a two-breakthrough guard earned fifty taels a month; it would take sixteen years to amass ten thousand taels.

Was Lu Yan unmoved? Hardly. He too had been tempted and had joined the initial search, wandering about like a headless fly. But he soon regained his composure. With so many people hunting, the odds of actually finding her were infinitesimal. He decided it was better to remain behind and cultivate his skills.

Night fell, and still none of the Crimson Guards had returned.

Lu Yan practiced both Gale Hand and Diamond Body in the training hall until he was drenched in sweat, then headed to the well to fetch water for a wash.

In the darkness ahead, a shadow drew near.

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes, muscles tensing, but as the figure approached and he saw her clearly, he relaxed. It was a maidservant—one of the dozen or so attendants hired by Madam Liu.

He remembered this particular maid. She was about twenty, slender and graceful, but a large birthmark on her face marred her looks.

“Sir,” she greeted with a slight bow.

“Still not asleep at this hour?” Lu Yan asked casually.

“Just heading to bed now,” she replied.

Lu Yan’s nose twitched; he fixed his gaze on her. “You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

He had caught the scent of blood on her.

“You’re very perceptive, sir. I cut my finger while slaughtering a chicken just now,” she said, raising her hand to reveal a shallow cut, nearly scabbed over.

“Best get some rest, then, so you don’t jeopardize your work tomorrow and upset the others,” Lu Yan advised.

“Thank you for your concern, sir,” she curtsied again and was about to leave when Lu Yan called her back.

“By the way, your birthmark—it seems to have shifted,” he remarked suddenly.

The maid’s hand flew to her face, a flicker of doubt and surprise in her eyes, but she concealed it in an instant, using the shadows to her advantage. “You must be joking, sir. How could a birthmark move? You must have been mistaken.”

“Yes, I must have been. It is dark, after all. Go and rest now,” Lu Yan said, waving her off.

“You too, sir,” she replied, bowing before moving forward.

They passed each other.

The moment they had brushed by, Lu Yan suddenly spun around and struck at the maid with his palm.

But she, too, wheeled about at the same instant, a dagger already in her hand, thrusting at Lu Yan with a speed that surpassed his own.

“Just as I thought,” Lu Yan’s pupils contracted. With a twist of his arm, he transformed his open palm into a claw, reaching for her wrist.

But the maid was even quicker, her petite frame twisting deftly as she closed in, her dagger slicing toward Lu Yan’s throat.

A chill ran down Lu Yan’s spine; he stomped hard, retreating swiftly while launching a fierce punch at her arm.

She flicked her wrist, sending the dagger in an improbable arc toward his own wrist.

This time, Lu Yan neither dodged nor flinched. Channeling Diamond Body, his entire arm instantly gleamed golden, like cast bronze.

Sparks flew as the dagger scraped his wrist, the force transferring through the blade and sending a shock back at his opponent.

She was knocked back five or six meters; Lu Yan himself retreated three steps.

He felt a faint sting on his wrist and glanced down to see a shallow cut seeping blood—just enough to break the skin.

“What potent blood energy—honed through first-class martial arts,” Lu Yan judged.

When the dagger slashed his wrist, the blood energy he had gathered there was instantly dispersed, unable to withstand a single blow.

Fortunately, his hands had been tempered by Iron Wire Fist and Stone-Shattering Palm and were tough as iron, further fortified by Diamond Body. Only these combined had allowed him to block the dagger. Otherwise, his entire hand might have been severed.

“To think—the most unremarkable Crimson Guard among us was hiding such strength. It seems you’ve fooled us all,” the maid said coldly, killing intent blazing in her eyes as she lunged at Lu Yan with frightening speed.

“So, you’re the assassin after all,” Lu Yan replied, calm and unafraid, meeting her with a powerful punch.

As they closed, the “maid” suddenly flicked her left hand.

A hail of black needles, finer than ox hair, shot toward Lu Yan.

In the darkness, they were all but invisible; even with his keen eyes, he could only discern a blur. Some needles aimed for his chest, others for his throat, still others for his eyes...

Bang!

Lu Yan’s leg muscles bulged as he sprang backward, spreading his palms before his face and channeling Diamond Body to its peak. His stature grew, shooting from just under two meters to well over two, his entire form glowing gold.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

The black needles struck his hands and body with metallic clangs, bouncing harmlessly away.

But the maid was already upon him, dagger slashing across his abdomen, leaving a wound. Luckily, it was shallow; under Diamond Body’s protection, his muscles writhed, staunching the bleeding at once.

In a flash, she twisted behind him, dagger poised to strike.

Without turning, Lu Yan dropped backward, his massive frame crashing down like Mount Tai.

Startled, she barely dodged in time. Lu Yan twisted his waist, changing position, and swung his left fist at her.

His punch collided with her dagger, the force sending her staggering back a dozen paces.

“Five breakthroughs. First-class martial arts. But her strength is ebbing—she really has been wounded by bone force,” Lu Yan realized.

If that’s the case...

“Little lady, tonight you’ll taste the beauty of brute force—let’s see if you can withstand it,” Lu Yan bellowed, launching himself at her. His fists, each the size of a baby’s head, pounded toward her like a violent storm.

She was nimble, her attacks cunning and aimed always at vital points—an approach Lu Yan was ill-suited for. But seeing her flagging strength, he resolved to break her with sheer power.

No matter how she dodged, his iron fists hammered down. He feared not her dagger; his hands were as mighty as twin sledgehammers. At worst, he’d suffer another shallow cut.

If fists alone weren’t enough, he’d throw in a surprise kick.

At about one-seventy in height, the “maid” seemed like a lamb to the slaughter before Lu Yan’s towering form.

She changed tactics repeatedly, but to no avail. She narrowly avoided a sweeping kick, only for Lu Yan’s hook punch to follow through.

In her panic, she could only cross her arms to block.

Bang!

His fist crashed into her forearms, sending her flying to the ground.

Seizing the advantage, Lu Yan strode forward, leaped, and stomped down.

She rolled away just in time, but Lu Yan used the momentum to charge ahead, unleashing another vicious kick.

Having blocked his earlier punch, one of her arms was already broken; now she could only raise her remaining hand in defense.

Crack!

Her other arm snapped as well, her body hurtling through the air like a ball. She slammed into a rockery, then slid to the ground, coughing blood, her face ashen, her breath faint—utterly defeated.

Still wary, Lu Yan did not relent. She was an assassin, after all—who knew what tricks she might have left? He rushed over and struck her abdomen with another punch.

The blow shattered her remaining defenses. She spewed more blood, rolled her eyes, and finally slipped into unconsciousness.