Hidden Shadow – CH 142

Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Two: Master Fan

An Jiu’s group was the Heaven Group, and the other was the Earth Group.

The Heaven Group members elected Sui Yuntong as their leader because he was intelligent and willing to take on responsibilities for others. Lou Mingyue, although possessing the highest martial arts skills, was indifferent to everything and did not care about others.

An Jiu was also used to being a loner and had no objections to this arrangement for the time being.

The six of them used their lightness skills, moving swiftly and silently, while the unfortunate An Jiu had to make her way there step by step.

Fortunately, the mission had a four-month time limit; otherwise, she would likely have received a solid negative score again.

The night was deep, and a thin mist hung over the streets and alleys, shrouding the houses of varying heights and upturned eaves like gauze.

The prosperity and wealth of the Song Dynasty were, in fact, no less than those of the Tang Dynasty. The entire capital city was built with extraordinary grandeur, but the Song people preferred elegance and did not advocate opulence. Therefore, whether it was housing or clothing, they mostly pursued understated elegance. Luxury was found in every brick, tile, and stitch; those who did not understand refinement could not appreciate the taste within.

This was the first time An Jiu had truly looked at the ancient capital before her. Wide streets were paved with smooth stone slabs, lined with shops on both sides. Some medical halls and inns even had lanterns lit outside their doors.

In the Tang Dynasty, the distinction between residential areas and markets was clear. In the Song Dynasty, however, these boundaries had blurred. Shops were mostly built along the streets, making residential areas feel more lived-in.

In the quiet night, as she rushed towards the carnage, her heart inexplicably felt a sense of belonging.

She had truly been given a second life, truly becoming a citizen of the Song Dynasty!

Thinking of this, An Jiu slowed her pace, fully appreciating the Bianjing city under the moonlight. Pan Tower Street was not far from the Konghe Academy; she could see a tall building standing out amidst a cluster of houses.

That was the government-run restaurant—Pan Tower.

In the Song Dynasty, restaurants were divided into government-run and private ones. There were seventy-two government-run restaurants in the entire city of Bianjing, and Pan Tower was already quite famous during the Five Dynasties period. During this period, it remained one of the most renowned government-run restaurants, hence the name Pan Tower Street.

Even from a distance, An Jiu could hear the commotion. Looking up, she could see figures moving about in the brightly lit building, mostly laughing, and hear the loud calls of waiters.

She bypassed the main entrance, using her inner strength to conceal her movements, and ran swiftly through the dark alleys.

After reconstructing her body, her running speed was much faster, and what pleased her most was that she did not quickly reach the point of exhaustion.

Only when she reached the vicinity of the Fan residence did she withdraw her mental energy.

Soon, Sui Yuntong came out to meet her. “Why did it take you so long?”

An Jiu did not explain, only asking, “What’s the situation?”

She and Sui Yuntong walked into the shadows, his voice low and heavy. “After Second Young Lady Lou’s initial investigation, the enemy is very tight-knit. There are over forty martial artists with internal strength above the fourth level, plus the target has eight close-combat masters.”

They all had code names, but none were willing to abandon their true selves, privately still calling each other by their original names.

The target selected this time was named Fan Yunchao, known as Master Fan, one of the wealthiest merchants in Bianjing City, mainly dealing in silk, leather, and iron ore. His other businesses included three private brothels, two restaurants, and two casinos.

Fan Yunchao’s main source of income was iron ore. Because most iron mines were monopolized by the imperial court, Fan Yunchao owned only one mine within the Song Dynasty, but he owned no fewer than ten mines in Western Xia and other states.

“I knew something was wrong when I first saw the deadline, but I did not expect it to be this difficult.” Sui Yuntong clicked his tongue, but his eyes were already burning with fighting spirit. “The court wants us to do this without anyone noticing. If I am not mistaken, they are already preparing to impersonate Fan Yunchao’s men!”

After all, it would be a pity to abandon Fan’s iron mine.

“What do you plan to do?” An Jiu asked.

“I do not have a definite plan yet.” Sui Yuntong’s gaze fell on the Dragon-Subduing Bow on her back. The bow’s black body gleamed with a layer of silvery moonlight, gleaming exceptionally. “Are you confident you can hit the target from eight hundred paces away?”

“This bow is unusable,” An Jiu said.

Sui Yuntong was surprised, thinking, “This was all you could offer, and you even brought a useless bow. Were you planning to just watch?”

However, he looked into An Jiu’s beautiful eyes, seemingly lost in thought. Without asking her why, he smiled gently and said, “The information provided by the institute is too limited. Let’s observe for a few more days.”

Assassination was like hunting. To reap the rewards, one must first thoroughly understand the prey’s usual habitats and habits. Impatience was detrimental; patience was key. When everything was under control, one simply waited for the perfect opportunity to strike with an arrow.

“I will go take a look, too,” An Jiu said, turning around.

Sui Yuntong hurriedly reached out to pull her, but An Jiu grabbed his arm and yanked him forward. She spun around, her knee almost striking his abdomen, before stopping abruptly.

“Do not attack from behind,” An Jiu warned.

Sui Yuntong was stunned. It was not until An Jiu’s figure had disappeared from his sight for a long time that he came to his senses. The terrifying killing intent that had erupted just moments before chilled him to the bone, as if he were already dead! Even Gu Jinghong, known as the “God of Slaughter” of the Konghe Army, did not possess such terrifying killing intent!