Chapter 196: The Net and the Night, the Blood-Robed Marquis and the Straw-Robed Guest
When Cheng Jiao fell asleep peacefully holding Jingwei, Zi Nu had already gotten out of bed.

Neither she nor Cheng Jiao had exerted their full strength, and they did not suffer from the same difficulty in movement as before. At this moment, they had no problem walking, sitting or lying down.

Coming to the room where intelligence was processed, Zi Nu looked at the cloth and bamboo slips placed on the table. Under the candlelight, holding the pen, she sorted them out slowly.

After a long time, Zi Nu put down her pen and walked to the window.

Watching the night coming to an end, Zi Nu held the teacup in her hand and sipped it quietly. The tea leaves in the cup were placed there by Cheng Jiao. When she couldn't sleep occasionally, she would brew a cup by herself and gaze quietly at the moon in the sky.

As Tianze was imprisoned in the palace and the new envoy of Qin was about to arrive in Xinzheng, the city of Xinzheng fell into a strange silence.

Beneath this calm, there are more hidden undercurrents. Blood and fire appear from time to time in Xinzheng at night, and disappear again after a short time, shrouded in the night and disappearing into thin air.

Ji Wuye’s general’s mansion was quickly renovated after being bombed by Jing Wei and Wei Zhuang.

Ji Wuye, Marquis Xueyi and the guest in straw raincoat sat in the huge empty hall in silence.

A hurried sound of footsteps came closer and closer, and a man wearing a straw raincoat and a hat, whose appearance was as unclear as the man in the straw raincoat, approached.

"General, Lord, Chief, the mission has failed. The Birds and the intelligence team have been wiped out."

Ji Wuye snorted coldly and smashed the wine glass in his hand on the table. Although he was mentally prepared for the failure of the mission, he was still furious after hearing it.

Marquis Xueyi said calmly, "General, don't be angry. Since Cheng Jiao is transporting such a huge sum of money, he must be escorted by experts. It is reasonable that the improvised interception team failed."

Ji Wuye tapped the table with his fingers: "Why isn't the Marquis in a hurry at all?"

The Blood-Cloaked Marquis did not speak, but the Straw-Robed Guest spoke first.

"Don't worry, General. Temporary failure is nothing. Maybe there will be better things later."

Ji Wuye was suspicious, and looking at the calm white face of the Bloody Marquis, he knew that these two guys were hiding something from him. He simply stopped talking and drank alone.

Before Ji Wuye could drink a few more glasses, a figure holding two swords appeared silently and came in front of Ji Wuye and the other two like a ghost.

The Blood-Robed Marquis slowly stood up and a smile appeared on his expressionless face.

"Luowang's top assassin, Your Excellency Xuan Jian, we have been waiting for you for a long time."

The moment Xuan Jian appeared, Ji Wuye knew what the Straw-Robed Man meant. This was Luowang coming to seek cooperation again.

Xuan Jian looked a little defiant, "If Ye Mu helps Luo Wang, the matter of the assassination of the Qin envoy in Han will not be pursued. Luo Wang will unconditionally help Ye Mu complete one thing, and give him another 50,000 gold."

Ji Wuye didn't say anything and looked at the Blood-Cloaked Marquis. It was obvious that the Straw-Robed Man had already known the news but didn't tell him.

Marquis Xueyi shook his red wine glass, "But is it the promise of the Prime Minister?"

Xuan Jian said coldly: "Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask!"

The evil bloodshot eyes of the Blood-Robed Marquis narrowed slightly, and the wine glass in his hand that was shaking stopped.

Ji Wuye gently raised his rough hand, and the eight-foot sword was placed on the table.

The Straw Raincoat Man was unusually calm. Luowang had the right to treat Yemu like this. His spies were spread across the seven countries and they were well aware of Luowang's power. Unlike Yemu, few people outside of Korea would buy into his plan and he could only be Korea's Yemu, but Luowang could be the Luowang of the seven countries.

Seeing that Xue Yi Hou and Ji Wuye were about to fight, Xuan Jian sneered, "Why, you're not convinced?"

Even though he suffered a great loss at the hands of Jingwei and Zinu, no matter how strong Jingwei and Zinu were, or how strong Ji Wuye and Xueyi Hou were, he was confident that he could defeat them all by himself.

Moreover, if the assassination of Cheng Jiao and Ying Zheng was not too sensitive, Luowang could mobilize a large number of assassins to ambush and kill them.

Maybe there are not many Tian-level killers in Luowang, but there are Di-level killers everywhere, and there are also many Sha-level killers. It is impossible for Ye Mu to fool them.

Ji Wuye suddenly laughed out loud: "Your Excellency has misunderstood. I wonder what Luowang wants to do with Yemu this time? And why would Yanri, the leader of Luowang, join Chengjiao?"

Xuan Jian put away his two swords, "Let Night Detain Liusha, Jingwei and Zinu, and don't worry about the others."

The Blood-Robed Marquis sneered, "Both Jingwei and Zinu are stronger than you. Who in Yemu can hold back these two top masters of the world?"

Xuan Jian looked at the Bloody Marquis and said, "I heard that the Marquis has 300 personal guards in ice armor. If they form a formation to fight with the Marquis, can they defeat him?"

The Bloody Marquis paused and gently shook the red wine glass again, "It's possible to defeat one enemy, but it's difficult to defeat two enemies."

The three hundred ice-armored soldiers formed a formation, which was enough to surround and kill ordinary top masters in the lower reaches. They were not strong enough to deal with top masters in the middle reaches like Xuan Jian, but if he were to take action, he would have the confidence to fight even against Jing Wei.

Xuan Jian looked at Ji Wuye again, "I heard that the general has four leaders under his command, all of whom are top-notch martial artists. The general's own martial arts skills have also reached perfection, making him invulnerable to swords and spears. Can he defeat me?"

After Xuan Jian finished speaking, he found that Ji Wuye's face was gloomy and the atmosphere was a little wrong. He looked at the Blood-Robed Marquis with some confusion, as his expression seemed a little strange.

The man in the straw raincoat said calmly, "I'm afraid you don't know that one of the four leaders of the Hundred Birds has been killed by Cheng Jiao, and the other three have also surrendered to Cheng Jiao."

Ji Wuye flicked his sleeves and snorted coldly without saying a word. Such a shameful thing made him very annoyed!
Xuan Jian frowned slightly. He didn't expect that Bainiao, who was also well-known in the killer world, was so unreliable.

"I don't care about these. I just want to ask one thing, whether Ye Mu will take action this time."

Marquis Xueyi took a sip of red wine and said, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Luowang and Yemu have a common enemy, so they will naturally attack. However, the former top-ranked assassin Jingwei and the current Zinu of Zilanxuan are too powerful. And because of the Ninth Prince Han Fei and the Prime Minister's grandson Zhang Liang, it is difficult for Yemu to openly besiege Zilanxuan, so."

The man in the straw raincoat said leisurely, "It will cost more money."

As a result of being tricked by Cheng Jiao, Ye Mu's liquidity has become extremely tight. Even the start-up funds for many tasks are gone, and he is in dire need of large sums of cash.

Xuan Jian asked coldly: "How much?"

The flesh on Ji Wuye's face trembled: "One hundred thousand gold."

Xuan Jian was about to accept the offer when the Blood-Robed Marquis said calmly, "One hundred thousand gold per person."

Xuan Jian's pupils shrank: "Night is not afraid of being stuffed to death!"

The man in straw raincoat said slowly, "Jingwei Zinu's strength is also top-notch in the world, not inferior to the Mohist master Six-fingered Black Knight. One hundred thousand gold per person is very fair."

Xuan Jian held the two swords he had put away in his hands again, "It's just to stop him, not to capture him, how can it be worth 100,000 gold."

Ji Wuye was also a little surprised why Xueyi Hou asked for so much. If they wanted to kill Jingwei Zinu, 100,000 gold per person would not be a lot, but if they were just trying to stop them and help Luowang carry out the mission, 50,000 gold per person would be too much.

The Bloody Marquis changed his tone and said, "One hundred thousand gold is fine, but Luowang also wants to help Yemu do something."

"what's up?"

The man in the straw raincoat stood up. "Mo Ya and Bai Feng stole Ye Mu's property and defected to Cheng Jiao. Under Cheng Jiao's arrangement, the traitors Mo Ya and Bai Feng hid in the convoy to Xianyang, Qin State. Ye Mu cannot tolerate the traitors betraying Ye Mu and still being at large. Therefore, Luo Wang needs to cooperate with Ye Mu to kill them and recover Ye Mu's losses."

Xuan Jian knew that the man in the straw raincoat must have been hiding something, but it didn't matter. Lu Buwei had already told him that this plan had been listed as the highest level of Luowang and must be completed at all costs.

"The convoy has already entered the Qin territory."

The man in straw raincoat did not argue, "If nothing unexpected happens, we will enter Qin territory at dawn tomorrow. Luowang is omnipresent in Qin, so it will be easy to find them." Xuan Jian did not comment, "Luowang can help Yemu, but Yemu needs to help Luowang capture Chengjiao first."

Ji Wuye understood what the Blood Robe Marquis was planning, "When will Luowang take action?"

"At the earliest within three days, at the latest within five days."

The man in straw raincoat made some calculations and said, "The caravan will reach Xianyang in four days at the fastest and five days at the slowest. Can Luo Wang still take action?"

Xuan Jian said proudly: "You know nothing about Luo Wang. Even if it's in Xianyang, it doesn't matter. Even if it's in Chang'an Jun's mansion, Luo Wang will kill people if he says so!"

Marquis Xueyi pondered for a moment. If the convoy was intercepted in Xianyang, the money might fall into Luo Wang's hands. As for whether Luo Wang would abide by the agreement after discovering so much property, there were no agreements in the killer world.

Ji Wuye said generously: "Then it's a deal. I hope Luowang can keep its word."

The Bloody Marquis nodded slightly. He had nothing to lose by taking a gamble. If he relied on Nightfall alone, he would not be able to get the money back when he entered the Qin State.

Xuan Jian's expression eased: "Luowang's reputation has always been good."

Ji Wuye watched Xuan Jian leave step by step, his eyes fixed on the man in the straw raincoat.

"My Lord, why didn't you discuss this with me?"

The Bloody-Robed Marquis didn't care at all: "The Straw-Robed Guest just received the news from Luowang and hasn't informed the general yet. Besides, isn't the final result good?"

Ji Wuye suppressed his dissatisfaction and looked directly at the man in straw raincoat whose face he could not see clearly. If he and the man in straw raincoat were the only two people there at this moment, he would have captured the man in straw raincoat without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the straw raincoat guest is very cautious, and even if he comes to his place, the Blood-Robed Marquis will be with him.

The man in the straw raincoat said calmly, "General, better things have arrived. I'll take my leave now."

The Straw-Robed Guest was well aware of Ji Wuye's murderous intent towards him, but since he had the Blood-Robed Marquis around, Ji Wuye had to endure it no matter how unwilling he was.

Without Ye Mu of the Blood-Robed Marquis, Ji Wuye would only be the strongest general in Korea in the past hundred years and would not be able to cover the sky with one hand in Korea. Conversely, without Ye Mu of Ji Wuye, it would be difficult for the Blood-Robed Marquis to safely control an army of 100,000.

But the Straw-Robed Man knew that what Ji Wuye feared most was not the Blood-Robed Marquis, but the female marquis who was very likely not dead.

Even Marquis Blood-Robed did not know that although the Straw-Robed Guest seemed to be with him, he actually had ulterior motives. The Straw-Robed Guest's loyalty over the years had numbed his initial wariness, and he really thought that he would be loyal to Marquis Blood-Robed.

He joined Night and chose to join the Blood-Robed Marquis and hide his real name because of the female marquis. As long as he was not sure whether the female marquis was dead or not, he would have no chance of controlling Night.

After the man in straw raincoat left, Ji Wuye placed the eight-foot sword on the table: "Over the years, the man in straw raincoat seems to be running an intelligence network and secretly cultivating confidants, but it is obvious that he has ulterior motives. Lord, why do you indulge the man in straw raincoat so much?"

The Blood-Cloaked Marquis didn't care. The Straw-Robed Man's identity was not to be revealed to the public. Once his identity was exposed, the whole of Korea would not tolerate him.

"General, you are overly suspicious. Among the four fierce generals, who doesn't have confidants?"

Ji Wuye looked at the Blood-Robed Marquis deeply, said no more, picked up his sword, and walked out of the empty hall.

The Bloody Marquis was alone in the hall. He suddenly stretched out his hand and clenched it, smiling softly: "Behind the night is the blood curtain."

After the night fell, in the dim morning light, Cheng Jiao was still snoring softly while holding Jingwei's soft body.

Zi Nu knocked gently on the door.

"Sir, Jingwei"

Jingwei opened her eyes instantly and put on her light yellow casual skirt in just a few breaths.

Cheng Jiao rubbed his head. He didn't expect Zi Nu to come here at this time.

Wearing a pair of Warring States-style shorts, he opened the door for Zi Nu.

Zi Nu stretched out her slender jade fingers and touched Cheng Jiao's pectoral muscles.

"Did you feel comfortable last night?"

Cheng Jiao held Zi Nu's soft waist and said, "It's naturally comfortable with you around."

Jingwei's face was still a little red. It was the first time for her to be blocked at the door, especially when Zi Nu came.

Zi Nu left Cheng Jiao's arms without leaving a trace and walked to Jing Wei.

"I just received a message from Spybird. Before leaving the Korean border, we encountered a night pursuit."

Jingwei didn't care about other things and asked quickly: "Are you okay?"

Zi Nu shook her head: "It's okay, we should have arrived in Qin territory by now, and we will reach Xianyang in less than five days."

Cheng Jiao walked over and hugged Jingwei and Zinu on the left and right.

"I sent so many experts, how could it be possible for Ye Mu's minions to succeed?"

Zi Nu's expression was somewhat solemn. At the same time as she received the news from the spybird, Wei Zhuang also brought some bad news, which made her a little worried.

"Wei Zhuang just handed me a message."

"what news?"

"Wei Zhuang went to Qi Jue Hall again last night. When he came back, he found Xuan Jian coming out of Ji Wuye's mansion."

Cheng Jiao was not surprised and said calmly: "It is normal for Luowang to seek cooperation with Yemu."

The worry in Zi Nu's charming purple eyes remained, and she sighed softly, "Are you not worried at all? Even with me and Jing Wei, we can't say that we can protect you from the joint assassination of Ye Mu and Luo Wang."

Jingwei hesitated for a moment and whispered, "We don't have many experts around us right now. Among Luowang's assassins, there aren't many Tian-level assassins, but there are many first-class assassin-level assassins. In the four countries of Qin, Zhao, Han, and Wei, we can mobilize at least five assassin-level assassins and dozens of earth-level assassins in a short period of time."

Cheng Jiao remained calm. "Night and Luowang will not and dare not send a large number of assassins to assassinate me. Although my title of Lord Chang'an is just a title, it also represents the face of the Qin royal family. Some things are not fair after all."

Zi Nu suppressed her uneasiness and nodded gently, "After all, Luo Wang is now attached to the Qin State, and will not blatantly assassinate you. However, it is easier to dodge an open spear than to defend against an arrow from the dark, so you still have to be careful."

After saying this, Zi Nu's mind moved, "Now the situation in Xinzheng is becoming more and more chaotic, and Li Wu has already brought money to the Qin territory. It would be better for you to leave Xinzheng immediately and return to Xianyang with Jing Wei to prevent any accidents."

Cheng Jiao immediately shook his head: "What if Ye Mu and Luo Wang are waiting for me to leave? It is a big taboo to act without planning."

Zi Nu slightly opened her soft red lips. She was so concerned that she almost made a move that would have resulted in her life or death.

Cheng Jiao hugged Zi Nu and Jing Wei with a leisurely look on his face, and what he was talking about with Zi Nu was not the main reason.

He needs to reach some consensus with Zheng Ge here, such as eliminating Lu Buwei and controlling all the power of Luowang in various countries.
　Thanks for the reward from [Jiude Mai's Wife]!

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(End of this chapter)