What a pity! What a terrible pity that Jun Mo Xie had died! It would have pained that old brute Jun for a time!” The girl Yue’er said through gritted teeth, sounding utterly regretful upon hearing that Jun Mo Xie was still alive. Beneath the cabin, Jun Mo Xie searched his memory thoroughly, utterly perplexed. He had no recollection of offending this 'Miss Yue'—why did her tone now sound as venomous as if he had raped her a hundred times?

Lord Liu pondered slowly, murmuring, "Since matters have reached this juncture, the contract to hire you for the assassination of the Princess will temporarily conclude here. Furthermore, the Xuan Beast Sinews have been successfully acquired. At this juncture, since you are already inclined to leave, I will arrange for your departure from Tian Xiang. Heh heh... As for the remaining matters, I will report to my Master and see how he wishes to proceed; it's not impossible that we might cooperate with your Hall again. Please convey my regards to the Blood Sword Hall Master when you depart, and tell him this: even though this attempt failed, the Second Master remains grateful."

As he spoke this final sentence, his voice suddenly became immensely solemn. Clearly, this message was the precise wording from the so-called 'Second Master.' Jun Mo Xie silently curled his lip: who didn't know that the supposed Second Master was the Second Prince? And yet they pretended to be so mysterious!

"Thank you, Lord Liu. I will certainly deliver your message verbatim. As for our departure, we have our own channels. We take our leave now!" With that, the three stood up simultaneously, bowing with clasped fists. "The Xuan Beast Sinews are in Miss Yue'er's hands, all thirty strands accounted for. After the matter is concluded, we hope you will inform us. We will come to collect our share."

Lord Liu chuckled, "No need for such formality. As you gentlemen leave, please let us know if the Hall Master has considered the matter we brought up last time regarding the assassination of a certain Jun. Regardless of the outcome, please notify us as soon as possible, I implore you!"

"Yes." The three filed out, vanishing into the night in an instant. Lord Liu and the others did not escort them out.

"Miss Yue'er, after that incident, the Palace underwent a major purge. Your men suffered considerable losses, but that poses no great obstacle to us. After all, no matter how you look at it, that entire affair was orchestrated by the Elder's faction," Lord Liu lowered his voice and said urgently, "So you must expedite the matters we previously agreed upon. Once news breaks, arrange for personnel to infiltrate as much as possible! Note, use single-line contact only!"

"Yes, Lord Liu and the Second Master can be assured of this. We have been preparing for a long time, and all those selected are virgins," Miss Yue'er's gentle voice chimed. "Sir, Lord Liu, if it weren't for the Second Master's grand endeavor, even I would enjoy spending a few days playing in the Palace."

"Haha! How could anyone withstand the unparalleled beauty of Miss Yue'er's allure?" Lord Liu laughed, then lowered his voice, "The Second Master has instructed that the crafting of the crossbows from the Xuan Beast Sinews must proceed swiftly; they might be needed at any moment, so there can be no delay. The current climate is tense; all parties are watching us, and it remains inconvenient for us to step forward. Everything is left to you, Yue'er."

Miss Yue'er showed difficulty, "Of course, I understand that, but this batch of Xuan Beast Sinews is exceptionally rare. If we use ordinary steel as material, I fear we cannot utilize its full potential; yet, we absolutely cannot approach the Divine Weapon Registry in the capital. While the Registry possesses superb craftsmanship, unrivaled in Tian Xiang, its prominence makes it too easy for news to leak. Currently, the only entity capable of undertaking this kind of work is the Zhao Clan Merchant House from Jiangnan, renowned for their expertise in weapon manufacturing. I sent someone to contact them before the auction, but I have yet to receive a reply."

"En, this matter should be resolved as quickly as possible. Even if it costs double the usual fee, it must be completed swiftly."

Lord Liu stated solemnly, "These materials are immensely important to our future. The Second Master spent nearly a celestial price and risked great danger to have the Blood Sword Hall act on his behalf to procure these Xuan Beast Sinews. Not a single error can be afforded."

"My subordinate naturally understands that," Miss Yue'er smiled faintly. "Lord Liu, regarding the matter I asked the Second Master about, are there any concrete results?"

Lord Liu sounded quite troubled, "Miss Yue'er, Jun Zhan Tian remains the pillar of the Tian Xiang military. How easy is it to assassinate him? Even the Blood Sword Hall Master, who dares to target Princesses and Princes, has hesitated on this matter until now and cannot make a decision!"

"If we mobilize the Second Master's faction's manpower to frame Jun Zhan Tian for treason, with His Majesty still harboring anger after the old Jun's recent uproar in the capital, it is bound to have an effect!" Miss Yue'er's tone was filled with extreme resentment. "I dream of seeing the old Jun's entire household destroyed! This was clearly an excellent opportunity, why did the Second Master just let it slip by so easily!"

"Absolutely not!" Lord Liu flatly denied the suggestion. "Moving against Jun Zhan Tian like that would cause at least half of the Tian Xiang military to rise up. We can target Jun Zhan Tian himself, but we absolutely cannot target his faction. What the Second Master desires is not a fragmented Tian Xiang!"

"The old Jun caused my nation to be broken, my family scattered, and my people dispersed! Hearing you say that, could it be..." Miss Yue'er sounded disappointed. "If the Second Master cannot do this for me, then why should we align ourselves with him?"

"Insolence!" Lord Liu sharply rebuked, then softened his tone, "Miss Yue'er, this matter cannot be rushed. The Blood Sword Hall is currently hesitant. Once they complete their business in the Yu Tang Empire and the Hall Masters meet, the Second Master will surely find a way to bring them into line. All three Blood Sword Hall Masters are at the Tian Xuan cultivation level, and the most mysterious leader is rumored to be a supreme God Xuan master! Dealing with a mere Jun Zhan Tian is certainly not difficult. Moreover, Jun Zhan Tian is already ancient; what does it matter if we let him linger for a few more months?"

Miss Yue'er snorted, still somewhat resentful, but she spoke no more.

Jun Mo Xie was shocked! They were plotting to assassinate his grandfather! And the assassin organization, 'Blood Sword Hall,' actually had three masters at the Tian Xuan level! And even a supreme leader at the God Xuan realm!

This shock, because he was in the water, caused the otherwise perfectly calm lake surface to ripple with an infinitesimally faint sound. Though the sound was small enough to be imperceptible, Jun Xie immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.

"Who?!" a sharp voice commanded instantly, "There's someone under the boat!" His presence had been revealed!

Jun Mo Xie had no time to think. He spun his body, forcefully kicking off the bottom of the boat, and shot out from under the water like a giant arrowfish, swimming rapidly toward the distance.

With a boom, the top layer of the painted barge shattered into pieces. A figure, enveloped in dazzling golden light interspersed with streaks of pale yellow radiance, shot into the air, soaring five zhang high! His eyes scanned everywhere like claps of thunder and flashes of lightning, instantly spotting Jun Mo Xie's rapidly receding silhouette beneath the water.

A flash of golden light, and he landed back on the boat. He casually grabbed the boatman's long bamboo pole, and with a swish, it shot out like a black lightning bolt, trailing circling golden Xuan Qi, aimed at the figure beneath the water. Simultaneously, the figure lunged into the air, following the trajectory of the pole, gliding forth. His robes fluttered in the night, shimmering with golden light, like a celestial being descending.

It was none other than Lord Liu!

Peak Gold Rank! Just half a step further, and he would reach the Earth Xuan level!

Jun Mo Xie swam away like lightning, suddenly feeling immense pressure from above. The water surrounding his body seemed to freeze solid, and at the same moment, a colossal sense of peril instantly enveloped him. He felt his hair stand on end!

Without turning around, Jun Mo Xie clearly sensed that this impending danger was aimed directly at his back. If he failed to dodge it, it would certainly result in a massive, bloody hole! At that point, he would probably have to reincarnate again—if he were still that lucky!

Thoughts flashed quickly. He instantly mobilized all his internal power, the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong running at full capacity. He felt the pressure on his body lessen, and he strained to shift his body to the side, thrusting out his chest, protruding his back, and violently contracting and twisting his midsection. His whole body seemed to dislocate, transforming into a perfect 'X' shape. Truly a devilish figure, prominent in front and behind!

Swish! The bamboo pole, over four zhang long, grazed Jun Mo Xie's skin, plunging through his waist. Incredibly precisely, it pierced his outer garments and even his underpants, burying itself deep into the mud below.

Jun Mo Xie felt a cold sensation across his thigh, a tearing, sharp pain. A few strands of crooked hair immediately floated away into the water. If that pole had deviated by even half an inch, Young Master Jun might have ended up serving the Emperor. His scalp instantly prickled with alarm!

A normal bamboo pole is only about two zhang long, but the Spirit Mist Lake was deep, so the pole was correspondingly longer.

Jun Mo Xie struggled, but the pole was lodged between his clothes and skin, and wouldn't budge. His right hand flipped, and a small throwing knife appeared in his grip. With a backward slice, a chih sound was heard, and he was instantly free. Two pieces of robe floated apart like butterflies, revealing a pale body in the middle—if it were a woman, it would have been quite alluring.

In the sky, the golden figure was plummeting down fiercely. Before even reaching the water's surface, the impact was causing great ripples, causing the calm water to deeply sink and form a whirlpool. The base of the pole stuck deep in the silt also emerged slightly.

Underwater, Jun Mo Xie stared with wide eyes at the descending figure in the sky and snorted inwardly. Suddenly, he tensed his body and surged upward.

Ah, don't rush—he certainly wasn't charging up to fight this Gold Xuan Peak master, who, to him currently, was still an insurmountable mountain!

His body ascended like an arrow. Just as he was about to break the surface, he suddenly pushed out with his left hand, sending a spurt of water (chi) shooting toward the descending figure. With his other hand, he gripped the bamboo pole, executing a sudden 'thousand-pound drop' maneuver, while simultaneously swimming rapidly in the opposite direction. The Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong operated at full capacity. With a weng sound, the pole, thick as a small calf's leg, actually bent into a bow shape underwater, emitting a grating kaka sound that made one's teeth ache.

When it reached its maximum bend, Jun Mo Xie’s accumulated strength was exhausted. He abruptly let go, and his naked body shot away toward the distance at high speed.

The curved bamboo pole, carrying immense force, snapped back with a weng sound.