Chapter 66
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Discarded Stone (1)
Night passed and morning arrived.
Still, crowds of people stared, but no method to pierce the Zhuge Clan came to mind.
Whoosh!
The wind blew.
The wind roamed freely through the Zhuge Clan, unhindered by guards on watch or lack thereof.
Suddenly, kites sprang to mind.
What if he built a massive kite and launched it into the sky... If he caught the wind just right, he could slip into the Zhuge Clan that way?
He erased the thought the instant it formed.
Riding a kite to infiltrate was already common knowledge. It wasn't some novel scheme he'd devised—it was a tried-and-true orthodox method. Countless others had attempted it, yielding clear results.
Yes, ride the wind well, and a kite could get you in.
But would the Zhuge Clan lack countermeasures? Hardly. They'd be patrolling the skies even on pitch-black nights.
No matter how many times he repeated it, orthodox paths wouldn't work.
What about the method he'd used on the Merchant Traveler's estate? Reuse that? The Zhuge Clan teemed with merchants beyond counting. Disguise as one, and the main gate might open.
No good. Orthodox again.
The Merchant Traveler's estate hadn't been a fortress. It was mere living quarters, not an organizational hub.
The Zhuge Clan managed an organization.
Their estate served dual purpose: residence and administrative stronghold.
Even familiar faces or fellow sect members faced identity checks to pass. Only those bearing the Zhuge surname moved freely.
While observing the Zhuge Clan, Four Thousand Four spotted Vanguard, Hanbi, and Jaja.
They stared at him intently before scattering.
Vanguard headed for the fake mountain in the rear hills. Likely aiming to infiltrate from there and strike the back.
Hanbi and Jaja split left and right.
He knew their roles. To create an opening for Vanguard, they'd employ "shout east, strike west"—bait to distract from the east. Decoys to blind the watchers.
Four Thousand Four frowned.
They were trying to breach the Zhuge Clan with orthodox tactics.
Vanguard would hit a formation wall. The fake mountain felt oppressively dark—not literally dim, but foreboding, gloomy, dank. A place no one wanted to approach.
Hanbi and Jaja would fail too.
Assassins would take them down before they scaled the wall. Zhuge defenses began outside, not within. Guards blanketed the perimeter.
They sipped tea leisurely in pavilions. Played chess or go in the tree shade. Some sprawled out for lazy naps.
All Zhuge Clan warriors.
How did he know? Observation. Day and night shifted slightly, but their posts stayed occupied. Always someone filled the spots.
Warriors guarded beyond the walls.
Hanbi and Jaja crept along the wall.
Already spotted. Chess players' eyes gleamed. Tea drinkers watched sharply.
The moment Hanbi and Jaja leaped, assassins struck.
Was there truly no way to infiltrate the Zhuge Clan!
Four Thousand Four shook his head fiercely as the thought surfaced.
Every brainstormed method was orthodox. Even the cleverest relied on established principles—and the Zhuge Clan knew them all.
Vanguard, Hanbi, and Jaja walked openly, without hiding.
He knew why. They weren't concealing themselves.
Numerous Zhuge warriors eyed the Yuhwa Pavilion roof. Nearby villagers whispered, glancing up.
The Zhuge Clan knew someone perched on the Yuhwa Pavilion roof. They were wary of Four Thousand Four and ready to capture him.
Vanguard had read the situation.
Infiltrate while all eyes fixed on the Yuhwa Pavilion roof!
Four Thousand Four grasped Vanguard's plan. But with countless Zhuge warriors already watching Vanguard, one glance exposed everything.
Four Thousand Four had no intention of playing bait.
He hadn't climbed the Yuhwa Pavilion roof to draw eyes.
Others didn't factor in.
One goal: publicly assassinate the Zhuge Clan Lord.
Everything else erased. Pushed from mind. Thoughts arising? Deleted instantly.
Until the sun climbed to midday, Four Thousand Four lay motionless on the Yuhwa Pavilion roof. Not a twitch—like a stone slab placed there.
Then he rose.
He'd lain mostly, sitting up occasionally. Rising drew no special notice. But what came next...
Shh!
He leaped from the third-floor pavilion in a single bound.
"Hey! That guy's moving!"
"Where'd he go? We didn't lose him!"
Zhuge Clan warriors snapped to high alert.
To them, Four Thousand Four was a must-capture archenemy.
The Golden-Eyed Black Hawk had lost him. Or rather, he'd reached a realm of communion with it.
He'd considered unleashing the Golden-Eyed Black Hawk again.
It could track him easily.
But he abandoned the idea. With their link, the hawk would only interfere.
"There he is!"
"Found him?"
"Just walking."
Zhuge warriors tracked Four Thousand Four.
He was exiting the pleasure quarter. Narrow alleys could shake pursuit, but he didn't hide. Besides... courtesans watched everywhere—no hiding spots.
Four Thousand Four left the pleasure quarter and entered the shopping district.
The Zhuge Clan drew endless visitors, turning the front into a perpetual marketplace.
Guests never came solo. Families, retainers trailed. Sect leaders arrived with near a hundred followers routinely.
Those crowds spawned shops lining the main road. Left and right: jewels to rice, nothing unsold.
Four Thousand Four stopped there.
Right on the path to the main gate.
He browsed wares, then ducked into a clothing shop for a set of cyan martial robes.
"Why buy clothes?"
"Madman for sure. Dying soon, and he shops for robes."
Zhuge warriors couldn't read his intent, tilting heads in confusion.
Next stop: public bathhouse.
Small towns lacked them, but two stood before the Zhuge Clan.
Weary travelers soaked in hot waters to unwind.
Four Thousand Four entered.
Bathing meant stripping bare. Not even pants left—full nudity.
Hence, pickpockets and thieves infested the area. Nakedness screamed vulnerability; ambushes happened often.
Four Thousand Four stripped before the Zhuge Clan.
Without hesitation. Naked as the day. He slipped into the bath.
"He's... bathing?"
"Yes."
"..."
Zhuge Soso judged swiftly usually, but the assassin's moves baffled her.
Did he not know he was under watch?
No. He knew. Knew and dared them to strike.
Trusting his allies?
Vanguard, Hanbi, Jaja... All ensnared in the surveillance net. Every move tracked.
Four easy grabs.
Zhuge Soso hesitated over killers lurking behind them.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division wouldn't send just these... They'd layered redundancies for the Merchant Traveler; no way they'd stint on the Clan Lord.
Yet no sign of those backups.
Zhuge eyes spanned the land... yet none spotted.
Hence her pause. Were they all decoys?
Public assassination deadline: midnight. Overtime meant failure for the Heavenly Annihilation Division.
What game was the Heavenly Annihilation Division playing?
Did they truly believe these rabble could kill the Clan Lord?
On this, Zhuge Soso had decided.
Discarded stones!
Vanguard was a discarded stone. Hanbi, Jaja, the nameless assassin too.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division sacrificed them gladly.
But what gain in slaughtering pawns?
Childish ploy.
Success? Bonus. Failure? Whatever... They'd toss a few to keep foes tense. A bluff.
Like the Merchant Traveler hit—backups shielding backups, untouchable. They'd know Zhuge couldn't strike deep.
Clear decoys... yet doubt lingered: truly no one behind?
If unseen shadows lurked, beyond Zhuge sight... those were the real threats. Then the ploy turned deadly earnest.
Ernest or jest?
'Trust our eyes. No tails.'
She affirmed: discarded stones.
Then capture them. No more fretting. Even backups? Half a day left—no one could reach the Lord.
"Seize them!"
Decision down.
"Understood!"
Subordinates echoed eagerly. Then one dashed up with a report.
"He left the bathhouse. But..."
The reporter scowled.
"But what?"
"He's heading here."
"Here? The bathhouse guy to us?"
"Hohoho! Frontal charge? Demanding Father? What's his card? Blood pledge or white?"
She smirked.
Blood pledge meant duel challenge.
Zhuge saw plenty. Shallow tricksters challenging the Lord. Always accepted. But Lord didn't bother—low tiers handled them fine. Most couldn't best even Zhuge novices.
White: formal visit. Required cause.
A killer wouldn't pick blood. Pointless brawl. So white, surely with a must-meet reason.
Zhuge Soso burned to know the excuse. But,
"He... wants an audience with you, miss."
"Me...?"
She blinked at the subordinate.
What now? Him? Why?
"Orders?"
Her eyes gleamed.
The assassin—she knew him. She'd slapped him personally. Pursued but lost him. Now he sought her out.
What insanity. Deranged.
Assassin. Let's see his words.
"Let him in."
Zhuge Soso sank deep into her chair.