Raising Orphans, Not Assassins-Chapter 48Vol. 1 - - Bamboo Tower, Listening to the Rain

Qin Yi stood up with a sword, speaking in a calm voice: "From Lin'an to Jiangxia, with a fast horse and whip, it will take nine days to arrive."

She glanced at the four gold medal assassins with a faint expression.

"Compared to me, you should focus on your own safety."

Huang San squinted, a smile curving at the corners of his mouth.

"Hmph, I said she would definitely go."

Chen Er shot a sideways glance at the frail scholar, as if saying, "I told you so."

The frail scholar, with a pale face, smiled without responding to Chen Er's provocation, muttering to himself, "This is very good, very good."

Qin Yi looked at Xiao Lian and softly said, "You don't need to leave with me, you can stay."

"The Gold medal assassins of Shaoxing and Lin'an are all here. After we leave, the silver medal assassins at the third rank won't be able to do anything to you."

Xiao Lian closed her eyes, the figures of two men appearing in her mind.

After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath as if making a decision.

Xiao Lian opened her eyes, a determined light flashing in her agile eyes: "I lack experience in combat. I want to go with you."

"Hahahaha! Good, with spirit! In the future, if anyone dares to make things difficult for you at Fengyu Tower, just report my name, Chen Er!"

A strong man, with a wolf-head tattoo on his face, laughed loudly, his voice booming. He instinctively reached out his large hand to pat Xiao Lian's shoulder.

Xiao Lian frowned slightly, shifting her stance and dodging the strong man's hand.

The woman, disguised as an old lady, looked at Xiao Lian with interest and spoke in a soft, enchanting voice: "Little girl, I’m Qian Qi, what’s your name?"

Xiao Lian glanced at her and, after a moment of silence, replied, "Chen Lian."

…

Ezhou, Jiangxia County.

A light drizzle fell from the sky, landing in the lush bamboo forest.

Bamboo leaves held the full raindrops, their tips trembling as pea-sized drops fell to the ground.

A graceful bamboo tower stood on a small hill.

On the second floor of the bamboo tower, a middle-aged man in a black silk long robe, with golden embroidery on the cuffs, sat cross-legged on a cushion. In front of him was a small tea table.

On the tea table was a purple clay teapot the size of a fist and two cups of tea filled to seven-tenths.

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Outside the bamboo tower, the sound of rain could be heard, soft and rustling.

The rain on the bamboo leaves added a touch of tranquility to the small tower.

Inside the bamboo tower, the faint fragrance of tea drifted in the air, refreshing the mind.

"Lord Wang, would you not sit down and have a cup? This is Longjing tea from before the rain." The middle-aged man in black had a dignified face, and his tone carried a scholarly elegance.

Across from him, an old man in a purple round-neck robe stood. His face was pale, without a beard, and his appearance gave off a feminine air.

At this moment, he was gazing at the distant green mountains, listening to the soft sound of rain on the bamboo leaves.

"We shall not drink. We cannot afford Lord Su's tea." When the old man spoke, his voice was sharp, neither masculine nor feminine, sounding uncomfortable.

The middle-aged man in black smiled faintly and said, "There is no Lord Su here."

"In front of Lord Wang, there is only the Master of Fengyu Tower." As he spoke, the middle-aged man’s voice carried a hint of mockery.

Lord Wang didn’t speak. He gazed at the distant mountains, his mood seemingly good.

After a while, he said faintly, "Lord Su, when will the second-rank assassins from Fengyu Tower return? Our time is limited."

The Master of Fengyu Tower smiled lightly, picked up his teacup, blew lightly over the clear, green water, and then took a small sip.

"There are thirty-two second-rank assassins in Fengyu Tower. Eight of them have died in the past few days. There are still twenty-four left, spread across the Great Wu Dynasty. The assassins from the East, Northwest, and Southwest will take at least thirteen or fourteen days to arrive."

"Since I promised the Emperor, I will keep my word. Please be patient, Lord Wang."

The Master of Fengyu Tower set the teacup down, slightly closed his eyes, and moved his throat as he savored the pre-rain Longjing tea.

"Besides Fengyu Tower, His Majesty has requested something else from Lord Su."

Lord Wang turned around, his murky eyes fixed with a deep gaze on the Master of Fengyu Tower.

The Master of Fengyu Tower slowly opened his eyes, as if he had expected Lord Wang to say those words.

He looked toward the green mountains behind Lord Wang and spoke lightly: "Fengyu Tower's intelligence network is unmatched in the world. With control over it, one can hear the winds and rains of the Jianghu, knowing everything."

"But I wonder, is the emperor you speak of is my elder brother or the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing these words, Lord Wang instinctively shuddered.

He then angrily said, "Lord Su, the ruler of the world is naturally the emperor."

"If others were to hear this..."

At this point, Lord Wang suddenly fell silent.

The Master of Fengyu Tower remained calm and replied: "What if others hear it?"

"18 years ago, after my imperial brother seized the throne, he had all my wives and daughters killed. Now, he wants to eliminate Fengyu Tower—what else is there left for me to hold on to?"

As he spoke, the Master of Fengyu Tower suddenly smiled: "My imperial brother, despite being in the court, still has the energy to care about the Jianghu."

Lord Wang snorted coldly from the side: "Under the heavens, there is no land that isn't the emperor's."

The Master of Fengyu Tower didn't argue. He just smiled and said, "The emperor's plans are beyond my comprehension."

After saying this, a fleeting trace of loneliness and hatred passed through the Master of Fengyu Tower's eyes.

Back then, he had simply made one wrong move…

"Once Fengyu Tower is destroyed, I will let the twelve Earthly Branches return with you, Lord Wang." The Master of Fengyu Tower picked up the purple clay teapot and filled the teacup.

The clear, green tea steamed with a white vapor.

"However, all of this depends on whether Lord Wang can handle the remaining twenty-four second-rank masters."

The Master of Fengyu Tower's tone shifted, becoming more indifferent.

Lord Wang was about to speak when his face suddenly turned pale. He hastily took out a white handkerchief from his sleeve and covered his mouth, coughing violently.

"Cough cough..."

Lord Wang's body bent like a large shrimp, his face reddening as if he was about to cough up his insides.

After a moment, Lord Wang's pale face gradually improved, turning from white to red.

He closed the right hand that had been holding the handkerchief.

It was faintly visible that the white handkerchief had small spots of blood on it, like plum blossoms scattered across the snow.

Lord Wang gasped a few times, his voice muffled: "There's no need to trouble Lord Su."

"The Wanjin Hall and Tang Sect have long wanted to destroy Fengyu Tower. They have enough manpower to satisfy Lord Su."

The Master of Fengyu Tower nodded faintly: "That’s good."

"Since my imperial brother wants to clear the path for the Crown Prince, he must move swiftly. Those who should be killed, must be killed. Those who should be removed, must be removed."

The Master of Fengyu Tower’s tone carried a touch of sarcasm: "It’s best to treat everyone equally."

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang furrowed his brows, displeasure flashing across his face.

But he remained silent.

The bamboo tower fell into silence.

The light rain outside the window gradually intensified, and only the soft sound of rain on the bamboo leaves remained near the tranquil mountain.

The Master of Fengyu Tower slowly closed his eyes, listening to the rain.

TL Notes:

Longjing Tea: (Chinese: 龍井茶; pinyin: lóngjǐng chá), sometimes called by its literal translated name Dragon Well tea, is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title.

Plum Blossoms:

ED Notes: