After Huang Quan and Nangong Mian entered the inn, a waiter approached and inquired, “Do you need a meal, sir?”
“No,” Nangong Mian replied.
Observing their lack of interest in dining, the waiter didn’t press further. Together, Nangong Mian and Huang Quan ascended the stairs. Once they reached their floor, Nangong Mian turned to Huang Quan, asking, “Quanquan, do you plan to rest directly or have something else in mind?”
“I’ll rest after reading a book,” Huang Quan responded.
Nangong Mian nodded, then advised, “Quanquan, you have a match tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late; get a good night’s sleep.”
“Yes,” Huang Quan agreed, preparing to unlock the door. However, just before the key touched the lock, she withdrew it, fixing a cold gaze on the door.
Someone.
The occupants inside were intentionally minimizing their breath, barely audible. If Nangong Mian were alone, he might not have noticed, but with Huang Quan present, there was no concealing it.
Nangong Mian had already unlocked his own door. Noticing Huang Quan’s hesitation, he inquired, “Quanquan, what’s wrong?” Huang Quan shook her head, then proceeded to unlock the door and enter.
As the door swung open, a longsword thrust toward her.
“Quanquan!”
Witnessing the sudden attack, Nangong Mian reacted with shock, attempting to pull Huang Quan away. However, before he could intervene, he watched in amazement as Huang Quan effortlessly lifted her foot and nonchalantly kicked the assailant, sending him crashing into the wall with a loud thud.
Nangong Mian glanced at the incapacitated attacker and then at his own outstretched hand before withdrawing it in silence.
Leaning against the door, Huang Quan observed the figure on the ground with a half-smile. “I spotted you even before stepping through the door. Your concealment wasn’t very effective.”
The black-clad assassin on the ground grimaced at her words. His skill in hiding was exceptional; otherwise, so many clients wouldn’t have sought his services for clandestine killings. How did she expose him so effortlessly?
“Who are you?” Nangong Mian demanded, glaring at the assassin. “Why did you want to kill Quanquan?”
The assassin remained silent and chose to bite the concealed poison in his mouth.
“Tsk.”
Observing the assassin’s lifeless collapse, Huang Quan sighed, “Always opting for suicide. What’s wrong with you?”
Nangong Mian turned to Huang Quan and advised, “If he’s dead, we won’t learn who sent him.”
Understanding the importance of identifying the mastermind to prevent future attempts, Huang Quan countered, “You don’t need to know. No matter how many people they send, the result will be the same.”
Not satisfied with her indifference toward the matter, Nangong Mian expressed concern, “Quanquan, you should be more careful.”
Before Huang Quan could respond, Nangong Mian continued, “We lack trustworthy connections in Tianqi. This assassin’s determined demise indicates professional training. We won’t uncover anything on our own. I reached out to Di Qin for assistance.”
Huang Quan shrugged, stating, “There’s no need to specifically involve Qinqin. If someone wants to kill me, and they fail once, there will surely be another attempt. I’ll just capture them alive next time.”
“You want there to be a next time?”
Nangong Mian glared at her, sternly saying, “We can’t afford to wait for another attempt. I’m contacting Di Qin right away.” Saying so, Nangong Mian took out a communication stone and reached out to Di Qin.
Unable to halt Nangong Mian’s swift actions, Huang Quan reluctantly relented.
Di Qin arrived promptly, accompanied by the high priest.
“The High Priest?” Nangong Mian expressed surprise, asking, “Why are you here as well?”
