Chapter 30: Hateful Heart Demon Technique
Rainwater ran down the tiles, forming a curtain of water.
Wu Qianhuan paused with the wine gourd in her hand and looked up at Chu Qing.
"You said what?"
Chu Qing regarded her with a faint smile. "You heard correctly."
"...Why?"
"To kill."
"Kill whom?"
"Tang Xi."
"Reason?"
"I am an assassin. Naturally someone wants him dead, so I will kill him."
Wu Qianhuan's smile chilled slightly. "The Falling Rain Hall belongs to my Tianwu City; its grand master is an honored guest of my father. It is one of our main powers. Do you think I would permit you to kill people of Tianwu City within our walls?"
Chu Qing did not hesitate. "You would."
"On what basis do you claim that?"
"Because he is not truly of your city."
"What proof?"
"He cultivates the Hateful Heart Demon Technique."
At the instant Chu Qing spoke those four words, Wu Qianhuan's expression changed abruptly.
Silence followed. After a long moment she asked, "How can you be certain?"
"I have seen… a Hateful Heart person."
No sooner had Chu Qing finished than Wu Qianhuan's wine cup shattered in her hand with a snap.
The Hateful Heart Demon Technique is an infamous demonic art of the jianghu. To practice it one must raise a Hateful Heart person—someone made to hate the practitioner to the bone.
The practitioner implants a demonic seed into that person through special means, then performs atrocities upon them—murdering families, humiliating wives and daughters—acts abhorrent to the heavens.
The aim is to feed the seed with hatred; when the Hateful Heart person's hatred peaks, the seed matures.
At that point the practitioner opens the victim's chest and consumes their heart; the internal cultivation then advances by leaps and bounds.
This explains why Tang Xi described to Er Gou how he had taken the girl, yet did not let Er Gou kill him—if the Hateful Heart person died, the scheme would be ruined.
Wu Qianhuan exhaled slowly and looked at Chu Qing. "Still… this may be your one-sided claim. How am I to trust you?"
"You already do."
Chu Qing sighed. "Speak—what do you want?"
"I want to go with you."
"All right."
"I will not slow you down. I… what did you just say?"
Wu Qianhuan had intended to persuade Chu Qing to take her along, but she had not expected him actually to agree.
She stared at him in astonishment. "Are you sure you did not mis-speak?"
Chu Qing shrugged. "Miss Wu is highly skilled; willing help from you is a windfall. Why would I refuse? However, terms first: the commission is mine and so is the reward. Miss Wu will not receive a single tael."
There was truth in that. Before Chu Qing obtained the Swift Sword and Purple Mist Divine Art, a direct confrontation would have sent him fleeing; Wu Qianhuan's presence would only aid the assassination.
Her accompaniment had been anticipated.
"You think I care for money?" Wu Qianhuan felt the man's words prickling her temper again.
Chu Qing smiled. "Besides that, we must set three rules."
"What three rules?"
"First, in this operation, everything must follow my lead."
"Fine. And the second?"
"Second, everything must follow my lead."
"…And the third one is the same, isn't it?"
Wu Qianhuan felt the veins on her forehead starting to twitch again.
Especially when she saw Chu Qing shamelessly nod in agreement—she found this man truly insufferable… even without seeing his face.
"After all, you're an outsider. If you don't follow my orders and something goes wrong, I won't save you. So, for your own safety, it's best if you listen to everything I say."
"…Fine."
Wu Qianhuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "When do you need the defense map?"
"The sooner, the better…"
Chu Qing looked up at the rain above. "Heaven is on our side. Tonight is the best opportunity."
"Follow me to the City Lord's manor."
She stood immediately, but Chu Qing didn't move.
Turning back, she saw him wave his hand. "The City Lord's manor isn't somewhere one simply strolls into. Besides, if you were even slightly untrustworthy and set up an ambush there, wouldn't I be walking straight into a trap? I'll wait here. Miss Wu, be quick."
"…."
Wu Qianhuan had no desire to argue further and leapt away into the rain.
Chu Qing smiled faintly and glanced at the table of food. His throat moved slightly, but he didn't touch it.
This woman clearly had no good intentions—every dish on the table was something he liked.
Wu Qianhuan didn't return quickly. After about the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, a figure dressed entirely in black appeared before Chu Qing.
Only her eyes were visible; everything else was covered.
She first looked carefully at the table and the untouched food, her eyes flashing with mild disappointment.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she tossed a bamboo tube toward him. Chu Qing opened it and pulled out the rolled parchment within.
He studied it carefully, nodding as he spoke. "So your probing of Tang Xi today at the Chu residence wasn't spontaneous after all. The detailing in this defense map is impressive—notations everywhere. It seems the City Lord's manor has long planned to deal with Falling Rain Hall."
"To repel the external, one must first secure the internal."
Wu Qianhuan snorted softly. "Ten Thousand Nights Valley grows more arrogant by the day—the battle is likely near. Falling Rain Hall harbors hidden motives; even if Tang Xi's demonic cultivation were unknown, Liu Shijie's collusion with the Iron Horse bandits is proof enough that they cannot be trusted.
"When war breaks out, we'll need to bring them under control. Even if they prove innocent, preparing early will do no harm."
"Aren't you afraid such measures will sow division?"
"That would require loyalty in the first place."
Chu Qing smiled at that. Indeed, no one should take the other for a fool.
Wu Ganqi hadn't maintained control over Tianwu City by swinging an axe alone—he would never ignore the shadows moving under his watch.
And Chu Qing's coming to request this defense map was based precisely on that calculation—knowing full well that the City Lord's manor had already set its sights on Falling Rain Hall.
After carefully storing away the map, Chu Qing stood. "Let's move."
…
Falling Rain Hall stood in the western district.
At the heart of West Street lay a spacious compound.
Under cover of darkness and rain, the two slipped through the night, reaching the wall in moments.
Listening closely, they heard footsteps pass nearby.
They exchanged a glance, then leapt silently over the wall.
With the defense map in hand, their infiltration was effortless. They knew the patrol routes, the timing of guard changes, and every blind spot.
Before long, they reached Tang Xi's courtyard.
They crouched quietly upon the roof, and Chu Qing lifted a tile.
A wave of indecent sounds drifted out.
Wu Qianhuan's face flushed instantly; she glanced at Chu Qing and saw his eyes glimmer with excitement.
Then he gave her a subtle signal—
Move.
(End of chapter)
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