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墨書 Inktalez
Nangong Shuang turned in shock, only to see a familiar figure standing at the edge of the bamboo grove—Xiao Zhongyan! Dressed in white, holding a folding fan, he looked like a celestial being under the moonlight.
“Xiao Gongzi?” Nangong Shuang exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.
Xiao Zhongyan smiled slightly and hurried over. “Nangong Shuang, are you alright?”
Nangong Shuang shook her head. “Just a little injury to my left arm, nothing serious.”
Xiao Zhongyan nodded and approached the black-clad man pinned down by silver needles. Coldly, he asked, “Who sent you?”
The man remained silent, his eyes filled with resentment. Instead of getting angry, Xiao Zhongyan smiled and took out a silver needle from his robe, lightly pressing it against the man's forehead. “If you don’t speak, this needle will make your life worse than death.”
A flicker of fear crossed the man's eyes, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to speak. Xiao Zhongyan didn’t press further; instead, he turned to Nangong Shuang. “These people are clearly professionally trained and belong to some secret organization. Judging by their methods, they should be from the Shadow Pavilion.”
“Shadow Pavilion?” Nangong Shuang frowned.
Xiao Zhongyan explained, “A mysterious assassin organization that specializes in assassination tasks; they always leave blood in their wake. Those who can hire them are usually powerful nobles or wealthy merchants.”
Nangong Shuang pondered for a moment. “So that means the person who wants me dead holds significant power?”
Just as Xiao Zhongyan was about to respond, the black-clad man suddenly let out a strange cry, then foamed at the mouth, his eyes bulging wide before he died instantly.
“Not good! He poisoned himself!” Xiao Zhongyan exclaimed.
Nangong Shuang quickly checked the other two men and found that they too had bitten into the poison sacs hidden in their teeth and had died from poisoning.
“What a ruthless tactic,” Nangong Shuang sighed. “They would rather die than reveal anything.”
She crouched down to examine the bodies closely for any possible clues. On the chest of the first deceased black-clad man, she discovered a small black token engraved with the image of a pavilion.
“Indeed, they are from the Shadow Pavilion,” Xiao Zhongyan said as he took the token for inspection. “A first-level assassin; their skills are not to be underestimated.”
Nangong Shuang found a note on another black-clad man that read: “Mei Ying has appeared; report to the master immediately.”
“Mei Ying has appeared...” Nangong Shuang repeated softly, “They refer to me as Mei Ying?”
Xiao Zhongyan pondered for a moment. “It could be due to the Plum Blossom Birthmark on your wrist or perhaps because of the Nangong Family's Mei Ying San poison.”
Nangong Shuang tucked away the note and checked through the equipment and clothing of all three men again but found no further clues. However, this encounter had confirmed her suspicions: someone behind the scenes was indeed monitoring her and was willing to employ professional assassins.
“We need to leave here quickly,” Xiao Zhongyan said cautiously as he scanned their surroundings. “Since these three are assassins from the Shadow Pavilion, if they fail in their mission, it’s certain that stronger individuals will be sent after us.”
Nangong Shuang nodded but then recalled something. “What should we do with these bodies?”
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Zhongyan took out a pouch of powder from his robe and sprinkled it over the three bodies. The powder immediately emitted green smoke upon contact with air, causing the corpses to rot at an observable speed until they quickly turned into a puddle of pus that seeped into the ground without leaving a trace.
Nangong Shuang stared in astonishment. "What is this...?"
"Hua Shi Fen," Xiao Zhongyan replied calmly. "A family secret recipe, specifically used to handle... certain special situations."
A chill ran through Nangong Shuang's heart. The Xiao Family possessed such a sinister drug; no wonder the bodies had vanished without a trace when the Nangong Family was exterminated ten years ago. However, she did not reveal any emotion on her face and merely nodded, saying, "It is indeed convenient."
The two quickly left the bamboo forest and made their way toward the city. The night was deep, and the streets were sparsely populated, with only a few lanterns swaying in the darkness.
"Xiao Gongzi, how did you end up in the medicinal garden?" Nangong Shuang finally voiced her lingering question.
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