Chapter 9 – The Last Person to Kill (Part Five)

In order to appease his son and also make Wei Ru Ye work her hardest for him, he had once promised that after Wei Ru Ye completed ten missions, he would grant her freedom and approve their marriage.

He knew very well that Wenshu, though gentle and refined in appearance, was extremely stubborn at heart. Once he set his mind on something, he would not budge. If he refused, Wenshu would likely act on his own.

Looking at the determination in his son’s eyes, Xuanyuan Guiren said slowly, “Across the entire Stronghold, only Wei Ru Ye can bear this heavy responsibility. If she succeeds, the Stronghold will be invincible in the martial arts world from now on.”

He turned his gaze to Wei Ru Ye and Ye Shengxiang and added in a heavier tone, “If Wei Ru Ye can kill the Dragon King, I will grant her complete freedom and great wealth, including approving the marriage between you two. All others who assist in completing the mission will also receive generous rewards.”

Assassinating the Dragon King was an enormous undertaking. No one had the courage or the capital to take it on alone. This was a huge business deal put together by thirteen factions working in alliance. The returns were immense. If they succeeded, the power, wealth, and territories of the martial arts world would be rewritten from then on.

Xuanyuan Guiren calculated in his mind: if Wei Ru Ye could truly kill the Dragon King, the Stronghold would dominate the martial arts world. At that point, what would it matter if he killed her as well? And if she failed, she would likely die at the Dragon King’s hands—a perfect case of using another’s blade to kill, and it would also make Wenshu give up on her.

Although Wei Ru Ye was unrivaled in beauty, intelligence, and martial arts, she was ultimately just a cold-blooded and helpless female assassin. He did not believe such a woman was fit to be the wife of his son who would inherit his legacy.

No matter what, he would never let Wei Ru Ye become his daughter-in-law, even if it meant destroying her.

“I won’t let you do this anymore…” Xuanyuan Wenshu glared angrily at his father.

“This is the only condition,” Xuanyuan Guiren said coldly.

“If… if you insist on doing this, then I will go with Ye’er.”

Xuanyuan Guiren’s face darkened. His eyes narrowed to slits, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “This matter is of great importance. There is no room for your willfulness. Without the protection of the Stronghold, you could not go anywhere. Wei Ru Ye, are you willing to gamble on a future for you and Shu’er?”

Xuanyuan Wenshu felt a sharp pain in his heart. He did not want Ru Ye to take such a risk. He did not believe she could kill the Dragon King. Yet he also knew that what his father said was an unavoidable reality.

They simply did not have the power to resist or escape the Stronghold, much less the ability to withstand both the lawful and underworld factions who would gladly destroy the Stronghold’s assassins.

If the two of them wished to be together safely and for a long time, they needed the recognition and protection of the Stronghold.

This dilemma caused him immense anguish.

He gazed at Ru Ye’s beautiful face, his eyes full of reluctance and struggle.

It was precisely this look in Wenshu’s eyes that made her feel a faint warmth—the only warmth she felt in the world. She comforted him with a gentle gaze and said, “I am willing to take the gamble.”

Wenshu let out a long, despondent sigh.

Ye Shengxiang watched coldly from the sidelines.

She cared nothing about their affairs. She only found them naive and laughable.

She did not believe men were worth relying on or hoping for. Only immature women harbored fantasies about men.

Men were naturally lecherous and always chasing the new and discarding the old. This innate nature allowed her to thrive in the male-dominated world and toy with them as she pleased.

A woman should take advantage of opportunities to think for herself, just as she liked men and derived pleasure, enjoyment, and benefits from them. But she would never be loyal to any man, let alone fall in love with one.

To men, women were merely playthings. And to her, men were likewise mere playthings—the most entertaining kind.

No matter how high Wei Ru Ye’s martial arts or how brilliant her mind, when it came to handling men, she was nothing but a fool.

A female assassin who had killed countless times and could never step into the light, did she really think she could wash the blood from her hands and live an ordinary life as a wife?

It was ridiculously naive. And she certainly did not believe that Xuanyuan Guiren would actually grant Wei Ru Ye her freedom in the end.

But that was none of her concern. An assassin who fell into genuine love was doomed to self-destruction, and she would be glad to see Wei Ru Ye destroyed.

Assassinating the Dragon King was truly a mad and unbelievable idea, yet it filled her with excitement.

She was a natural temptress. She liked and excelled at seducing men. She reveled in the thrill of seducing, conquering, and destroying them.

She had seen too many powerful men come under her spell. She wondered how this man, said to be possessed by gods and demons alike, was any different from them.

She was deeply curious about him. She hoped he would not disappoint her.