nownovels Chapter 140 Dark Fragrance Pavilion
Chapter 140 Dark Fragrance Pavilion
The murderous intent in the bamboo forest had just dissipated, leaving only broken bamboo and the scattered remains of the assassins on the ground.
Xia Yufei was still shaken, and looking at Lu Ming's unharmed body, she could not hide her shock.
He directly withstood the deadly attack of four Nascent Soul assassins, crippling them with a single blow. This combat prowess far surpasses the superficial Golden Core realm.
What Lu Ming displayed was clearly a formidable level of martial arts prowess.
"Those assassins worked together so well, they were clearly a professional assassination force. But I've been in the Fuyou Holy Land for many years and I've never heard of any assassins daring to make a move inside the Holy Land." Xia Yufei frowned and spoke in a serious tone.
"Junior Brother Lu, do you know who wants to kill you?"
Lu Ming slowly shook his head.
Since stepping into the Central Continent, he has focused on cultivation, followed the instructions of his fellow disciples in the academy, and never made enemies. He couldn't fathom the origin of this sudden and deadly attack.
Lu Ming looked puzzled. "I have no old grudges in Zhongzhou. These people have a clear target and they are deadly when they strike. They are obviously after me. But I don't know who is behind them."
"Could it be that they see my cultivation level is the lowest and want to eliminate me first to establish their authority?" Lu Ming wondered, as this seemed to be the only reasonable explanation at the moment.
Having faced life-or-death situations several times, he had long understood that the unknown enemy is the most dangerous.
"We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's go back to Tingtao Garden and make further plans."
Xia Yufei escorted Lu Ming away from the bamboo forest and returned directly to their residence. At the same time, she immediately reported the assassination attempt on the Holy Land to Master Bixiao.
In a short while, the Fuyao Holy Land activated its alert and restrictions, with hidden guards densely surrounding the Tingtao Garden and layers upon layers of rune restrictions.
Even so, everyone knew that the means and power of the person who could plant an assassin in the Holy Land were far more terrifying than they had imagined.
In Fulong City, a city not far from the Holy Land of Fuyou, there is a secluded courtyard where one's presence is completely isolated.
After hearing his subordinates' report on the failed assassination attempt on the Seven Killings Hall, Ning Hanchuan launched into a tirade of curses.
"The Seven Killings Hall is a bunch of useless trash. Four Nascent Soul assassins ambushed Lu Ming, yet they still failed, not even managing to harm a single hair on his head."
He leaned back in his chair, his face somber.
He secretly infiltrated Zhongzhou, intending to take advantage of the Dao Academy's presence at the Fuyou Holy Land to eliminate Lu Ming without anyone noticing.
Unexpectedly, his first attempt ended in such a disastrous outcome.
"Lu Ming's martial arts cultivation has become so formidable." Ning Hanchuan's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Ordinary assassins are no match for him. It seems we'll have to find someone else."
He suppressed his anger, his figure blurred into a black shadow, and he silently left the villa.
Inside a tavern called Xiankeju in Fulong City, the aroma of wine was refreshing, and it was a secluded place.
A young man dressed in red, with a beautiful young woman serving him on each side, leaned back on the couch, pouring himself a drink, looking somewhat carefree. He was none other than Shen Qingzhou, a well-known rogue cultivator from the Central Continent.
This person belongs to no sect or school, possesses unfathomable cultivation, and only recognizes spirit stones, not people.
Seeing Ning Hanchuan push open the door and enter, Shen Qingzhou raised his eyes and swirled the wine glass in his hand: "Young Master Ning, you've come to my door today, surely you have some good business to offer me, Shen, some favor?"
Ning Hanchuan was too lazy to waste words with him and got straight to the point: "Kill someone for me, someone who is at the Golden Core stage of Daoist cultivation and has just entered the Five Qi stage of martial arts. After the deed is done, I will give you two thousand top-grade spirit stones."
Shen Qingzhou looked up at Ning Hanchuan, slightly surprised: "With such cultivation, Young Master Ning actually came to me, and even offered such a high price? Who did Young Master Ning ask me to kill?"
"Lu Ming from the Dao Academy is currently in the Fuyou Holy Land. Although his cultivation level is low, his combat strength is extremely high. The four Nascent Soul stage cultivators couldn't do anything to him before," Ning Hanchuan replied.
Shen Qingzhou paused in his wine glass, then raised an eyebrow: "What? People from the Dao Academy? Still in the Fuyou Holy Land?"
"Young Master Ning, don't you know that Li Jingyun is among the group from the Daoist Academy? Moreover, the Daoist Academy is extremely protective of its own, so Li Jingyun is definitely not going to get along with me."
Ning Hanchuan sneered, "Someone like you wouldn't care about these things, would you?"
Shen Qingzhou took a sip of wine and said, "Young Master Ning, you misunderstand. What I meant was that we need to add spirit stones!"
Ning Hanchuan snorted coldly and said, "Add another five hundred, two thousand five thousand top-grade spirit stones. If you don't want it, I'll find someone else."
"It would have been so much better if we had done it so sooner." Shen Qingzhou snapped the jade fan shut and clapped his hands, laughing.
"Two thousand five thousand top-grade spirit stones, deal! I guarantee a clean and efficient transaction."
Ning Hanchuan tossed out a storage bag: "This is a deposit of one thousand," then turned and disappeared outside Xianyun Residence.
After Ning Hanchuan left, a sly glint flashed in Shen Qingzhou's eyes.
He knew full well that personally assassinating the disciples of the Taoist academy was still extremely risky.
Moreover, the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty is friendly to independent cultivators and widely recruits them from all over the world. Although he is unrestrained, he does not want to break ties with the Dao Academy so soon.
The most important thing is that he really can't beat Li Jingyun, who is accompanying him.
The only option right now is to find the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, the most secretive and powerful assassin organization in Central Continent.
The Dark Fragrance Pavilion is hidden in an unknown place in the Central Plains, with no fixed base or public means of communication, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to reach it even if they spend their entire lives trying.
Dark Fragrance Pavilion usually only contacts cultivators with a certain level of strength, and Shen Qingzhou happens to be one of those people with a certain level of strength.
Shen Qingzhou possessed a Dark Fragrance Token, which allowed him to contact the Dark Fragrance Pavilion. This was the source of his confidence in accepting the job.
He suppressed his smile, held the Dark Fragrance Token, and followed the secret rules of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, circling around most of Fulong City before finally stopping at an ordinary inn.
He struck the Fragrance Token with a specific rhythm, whispering a code that only the Fragrance Pavilion understood:
"The wicked melody will entwine you, leading to your death and imprisonment in the underworld, where you will be eternally condemned to the Yellow Springs."
A moment later, a voice resounded directly in his mind, devoid of any emotion:
"Target, cultivation level, time limit, price."
"Lu Ming, a disciple of the Dao Academy, possesses the Daoist Golden Core and the Five Qi of Martial Arts. He can instantly kill a Nascent Soul assassin. His combat power far surpasses that of his peers. Only a Divine Transformation Realm assassin can ensure a fatal blow."
Shen Qingzhou spoke solemnly, enunciating each word clearly: "Assassination deadline: nine days. Success, reward: one thousand top-grade spirit stones."
After a moment of silence in the dark abyss, it seemed to be weighing the difficulty of the mission.
A short while later, the voice rang out again:
"At least two thousand top-grade spirit stones, no bargaining."
Shen Qingzhou's eye twitched slightly, as if he were in pain. But he still said helplessly, "Fine, two thousand top-grade spirit stones!"
"Target confirmed. Assassin to carry out the mission. Target to be killed in nine days. Deposit received. Transaction complete."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Dark Fragrance Token trembled slightly, then remained silent.
Shen Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief and began to play with the jade bone fan in her hand again.
Two thousand five hundred to accept a quest, two thousand to complete a quest, and you can earn five hundred top-grade spirit stones for free without taking any risk. This deal couldn't be more worthwhile.
"Lu Ming, don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame yourself for offending the wrong person." He chuckled and turned to leave. "With the Dark Fragrance Pavilion's Earth-level assassins taking action, within nine days, no matter how much your combat power surpasses others of the same level, you will not escape death."
The sacred land of Fuyou, the Garden of Listening to the Waves.
Lu Ming sat cross-legged in the room, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The Nine Revolutions Profound Technique and the Xuanwu True Technique slowly circulated, the five elements blended and surged, and the Daoist charm of penetrating the profound and transforming nourished every part of his body.
He didn't know who the mastermind was, nor when the next danger would strike. He could only focus on his cultivation and adjust himself to his peak condition to deal with the danger that might come at any time.
He had already kept the spatial jade talisman given to him by the Zhenwu Sect in his storage bag, so he could escape at the slightest sign of trouble.
As night deepened outside the window, the night in Fuyao Holy Land was as calm as still water, but a gentle breeze blew...