Chapter Twenty-Two: An Assassination Attempt

On the street, the peddlers were starting to pack up their stalls and head home, while the crowds out for entertainment began to disperse as well.

Rong Jiu skipped and sang as she weaved through the throng, her spirits still high, with Song Moting following at a measured distance behind her.

Amid the moving crowd, a masked man made a subtle gesture toward the shadows. Suddenly, a booming voice rang out, “There’s a performance over there! Everyone, come and see!”

Those who had been about to go home grew restless at the prospect of more entertainment, surging madly in the direction of the voice.

Rong Jiu, caught in the surge, was pushed to the side by the rushing crowd.

“Hey, everyone, be careful! You’ll crush me!” she complained under her breath, trying to distance herself from the jostling mass.

At last, after much squeezing, she managed to break free, panting for breath. But she had no time to rest—Song Moting was nowhere in sight!

Oh no! Where’s my dear Tingting been swept off to? Rong Jiu thought anxiously, her eyes searching frantically through the crowd.

“Miss, are you looking for the young gentleman who was with you just now?”

As Rong Jiu stood at a loss, a voice sounded by her ear. Turning around, she saw a middle-aged man with the look of a peddler.

“Yes! Did you see him?” she asked hastily.

“As it happens, I know where he is. Let me take you to him,” the man replied with a smile, a glint of malice flickering in his eyes.

“Really? Please, lead the way! You’re such a good person!”

Rong Jiu didn’t stop to think—her only concern was to find Song Moting quickly. She didn’t even know the way back, and being alone filled her with a sense of foreboding.

Seeing Rong Jiu’s lack of suspicion, the man’s lips curled with satisfaction. He feigned enthusiasm as he led her away.

They wound through four or five alleys, straying ever farther from the crowds, until the surroundings grew deserted. Rong Jiu’s unease grew with every step.

“Um, are you sure we’re not lost? Why does it feel like we’re going farther and farther away?” she ventured, peering at the man ahead.

He didn’t reply, but halted in his tracks. Panic welled up in Rong Jiu—her instincts screamed that this man had deceived her. She quickly took a few steps back.

“M-Mister, you—you’re not planning to—molest me, are you?”

She crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Could it be that this man was bewitched by her beauty and lured her here for nefarious purposes? In this pitch-dark, deserted place, what was she to do?

The man only sneered in response.

“I’m warning you, don’t try anything! Whatever money you want, I’ll give it to you. I—I know martial arts! If you leave now, I might let you off!”

Rong Jiu shouted, hoping to scare him off. Deep down, she knew her skills were meager, and if the man also knew martial arts, she might not stand a chance. At this moment, she couldn’t afford to lose her nerve.

“Hahaha, I’m not after your money or your body—I’m here for your life!” the man snarled, drawing a dagger from his belt and advancing on her.

She was doomed!

Rong Jiu’s heart pounded wildly. How had she ended up in this mess, with her very life at stake?

“Mister, please calm down! I’ve never wronged you—maybe you’ve got the wrong person.”

He pressed in closer with every step, and she retreated accordingly.

“You’re exactly the one I’m after. Prepare to die!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the man lunged at her. Rong Jiu swiftly drew her short