All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 191: Changes in the World Line

On a dark and windy night, the bandit leader returned to the tent and reported obsequiously, “Eunuch, the wine has been warmed, and the meat is being roasted. It will be served soon. I also have a treasure I’d like to offer you.”

“What kind of treasure?” The eunuch showed a disdainful smile, wondering what treasure could be found in such a remote area. But he was still curious.

The bandit took out a wooden box from his bosom. Inside the box was black soil, and buried in the soil was a red ginseng root.

“This is said to be called ‘Blood King Ginseng’, a very rare medicinal herb. My subordinates found it by chance in the mountains a few days ago and turned it over to me,” the bandit leader said.

The eunuch’s expression changed for just a moment before he composed himself, saying indifferently, “Since it’s your goodwill, I’ll accept it.”

“Eunuch Cao, about my official position?” the bandit leader asked timidly. Being a bandit was a last resort, living on the edge of a knife. If they could be granted amnesty and obtain an official position, it would be much better than being a bandit. After all, the saying “Three years as a clean magistrate, a hundred thousand taels of silver” wasn’t just talk.

“Don’t worry, after completing the task, it’s just a matter of my word, isn’t it?” Eunuch Cao said.

Shortly after, the bandit leader returned to the tent with freshly roasted meat and warmed wine.

“Eunuch, have some wine,” the bandit leader said with a fawning smile, filling the cup in front of him. Eunuch Cao picked up the wine cup and was about to bring it to his lips when he suddenly stopped.

The bandit leader smiled awkwardly and accepted the cup, drinking it in one gulp. He knew this dead eunuch was afraid of being poisoned, but he inwardly grumbled, what benefit would he get from poisoning him? What he didn’t know was that Eunuch Cao naturally didn’t trust him, because he never considered him an insider. This secret mission to resolve His Majesty’s troubles required confidentiality, so he wouldn’t spare anyone who knew the reason. Not all bandits needed to be killed, but this leader must die.

The bandit leader drained the cup, still smiling, but his smile quickly froze as he suddenly collapsed to the ground, dead from poison!

“Such a potent poison, which little thief tried to harm me!” Eunuch Cao shouted fiercely, his surging internal energy making the bandits outside dizzy.

“Failed? Indeed, this dead eunuch isn’t so easy to kill!” Zhanyue frowned. With his skills as the Saint of Thieves, poisoning the wine wasn’t difficult, but the challenge was getting Eunuch Cao to drink it. Unfortunately, Eunuch Cao was too cautious and made the bandit leader a scapegoat.

“Lure the tiger away from the mountain and find another chance?” Zhanyue thought.

Then he revealed himself from the darkness and taunted the nearby Eunuch Cao, “Dead castrated dog, you’re lucky this time. Just you wait!”

Seeing the thief reveal himself, Eunuch Cao wouldn’t let him go. “Little thief, how daring. Did you think you could escape so easily?”

Eunuch Cao flew in pursuit, his speed like a phantom.

Unfortunately, Zhanyue was always one step ahead, and he could never catch up. “This eunuch is too strong. Although I can shake him off, how can I kill him?” Zhanyue confirmed that his title of world’s best lightness skill wasn’t in vain. Even this terrifying palace expert couldn’t catch him. He could escape if he wanted to.

At a critical moment, a sound cut through the air as a flying dagger headed towards the eunuch’s back of the head. The eunuch dodged as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

A man in black attacked from behind, “Brother, let’s join forces and kill this bastard together!”

“The man in black?” Zhanyue was stunned. He guessed the other’s identity – wasn’t this the man in black who saved Yu Dayou before? So he had been following this eunuch all along, just not making a move. When he finally acted, it was too late. Seeing Zhanyue now, he exposed himself early, wanting to join forces?

The man in black quickly engaged in battle with the eunuch. In an instant, rocks were flying. This man in black was no ordinary person, actually able to fight the eunuch head-on.

“Old dog Cao, you killed my entire family. Today, I’ll have your life!” The man in black was burning with rage, holding a steel blade in his hand. The eunuch’s flying needles from his sleeves were incredibly strange, even harder to guard against in the darkness.

“I know who you are now. So it’s you. Weren’t you guarding the northern border with General Yue? You barely escaped with your life, yet you dare to come back?” Eunuch Cao recognized the man in black’s identity, after all, there were few people in the world who could fight him.

Soon, the man in black was at a disadvantage. Zhanyue wasn’t idle either, waiting on the side for a chance to sneak attack.

Flying needles shot out again, but Zhanyue blocked in front of the man in black, his hands moving like shadows, catching all the flying needles between his fingertips, a miraculous sight.

Both the man in black and Eunuch Cao were stunned.

“Brother, what skill! This dead eunuch’s flying needle technique is unbeatable, yet he can’t hurt you!” the man in black exclaimed.

“Damn it, who exactly are you? Do you have a grudge against me too?” Eunuch Cao frowned. The man in black before him was extraordinarily skilled, and there was this young man he didn’t recognize, whose lightness skill was no less than his own, and who could catch flying needles with his bare hands. How could there be so many experts in this small Yunmo Mountain?

Zhanyue smiled slightly, “Nothing much. You just deserve to die.”

“Hahaha, well said! This castrated dog deserves to die!” The man in black laughed loudly and attacked Eunuch Cao again. However, Eunuch Cao lived up to his reputation as the top expert in the palace. Even with the man in black and Zhanyue joining forces, they quickly fell to a disadvantage.

“Hmph!” Eunuch Cao was truly angry now. His internal energy surged, and his strength increased dramatically.

The man in black’s blade came slashing down, but Eunuch Cao caught the steel blade with his hand. The man in black forcefully slashed, but only managed to create a small cut on Eunuch Cao’s hand. However, the man in black was struck in the chest by Eunuch Cao’s left palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backwards.

“Brother, you should leave quickly. His martial arts are too profound. We underestimated this old dog,” the man in black said hatefully. His all-out attack only managed to inflict a slight wound on Eunuch Cao’s right hand, leaving a thin cut, while he himself could no longer fight.

“Want to leave? Today, none of you will… will…” Eunuch Cao hadn’t finished speaking when he suddenly felt the world spinning. In an instant, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell to the ground, dead!

“Dead?” Both the man in black and Zhanyue were stunned. After a while, Zhanyue finally understood.

“He died from poison,” Zhanyue said calmly.

The man in black looked at the eunuch’s corpse, confirming he was no longer breathing, and looked at Zhanyue in shock, “When did you poison him?”

Zhanyue explained, “I had put poison in the wine and on the cup earlier. He probably didn’t drink the wine, but he must have touched the cup, so there was poison on his hand. The poison wouldn’t have been a problem if it didn’t enter his body, but once it did, it could instantly take his life. Apparently, your blade just now broke his skin, allowing the poison to enter his body.”

“What… what kind of poison is this? Such a small wound contaminated with poison could take old dog Cao’s life? His internal energy was so strong that ordinary poisons wouldn’t work!” the man in black exclaimed in shock.

“I… I don’t know either. In any case, it’s a rare poison in the world,” Zhanyue became even more wary of Huang Xueqing. A single drop of her blood could poison such a formidable enemy to death.

“Cough, cough, cough.” The man in black continued to cough blood, rapidly weakening. “I took one of his palm strikes. My heart meridian is shattered. Even a divine doctor couldn’t save me. Listen… listen to me. Take this… go… go to Yunmo Village to find… Yu… then take the item to see… see General Yue.” The man in black handed a token to Zhanyue. He had no choice but to entrust his mission to Zhanyue.

Soon, the man in black breathed his last. The world line changed once again. This time, both Eunuch Cao and the man in black were dead.

“Sigh, if you knew the mission was important, why didn’t you complete it earlier? Why did you have to follow this eunuch?” Zhanyue said helplessly. He had underestimated the man in black’s hatred for Eunuch Cao. He could have rushed to find the person, but he didn’t want to miss the chance for revenge. He had been looking for opportunities to ambush Eunuch Cao all along, until Zhanyue appeared, giving him hope. That’s when he revealed himself. However, he still underestimated Eunuch Cao’s strength. Fortunately, in the end, Eunuch Cao was still killed by the poison.

“Oh? This dead eunuch was carrying this wooden box? Could it be some treasure?” Zhanyue found an item while searching the body.