Hidden Assassin 218

It was morning, and the neon lights reflected off the small car as Lingjing emerged from the driver’s seat at the hospital where Ye’s mother was staying. Jia Ming, dressed in a neat suit, leaned out of the driver’s side window. “Sha Sha and the others should be inside. Xun’s injuries are quite serious, and I don’t know if she’ll be alright. I have something to do, but I’ll be right back. Tell Sha Sha and the others not to worry, okay?”

“But… you…”

“I’m fine. The most dangerous one is already dead. Look, I’m not even hurt, right? I have some things to take care of. Be good now.”

“Humph.” Seeing that Jia Ming seemed alright, Lingjing shook her small fist and said reproachfully, “You’re such a pain! Stop talking to me like a grown-up. I know you’re just looking for an excuse to avoid going in. You’ve been injured so many times recently, getting stabbed and shot. If you go in, you’ll definitely get lectured to death by Mom… Alright, I’ll go in and keep Sha Sha company. You come back soon, okay?”

“Yes, Lingjing-sama.”

“Go…” Rolling her eyes, Lingjing turned to enter the hospital. Jia Ming watched her go in before stepping on the gas and speeding away. The curtain by the hospital door quietly opened a crack, and Lingjing, standing inside, looked at the car for a moment. She turned around, took a deep breath, patted her chest, trying to calm down, and then skipped off to see Sha Sha and Xun.

A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of an apartment building in a residential district. Jia Ming went up to the second floor and opened the door to his old apartment, which his parents had left for him. For the moment, this little space was his secret base in Jiang Hai City.

He walked into the inner room, pulled out a large medical kit, and then filled the electric kettle with water and plugged it in. He sat down on the sofa, took off his clean outer coat and threw it onto the sofa. As he did, he saw layers of thick cotton cloth stretched from his shoulder blades to his chest. It was December, so there was thermal underwear under the cotton cloth, but the blood had already seeped through the outer layer of the cloth, creating a terrifying scarlet stain from his shoulder blades to his abdomen.

Leaning weakly against the sofa, he took a deep breath and began to remove the layers of cotton cloth. Then he took off his shirt. He felt a bit cold, so he got up and closed the door. Before this, even if he was washing in cold water on a snowy day, he wouldn’t have felt any cold.

The wounds he had sustained, coupled with the excessive blood loss from the intense fight, had left him incredibly weak. If Zhushén Wuniàn had held on a little longer, instead of trying to directly apply his psychic powers to his own body, causing that violent backlash, he might have already died in this situation.

He weakly opened the medical kit and took out towels, a basin, and other things. He mixed hot water with some cold water and began to clean, disinfect, suture, and treat his wounds in an orderly fashion. About half an hour later, the phone rang in the room and also displayed on his wristwatch.

“Hello.”

“I’m glad I can hear your voice. This is Tian Yu Zhengze.” The voice on the other end seemed relieved. “I knew you wouldn’t lose to that pervert, Zhushén Wuniàn.”

“If you’re calling to inquire about him, he’s dead.”

“Someone reported to us a few hours ago that the Sacred Heart Academy was infiltrated. But our forces in China are too weak to do anything. Our people called a while ago. They said the young lady was seriously injured, but everyone else is fine. I guess you’re in a state where you can answer the phone now, so I called.” Tian Yu Zhengze chuckled on the other end. “Are the others okay? You know who I’m referring to, your two girlfriends.”

“Thanks to you, they’re fine.”

“That’s good. Zhushén Wuniàn suddenly going to Thailand was indeed our oversight. Actually, the Pei Luo Jia leadership had already reached a decision some time ago not to allow their members to attack you. We didn’t expect Zhushén Wuniàn to directly ignore that order. You know, I’m not trying to speak well of Pei Luo Jia, I’m just telling you the truth.”

“I have some information,” Jia Ming paused, having finished treating his wounds. He put down the tweezers and picked up a gauze pad. “Regarding some of Pei Luo Jia’s undercover agents within your organization, their contact methods and connections, and the extent of their influence… I can’t guarantee complete accuracy, but at least half of it is confirmed…”

“That’s great.” After a moment, Tian Yu Zhengze said simply.

“If you’re going to make a move, I hope you’ll do it later.”

“Uh? Ha… We definitely won’t start a full purge immediately. In Chinese terms, that would be like startling a snake by poking its tail…”

“About twenty days from now, I’ll be going to Tokyo. I hope you’ll be prepared. Don’t get caught in the crossfire.”

“…” Seemingly startled by the implications in Jia Ming’s words, Tian Yu Zhengze was momentarily stunned. “You’re going to fight them? Things aren’t that simple. I know you’re angry, but it’s their territory in Tokyo, not Jiang Hai. I hope you’ll reconsider.”

“I’ve considered it.”

“I think the best solution now is for us to talk openly. I’ll tell the higher-ups here about your situation, the Yan Huang Jue Xing, the Dark Harp. You can lend us your strength, and we can work together to deal with Pei Luo Jia… You don’t understand, Pei Luo Jia is too powerful. Although they can’t do anything to you now, this assassin organization has been deeply rooted for hundreds of years, its influence is beyond your imagination…”

“Trust me, I know Pei Luo Jia better than you do. My familiarity and affinity with it even surpasses that of your organization, of Yan Huang Jue Xing.”

“…You came from Pei Luo Jia?” Before Jia Ming could answer, Tian Yu Zhengze laughed again. “Ha, sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. But I still think this is too risky to do alone. We can express our sincerity to each other…”

Tian Yu Zhengze babbled on and on, while Jia Ming remained silent, wrapping his bandages. His face in the darkness appeared pale and cold. “Alright, to be honest, if we cooperate like this, I’ll still face countless problems. As long as there’s trouble, I’ll be responsible for helping out. You understand.”

“Well… That’s the rule. Having a certain degree of vested interest can ensure everyone’s unity. With your power, you’ll have maximum freedom. You’ll just need to help out with some small tasks occasionally. You know… If you’re willing, there are a few beautiful girls in the Takamagahara. They won’t bother you, they won’t ask you to sign their names on a marriage certificate, they’ll be your mistresses, you don’t need to worry about public opinion, as long as your relationship is recognized within the organization…

Their fathers hold important positions in the Takamagahara. Of course, if you like…”

There was no answer from the other end. After a moment, Tian Yu Zhengze said helplessly, “Heh, Chinese people might have some resentment towards Japanese people, but doing things for Yan Huang Jue Xing is always for your own country. Yan Huang Jue Xing has a good reputation in the outside world. You might consider becoming a part of it.”

“You know what, Tian Yu-kun?” After a long silence, a faint voice finally came from Jia Ming’s mouth. “That’s why I’ll never join any organization like that again in my life. I won’t take orders from anyone anymore.”

“But at least Yan Huang Jue Xing…”

“Even Yan Huang Jue Xing.”

“…” Tian Yu Zhengze fell silent for a moment. “Ha, I understand. Everyone has their own obsessions. I’m sorry. I won’t say those things again. So, twenty days from now? Ha, it’s almost Christmas, I’ll make arrangements for everything.”

“I’ll arrange it myself. I’ll contact you then. You just do your thing.”

“Uh… Alright. Take care. Oh, Wei’s here, I need to hang up…”

A voice belonging to Longtang Wei came through the phone, followed by a hang up. In the room on the other side of the call, Longtang Wei, freshly bathed, seemed to have been eavesdropping for quite some time. She then rushed out, “Is it that Yujinxiang? Is it that Yujinxiang? I want to talk to him. I want to ask him why he’s investigating me…” Tian Yu Zhengze hurriedly stopped his girlfriend who couldn’t stand to be away from home.

“Ai, don’t make a fuss, don’t make a fuss. You don’t want to get on his bad side today. He’s in a bad mood, and he can kill if he gets angry…”

“Bad mood? What happened?”

“Cough, it’s just that some people went to his house, you know. By the way, he’ll be in Tokyo in twenty days. You’re so curious, maybe I can arrange a meeting for you two then. He seems to know you, anyway.”

“Really? Yay!” Longtang Wei jumped up with a smile. After a moment, she remembered, “Uh, why is he going to Tokyo? For revenge?”

“Yeah.” Tian Yu Zhengze nodded with a smile. “He’s going to deliver a big Christmas present to certain people.”

On the other end of the phone, the lights were still dimmed. Jia Ming slowly put down the phone. After a moment, a low murmur escaped his lips.

“Since we’ve broken up, it’s best to go our separate ways… Why do you have to make me hate you?”

This sentence was a true reflection of Jia Ming’s relationship with Pei Luo Jia…

…

…

Not long after, Jia Ming, having treated his injuries, arrived at the hospital. After asking about the ward, he walked towards Sha Sha’s room. Along the way, he spotted several groups of undercover agents, all members of Yan Huang Jue Xing. With such tight security, even if some mercenaries had escaped from the school, they shouldn’t have any problems.

He entered the ward and saw Sha Sha, who was bandaged up and her leg immobilized in a cast, lying in bed and talking with Lingjing, who was sitting on the sofa next to her. Both girls looked exhausted. They were still awake, but they seemed weary. As soon as Jia Ming walked in, Sha Sha’s first words were, “My mom lectured me to death. You’re just getting here now.”

“Hehehe… It’s stupid to throw yourself into the net if you know it’s a trap.” Jia Ming closed the door and took a breath. “There’s something I need to tell you two.”

“Uh…” Lingjing and Sha Sha exchanged a look, then furrowed their brows. “You like another girl again? Xun?”

“Where did you get that from?” Jia Ming couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, I got shot today, but it’s nothing serious. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d worry. It’s already been bandaged up. You have to keep it a secret, okay? Look…” Realizing that he couldn’t keep it from his two confidantes, Jia Ming lifted his shirt to show them the white bandages. The current situation was much better than the gruesome sight from earlier when he took off his coat. The wounds appeared to be healing well.

Lingjing and Sha Sha gaped at the bandages for a moment, then pulled him closer for a closer look. They asked him several times if he was really okay. Once they were convinced, the two girls started scolding Jia Ming for not taking care of himself. They knew he had secrets, but they also knew that if he was willing to tell them, they wouldn’t reveal it. As he listened to their scolding, Jia Ming sat down beside Lingjing with a smile and listened quietly.

“Hey, Jia Ming, are you tired? There’s an empty bed over there.”

“Hmm, Sha Sha-sama and Lingjing-sama are nagging… How could this little one not stay here and listen carefully? Impossible, impossible… Hehehe…”

“Cut it out, I’m not nagging.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Amidst their playful banter, Jia Ming gently closed his eyes. After a moment, he fell asleep, leaning against Lingjing. Lingjing took off her shoes, her white-socked legs curled up on the sofa. She yawned and smiled as she chatted with Sha Sha about the dangers they faced today. As she helped Jia Ming lie down, she used her thighs as a comfortable pillow and gently caressed the minor injuries on his body, showing her concern.

“Ha, I’m so sleepy… Lingjing, go sleep in the bed… Ha…”

“Yeah, I know… Forget it, it’s fine like this. Otherwise, you’ll wake him up again, ha… He’s been so tired today…”

Drowsy and gentle whispers filled the ward. Soon, a peaceful silence descended, and the room fell quiet. It was unclear how long it had been when Duan Jingxian, who was passing by, pushed open the door and looked inside. She saw her daughter curled up on the sofa and the young man she considered like her own son lying on her daughter’s thighs. Thinking back to Jia Ming’s boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with Sha Sha, she couldn’t help but feel a bit strange. After a moment, she shook her head helplessly. Perhaps the three of them had a kind of friendship that transcended gender boundaries. She didn’t want to be an old-fashioned person despised by her own children.

She took two blankets and covered the young man, who was sleeping on her daughter’s thigh, then gently covered her daughter. Despite her gentle movements, Lingjing woke up and, with blurry eyes, drifted back to sleep, muttering, “Mom…”

“Sleep,” Duan Jingxian gently stroked her daughter’s cheek, smiling warmly. “Sleep…”

After a moment, the door opened and closed again. The warm ward was filled with sleeping figures…

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