[…]
[You maintained your stealth state and quietly climbed over the window into the sleeping chamber.]
[On the bed, the two female attendants were still sound asleep…]
[You possessed the shell of the Knowledge-Seeking President of the Direct Vision Association!]
After the Ninja Master left, Lin Xun had hurried back to the Iya Palace at full speed.
He didn’t know whether the Ninja Master had already reached the palace, nor where he might be hiding if he had.
But joining in the operation to slay the Vice Palace Master of Iya Palace wouldn’t be difficult.
[You approached the bedside and patted the two sleeping female attendants, trying to wake them up.]
[Perhaps the earlier fierce battle had left them too exhausted. The two attendants mumbled a few unintelligible words and rolled over, continuing to snore.]
[You shook your head and walked straight to the sleeping chamber’s main door, pulling it open…]
[The onmyoji guards outside instantly grew alert, respectfully asking if the foreign mage had any needs.]
[You stated that you had been roused from sleep by a sudden flash of inspiration regarding a magical technique and needed to discuss it with the Vice Palace Master imdiately.]
[But the onmyoji didn’t hesitate to reply that the Vice Palace Master had already retired for the night, and suggested you wait until morning to discuss your insights…]
[Halfway through the sentence, you erupted in anger and loudly rebuked them, declaring that a spark of magical inspiration was fleeting, how could it be put off until later!]
[If you waited until morning, the inspiration would be gone, and you would report the matter to the Vice Palace Master.]
[All because these two watchdogs had shirked their duty, causing the Iya Palace to miss out on a powerful new technique!]
[This wasn’t rely a loss for the Iya Palace, it was a loss for all of Sakura Falls. Were they prepared to shoulder that bla themselves?!]
[The two onmyoji not only did not grow angry at your scolding but instead bowed repeatedly with humble expressions, apologizing again and again.]
[They exchanged a look, and one of them hurried off at a jog, declaring that he would imdiately inform the Vice Palace Master and asking you to please wait a mont…]
[…]
[Before long, the onmyoji returned and respectfully reported that the Vice Palace Master invited you to proceed to the main palace hall.]
[The two onmyoji led the way in front, gesturing for you to follow them to the main hall…]
Lin Xun curled his lip and chose to stay where he was.
[You remained motionless, your face dark. Seeing you unmoved, the two onmyoji imdiately knew trouble was coming.]
[They both hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, claiming they had been montarily foolish and begging you not to hold a grudge…]
[You only let out a cold laugh, paced back into the sleeping chamber, and threw out a single sentence, “Tell the Vice Palace Master to co see here.”]
[You closed the sleeping chamber door and ignored those outside any further.]
Lin Xun had no intention of making things difficult for two minor onmyoji.
His goal was to create the best possible opportunity for the Ninja Master to assassinate the target.
The main palace hall where the Vice Palace Master resided was protected by the Absolute Barrier Seal of the Ten Directions. Under the strongest wards, even the Ninja Master would have to expend significant power to break through.
He still rembered that the Ninja Master was plagued by old ailnts and hidden wounds. If too much energy was consud dismantling the wards, taking down the Vice Palace Master afterward would be far more troubleso.
By luring the Vice Palace Master here to the sleeping chamber, he had stripped away the target’s strongest defensive advantage.
He refused to believe that a defenseless, glass-cannon summoner could withstand the top-tier Ninja Master’s assassination.
“With a powerful ally lending a hand, I have to be a godlike teammate, not so AFK deadweight…”
[…]
[Soon, there ca a knock on the chamber door. The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master of Iya Palace pushed the door open and entered.]
[Her robes were immaculate, the aged face carefully made up, it was clear she had not been sleeping.]
[By her side stood a crimson-skinned, monstrous figure that never left her side, the shikigami Karasu Tengu!]
[The Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master showed no trace of displeasure on their face.]
[She glanced at the two won lying naked and bruised on the bed and even made a joke, “The foreign mage was in quite the mood tonight!”]
[You led the Vice Palace Master to the desk and began explaining the ‘inspiration’ you had claid to receive.]
[The Vice Palace Master listened with rapt attention, deeply intrigued by your spell technique that transford knowledge into esoteric characters to implant into an enemy’s mind as an attack.]
[They grew more and more absorbed, while the crimson Karasu Tengu remained motionless by their side…]
[…]
“Can’t I get the Vice Palace Master to dismiss the Karasu Tengu…?”
“No, doing that would be too obvious and would just alert them.”
Lin Xun dragged out the conversation, stalling as long as he could, but the Ninja Master still did not appear.
“Did sothing happen to delay him?”
Even the Chunin shell had arrived at Iya Palace ahead of ti. There was no way the Ninja Master would be slower than a Chunin.
For him to still not have shown up by now, who knew what had gone wrong.
[You continued your discussion with the Vice Palace Master for so ti, laying out all your insights.]
[The Vice Palace Master was quite satisfied with your newly devised technique, but now that the exchange was finished, they indicated it was ti for you to rest and for them to return to their own quarters.]
[Do you wish to keep the Fire-Worshipping Vice Palace Master here?]
Since the Ninja Master was nowhere to be seen and the planned two-on-one assault could not proceed, Lin Xun could only click ‘Yes,’ choosing to keep the Vice Palace Master occupied.
[You racked your brains but couldn’t think of any other ‘inspiration’ to share. You wanted to make them stay but had no ready excuse.]
[Looking around the chamber, your eyes fell on the two female attendants on the bed. A spark of inspiration struck.]
[You cleared your throat and hinted to the Vice Palace Master that the night was long and you had no desire to sleep. Would it not be more pleasant to stay here together, drinking beneath the moon and discussing the great truths of humanity?]
[At these words, the Vice Palace Master’s smile vanished instantly, her face turning cold.]
[The atmosphere within the sleeping chamber seed to freeze, even the Karasu Tengu beside the Vice Palace Master was staring at you with a hostile expression.]
[Just when you thought the Vice Palace Master was about to erupt in anger, she returned to her smiling deanor.]
[The Vice Palace Master clapped her hands in praise, remarking that the foreign mage was truly full of vigor. Sadly, as an old woman now past her pri, she could no longer personally serve you. She would summon two more female attendants to help you enjoy yourself.]
[She called through the sleeping chamber door, instructing the two onmyoji outside to bring over two more attendants…]
Lin Xun’s mouth twitched.
Those two attendants had nearly died from exhaustion under the President’s attentions. If two more were brought, wouldn’t they just be wrung dry into husks?
If tonight he failed to kill the Vice Palace Master, he probably wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Iya Palace ever again.
[Strangely, after the Vice Palace Master gave her order, no response ca from the two onmyoji outside.]
[Her barely suppressed temper rose again. The Vice Palace Master, fuming with rage, flung open the sleeping chamber door, ready to scold them loudly.]
[Only to see that the two onmyoji had sohow collapsed on the ground, their eyes vacant, no breath remaining.]
[The Vice Palace Master gasped in shock, imdiately attempting to command the Karasu Tengu to step forward and protect her…]
[At that mont, from the shadow of the eaves above her head, a short, black figure fell without a sound…]
[In an instant, brilliant sword light illuminated the entire sleeping chamber!]
[That sword light was as mournfully beautiful and cold as falling cherry blossoms, a final elegy offered to the dying…]
[When the light faded, an old woman’s round head rolled to a stop at your feet.]
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