Cao County.
The County Office.
Deep night.
Bleak wind and cold rain, mournful and wretched!
County Magistrate Cao Man, waited in the rain for more than half the night, almost turning into a "stone of longing," yet the person he wished to see still hadn't returned.
Five-Star Assassin, where are you?
A household servant stepped forward to persuade him.
"Master, please return to your room and rest! Once there's any news, this servant will report to you immediately!"
"No!"
County Magistrate Cao Man waved his hand stubbornly.
He didn't even let the servant hold an umbrella for him, letting the cold, icy rain splash wildly on his face...
He felt that only by doing so could he demonstrate his "loyal heart" of "worrying about the country and its people" and "sharing the nation's worries."
Nowadays, the "Great Xin Dynasty" is plagued by internal and external troubles, with rebels becoming more rampant. I am deeply concerned!
Tonight, if I don't see the heads of the rebel leaders, I will die with regret, bah, I will never rest!
"Five-Star Assassin will definitely return, he will return with glory, carrying the enemy leader's head, stepping on the Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds, and wearing golden armor... flying back!"
Several servants exchanged glances.
The County Magistrate's "girlish heart" is a bit too severe!
Thus, County Magistrate Cao Man waited all night.
At the crack of dawn, the first cock crowed.
The sky was still dark and overcast, with no dawn light visible.
County Magistrate Cao Man still stood in the courtyard.
The cold, icy rain still splashed wildly on his face...
"Cough cough... County Magistrate Cao, um, good morning!"
Suddenly, an awkward yet polite cough echoed.
Immediately, the rain curtain parted, and a hazy figure appeared in the sky above the courtyard.
The figure was flying on a sword, enveloped in a black mist, making it impossible to discern its true form.
Upon seeing this, County Magistrate Cao Man was overjoyed and quickly shouted.
"Brave warrior Gao Shou, is that you? Have you returned?"
"Cough cough..."
The figure coughed again, awkwardly yet politely.
"Um, I'm not Gao Shou, I'm his elder brother, my name is Gao Ren!"
County Magistrate Cao Man froze.
After a long pause, he finally came to his senses.
"Where is Gao Shou? Why didn't he come? Could it be..."
The mysterious figure coughed twice, and said awkwardly yet politely.
"Um, you guessed right, Gao Shou failed, the mission was unsuccessful, he couldn't assassinate the target!"
County Magistrate Cao Man: "What, you're saying the Five-Star Assassin was killed by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
Mysterious figure: "Oh, not quite! Gao Shou just failed the mission, he's unharmed!"
County Magistrate Cao Man: "Where is he then?"
Mysterious voice: "Cough cough... uh, well, he defected to the rebels and is now a prominent general under the target!"
County Magistrate Cao Man: "Pfft..."
So angry he spat blood!
He vomited three liters of fresh blood and collapsed to the ground with a thud!
The servants nearby quickly rushed forward, helping County Magistrate Cao Man up.
"Master, Master, are you alright?"
County Magistrate Cao Man's face was deathly pale, his fingers trembling slightly, from anger.
"How could this happen? Why would a dignified Five-Star Assassin defect to the rebels?"
The mysterious figure let out two awkward yet polite coughs.
"Cough cough..."
A Golden Core assassin defecting on the battlefield.
This is truly embarrassing!
So unprofessional!
The "Heavenly Character Ranking Assassin Group," known for its "professional service," had truly disgraced itself this time!
The mysterious figure said: "To express my apologies, I specifically came to give you a 20% discount coupon. It will save you quite a bit on our next collaboration... Goodbye!"
The mysterious figure tossed a "golden coupon" as compensation for the failed mission.
After doing this, he turned to leave.
"Wait!"
County Magistrate Cao Man weakly raised his hand, calling out to the mysterious figure.
"You are also a Five-Star Assassin, aren't you?"
The mysterious voice chuckled proudly and said faintly.
"Gao Ren, ranked seventh on the Heavenly Character Ranking, two places higher than my brother Gao Shou!"
Hearing this, County Magistrate Cao Man's eyes brightened slightly.
"Since the previous Five-Star Assassin failed, I will commission you to assassinate Liu Xiuer. This time, you must succeed!"
The mysterious figure frowned slightly.
"It's no problem for me to accept, but you need to prepare the fees. My appearance fee is twenty percent higher than my brother Gao Shou's!"
"No problem!"
County Magistrate Cao Man gritted his teeth and agreed immediately.
"I will go and sell off my assets again to cover the additional twenty percent!"
The mysterious figure's frown deepened.
"Cover the difference? You've misunderstood. If you intend to hire me, you must pay anew!"
County Magistrate Cao Man: "Then what about the money I paid last time?"
Mysterious figure: "Please retrieve the contract. Clause 8, Article 9, Sub-chapter 36 clearly states: In case of mission failure, any fees collected are non-refundable (final interpretation rights belong to the Heavenly Character Ranking Assassin Group)."
County Magistrate Cao Man: "Pfft..."
He vomited another three liters of blood.
From anger.
The mysterious figure, unwilling to waste any more time here, turned to leave.
County Magistrate Cao Man called out to him again.
"Wait!"
The mysterious figure became somewhat impatient.
"What is it now?"
Due to excessive blood loss, County Magistrate Cao Man's voice was weak as he slowly said.
"Give me one month. I will sell off my assets, and you will help me assassinate Liu Xiuer one more time!"
The mysterious figure nodded.
"Alright, no problem! See you in a month!"
With that, the mysterious figure turned into a puff of black smoke and vanished.
Truly a "Five-Star Assassin," his departure was so professional!
...
Inside the cave.
Hao Ren was speechless.
He had originally thought the "assassination incident" had concluded smoothly, only to have a "Season Two" forcibly added.
[Ding! Cao County Magistrate "Cao Man" is selling off his assets to gather spirit stones, intending to hire the seventh-ranked Golden Core assassin "Gao Ren" from the "Heavenly Character Ranking" to assassinate your eldest disciple "Liu Xiuer."]
What on earth is this!
Hao Ren genuinely wanted to grab the Cao County Magistrate Cao Man, crack open his head, and see what kind of excrement was inside?
Is he crazy!
You are merely a county magistrate, a "court employee."
Planning to assassinate a rebel leader once is more than enough!
That's completely commensurate with your salary!
Yet, this "employee ceiling" county magistrate, is selling off his assets for a second time to continue planning Liu Xiuer's assassination.
Does he have that much wealth?
He didn't sell it all the first time, and now he's coming for a "second round"!
Would his ancestors, upon knowing this, not jump out of their coffins to slap him silly?
Did our hard-earned family fortune get squandered like this by you?
Hao Ren really wanted to ask: County Magistrate Cao, have you awakened the "Divine Prodigal System"?
If there were no "prodigal system" task indicators, Hao Ren genuinely couldn't understand why a normal person would do such a foolish thing!
Alas!
However, from another perspective, it's also a good thing!
Didn't the "Azure-Eyed Purple Golden Hou" go to deliver the message? By coincidence, it fits perfectly!