Zuo An launched himself through the air like a giant raptor, leaping straight at Serena, his long sword still stained with blood. As it slashed through the air, it left a dark red arc—a clear attempt to disrupt Serena’s aim.
He was a sharp, cunning assassin—but Serena wasn’t exactly an amateur herself. She didn’t even bat an eyelash. The instant Zuo An moved, Serena squeezed the trigger…
Bang—
Snipers and assassins are alike—they hide in the shadows, line up their target, and get only one shot. But Serena wasn’t a sniper; she’d never settle for just one bullet.
Zuo An saw the bullet coming and dodged the first shot by instinct—but he couldn’t avoid the second.
After firing the first shot, Serena dove straight forward—no human shield this time, just her hitting the ground hard. The heavy thud told you she’d taken a real fall. It was a move straight out of military training, a forward drop. The instant she hit dirt, she fired again—the gunshot masked by the impact. Zuo An didn’t hear it; by the time he realized, it was too late…
Thud— The bullet struck Zuo An’s lower leg. Serena didn’t linger to fight; as soon as she hit her mark, she rolled away, escaping his attack range. It was pure instinct—once she reached safety, she sprang up and dashed for her horse.
She pushed her speed to the absolute limit—just like in training. Facing death, Serena showed exactly how fast she could be.
She was the best soldier among doctors—and the best doctor among soldiers.
“Such quick reflexes. Such clean moves. Such explosive power.” By the time Zuo An recovered from the pain, Serena was already on her horse…
“Hyah!”
One rider vanished in a cloud of dust, galloping away and leaving Zuo An with nothing but swirling dirt in her wake.
Zuo An watched Serena disappear, but didn’t give chase. A strange, twisted smile crept onto his pale face. “Serena, you’re the juiciest prize in the assassin world. You might escape once, but you won’t escape twice. I can’t wait to see you take on every killer out there—let’s see who wins.”
Zuo An glanced down at his bleeding calf, pulled out a dagger, and squatted. He plunged the blade into the wound, twisting his wrist…
Snap— The bloodied bullet popped out, landing in the dust. Whatever color it had once been was lost—Zuo An had no intention of picking it up.
The wound kept tearing wider, blood pouring faster, but Zuo An acted like he didn’t feel a thing. He took a bottle of medicine from his coat and poured it straight onto the wound. Not until the bleeding stopped did he pause, then he pulled out a cloth of indeterminate color and wrapped the injury tight.
Once he’d finished, Zuo An stood and walked toward Elaine Lane. You couldn’t tell from his gait that he’d been wounded at all—his mental toughness was leagues beyond Serena’s.
He didn’t bother to look at Elaine. Zuo An raised his blade, ready to sever her head. To him, that head was worth a thousand taels of silver. It violated his personal code, but codes bend to reality—he needed cash, and if he couldn’t earn it soon, he’d have to turn to robbery.
Besides, he’d already broken his code once—what’s one more time? As for everything else, that wasn’t his concern. He answered only to himself.
Just then, the sound of departing hooves returned—Zuo An knew exactly who it was. His blade paused mid-air, but then he continued the motion.
At this distance, he had enough time to claim the head and make his getaway.
But Zuo An misjudged the bullet’s range. Just as his blade came down, Serena fired—
Bang— The shot landed at Zuo An’s feet. Assassin’s instinct made him dodge backward—and he missed his best chance to take Elaine’s head. Any step forward, and Serena’s bullets would sweep in, a hail of gunfire that kept him from closing the distance.
As Serena’s gun rang out, the Wang Clan’s dark guards charged in, surrounding Zuo An. In an instant, the situation flipped.
Zuo An knew he’d lost this round. Standing in the center, he made no move to attack.
Serena, Ninth Royal Uncle, and Lord Jinling rode forward.
“Zuo An, the assassin—so you don’t kill women, the elderly, or children, huh? Never thought you’d take a contract on Serena, or go after a woman’s life.” William’s words were laced with mockery; he clearly knew Zuo An’s reputation.
“Two hundred thousand taels of gold—anyone would be tempted. Zuo An’s only human.” He didn’t care about William’s sarcasm. He was an assassin; the moment his hands were stained with blood, he was bound to chase silver wherever it led.
Not killing women, the elderly, or children was just his way of keeping a clear conscience. But in front of two hundred thousand taels of gold, anyone would turn into a devil. Why fight with money?
“Two hundred thousand taels is no small sum. Not many in the Nine Provinces Realm could afford it.” William looked down at Zuo An from horseback, his advantage obvious. He was really asking: who wants Serena dead?
“That’s right. That’s what drives people mad, isn’t it? Miss Feng, you’d better be careful. Not everyone is like me—willing to walk away from two hundred thousand taels of gold, just to get a look at your hidden weapon.” Zuo An’s words made it clear to William: he didn’t know who put out the contract on Serena, and he’d already spared her once. If not for that, Serena would be dead.
“The rumors about Zuo An being a weapons fanatic are true.” William didn’t doubt him—Serena had been alone for a long stretch just now. If Zuo An had really wanted her dead, she’d be gone.
Zuo An frowned but said nothing, because it was the truth. Every coin he earned from killing went into making and studying weapons. It wasn’t a secret—everyone knew it.
If Zuo An was taking contracts again, it meant he’d run out of money—simple as that.
“Zuo An, since you shared what you know, drop this job and I’ll spare your life.” Ninth Royal Uncle waved his hand, signaling the dark guards to stand down and let Zuo An leave.
It was a decision, not a request.
“Even if I quit, others won’t. The whole assassin world is going mad for Serena’s head.” Zuo An sheathed his sword, making his choice clear to Nolan.
He was no fool—he wouldn’t dig his own grave.
Don’t give him that “an assassin finishes the job or dies” line. If he died, who would spend his hard-earned silver?
“I’ll handle it myself,” Nolan said, radiating confidence.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice—leaving Serena alone had only worked because they’d kept a low profile, didn’t alert anyone, not even the Emperor, and Serena’s disguise kept her identity secret. No one knew who she was.
They’d been too confident. They almost paid the price.
“Exactly. Who’d dare snatch food from a tiger’s mouth?” Zuo An glanced at William, deliberately or not. As William frowned in annoyance, Zuo An strolled away…
News of Zuo An’s failed attempt on Serena—and his decision to drop the contract—spread through the assassin world in no time, making many would-be killers reconsider.
If even Zuo An failed, what chance did they have? Of course, it also sparked a new wave of ambition—this job was now about more than gold. It was a shot at shattering the myth of Zuo An himself.