Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The assassination.
The moon hung high, casting silver light over the Xiao family’s training grounds.

The air buzzed with tension as the younger generation stood in neat formations, awaiting further instruction. Xiao Lin, among them, listened intently to Elder Shiyang’s words, unaware of the shadows shifting above.

Then—chaos erupted.

Dark figures dropped from the rooftops, blades gleaming under the moonlight.

The first wave of assassins moved with deadly precision, targeting Elder Shiyang.

“Ambush! Protect the elder!” someone shouted.

The Xiao family prodigies reacted instantly, drawing their weapons. The clash of steel rang out as figures darted through the battlefield, shadows against the dim lantern glow.

Xie Ninger moved swiftly, her dagger catching the light before she lunged. She wasn’t aiming for Elder Shiyang.

Her target was Xiao Lin.

She weaved through the chaos, avoiding detection as she closed the distance. Xiao Lin had drawn her sword, cutting down an approaching assassin with fluid grace. She was strong—stronger than Xie Ninger expected.

Xie Ninger still struck without hesitation.

Her dagger found its mark—sinking deep into Xiao Lin’s side, just below her ribs.

Xiao Lin gasped, stumbling forward. Blood spilled onto the dirt.

Perfect.

A wound serious enough to incapacitate her, but not to kill.

Xie Ninger moved to withdraw, but something unexpected happened.

Xiao Lin turned.

Her hand shot out, grabbing Xie Ninger’s wrist. Even wounded, she refused to collapse. Her eyes, wide with shock, met Xie Ninger’s masked face.

“…You…” she choked out, her grip tightening.

Xie Ninger’s heart pounded.

Did she recognized me?

Panic flared in her chest. She couldn’t afford hesitation. Twisting her wrist, she slipped free and struck Xiao Lin’s head with the hilt of her dagger.

Xiao Lin’s grip loosened as she crumpled to the ground.

“Lin’er!” Elder Shiyang roared, her aura flaring.

Xie Ninger darted back, her escape path already planned. The other assassins had begun retreating as well, their mission complete.

She could hear the Xiao family members rallying, protecting their fallen comrades. The plan had worked—Xiao Lin was down, and suspicion would fall on enemy factions rather than their own.

Xie Ninger fled into the night, heart still racing, a single thought haunting her.

She really did recognized me.

The scent of blood clung to Xie Ninger’s clothes as she and her sisters sprinted through the darkened alleyways. Their breathing was ragged, their steps swift but desperate.

The mission was complete. Xiao Lin was down, and now, all that remained was their escape.

Their secured escape route.

Xie Ninger clenched her jaw.

We just have to make it to the rendezvous point.

Ahead, dim lanterns flickered beneath the wooden beams of an abandoned courtyard—their exit.

Figures stood in the shadows, waiting. Their allies.

Relief washed over the assassins as they neared.

But then—

A strange tension settled over the scene, heavy and unnatural.

Xie Ninger slowed, instinct screaming at her.

It was then.

Blades gleamed in the moonlight—drawn, unsheathed.

An ambush.

One of her sisters, Mei Xiang, let out a bitter laugh. “I knew it. I knew this mission was too clean.”

“Traitors,” another spat, shifting into a defensive stance.

The so-called allies stepped forward, their leader—a man cloaked in dark robes—watching them with cold detachment.

“Apologies,” he murmured, his voice devoid of sympathy. “Orders have changed.”

There were no more words to exchange.

He lunged forward, his sword a silver blur under the moonlight. The others followed, shadows slipping from their hiding spots, weapons gleaming with lethal intent.

Xie Ninger barely had a moment to react. Instinct screamed at her—move. She twisted her body, the first blade slicing through the air just inches from her throat.

Sparks erupted as she deflected another strike with her dagger, her feet skidding across the damp earth.

“You—!” Her breath came fast, disbelief flickering in her eyes before it hardened into cold resolve. Betrayal. She should have expected this.

The man before her was no ordinary assassin. His strikes were precise, relentless. Their blades clashed in a deadly dance, metal ringing through the night.

Xie Ninger ducked low, sweeping out with her leg, but he leaped over her counter effortlessly. Before she could recover, he was already upon her, his sword thrusting toward her ribs.

She twisted mid-air, her dagger barely intercepting the killing blow. The force of the strike sent her staggering, her feet barely finding purchase.

More shadows closed in.

A blade sliced across her arm, drawing blood. Another grazed her waist.

She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes narrowing. Since they knew they can’t kill her—they were now wearing her down.

Fine. If she was going to die, she’d make them bleed for it.

With a growl, she darted forward, stepping inside the assassin’s guard. He barely had time to react before her dagger found its mark—his shoulder. The blade bit deep, a gasp escaping his lips.

She didn’t stop. Using his moment of hesitation, she twisted, slashing at another attacker. Blood sprayed as he collapsed, but there was no time to celebrate. Another enemy was already on her.

Her body screamed in protest, exhaustion creeping into her limbs as she refused to fall.

But one by one—

Her teammates began to fell.

Mei Xiang let out a sharp cry as a sword plunged through her stomach.

“Run away, black!” she gasped, spitting blood.

Xie Ninger wanted to help, but she was forced back as another attacker lunged at her.

Behind her, Lianhua took a fatal strike meant for her, pushing her aside with the last of her strength.

“Go!” she whispered, blood staining her lips.

Xie Ninger’s vision blurred. She wanted to fight, to stay—

But she knew this was lost.

Gritting her teeth, she turned and ran.

She heard the screams of her sisters, heard the final gasps of their breaths. But she didn’t look back.

She couldn’t.

She sprinted through the narrow paths, her body aching, her heart heavy. The once-promised escape had become a graveyard.

By the time she reached the outskirts of the city, her hands were trembling. Her clothes were soaked in the blood of her comrades.

She staggered towards the nearest mountain, eery and quiet.

She had escaped.

But she was the only one.

She was completely alone.

She began to run through the dense, moonlit forest, her breath ragged as she finally reached Mount Gryphon—a place long abandoned, where no soul was said to reside.

With exhaustion creeping into her bones, she scoured the area, hoping to find shelter for the night. Her heart leaped when she spotted a house nestled between jagged cliffs, its presence both unexpected and oddly inviting.

Grateful and relieved, she hurried toward it, only for the door to suddenly burst open.

A stunning young woman emerged, moving with effortless grace. In her delicate hands, she held a frying pan, yet the casual way she gripped it sent an inexplicable chill down Xie Ninger’s spine.

The woman’s voice was soft, almost indifferent.

“What brings you here?”

Xie Ninger froze, her breath hitching. Her gaze locked onto the woman, and in an instant, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

A Legend-rank expert!

That was the only thought she could process before darkness swallowed her whole.

…..

…

The candlelight flickered as the elder rose from her seat, her robes whispering against the cold stone floor.

A girl clad in black swallowed hard, keeping her head bowed.

The weight of the elder’s presence was suffocating.

“The teaching meeting has been canceled?” the elder repeated, her voice smooth, yet carrying an unmistakable chill.

“Yes, Elder. With Xiao Lin’s condition, it was inevitable.”

“Good.”

She took slow, deliberate steps toward the exit.

Her fingers trailed along the wooden frame of the doorway, a touch almost gentle—but the girl knew better.

Beneath that calm exterior was the same ruthlessness that had earned her the name Demoness of the Seven Shadow Flowers—a name that struck fear into even the most hardened assassins.

The Seven Shadow Flowers was an organization built on secrecy, and at its heart stood her, a woman whose real appearance remained a mystery to all but those closest to her.

Yet, to be close to her was not a privilege—it was a death sentence. Those she kept by her side were nothing more than dead men walking, their fates sealed the moment they outlived their usefulness.

Beyond the shadows of the organization, she was known by another name: The Head Huntress.

When people needed someone assassinated and they wanted her to take the task, that was the name they went to.

And no one had ever escaped her grasp, she had never failed an assassination.

The elder paused. “She escaped, you said?”

The girl stiffened. “Y-Yes, Elder.”

A chuckle, soft yet laced with amusement.

“So, she did managed to escape.” The elder’s voice was calm, almost amused, as she walked out of the door.

“It seems even my most capable vassal failed to contain her.”

With a finger resting against her lips, she let a smirk play at the corners of her mouth before finally breaking the silence.

“It’s fine. Today, I’m in a good mood.”