Chapter 22: Dongyang Princess

# The Mortal World

The black-clad man had informed Qin Sang that the doorkeeper lived inside, and their secret signal was a nightingale's call, seven long notes followed by four short ones. Since Qin Sang couldn't mimic the call, he had to hide in the shadows and summon Yama.

"Enter..."

Qin Sang stared at the mansion, hesitating for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice, "Kill everyone inside!"

Yama passed through the wall, and Qin Sang used the opportunity to scale it, entering the courtyard just as Yama drew out the soul of a middle-aged man. This person's appearance was identical to the black-clad man's description—he was the doorkeeper!

Having found the right person, Qin Sang secretly rejoiced and immediately began his interrogation. His primary concern was naturally how many people knew that Old Wu and the black-clad man had been frequenting Qingyang Temple. If the doorkeeper had reported their activities, Qin Sang resolved to pursue the matter relentlessly, even if it led him all the way to the leader of Jiangshan Tower.

Qin Sang now understood that Yama remained invincible, even against martial arts masters. Old Wu, the black-clad man, and the doorkeeper were all elite assassins from Jiangshan Tower, considered top-tier experts in the martial arts world, yet they had died silently, without the slightest resistance. No level of martial arts skill could withstand Yama. Furthermore, Qin Sang could obtain the most accurate intelligence this way.

Qin Sang quickly obtained all the information he needed, and his tense expression immediately relaxed. It turned out that Jiangshan Tower's organization was far more stringent than he had imagined. Each county had its own branch, and while the doorkeeper was a core member, he did not know the exact location of these branches, nor did he have the authority to contact them independently. This was a measure to prevent tracing and the dismantling of the branches. Even in urgent situations, they had to send out a secret signal and wait for the branch to initiate contact.

The doorkeeper had not been stationed in Sanwu City for long; the branch had only contacted him for the first time today to assign a mission. Therefore, although all his current affairs were meticulously recorded, they had not yet been reported to higher authorities. The black-clad man had informed the doorkeeper of his investigation at Qingyang Temple that night, but the doorkeeper had not publicized it before the results were known. Hearing this, Qin Sang felt relieved. As long as he burned the doorkeeper's notes, all leads would be cut off.

However, to completely clear Qingyang Temple, he would need to employ additional measures. Qin Sang immediately began to question the doorkeeper about the identities and whereabouts of all assassins operating in Sanwu City. Due to the mission, the doorkeeper had put out a call to gather assassins, and they were all currently hidden in a residence outside the city.

Once all the details were clear, the doorkeeper's soul was nearing its time to dissipate. Qin Sang now had a clearer understanding of Jiangshan Tower's current mission. Not only had the six assassins under this doorkeeper's command been activated, but other doorkeepers were also lurking in Zhenshui County, all converging on Sanwu City. This operation aimed to assemble nearly thirty assassins. Who could their target be, to warrant such a large-scale mobilization?

Driven by curiosity, Qin Sang asked, only to receive a shocking answer.

"Princess Dongyang!"

Their target was none other than Princess Dongyang, the daughter of Prince Dongyang and niece of the current emperor! Qin Sang found it difficult to comprehend how a mere assassin organization from the martial arts world dared to challenge official power by assassinating a princess. Was the leader of Jiangshan Tower truly so audacious, unafraid of inviting utter destruction? Upon asking, he discovered this was not Jiangshan Tower's first time assassinating officials. Ten years prior, Governor Ma had been publicly assassinated, an act that shocked the Great Sui dynasty, and it too was attributed to Jiangshan Tower. Despite the former emperor's fury over the incident, Jiangshan Tower had always managed to thrive.

Moreover, the name "Princess Dongyang" caused Qin Sang's expression to fluctuate. He couldn't help but wonder if the young lady on the boat, who had never revealed her face, could be Princess Dongyang. He quickly inquired about the details. According to Jiangshan Tower's intelligence, Princess Dongyang had publicly departed for Chunyang Mountain Villa for a summer retreat many days ago, but she had secretly slipped away and vanished. Jiangshan Tower's persistent tracking had only recently uncovered some clues: Princess Dongyang and some of her personal retinue had disguised themselves as traveling merchants and secretly entered Zhenshui County. If all went according to plan, they would arrive in Sanwu City by noon today. The Sanwu City branch intended to set an ambush on Luoma Mountain, just outside the East Gate.

Qin Sang, being familiar with the Wuwei Escort Agency and having studied their maps, had a thorough understanding of the terrain surrounding Sanwu City. He knew that Luoma Mountain was sparsely populated, its landscape rugged, and the road along its slopes was carved into sheer cliffs, with a rushing river thousands of feet below. This extremely perilous terrain made it ideal for an ambush.

Qin Sang wanted to ask for more details, but the doorkeeper's soul reached its limit and dissipated into a wisp of mist. Qin Sang had to ponder carefully; two paths lay before him. One path was to pretend ignorance, settle his own affairs, and then leave for good. The second path was to take a gamble and save the princess. Not to mention that his benefactor, Bai Jianglan, might also be present.

The Yama Banner and Yama's eerie abilities convinced Qin Sang that the *Netherworld Scripture* was absolutely not an ordinary martial art, but very likely a cultivation method for immortals. To ordinary people, he could now be considered an immortal master—or perhaps "demon" or "devil" would be more fitting. He knew nothing about immortal cultivation; both the *Netherworld Scripture* and the Yama Banner were obtained from the black-clad devil, and their use of ghosts for killing was extremely evil. If he were to rashly seek out immortals, he might encounter someone like the sword-riding youth, who was filled with righteous indignation and sought to vanquish demons and devils, which would leave him utterly helpless. Moreover, the world was vast, and finding immortal fortune would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Perhaps a more prudent approach would be to use influential figures to gain access to other immortal masters and slowly gather information about the world of cultivation.

While deep in thought, Qin Sang did not cease his actions. The east was beginning to lighten, and dawn was approaching, leaving him little time. He entered the house and, under the floor tiles beneath the doorkeeper's bed, found a stack of books—the doorkeeper's notes. However, these were all fakes. Each time he made an entry, he would write both a true and a false version; the fake was kept here, while the genuine notes were with a courtesan named Li in nearby Hongchen Lane. This courtesan Li was also a Jiangshan Tower assassin with a rather eccentric temperament, preferring to hide in brothels and entertain clients with her allure. The doorkeeper trusted her implicitly, and they were also lovers.

To play the part fully, Qin Sang took all the fake notes, even though they were worthless. To avoid tipping off anyone, he left the doorkeeper's house undisturbed and immediately headed to Hongchen Lane. At this hour, Hongchen Lane was still bustling with people. Qin Sang took some effort to disguise himself before managing to discreetly enter Courtesan Li's room. Courtesan Li was in her room, dallying with a patron. Qin Sang regretfully killed both of them, found the genuine notes, and took them outside to burn completely. He then left the city to locate and eliminate the other three assassins, leaving no one alive. Finally, he set fire to the house, thoroughly muddling the waters.

After all this frantic activity, daylight had fully broken. Qin Sang mounted his horse and rode straight towards the east. He had decided to seize this opportunity, hoping to potentially infiltrate Princess Dongyang's inner circle and gradually learn about the world of immortal cultivators. Fearing Jiangshan Tower's informants and wishing to avoid drawing attention, Qin Sang dared not take the main road over Luoma Mountain, instead threading his way through smaller paths. It was nearly the end of the Chen hour (around 9 AM) when he finally bypassed Luoma Mountain. Qin Sang halted his horse for a moment, looking back towards Sanwu City, wondering if Jiangshan Tower would still proceed with their plans after his interference.