Chapter 466: You Make It Difficult for Me

Sang Hong seemed to have anticipated this, his expression remaining calm. "Who wants to kill us?"

Ding Run, the disheveled man, shook his head. "Just moments ago, I praised you, Lord Sang, for understanding our business. Why ask such a naive question now? You know the rules of our trade; how could I possibly reveal my client's information?"

Sang Hong said blandly, "I'll pay more."

Ding Run: "..."

Zu'an nearly burst out laughing. He hadn't expected the usually upright and serious Sang Hong to possess such dry wit.

"You've really put me on the spot," Ding Run said, pacing in circles and scratching his head restlessly. He was clearly undergoing an intense internal struggle.

After a moment, he asked, "How much more are you offering?"

Zheng Dan, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile. This man truly lived up to his nickname, "The Money-Adding Layman."

Sang Hong replied, "Ten thousand taels, just for one name."

Ding Run: "..."

He snorted. "You had me agonizing for nothing! What's ten thousand taels good for? Lord Sang, you truly are an incorruptible official. You've become a high-ranking regional governor, yet at a moment of life and death, you can only come up with ten thousand taels."

Sang Hong fell silent. He had indeed never taken bribes, so ten thousand taels was truly his limit.

Sang Qian, standing beside him, quickly interjected, "I have money. How about a hundred thousand taels?"

"A hundred thousand taels..." Ding Run nodded. "While it's a bit low, for just a name, it's barely acceptable. You two, father and son, are quite interesting. One is upright and incorruptible, while the other has amassed quite a fortune through corruption. Are you putting on a show, trying to gain both reputation and profit?"

Sang Hong's face turned ashen, but he had no retort.

Sang Qian quickly said, "Please tell us, honored sir, who is the mastermind behind this attempt on our lives?"

"The money?" Ding Run said, clutching his saber and squinting at him.

Sang Qian quickly pulled a stack of silver notes from his robe. "Here, it's all here."

It had to be said that the Embroidered Uniform Guards conducted their business differently from ordinary officials. If other constables had come to arrest them, they would undoubtedly have searched them thoroughly, not leaving a single copper coin. In contrast, the Embroidered Uniform Guards had only checked them for weapons and other dangerous items, leaving their personal money untouched.

Seeing the silver notes, Ding Run's eyes lit up. He made a gesture, and the stack of notes seemed to be pulled by an invisible hand, floating directly towards him.

He brought the silver notes to his nose and inhaled deeply. A look of ecstasy spread across Ding Run's face. "The scent of silver notes is always so fresh and captivating," he murmured.

Zu'an: "..."

This man's greed for money had reached an astonishing level.

After a moment, Ding Run tucked the silver notes into his robe. "Alright," he said, "it's time to send you on your way."

Sang Qian immediately panicked. "You took the money, but you haven't told us who wants to kill us!"

Ding Run grinned. "I'll tell you his name in the very last moment before you draw your final breath. That way, I won't have broken my promise, and I won't risk any unforeseen complications that could violate our professional code."

Sang Qian and Sang Hong exchanged speechless glances.

Zu'an mused that despite the man's rugged appearance, his mind was surprisingly intricate. Escaping from his grasp would likely be very difficult.

To Sang Qian, the man's gleaming white teeth seemed like a harbinger of death, and he instinctively recoiled.

Sang Hong said in a low voice, "Do you understand the consequences of killing us? We are important court officials and also imperial fugitives. Furthermore, Zu'an here is someone the Emperor absolutely needs. If you kill us, and this is ever investigated, you might earn the money, but you won't live to spend it."

Ding Run nodded. "What you said is certainly a problem. However, if I eliminate all those who know, then no one will be able to trace it back to me, will they?"

As he spoke, the saber in his hand flashed with a cold glint. Nearby, Huang Huihong clutched his bleeding neck, his face contorted in disbelief. He glanced back towards the carriage, his hand reaching out as if to grasp something, but his life force quickly extinguished, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

"What a quick saber!"

This was the collective reaction of everyone present. They hadn't even seen him draw his saber; they'd merely perceived a cold flash of light. Yet, when they looked closely, his saber remained sheathed, as if it had never been drawn.

Seeing Huang Huihong's unseeing eyes, Zu'an fell silent. Although the man had been his captor, in all fairness, he was a highly respectable individual—diligent, responsible, and with no flaws in his character. Even in his final moments, his thoughts were still on completing his mission. To think he died so quietly in this desolate wilderness.

Zheng Dan, standing nearby, quietly took his hand. Having witnessed everything, she realized their opponent was utterly ruthless and would certainly leave no survivors. She was, after all, still a young woman. Though she had experienced much as the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, she couldn't help but feel terrified when truly confronted with death. The only solace was that Zu'an was by her side; the journey to the underworld wouldn't be lonely.

However, Zu'an was not willing to resign himself to fate. He looked at the approaching Ding Run and said, "Whatever they paid you, I'll offer double for our lives."

Compared to Sang Hong's "poverty," Zu'an was now exceedingly wealthy, with several million taels of silver in his possession.

Ding Run chuckled. "Oh, I didn't expect someone your age to possess such wealth."

Zu'an offered a faint smile. "Compared to Lord Sang, I'm not as principled. I have many more ways to acquire money."

"They say the Chu family is as rich as a nation, and now I finally believe it. How long have you been with them to amass such a fortune? If I get the chance, I'll have to pay the Chu family a visit," Ding Run remarked with a sigh. However, his tone quickly shifted. "To be honest, I'm very tempted, but I can't take this money."

"Why not?" Zu'an asked curiously. "Aren't you known as 'The Money-Adding Layman'? I've doubled the price, and you still refuse? Wouldn't that damage your reputation?"

Ding Run replied, "This is also for the long term. While earning double from you might seem profitable, if I accept a client's task and don't fulfill it, who would dare hire me again in the future? The loss of potential future earnings would be far greater, so naturally, I cannot take your money."

Zu'an sighed, "In this day and age, principled assassins like you are truly rare."

"Thank you for the compliment," Ding Run replied. "You're quite likable, I'll make your death quick."

Zu'an's eyes narrowed. "You just said you'd interrogate me later about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.' Now it seems someone else wants me dead?"

"That was just talk. I don't believe in any methods of immortality in this world; silver is far more tangible. Living a fulfilling life within one's limited lifespan is the true path," Ding Run chuckled. "Since we've gotten along so well, I'll give you a piece of information as a bonus: someone indeed wants you dead, and they don't want me to reveal it. I have no idea why they have so many concerns."

Upon hearing that someone had actually hired him to kill Zu'an, the Sang father and son, along with Zheng Dan, all showed a slight change in expression.

Only Zu'an's expression remained calm. "Since you're an assassin," he said, "can I commission you for a task?"

"Commission me for a task?" Ding Run was taken aback. "Everyone I'm about to kill either begs for mercy or cries uncontrollably. It's truly rare to find someone like you, still thinking of giving me business. You're right, since I'm an assassin, as long as you can pay, you can certainly commission me."

"Good then," Zu'an said. "How much do you typically charge to kill someone?"

Ding Run smiled. "There's no fixed price for that. The cost varies wildly depending on the target's cultivation level and social status. Of course, even the cheapest won't be truly cheap, because anyone worth my time isn't an easy kill."

Zu'an asked, "Then I want to hire you to kill the client who commissioned you to kill me."

Ding Run's pupils constricted. "So that's your plan, kid. That won't do..."

"I'll pay more," Zu'an said unhurriedly. "Whatever that person paid to kill me, I'll offer double."

"You're really putting me in a difficult spot..." Ding Run said, hesitating.

"Triple!" Zu'an continued, his expression unchanged.

Ding Run's eyes lit up. "Alright, it's a deal!"

Sang Qian, standing nearby, was utterly dumbfounded. *Could that actually work?* This man's mind was indeed remarkably quick. In the future, it would be best to avoid crossing him. *Sigh. I might not even survive today, so what's the point of thinking about the future?*