Professional Assassin C08

Chapter 8: Completing a Job in the Martial Arts World (1)

“This is not pure love at all,” the system said. “You’re practically pushing someone into Stockholm Syndrome while exploiting their illness.”

“I’m clearly explaining the scene to him, and everything I say is reasonable,” Lin Yuetian defended himself, trying to stuff Shaofeng Immortal’s lifeless body into a Spatial Ring. He succeeded. “I think you misunderstand me. In my world, everyone who knows me says I’m gentle, reasonable, and easy to get along with.”

“No comment,” the system replied.

“And look at how efficient I am,” Lin Yuetian praised himself with some pride. “I completed the task in less than seven days.”

The system was nearly horrified to the core. “You call this complete?”

Lin Yuetian lectured patiently, “You don’t understand. Efficiency is everything. Everything revolves around efficiency. The faster I complete tasks, the more tasks I can finish, the more points I can earn, and the sooner I can finish this whole job.”

“Oh…” The system solemnly observed Lin Yuetian’s sequence of actions: first using a cleaning spell to tidy the scene, then transforming back into the guise of Lu Shui Immortal, and calmly leaving the sect’s gate (even nodding courteously to the gatekeeper on his way out). After that, he used his escape technique to head toward the predetermined delivery location with Chen Wenying.

The system asked, “May I inquire what you plan to do with Shaofeng Immortal’s corpse?”

Lin Yuetian explained patiently, “Taking his corpse serves two purposes. First, it delays the discovery of the Immortal’s death. I imagine it’s not unusual for a mighty figure like him to disappear for ten days or half a month due to some sudden whim or celestial insight. This gives me time to leave and enjoy my financially free life.”

“And the second reason?” the system pressed.

“The second reason is to bury Client Number Two’s head together with Shaofeng Immortal’s body. Didn’t I promise to make them a couple in the underworld?” Lin Yuetian stated matter-of-factly. “I’m a serious person who never jokes and always keeps my promises.”

As he said this, Lin Yuetian efficiently threw Lu Shui’s head and Shaofeng Immortal’s body into a pit and then used a spell to bury them together. The system wanted to play some background music for the two of them but couldn’t decide between a funeral chant or the wedding march, so it let it go.

After finishing the task, Lin Yuetian continued to disguise himself as Lu Shui Immortal and flew to Wanbao Pavilion to retrieve Lu Shui’s lifetime savings, which he had intended to use to commission the assassination of Shaofeng Immortal.

As a cultivator at the Body Integration Stage, backed by a powerful sect, engaged to the most renowned cultivator in the world, Lu Shui’s accumulated wealth was truly astonishing.

Lin Yuetian had struck gold. He spent the next few days indulging in a life of luxury—riding his sword today, enjoying a lavish feast tomorrow, and treating auctions like museums to browse for rare items. The system finally understood why Lin Yuetian was so fixated on financial freedom, a seemingly modest wish for a top assassin.

This extravagant spending style truly treated money as if it were dirt.

At least, the system hadn’t seen anything faster at coming and going than Lin Yuetian’s money.

Lin Yuetian disapproved of the system’s crude analogy, insisting that money’s only purpose was to be spent. He continued to live freely and indulgently until one day, he suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “I made a mistake.”

“What now?” The system refused to be startled anymore. Its heart was as calm as dead water.

Lin Yuetian sighed in regret. “I remember you said my first client, Chen Wenying, is also my love rival. This means he also liked Shaofeng Immortal. If he digs up the grave and finds his beloved buried together with his rival, it could really hurt his feelings, right?”

“…” The system murmured, “It doesn’t matter anymore…”

“True,” Lin Yuetian admitted. “With my threats and techniques, the client will obediently pay the balance.”

The system wanted to argue that this wasn’t the point but decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

“Wait a moment,” Lin Yuetian suddenly realized. “Wasn’t Chen Wenying Shaofeng Immortal’s disciple? A teacher-student relationship?”

System: “Although that’s true, I don’t think that’s the key issue in your series of actions.”

As expected, Lin Yuetian successfully received the remaining payment from Chen Wenying. However, he heard rumors that Shaofeng Immortal’s first disciple, Chen Wenying, had suffered a severe shock for some unknown reason, leaving him bedridden.

But that had nothing to do with Lin Yuetian.

After pocketing both payments, Lin Yuetian indulged himself even more, enjoying food, drinks, and entertainment everywhere he went. It took him three hundred years to finally squander this massive fortune.

“On to the next world,” Lin Yuetian said, satisfied.

“Three hundred years? How do you not get bored?” The system operated as it spoke, perplexed.

It had witnessed Lin Yuetian’s carefree life for three hundred years, marked by utter leisure and indulgence.

“You don’t understand. You really don’t,” Lin Yuetian sighed. “The carefree life of financial freedom and the happiness of wealth are pleasures you can enjoy for a thousand years without getting tired.”

———

When Lin Yuetian opened his eyes again, he found himself in ancient attire, lying in an inn, clutching a small jade bottle that was empty, with a few streaks of black blood on his clothes.

“Poison?” Lin Yuetian guessed. “Not a very dignified way to die.”

He got out of bed, looked around, and found a blue cloth bundle and a pair of swords—one long and one short—on the table in the room.

Lin Yuetian immediately got up and, without hesitation, practiced a set of military-style boxing moves, leaving the system utterly confused. Feeling the abundant internal energy within him, Lin Yuetian couldn’t help but feel excited. “Is this the legendary martial arts world?”

“It’s true… Why are you so excited?” the system asked.

“I loved reading martial arts novels when I was a kid,” Lin Yuetian said. “I really liked the character Lu Xiaojia from Gu Long’s novels, you know? A very impressive assassin with a lot of flair—one of my professional idols.”

“Aren’t you from a cyberpunk world? How do you have martial arts novels there?”

“You underestimate humanity’s ability to preserve culture,” Lin Yuetian said, calming down after a moment of excitement. “Alright, enough with the small talk. What do I need to do?”

The system replied, “Wait a moment. Don’t rush. I’m scared… Let’s first accept the memories of your original body.”

A torrent of chaotic memories flooded Lin Yuetian’s mind. As he sat at the table, testing the feel of the swords, he slowly pieced together the memories.

The original body in this world was also named Lin Yuetian. He came from an illustrious family—the Lin family was a renowned martial arts clan in Jiangnan, producing many heroes and wealthy merchants. However, by his father’s generation, they had risen even further—his father had become the leader of the martial arts alliance. Of course, that was in the past. Now, the Lin family, once a giant in the martial arts world, was in decline—all because of the original body.

The original Lin Yuetian had trained in the family’s martial arts at home and was curious about life in the martial world. At seventeen, when his father saw that his martial arts skills had reached an acceptable level, he sent him out to travel and broaden his horizons. During his travels, he met a handsome man named Xiao Li. Xiao Li was generous, highly skilled, gentle, knowledgeable, and soon earned the original Lin Yuetian’s trust. They traveled together as companions and grew close. Xiao Li’s affectionate gestures quickly won over the naive original Lin Yuetian, who fell in love and pledged his heart to him.

Not only that, but the original Lin Yuetian also brought Xiao Li back to the Lin residence, insisting on marrying him.

The original’s parents truly doted on him. Despite their objections, they eventually agreed to this shocking request and decided to hold a grand wedding.

If things had ended there, it might have been a touching love story. However, during the wedding banquet, Xiao Li suddenly acted out, crushing a hidden drug-filled wax pellet and incapacitating everyone present, including the original Lin Yuetian’s parents, with the help of his subordinates.

Xiao Li’s true identity was the leader of a demonic cult from the Western Regions, who had withdrawn from the Central Plains. His purpose in approaching Lin Yuetian was to use the wedding banquet as a trap to gather and eliminate the martial world’s righteous elite, paving the way for his cult to dominate the martial arts world. Xiao Li spared the original Lin Yuetian, leaving him with his life, but the Lin family was destroyed, and the original became a outcast in the martial arts world—all because of his naivety and trust.

Unable to bear such despair, the original Lin Yuetian ended his life in this shabby inn.

A year ago, the original Lin Yuetian had been the most promising rising star in the martial arts world. A year later, he silently ended his life in an inn, leaving not a word behind.

Lin Yuetian commented, “Premarital checkups are really important.”

———

—The novel referenced here, mentioning “Lu Xiaojia,” is Gu Long’s “Meteor, Butterfly, Sword” (流星·蝴蝶·劍). Lu Xiaojia (路小佳) is a famous assassin in the story, known for his exceptional skills, style, and unique demeanor, making him an iconic character in Gu Long’s wuxia universe.