CHAPTER 30
ASSASSINS
It was late at night, and the moon lit up the sky, surrounded by a sea of twinkling stars. Mark strolled through the garden, the cool breeze stirring the delicate pink blossoms of the peach trees. A week had passed since the feast, and his wounds had healed well. He was ready to resume Guanyu’s training.
As he approached, he saw her waiting for him, looking as radiant and spirited as ever. Truth be told, she was the biggest reason he hadn’t tried to escape yet. “Guanyu,” he greeted her with a grin. “Have you kept up with your training this past week?”
She nodded eagerly. “I’ve been practicing on my own, going over the moves you showed me.”
“Let’s put that to the test.”
Without warning, Mark lunged at her, sword drawn. Guanyu barely managed to unsheath her blade before his weapon hovered at her neck.
“Lesson one for today,” Mark said with a sly smile. “Always be ready for a fight. If you’re not quick enough to draw, you’ve already lost.”
Guanyu groaned in frustration. “That wasn’t fair! I didn’t know the lesson had started!”
“Combat isn’t fair,” Mark replied, lowering his blade and stepping back to give her space. “Do you think an enemy is going to send you an invitation before attacking? Now, come at me. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Guanyu didn’t hesitate. She charged forward with a powerful slash, putting her whole body into the strike. Mark blocked it effortlessly but gave an approving nod. She followed up with a flurry of four more strikes, each faster and stronger than the last, but Mark deflected them all with precision.
Suddenly, she switched tactics. She started a downward slash, but midway through, she pulled back and swung horizontally toward Mark’s side.
Mark saw the feint coming and blocked it with a loud clang of steel.
“Good!” he said, genuinely impressed. “You’re using deception like I taught you. But you’ve got to be faster. Don’t give your opponent time to react, or your trick will lose its edge.”
Guanyu nodded, determination blazing in her eyes. “I’ll be faster next time.”
Mark smirked. “That’s the spirit. Now, let’s go again.”
Guanyu charged forward, her sword meeting Mark's with a sharp clang that echoed through the garden. Just as Mark was about to counter, a sound caught his ear. He raised a hand to signal Guanyu to stop. Spinning around, his eyes locked onto five masked assassins, clad in black and armed with deadly blades.
“Get back!” Mark barked at Guanyu, already launching himself toward the intruders.
“Not a chance!” Guanyu shot back, gripping her sword tightly. “I’ve been waiting to put my training to the test!”
One assassin lunged at Mark, slashing viciously. Mark parried the blade and countered with a flurry of swift, powerful strikes. With a sharp kick to the groin, he sent the man stumbling. Seizing the opening, Mark thrust his sword forward, driving it deep into the assassin’s chest until the blade burst through his back. Mark pulled his blood-soaked weapon free, and the man collapsed in a lifeless heap.
Nearby, Guanyu squared off with another assassin. His strikes came fast and relentless, forcing her to focus on blocking rather than attacking. A powerful downward slash came dangerously close to taking her head, but she ducked just in time. The blade grazed her, slicing a few strands of her hair. Staying low, Guanyu struck upward, driving her sword into the man’s groin. He howled in pain, staggering back. Wasting no time, she followed up with a slash across his chest, drawing a gush of blood. The assassin crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
Meanwhile, two assassins rushed Mark at once. He deflected the first attack, then spun to block the second just in time. One of the men lunged again, forcing Mark to roll to the side to dodge. The assassins pressed their attack, coming at him together. Mark parried one blow and lashed out with a powerful kick, knocking the sword from the second assassin’s hand. The unarmed man barely had time to react before Mark’s blade slashed across his throat. A gurgling sound escaped him as blood poured from the wound, and he dropped to the ground, lifeless.
The remaining assassin didn’t let up. He swung at Mark again, but Mark was faster. Instead of blocking, he sliced cleanly through the man’s wrist, severing his hand. The assassin’s scream filled the air, but it was short-lived. Mark delivered a horizontal slash that cut clean through his torso, leaving his body in two bloody halves on the ground.
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Mark turned toward the last assassin. He charged forward, his blade slicing through the night air. The assassin raised his sword to block, and the clash of steel rang out. Suddenly, Guanyu struck from behind, her sword cutting deep across the assassin’s back. The man screamed in agony, but before he could react, Mark swung his blade in a swift, clean arc. The assassin’s head flew into the air and landed with a sickening thud in a pool of blood, while his headless body crumpled beside it.
“You did well,” Mark said, nodding at Guanyu.
Just then, a group of guards arrived, led by Pan Jiahao. “What happened here?” Jiahao demanded, scanning the scene.
Before Mark could answer, General Liao Cheng strode onto the scene with four servants and dozens more guards. “What is all this commotion?”
“Assassins,” Mark replied bluntly. “If we hadn’t been awake, they might’ve slipped past and killed you.”
Liao Cheng’s eyes narrowed. “What were you doing up this late? And why are you holding a sword? Why is my daughter armed with a bloody weapon?” His glare shifted to Jiahao. “And you—weren’t you supposed to keep Mark confined to his hut? Someone explain to me what the hell is going on!”
Guanyu stepped forward, her voice trembling but firm. “Blame me, Father. I convinced Jiahao to let Mark out at night and arm him so he could teach me swordsmanship. I know you don’t approve, but I’ve always dreamed of becoming a swordswoman. I—”
Her words were cut off by a sharp slap across her face. The force of Liao Cheng’s blow sent her stumbling to the ground. “You dare defy me?” he roared.
He turned his wrath on Jiahao. “I trusted you! Not only did you fail to keep the foreigner under guard, but you allowed him to move freely? To train my daughter in defiance of my orders? What if he had escaped? What if she had been hurt?”
“I-I-I…” Jiahao stammered, his face pale.
“You are relieved of your duties as head of the night guard!” Liao Cheng barked. “And you’ll face fifty lashes for your negligence. Take him away!”
The guards quickly seized Jiahao, dragging him off as he stammered incoherent protests.
Liao Cheng turned back to Mark, his eyes blazing with fury. “And you—”
Mark cut him off. “I could have escaped. I could’ve taken your daughter hostage. But I didn’t. I stayed and fought to protect your home. If anything, you should be thanking me. And the way you treat your daughter? It’s disgraceful. She’s talented, a natural swordswoman, yet you crush that talent instead of nurturing it. It’s maddening!”
“Do you have children?” Liao Cheng snapped.
“No—”
“Then shut the fuck up! You have no right to tell me how to raise my daughter!” Liao Cheng’s voice was like thunder. “If you weren’t so valuable, I’d have you executed for this. But from now on, you’ll be under constant watch by men loyal only to me. I was considering rewarding you with more freedom after your actions at Han Fen’s feast, but you’ve ruined any chance of that!”
Mark’s eyes burned with defiance. “I’ve had enough of being treated like your servant. I was a knight of Archon Anthemios. I’ve slain an Elder Dragon. You don’t scare me. The only reason I stayed was because of your daughter. But maybe it’s time I leave and return to my life as a wandering swordsman.”
Liao Cheng laughed coldly. “I’d like to see you try.”
He clapped his hands, and over twenty guards armed with swords and axes surrounded Mark in an instant.
Mark swung his sword, gripping it tightly even as doubt gnawed at him. This was hopeless. Taking on over twenty well-trained, armored guards charging at him was pure suicide. He’d faced tough odds before—monsters, bandits, witches—but this? This was on a whole other level. I did slay an Elder Dragon once, he reminded himself. Too bad I can’t remember how.
Guanyu rushed forward, throwing herself at her father’s feet. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, “Father, please don’t punish him! It was my idea to have Mark train me. If someone deserves punishment, it’s me!”
Liao Cheng sneered, shoving her to the ground. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get your punishment. From now on, you’re grounded. As for Mark, he has two choices: throw down his sword and accept constant supervision, or get beaten senseless and then placed under guard. It’s up to him.”
Before Mark could respond, one of the guards lunged at him with an axe. Mark parried the blow, but the clang of steel barely faded before the rest of the guards surged forward. More than twenty blades and axes closed in, pressing against his silk robe from all directions. Mark froze, trapped, unable to move.
Liao Cheng crossed his arms. “I am not a cruel man. Surrender, and you can avoid a beating. Yes, you disobeyed me and trained my daughter against my direct orders, but I acknowledge your effort in killing those assassins. That’s why I won’t punish you further—aside from putting you under stricter watch. This time, with men who aren’t fools like Jiahao.”
“I’ll throw down my sword—but only if you don’t punish Lady Guanyu. She doesn’t deserve this.”
Liao Cheng raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a mocking grin. “You think you’re in a position to negotiate? With over a dozen blades at your throat?”
“You said it yourself—I’m too valuable to kill,” Mark said, a faint smirk creeping onto his face.
“True,” Liao Cheng admitted. “But I could have my men beat you within an inch of your life. That might remind you of your place.”
Mark chuckled. “Do it.”
“You realize getting beaten won’t change a thing for my daughter, right?” Liao Cheng asked, tilting his head.
Mark shrugged, his smirk turning into a glare. “At this point, it’s not about her. I’m just done being pushed around by an arrogant asshole.”
Liao Cheng laughed. “You remind me why you’re such a valuable asset. Fine. Guanyu won’t face further punishment. But understand this—there will be no more lessons for her. Not from you, not from anyone. Now, stand down.”
Mark exhaled sharply, tossing his sword to the ground. The guards wasted no time, escorting him back to his hut. They shoved him inside and slammed the door shut.
Mark let out a tired sigh as he collapsed onto the bed. His body ached, his mind swirled, but he didn’t have the energy to dwell on any of it. Within half an hour, exhaustion claimed him, and he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.