The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Their faces still etched with fear and pain, their eyes bulging, their lips slightly parted, as if silently speaking something. Cen Jiexiao reached out and felt one of their breaths; it was icy cold, devoid of any warmth. She noticed that while the assassins' clothing was plain in style and dull in color, it was meticulously crafted, with fine stitching and exquisite fabrics, something ordinary people could never afford.

Their waists were bulging, clearly concealing weapons, though now useless with their deaths. She reached out and untied one of their belts, revealing a sharp dagger hidden within. The blade gleamed coldly, revealing a well-maintained knife.

She stood up and slowly paced around the assassins, her eyes piercing every detail. Who were these assassins? They were well-trained and ruthless, clearly no ordinary hoodlums.

Cen Jiexiao's gaze fell on the assassin's hands. Their palms were rough, covered in thick calluses, the marks left by years of wielding swords. The knuckles were thick, the bones distinct, a testament to the strength of countless trials and tribulations. Such hands, at a glance, revealed the owner to be a martial artist with profound inner strength, no ordinary person.

She crouched down and carefully examined the palms of one of them. Though rough, they were remarkably clean, without a trace of dirt. Even the nails were neatly trimmed. This indicated that these men weren't desperate criminals constantly on the brink of death. They were likely organized, self-disciplined, shadow assassins who cared deeply about their image and generally kept their identities secret.

Cen Jiexiao's gaze fell on the assassin's clothing again. While their clothing was plain in style and dull in color, it was meticulously crafted, with precise stitching and smooth lines, without the slightest deviation. This kind of craftsmanship was definitely not something the common people could afford, and even the most affluent might not be able to afford it.

She reached out and gently stroked the assassin's clothing. It felt cool and smooth, with a unique sheen. She had seen this kind of fabric before in the palace; it was a tribute provided exclusively for the royal family and nobles. It was priceless, and ordinary people could never see it, let alone wear it.

Who are these assassins? They possess martial arts skills and are dressed elegantly, yet they infiltrate Linkang Prefecture and carry out assassinations. What is their purpose?

Cen Jiexiao's heart was filled with doubts. She felt as if she had been caught up in a vast conspiracy, and this was only the beginning. She carefully examined the assassins' wounds and discovered that they had not been killed by swords, but by a strange hidden weapon. The wounds were so small that they were almost imperceptible. Only when you looked closely could you see a tiny red dot, which was completely invisible without careful observation.

The skin around the red spot took on a strange bluish-black color, a clear sign of poisoning. This poison had an extremely fast onset, instantly killing the victim on impact, and was extremely subtle. Without careful inspection, no signs of poisoning would be detected.

This kind of hidden weapon kills people invisibly and is impossible to guard against, which is really terrifying. "What kind of hidden weapon is this?" Cen Jiexiao pointed at the wound on the assassin's body and asked Yu Lan who was standing beside her.

Yu Lan also squatted down, carefully observing the wounds, her eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head slightly, indicating that she had never seen such a hidden weapon before. "I have never seen such a hidden weapon before, and it seems that no one in the martial arts world has heard of it either."

Cen Jiexiao's gaze fell on the hair-thin silver needle on the ground. It was the tool Lu Qingyun had used to test the poison in the assassin's mouth. She carefully picked up the needle and held it before her eyes, examining it closely. The needle was made of an unusual material, icy cold to the touch. In the dim light, it shimmered faintly, like a cold pond under the moonlight, exuding a mysterious aura.

Sister Cen Xiao gently plucked the needle with her fingers, and the silver needle made a crisp sound, as if it was made of some metal, but it was crisper and more pleasant than ordinary metal, as if it had some kind of strange rhythm.

"This silver needle is probably not simple..." Cen Jiexiao muttered to herself, her tone filled with doubt and uneasiness. She felt that this silver needle seemed to be hiding some secret, but she couldn't solve it yet.

Cen Jiexiao stood up and scanned every corner of the dungeon, hoping to find more clues. Finally, her gaze settled on a bluestone slab in the corner. The bluestone was a slightly different color than the others, as if someone had tampered with it. The color was darker, and the surface seemed smoother, standing out from the rougher surrounding slabs.

Cen Jiexiao walked over, squatted down, and gently knocked on the bluestone slab with her hand, which made a hollow "dong dong" sound, which was completely different from the dull sound of other stone slabs.

"Sure enough, there's a secret passage!" Cen Jiexiao was shocked. It seemed that this dungeon was hiding an even greater secret! This made her even more uneasy. Who were these assassins? Why did they sneak into the general's mansion? Where did the secret passage in the dungeon lead to? All of this was like a fog, shrouding her heart.

She reached out without hesitation and pushed open the bluestone slab, revealing a pitch-black hole. A rotten, damp air blew in her face, mixed with a hint of coldness and mildew, as if it was the gate to hell.

Cen Jiexiao arranged for Lu Qingyun to notify reinforcements, while she took Yu Lan and Xiaozhi to the secret passage to continue exploring.

The entrance to the secret passage was pitch black, like the maw of a monster ready to devour anyone. Cen Jiexiao took a deep breath, suppressing her inner unease. Holding a torch, she stepped in first. Yu Lan and Xiao Zhi followed closely behind. The three of them huddled together, the flickering firelight illuminating their nervous expressions.

"Be careful with the steps." Yu Lan whispered a warning, with definite concern in her tone.

Cen Jiexiao nodded. With the dim light of the fire, she saw some gravel and bones scattered on the ground. She didn't know what kind of animal they were, but they looked even more eerie and terrifying in the dim light.

"We don't know how long this secret passage has been abandoned, and we don't know where it leads to. We have to be careful." Xiaozhi's voice trembled a little, and he was obviously frightened by the weird atmosphere.

"What are you afraid of? With Yu Lan and I here, how can anything happen to a little girl like you?" Cen Jiexiao teased in a nonchalant manner, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

Xiaozhi curled his lips and muttered softly, "Who's afraid? I'm just worried. Following the dean for the past few months, I feel like I've experienced all the adventures of my life."

The secret passage was narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through. The walls were damp and exuded a sickening musty odor. Cen Jiexiao covered her mouth and nose with her hands, her brow furrowed, and she took every step carefully, fearing that she would touch any trap.