My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

As the saying goes, a dark night is a night for murder, and a windy day is a day for arson.

Feng Asan has lost count of how many lives he has taken on nights like this.

He originally thought that no matter how difficult the target was, with his skills as the number thirty-first in the Fengyun Tower, he was confident that even if he missed the first strike, he could still escape alive.

But I never expected to run into this person here.

Feng Asan gripped a broken sword, lay prone on the ground, and glared hatefully at what was in front of him.

The footsteps were barely audible; the newcomer was tall and slender, his robes fluttering in the breeze. Despite wearing an extremely conspicuous white robe in the darkness, no one knew when he had appeared.

The man was toying with half a broken blade in his hand as he walked in unhurriedly. His demeanor was refined and leisurely, as if he were simply strolling around.

But in Feng Asan's eyes at this moment, it was like a vengeful ghost that would snatch away souls and claim lives.

Feng Asan, covered in wounds, stiffly looked up. The man's face slowly emerged from the darkness, revealing an extremely bizarre mask.

That terrifying mask, the familiar sword at the waist, and the uncanny martial arts...

He would never mistake him! The newcomer was clearly Xie Yan, the number one assassin of Fengyun Tower who had retired from the martial world three years ago!

Just then, Xie Yan laughed, which startled Feng Asan.

He tossed away the broken blade and kicked Feng Asan, who was lying half-dead on the ground.

But perhaps he didn't control his strength and internal force well, and was kicked so hard that he rolled twice and hit his head on the corner of the wall.

Xie Yan paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew her foot.

Feng Asan was absolutely furious: !! This guy is humiliating me!

Xie Yan: ...I feel a little embarrassed.

Feng Asan coughed up blood, glaring at Xie Yan with bloodshot eyes, and said angrily, "You! How could you be here!"

If he had known Xie Yan was here, he would never have taken the job, no matter how much reward he was offered!

Xie Yan raised her hand to touch the mask on her face, then slowly squatted down next to Feng Asan and said, "How I am here is not important, what is important is how you are here."

Feng Asan, however, thought that he knew him and was shocked. He was about to ask for the reason.

Then Xie Yan continued to sigh, "Brother, you're really bold! Coming all alone to assassinate the emperor, do you think you have too many family members?"

Feng Asan choked on his own blood.

But Xie Yan kept babbling on and on: "Tell me, even though you're not exactly good-looking, don't be so pessimistic. You look young... but you don't really look that young. Are you married or not... I doubt anyone would be interested in you, right? How much do you earn..."

Before he could finish speaking, the person lying on the ground suddenly looked up and spat out a mouthful of blood mist, staring intently at him before passing away.

Before he died, Feng Asan's last thought was: How could the number one guy be such a long-winded and annoying fellow!

Xie Yanfei nimbly stepped back to avoid the bloodstains, clicking her tongue in regret.

At this moment, the Imperial Guards also rushed over and witnessed the assassin spitting blood into the sky. They all glared at Xie Yan with inhuman cruelty.

Xie Yan: ...Heaven can attest that I really didn't finish the job.

Xie Yan clapped her hands, then couldn't help but be sarcastic to the Imperial Guards: "I'm not saying this to be mean, but with you guys being so slow, you wouldn't even be able to catch the hot shit."

Then, amidst the vulgar curses of a group of grown men, he leisurely returned to his original post—the crossbeam inside the Changxin Hall.

Looking at the emperor below, who was writing furiously, Xie Yan began to regret taking on this business.

Since he took up his post, he has been working hard every day, enduring wind and rain, and unable to sleep at night.

The reason is simple: who could have imagined that so many people would want to assassinate the emperor!

They're constantly getting assassinated or poisoned, and I thought it was a legitimate job with a government-approved position. But it turns out I'm working overtime every night and don't even have the basic social security benefits.

Strictly speaking, Xie Yan's primary profession was that of a top-notch assassin who would take money to kill and eliminate the enemy once the money was paid. He was not one of the emperor's loyal and dedicated bodyguards who obeyed his every command.

As the saying goes, every other line is like a mountain.

So when Xie Yan was once again engrossed in teasing the assassin—no, chatting with the assassin—he completely forgot that he was also responsible for protecting the emperor.

So when Xie Yan returned to the emperor's palace carrying yet another bloodied corpse, he saw another assassin lying on the ground, and a group of inexperienced guards surrounding the emperor who had been stabbed, all glaring at him angrily.

Xie Yan: Oh dear. To be honest, this isn't my fault, is it? You bunch of useless good-for-nothings, you're all perfectly fine, still jumping around. On the contrary, our master is on the verge of death, seriously injured, and you still have the nerve to glare at me?

So Xie Yan bravely glared back through the mask, while mentally reviewing the assassin's escape route.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately not successfully expelled.

Perhaps harboring resentment, the emperor, who was bedridden with injuries, directly reassigned Xie Yan to a different post, ordering him to pack his things and go to Prince An's residence to await orders.

So Xie Yan was kicked out of the palace before she even had time to pack her things, along with a skinny horse.

Speaking of Prince An, Chu Ling, he is the only half-brother of the current emperor and is highly regarded. He just returned from the border the day before yesterday.

According to the information Xie Yan gathered, some people said he was dashing and unrestrained, while others said he was a beast in human form and cruel in nature.

Although opinions vary, one thing is undeniable: this man is extremely handsome, and even when he is not in the capital, he has long held the top spot on the list of handsome men in the capital.

However, when Xie Yan sat in the Prince's mansion, he confirmed the latter part of the rumor, stating that Chu Ling was absolutely cruel.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had already seen no fewer than ten people being dragged away, covered in blood.

One of them, as he was being dragged past him, grabbed his ankle tightly.

"Help, help me..."

Xie Yan silently closed her mouth, which was filled with pastries, and put the mask back on after pushing it up halfway. She looked down at the person with great curiosity and asked, "You want me to save you?"

The man, misunderstanding something, nodded hastily as if grasping at a straw, and clung to Xie Yan's legs, climbing up, pleading, "Sir, sir, you have a compassionate heart, please save me!"

The mask concealed Xie Yan's expression, but his voice sounded quite cheerful: "Do you know who I am?"

Seeing his blank expression, Xie Yan said with a smile, "Have you heard of Fengyunlou? That's my former employer."

The man's expression froze.

"Hey, to be honest, usually the people lying at my feet are corpses. This is the first time I've heard someone ask me for help. It's quite novel. Why don't you shout a few more times?"

"..."

The man rolled his eyes and fainted, convulsing.