Prologue - Damn it, Gentler!
Thanks to my editor Gold Fairy! <3
Also thanks very much to Ars for the kofi donations and the beautiful thank you note! I’m so glad you like my translations! <3
Following the development of society, science and technology also improved. China’s rural areas had already broken away from its former days of poverty for a long time. All around it was like an ideal confucian society where everyone lived well. Coastal villages were even more beautiful than the big cities. The western inland by comparison was vastly different. Shan Quan village was a small village located in the western part of Chuan Shan Bei city. The village only had about 100 families. Everyday life could not be compared to the coastal villages, but it was still considered plentiful.
If you wanted to find the most prosperous person in Shan Quan village, the villagers would all tell you three words, Ling Jingxuan.
No one knew how Ling Jingxuan made his fortune. One day, over 20 years ago, the seven people of Ling family all died in one night. Only 3 year old Ling Jingxuan was unaccounted for. From then on, Shan Quan village also did not have anyone surnamed Ling. Just 8 years ago, someone claiming to be Ling Jingxuan suddenly arrived at the village. He took the land that used to belong to the Ling family, and in half a year he built a flower garden villa. At that time, many people were both envious and jealous, wishing they could replace Ling Jingxuan and move in.
Not long after, no one knows how Ling Jingxuan accomplished it, but not too far from the villa, he bought several fields and energetically turned towards the Shan Quan village to recruit workers to farm the land. Originally everyone all thought he would not be able to get along with others, and didn’t dare to approach Ling Jingxuan. But as a result, he eventually blended in with the Shan Quan village. Everyday, when there was no issues to address, Ling Jingxuan will always go to the village chief’s wife’s teahouse to play mahjong and waste time away. No one knew what he did or where the money came from. Everyone only knew every so often he would disappear for awhile. After coming back he was still indifferent.
“Ah…”
Late at night, not a sound was heard. Inside the only villa in Shan Quan Village, a single man’s painful shout suddenly echoed. Following the direction of that sound, if you slightly open the door of the room, there were several identical, tall and robust, stoic men wearing camouflage and carrying firearms. If you looked even deeper inside the room, a man’s back was towards the entrance, making very swift and agile movements. In front of him, a half naked man had a white cloth in his mouth. The wound dripping with blood reached from the shoulder blade to the abdomen. The blood curdling screech was from him.
“Damn it, gentler!”
That man was in so much pain his eyes rolled. A man standing at the bedside crudely roared. In the middle of sewing up the wound, Ling Jingxuan coldy looked up and gave him a glare. A delicate handsome face that didn’t look real was covered with undisguised ridicule.
“Eh…”
“Since you have so much of an opinion, then you do it.”
The hand holding the end of the thread suddenly tugged, and in an instant, the man suffering almost fainted. Ling Jingxuan curled his lips and threw the needle, acting as if he was going to leave. A hand covered in blood suddenly grabbed him. Ling Jingxuan turned his head around to indifferently look at him. The man with the half sewn wound was fiercely taking deep breaths. Staring at the man by the bedside, he spit out the white cloth in his mouth and shouted out, “Sew!”
Even with such a serious injury, the man’s imposing manner could not be ignored. Ling Jingxuan stared at him, face to face, for a long time before coldy saying, “Just this once.”
He stopped speaking and sat down again, and started to help him sew up the wound. These people were an internationally famous mercenary group. They were recently hired in the Chuan province to carry out an assasination mission. But they had looked down on China’s military abilities, and nearly fell into their hands. The injured man was named Ya Si and he was the leader of this mercenary group. In the past, he had helped him out before, so he somewhat had a friendship with him. Otherwise they would not come find him, much less ask him to come sew up his wound.
Ling Jingxuan, codename Zhui Hun, was internationally known as a secret doctor and killer. He could save people with one hand and kill with the other. Right or wrong, both paths without exception would cause people to be stricken with terror. No one knew his real appearance. Besides the ability to heal and assassinate, he still had a terrifying skill. He could be male or female, handsome or ugly. People did not know where he would normally hide. The people seeking treatment or an assassination would generally contact him through the Assassin Organization. Doesn’t matter if it was to heal someone or kill someone, it all depended on his mood. Ling Jingxuan could say that in this world, he was the only assassin that worked by preference.
“This time was because of our carelessness. You don’t need to worry. We won’t disturb your peace. When you’re done sewing the wound, we’ll leave.”
Ya Si’s dim eyes had a difficult time hiding his pain. The movement of the hands never even stopped. “If you don’t leave, don’t tell me you want to stay here to recuperate?”
As they say, someone with great ability will hide in the world, someone with little ability will hide in the forest[1]. But he felt it wasn’t as peaceful as the countryside. If he didn’t owe him, he would not have revealed his hideout even if you beat him to death.
“Jingxuan…”
“Boom!”
“Not good, China’s military have arrived.”
Ya Si’s words were cut off by an ear-splitting explosion. A thick and solid man suddenly dashed inside. The strong men guarding the room placidly looked at Ya Si. The military dared to be so brash, it was clear that they already knew they were there. Afraid that Unfortunately, this villa was probably already surrounded. In this tense atmosphere, only Ling Jingxuan was not affected. Just as before, he continued to nimbly sew up the wound, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him.
“Garen, go stop them. Think of a way to tear through them.”
Worthy of being the leader, Ya Si still looked calm. Under his command, the man named Garen saluted and left. The other trained men followed him out.
“Ok, you can leave now.”
Roughly a few minutes later, Ling Jingxuan finished the last stitch and unhurriedly collected his tools. Ya Si stopped his hand. “Jingxuan, leave with us.”
That big of a wound, it was impossible to not hurt, but the feeling Ya Si gave off was like that wound did not exist on his body.
Meeting his scorching gaze, Ling Jingxuan unhurriedly pushed away his hand. “Do you know what the difference between mercenaries and assassins are? The former requires a loyal brotherhood, to dare to give your backs to your teammates. The latter can never trust in other people.”
The words spoken up to here were already very blunt. It wasn’t that he wasn’t leaving, rather he didn’t have faith in them.
“Jingxuan, you are always hurting people’s feelings.”
Raising a sneering smile, Ya Si resisted the pain of his wound to stand up. Compared with the pain in his wound, the pain in his heart hurt more, but he already did not feel it.
“Take care of yourself!”
As he was opening the door to leave, Ling Jingxuan’s cold and clear voice suddenly echoed. With his back towards Ya Si, the corners of his mouth lifted. This was enough. In the entire world there was probably only a few people who would receive this phrase.
“You too!”
“Boom!”
The door pulled opened and closed again. The shooting and explosions sounds outside were densely packed. Ling Jingxuan finished packing his things and turned around to look at the entrance of the doorway. A bitter look faintly streaked across his eyes. To have some emotion, it was something he could not have nor dare to have. He would prefer to go out and find a one night stand. He would not give friends the feeling of hope.
Pa pa pa….
“Quick, keep up!”
“Ya Si over here…”
“This is an internationally famous mercenary group. At the right time, raze everything to the ground.”
“Yes!”
In the middle of the intense gunfight, both sides were passing down commands. The firepower of the special forces was strong. Ya Si and his men broke through the front line, but could only fight in place at the rear. Waiting in the rear were a large number of special soldier. Ten people had come, but in a flash only four to five people were left. Soon they would be completely defeated. Suddenly, Ling Jingxuan who was unconcerned with them appeared again.
“Come with me.”
Passing a quick glance at Ya Si, his bare chest was bleeding again. Ling Jingxuan turned his body around and left. Yasi nodded his head in approval, so everyone else also followed.
In the basement, Ling Jingxuan ignored everyone’s astonishment. He bent over to tap a floor tile to open it. A secret tunnel that could only fit one grown person at a time appeared. Ling Jingxuan retreated to the side. “This connects to a river not too far from here. Besides the jungle I left a small ship. It will depend on your luck if you’re able to escape.”
It was very clear that he was not planning on leaving with them.
“Jingxuan, leave with us.”
Letting his subordinates enter first, Ya Si tried once again to beg him. He couldn’t abandon him.
Meanwhile, the military officers outside felt that something wasn’t right. After all it had been a while since they heard the opposing side’s gunshots. Finally, they confirmed the villa’s owner, Ling Jingxuan’s identity. A long night is fraught with dreams[2], the military’s highest commander gave an order to raze the villa. The special forces responsible for the assignment set bombs on all sides of the villa. After the soldiers withdraw, the villa will then vanish.
“Ya Si, you know my reply, I’m not going to love anyone. Go, I have a different way to escape.”
A cold handsome face that rarely appeared to be moved, Ling Jingxuan gave the same response as before. He was gay, that wasn’t wrong, but he was already tired of killing. He just wanted to live an ordinary life. In the future maybe even adopt a few children and live a mediocre life for the rest of his days. This was something that Ya Si could never give him.
“You… take care of yourself!”
Opening his mouth, Ya Si in the end did not say the love that was constrained inside him. He turned around and entered the tunnel.
Boom Boom…
“Fuck!”
A cunning rabbit had three caves, what’s more to say about the kind of person Ling Jingxuan was? He followed with his eyes as Ya Si’s silhouette faded away. When he was about to open a different tunnel, an ear splitting explosion accompanied the shaking ground. Ling Jingxuan managed to curse for a moment before being buried in the rubble. He was the most terrifying mysterious international assassin, Zhui Hun. As he died, he never thought that his death would be caused by the first time he was softhearted.
***
- Someone with great ability will hide in the world, someone with little ability will hide in the forest: There are many versions of this quote. It’s a very long explanation so here is a link to the original quote and explanation. Look under philosophy: 小隐隐于野，中隐隐于市，大隐隐于朝
- A long night is fraught with dreams: A long delay means trouble
JADE: Here is the first chapter of the new series! Hope you guys enjoy and leave comments about your thoughts! Also, I finally posted that Chinese slang dictionary I kept talking about months ago. It’ll slowly be updated as I come across more things to add to it.