Chapter Seventy: The Order of Jing Ke

"Mr. Rui, there’s a pickup truck ahead!"

Wen Rui was lying in the back seat of the Hummer, his head on Jiaqi’s smooth, delicate thigh, while Yubinglu was driving up front. This little wildcat was still fun for Wen Rui, and he had no plans to switch her out anytime soon.

This time, coming to Yutou Village, Wen Rui had brought several dozen men and made thorough preparations. Unlike last time, however, today’s purpose was to discuss investment opportunities with the village, not to cause trouble.

“A pickup truck?”

Rui sat up from the young woman’s thigh, muttering, “Anyone coming from this road is most likely from Yutou Village, right?”

“Stop them!”

He grabbed the walkie-talkie and gave instructions to the vehicles ahead.

For this trip, Wen Rui had brought enough men and more than a dozen vehicles, each equipped with its own walkie-talkie.

Meanwhile, Tang Long and Shan Xiu were discussing “investment.” If they could get some funds from this “little rich lady,” that would be ideal.

Although Tang Long had never worked in her line of business, he knew it was a quick way to make money. Many in that trade spent lavishly, had few friends and relatives, and after a payout, most chose to squander it all in a short time. After all, you never knew if the next job would be you killing someone or someone coming to kill you.

A hitman like Shan Xiu, who actually had significant funds at hand, was a rarity.

“Maybe you should try another line of work?” Tang Long suggested with a smile. “Killing people all the time must get dull, don’t you think?”

His tone didn’t sound as if he disapproved of her profession. Everyone, after all, had their own path in life. Tang Long never forced anyone to change, not even when he knew they were headed for destruction.

The right to choose—such things always rested in your own hands.

“What else could I do?” Shan Xiu replied lazily.

Tang Long grinned. “You seem to like Yutou Village. Stay here with me—I’ll guarantee your safety.”

Shan Xiu paused, turning to look at Tang Long, a hint of mockery at her lips. “Guarantee my safety? You have no idea who’s after me, do you?”

“It doesn’t matter who it is. As long as you want to retire and stay in Yutou Village, I’ll vouch for your safety,” Tang Long said, his smile undiminished.

Shan Xiu shook her head and laughed it off. Retiring sounded simple, but in reality, it was never easy.

Not to mention whether her current “company” would even let her go. Even if they did, her status would drop from “classified” to “ordinary.” At that point, any of her old enemies could, for a small price, buy information on her, forcing her into a life of constant hiding.

How many hitmen in the world ever manage to retire cleanly?

“I have a ‘Jing Ke Token’—it’s yours if you want it,” Tang Long said with a smile.

At the mention of the “Jing Ke Token,” Shan Xiu seemed startled. She sat up abruptly, eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Tang Long.

She had only heard rumors of the “Jing Ke Token,” never seen one herself. Her mentor had once told her that the “Jing Ke Token” was one of the three major decrees in the global assassin underworld. Not everyone followed its rules, but in Asia, especially among Chinese assassins and older organizations, it still carried considerable weight.

A single “Jing Ke Token” was worth no less than a billion dollars—a coveted treasure for many, especially assassins. Its greatest use, besides authorizing a kill, was to “clear” an assassin’s background and grant them a new identity.

Tang Long smiled and said calmly, “Don’t look at me like that. I originally got this Jing Ke Token for an old friend, but I was too late—he was gone by the time I got it.”

He shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. “Maybe it was fate. The children of Yutou Village all adore you, and you happened to end up here.”

Shan Xiu’s chest heaved as her breathing grew ragged. Even she didn’t realize it—she was nothing but shocked.

This humble, backwoods village chief not only knew the ways of the assassin world, but actually held a Jing Ke Token? It was almost beyond belief.

“Who…who are you?” Shan Xiu asked, her voice trembling. How could some ordinary ex-soldier possess a Jing Ke Token?

Getting one was incredibly difficult—there were only a handful in existence worldwide.

A billion dollars was only its price; even those with the money couldn’t necessarily buy it.

Tang Long chuckled and shook his head. “Who I am doesn’t matter. I have no interest in my old identity. Now I’m the village chief of Yutou Village. All you need to know is that I can keep you safe.”

Shan Xiu took a deep breath, her eyes flickering. She asked hoarsely, “What do you want me to do?”

A single Jing Ke Token was worth everything she possessed.

Tang Long smiled. “Invest. Put all your money into Yutou Village. Leave the assassin’s life behind and become an ordinary person.”

Shan Xiu could hardly believe it. “That’s all?”

“What else do you think I want?” Tang Long tilted his head, grinning lazily. “What could you possibly give me?”

Shan Xiu was silent for a long time. She knew Tang Long was right. To a man who had a Jing Ke Token, she really had nothing to offer.

“Consider my offer,” Tang Long said gently. “If you think it’s acceptable, then good. I have no problem. If you feel Yutou Village is too small for you, that’s fine too—come or go, it’s all up to you.”

He had always wanted to tell Shan Xiu about the Jing Ke Token in his possession. Tang the Elder had a good eye for people; at her core, this woman wasn’t bad. If she wanted to retire, Tang Long didn’t mind giving her a hand.

After all, Yutou Village would need talented people in the future. Even a second-rate assassin was still an assassin; maybe they wouldn’t need her for violence, but she could help with security or management.

Most importantly, she liked the village children, and they liked her. She got along well with Zhang Xiu’e and Zhao Xiaoyue.

Helping her was nothing but a lift of the hand for Tang Long; it was no hardship.

Shan Xiu smiled bitterly. “Tang…Master Tang, are you mocking me? If you’re showing me a Jing Ke Token, how could Yutou Village be a small place? Even if I were the Monkey King, I couldn’t escape your grasp.”

“Don’t say that!” Tang Long laughed. “I don’t like being called ‘Master Tang’—we’re equals here. I’m not interested in you that way.”

He paused, glancing at the approaching convoy. “It just feels like fate, that’s all.”

Could fate alone be worth a Jing Ke Token?

Shan Xiu didn’t even know what to say. If Tang Long wasn’t bluffing, then with a Jing Ke Token in his hand, keeping her safe would be no problem at all.