Love Lock

Chapter 150: Not Unjustly Died
"It's okay, I'll go up and knock on the door."

Han Lei waved her hand, her tone relaxed and at ease.

As she spoke, she walked lightly toward the stairs, as if she were just an ordinary woman visiting a friend.

The shopkeeper didn't stop him anymore, he just nodded and went back to dozing off on the counter.

Han Lei went up to the second floor. Only two dim lanterns hung at the top of the stairs, and the sound of snoring, loud or soft, came from all over the corridor.

Rooms No. 1 and No. 2 were at the end of the corridor. Han Lei stood at the top of the stairs, her gaze sweeping across the corridor. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, she gently turned off the corridor lights, squatted down, and glanced under the door.

It was pitch black under the door of each room, with no light coming through, indicating that the guests in the rooms had already turned off the lights and gone to sleep.

Han Lei drew the pistol from her waist, but after thinking for a moment, she put it back.

She wasn't sure if the three assassins lived here, and if she accidentally shot an innocent person with her pistol, it would be troublesome.

After weighing the pros and cons, Han Lei stood up, took out her phone, pulled up a pre-downloaded video, and adjusted the volume to a suitable level.

The video showed the soft, ambiguous voices of a man and a woman talking, as if they were really having a secret rendezvous in the corridor.

The woman's voice was as soft as a feather, yet it also carried a certain allure.

"Do you really think this is a good idea? Aren't we... taking a bit too much of a risk?"

The man's voice was low and urgent: "What are you afraid of? Nobody knows us anyway. Besides, haven't you always said you missed me?"

"You're always like this... it's impossible to refuse you."

"Then don't refuse, we've already come this far anyway."

"But there are so many people coming and going here, it wouldn't be good if someone saw us. Which room do you want to stay in? Or..."

"..."

The conversation between the man and woman continued.

Han Lei took out a mask, put it on, and swaggered to the doors of rooms number one and two, checking the door numbers.

She took two lit incense sticks from her storage space and gently slipped them under the door. Then she glanced at her watch and listened intently to the sounds coming from inside the room.

A sound of someone turning over came from room number one in the VIP section, followed by a man's groggy mutter: "Ugh... why is it so noisy outside?"

Another voice responded lazily, "They're busy with their business. Go to sleep and mind your own business. We still have to scout out the location again tomorrow."

Then, the room returned to silence. There remained no movement from Room 2 of the Heavenly Rank.

Han Lei snorted inwardly.

Even though two of their comrades had already gone missing, the remaining assassins didn't flee overnight. It seems they believed their comrades wouldn't betray them.

Han Lei waited for a full fifteen minutes to make sure the incense had worked before taking out a thin iron skewer and gently prying open the latch through the crack in the door.

The door opened silently. Han Lei didn't go in immediately, but stood at the doorway, listening carefully to the sounds inside.

After confirming that the person inside was unconscious, she turned on her small flashlight and went inside.

There were two beds in the room, one large and one small. Two men were lying on the large bed, and one man was sleeping on the small bed.

Han Lei searched the room thoroughly and quickly found three sets of night clothes under the bed. Her eyes instantly turned cold, anger burning within them, but she remained calm.

Hua Tianyou told her that they had poison hidden in their back molars. She carefully removed the poison from their mouths to ensure they could not commit suicide after waking up.

Then she took out handcuffs and cuffed their hands and feet together in pairs to ensure they couldn't escape easily.

After doing all this, Han Lei walked to the window and gently pushed it open. The night breeze brushed against her cheek, bringing a touch of coolness.

She glanced back at the three unconscious men on the bed, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but quickly, she took a deep breath, climbed out the window, and disappeared into the night.

The night remained deep, and the streets were still deserted, as if nothing had happened.

Only the slightly ajar window on the second floor of the Jinghua Inn hinted at what had just happened.

Jinghua Inn was only a few streets away from the Zhao family's residence. As soon as Han Lei turned the corner, she took out an electric scooter from her spatial storage.

The electric scooter moved silently, and Han Lei quickly returned home. She called a few servants and drove a horse-drawn carriage to the entrance of the Jinghua Inn.

Hearing the commotion at the door, the shopkeeper looked up from behind the counter.

When he saw Han Lei walk in from outside the gate again, he was instantly jolted awake.

"Miss, you..." The shopkeeper rubbed his eyes, looking at Han Lei in horror, "Didn't you just go upstairs?"

Han Lei ignored him and stormed upstairs with her servants.

Upon opening the door to Room Number One, the three assassins remained in the same state as when Han Lei left, clearly still unconscious.

Their hands and feet were handcuffed together. Knowing that ancient assassins were generally highly skilled in martial arts, Han Lei dared not untie them.

The servants could only laboriously move the three assassins, who were linked together, out of the room, then carry them downstairs and load them onto a carriage.

The staircase was narrow, and the body of the assassin would occasionally bump into the wall, making dull thuds.

The shopkeeper, standing behind the counter, watched this scene, his face pale, and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, what's going on? These people..."

Han Lei gave him a cold look and interrupted him: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Just do your own thing."

The shopkeeper shrank back, startled by her sharp gaze, and quickly lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

The carriage quickly returned home. The servants carried the assassins into a secluded room, with Han Lei following closely behind.

She stood in the center of the room, looking at the unconscious assassin on the ground. Although she felt some pity, she quickly made up her mind.

"Wake them up," Han Lei coldly ordered.

A servant brought a basin of cold water and splashed it on the faces of the assassins. Stimulated by the cold water, the assassins gradually awoke.

When they opened their eyes, they saw Han Lei standing in front of them. A murderous glint flashed in their eyes. They could only struggle to sit up, but they could not stand up because their hands and feet were handcuffed.

"Don't waste your efforts."

Han Lei spoke coldly, her voice like ice. No matter how skilled these assassins were, trying to break free of their handcuffs was futile.

One of the assassins glared at her through gritted teeth: "Who are you? Why are you arresting us?"

Han Lei smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "Who I am is not important. What's important is who sent you."

Upon hearing this, the assassins' expressions changed slightly, but they quickly regained their indifference.

Another assassin sneered, "What do you mean, 'who sent them'? We don't understand."

Han Lei wasn't angry; instead, she sighed softly.

"I know you're suicide squads; mission failure means death. But have you ever considered what if you don't die?"

The assassins remained silent, some even rolling their eyes at Han Lei and turning their heads away, seemingly unmoved by her words.

Seeing this, Han Lei got straight to the point.

"Your companions confessed that the Marquis of Champion sent you to assassinate Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou, is that right?"

Upon hearing this, the assassins showed a brief moment of surprise, though they quickly regained their composure. Han Lei knew she was right; these assassins were indeed sent by Champion Marquis. Seeing this, a flash of killing intent crossed Han Lei's eyes, but she needed further confirmation.

She slowly took out a sharp scalpel from her sleeve, its blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

“Since you refuse to tell me, I’ll have to use my own methods.” Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

The assassins showed no fear whatsoever when they saw the scalpel, clearly demonstrating the success of their training in facing death.

Han Lei smiled nonchalantly, lightly tapping the elbow of one of the assassins with the tip of her knife, repeating her previous tactic.

“I’ve heard there’s a nerve here called the ulnar nerve. If I gently sever it with the tip of a knife, you know what? Your hand will immediately lose sensation and you’ll never be able to hold a sword again.”

Her tone was calm, as if she were giving the suicide squad an anatomy lesson.

"What do you want to do?" The assassin's breathing became slightly rapid.

A wicked smile crept onto Han Lei's pretty face.

"I don't want to do anything. I just want to conduct an experiment on you. To see if severing the ulnar nerve will really cripple you. Since your mission failed anyway, you'll only die when you go back, so you might as well stay alive and be my test subjects. What do you say?"

"You...you dare?"

The assassin trembled, staring at Han Lei as if she were a demon. He couldn't believe it. This pretty and sweet-looking woman before him could commit such a cruel act of experimenting on living people.

Han Lei didn't answer, but instead gave a cold smile, squatted down, and gently ran the scalpel across the inside of his elbow.

The assassin felt a sharp pain and couldn't help but scream. The other two assassins watched Han Lei's actions calmly on the surface, but deep in their eyes, a storm was brewing.

"Speak! Why did the Marquis of Champion send you to assassinate Zhao Zun?"

Han Lei's voice remained calm, yet it carried a chilling coldness.

The assassin faltered, trembling as he said, "It's...it's because..."

"can not say."

The other two assassins quickly spoke up to stop him.

Han Lei smiled, a smile that was incredibly relaxed and satisfied.

"The reason is no longer important. As long as I confirm that the Champion Marquis sent you, that's enough for me."

As she spoke, Han Lei stood up, seemingly about to walk towards the door.

As she passed behind the three assassins, she suddenly turned around and swiftly slashed the necks of them with her scalpel.

Then, the words Han Lei hadn't finished saying echoed in the air.

"Then you died without cause."

The three assassins felt a chill on their necks, and before they could understand what Han Lei meant, their bodies fell to the ground with a thud.

Han Lei didn't look at their fallen figures, but walked straight outside. It wasn't that she was afraid to see them dead; as a military doctor, she was already used to seeing life and death.

Rather, it was because this was the first time she had truly killed someone.

Although she knew perfectly well that she was killing enemies, it still went against her principles as a doctor to heal and save lives, so she felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Han Lei is a kind person, but her kindness also has a sharp edge.

In this era, when faced with a situation involving assassins, she knew that the final outcome would be either her death or the death of an assassin; she absolutely could not leave any future troubles.

Therefore, after confirming that they were indeed assassins sent by the Champion Marquis, Han Lei decisively ended their lives with a scalpel.

The Marquis of Champion sent a total of twelve assassins to kill Zhao Zun, and five have already been eliminated. Seven more assassins remain lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

If we can't deal with these seven assassins, then we need to address the root of the problem.

Once the Marquis of Champion is dead, the assassination mission he issued will naturally cease to exist.

Han Lei rubbed her aching temples, her eyes already showing a few bloodshot veins.

Forcing herself to stay awake, she summoned several trusted servants and whispered, "You lot, find a secluded spot and drag those assassins out to bury them. Be careful not to let anyone see. Then have someone clean the place thoroughly."

"Yes, Your Highness." The servants nodded in agreement and quickly got to work.

After a long night of commotion, the sound of roosters crowing could be heard outside, and soon the sky would begin to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Han Lei then dragged her tired body back to her room to rest.

Before she drifted off to sleep, she had already made up her mind.

After she wakes up tomorrow and arranges all the work in Fufeng County, she will prepare generous gifts and go to Beijing to "visit" the Marquis of Champion's family...

The next morning, Han Lei was busy arranging various affairs in Fufeng County.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court of the capital.

Morning light streamed through the carved windows into the magnificent hall, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Emperor Jing sat upright on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, his piercing gaze sweeping over the assembled officials below.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, revealing his inner anxiety.

"Minister Cao," Emperor Jing's voice was deep and forceful, tinged with impatience, "what is the situation at the Northern Pass? Why has your Ministry of War not yet sent a report?"

Minister of War Cao Ge hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I...I have not yet received any news from the Northern Pass."

Emperor Jing then asked Chancellor Wei, who was seated in the grand chair below, "Chancellor, you have been temporarily assuming the duties of the Ministry of Works during this period. Has there been any news from Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Works?"

Prime Minister Wei rose and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Minister Zhang led the Ministry of Works to the North Pass to assist in the construction of defensive fortifications, but so far no news has been received."

Emperor Jing exhaled a breath of stale air in frustration. He wanted to vent his anger, but he didn't know where to begin.

Since the beginning of April, when the imperial court received urgent requests for assistance from Cao Xiong and Li Gang from Yong'an City and Ling'an City, it is now the end of April, and there has been no further news from the North Pass.

Even the troops dispatched by the imperial court and the personnel from the Ministry of Works sent to assist in building defensive fortifications at Beiguan have not been heard from at all.

This made Emperor Jing not only anxious, but also somewhat uneasy.

Although Emperor Jing tried his best to compose himself, his face grew even more somber, and his voice involuntarily rose a few decibels.

"My esteemed ministers, more than half a month has passed! The imperial court has mobilized troops and consumed countless provisions, yet there is still no news from the North Pass! Are my soldiers all fast asleep at the North Pass?"

The hall was silent. The assembled officials looked at each other, none daring to utter a sound.

Seeing this, Prime Minister Wei slowly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, perhaps no news is the best news. The situation at the Northern Pass is complicated. Perhaps the allied forces have been defeated by our army, but the news has not yet been sent back."

The Minister of War quickly echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Wei said is absolutely right. The terrain of Beiguan is treacherous, and the Turkic army may not be able to break through it easily."

Emperor Jing snorted coldly and was about to speak when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the palace.

A eunuch rushed into the hall and announced loudly, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Jingzhou has arrived!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another eunuch followed, panting, and shouted, "Your Majesty, the urgent report from Xuzhou has also arrived!"

Footprints, footprints