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The Snow Spirit Elder, standing nearby, noticed the gazes from the two and slowly said, "Your Highness, let him practice with you from now on. After all, if he becomes stronger, my dear disciple will benefit greatly as well."
Upon hearing the Snow Spirit Elder's words, Lo An Lord thought it made perfect sense and quickly nodded in agreement. Of course, he also smugly thought to himself, "No wonder she is his daughter; her judgment is truly impressive!"
Thus, Little Beggar Luo Yi began training daily alongside Lo An Lord and the strategist. Most of the time, however, he practiced alone. The Snow Spirit Elder naturally took on the role of their mentor, occasionally offering guidance. However, he never taught them the martial arts of their spiritual mountain.
As for Consort Luo and her ladies, although they were aware that a white-bearded elder claiming to be the Snow Spirit Elder had arrived at the Piaoyun Pavilion, they had no idea who he truly was. They merely assumed he was an unsophisticated villager since they looked down on Luo Bingbing. Consequently, they also held disdain for the elder who claimed to be her master.
However, since Lo An Lord was still guarding the residence, they dared not cause trouble or approach the Piaoyun Pavilion. Yet their schemes continued to unfold quietly.
Just then, during the few days that Luo Bingbing was in the Underworld, Madam Xiang received a letter from a distant relative stating that she had already communicated with someone from the Night Gate and would meet in person at the Jingyuan Restaurant in the afternoon to discuss details. Upon receiving this news, Madam Xiang hurried to inform Consort Luo and her companions at the Azure Water Pavilion.
She rushed into the courtyard of the Azure Water Pavilion, and before the servants could announce her arrival, she called out loudly, "Sister Consort, Sister Consort, I have news!"
Hearing her voice, Consort Luo quickly came out of her room. Not only her but even Fourth Princess Luo Cai Feng, who had heard that Madam Xiang was there, hurried over.
Unable to speak due to her condition, the consort gestured for them to return to her room to discuss. Once inside, they instructed their maids to close all windows and guard the door outside to prevent anyone from approaching.
After ensuring all confidentiality measures were in place, Madam Xiang took out her distant relative's letter for everyone at Prince Luo's Residence to read. They each took turns reading through it before deciding that both Madam Xiang and the steward of the residence would go to meet with the people from the Night Gate at the Jingyuan Restaurant. Naturally, they planned to bring plenty of silver notes with them as a deposit!
In the afternoon, Madam Xiang sought an audience with Lo An Lord, claiming she needed some supplies and wanted to personally go shopping while also looking for new items to cheer up her little son.
Lo An Lord, upon hearing this, nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Go ahead! The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll return."
Thus, in the afternoon, Madam Xiang and the old steward from the residence went to the restaurant called Jingyuan. They arrived early enough that the people from the Night Gate had not yet arrived; however, Madam Xiang's distant relative was already there. They began to gather preliminary information regarding the funds needed to resolve matters concerning Luo Bingbing.
"Is the person from Night Gate reliable? Are they skilled?" Madam Xiang asked slowly.
"Don't worry! The people from Night Gate are absolutely reliable. It's just a child! They will definitely handle it cleanly and efficiently," her uncle quickly replied after hearing Madam Xiang's words.
While they were talking, a middle-aged man dressed in black, wearing an eye patch over his left eye, walked into the private room. As soon as Madam Xiang's distant relative saw the man in black enter, he quickly stood up to greet him, clasping his fists and saying, "Long time no see, Brother Guo." He pointed to Madam Xiang across from him and said, "Brother Guo, this is my distant cousin, and she is the employer for this business."
After hearing his words, the man in black turned his gaze to Madam Xiang sitting opposite him and asked calmly, "Who needs to be dealt with?"
"It's a little ghost from Prince Luo's Residence, Piaoyun Pavilion, about five or six years old," Madam Xiang quickly replied upon hearing his question.
"A flat fee of one hundred thousand taels of silver."
"Alright, this is the deposit. After the job is done, another fifty thousand taels will be delivered as promised." As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Xiang instructed the Old Butler beside her to take out the Fifty Thousand Taels of Silver Notes they had brought and hand them to the man in black.
After receiving the Fifty Thousand Taels of Silver Notes from the Old Butler, the man in black immediately left. As he departed, he merely nodded slightly to Madam Xiang's distant relative before swiftly disappearing.
Once the assassination of Luo Bingbing was settled, they each went their separate ways. Madam Xiang and her companions hurried back to inform Consort Luo about their arrangements. Meanwhile, the assassin from Night Gate returned to report to his superior about the job he had just accepted and began preparing a trap to eliminate Luo Bingbing.
After Madam Xiang and the Old Butler returned to Prince Luo's Residence, they headed straight for Consort Luo's Azure Water Pavilion. Upon reaching the entrance of Azure Water Pavilion, the doorman recognized them and quickly welcomed them inside. Consort Luo had already instructed them that if Madam Xiang and the Old Butler arrived, they should be taken directly to her room. Therefore, the doorman led them straight to Consort Luo's chamber.
Upon hearing from her servant that Madam Xiang and the Old Butler had arrived, Consort Luo sat in the outer reception room with her Peacock Daughter, Luo Cai Feng, waiting for them to come in. They were currently biding their time, looking for an opportunity to take revenge on Luo Bingbing.
When Madam Xiang and the Old Butler entered Consort Luo's room, they quickly bowed to Consort Luo seated at the head of the table.
"I pay my respects to you, Sister Wangfei. May you have good fortune!"
"The old servant pays respects to you, Consort. May you have good fortune!"
Consort Luo watched as they all bowed and then waved her hand, signaling them to rise. She invited Madam Xiang to sit beside her, while the butler naturally stood behind her.
Madam Xiang then slowly recounted the details of their recent visit to meet the Night Gate Assassin. After hearing her story, everyone was filled with excitement and joy, believing that this time Luo Bingbing was surely doomed, and that the Prince Luo's Residence would soon return to their hands.
Little did they know that the assassins from Night Gate were second-rate characters who could not even get close to Luo Bingbing, let alone assassinate her. It was laughable how blissfully ignorant they were, thinking they were on the verge of success.
Meanwhile, the Snow Spirit Elder had spent a few days at Luo Bingbing's Piaoyun Pavilion, getting familiar with everyone there. From the prince in the royal residence to the servants in Piaoyun Pavilion, he had mingled with them all. Through this, he gained a comprehensive understanding of Luo Bingbing and pointed his way directly to the Nursemaid as the key to getting close to her. He often called the Nursemaid over for chats, which inevitably revolved around Luo Bingbing.
The Nursemaid, like Lord Lo An and others, believed that the Snow Spirit Elder was Luo Bingbing's master. Thus, whenever he inquired about something, she would share everything she knew without reservation. Of course, the Snow Spirit Elder asked his questions in a roundabout way, so no one suspected his ulterior motives; everyone thought he was a very devoted master who cared deeply for his disciple.
As for Luo Bingbing, she slept soundly in the cave at the Underworld camp until dawn, only waking when the birds in the forest began chirping incessantly.
After getting out of bed and dressing herself, she called into the air, "Shadow, bring in my toiletries."
A moment later, Shadowless knocked on her door while carrying her toiletries. Luo Bingbing opened the door and took them from Shadowless before heading inside to wash up. Shadowless waited at the entrance of the cave for her to finish.
After a while, once Luo Bingbing had completed her morning routine, she instructed Shadowless to accompany her to the camp's Training Ground to oversee a martial arts test and select the final top ten candidates for the core team of the Dark Gate.
When they arrived at the Training Ground, they found that the assassins were diligently training on their own. Some were running like yesterday to build endurance; others were sparring with each other to improve their adaptability; and some were engaged in other forms of training. The methods they used were all derived from Luo Bingbing's own ideas.
Seeing how hard and serious they were training brought great comfort to Luo Bingbing. She turned back and gave Shadowless a knowing glance, signaling him to gather everyone for the competition.
As soon as those assassins spotted Luo Bingbing and Shadowless approaching, they quickly halted their training and bowed in unison. Luo Bingbing casually waved her hand in response. After bringing over her reclining chair, Shadowless stepped onto the main stage and loudly announced what Luo Bingbing had instructed him to say.
"Listen up! Last night, our master told me we are going to build a palace here; this will be our headquarters from now on. We have trained here for over a month now; you all know that our progress has not been very noticeable. However, you also know that you have worked hard and made small improvements. We have escaped from that hellish Assassin Alliance. Now we not only have a strong master but also a new identity and mindset. Our master will lead us to the pinnacle of this world, making all of its people tremble before us." He paused briefly and glanced back at Luo Bingbing reclining on her Carved Wooden Chair.
Upon seeing her questioning gaze, Luo Bingbing nodded slightly to encourage Shadowless to continue. Receiving this silent cue from her, Shadowless went on: "We are about to re-enter society under our new reputation—the Dark Gate. Now you will pair up for matches; each match will last for one incense stick's worth of time. When time is up, winners will stand on the left side while losers will stand on the right side. Then winners will compete against each other for another incense stick's duration; again winners will stand left and losers right until we have our final ten candidates for the four great kings of Dark Gate and Five Great Envoys."
Shadowless looked at the assassins below and slowly walked over to the incense burner that had already been prepared. He quickly lit the incense inside, and after doing so, he waved his hand to signal that they could begin the competition.
The assassins in the audience saw Shadowless's gesture and quickly paired up, starting their intense matches in an orderly manner.
Meanwhile, Shadowless returned to stand behind Luo Bingbing, diligently fulfilling his role as her guard. Looking at the Little One reclining on the Carved Wooden Chair, he couldn't help but smile, revealing a pleasing expression.
Luo Bingbing lay back on the Carved Wooden Chair, her eyes slightly squinted, a faint smile on her lips as she calmly observed the assassins competing below. She thought to herself, "In these pair matches, one side must have exceptional skills. I can remember their strengths to develop new Skills later, helping them improve faster and also enhancing my own reputation."
Thus, whenever she saw something impressive, she quickly committed it to memory, mentally interpreting the Skill while pondering how to modify it slightly to enhance its offensive and defensive capabilities, transforming it into a more perfect Skill.
After several intense rounds of competition, the outcome became clear, leaving only ten individuals remaining. Seeing that their matches were concluded, Luo Bingbing slowly rose from the Carved Wooden Chair and walked to the edge of the platform. She looked at the assassins in the training ground and said calmly, "As you have all seen, after several rounds of competition, the preliminary matches have concluded and the results are in. The ten candidates on the left side are my Dark Gate's Main Tendon. Now let these ten candidates compete again to determine their rankings and positions based on their performance within a time limit of Half a Incense Stick."
With a casual wave of her hand signaling them to start, she returned to her designated Carved Wooden Chair. Upon seeing her gesture, one middle-aged man in a gray robe and a young man in a blue shirt stepped forward together and said in unison, "We are willing to be the first to compete."
Thus, they entered into the first match. The middle-aged man in gray grasped a large hammer and swiftly jumped into the Dueling Ring within the Training Ground. Just a second after he jumped in, the young man in blue followed suit. Upon seeing him enter, the middle-aged man swung his hammer and launched an attack.
As soon as the young man in blue landed in the Dueling Ring, he noticed his opponent attacking him and quickly dodged to the side while launching a fierce counterattack from behind. The middle-aged man missed his strike and attempted another attack but was caught off guard as the young man's hand reached his back. Consequently, he abandoned his attack on the young man and swiftly evaded his counterattack. However, it seemed that the young man had anticipated this move; as soon as he dodged that way, before even landing properly, the young man's attack was already upon him. With no other choice, he had to continue dodging in another direction.
Unfortunately for him, that spot had already been calculated by the young man. Thus, he found himself constantly evading while being pursued by his opponent. Gradually, his speed decreased until he could no longer evade effectively and was left with no choice but to endure hits.
Ultimately, before reaching Half a Incense Stick, he was knocked out of the Dueling Ring by the young man. Therefore, this first match ended with victory for the young man. After their match concluded, a seventy-year-old man dressed in black entered alongside a middle-aged woman wielding a Nine Section Whip for their turn.
The first to enter the Dueling Ring was the middle-aged woman with the whip, followed closely by the elderly man in black. Once they both entered the ring, they immediately began fighting without further ado.
Although wielding a Nine Section Whip, every attack from the middle-aged woman missed its target; she never managed to hit the elderly man even once. Each time she launched an attack towards him, she calculated her distance perfectly but failed to land any blows as he swiftly moved out of range before her strikes could connect. It was evident to onlookers that she was far inferior to him. Thus, it came as no surprise when she was quickly kicked out of the Dueling Ring by him.
After all ten candidates competed against each other in pairs—winners against winners and losers against losers—they proceeded with one final round of PK matches to determine their rankings clearly.
The final match was between the two top assassins, one of whom was a middle-aged man dressed in a deep blue robe. His hair was styled upright and casually tied with a headband. He had a square face that appeared honest and trustworthy, but his sharp eyes revealed his cunning and scheming nature. The other contestant was the Sixty-Year-Old Man. Both of them wielded ordinary long swords, and they were both masters among masters, so their competition came down to speed and skill. The one with the faster speed and perfect skill would emerge as the ultimate winner.
"Master-level duel, speed is paramount." Clearly, both understood this principle deeply. As soon as they entered the Dueling Ring, they simultaneously launched fierce attacks against each other. Their speed was so fast that the spectators could barely follow; just when it seemed they were about to collide, they had already exchanged several moves in the blink of an eye and quickly separated again. Although the showdown between these strong contenders was thrilling, very few in the training ground could truly comprehend what was happening.
Half an incense stick later, the middle-aged man in the blue robe narrowly defeated the Sixty-Year-Old Man. Although the Sixty-Year-Old Man knew he had lost, he felt quite pleased inside, without a hint of dissatisfaction. It wasn't that he had lost his mind or that his brain had short-circuited; rather, he felt he had fought well this time, without regrets, and accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.
Finally, their match concluded, not only showcasing the strongest martial artist but also eliminating the weakest among the top ten. The rankings were clear: first place went to the middle-aged man in the blue robe; second place went to the Sixty-Year-Old Man; third place was taken by the Young Man in a green shirt; fourth place went to a cold-faced girl; fifth place was occupied by a middle-aged man in floral clothing with a headscarf; sixth place went to a middle-aged man in a gray robe wielding a large hammer; seventh place was claimed by an elderly man with white hair who excelled in poison; eighth place went to the Middle-Aged Woman wielding a Nine Section Whip; ninth place was taken by a short and thin dwarf; and finally, the tenth-place middle-aged woman was eliminated and no longer part of the Dark Gate's core members.
Seeing that their competition had finally concluded, Luo Bingbing stretched lightly and turned to Shadowless behind her, saying, "Shadow, have them line up properly and call those nine to stand by the platform. I want to announce the results."
Upon hearing her words, Shadowless quickly responded, "Yes." After speaking, he walked toward the platform's edge. Once there, he loudly announced, "Listen up! Now you all return to your positions." He paused briefly before looking at the ten contestants from the last match and continued, "You ten will be ranked according to your martial arts skills. The one at the bottom will be eliminated while the other nine come to stand by this platform."
After Shadowless finished speaking, he turned back to Luo Bingbing's side and invited her to step forward to announce the results of the match and some internal matters regarding the Dark Gate.
"Master, it's ready," Luo Bingbing said as she slowly walked forward a few steps. Looking at the assassins below her, she declared loudly, "The competition has ended, and the results are out. I believe you all know what they are already; I won't elaborate further." She glanced at the nine assassins before her and said calmly, "As for you all, your rankings are known now. I will detail your levels and positions."
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