Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

boom!

A dull thud.

Meng Xingluo's body jolted violently, her clothes burst open at the back, and a blast of air emanated from behind, sending pebbles flying from the bridge surface.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the judge's pen slipped from his hand, falling to the ground with a clatter.

At this moment, the guards finally arrived and surrounded Meng Xingluo.

The assassin turned around, his figure blurred, and he disappeared into the crowd.

The remaining assassins also retreated, disappearing in a few breaths.

Meng Xingluo spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, his gaze falling on the giant lantern that was gradually disappearing into the distance.

The four characters "风调雨顺" (meaning favorable weather and abundant harvests) shone brightly in the night sky, as bright as day.

Then, his eyes slowly closed, his body swayed, and he fell into the arms of his bodyguard.

The crowd was in complete chaos, trampling each other on Yong'an Bridge, with countless people being trampled underfoot.

Hong Lang was still savoring the battle he had just fought.

The eight men's teamwork wasn't perfect, but their advantage lay in their precise timing and resolute killing intent.

From all directions—front, back, left, right, up, and down—they had almost completely blocked Meng Xingluo's escape routes.

If Meng Xingluo hadn't been incredibly strong, he would have been killed in the very first encounter.

According to the court's custom, a prefect is at least a martial artist who has entered the Profound Realm, so the person being assassinated must be at least a martial artist who has reached the Perfected Transformation Realm, or even higher.

Such masters are few and far between in the Jinzhou area.

The crowd was still pushing and screaming in the chaos, and Yong'an Bridge was a mess.

Several lanterns were overturned, and the silk fabric caught fire, illuminating Meng Xingluo's figure lying in a pool of blood.

As Hong Lang and Jin Niang squeezed out of Yong'an Bridge, the officials, carrying torches, ran around blocking the road and checking pedestrians.

After the two returned to the inn, Hong Lang called Jin Niang into his room.

After Jinniang came in, Honglang closed the door, and with a click, the latch fell.

Jinniang's heart skipped a beat. She stood in the middle of the room, her back to Honglang.

The sandalwood incense in the room was still burning, and the wisps of smoke were so strong that they made one feel dizzy after smelling them for a while.

She heard footsteps behind her, almost silent on the carpet.

But every step he took felt like stepping on her heart.

"Young master..." She swallowed hard. "Did you summon me here because you have something to tell me?"

Hong Lang did not answer immediately.

Jinniang heard the sound of cups clinking together, as if tea was being poured.

Her heart pounded even harder, and her mind was a complete mess.

He was a young man, handsome and generous, with an air of authority that made him clearly no ordinary person.

What kind of woman couldn't a man like that have?

Gao Yun'er of Dafeng Tower was as beautiful as a fairy. When she played the pipa, half the men in the city were captivated.

But he didn't even glance at it.

But now they've called her into the room and locked the door...

Jinniang bit her lower lip, her cheeks burning intensely, the heat spreading from her neck all the way to her ears.

She didn't dare to turn around.

Does this young master... prefer older women?

The moment this thought crossed her mind, she felt a surge of panic.

She's thirty-two this year, but she really knows nothing about that kind of thing.

When she was young, her family was very strict, but later they fell into poverty. She struggled in Yingtian City, relying on her eloquence and keen observation, and never relied on her position.

It's not that no one has tried to take advantage of her; that old man Liu has been harassing her for years, but she would rather be exploited every month than give in.

But now... Jinniang's hands trembled slightly.

It wasn't that she was unwilling; this young master was different from those filthy scoundrels.

He killed those three constables without blinking; he was standing up for her.

Jinniang has been in Yingtian City for almost twenty years. What kind of people hasn't she seen?

There are many who are all sweet-talking but harbor malicious intentions, and many who call each other brothers but stab each other in the back.

This is the first time I've seen someone kill for you without saying a word.

If he really wanted to… Jinniang closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She remembered that before leaving the house today, she had specially changed into a dress with the collar buttoned up tightly.

I don't know what I was thinking at the time, maybe I subconsciously felt that I didn't need to dress like that in front of him anymore.

But now, she's buttoned up so tightly, it's as if she's guarding against him.

She felt both ashamed and anxious, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

"Jinniang".

Hong Lang's voice came from behind her. Jin Niang stiffened and slowly turned around.

Hong Lang was sitting at the table, holding a cup of tea, looking at her.

Those eyes were perfectly calm, without the fiery intensity she had anticipated, nor any hint of ambiguity.

Hong Lang picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, took a slow sip, and then put the cup down.

Jinniang stood there, waiting for a while, but instead of hearing the expected words, she heard Honglang speak: "Jinniang, are you willing to serve me?"

Jinniang was taken aback.

This was genuine stunned silence, not feigned. Before the porridge in her mind could even cool down, her thoughts were thrown into complete chaos by those words.

Effectiveness?

No...that kind of thing?

She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"You saw what happened on Yong'an Bridge today."

Jinniang nodded, the scene of the eight men besieging the governor still replaying in her mind.

Having lived in this city for nearly twenty years, she knew how to read people and situations, and hearing Hong Lang's words made her uneasy.

"What does the young master mean?"

"There are so many things I don't know. This world is much bigger than I imagined." Hong Lang walked to the window, pushed open the pane, and the night wind, carrying the noise, rushed in.

"There are hundreds of thousands of people in this city of Yingtian, from all walks of life, and from all corners of the country. Every day, countless messages circulate in the streets and alleys, but I, an outsider, can't hear any of them."

"I need someone in this city of Yingtian to listen to me and watch over me. I need someone to tell me what people are saying, what things are going in which direction."

"You've been in this city for nearly twenty years, dealing with all sorts of people. You know the streets and alleys like the back of your hand. You know which shops run shady businesses and which roads have spies. You're better at these things than ninety percent of the people in Yingtian City."

Jinniang finally understood completely.

He didn't want her body; he wanted her eyes and ears.

She had waited for so many years in Yingtian City, wasn't this the opportunity she was waiting for?

Jinniang lowered her head and looked at her toes.

She recalled her years in this city, being bossed around, laughed at, and humiliated in the street; even her own younger brother didn't like her.

But now, someone stands in front of her and tells her: those skills that others look down on are useful to me.

A man will die for one who understands him, and so will a woman.

Her heart pounded with emotion. Without thinking further, she hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "I am willing to obey your orders, young master!"