NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
Chapter 003 Jun Wuyi
Regular Chapter
“That’s enough! Even though we’re one family, you deliberately chose to live in the most southern mansion, sigh… Come tomorrow, you’ll move back here!” He then stared deeply at Jun Xie, Jun Zhan Tian felt an aching pain budding within him. No matter how much of a debauched wretch he was, no matter how disappointing he was, he was still his grandson. Furthermore, he is the last successive bloodline of the Jun family…
Although the current state of foreign affairs is stable and peaceful, several princes have grown of age, leading towards an inevitable time of internal strife. As the top military powerhouse, Jun Zhan Tian was akin to a towering tree, which everyone wished to include in their network of allies. This attempt on his only bloodline was probably one of their schemes to create internal disaster. If Jun Xie does not move back here, he fears that there will only be more of such attempts in the future.
“I’ve been living very well there, there’s no need to move!” Jun Xie flatly refused. Are you kidding me? This is a very rare chance to experience the techniques of this world’s fellow assassins’. If I move back now, would I not lose this opportunity? Hearing Grandpa Jun discussing about this matter, Jun Xie’s heart palpitated lightly with excitement.
Assassinations… A subject that seems so far away, and yet it remains the most intimate part of his memories…
“You! … Wretch!” Grandpa Jun’s temper erupted, he raised his hand to slap Jun Xie, but just before his palm reached Jun Xie’s face, he paused for a long time. With a complicated look on his face, he uttered, “You… just go then.”
Is this the first time this kid refused me? He… he actually dares to refuse me today? In addition, this is a complete rejection!
Jun Xie bent his body ceremoniously, straightened up and walked away.
“Oh, one more thing, from today onwards you are not allowed to go pester Princess Ling Meng. For this matter, there are no rooms for negotiation, period!” Grandpa Jun’s sound was filled with a faint and unspeakable sense of dejection and coldness.
…
In recent years, the Jun family seemingly possess the strength to grasp even the heavens, as though they’re the only sovereigns in the kingdom, but this family suffers from a fatal flaw; and that is the lack of a capable successor! The only third generation descendant, Jun Moxie is a young debauchee! Grandpa Jun is a man seemingly in his forties, with a mind and body resistant towards the ravages of time, but in his heart he knew that if he does not do anything, then the Jun family would likely be erased from this world in the near future. Looking at Jun Moxie’s current state of affairs, this is the most inevitable outcome. In fact, he could practically see it happen.
So, Jun Zhan Tian once hardened himself to shamelessly ask the Emperor to bestow Jun Moxie with a marriage with His Majesty’s most beloved Princess Ling Meng. If this matter was to succeed, then even after his death Jun Moxie will have a safe harbour to rely on. As the Princess’ husband, he will have the identity of royalty. As long as he does not make any outrageous sort of mess, then the Jun family bloodline can be preserved.
Prince Consort, this position seems grand and magnificent, but is in truth the most embarrassing of all government positions. For any minister with power and authority, their biggest fear would be to suddenly receive an Imperial order, bestowing their son with a marriage with the Princess. You want them to allow their son to bring home a Princess so that their grandfather and grandmother can ceremoniously bow to their son’s daughter in law? In addition, there are also rules that needed to be observed, a prince consort is absolutely prohibited from taking any concubine. If the Princess happens to possess a perverse personality or a heart filled with jealousy, then that family will not have any good days in the future. However, this is simply the best insurance plan for a debauchee like Jun Moxie, at least this plan would be the best one to keep the Jun family alive.
Thus, Jun Zhan Tian willingly proposed this marriage without any feelings of upset or coercion.
His Majesty, the Emperor naturally understood the intention of this old comrade who was like a big brother to him. While His Majesty felt moved by Jun Zhan Tian’s predicament, after looking over Jun Moxie’s history and everything he had done, in addition to Princess Ling Meng’s refusal, he had to refuse the proposal after a long time of careful consideration.
“Brother Jun, it’s not that your younger brother is unwilling to give you face, but I am still a father, Ling Meng is my most beloved daughter. How can I marry off my own daughter to a… Sigh!” His Majesty lowered his head before finishing his sentence, causing Jun Zhan Tian to lose his breath.
A father? Consideration for your daughter? If this was a decade ago where my Jun family was at its most prosperous period, would you not go mad with joy if I were to bring up this proposal? The state of human relations, is just like drinking water!* Grandpa Jun’s heart was filled with resentment.
[* TL: “人情冷暖，如人饮水.” Not sure how I should go about translating that…]
…
“Oh, I understand.” Jun Xie lightly replied as he stood in the doorway. Within his tone, there was neither shock nor joy, like a bowl of plain water. He immediately walked out.
Since Grandpa Jun informed him of his proposal, Jun Moxie had constantly considered himself as the Prince Consort of Princess Ling Meng, going as far as stalking Princess Ling Meng, vexing her to no end. But at this moment, Jun Xie received the news with indifference, causing Grandpa Jun to feel surprised. If Jun Xie had become angry or hysterical, or even went cursing out in the streets… Grandpa Jun would not have felt surprised at all. However, Jun Xie’s current attitude simply left him in shock.
“Did falling down the bed cause his character to change?” Grandpa Jun stroked his beard, staring deeply at the back of Jun Xie who was leaving.
Not long after, Jun Zhan Tian clapped his hands and said: “Arrange a few more experts to guard the Young Master at night; I don’t want any more mishaps to happen! If you see any suspicious person, kill them on the spot without any hesitation!!!” Don’t even think about trying this a second time! You think you can just waltz in here and take the life of Jun Zhan Tian’s grandson? Grandpa Jun’s eyes flashed with coldness.
Grandpa Jun seemed to be speaking to thin air within the empty room, but a faint and vague voice of a man suddenly resounded from somewhere: “Understood!”
Jun Xie walked out with the sunlight showering down at him, as the warm rays of light shone on his face, he continued walking towards his own courtyard. Along the way, he continuously met servants who bowed to him in fear and trepidation, but he went on without giving them any notice, as he was lost in his thoughts.
Nobody knew, that at this moment, the thoughts that was echoing within the heart of Jun Xie:
“What is an assassin? As the name suggests, an assassin is one who assassinates! We are the hands of darkness! Always remember this word, ‘darkness’!”
“An assassin is always an illusionary existence, entering like the wind and disappearing into nothingness!”
“What constitutes a successful assassin? If nobody knows that he is an assassin with blood soaked hands until the day he dies, then he is a successful assassin!”
“In that case, what are the qualifications of a super assassin?”
“This so-called qualifications of an assassin, is the ability to insert himself into any atmosphere and situation! When placed within scholars, he will transform into a poet; within painters, he will transform into an artist; within rogues, he will transform into a villain; within socialites, he will transform into a nobleman, a gentleman; within sexual offenders, he will transform into a sexual predator; within heroes, he will transform into an exemplary champion!!”
“In the desert, he is the lizard; the prairie, he is the wolf king! In the mountains, he is the king of beasts, the tiger! When floating above the seas, he is the tide bringer, the Dragon!!!”
“That is a qualities of a successful assassin!”
“One, who only knows how to kill, is at best, a butcher!”
“Only one who has a clear goal in mind when assassinating, in addition to being successful each time, can be regarded as a good assassin!”
“Assasination! It is an art in itself! As an assassin, one must never, ever profane the elegance of this art!”
…
This was a conversation he once had with his master in his past life. Thinking about this, Jun Xie’s mouth broke into a smile and he murmured: “The current me, is nothing more than a worthless freeloading, second generation ancestor just waiting for death’s call!”
Suddenly, a cold voice resounded: “Wrong! You’re not the second generation ancestor, I am the second generation ancestor, while you are the third generation ancestor!!!”