Like Minds

Night!

The moon was bright, the stars were sparse.

The Deputy Leader led all his brothers to the Chieftain's Mansion en masse.

This time, things went much smoother than expected. Many who had previously disagreed were persuaded by his not-too-strenuous efforts and all agreed with his plan.

—Kill that bastard Shen Du!

And so, everyone changed into black clothes that easily blended into the night, traveling light.

They soon arrived outside the Chieftain's Mansion.

The Deputy Leader raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt and hide, then said in a low voice: "I've already investigated the situation. That bastard Shen Du, because he brought that wretched woman Su Lanxiang with him, has been at odds with the Shen clan members and has always lived alone in the Chieftain's Mansion."

"Today should be no different!"

"After all, that bastard just had a falling out with the Shen clan."

"Our target is correct. Next..."

The Deputy Leader's gaze swept around as he spoke: "I need you brothers to keep watch. I'll go in alone, kill Shen Du, and chop off that slut's head as well."

The Deputy Leader had thought it through clearly.

Assassination didn't rely on numbers.

It relied on getting close quietly, then a single fatal blow!

So, in truth, he could carry out the assassination alone; there was no need for so many brothers!

But... he was even more aware that if these brothers didn't come along and become his accomplices, once the assassination was over, finding a temporary hideout would be difficult.

—There would surely be a traitor within the ranks!

Now, however, the situation was much better.

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately refused to stay behind and eagerly volunteered.

"Deputy Leader, let us go with you!"

"Yeah, Deputy Leader, I'm nimble and agile; I promise I won't hold you back!"

"Deputy Leader, we've followed you all the way here. If we just stand outside the gate and let you take the risk inside, that's really inappropriate. Let's all go in together!"

The Deputy Leader shook his head: "No need. I'll go alone."

No sooner had he spoken than he shot out like an arrow from a bowstring. Reaching the wall of the Chieftain's Mansion, he used his momentum to leap up like a cat, scaling the wall in three quick steps.

One hand grasped the top of the wall as he exerted force.

His entire body swung up, and then he vaulted into the inner courtyard.

The whole sequence was fluid, without any hesitation, and even gave the impression of being weightless.

His skills were top-notch!

Once inside the inner courtyard, the Deputy Leader became even more cautious. He first identified the direction, then moved quickly with short, rapid steps, leaving a swift shadow beneath the moonlight.

In no time, he spotted Shen Du and Su Lanxiang's residence. His heart racing with excitement, he was about to push harder when he caught sight of another equally swift figure out of the corner of his eye.

Like a ghost, it came toward him fast from the opposite direction.

The Deputy Leader was startled.

He realized it must be one of the Chieftain's personal guards, as he had done his homework before coming.

He knew there was a highly skilled personal guard in the Chieftain's Mansion who posed the greatest obstacle to his assassination of Shen Du.

But he hadn't expected to be discovered by this guard while still quite far from Shen Du.

With no time to dodge, the Deputy Leader had no choice but to brace himself and approach.

He planned to think of an excuse and, by catching the guard off guard, eliminate him first.

But unexpectedly, as he got closer, the man called out in a low voice.

"Deputy Leader from Pukou City?"

This sentence made the Deputy Leader's hair stand on end.

Damn!

This guard was exceptionally sharp!

He recognized him from a distance.

It seemed he had no choice but to kill this guard tonight, no matter what.

Gripping the dagger hidden in his sleeve, the Deputy Leader stepped forward: "Haha, it's me. I—"

"Huh?"

Just as he was about to fabricate an excuse, he suddenly saw the man clearly.

"Squad Leader, it's you?"

"You... what are you doing here?"

Only then did the Deputy Leader realize his mistake.

It wasn't Shen Du's personal guard but... a Squad Leader from the Linjiang Shazui Water Village, highly skilled in martial arts. He even knew the man.

"Oh, it's me..." the Squad Leader said with an awkward smile. "The moon's nice tonight, so I came out for a walk."

"Anyway, Deputy Leader, what are you doing here?"

The Deputy Leader instinctively blurted out the excuse he had prepared earlier: "I suddenly got an upset stomach and came looking for a place to relieve myself."

Before he could finish, he realized what was happening.

And so did the Squad Leader.

Thus, the two questioned each other in unison.

"So you 'went for a walk' all the way to the Chieftain's Mansion?"

"So you 'relieved yourself' all the way to the Chieftain's Mansion?"

They almost finished asking at the same time, then fell silent simultaneously.

Under the faint moonlight and the red glow of the lanterns, they sized each other up.

Both wore black clothes. Both had bulging sleeves hiding something. Both had sharp, murderous eyes.

And so...

They locked eyes!

Again.

And again.

Then they saw in each other's gaze... a kindred spirit!

The Squad Leader stepped forward two paces.

"Brother!"

The Deputy Leader stepped forward as well.

"Brother!"

"Slap!" Their hands clasped tightly together.

"Brother, I never expected an outsider like you to care so much about the affairs of our Linjiang Shazui Water Village. With your help tonight, our great deed is sure to succeed!"

"Brother, I never expected a member of the Linjiang Shazui Water Village to have such courage to act against your absurd Chieftain. I won't say much—just your boldness is enough. Tonight, we will claim Shen Du's dog head!"

"Good! With that, brother, let's form an alliance!"

"Absolutely! Let's form an alliance; first kill Shen Du, then kill that wretched woman Su Lanxiang!"

The Deputy Leader and the Squad Leader immediately became allies.

They headed together toward Shen Du's bedroom.

Their confidence swelled a hundredfold.

"With Deputy Leader, this brother by my side, Shen Du is definitely not escaping tonight. But when the time comes, I need to swing my blade faster and take Shen Du's head first. That way, when I surrender to the Duke, I'll have a great merit to my name, and this risk won't be for nothing!"

"With Squad Leader, this brother here, the Chieftain's Mansion is bound to be turned upside down tonight. But... this is a rare chance for merit. I absolutely cannot let him take Shen Du's head first. Shen Du's head must be mine. I want this credit badly!"

...

They cooperated with full commitment, bustling toward Shen Du's bedroom. Just as they were about to arrive, they suddenly heard a loud crash and saw the door to Shen Du's bedroom shattered into pieces.

Then came a roar.

"Shen Du, you bastard!"

"If you don't want to live, that's your business. Why don't you just hang yourself from a rope? And you still desperately block us from surrendering to the Duke!"

"Today, I'm going to kill you!"

The voice was like thunder, startling the Deputy Leader and the Squad Leader, both turning pale.

"Brother, trouble—someone beat us to it!"

"Damn it! They're trying to snatch my token of allegiance! Brother, charge!"

Both shot into the room like arrows from a bowstring.

In the brightly lit bedchamber, a burly man with wide, tiger-like eyes stood holding a short blade, his entire body radiating a fierce, murderous aura.

The Deputy Leader did not recognize this man, but the Squad Leader did.

He immediately barked, "Guard Shen, how could it be you?"

"You are a member of the Shen clan! The clan chief himself said we need to discuss this matter before reaching a conclusion. How dare you act rashly before the clan chief has made his decision?"

"Have you no respect for the clan chief?"

"Have you no regard for the Shen clan?"

"Are you truly willing to break the clan's rules?"

As the Squad Leader shouted these words, his eyes were already scanning for Shen Du. At the same moment, the Deputy Leader was also searching for Shen Du.

When they saw that Shen Du was still alive, they both breathed a slight sigh of relief!

……