Chapter 179

Assassination should not involve personal emotions.

Therefore, Bahram, the leader of the assassin group, accepted the contract to assassinate Sima Mantian because the request came from a Zoroastrian elder.

It wasn’t due to any personal grudge against Sima Mantian’s father, Sima Bu.

“……”

To be precise, it was a grudge against Sima Bu and his sworn brother, the “Nameless One.”

In the Central Plains, they were known as “Unregistered and Invincible.”

Bahram, a respected assassin, was once a rookie who overestimated his skills.

Once, Bahram’s group went to the Silk Desert to confront the White Snake Master, Mahuraga, under the guise of peaceful exchange.

They aimed to crush the White Snake Master’s reputation and elevate their own.

The White Snake Master, a towering woman with pale skin, white hair, and red eyes, was no ordinary beauty.

Her vertical pupils, sharp fangs, and long red tongue revealed her true nature—a giant serpent in human form.

The White Snake Master, lounging on her throne, mocked the assassins.

“Well, well, the fools who came to the snake’s den for fame. Welcome. I’ll treat you accordingly.”

She dismissed her attendants and called for her disciple, Sima Bu.

The assassins were surprised to see Sima Bu, a beautiful girl with black hair and cold eyes.

But when the White Snake Master licked Sima Bu’s chest, they realized their mistake.

Sima Bu was not a girl but a cross-dressing boy.

The White Snake Master, treating Sima Bu like a treasure, whispered, “Fight for me, my dear.”

Sima Bu sighed and agreed, “I will win for you, Master.”

The White Snake Master, pleased, kissed Sima Bu, leaving her mark on him as a warning.

Bahram’s mentor, Aslan, calmly remarked, “I heard the White Snake Master doesn’t take male disciples.”

The White Snake Master replied, “Rules remain, but Sima Bu is special. He’s the only one who can touch my head.”

Sima Bu, after being teased, approached the assassins.

Aslan warned Bahram, “Don’t underestimate him, but don’t hurt him too much.”

Bahram, confident, faced Sima Bu and lost.

The fight was intense, but Sima Bu emerged victorious.

Aslan, to save face, challenged the White Snake Master.

But she, uninterested, called for the “Nameless One.”

The Nameless One, an unassuming man, entered and defeated Aslan in one strike.

Aslan, humiliated, later died from the shame.

Bahram often wondered if things would have been different had he won.

Now, Bahram received a report about Sima Yeonghwa, Sima Bu’s daughter, heading to Yacha Mountain.

Sima Yeonghwa, a Zoroastrian saint and monster, was a potential complication.

Bahram’s eyes narrowed. “This could be a variable.”

Following Yeonghwa and her maids, Jang Sam noticed a foreign woman resting on a rock.

The woman, with fair skin and black hair, greeted them.

Bahram, pretending to be a fellow traveler, approached Yeonghwa.

“Hello, I didn’t expect to meet a fellow countryman here. I’m Bahram. I came to pray for a safe journey.”

Yeonghwa, suspicious but polite, replied, “Yes, I’m here to pray for my brother’s child.”

Bahram’s eyes briefly hardened.

Sima Yeonghwa’s appearance was a complication.

She resembled Sima Bu, but more beautiful and delicate.

Bahram, hiding his thoughts, asked, “May I join you?”

He wanted to kill the beautiful girl who reminded him of Sima Bu.