At this moment, Bai Li Changqing looked at her and spoke. Although Ye Yaar had only said one word, Bai Li Changqing immediately recognized her voice and tone.
"I never thought the one you were sent to assassinate would be me," Ye Yaar said with a faint smile.
Bai Li Changqing remained silent. He hadn't expected that his assassination target this time would be Ye Yaar.
Moreover, Ye Yaar was actually Princess Changyue of the Canglong Empire!
It was clear now that she had used a highly sophisticated disguise technique before, which had fooled him completely.
"Sorry," Princess Changyue said, her face filled with guilt as she looked at Bai Li Changqing.
Bai Li Changqing shook his head in response.
"If it had been before, I wouldn't have cared if I died," Princess Changyue continued, her expression serious. "But now, I can't afford to die."
With a thought, she summoned a long sword into her hand. For the sake of her country, she could not let herself be killed, no matter what.
Bai Li Changqing gazed at her silently.
"Forget it," he said after a moment, sheathing Jiemie back into its scabbard.
"You..." Ye Yaar was stunned by his actions.
"Consider it repayment," Bai Li Changqing said coolly as he turned and walked away.
As she watched his figure disappear into the distance, an inexplicable sense of sadness welled up inside her.
"I can't die now," she muttered, her hands clenching tightly as her resolve solidified.
Meanwhile, Bai Li Changqing moved quickly through the palace, weaving his way out without hesitation.
Ye Yaar, Princess Changyue, would soon marry the prince of the Ice Dragon Empire. Strangely, the thought of this left him with a vague sense of discomfort.
He shook his head, brushing off the feeling, and swiftly made his way out of the palace.
After all, he had already decided to leave Falling Moon Pavilion. Not completing this assassination didn't matter anymore.
Now, he was a free assassin, beholden to no one.
After exiting the palace, Bai Li Changqing stood on the rooftop of a nearby building and exhaled deeply.
Everything was over.
"Mission accomplished?" A voice suddenly interrupted him.
It was the man who had provided the intelligence earlier, the one who had given him the palace map.
"No," Bai Li Changqing replied bluntly.
Hearing this, the man frowned.
"The guards around Princess Changyue shouldn't have been that difficult..." he began, but Bai Li Changqing cut him off.
"I'm canceling the mission."
"Canceling the mission?!" the man was taken aback, disbelief written on his face.
In Falling Moon Pavilion, no one could cancel an assigned mission. The only exception was if the Pavilion Master himself called it off. Otherwise, assassins were expected to complete their tasks, even if it meant death.
"You know the rules. Only the Pavilion Master can cancel a mission," the man said, shaking his head.
"Then let it be. I won't be doing it," Bai Li Changqing replied coolly. "And let the Pavilion Master know that from today onward, I'm leaving Falling Moon Pavilion."
"Changqing! Don't say such reckless things!" The man's eyes widened in shock.
Once you entered Falling Moon Pavilion, no one was allowed to leave. Anyone who dared to leave would be hunted down by the entire organization.
"I've already decided," Bai Li Changqing said calmly. "Also, tell the others not to come looking for me. But if they don't fear death, they're welcome to try."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Bai Li Changqing disappeared into the night.
"Changqing!" the man called out, but Bai Li Changqing had already vanished completely into the darkness.
"Trouble..." the man sighed deeply.
It seemed Bai Li Changqing had made up his mind to leave Falling Moon Pavilion.
But leaving Falling Moon Pavilion wasn't as simple as declaring it.
...
Three days later.
Bai Li Changqing had left Canglong City and was wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. For the past three days, he had felt unusually lost.
After leaving Falling Moon Pavilion, he felt as if his life had lost its direction. His existence had always been defined by assassinations—either on his way to kill a target or in the act of doing so.
Though this life had been monotonous, at least it had purpose.
"Already feeling lost?" Ye Fan's voice echoed in his mind, filled with a hint of sarcasm.
"Why not kill beasts and grow stronger? Isn't that a big enough goal for you?" Ye Fan suggested.
Bai Li Changqing had been wandering the wilderness for an unknown amount of time. If this continued, he might just decide to live in seclusion. But Ye Fan couldn't allow that—he still needed to evolve!
After all, Bai Li Changqing already had more than seven hundred million evolution points. With just a little over two hundred million more, Ye Fan would be able to evolve to the next level.
"Can one who wields a sword of slaughter become a protector instead of a butcher?" Bai Li Changqing murmured to himself, recalling the words of the old monk he had met before.
But he had no family, no friends, and no one he wished to protect.
"Changqing," a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts.
Looking ahead, Bai Li Changqing saw a group of black-clad warriors approaching, quickly surrounding him.
"Law Elder An," Bai Li Changqing recognized the old man leading the group.
This was An Shan, the Law Enforcement Elder of Falling Moon Pavilion—a powerful warrior who had been in seclusion for years.
Before his seclusion, An Shan had already reached the peak of the Martial King realm. It was very likely that, after his seclusion, he had become a Martial Saint.
"You dare utter Elder An's name so casually?" one of the men sneered, gripping his sword tightly, his expression full of killing intent.
"Changqing, I hear you killed Chasing Death," An Shan said, his cold gaze fixed on Bai Li Changqing.
"He attacked me first, as per the rules of the pavilion. I had the right to defend myself and kill him," Bai Li Changqing replied calmly, staring straight at An Shan, his expression showing no fear.
"Yes, the rules do allow that," An Shan nodded, a faint, chilling smile on his face.
"I also heard that you intend to leave Falling Moon Pavilion?" An Shan continued, his gaze sharpening.
"That's right," Bai Li Changqing responded, his eyes sweeping over the group.
"Arrogant fool!"