The Disguise skill only lasted five minutes per day. Within those five minutes, Zhe Zilin could become anyone.
He rode his horse while disguised as Griet and quickly entered the front courtyard. He casually tied the horse to a wooden post and jogged toward the backyard.
The half-orcs were sleeping soundly. Zhe Zilin tried calling out to them in a low voice, but it was useless.
He suddenly kicked Scar in the rear, breaking apart the circle the five half-orcs had formed. Only then did he manage to wake them.
“Aiyo! Even in your dreams you’re kicking me, you bastard!” Scar tried to reach for his butt, but with his hands and feet bound, he could only twist his body and roll on the ground.
Zhe Zilin drew Dragon Slayer and cut the ropes binding the half-orcs’ hands and feet.
“If you want to escape, wait here for me!”
Seeing Zhe Zilin’s anxious expression and hearing him speak while out of breath, One-Eye asked, “What are you going to do?”
Zhe Zilin left the backyard without looking back and did not answer One-Eye’s question.
In the front courtyard, Leon dismounted. He glanced at the lit window on the third floor, made up his mind, and walked straight into the castle.
When Zhe Zilin reached the front courtyard, he only saw the other party’s back. He immediately charged forward with his sword drawn.
There were still guards at Osha’s door on the second floor. He had to deal with them first.
There was no time. He had to kill Leon before he entered the King of the North’s room.
Zhe Zilin used the Disguise skill again and turned into Airigo. Only by becoming Airigo would the guards not become suspicious. He silently caught up to Leon.
When he passed the second floor, the guard glanced at Zhe Zilin, who was now disguised as Airigo, and indifferently turned his head away.
If it had been Griet, the guard would have bowed respectfully and greeted him. Although Airigo was a knight, he was not the guard’s superior.
Zhe Zilin did not even have time to feel relieved. He took three steps at a time and quickly caught up to Leon.
Dragon Slayer in his hand was aimed at Leon’s neck. He could not allow the other party to utter a single word.
Leon turned around, preparing to knock on the door. From the corner of his eye, he saw the edge of Dragon Slayer flash past.
Shocked, he stepped back and frantically tried to draw the sword at his waist.
Zhe Zilin took a powerful step forward, closing the distance between them to mere centimeters. Dragon Slayer swept horizontally and instantly slit Leon’s throat.
Leon clutched his neck and let out muffled, gurgling sounds as he tried to scream. Every time he exerted force, blood sprayed from the wound. His mouth filled with blood, and he could not make a single sound.
Seeing this, Zhe Zilin thrust Dragon Slayer forward, deeply piercing Leon’s heart to prevent the other party from making any unexpected moves in his dying moments.
Leon’s eyes widened in terror. His blood-stained hand pressed against Zhe Zilin’s shoulder, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Until the moment he closed his eyes, he still did not understand why Zhe Zilin wanted to kill him. He had clearly not provoked anyone.
Leon died with questions in his heart and collapsed backward.
Zhe Zilin grabbed his collar and effortlessly slung him over his shoulder. His current strength was comparable to that of two soldiers, so carrying Leon was no trouble at all.
Just as he was about to leave, the door beside him creaked open.
Ailia appeared behind the door and came face to face with Zhe Zilin, who was carrying Leon’s body.
The surprise in her eyes lasted only an instant before she quickly regained her composure.
Zhe Zilin knew that Ailia had the Contract Ring. That was why she had always known where he was. She had probably come to the door out of curiosity.
Ailia’s gaze fell on Leon. She looked at Zhe Zilin with confusion, as if asking why he had killed him.
Zhe Zilin pointed at Ailia.
“For me?”
Ailia was puzzled, but when she saw Zhe Zilin nod, she fell silent for a moment before making a gesture to leave.
She was about to close the door when a cold voice came from behind her. “Who are you talking to, witch?”
Lady Snow stood up and walked straight toward the door.
“During the prayer period, if you dare to stop at will, I will not let you off.”
Zhe Zilin frowned. If Lady Snow saw everything, it would be over. He quickly signaled for Ailia to close the door.
But to his surprise, Ailia shook her head slightly and stepped aside to make way for Lady Snow.
Zhe Zilin wanted to leave, but it was already too late. Carrying a corpse made his movements extremely slow.
Lady Snow glanced at Ailia and pushed the door open a little wider. When she saw Leon’s bulging eyes, her expression changed drastically and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Her mouth tried to close several times, but she forgot how to make a sound. Lady Snow pointed at Zhe Zilin, took a deep breath, and was about to scream.
Zhe Zilin picked up Leon and prepared to charge outside. He knew that the moment Lady Snow let out that scream, all the guards in the castle would be awakened. It would be impossible to leave the city quietly.
At least this time Ailia should be able to clear her name. At worst, she would only be charged with negligence.
But when he took a step forward to escape, the sharp scream he had imagined never came.
Zhe Zilin turned back in surprise.
A dagger had pierced Lady Snow’s chest. She was in so much pain that she could not speak. She turned her head in terror.
Ailia pulled out the dagger and decisively slit Lady Snow’s throat without the slightest hesitation.
Zhe Zilin returned in shock and lowered his voice. “You killed her just like that? What about you? Everyone knows Lady Snow was with you.”
Ailia did not answer. She spoke on her own. “She once slandered my innocence. If I don’t kill her tonight, I would have killed her eventually anyway.”
Zhe Zilin had no time to ask about the grudge between Ailia and Lady Snow. He put Leon down and carried Lady Snow into the room.
Ailia asked, “Ed, what are you doing?”
Zhe Zilin opened the King of the North’s coffin and threw Lady Snow inside. Fortunately, the coffin was large enough to fit two or three people without any problem.
“In three days, let Lady Snow be buried together with the King of the North. From now on, we’ll just say she went missing. No one will be able to find any clues.”
Ailia nodded. Her gaze fell on Leon.
“Why did you suddenly kill him?”
Because of the Contract Ring, Ailia knew that Zhe Zilin had rushed out of the city tonight in a panic, stayed in the forest for a long time, and then hurried back. She guessed that Zhe Zilin had probably followed Leon all night.
But she still did not know why Zhe Zilin wanted to kill Leon.
Zhe Zilin did not explain. Time was tight.
“I’ll explain everything after tonight’s matters are settled.”
After dealing with Lady Snow, he immediately picked up Leon’s body again and headed downstairs.
Ailia stood there thinking for a moment before speaking. “Blood, disappear.”
In an instant, all the blood from Lady Snow and Leon vanished without a trace.
Zhe Zilin walked quickly to the second floor. Just as he was about to put Leon down and deal with the guard, a figure appeared on the second floor.
Osha stood with her arms crossed, quietly watching him with a curious smile on her face.
Zhe Zilin had no choice but to stop. His heartbeat grew faster and faster.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Osha only left behind a meaningful smile before turning around and entering her room.
Zhe Zilin could not understand what the other party was thinking at all. But when he looked toward the second floor, the guard was already lying in a pool of blood, lifeless.
He became even more confused by Osha’s actions.
Sometimes, when it came to Ailia and Osha, Zhe Zilin really wished he could learn mind reading and see what the two of them were truly thinking.
But right now, dealing with Leon was more important.
Zhe Zilin carried Leon to the backyard and gave orders to the half-orcs.
“Follow me. We’re leaving the city.”