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#307 - Chapter 41: The Hunt from the Black and White Courtyard (I)

“I knew it, you would definitely come back!” Just then, a sudden voice exploded behind her. Arya was shocked and quickly dodged to the side, rapidly distancing herself from the source of the sound.

Her senior sister, the 'waif,' was staring at her with a playful look, her eyes full of undisguised malice and mockery.

Arya was incredibly shocked. With her current strength, it should have been impossible for anyone to sneak up on her so easily. Clearly, the waif had been lying in ambush, waiting for her to walk right into the trap. She wanted to explain something: “I...”

However, before she could finish speaking, a low, suppressed voice suddenly came from behind her, interrupting her. Immediately afterward, the mentor 'Kindly Man,' dressed in a gray robe, slowly walked out of the shadows. But unlike usual, his hood was pulled back, revealing the terrifying skeletal face hidden underneath.

“I am very disappointed in you. You took the life of an innocent person. A life that should not have been taken!” The Kindly Man said in an icy tone, as cold as the depths of hell. Then, he continued, “Now that you have accepted the token, you should abide by the rules of the Faceless Men. The life and death of that person should have been decided by the Many-Faced God, how could you arbitrarily usurp it? Now you owe a debt, and only your life can pay it.” His words were light, like the murmur of a ghost, coupled with his hideous face, like the whisper of death.

Arya keenly sensed the sharp sound of wind coming from behind her and reacted quickly, tilting her head to the side to narrowly avoid the surprise attack from behind. It was the waif wielding a short sword, the blade scraping against the wall, sending out a string of dazzling sparks, showing the power of the strike.

Arya didn't show any weakness, and used a scorpion tail kick, lashing out a sharp whip kick, accurately hitting the waif's right shoulder. The huge impact sent the waif flying out like a kite with a broken string. Arya knew that her senior sister was making an all-out effort to take her life. In that case, how could she sit still and wait for death? After repelling the enemy, Arya decisively fled from where she was standing. The waif, who had been knocked to the ground, quickly got up, grabbed her short sword and chased after her.

At this time, the Kindly Man didn't intend to chase after them. He simply reached out and gently wiped his face, and his appearance instantly changed. Then he asked, “Who will handle this matter?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow quietly appeared, revealing his true face as he pulled back his hood. It was Jaqen H'ghar. He looked at the departing Arya and commented, “The girl is exceptionally talented. If she can be cultivated, she will surely become a top No One in the future. It is a pity to kill her like this!”

The Kindly Man said with a serious face, “She has violated the rules and must suffer severe punishment. However, if she is lucky enough to escape and survive outside for seven days, then I will give her another opportunity.”

Jaqen's lips curled up in a cold smile. “You know very well that she has nowhere to escape. The girl has not yet received the protection of the Many-Faced God, and those human skin masks are like deadly poison to her. In this situation, it is difficult to avoid the waif's pursuit, and you are still sending me to carry out this task? … Very well, I will only make one move.” After saying that, his figure instantly disappeared from the hall.

Arya staggered unsteadily as she walked out of the House of Black and White. She raised her hand to wipe the blood flowing from her nose, and at the same time felt dizzy, and the scene in front of her gradually blurred. She knew that this was caused by poisoning and must be dealt with as soon as possible, otherwise, once the poison spread throughout her body with the blood, it would be too late. Without hesitation, she pulled out her dagger and cut her fingertip, and the blood, which had turned black, immediately flowed out of the wound. Then, she quickly hid in the city's intricate streets, as if melting into the darkness.

Not long after Arya left, the elusive waif came to the place where she had been. At this moment, the waif was wearing a black tight-fitting leather suit, tightly wrapping her slender body, like a nocturnal feline, agile and flexible.

The waif reached out her right hand, gently pinched a trace of residual blood on the ground, and then carefully placed it in front of her nose to smell it. Then, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, revealing a playful smile. “Run! Run as much as you want! But no matter how far you run, you will not escape my pursuit. Soon, I will find you and make you pay for everything you have done!”

This waif, who seemed to be about the same age as Arya, was actually a priest serving the Many-Faced God, with a status only slightly lower than Jaqen. Although she still looked like a little girl from the outside, she was actually thirty-six years old. This woman from a low-ranking noble family had deep hostility and resentment towards those high-ranking nobles, including Arya, a descendant of a great noble family.

In the Hall of the Many-Faced God, the 'Kindly Man' was silently wiping away the traces left by the previous fight. Suddenly, his movements stopped, he slowly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the front, and he said softly, “I didn't expect that at such a late hour, there would still be visitors. Unfortunately, this place is the forbidden area of the Many-Faced God and is not open to the public. However, this main hall always welcomes believers to visit. If you are interested, you can come again tomorrow.”

“Oh? Was I discovered? I have longed for the House of Black and White for a long time, and I have wanted to see it for a long time.” A black-robed man walked out of the shadows.

“All men must die!”

“The gods are certainly merciful, but their majesty is as cold and ruthless as steel.” The man, who originally had a kind face, slowly turned around, and a face even more disgusting and ugly than Red Skull instantly appeared on his face.

The black-robed man snorted coldly when he saw this, “You don’t need to use this kind of pretentious trick, do you?”

The Kindly Man said in a森冷 voice, “As long as you truthfully explain your origin and identity, I may consider reducing your punishment.”

“...Hmph, I would rather know your honorable name, I am really curious why the Iron Bank's vault is above the House of Black and White.” It turned out that this black-robed man was Liu Yuan, who had been closely tracking the whereabouts of the gold coins with mental imprints. After some investigation, he found that there were a total of thirteen gold coin gathering points, of which as many as nine were densely and regularly distributed around this island.

Such a strange situation made Liu Yuan suspicious, and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of connection existed between the Iron Bank and the House of Black and White? So there was this adventurous reconnaissance operation tonight.

He sneaked in here silently, never expecting to accidentally run into such a good show - Arya is currently on trial.