The Jade Temptress. Jeannie Lin

The Jade Temptress - Jeannie Lin


Скачать книгу
that way, Constable,” the butcher warned.

      Kaifeng readied himself and struck again. Once again, he’d failed to sever the head in one blow, but that hadn’t quite been his aim. He inspected the cuts he’d made with his broadsword.

      The first blow had indeed resulted in a clean cut. The secondary cut was easily discernible from the ragged edge of the wound. Next he tested a few cuts from the butcher’s cleaver and his machete. Tools that the butcher necessarily kept honed. Again, the cuts were discernible. The cleaver was blunter. The machete sharper and cleaner, but not as precise as his sword.

      “Did you get the answers you were looking for, Constable?” the butcher asked.

      “Too soon for conclusive answers.” Kaifeng cleaned his sword with a rag and sheathed it. “Just gathering information.”

      General Deng had been beheaded with a single stroke, by a man who was both sword-trained and strong enough to deliver the death blow. There had been a slight angle to Deng’s wound, a downward cut that would seem more natural for taking a head, especially when the victim was sitting or kneeling. Most likely the blow was dealt from the front. By someone who was right-handed.

      It was still possible that someone Deng trusted had positioned himself behind the general, but very unlikely. A fighting man wouldn’t allow anyone who was dangerous such an advantage. Even though Kaifeng’s size might render most men less threatening, he was still aware of who was around him. Especially if that person was armed.

      The killer would be an experienced fighter, most likely tall in stature, possessing a good sword. Deng’s bodyguards were immediately suspect. Kaifeng had been unable to track them down the day before, but it was only a matter of time.

      There was another explanation Kaifeng hadn’t yet considered. Deng had gone without his bodyguards and without his weapon. Was it possible that Deng had expected to die? But why summon Mingyu that morning?

      A chill settled in his blood. The general might have wanted to see her one last time before dying. Or he could have planned for her to accompany him on that last, long journey into darkness. Perhaps Deng had planned it that way all along.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RN1RXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAAEsAAAAAQAAASwAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDE0OjAx OjA3IDAxOjM4OjM4AAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAACKYAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAASRwAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUQMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAb/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMUyBBSj2z2SK0+l29OxqRfkPY7IdczZW9jnCsMP6O6zaP5lr3fab2V/pLvs 9OL/AIa/02E0NrckamiQB3Lna7gCIjQg6cIopurDbH+yp+rC9wZuH7zN5G5n/CfQVnKb011jnYu+ /e/1bLbLHEw4TbjPD2M3P3v/AKRu3v8A+LtYj049L7b+o3Rfj4ThYGjX1rHn9RwNp/l7WZFe39HT VZWmmTIIEje+thoZmNbS1jrX1gva17ag4mza76D3V7f0bXN936T8z3oNMAkmICtX4OW52ZdlXsOV QPXzGkucQ9721+m+xjTT9qsts9uO1/8Awfs9L00TH6MC+w51wxqcVnrZzWybK65htJdHoszb3fo6 cff6n+k/m/STrFbsMoTMwYj7f2ue4jcS3ieUy0uo4mRb9p6hayvCDDW1uEZDmAhtVOLXLWssyaMc V2ZFbffX/h/Ss/RLOa2fknDUWj1Rlw99v7qgDKk4k6DgflTHT4lOW7QB37oiBLOKxx4up28h+kr0 z4JJ9fFJP9qTX++DuX//0Meip197KhALjqXGGgAFznOP7rWtW/hfVo5LmPtHpYrmNtFj3A32MeP0 TsbBrd+jba9v/ah77VjF32bJbaxodtMlp4IIh7P7TS5bfSuvYWBhW49jsm5r7D6FADQWNsbts2Zm 8bfcfVb+hZ+kq/4VRT46Bj2cvF7YJjk6Hrt4NQ4WZi5T+nV1U3ZXqenS2plb94P82/c71Nu5vvs9 R36H89Eu6vbj5tWPhMbfh9MeLr9rGEW2tLWZGduYz9Exj3Npw7W/QZ6f+kQc7rHqh2JiM9DGdUa3 P2Vsvsj3trusxmVt+zs/mmYzf+u+qj41+BVifZTbWW2VHKymCAbrhrh9O3OZ+joxP5631Xfpsj9H WlwHeUbv+VrjkHy458PD18v0GpjdXrwRQyrFY5tGSMoue/cbXNEVOvfsa71Kf0vo7PTprst32Yvq qFPVmUMayrHDw3Jbln1bC82vYQ5n2twax1ux3qens9Gn9NvsquV+rJ6e9lDb7qTY9oNz6mlxopqL rPRoc9rfU6nm3O2+sxvp41P8x6VKt1tw8lv225lIrbc7IfjNDWAWkPbidPa7Tc1+1+Vn2/4Sv0US QN4n7SsEchIEcsdNhUfS5Ho/tK19+143OJ32PNlji47tu/bW3a3d+ZUq2Tjsx7rGNMhkAgnUO/Ob /nLpreo42FQx4vxxnMYWVvIa2pj7XOtdlvO30/s3TmfzXpss9/8AIWHX1LGuOa04lTcDErY7prrG Nbda8O+z/asjIsHp2erXdfm/Z8umyv8AmPRr/RWeqITldnSO0Y/+jNiPKCW2sxrOddf3ai0Kmeq/ Rw17kiNEZ2Mff/JHuPgtVmTiW417ftWK3Isaxm5jA6a20v8A1eg2nfZkNvdXuy8p2NvyP+IpS6zk 0W3GnF2moQ3Haxob7drd+sNc9jX+p6brP66twkbAEdO7X5i

Скачать книгу