291 Shocking Murderous Intentions
"It's raining." The man in black holding an umbrella looked up into the sky and said his words evenly.
Behind him, there were tens of killers lined up orderly, each holding a black umbrella and armed with swords or sabres.
Their reputation in the martial world struck terror to any who heard their name. Each person could single-handedly take the head of a top martial expert. When tens of such killers were being dispatched, what kind of person would they be hunting down? Each of them held a lifelike portrait in their hands, and on the portrait was the face of a young man.
"Have you all memorised his face?" the man in charge asked.
No one answered him. The killers silently released the portraits in their hands into the wind and rain.
"Let's go." The man in charge put away his black umbrella, turned and mounted his horse. "Ride!"
Tens of horses rode off into the wind and rain, leaving behind the portraits on the ground that were instantly soaked by rainwater. The ink on the portraits faded, and only a single line of words was still faintly visible.
Yong’An Prince Xiao Chuhe, kill without mercy!
In Unrivaled City, Lu Yuzhai pulled down his hood and looked at Wushuang who was seeing him off. He gave a smile and said, "You’re not allowed to take action this time. Are you feeling a little sullen?"
Wushuang, who had the sword casket on his back, shrugged. "I am the ace up our collective sleeves. How can I take action casually? I understand the reason well."
"No, they’re not letting you go. Because they’re afraid you’d forget the face of the person you’re supposed to kill," Lu Yuzhai said seriously.
Wushuang shook his head. "I remember what he looks like. We’ve met before."
Lu Yuzhai shook his whip lightly and turned his horse's head around. "Enough chit chat, I have to get on the road. His Highness, the White Prince requires us to make no mistake on this mission, but I’m not so sure we can. Although the news says that he’s alone, Snow Moon City has a wide reach and influence. He probably has backup."
"Don't worry, you’ll have reinforcements when the time comes." Wushuang tilted his head slightly and glanced in the direction of the sword house.
"Okay!" Lu Yuzhai nodded, and left the city with a dozen Unrivaled City disciples.
Luo City.
Beili Upper Army General Cheng Luoying knocked on his head lightly, eyeing the spy from the Red Prince's Residence who had come to report the news. He was getting annoyed. "Fortunately, I’ve been staying here in Luo City instead of returning to Heavenly Revelations on order. I managed to avoid the one-month city lockdown order. Otherwise, I will frustrate myself to death. But His Highness, the Red Prince isn’t going to spare me from trouble, is he? Does he really want the army to make such a dangerous move?"
Cheng Luoying had a tough and stocky build with a bushy beard all over his face, giving him a somewhat fiendish appearance. But the spy from the Red Prince Residence was not intimidated at all and he nodded. “Everything that His Highness wants to say is already written in the letter.”
Cheng Luoying picked up the secret letter and placed it into the candle flame. "Killing a Prince is a serious crime, and furthermore, this is the Emperor’s favourite Prince."
"His Highness said that as long as Xiao Chuhe does not return to Heavenly Revelations, he’s merely the commoner, Xiao Se, and not Yong’An Prince Xiao Chuhe." The spy said solemnly, "You’re killing a mere commoner, not some Prince."
"Is that how you’re going to explain it to His Majesty the Emperor?" Cheng Luoying narrowed his eyes.
"His Majesty the Emperor is already asleep, and he may never wake up. Even if he wakes up, there is no evidence. On what basis would he question the General of the Beili Upper Army?" The spy smirked.
"My Luo City Army has a certain status. So why would I deploy them to kill a commoner?" Cheng Luoying asked the most critical question.
"A scouting party from Nanjue’s Sixteenth Guard will appear at the appropriate location," the spy said slowly. "Eliminating our enemy’s scouts is within the duties of the general."
Cheng Luoying stood up and nodded. "Fine, I will send a thousand elite soldiers. But after this battle, everyone with a discerning eye will know that I’m allied with the Red Prince. The image of a foppish dandy he’d worked so hard to cultivate all these years will be exposed as an act."
"His Highness said that he’s tired of acting for so many years. What's more, His Highness has always been a dandy, but being a dandy does not conflict with his ambition."
Ningzhi Military City.
The barracks of the thousand Ye Banner Battalion.
They were supposed to be here waiting for the arrival of their commander-in-chief, but according to the news from Heavenly Revelations City, their commander-in-chief was currently trapped inside the city. They were called the Ye Banner Battalion, and naturally, they would only follow the orders of someone with the surname Ye. Therefore, they could only stay where they were to await orders.
A young lady in a green dress suddenly rode into their camp, but nobody moved forward to stop her. Because she happened to be someone with the surname Ye.
After Heavenly Revelations City was locked down, Ye Xiaoying’s every move was being watched carefully. But Ye Ruoyi was different. She was half a disciple of the Director of Astrology Qi Tianchen from the Directorate of Astronomy. She used some secret arts to hide her tracks and it was not difficult for her to sneak out of Heavenly Revelations City.
"Ye Banner Battalion, assemble!" Ye Ruoyi roared fiercely.
Ever since she was born, she had never raised her voice to speak. But, at this moment, her loud roar prompted the entire barracks to move.
Yes, this was the daughter that the Beili General-in-chief Ye Xiaoying should have!
"Assemble!" The battalion commander followed immediately with a bellow of his own.
All the soldiers readied their arms in an instant and assembled in front of Ye Ruoyi.
"Today, Yong’An Prince Xiao Chuhe is in trouble. Our soldiers are loyal to the Xiao Clan imperial family and we must assist. I’m here to pass on the orders of General-in-chief Ye Xiaoying to save Yong'An Prince from peril." Ye Ruoyi took out Ye Xiaoying's Tiger Tally and held it high. "Are all our soldiers willing to march with me!"
"We are willing!" Simultaneously, the thousand Ye Banner Battalion drew their long sabres and yelled towards the sky.
Heavenly Revelations City.
A man dressed in gold with a face as handsome as the luminous moon was carrying a little girl as he rode his horse swiftly towards the imperial palace. He was unimpeded the entire way, and everyone he passed by bowed their respects. Even the most imposing soldiers of the Imperial Army immediately stepped aside with no intention of verifying his identity.
Because Lanyue Marquis was holding the horse’s reins in one hand and his long sabre that rarely came out of its sheath in the other. If, at this time, anyone tried to stop the regent who held absolute authority in the imperial court, they would probably be beheaded with a single chop of his sabre.
About an hour later, they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Peace. The little girl who was now being surrounded by over a thousand Imperial Guards was not the least bit alarmed. Her speed at using her needles was still fast and agile, sending a silver needle piercing into Mingde Emperor’s chest. After a while, the silver needle returned to the girl’s hand.
But half of the silver needle had turned jet black.
"Ailment of the heart." Hua Jin frowned and spoke evenly.
"Can it be cured?" Lanyue Marquis asked the question that everyone present was most concerned about.
The Five Grand Eunuchs, Qi Tianchen, and everyone from the Imperial Academy of Medicine were looking at this little girl at this moment, waiting for her answer.
"Yes." Hua Jin nodded.
Lanyue Marquis finally relaxed in relief. He smiled and said, "That's good."
But he suddenly realised that not everyone in the great hall was smiling.
Not to mention, there were many people outside the great hall who had even more reasons not to smile.
"But…" Hua Jin continued.
Lanyue Marquis frowned. "Little genius doctor, now is not the time to be dramatic."
Hua Jin rolled her eyes at him. "You were the one who interrupted me. But it will take a long time."
"How long."
"Three months."