Advance together, retreat together
If they succeed in killing Hulü Guang within ten breaths, the Northern Qiang will be leaderless. If Xiao Hou and other Han people step forward to promote peace talks between the North and the South, the members of the delegation will still have a chance to survive.
If Hulü Guang cannot be killed within ten breaths, all twenty people will perish in the palace. And the Southern Dynasty will inevitably face Hulü Guang's insane and ruthless revenge.
The clashing of weapons and shouts of battle around her seemed to have faded into the distance.
She held her breath, focusing solely on Hulü Guang's movements as he walked and retreated behind the Emperor, like a cat listening to a mouse.
An invisible sword aura emanated from my side, growing stronger and stronger.
A soft shout rang in his ears: "Follow me!"
She looked up and saw that Shangguan Yuqi beside her had already leaped up, her figure instantly becoming as upright as a crane, rushing towards Huli Guang.
In that instant, A Qiu only had time to think about how Shangguan Yuqi could bring the Ice Bamboo Sword into the palace.
In the next instant, Shangguan Yuqi pulled off his silver belt, and a bright, star-like streak of light swept across Huli Guang.
A Qiu belatedly realized that this was probably the first time she had seen the Shangguan family's female sword, "Seven Stars." She remembered Shangguan Yuqi saying that the Shangguan family's heirloom swords were the female Seven Stars and the male Ice Bamboo. Women should cultivate the female sword, but she had somehow mastered both, simultaneously practicing two different martial arts.
She also tiptoed forward, closely following behind Shangguan Yuqi, while simultaneously stabbing Qin out of her sleeve.
With a clear "clang," the short blade in Princess Wansui's hand struck "Seven Stars." Wansui staggered and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
She was locked in fierce combat with Xiao Chang'an when Shangguan Yuqi suddenly lunged at her. She had no choice but to risk taking a blow to her back from Xiao Chang'an and use her short blade to deflect the sharpness of Qi Xing.
Seven breaths.
The "Seven Stars" moved like a nimble snake, striking and then retreating, darting around Wan Sui and attacking Hulü Guang's face once more.
Forced into a frantic state, Wan Sui, disregarding his own safety once again, took Xiao Chang'an's attack with his right hand while using his left hand to entangle Qi Xing with his wrist, attempting to disrupt Qi Xing's momentum.
She was taking a huge risk, because if her left hand were caught in the Seven Stars, it would be shattered.
Six breaths.
At this moment, Shangguan Yuqi naturally showed no mercy. Seeing that she could not reach Huli Guang behind her if she could not seriously injure Wan Sui, she once again flicked her wrist, and the Seven Stars in her hand spun a beautiful and dazzling arc, mercilessly twisting towards Wan Sui's left hand.
Five breaths.
Wan Qiqing stared expressionlessly at Gongyi Xiu, whose body was shattered in seven or eight places, yet he continued to attack her relentlessly with his fan. He spoke coldly, "Do you know that if I hadn't been mindful of the difficulty of raising you, I would have taken your life long ago? Your stabbing technique comes from the martial arts of my One-Man Hall. It's more than enough to deal with others, but you shouldn't have used it against me."
Gongyi Xiu, whose handsome face was always beaming with smiles, finally revealed a bitter smile and said, "This disciple is unworthy. But even if I have to risk my life today, I will not let the Northern Qiang people take this world."
Wan Qiqing was shocked by the sound, casually parried his move, and said incredulously, "Why? I have taught you since childhood that there is no need to distinguish between Han and non-Han people, only the use of political strategy. With your talent, and with your master backing you up in the court, you can still become a prime minister even in the new Wei."
He looked at him intently again and said softly, "Are you still upset about the massacre of your family back then? But look at this Luoyang Palace. It has changed hands countless times over the centuries. The rise and fall of dynasties and the prosperity and decline of families are simply the cyclical nature of history. If you are truly willing to improve yourself and work hard in the Luoyang court, get married and have children, in a few years your Duan family will still be a prominent family in Luoyang."
Upon hearing this, Gongyi Xiu's bitter smile faded. A moment later, he said sadly, "If Master had ever had loved ones, he wouldn't have spoken so easily."
Sparks suddenly flew in Wan Qiqing's eyes as he shouted, "What did you say?"
Three breaths.
Nearly a thousand fully armed wolf guards, their thunderous roars echoing as they charged into the hall, were all held back by sixteen masked soldiers from the Divine Hound Camp. Each of them wore blood-stained clothes and had bloodshot eyes.
Seeing the situation was critical, Xiao Chang'an gave up on dealing with the emperor and instead focused all his efforts on helping the sixteen men block the wolf guards who kept rushing forward. The purple bamboo flute flashed continuously, and heads fell everywhere, with blood flying everywhere.
Shangguan Yuqi shouted, "Make your move!"
She arched her back, making room for her upper body, while her Seven Star Sword flashed and swirled in her hands, forcing Wan Sui two steps away from Huli Guang. The fact that she hadn't severed Wan Sui's left hand, but had instead cut off two of her fingers, already showed her extreme compassion.
Having lost two fingers, Wan Sui's left hand was no longer fully formed, and she was weakened by the pain. Especially since she knew she was no match for Shangguan Yuqi.
A Qiu already knew that Shangguan Yuqi had changed her mind and was leaving the final chance to stab her. Although she didn't know the reason, she didn't hesitate at all. She let out a clear and melodious whistle as she stabbed Qin, and her whole body was like a tiger or leopard. She arched her back and pounced out, extending her foot to tap Shangguan Yuqi's back, using the momentum to rush straight towards Huli Guang.
At this moment, Hulü Guang was left with no one to protect him and was about to die from the assassination attempt on Qin. The Emperor shouted angrily, but he couldn't get away to save him.
Seeing the cold glint of the assassin's blade flashing and about to strike his chest, Hulü Guang, though flustered, was not afraid. He reached his right hand behind his waist, and suddenly a piece of broken silver spear shot out from his tiger's mouth. With lightning speed, it was dragged across his chest and, with a clang, blocked the assassin's attack.
Ah Qiu exclaimed "Eh!" as he remembered Huli Guang's other identity: the top spearman of the Northern Qiang, especially skilled in mounted combat. Today's coronation ceremony was extraordinary; since he had taken the initiative to eliminate Huli Jin and then deliberately killed Huli Nulang and other opponents on the spot, he must have been prepared.
Under normal circumstances, no matter how skilled Hulü Guang was, she could guarantee he would be killed by the assassination attempt on Qin. But at this moment, the Divine Hound Camp warriors blocking the Wolf Guard were already exerting all their strength, their faces and heads covered in blood and sweat. She only had a very short time.
Two breaths.
A Qiu closed in, unleashing a series of exquisite moves, relentlessly targeting Hulü Guang's throat, head, and face—each strike aimed to kill. With each thrust, Hulü Guang was drenched in cold sweat, struggling with all his might to dodge.
In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than twenty moves. Their lightning-fast exchanges and the unprecedented pressure were causing Hulü Guang to feel overwhelmed.
With the next move, the assassin swept past Qin, and a "ripping" sound was heard. It was because he reacted a little too slowly that a cut had been made on his body, revealing the silver-white close-fitting armor underneath.
A Qiu's forehead was soaked with cold sweat. As the encirclement tightened, the sixteen Divine Hound Battalion warriors could no longer withstand the wave after wave of pressure and could only try to push their way inward.
She gathered her strength, eager to launch another all-out attack, which would surely throw Hulü Guang into disarray. At that moment, she would have a chance to kill him, but she didn't know if she would have that time.
But at this point, all that could be done was to do their utmost. The assassination attempt on Qin was swift and deadly, each move aimed to kill, an all-out offensive with no defense, a desperate tactic.
She didn't even care that the tip of Hulü Guang's spear was slashing her body in multiple places, causing blood to flow freely.
Gongyi Xiu's stern rebuke rang out behind her, and a powerful force suddenly struck silently.
A slender, fair hand, brimming with innate true energy, appeared out of nowhere and gently touched her wrist.
With a sharp pain in his wrist, the assassin fell to the ground, his hand gone.
A Qiu's last thought was that it was too late for regrets. She had long forgotten the principles of the Lanling Hall assassins, that she should not focus all her energy on the point in front of her, completely ignoring her surroundings and those behind her, and that she had lost her former alertness, agility, and composure to attack or defend as well.
An overwhelming sense of despair, unlike anything she had ever experienced before, instantly engulfed her.
After the assassination attempt on Qin was completed, he was even more exhausted and on the verge of collapse. For a moment, the whole world seemed illusory and unreal.
She seemed to hear Hulü Guang's contemptuous laughter.
Wanqi Qing's cold and dull heavy hum.
The screams of the soldiers on the perimeter continued to echo, making it impossible to distinguish whether they were warriors of the Divine Hound Camp who had fought to the point of exhaustion or the Northern Qiang Wolf Guards who had been killed.
She felt utterly lost and vulnerable, as if she were the only person left in the world, drifting like a lonely soul.
She failed. Defeated by Wan Qiqing.
The entire Southern Dynasty was to be buried with them.
A majestic and deep male voice suddenly roared in her heart, like a thunderous roar, making her tremble all over.
That was the voice of Emperor Huanwu, Sima Yan, that still echoed in my ears when I woke up this morning.
"Don't forget the First Emperor!"
She could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion; she only felt someone pull her hand and place a heavy sword into it.
The voice that sounded just like Yanxiu said in my ear, "Go kill Hulü Guang. There's still time."
The next instant, she saw Wan Qiqing's white-clad figure fly backward, taking three steps back before landing steadily.
The Seven Stars sword flashed and then disappeared, revealing Shangguan Yuqi's deathly pale face.
With the greatsword in hand, she had no time to think about anything else. Her body reacted instinctively, turning the hilt with both hands and slashing wildly at Huli Guang in front of the dragon throne with all her might.
Hulü Guang was taken aback at first, then raised his silver spear to parry.
In his view, the Ancestral Dragon Heavy Sword was much easier to deal with than the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang. Because of its extreme weight and difficulty in maneuvering, and his silver spear being a long weapon as well, he was not at a disadvantage in comparison.
The assassin's tactics, as precise and swift as lightning, which were like those used in the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang, were what truly left him struggling to cope.
But after just one move, his expression changed drastically, and he retreated as fast as he could.
Because his silver spear, which had dominated the northern kingdom and was invincible, broke in two with a "bang" when it clashed head-on with the Ancestral Dragon Sword.
This was the first time in all his years of dominating the Northern Dynasties that Hulü Guang's weapon had been severed in a single move.
But A Qiu remained relentless, attacking from the spot with his sword in both hands. He struck, stabbed, swung, and swept, each strike carrying immense force and a powerful gust of wind, leaving Hulü Guang no choice but to respond and unable to dodge.
Whether it was an illusion or the power of the sword technique, Hulü Guang felt that if he abandoned the broken spear and fled, he would be immediately cut into pieces by the heavy sword, with no way to escape.
Those in the hall were all stunned for a moment, and even the wolf guards temporarily stopped their attack.
A perfectly enunciated sentence in Chinese, tinged with astonishment, rang out in the hall.
"This is a sword technique for the Son of Heaven, which has been lost in the Central Plains for a long time and originated from the First Emperor Ying Zheng! Only the Son of Heaven can use it!"
Even Wanqiqing couldn't help but look at the speaker. The man stood tall, stroking his white beard, his demeanor like an old pine or crane, refined and serene, none other than the ruler of the Xiao clan of the Northern Dynasty, Marquis Xiao.
The Xiao clan of the Northern Dynasties was once a top-tier aristocratic family in the Central Plains, standing alongside the Shangguan and Moyi clans. Marquis Xiao's insight was unparalleled throughout history.
Night Owl was Hulü Guang's closest bodyguard. The sudden change had shocked him, causing him to stop attacking. Now, seeing his master struggling to stay upright in the hall, in danger of breaking bones and being mangled, he immediately realized the danger. He roared and charged forward again, shouting, "Go and save the emperor!"
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