audacious in the extreme
She and Shangguan Yuqi wore veils throughout their journey, so even with informants present, they wouldn't have known that the woman beside Shangguan Yuqi was her. Huli Guang assumed that the dignified successor of the Junior Tutor wouldn't accompany Shangguan Yuqi, unaware that the two had already fought side-by-side many times.
The interior was elegantly furnished, and the doors and windows were originally closed, presumably to prevent the smoke from escaping. With another flick of his sleeve, A Qiu swung the doors and windows wide open, instantly dissipating most of the fragrance in the air.
A Qiu coldly said, "Miss Shangguan, let's go."
Shangguan Yuqi immediately stood up, only to find Huli Guang staring intently at her. Just as she was about to take a step, she suddenly stumbled, managing to brace herself against the table to avoid falling.
A-Qiu immediately rushed to her side to support her, and whispered, "How are you?"
Shangguan Yuqi said in a low voice, "It's alright, just take me away."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu was shocked, as it indicated that Shangguan Yuqi's condition was so severe that she was unable to leave on her own.
Hulü Guang laughed and said, "I'm afraid it won't be that easy to leave."
Outside, a series of footsteps sounded as eight black-clad Northern Qiang warriors surged in. Each of them had eyes like lightning and agile as eagles. Judging from their footwork and posture, it was clear that each of them was a master.
Hulü Guang said fiercely, "In order to win over Miss Shangguan, I not only booked the entire Bifu Pavilion, but also brought my personal guards, the 'Sixteen Riders of Yanyun,' and cleaned up all the original staff of Bifu Pavilion. To prevent Miss Shangguan from becoming suspicious and passing by without entering, I only left a few servants at the door to greet her. I am not afraid that Miss Shangguan will not enter."
Ah Qiu now recalled that the servant who led the way had given her a look as they entered, which was actually a warning, telling them not to come in. And among the burly men beside him at the time, one was particularly lean and wiry, with a deep and unassuming demeanor; he must have been the one sent by Hulü Guang to keep watch.
After receiving A Qiu's invitation, Huli Guang was able to make arrangements within a day and night, bringing Bifu Pavilion, under Gongye Fusu's command, completely under his control. Such swift and decisive methods and strength would probably even impress A Qiu's senior brother, Mo Yimingyue.
What's most terrifying is that Bifu Pavilion was a location chosen by A Qiu on the spur of the moment. In other words, if A Qiu were to immediately designate a restaurant or teahouse in Jianzhang City, Hulü Guang could probably do the same, turning it upside down in a single day and night. What terrifying hidden power that is.
According to what Mu Huaying said in the palace, after she captured Lady Huachi, Mo Yi Bishuang, all the Northern Qiang's hidden agents and forces within the Southern Dynasty's territory were wiped out and completely eliminated. However, judging from the current situation, the Northern Qiang must have secretly developed considerable strength within the Southern Dynasty's territory in recent years.
These thoughts raced through A Qiu's mind, but she remained outwardly calm and said indifferently, "Is that all?"
Huli Guang was surprised by her reaction and asked in astonishment, "What did you say?"
Aqiu said, "I'm afraid that Your Highness will only be able to take back eight of the sixteen riders from Yanyun of the Southern Dynasty."
Before she could finish speaking, she moved with lightning speed, disappearing into the ranks of the Northern Qiang warriors.
The eight riders did not expect that A Qiu would act so quickly and with such ghostly speed that they had no time to retaliate and could only dodge away.
Even so, in the blink of an eye, two people screamed in agony, and a flash of blood disappeared without anyone even seeing what weapon A Qiu was using.
A Qiu withdrew his hand and turned back to Shangguan Yuqi. The "Assassination of Qin" technique had been withdrawn into his sleeve the instant after the killing, leaving no trace of its use.
A Qiu killed more than ten Northern Qiang soldiers in front of the post station. Huli Guang must already know the details, but this was the first time he had personally witnessed A Qiu's ruthless and swift killing methods.
Northern Dynasty martial arts also have their own characteristics, namely, they are powerful, violent, and have astonishing explosive power. However, the assassin style that A Qiu learned is close-quarters combat, using small forces to defeat large ones. It is good at using exquisite techniques within a small space, with each move aimed at the enemy's vital points, giving the opponent no space or time to unleash their full power in a fight.
Faced with this situation, Hulü Guang did not care about the casualties of his men. Instead, he said with a dazed look, "Good! Is the martial arts of the Grand Master of Music the direct successor of the Junior Master Gu Yi? Killing people with this skill is indeed twice as effective and incredibly efficient. After I return to Beiqiang, I will definitely find a way to train a group of such secret guards. Seizing the leadership and plotting to seize the country is also a quick and easy move."
A Qiu was greatly alarmed. He hadn't expected that Hulü Guang, who didn't recognize the assassin's techniques, could see through the key to the matter at a glance. If he were allowed to return to the Northern Qiang and study the matter in detail, it would surely be a scourge to the Southern Dynasty.
At this moment, she couldn't help but secretly blame Shangguan Yuqi for not killing Huli Guang as she had said.
Although it will inevitably cause a lot of consequences, Hulü Guang must be eliminated. Even she now feels that the sooner she gets rid of him, the better, so as not to cause any more trouble.
With a murderous intent stirring within her, she shifted her feet and smiled, "Then, Your Highness, while you still have your life, take a few more glances!"
She let out a low whistle and pounced forward. The remaining six people knew the situation was bad, so they fearlessly rushed towards Hulü Guang, determined to stop her before she could kill her.
A burst of sword light flashed instantly, and the clang of metal on metal rang out incessantly.
But in just a moment or two, A Qiu had already rushed to Hu Lu Guang's side, and her shoulders, back, and arms were covered in blood.
The word "Assassinate Qin" flashed with a sharp, cold light, slicing straight towards Hulü Guang's throat.
Since her debut, Ah Qiu's assassination attempts on the Qin emperor have never failed. With a dagger, a head falls, as easily as taking something from a bag. This is why she is revered as "Jing Ke" and enjoys unparalleled fame in the martial arts world.
But this time, just as the assassination attempt reached Hulü Guang's throat, her wrist was seized by a strong and powerful hand.
Hulü Guang was known as the "King of Spears" in the Northern Qiang region. His palms, which were covered with thick calluses from holding a gun for many years, were not as refined as others.
In shock, all color drained from A Qiu's face.
She finally understood why Shangguan Yuqi had been unable to struggle for so long, and could only sit upright in her chair, watching her fight. Previously, she thought Shangguan Yuqi was deliberately hiding her strength, but now she realized that she had truly lost her fighting ability.
Given the speed and ferocity of her attack, no matter how strong Hulü Guang was, there was no way he could intercept and capture her wrist.
But at this moment, she felt dizzy and weak, and even felt like she couldn't hold the dagger.
Hulü Guang's eyes flashed like lightning as he curiously examined the pattern on the dagger in her hand, saying, "What kind of weapon is this? Its shape seems quite unusual. Hmm, there are two characters engraved on it."
A Qiu immediately tried to pull her hand back, but was shocked to find that she couldn't pull it back. If it weren't for her strong will and continued to hold on, the dagger would have almost slipped from her hand if she hadn't been held by Huli Guang like this.
Hulü Guang smiled and said, "So that you two ladies may know, in order to be absolutely sure, the incense I lit for you today is a blend of several times the amount of the Posuo San and the Crimson Coral. Just a wisp or two of inhalation will have an effect, and it is only effective for women. It was specially made by someone before I came south."
A Qiu felt a chill run down his spine: This meant that he had not only come prepared, but had also planned to harm people back in the Northern Dynasty.
She couldn't help but regret her arrogance. After all, this was the territory of the Southern Dynasty, and Gongye Fusu's domain. She hadn't expected Hulü Guang to be so bold as to not only poison the area but also have his men take complete control of it, using both force and sleeping potion. She had thought he would be somewhat wary and restrained.
Hulü Guang made a gesture, and at this moment, only four warriors remained alive in the room. The four immediately bowed and accepted the order, dragged the four corpses lying haphazardly on the ground out, and then gently closed the door as if nothing had happened.
Hulü Guang still held A Qiu in one hand, a very friendly smile on his lips, and said, "Originally, I only planned to take Miss Shangguan into my room, but since the Grand Master of Music insists on joining in, I will respectfully accept his offer and take her in as well."
He then chuckled knowingly, "I just heard yesterday that Lord Sile and Miss Shangguan are known as the two beauties of the Southern Dynasty. Moreover, Lord Sile is ruthless and merciless, which suits my taste perfectly. I truly feel that Heaven has been kind to me in coming to the Southern Dynasty. I am also very curious to see what Lord Sile will be like when the love poison takes effect."
While struggling to use his internal energy to resist the effects of the attack, A Qiu was also rapidly processing his thoughts.
Hulü Guang is truly audacious and daring. No wonder he entered the Southern Dynasty a month earlier than expected. His current actions alone are enough to turn the entire Southern Dynasty upside down. Shangguan Yuqi is the jewel in the crown of all the powerful families in the Southern Dynasty, while A Qiu is the only successor of the Junior Tutor Gu Yi. The fact that he dares to have such thoughts shows that he is not only blinded by lust but also incredibly audacious, which is in stark contrast to his refined and cultured appearance.
Only now does Ah Qiu realize that there really are wolves in sheep's clothing in this world.
Shangguan Yuqi remained seated, unable to move, yet spoke clearly: "If the two of us were to bite our tongues and commit suicide here, does Your Highness believe you would still be able to return home with your bodies intact?"
Hulü Guang smiled and said, "If Miss Shangguan wants to commit suicide, then please do so. If you wait any longer, you will only beg me to let you live."
A-Qiu knew that Hulü Guang was certain that both of them were determined martial artists who would not easily give up on survival even if they were humiliated. They would rather kill him with a knife later than give up their own lives. While gathering her remaining strength, she pretended to be weak and slowly leaned into Hulü Guang's arms.
The martial arts of the Southern Dynasties differed from those of the Northern Dynasties. Northern Hu people's martial arts emphasized horseback combat and were particularly skilled in using heavy weapons, while Southern Dynasties martial arts were skilled in close combat and delicate grappling techniques. Due to the ancient medical knowledge of meridians, they had a more profound and comprehensive understanding of the vital points of the human body.
At this moment, A Qiu was gathering his last bit of strength, and the spot he was going to target was Huli Guang's Tanzhong acupoint. This acupoint is located in the center of the chest, where all the meridians converge. If it is struck, the martial arts will be completely destroyed at best, and death at worst.
This also shows how terrifying assassins are. In fact, a truly skilled assassin does not need much strength to kill; he only needs to find the moment when the opponent is unguarded and strike their vitals. Even plucking a flower or flying leaf can be used to injure someone, which is not an exaggeration.
Hulü Guang, however, did not realize her intention. Instead, he opened his arms and let her into his embrace, laughing, "When the Grand Master of Music killed someone in front of my inn, he probably never thought that such a day would come."
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