Chapter 148 Yuwen Che Breaks into the Secret Room
As darkness fell completely, they silently infiltrated the border of Nanzhao. Yuwen Che was the first to rein in his horse and dismount. He gripped his sword hilt, his sharp gaze sweeping across the Nanzhao land shrouded in night.
The eleven shadow guards behind him dismounted almost simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were one person.
Without turning his head, Yuwen Che's deep voice was particularly clear in the quiet night: "Send two people to find out the distribution of guards and the rotation of sentries within the royal court, especially the location of the king's bedroom and the secret vault where important items may be stored. Report back within one hour."
"Yes!" The two shadow guards immediately clasped their fists in acceptance, and with a flash, they seemed to blend into the night, quickly sneaking towards the direction of the Nanzhao royal court without making a sound.
Yuwen Che stood still, his eyes beneath the mask coldly fixed on the direction of the royal court, as if he had already pierced through all obstacles and locked onto his target.
Han Ying silently stepped forward and whispered, "My lord, shall we find a secluded place to stay and wait for news?"
Yuwen Che nodded slightly.
The group, leading their horses, quickly disappeared into the dense forest beside them. Only the rustling of leaves in the night wind could be heard, as if nothing had ever happened.
The night was deep. Yuwen Che stood still, with the other shadow guards standing behind him, swords in hand, watching their surroundings warily. The atmosphere was heavy.
Yuwen Che's brows furrowed beneath his mask; his heart had already flown back to the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, to the side of that frail woman in Guanju Palace. Xue'er, you must hold on, you must wait until I return with the antidote…you must!
Han Ying quietly stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "My lord, after the scouts report back, should we charge straight in, or..."
“No need to linger in the fight.” Yuwen Che interrupted him without hesitation, his voice coming through the mask with an undeniable decisiveness. “The only objective is to obtain the antidote. Everything else can be abandoned.”
He paused, then continued, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "As for the King of Nanzhao... it would be best if we could take his life easily. If that's not possible, or if it would waste time, then we shouldn't force it."
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Han Ying, his eyes sharp as knives in the night: "I fear... Xue'er won't live to see me return. As for Nanzhao..."
Yuwen Che snorted coldly, his killing intent palpable: "There's plenty of time in the future. I have time to deal with them slowly. There's no need to rush."
Han Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood his lord's decision—the Empress's safety was paramount, even more so than immediate revenge. He replied in a deep voice, "Yes! I understand! Obtaining the antidote is the top priority!"
Time ticked by in the silent wait, each minute and second an agony for Yuwen Che. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, all his patience and composure focused solely on one goal—to rescue his Xue'er.
A moment later, two dark figures returned silently like ghosts, kneeling on one knee in front of Yuwen Che.
"Your Majesty, the King of Nanzhao is having a private meeting with several generals in the main hall."
One of the shadow guards quickly reported, his voice tinged with suppressed anger, "They...they say that Your Majesty has been poisoned to the core and will soon die. They are discussing...how to take advantage of the situation to divide up the Great Zhou."
A cold sneer came from beneath Yuwen Che's mask: "A clown, nothing to fear. Have you located the antidote?"
Another shadow guard immediately replied, "It's been confirmed! It's in the secret chamber below the king's bedchamber! But the entrance to the secret chamber is heavily guarded and full of traps, so I'm afraid... there might be an ambush."
Han Ying immediately stepped forward: "My lord, let me lead men ahead to scout and clear any obstacles!"
Yuwen Che nodded slightly: "Granted."
"Clang—" He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight. His voice, clear through the mask, reached the ears of every shadow guard: "Everyone, listen up! Target: the antidote in the secret room. Move quickly, no lingering!"
"Yes!" Eleven deep voices responded simultaneously.
The group quickly tethered their horses to a concealed spot, then moved swiftly, like bats blending into the night, following closely behind Yuwen Che, and silently stealthily made their way into the depths of the Nanzhao royal court.
The group silently infiltrated the royal court. Han Ying and another shadow guard led the way, while the rest formed a protective circle around Yuwen Che, each holding a sword hilt and looking alert.
Yuwen Che's sharp gaze swept across the dimly lit corridor, and he said in a low voice, "Han Ying, be careful of an ambush."
"Yes, my lord," Han Ying replied, proceeding with even greater caution.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard where the secret chamber entrance was located, torches suddenly lit up all around, and dozens of Nanzhao guards emerged from the shadows, surrounding them. A general who appeared to be a commander stepped forward, a mocking expression on his face:
"You Great Zhou... you're truly treacherous to the core! What? Is your dying emperor waiting for this medicine to save his life?" He laughed smugly. "Fine! Trade five border cities in exchange! Otherwise..."
Before he could finish speaking, a cold sneer came from behind Yuwen Che's mask. He didn't even bother to talk to this ant, and simply raised his hand, making a clean and decisive gesture.
Han Ying understood instantly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and he shouted sharply, "Attack! Kill!"
"Kill—!" Ten shadow guards sprang up like unsheathed blades, their swords flashing like bolts of lightning as they slashed at the surrounding Nanzhao guards!
Yuwen Che stood motionless, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic battle, searching for the entrance to the secret chamber. His only goal remained the antidote!
Seeing that Yuwen Che was about to head straight for the secret chamber, Han Ying immediately shouted, "Stop them!"
Several shadow guards instantly exerted their strength, their swords weaving into a net, tightly entangled the Nanzhao guards who wanted to pursue Yuwen Che.
Yuwen Che moved with lightning speed, his longsword flashing like cold light. With a few precise strikes, he killed the two guards blocking the path to the secret chamber. Without pausing, he charged into the deep entrance of the secret chamber like an arrow released from a bow.
"Chase!" Several Nanzhao guards, seeing this, tried to break free and follow.
"Don't even think about it!" Han Ying, along with two shadow guards, immediately filled in, their swords flashing, instantly sealing off the entrance and stopping all the pursuers. The sounds of clashing swords filled the air.
As soon as Yuwen Che stepped into the secret room, the sound of mechanisms suddenly rang out!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several poisoned crossbow bolts shot out from different directions with lightning speed! At the same time, the stone slabs on the ground suddenly flipped over, revealing spikes underneath, and an iron net descended from above!
Yuwen Che's eyes sharpened. He stomped his toes and leaped into the air like a hawk, narrowly avoiding the ground spikes. His longsword danced like a wheel, clanging and clattering as he deflected all the poisoned arrows that came his way, sparks flying everywhere. The iron net scraped against the corner of his clothes and crashed heavily to the ground.
Before he even landed, several more flying needles shot out from the side wall!
He twisted his body in mid-air, his longsword drawing an arc to precisely sweep away the flying needles, then landed steadily, his eyes blazing as he scanned the still dark depths of the secret chamber ahead, where countless dangers still lurked.
Without the slightest hesitation, he drew his sword and continued forward. For Xue'er, he was determined to brave even the most dangerous places!
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