Chapter 110 Chaotic Rainy Night
The deceased, leaving the living to suffer in the afterlife, is not necessarily a good thing. Hao Chunhe had long intended death. After being caught up by the Red Guards, Fei Yeke, despite his exceptional agility, showed no sign of fleeing. He had left his hair and robes with his wife and daughter as a cenotaph, a comforting gesture. He could watch the relentless blade approach his life with equanimity, preparing to follow his wife and daughter with a clear conscience.
But Wen Yao doesn't know.
She had always struggled to survive, and had never seen anyone so intent on death. Upholding the revolutionary friendship they had shared, Wen Yao, upon seeing Hao Chunhe suddenly lose consciousness, waved her sword to force Zuo Fengjiang back, grabbed him, and, using her modest martial arts skills, escaped, all the way out of the palace and to the city gates.
As a result, when they were about to escape, Hao Chunhe was still struggling in her hands and yelling at her to let go and let him die with his wife and daughter.
What a bastard and cowardly request. Wen Yao was furious when he heard this, and immediately slapped him, cursing, "Useless! Your enemy is still alive, but you can't hold on and seek death. Your wife and daughter died in such a miserable way!"
A slap in the face and two scoldings awakened Hao Chunhe's will to survive.
To this day, Wen Yao still vividly remembers the sudden drop in the weather in the Western Dynasty, a chill sweeping across the air. She wore few clothes, and her sweat soaked her skin as she fought to distract Zuo Fengjiang. Hao Chunhe, who had stayed in the city to deal with the remaining Red Guards, happened to encounter a family slaughtering a dog to exorcise evil spirits. He lifted a bucket of dog blood, stood on the city gate, and poured it down on the ground, instantly making a name for himself.
Wen Yao didn't turn around to look for Hao Chunhe until he had severely injured Zuo Fengjiang and was sure that he was unable to catch up for the time being.
Her martial arts weren't up to par at the time, and she'd been badly injured in the fight with the old eunuch. Zuo Fengjiang's internal energy clashed with her own, causing her heart to run hot and cold on a physiological level. Watching the bloody scene at the city gate, she couldn't catch her breath and nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, Hao Chunhe noticed just in time. In the cold night, he turned around and saw Wen Yao. He stepped on the moon and grabbed Wen Yao and ran away.
How thrilling! The Red Guards, the Western Dynasty's imperial guards, each a skilled killer, bravely chased an assassin and a thief, their bodies covered in blood, until they forced them to the edge of a cliff. Below them was a raging river. A thumb-thick, cold chain swayed in the chill wind, stretching over a thousand meters from one end of the cliff to the other. The pursuers, armed with bows and arrows, were within reach.
If it was just Hao Chunhe, it would be fine as he could just retreat and defend at the same time; but if he had to bring Wen Yao with him, it would be a big burden.
"Just watch!" Hao Chunhe's eyes flushed red as he grabbed Wen Yao and said, "See clearly how the internal energy works!"
In less than half an incense stick of time, Feiyeke will help you quickly master the peerless lightness skill.
Wen Yao did it. Hao Chunhe guided her through two small cycles of Qigong, and then she let go and slipped away more than ten meters. Her heart pounding, her feet felt like they were treading on the wind. When she came to her senses, she was already on the other side of the cliff, and none of the Red Guards, who were using hidden weapons and bows and arrows, could catch up.
That was the first time that Wen Yao felt from the bottom of his heart that he was a martial arts genius.
Unfortunately, after that night, although Hao Chunhe survived and escaped pursuit with Wen Yao, he was still deeply traumatized. The name Fei Ye Ke was never heard of again in the martial arts world. The dashing thief who once walked under the moonlight was buried alongside his wife and daughter on the Xichaoye Mountain. It was only the ragged Chun Yanzi who wandered all the way to Bianliang, sleeping under bridges with beggars and fighting with hooligans.
Looking back on those years, Hao Chunhe felt even more sorrowful. He knelt before the newly renovated grave, his blood-red hands gently touching the stone tablet. In the void, he seemed to see his wife's voice and face. He said in a hoarse voice, "I have lived in shame for so many years!"
Fortunately, it's time to settle this account.
Hao Chunhe knew that he was already old and was afraid that he would never have such a good opportunity again.
He said slowly: "It's a pity that Princess Jinyun has just married into the Western Dynasty, and I want to kill the emperor of the Western Dynasty."
"What's a pity?" Zhao Xuanxu's dark pupils were deep as he looked down at Hao Chunhe, who was kneeling on the ground, and said lightly, "She married the Western Dynasty, not the emperor of the Western Dynasty."
If the foolish, old, and evil emperor died, Jinyun would be overjoyed. Furthermore, the situation in the Western Dynasty was far better than that in Tianshui. The Western Dynasty had a crown prince, and upon the emperor's death, Crown Prince Li Fubai would directly succeed him, stabilizing the situation. Even if Li Youqi had any objections to rebellion, it would be a matter of the future, and he wouldn't be able to cause any major disturbances for a while.
"You don't have to go with me to the palace this time, and you don't have to worry about me." Hao Chunhe didn't comment on Zhao Xuanxu's words, and insisted: "This is my business. After you finish your work, return to Tianshui as soon as possible. They can't leave without you there, so remember not to delay!"
In front of Hao Chunhe, Wen Yao agreed immediately. He turned back to the room and said to Zhao Xuanxu, "Go get the Burning Heart Remnant first, and see if there's anything wrong with it. If there's no problem, I'll follow Chun Yanzi into the palace tonight, and you wait outside the city gate with your horses."
Zhao Xuanxu looked at Wen Yao and said, "I'll go with you."
Wen Yao quickly pulled down Prince Yan's head and gave him a loud kiss on the forehead: "No need, there will be a lot of noise tonight. You deal with Zuo Fengjiang and the Burning Heart Technique and wait for me, we will go home together."
Hao Chunhe hadn't specifically planned tonight's action, but Wen Yao had a feeling it would be today. She sat on the window sill, holding the Xingyi Sword, polishing it as she waited. As the moon rose above the willows, a subtle movement emerged from Hao Chunhe's room, and a dark shadow swiftly moved along the eaves into the distance.
Wen Yao turned her head to look at Zhao Xuanxu, smiled at him easily, turned around and followed him.
Hao Chunhe was determined to go all out this time. When people put their whole hearts and minds into something, they often unleash tremendous potential, and that was exactly what he did this time.
Hao Chunhe's speed was so great that by the time Wen Yao arrived at the Western Dynasty Palace, chaos had already broken out. Flames shot up into the sky, surrounding the palace and blazing inward. The raging flames were like thunder rolling down from the sky, shattering all the evils of cannibalism.
The palace maids were shouting and running around to put out the fire. Wen Yao even heard the sound of firearms exploding. Hao Chunhe actually didn't know where he got the gunpowder from.
She held her breath, touched the human skin mask on her face, quickly hid in the shadows, and quickly rushed in. Soon, Wen Yao found something wrong.
Her journey here was very smooth. There was nothing in the palace except ordinary guards, eunuchs and palace maids. There were no secret guards or assassins, and no one came out to block her way for a long time.
She placed one foot on the pillar and reached up to the beam. Secret guards and shadow guards usually hid in places like this. Sure enough, she saw two people hanging from the cramped beam in front of her. They looked like secret guards, already unconscious.
Just as Wen Yao got closer, a blood-red worm the size of a grain of rice quickly crawled out from the corner of the man's eye and pounced straight towards Wen Yao. She broke free with her internal energy, and the worm fell to the ground, squirming twice and died.
As someone who had once single-handedly made his way through a southwestern drug den, Wen Yao recognized the bug. It wasn't very effective; it couldn't kill anyone, only put them to sleep.
No wonder the progress was so fast; it turned out they'd asked Xin Man for something in advance. Looking at this Gu insect, it doesn't look like it was just deployed. Hao Chunhe had been away from home for the past few days, probably busy with this.
However, the defenders around the Western Dynasty Emperor are more than just secret guards and death squads.
According to reports from the Supervisory Office's spies, the Western Dynasty's two elite divisions, the Capture Corps and the Crossbow Corps, are both in Xingqing. One division is under Li Youqi's command, while the other operates under the Crown Prince's orders, acting as a check and balance between the two. There are also Red Guards in the palace, and it's unclear how many insects Hao Chunhe brought with him, and whether they are sufficient.
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew towards her, and two drops of cool liquid landed on Wen Yao's face. She froze, squinting her eyes as she turned to look up at the sky, nearly cursing out loud. The night was dark, and at this critical moment, it had begun to rain, and the rain was rapidly intensifying. Hao Chunhe's improvised fire was probably no longer effective in stopping the fire.
Wen Yao recalled the location of the emperor's bedroom, drew his sword, climbed over the heavy roof and quickly moved towards that place.
Zuo Fengjiang's disappearance has both advantages and disadvantages for this assassination.
On the one hand, the biggest obstacle to Hao Chunhe's assassination was eliminated. On the other hand, the life-threatening Western Emperor felt threatened and mobilized all the Red Guards who were scattered around Xingqing for night patrols to surround him, making it impossible for him to escape.
More and more Red Guards emerged from everywhere, moving freely. As expected, Hao Chunhe didn't have enough bugs, so most of the Red Guards were unaffected.
The Red Guards, as their name suggests, are exceptionally red. Their soft armor, a vibrant crimson as if drenched in blood, and their direct command by the Western Emperor, combine to create a formidable reputation. It wasn't until Fei Ye Ke rained down a bucket of blood from the sky that this reputation subtly changed.
The blood is indeed blood, but it is just melodramatic.
Wen Yao landed lightly and silently approached the two Red Guards. When he was close, the Red Guards sensed something was wrong and quickly drew their swords to stab them, but were met with an even colder and more decisive blast of cold light that sealed their throats. Blood gushed out and they fell to the ground, dead.
Wen Yao turned his head and saw several fallen bodies not far ahead. He knew that Hao Chunhe might have been discovered from now on.
Hao Chunhe was skilled in Qinggong and had first-rate stealth skills, so the assassination still had a chance of success. However, the Red Guards had completely surrounded the emperor's chambers, preventing even a mosquito from getting in. In this situation, even the most advanced stealth skills were useless; they had to forge a frontal opening to reach the emperor.
She pursed her lips, silently cursing Swallow's quick movements this time. Without pausing for a moment, she dashed once more into the rain. She didn't bother concealing her identity, killing every Red Guard she encountered. With unstoppable force, she rushed directly to the outside of the Western Dynasty Emperor's chambers.
Amid the muffled sound of rain, one red guard fell, and more emerged, surging towards Wen Yao like a tide. Wen Yao's clothes were soaking wet, and amid the clamor, she heard Xue Shen's voice. She turned her head, her gaze meeting the pale young man running towards her, then resting on the door to the main hall in front of her.
Wen Yao wasn't sure if Xue Shen could recognize her.
She couldn't care less, for as she gazed toward the hall, a stream of liquid splashed onto the pristine white door, its scarlet color illuminating her pupils. The eunuch's shrill, long, shrill scream was like a thunderclap on a rainy night, echoing through the palace gates and weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.
"His Majesty--!!"
The rain grew heavier, washing away the oil and putting out the raging fire.
The news of a nighttime assassination attempt on the imperial palace spread quickly to the outside world. Within an incense stick of time, the palace gates flew open, and two teams of men, coming from different directions, galloped towards the palace gates.
When they met on a narrow road, Li Youqi reined in his horse and stopped. His clothes were wet by the rain and his eyes became colder.
"Your Highness," Li Youqi shouted. Behind him were the soldiers who captured him, and his actions were far less respectful than his words. As he spoke, he drew his sword without hesitation, holding it in one hand at his side, and demanded, "My father has been assassinated, and the situation is critical—are you trying to stop me?"
Crown Prince Li Fubai of the Western Dynasty appeared to be an older man, far less aggressive than Li Youqi, but neither was he affable or friendly. He had deep, long eyelids, giving him an air of coldness and apathy. Having seized the initiative earlier, Li Fubai now stood in front of the entrance to the palace, completely blocking the way in to rescue the emperor.
Normally, upon the emperor's death, the crown prince would immediately ascend to the throne. The assassin who had so audaciously broken into the palace today was targeting the emperor, so it was hard to say whether the crown prince wanted to save his father.
Despite Li Youqi's provocation, Li Fubai said nothing, waved his hand, and the archers quickly gathered and rushed into the palace gate.
What's going on?
Watching the Crown Prince's actions, Li Youqi's brows etched with a hint of arrogance, but his heart sank. He knew his brothers and his rivals well, and his suspicions quickly grew. He sensed something unusual in Li Fubai's reaction.
Princess Tianshui had just arrived in Xingqing, and the troops' food and supplies hadn't been moved, and the capture troops were still there. Under these circumstances, it couldn't be that the assassins in the palace were Li Fubai's men, acting out a plot to force the emperor to abdicate.
This would have little chance of success and would ruin his reputation, it was too stupid. Their Western Crown Prince was wise and powerful, he would never do such a thing.
Li Youqi's gaze flickered as he suddenly noticed a group of people following Li Fubai's crossbowmen. They were tall and strong men in grey robes, and it was obvious at first glance that they were all warriors.
He hadn't looked closely just now, but now that he saw it, Li Youqi immediately realized that the leader of this group, whom he had never seen before, was actually standing on horseback next to Li Fubai. In other words, this unknown person was actually riding alongside the Crown Prince of the Western Dynasty!
Li Youqi raised his thick eyebrows and was shocked. The fingers holding the knife suddenly clenched, and a sense of vigilance continued to surge.
Who are these people?!
The next moment, the gray-robed man in the lead moved, suddenly raised his head and looked into the distance at the chaotic palace gate.
The bronze mask, exposed from beneath the hem of his robe, bared fangs, a ferocious look. A single emerald green pupil sat in its eye socket, a brilliance of gloom. The golden rings on his arms gleamed brilliantly, making them particularly striking.
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