Chapter 559: Who Formed The Monarch's Heart In A Sea Of Fire?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The stray arrows passed in front of the sky, but they were more to instill a sense of intimidation. Under the Crown Prince's forcefully suppression, the rebel army did not aim a terrifying rain of arrows at the palace walls. Thus, the pressure on the imperial soldiers defending the Royal Palace was immediately reduced. Although the sounds of killing rocked the heavens, it did not cause any damage to the Imperial Army. On the contrary, it was the imperial soldiers stationed in the direction of Taiping Square that faced the greatest danger.
Near the Royal Palace's front gate, the rebel army had the advantage of numbers. The thousands of rebel soldiers below the palace walls had split into three lines. They came wave after black wave.
Muffled sounds rang out continuously from the four towers in the Royal Palace. Each sound moved the people's heartstrings. The entire Palace shook a little. The powerful shaking symbolized the strength of the city guarding crossbows.
Like a streak of black light, the giant arrow pierced through the sky and plunged mercilessly into the group of rebel soldiers. Countless blossoms of blood exploded out. The ground was covered in sticky flesh. However, there were only four city guarding crossbows and only two facing the main square. How many people could it kill? The rebel army's threefold wave continued to charge quickly without obstruction to the foot of the palace walls.
The city guarding crossbows' main target was the military tools the rebel army was going to use to attack the city, especially the sharp and heavy carriage they were going to use to break down the thick palace gates. Above these carriages were fireproof tarps made from leather. The front was a giant piece of sharpened wood. It was heavy. Once it reached a high speed, it would crash heavily against the palace gates.
An arrow accurately struck one of the battering rams. The sharp arrow easily tore through the seemingly solid leather and ruthlessly pierced the battering ram. Although the battering ram was solid and unable to be shattered by a giant arrow, the city guarding crossbow contained a powerful charging force. It caused the carriage to jump abruptly like a beetle on the ground that had fallen to the ground shaking. It flipped over and crushed a number of the rebel soldiers beside the carriage to death.
The three waves of rebel soldiers charged forward with a dozen heavy battering rams filled with murderous intent. When the attack started, the two city guarding crossbows fired with all their might and successfully destroyed three of the rams. However, the city guarding crossbows reloaded too slowly. The rebel army charged too quickly. In a moment, most of the battering rams had passed through the city guarding crossbows' target area and come close to the three main gates.
The rebel army gave a uniform cry of "Kill!" and courageously pushed the battering rams forward.
After a series of loud teeth-aching creaks, the battering rams succeeded in striking the thick palace gates. The gates of the Royal Palace were thick. Under such a powerful strike, they still shook violently. The door posts creaked like they were about to fall apart. The four giant bolts up and down the gates warped in shape from the strike.
The thick wooden bolts held up against this powerful strike. The creaks near the door frame gradually fell silent. Other than a giant dent in the Royal Palace's front gates and a dozen fallen copper nails, everything was fine.
At least in this attack, the gates of the Royal Palace still appeared to be impenetrable.
None of the rebel soldiers had a strange expression. Amidst the strict yelling from their superiors, they pulled the first wave of battering rams away from the gates with surprising speed. The second wave of battering rams had already passed through the scattered arrows from the imperial soldiers on the Palace walls. It had escaped the giant city guarding crossbows, which moved with the speed of an old person, and had charged against the palace gates.
There was another giant crash. This time, the palace doors were finally irreparably damaged. The entire gate began to shake. It gave one the sense that it was on the verge of collapse.
The elite imperial soldiers behind the door holding their horses and awaiting their orders watched this sight coldly. Although their expressions were calm, worry flashed through their eyes and revealed the true emotion in their hearts.
Separated by a thick gate, the rebel soldiers risking their lives for a powerful attack saw a glimmer of hope that they could break through the palace gates. Immediately, their morale rose. They shouted in a loud voice as they charged forward again.
The third wave of troops arrived. The rebel army lost hundreds of lives under the Imperial Army's merciless attacks of arrows, giant rocks, and rolling logs from the palace walls. Finally, they successfully attacked the palace gate for the third time.
With a crack, dust flew into the air. It was like a smoke-filled leather satchel had been popped by a naughty child.
The dust settled slightly, letting the field of vision clear. In the square, countless rebel soldiers looked at the giant hole punched through the middle of the thick palace gates and involuntarily gave a cheer of joy.
The elite soldiers closest to the palace gates did not cheer. The excitement on their faces was immediately replaced with shock and anger. They could clearly see that although a massive hole had been punched through the palace gates and exposed the thick wood shards inside, the entire palace gate showed no sign of falling over.
The ground was covered in golden copper nails. Behind the hole, all they could see was a thick layer of rock and mud without a gap to be seen.
The people in the Royal Palace had blockaded themselves. Did they not think to leave themselves a way to escape? At this time, what difference was there between the Palace and a giant tomb?
A rebel officer gave a wild cry and led the soldiers behind him into that opening. Although there wasn't much space, they would open this palace gate even if they had to dig through it. Military orders were as immovable as a mountain. The soldiers of Qing Kingdom were never cowards afraid of death.
Suddenly, a long black spear poked out from the only gap in the stone wall and shot forward like lightning. It struck the officer in the throat and sent up a bloody spray.
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At the foot of the palace, 10 steps behind the long palace gate filled with rocks from the rock garden, 300 imperial soldiers coldly and tensely watched for any movement in the gate. Their head officer had already taken a small group into the gate. At this time, they had taken an advantageous position, so there was no reason to allow the rebel soldiers to push through so easily.
On top of the palace walls, the Great Prince coldly watched as wave after wave of rebel soldiers, each stronger than the last, came forth. He raised his right arm before bringing it down viciously. His trusted aide beside him took the order and quickly waved the yellow flags in his hands. Along the front of the palace walls, the hundreds of imperial soldiers on the Palace walls moved at the same time. They lifted the hemp bags at their feet and carefully ripped them open. They then poured them out onto the heads of the rebel soldiers no longer within range of the arrows.
Slightly yellow powder scattered downward like a snowfall of not very clean snow. In an instant, the thousands of rebel soldiers closest to the Royal Palace were enveloped in it.
The general of the rebel army's face paled quickly in shock. Thinking that it was the Overwatch Council's poison, he ordered his subordinates to be careful.
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It was not poison. The Third Bureau was not Fan Xian's personal workshop and did not have the capability to produce so much poison. This yellow powder was coarse gunpowder that had been taken by the imperial soldiers, on Fan Xian's earlier orders, from below the square building.
The Royal Palace had never made preparations for handling the attack of a powerful military. At this time, there was not hot oil prepared or many things to burn. If the Fan Xian was not standing on their side, the battle today would probably progress with unusual gloom.
The Great Prince glanced at Fan Xian, who had been calmly gazing at the distant rebel army camp, and gently nodded his head.
"Release!"
The trusted aide beside the Great Prince had a vicious expression on his face. He shouted out the order in a loud voice to all the soldiers on the walls.
A sudden explosion of the densest rain of arrows since the beginning of the battle came down from the walls where previously only a loose formation had fallen. This rain of arrows carried a red light that was like the inauspicious color Qin Heng's bravest general had seen before he died.
The fire arrows fell to the foot of the palace. There was no need for precision. They only had to land among the powder.
The sky was beautiful. The autumn sun had already risen, and the morning wind had already faded away. The powder poured down was not scattered by the wind. Fan Xian was not worried they would be blown back onto the palace walls. It formed a large cloud and enveloped the thousands of rebel soldiers below. Looking at the beautiful morning scenery of willows beside the river, one could faintly see shadows within moving in a panic.
The fire arrows entered the fog and began to burn at a terrifying speed. Countless flames burned vigorously and quickly connected together to form a sea of fire. It was like a fire dragon stretched out across the foot of the Royal Palace. It was also like a golden sun shining down on a calm lake of water as great waves gradually formed and began to roll. It was bright and burned hot. It even covered up the light from the sun in the sky.
As for the people in the fog, They cried out tragically and burned, turning into countless pitiful flaming bodies. They struggled to run out of the fog. Was a blaze this size something normal life forms could endure?
Countless flaming people ran wildly in the square. Their tragic cries rose to the heavens. The scene appeared to be uncommonly horrifying.
Not a single burning rebel soldier managed to run back to their own camp. Most of them turned into charred bodies at the foot of the Palace while the rest only had time to run to the square before falling with a splat on the ground, twitching continuously with what was left of the fire and rising white smoke.
The rebel soldiers in the distant streets were in a panic. Even the Qing troops famous for their strict discipline still felt fear. No one had thought that the imperial soldiers would have such terrifying tactics.
The Crown Prince's face was ashen. The old Qin Master looked coldly at the top of the palace walls and slowly said, "Only Fan Xian would use such cruel tactics."
The smell of burning disturbed everyone's state of mind. Even the imperial soldiers on the walls felt a glimmer of fear and helplessness. Looking at the terrifying sight below, some soldiers' lips turned white as they wondered to themselves if those charred bodies had been killed by them.
After this destructive attack, the first wave of rebel soldiers entering the Royal Palace returned gloomily to camp. There were not many who returned. The Royal Palace was protected against all odds. The rebel army did not carry out a second round of attacks.
It was clear that both those guarding the Palace and those attacking it had been shocked by this bloody and terrifying fog of fire. They all needed a moment to digest this and steady their military hearts. Fan Xian, the one responsible for this evil act, had an unusually calm expression. He looked at the distant rebel camp and pressed his lips together without saying a single word.
The Great Prince saw Fan Xian's right hand trembling slightly as it hung by his side in his sleeve and that his eyes were becoming more and more bloodshot.
The Great Prince had also not thought that the Overwatch Council's fire powder could be used in such a horrifying way. Long used to the bloody battlefields in the West, he didn't feel anything he shouldn't as he looked at the sight in front of him. But, he still felt shocked. If this powder could be used like this, what kind of changes would there be in future battles?
"We were lucky today," Fan Xian didn't turn his head to look at him and said in a quiet voice. "There is no wind or rain, which is why it worked so well."
He slowly lowered his head. After gaining control of the palace treasury, he had paid a great deal of attention to the combined production efforts of the Third Workshop and Third Bureau. He understood deep in his heart why his mother, Ye Qingmei, had put in so much effort in other military and common matters but had strictly forbidden the use of fire powder in this world.
Even when he was rescuing Xiao En in Shangjing, the Overwatch Council had only provided one carriage of fire powder. This world's use of fire powder continued to be undeveloped. It wasn't even as good as the homemade firecrackers in his previous life.
In this world, only Fan Xian knew that even a sky full of dancing wood shavings would cause a major explosion much less fire powder. He couldn't help be worried that this spectacle would open up a Pandora's Box for this land. In the next instant, he immediately relaxed. The palace treasury's iron craft was not up to standard, so there was no need to worry about the arrival of the firearms era. Furthermore, it was as he said to the Great Prince, the fire set today by the soldiers guarding the palace had such a great effect mainly because of natural circumstances. His luck was just as good as before.
As for the tragic sight in front of him, Fan Xian actually did feel some fear. Ever since his youth, he had seen countless bodies and had personally killed countless people. When he saw that many charred bodies appear in front of him, he still felt a desire to vomit.
This was a battlefield, a true battlefield.
It was because of this that Fan Xian felt even more determined to win. If one came into this world with some kind of mission, he believed that his mission was his deal with Haitang. If he wanted to complete this deal, he had to survive.
Killing people with a knife was killing. Killing people with a spear was killing. Using fire powder to burn people to death was also killing. Other than being a bit more terrifying and a bit uglier, there was no difference.
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The rebellion this time was a civil war. Both sides were elites of Qing Kingdom. The sight earlier chilled too many people's hearts. The rebel soldiers returned to camp to tend to their injuries, preparing for an even larger attack with the anger of revenge in their hearts. The imperial soldiers wore complicated expressions on their faces. Many people did not even look at the black-clothed Sir Fan junior, who was standing coldly on the Palace walls.
The smell of burning and remnants of the fire lingered in front of the Royal Palace. The red walls and green bricks at the top of the Palace all had colored scorch marks burned into them. It looked like this beautiful and stern Royal Palace had been viciously scratched by someone with a knife.
The Great Prince looked at the sight in front of him and slowly swept his gaze across the imperial soldiers on the walls. Using a deep and firm voice, he said to everyone, "This is war! Remember, the people below are rebels! If we allow them into the Royal Palace, Qing court will sink into darkness. The people will never see the light of day again, and you will all be torn apart!"
"Who is at the foot of the walls? It's the enemy." The Great Prince shouted in a severe voice. "You are all soldiers who have come back with me from the West. What did we fight so hard on the plains against the Hu people for? Everything is for the Qing Kingdom. Those enemies want to destroy the root of Qing Kingdom. There is no difference between them and the savage Hu people! They are only beasts!
"I order you, from this moment, to see and treat those people as Hu people!"
"Everything is for the Qing Kingdom! The Emperor is looking down on you from heaven!"
These were not just hot-blooded words coming from the Commander's mouth. They had the unexpected effect of calming the people's hearts.
On the wall, the eyes of the soldiers gradually lit up and did not have the dimness and confusion from earlier.
"For Qing Kingdom!"
Everyone on palace walls cheered in a loud voice. Even the Third Prince standing next to Fan Xian was not an exception. Only the empress dowager, tightly controlled by Fan Xian, had a glimmer of mockery and fear flash through her eyes.
At this moment, a wave of heavy footsteps rang out on the walls. A group of eunuchs, under the escort of Overwatch Council officials, brought three black coffins to the top of the palace walls with great difficulty. The coffins were placed heavily on the wall and gave a muffled sound.
Everyone looked askew at these three coffins.
Fan Xian gently held the Third Prince's hand and stood behind the Great Prince. Facing the surrounding imperial soldiers, officials, and Overwatch Council officials, he quietly said, "We are the Emperor's officials. We are following the Emperor's posthumous edict in stopping those rebellious conspiracies. Regardless of success or failure, we will not retreat a single step."
The Great Prince's expression was stern as he continued Fan Xian's words, "There are three coffins here. En for Chengping, Sir An Zhi, and me. If the Royal Palace falls, then the three of us will die here to show our filial piety toward our father and our loyalty to the Qing Kingdom."
He looked around and then slowly said, "We will guard the Palace to the death. Do you all have confidence?"
Fan Xian had even used such lowly tricks as preparing a coffin for a battle how could the soldiers guarding the Palace not feel their blood roiling? In a uniform voice, they cried out, "Yes, we do!"
Fan Xian held Li Chengping's hand and asked in an even voice, "Scared?"
The Third Prince thought about it and shook his head forcefully. "I'm not scared! I am my father's son. I won't be scared!"
"Good." Fan Xian glanced at him with a small smile and didn't say anything else. He was thinking that if something went wrong and the Palace actually fell, he would have no choice but to take the Third Prince and run. He could only hope that the kid would not blame him at the time.
The distant rebel soldiers began to gather again. The morale that had been quashed by Fan Xian's poisonous trick seemed to successfully been converted into rage against the Royal Palace. Most of Qing Kingdom's soldiers had long experiences in the battlefield. This ability to motivate soldiers was inferior to none. The rebel soldiers' gazes toward the Royal Palace began to be filled with pure killing intent.
The sea of fire appeared terrifying. In reality, it didn't cause much damage to the rebel army. Fan Xian watched the scene in front of him. Involuntarily, his heart fluttered a little. He thought to himself that if he had calculated wrong, the next step would result in the death of many people on his side.
He knew nothing about military matters. From the start to now, he had not made any suggestions to the Great Prince's arrangement of soldiers and was only a calm spectator and helper.
At this moment, he was going to make an unusually daring suggestion.
"How many imperial soldiers do we have?"
"2,700. We have had almost no casualties."
Fan Xian heard the sounds in the direction of Taiping Square fading and furrowed his brows slightly. "Do you think we will be able to hold it?"
The Great Prince's sharp eyebrows still carried a glimmer of evil intent. He said, very straightforwardly, "Even if father led the troops himself, we wouldn't be able to hold it."
Suddenly, a self-mocking smile flashed across the corner of his lips. "The difference between the two troops is too big. If the Western Expedition Army had not been disbanded by father, if I led… No, if I led only a third of the power of the Western Expedition Army, I would engage in a final battle with the rebel soldiers below."
The Great Prince took in a deep breath. "However, be assured that even if we lose, it won't be that tragically. The soldiers under my command have all fought the Hu people on the plains. The Qin family… hmph… It's already been 20 years since the old man personally led troops. Pus, the soldiers of the Jingdou Garrison are lazy to the extreme. The only thing is the Dingzhou troops…"
Fan Xian cut in, "In the attack just now, I noticed a problem."
"What problem."
Fan Xian moved closer to the Great Prince's ear and spoke quietly.
"What are you thinking?" Cold light glimmered in the Great Prince's eyes.
"I am thinking of a gamble," Fan Xian lowered his head and faintly said. "We have no more trump cards in our hands. If we continue on like this, it will eventually end in death."
The Great Prince furrowed his brows and said, "Battle is not a child's game. What you are saying is too absurd."
Fan Xian laughed bitterly. "It is indeed absurd, but I truly cannot think of another opportunity to turn the tables."
He turned his head to glance at the three shiny coffins. His gaze gradually grew determined. He still had a trump card, but before he saw everyone else's trump card clearly, he would not use it no matter what.
The Great Prince was silent for a moment and then suddenly said, "What gamble are you going to make?"
"Move aside the rocks in front of the Palace gates." Fan Xian raised his face and looked to the side across the charred and slightly warm air of the square to the Commander of the Dingzhou troops, Ye Zhong, who was quietly speaking with the Second Prince about something. His gaze hardened slightly, "We should be prepared to charge out at any moment to give ourselves a chance…"
He smiled warmly. "And, return the world a surprise."
At this moment, Ye Zhong, who was having a secret discussion with the Second Prince, seemed to sense the gaze on the Palace walls. He raised his head and glanced back with an unusually calm and indifferent gaze.
Chapter 560: Using The Black Knights As A Prologue
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There was a faint layer of smoke, strong stench of blood, and charred and horrifying scent everywhere. Jingdou had fallen into chaos. Other than around the Royal Palace, no one knew where else there was killing and murdering. The faintly heard sounds of killing did not come to a halt.
The Second Prince furrowed his brows and gazed at the indistinct images at the top of the Palace walls. Lowering his voice, he quietly said, "They won't be able to hold it. We'll see how long they can last. Aunt organized the matters around the perimeter of Jingdou, and all of the messengers have been killed. It is impossible for aid to come. Given Fan Xian's personality, how could he resist so bravely knowing this is futile? Usually, he would have run away a long time ago."
Ye Zhong's armor was somewhat old. It shone with a dim light. This important Qing Kingdom military figure glanced at his son-in-law. His eyes flashed as he slowly said, "There are so many people in the Palace. How could he run?"
Anyone would have to admit that if Fan Xian, seeing that the situation was not good, led the Overwatch Council people in an escape, it would be difficult to dig him out again in Jingdou where hundreds of thousands of people lived, despite the number of soldiers under the Eldest Princess's command. Everyone acknowledged Fan Xian's power and skill in escaping.
Ye Zhong was silent for a moment and then said, "Since Fan Xian has not escaped, he must have something to rely on."
The Second Prince's expression calmed. He had listened to his aunt's suggestion and temporarily hid his wild ambitions, standing behind the Crown Prince waving his flag and shouting. The note in his heart had been played countless times. It was only that the situation at hand was not yet settled, so he wouldn't do anything too crazy. Particularly in comparison to the Crown Prince, he was more afraid of Fan Xian's existence.
Fan Xian's attack on the Second Prince had not been purely physical. He had also done a great deal of psychological damage. The Second Prince took a deep breath and said, "Fan Xian always brings out his trump card when people least expect it. I never underestimate him…"
Ye Zhong suddenly and coldly cut across his words, "We cannot continue to conserve our strength. The Great Prince is leading thousands of imperial soldiers and guarding the Palace to the death with the Overwatch Council helping in secret. Their strength is already much more than we originally imagined. If strict orders are not given to Taiping Square and it is allowed to drag on, it could cause problems."
The Second Prince slowly lowered his head and thought something over. This time, the Qin and Ye families had joined to form the rebel army to surround the Palace. In name, they all supported the Crown Prince's ascension. However, everyone knew, at least presently, that Dingzhou's Ye family belonged to him. Thus, the Ye family had not given their all in the numerous attacks since the morning. On Taiping Square, where the main attack was, they had also been particularly careful. They were worried they would suffer too much damage to their strength.
It was because of this that the rebel army's attacks appeared to be not connected enough. All of this made been implicitly consented to by the Second Prince.
Ye Zhong glanced at his son-in-law and said in a heavy voice, "I trust that Fan Xian had already noticed this. I think he will immediately use this to antagonize the relationship between you and the Crown Prince. I ask that you temporarily put aside your usual desires and first help the Crown Prince enter the Palace."
The Second Prince took in a deep breath. A warm smile rose to his face. He nodded and said, "You are right. We cannot give Fan Xian any opportunities. The distrust between the Crown Prince and myself will only make the three brothers in the Palace happy."
He turned his head to glance at Ye Zhong and said solemnly, "To have the Crown Prince and old Qin Master attack with an easy heart, I will go to the camp and ask if the Crown Prince has any orders."
Ye Zhong furrowed his brows slightly. He knew the Second Prince was going to use himself as a hostage. He would use his safety to ensure the unity and will of the tens of thousands of rebel soldiers and not give Fan Xian any opportunity.
"Too dangerous," The Commander of the Dingzhou army slowly closed his eyes and said. "As the Deputy, I should go to the central camp to receive the military orders. I will take a few trusted soldiers with me. The Dingzhou army will be left to you to manage. As for matters concerning the attack on the Palace, there will be orders from the central camp. There won't be a situation where it will be difficult to send out military orders."
The Second Prince said, with emotion and concern, "Father-in-law, be careful."
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Just as the Second Prince and Ye Zhong expected, Fan Xian saw that the Dingzhou troops were saving their strength. It was impossible for him to give up this opportunity to create division within their ranks. Standing on the Palace wall, he gazed in the direction of the rebel camp and once again began to call out to the Crown Prince.
At this time, the attacks at the foot of the walls were urgent. Drums sounded like thunder as the cries of killing rose up all around. Some of the rebel soldiers braved the dangers of arrows and rocks and began to climb toward the top of the wall. Even in such a tense moment and in such a brutal and dangerous environment, each of Fan Xian's words imprinted themselves clearly in the ears of all the rebel soldiers and generals of the Qin family.
He only called down to the bottom of the wall, "Old man Qin, you've lost so many people. Does it not hurt?"
Not one word mentioned the Ye family or Dingzhou army. Currently, bodies were spread out on the field. The charred remains of the rebel soldiers still emanated a vomiting-inducing smell. As long as one was not blind, one could see that in these waves of attack, the people who died were almost all soldiers of the Qin family or Jingdou Garrison. Dingzhou had not suffered many casualties.
After these words were said, the leaders in the central rebel camp paused. The Crown Prince laughed and said to the generals beside him, "Such juvenile attempt to create division. Only an idiot would believe it."
Even a blind person could hear Fan Xian's intention in his public provocation. Only an idiot would fall into his trap and begin to guess at each other's intentions. Although the Crown Prince and Second Prince had fought bitterly in court in the past, after experiencing the Dongshan incident and under the Eldest Princess's light touch and powerful suppression, they had no choice but to be bound closely together. Both of the Li princes were not idiots. They knew that in the present situation, they had to maintain an appearance of unity and cooperation.
No matter how simple a plan, once it is turned into direct speech and falls into someone's ears, it will have some effect on their emotions, particularly on the generals under the old Qin Master. Although they knew what effect that Fan Xian wanted to achieve, they still couldn't help but feel a glimmer of rage. Up until now, the Qin family had carried out most of the attacking while the Dingzhou army basically stood and watched coldly from the side. How could the Qin generals feel good about this?
After he stole the banner back, Gong Dian had been standing two spaces beside the Crown Prince. At this time, his expression became unnatural as if he felt a sliver of remorse. Everyone had seen the Dingzhou army's actions and knew that Ye Zhong and the Second Prince must have their own agenda. Although it wouldn't have any major effect on the current matter, the Qin Family had to be angry.
The Crown Prince glanced warmly at Gong Dian and said, "Fan Xian already knows that he is out of options. That is why he would take such a useless action. As they say, if you face strange things fearlessly, they will lose their strangeness. There are only those people in the Palace. With my army already here, as long as we don't fall into chaos, we will eventually succeed. I hope everyone will work hard."
"Yes, Your Highness." The generals around him all bowed uniformly. They knew what the Crown Prince said was the right way. One should engage in battle in an orthodox way and win through unorthodox means. If the right way was magnanimous and powerful, what need was there for unorthodox means?
The Crown Prince managed to shatter Fan Xian's words. The generals began to go about their work. The Crown Prince said something to the old Qin Master in a low voice. At the same time, he turned his gaze toward the top of the wall.
Suddenly, a fast rider with a banner arrived and announced in a high voice before everyone's gazes, "Deputy Commander Ye Zhong is here to ask for the Crown Prince's orders."
The Crown Prince's eyes lit up. To the side, the Old Qin Master suddenly opened his eyes wide. Cold light glinted within them, but he immediately calmed down. The main situation was already settled. The old Qin Master couldn't help but begin think of his only son, Qin Heng. Just what disaster had befallen him at Zhengyang Gate? Why had he still not returned? Although Ye Zhong had come abruptly, the old Qin Master was only slightly startled.
The old man guessed as to why Ye Zhong had come. He was not worried at all that Ye Zhong would steal any of the Qin family's military merit. What was known as "following the Emperor," the work the Qin family did to place the Crown Prince onto the throne was something impossible to ignore. As long as the Crown Prince took the throne and became Emperor, after the old Qin Master's death, there would still be at least decades of peace.
The Crown Prince's slight shock and surprise were because of other thoughts. He knew that Ye Zhong had come so that Fan Xian's words would not affect the major plan of calling on the soldiers. This show of respect to him and Ye Zhong's care toward the greater picture suggested a different light to the Crown Prince.
Fan Xian had placed the empress dowager and two others as idols at the top of the wall and had caused the Crown Prince and old Qin Master to engage in a vigorous conflict. In the end, the Crown Prince forcefully suppressed the ideas of the Qin generals. But, another idea grew in his heart—an idea Fan Xian wanted him to have.
A few days ago, the Crown Prince and empress dowager had discussed matters of death a number of times. They could never make up their minds as to whether or not to let the Qin family lead troops in Jingdou. They were afraid that in the future, the military would be a sole power. Seeing the situation now, the Crown Prince knew that in the end, he was not his father. His influence in the military was too weak. He had to find ways to equalize matters.
Ye Zhong's abrupt arrival gave the Crown Prince a sliver of hope. Ye Zhong was the Second Prince's father-in-law. Logically speaking, he should be the person the Crown Prince was most wary of. However, the Crown Prince did not believe the alliances in this world would continue on forever. Everything was related to loss and gain. It had nothing to do with feelings and family. He was the true Crown Prince and was about to take the throne. It would do the Ye family much more good to support him than the Second Prince.
He did not expect the Ye family would abruptly turn and support him. These were things that needed to be considered much later, but he had discovered their potential.
The Crown Prince thought bitterly in his heart as he looked at the group of people at the foot of the wall. They were all people who had turned against the Emperor and virtue. What was there that they wouldn't do?
Ye Zhong entered and bowed formally to the Crown Prince and reported the battle situation in Taiping Square. His trusted soldier had been kept away out of the camp. Although the Qin family would not guard against him, they would also not allow him to bring in his personal guards.
The old Qin Master narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded toward Ye Zhong in greeting. Ye Zhong's face was slightly dark. His expression was very composed.
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The attack on the palace continued. Arrows flew in all directions. The sounds of killing never stopped. The Imperial Army was already showing clear signs of loss. However, the Palace walls were tall and strong, and the Palace gates were blocked with rocks and mud. It could still hold out.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes as he watched the deaths happening in front of his eyes. No one knew how he felt in his heart. The Great Prince had already tidied his light armor and taken the sword at his waist down before accepting, from his personal guard, the long knife he used on the battlefield. He passed silently behind Fan Xian, who suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled on his arm. In a low voice, he said, "Let me go instead."
"I admit that you are more powerful but leading soldiers in an attack is not the same as one person carrying out an assassination," the Great Prince furrowed his brows and said. "It is better if I did such things. You watch the top of the wall. I'm putting my mother's life in your hands."
Fan Xian was silent. He knew that he wouldn't be able to convince his brother that was about to leave.
The Great Prince looked at him and suddenly said, "I wonder if I've gone crazy to take a few hundred people to charge a camp without even knowing anything…" He laughed bitterly and spat on the ground. "After I die, if you can get out, remember to burn some paper money for me every year."
Fan Xian smiled roughly. He knew the Li family's tradition was to burn paper money. Hearing these words, he couldn't help but pat the Great Prince's shoulder. We wasn't able to say anything. A moment later he could only squeeze out, "Brother, be careful."
Hearing the word "brother,, the Great Prince laughed loudly and said, "Having you recognize me as your brother right before I die is not bad."
The Great Prince knew Fan Xian didn't even want to recognize the Emperor as his father, yet he was willing to recognize him as brother. There had to be some true feelings there.
Fan Xian turned his head and watched the gradually retreating Great Prince and ready and waiting members of the imperial army who dared to die. He watched them gently stroking the last 200 warhorses in the Royal Palace. His gaze gradually became soft. He knew that if he lost this gamble, he may still have a chance to turn things around for himself. For these people, as well as most of the people in the Palace, they would pay with their lives for his gamble.
If you all die, I will use years to kill everyone in the Li family in revenge for you all.
Fan Xian's gaze slowly swept over the top of the walls and across the foot of the walls, past the imperial soldiers who were bravely resisting the rebel soldiers. He saw the Overwatch Council officials responsible for communications standing guard near the city guarding crossbows. He saw the scholars Hu and Shu, who stood resolutely at the front of the Palace despite their pale faces.
Shu Wu's white beard floated messily in the wind. Fan Xian's heart dimmed slightly. He didn't know if this was the last time he would see these people's lively faces.
He lowered his head and said some things to the Third Prince. He then clapped his hands and flipped up to stand on the three coffins.
The autumn sun was nearing noon, but it was abruptly blocked by a patch of dark clouds. The three coffins on the Palace walls became completely black. Fan Xian's body also became black as he calmly stood on top. He welcomed the slightly cold wind as he looked at the distressing sight.
Everyone up and down the Royal Palace saw this sight. The hot-blooded soldiers did not have the attention to spare to watch. The people in the rebel camp saw the black-clothed man welcoming the wind on the top of the walls and involuntarily felt a chill in their hearts.
From the beginning of the battle until now, Fan Xian's little tricks had not had any major effect. After Ye Zhong met with the Crown Prince, there was finally some small changes in the rebel camp. The entire camp began to slowly and methodically change their array.
The Dingzhou army had to take some of the responsibility of rebellion from the Qin family. This was what Fan Xian wanted to see. He watched this and found that although the Qing army was well trained, the Ye and Qin families rarely worked together. During the exchange, a number of holes finally opened up along their entire battle line.
The Dingzhou army was not yet completely in position, while the Qin family was still in the middle section. It was only in the spider web-like streets to the upper left that they left open some holes.
Fan Xian didn't have much experience in military matters, but he knew that it was impossible for him to use those loopholes. He could only pray silently in his heart that the good luck that had accompanied him for 20 years would show itself brilliantly right now.
It was as if there was a will of heaven in the unseen spirit world while the will of heaven listened to the prayers in Fan Xian's heart. In the chaos of the rebel soldiers changing array, the sound of urgent and deadly horse hooves finally came from the gap in that street.
Fan Xian's attention peaked. He gazed in that direction. His eyes immediately froze over.
They were not relief troops. It was Qin Heng.
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After experiencing the brutal killing outside Zhengyang Gate, Qin Heng, the general who had personally experienced the Nanzhao battles and was a descendant of a family of generals, finally managed to break through the Overwatch Council and imperial soldiers united attack with his 5,000 riders. After being an hour late, he finally reached the Royal Palace.
In a moment, one could see that Qin Heng and his subordinates had already charged into the street. Seeing the blood and wounds on the riders' bodies and the 3,000 riders left, one could imagine how tragically the killing was at Zhengyang Gate.
The tip of Fan Xian's heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle. He knew that his most loyal Overwatch Council subordinates had probably suffered great losses at Zhengyang Gate. No one knew how many were killed or injured. As for the imperial army group that the Great Prince had sent out, they had probably all died.
A bitter stench of blood rolled over between his lips and tongue. After coughing, Fan Xian stared at them with bloodshot eyes. He knew that while the Tyrannical ephedra pill forcefully raised cultivation, it also deeply hurt his heart meridian.
He only stared at the gap. Looking at the riders Qin Heng led, they appeared among the people with dust and traces of blood.
"Go."
He covered his bleeding lip and spoke unclearly. Although the order was unclear and his voice was low, the member of the Qinian Unit who had been waiting at his side did not hesitate. He raised his right arm and pulled with force. The signal rocket shot into the sky and exploded into a beautiful firework in the dark, heavy sky.
From the previous night until now, this was the second firework in Jingdou.
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After the signal went off, waves of strange noises came from the private residences behind the square in front of the Royal Palace, attracting the attention of many people. From the middle lane of the three rows of streets in the upper left, there suddenly rang out the sound of urgent hooves.
Qin Heng's riders had arrived, so where was this sound coming from? Who did these determined and urgent hoof beats, which seemed to be moving even faster and filled with more killing intent than the Qin family's blood-soaked rider, belong to?
Like two gusts of winds destined to meet, the riders following these two roads broke into the square in front of the Royal Palace at the same time. They finally met at the crossing of the two streets. They then violently and abruptly crashed together.
There were not many riders in this group that hid in the dark, but they had a different manner than the Qing troops. Not only was there a killing intent, there was also a darkness that was extremely cold. Their entire bodies were covered in black armor. It was as if not a glimmer of light could reflect back. It was a rich black that was absolute darkness.
The Black Knights of the Overwatch Council were rumored to be the most powerful riders in the world. Not many people had seen the way they do battle or their massive strength. In the internal military departs, there were many people who expressed a disdainful appearance toward the Black Knights. They believed Chen Pingping was only an old dog, so how could he train iron-blooded riders?
This mysterious Black Knights group finally clashed against the elite of Qing Kingdom's cavalry. They used a blood reality to tell everyone that when it came to riding, the Black Knights would always be the strongest.
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The abrupt appearance of the Black Riders was out of everyone's expectation. With a flash of excitement running through his rising eyes, the old Qin Master found a problem at the first instance. A cold light flashed once again through his eyes.
No one knew how Fan Xian hid this cavalry in the continuous residents behind the rebel soldiers or how this silent and completely black group of riders managed to do it without a single sound.
Qin Heng led his riders quickly past the opening of the street. He then saw a terrifying black shadow coming toward him from another path.
There were not enough riders in this group. There were only around 200 people. If the Great Prince was still on top of the Palace walls at this time, he would definitely have guessed that this was the group Fan Xian had moved out of the Palace that was led by the Deputy Commander of the Black Knights, Jing Ge, who had disappeared without a trace for a long time.
Although there were only 200 people, this group of Black Riders were like 2,000 people or a single giant entity fighting. The general in the lead wore a silver mask and held a long spear tightly. He was like the sharpest point on a knife blade. With remarkable speed, he charged forward to the very front.
The riders behind him were like the sharp edge of the dagger and solid knife blade, maintaining a tight formation. They followed tightly behind the silver-masked Jing Ge with remarkable riding skill. They pierced viciously into the front of Qin Heng's 3,000 riders.
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Challenging 3,000 with 200, only the Overwatch Council would have such determination and boldness. Dozens of years ago, the previous Black Riders had once, under Chen Pingping's leadership, attacked toward the North 3,000 li. Deep into the territory of Wei Kingdom, they captured alive the Commander of the Red Riders, Xiao En, and managed to retreat completely.
The Black Knights could surprise attack over 3,000 li, so this 900 meters was no challenge. Only those who remembered history clearly knew that the Black Riders were the most powerful riders and why the Qing Emperor had always forcefully ordered Chen Pingping to keep the number of Black Riders to within a 1,000 people.
The black-clothed Fan Xian stood on the black-colored coffins looking at his black colored riders carrying out a surprise attack in the dark. His lips were dry. He didn't say a word. He knew that the counter-attack would start. The Black Knights surprise attack was the prologue to his gamble.
Chapter 561: Jing Ge Assassinates Qin
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
At the T-shaped intersection, the two groups of riders whirled out of their own streets and ruthlessly crashed together in the opening at the northwest corner of the square.
The Black Riders were in full armor and rode forward at a high speed. They held their reins with one hand. In their other hands they held a crossbow. In the split second before the crash, before anyone could react, they pulled the triggers.
Qing Kingdom's troops were skilled in the art of riding and shooting. In a forward charge like this, they were used to spears. Almost no one used crossbows to carry out a vanguard charge because of their weight With such a short distance to charge, if one's movement was a little bit slow, the two sides would crash before the arrow could be fired.
However, the Black Knights were not like others. From the day they entered the Overwatch Council, they had developed the habit of holding the crossbow steadily with one hand. The almost 1,000 Overwatch Council Black Knights were just a large collective weapon of assassination.
Arrows whistled through the air. In this short distance, hundreds of sharp and poison-tipped arrows fired out together. They didn't give the riders suddenly appearing below Zhengyang Gate any chance to resist.
After a number of thuds, countless riders of the forward camp were hit with arrows and fell wretchedly from their horses. Some managed to stay on their horses and pulled out knives to chop down at the bodies of the rapidly approaching riders with a wild cry.
The Black Knights abandoned their crossbows and pulled out knives from under their saddles. Turning their hand, a flash of snow-white light chopped off the riders' heads.
The 200 Black Knights performed this action simultaneously. They abandoned their crossbows cleanly and pulled out their knives with great conviction. When they sliced down, it was a hair-raising experience. With 200 people neatly and tidily performed a difficult attack procedure. It carried with it a beauty to the battlefield.
On one side were the large group of rebel soldiers. They had been bitterly ambushed outside Zhengyang Gate and fought for a long time with over a thousand Overwatch Council officials and imperial soldiers before they finally opened up a path and arrived with great difficulty in front of the Royal Palace. On the other side were the mysterious Black Knights. They had honed their strength and were just waiting for the Commissioner's command before striking out with the Overwatch Council's strongest power.
The power, energy, and stamina of both sides had been roughly the same. Because of the current situation, the difference between them had abruptly stretched to a size that was unsustainable on a battlefield.
The 200 Black Knights were like a heated knife, slicing sharply through the majority of the Qin army. They easily and happily left a giant opening through the riders that had reached deep into the square in front of the Royal Palace. Following the countless spurts of fresh blood and heads falling from the back of horses, the Black Knights successfully cut off the Qin family's army. They separated Qin Heng, along with 300 riders from the main army, forcing them to become an isolated branch.
The Black Knights had superb riding skills and successfully turned the situation around quickly. The entire group suddenly spread out. The riders at the front pulled their reins toward the right and, relying on their remarkable speed and charging power, they blockaded the main troop behind them.
The remaining 100 or so Black Knights went left. Like a pack of wolves, they quickly picked out their targets and went toward the vanguard where Qin Heng was. They stuck together closely and used the knives in their hands to tear and kill.
In an instant, the vanguard suffered great injuries and casualties. The riders in the back were shocked into chaos by this lightning strike and momentarily unable to charge forward in rescue. Although there were many rebel soldiers on the field, they were separated by some distance. The rebel soldiers were changing their formation, so the situation was messy. Looking at the Black Knights' lightning speed charge, no one knew whether or not the Black Knights would kill all these hundreds of riders once the main troop surrounded them.
Horses' hooves thundered. The horses below the Black Knights struggled forward silently. The horses below the Qin riders gave mournful cries and bolted wildly, just like their riders' present state of minds. The speed at which the Black Knights gave chase was too fast.
The old Qin Master and Ye Zhong had come to their senses long ago and ordered the rebel soldiers below to gather quickly at the gap in the northwest direction. It was imperative they met up with Qin Heng before the Black Knights succeeded.
If the tens of thousands of rebel soldiers joined together successfully, the Black Knights would be dead regardless of how powerful they were. Even if the Black Knights successfully followed Fan Xian's orders to kill Qin Heng, it might still be a dead end for them. However, the Black Knights, with Jing Ge at the head, seemed to have forgotten this one thing. In the eyes of the tens of thousands of people and encircled by tens of thousands of rebels, the Black Knights were brave and reckless enough to arrogantly chase after the tail of Qin Heng's camp.
Dust rose gradually. A hundred Black Knights chased hundreds of elite Qin soldiers under the eyes of tens of thousands of rebel soldiers. This kind of determined posture, wild and reckless attitude, and fear-inducing sight would be forever frozen in their memories.
A dust dragon and hundreds of riders in a mindless pursuit entered into the center of the court.
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Qin Heng was not a weak man. Otherwise, he would not have been able to become the second youngest Commander of the Jingdou Garrison after Ye Zhong when he was only 30-something. And, he wouldn't have become a Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs at such a young age. He was skilled in leading troops. His reactions were quick.
When the shadow of the Black Knights had appeared in the corner of his vision, he had immediately come to a decision and carried out the first head-on attack. As long as they could stand against the first wave and the main group caught up in the back, the oppositions mere 200 or so riders would not be able to have any effect.
However, the current battle in Jingdou was completely different from the killings on the battlefield. The street battle by Zhengyang Gate was very different from the street battles described in military books. Qin Heng had never thought the Overwatch Council, a department that carried out assassinations based on intelligence reports, would be able to demonstrate such explosive might in a street battle. The Qin cavalry took heavy casualties and burned through too much morale and stamina.
Most importantly, Qin Heng never thought that a mere 200 black-armored riders would have such powerful strength, quick charging power, and cold methods of killing.
He could never have expected that the 500 vanguard riders would not be able to stand against the first wave of the enemies attack, which he forcefully split into two.
Qin Heng's heart was chilled, but his reaction was remarkably quick. Whipping his horse, he didn't stay where he was to face the Black Knights. Instead, he increased his speed and led his riders toward the center of the square. All around were rebel soldiers. As long as they joined them, the Black Riders could only wait for their death.
He had to do it as quickly as possible.
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Qin Heng's reaction was remarkably fast. Additionally, the Qin riders' training was very effective. Although they were chased wildly by the Black Knights, who were like wolves, the vanguard riders still successfully escaped from the T-shaped intersection to the square.
However, the Black Knights were even faster and more ruthless. They weren't left behind at all. The Black Knight leader with the silver mask charged in from the side and was only three horse-lengths away from Qin Heng.
An icy light flashed through Qin Heng's eyes. The enemy actually dared to follow him deep into the rebel army. This leader was willing to risk death to kill him. Although the courage of the Black Knights had caught him by surprise, he knew the Black Knights' surprise had failed. He knew his father would not just watch him die. Plus, the rebel army's aide had already arrived.
The rebel army's camp change was half done when they realized Qin Heng had sunk into great danger. Naturally, they sent out two large groups forward to provide help. At the same time, they attempted to wipe out the Black Knights, who seemed to have suddenly fallen down from heaven. The two large groups were still some distance from the dust dragon. Since most of them were infantry, how could they catch up to the Black Knights' surprise attack and Qin Heng's remarkable speed as he ran for his life?
Suddenly, a formidable order rang out from the rebel army camp, "Release!"
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There were idols on the Palace walls, so the rain of arrows did not have the glory of falling there. The shocking and startling sight in the square had no effect on the old Qin Master's determination. Following this order, countless arrows flew toward where the dust dragon was.
The sound of arrows flying through the air rang out densely and covered a wide area, completely enveloping the riders who were struggling for their lives. They completely disregarded the fact that the people the Black Knights were chasing down were riders of their family.
Qin Heng had long guessed that his father never had any hesitation on the battlefield. He also knew that this rain of arrows would come. His face was ashen. his high-speed riding caused his lips to turn white. Before this rain of arrows arrived, he had turned and shot toward the rear of his steed.
The merciless arrows pierced into everyone's body, splitting open the fast-moving riders. The rotating arrowheads tore through the riders' light armor, wormed into fragile flesh, and pierced into their organs and bones.
In an instant, the fast-moving riders on both sides were attacked by the rain of arrows at the same time. They all fell from their horses to the ground, splitting bone from flesh. Muffled cries rang out continuously.
At such a moment, both the Qin family's cavalry and Overwatch Council's Black Knights met with the same wretched fate.
Although the Black Knights' armor was specially made by the Second Workshop in the palace treasury with lightweight, superior quality materials, they still suffered heavy casualties under this rain of arrows. The cavalry that belonged to the Qin family suffered even more of a disaster.
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The Crown Prince abruptly turned his head. He looked with disbelief at the old Qin Master. He did not understand why he would give such a horrifying order. Was he not worried about Qin Heng's life? These 200 Black Knights would not be able to cause any major destruction. Was he not worried that this indiscriminate rain of arrows would cause instability in the army?
The old Qin Master narrowed his eyes. An icy light shone out from the two slights. Of all the people present, only he knew the exact purpose of this group of Black Knights. Only he knew that if these Black Knights were allowed to continue, the vanguard led by Qin Heng would have no chance of escaping before the rebel army's backup arrived.
He knew the power of the Black Knights. He believed that Fan Xian's arrangement under Zhengyang Gate and the ambush of Black Knights were all for the words he had said earlier on the top of the Palace walls that had caused him great rage.
"I'll make sure the Qin family has no heirs and your bloodline ends!"
The old Qin Master was a ruthless man. Since Fan Xian wanted him to have no heirs, he would rather take action himself than watch pathetically as his son was killed by someone Fan Xian arranged. Besides, his son would not die so easily.
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Qin Heng didn't die. His steed was shot full of arrows. After two mournful neighs, it fell heavily toward the ground. Although his forward roll off his falling horse caused him to crash heavily into the ground, sending sparks from his armor up due to the friction against the ground, he was prepared. He had already mitigated a large amount of the force. Because of the cover his steed provided, he was not hit by an arrow.
There was only one wave of arrows. Immediately after, they stopped. Most of the riders chasing or being chased had fallen into puddles of blood. Although there were more Black Knights who survived, they had lost their steeds and suffered injuries of varying severity. However, they did not startle in fright. They continued to raise their knives and began to kill the Qin riders who had fallen beside them.
At this time, Qin Heng had already stood up. The backup rebel soldiers around him quickly came close.
Jing Ge, this silver-masked Deputy Commander of the Black Knights, had become the focal point of the Black Knights from the beginning of the battle. With the most determined attitude and fastest speed, he locked his eyes on Qin Heng and did not allow him to leave his line of sight.
When the rain of arrows fell, Jing Ge and his steed were also brutally attacked. An arrow just happened to pierce through the armor on his body and entered his left arm. A dribble of blood seeped out. The front legs of the horse below him weakened and silently fell toward the ground.
He tapped his foot heavily against the saddle and leaped out like a wolf king the moment before the rain of arrows stopped with a long black spear in his hand. With a bloodthirstiness he had hidden for many years, he was unstoppable.
Nine meters of distance disappeared in an instant. Qin Heng had just pulled his thigh out from under his horse and was rising to his feet with difficulty. Looking strong and spirited, he was actually exhausted to the extreme. With the stern and murderous black spear pointed toward him, it seemed that he could only wait for death.
No one expected for Qin Heng's exhausted-looking body to suddenly gain new energy. They only heard him give a wild cry. He had already drawn out his sword before he turned. His entire body spun quickly and, like a shadow, he brushed past the ruthless black shadow of the spear with great craftiness.
Jing Ge struck out with all his strength and could not have expected for his opponent to have such a remarkable ability to counter his attack. All his energy and spirit was concentrated on this attack. The point of his spear landed in the air and pierced ruthlessly into the stone pavement beside Qin Heng. With a dink, the stone pavement was shattered into countless pieces.
Qin Heng's body continued to spin. In a moment, he came closer to Jing Ge's body. With a cold huff, his left arm struck out. The blade of the sword in his hand swung toward Jing Ge's neck.
A flash, a spin, and a strike. The three strikes were executed cleanly and continuously. They were also demonstrated on such a complex battlefield situation. Qin Heng was indeed valiant. It was no wonder the old Qin Master had so much confidence in him and allowed him to meet Jing Ge's sudden assassination alone.
At such a close distance and with such a powerful strike, even Fan Xian would find it difficult to block. Jing Ge was probably dead for sure.
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In the midst of this terrifying killing attempt, the rebel army's attack on the Palace walls did not stop. The heavy carriages used to break down the gates still did not know of exhaustion and were not fearful of falling rocks or burning fire. It continued to crash into the three gates with a giant crash. Periodically, it would echo below the walls. It sounded like a shocking drumbeat.
In the last moment of the strange killing on the square, when Qin Heng's sword was only six centimeters from Jing Ge's throat, a shocking change happened to the attack on the gates.
With a giant crash, the thick middle gate was charged open.
None of the rebel soldiers believed their eyes. Immediately after, a crazed joy and excitement took over.
At this time, the Black Knights had already fallen, General Jing Ge was dead, and the gates were open. The scales of victory had tipped.
Seeing this sight, the Crown Prince's attention was roused. Glancing at the old Qin Master and Ye Zhong at his side, he took a deep breath and said, "Attack with full strength!"
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Fan Xian stood on top of the black coffins and gently used the tip of his foot to tap out a rhythm no one could understand. Looking at the fatal change that happened in an instant on the walls, he still did not decisively kick open the coffin and take out the assault rifle inside.
Since he was standing taller than anyone, just as Chen Pingping had once taught him, he could see further than anyone. He could see details that had not been noticed by others.
He could see the Dingzhou generals, who were still stopped in the west rebel army camp, discussing something with the Second Prince. Gradually, they leaned closer and kept the Second Prince's trusted aides on the outside.
He saw Ye Zhong's calm as usual face beside the Crown Prince's face, which was showing joy for the first time, while Gong Dian had fallen back one position. In the process of the rebel army changing camps, in the chaos that rescuing Qin Heng had caused, the Dingzhou troops and army had gradually swapped situations. Although it was slight, it was particularly eye-catching to Fan Xian perched up high
If a complicated scenario was made up of countless pictures, then these pictures were undergoing a mysterious change in Fan Xian's eyes. He knew that the success and failure of his gambling depended on the change in these pictures.
He tightly bound the Wei Kingdom's Emperor's sword on his back. His hand pulled on the chain the Third Bureau had prepared for him last year. Glancing at the direction of the city guarding crossbow, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Get ready."
Then, he tapped the coffin with the tip of his foot, thinking that he wouldn't need it today.
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The change in the situation happened in the next moment. The change this time would determine Qing Kingdom's future. It was guaranteed to have content that future young historians with a conscience would discuss enthusiastically.
The first change in the situation was that Jing Ge, who was about to face his death, lowered his head the moment before the blade of Qin Heng's sword reached his neck.
It appeared to be simple but was actually very difficult. He did it so naturally and quickly that it seemed like he already knew where Qin Heng's sword would come from and where it would go.
It was the gentleness of that movement that caused Qin Heng's killing strike to run across Jing Ge's silver mask and send up a line of sparks. But, it did not slice across his neck.
Unexpectedly, the spear Jing Ge seemed to have poured all his spirit into, which had struck air and split open the stone pavement, seemed to have a life of its own and quickly bounced back. Moving along the emptiness between his finger and thumb, it bounced back with a dink.
Jing Ge's hand tightly grasped the spear six centimeters below the blade and thrust it upward with force.
All of this happened quickly. The silver mask on Jing Ge's face flew with sparks while the point of the spear in his hand had already pierced toward Qin Heng's chin.
With a crack, the sharp spear pierced into Qin Heng's brain from below his chin. Fresh blood spurted out. Qin Heng's body froze and softened, dying instantly.
Jing Ge held the shaft of the spear tightly and lifted Qin Heng's body on the tip.
With a crisp sound, Jing Ge's silver mast was cut in half and slid to the ground, revealing his true appearance. It revealed the face Fan Xian had long wanted to see. The face that had been hidden under a silver mask ever since Chen Pingping had raised him out from the dark prison and he had become a member of the Black Knights.
This face appeared delicate but from his left ear to his right ear, it had been split open by some unknown sharp object. It was an old wound, but it still appeared terrifying. One could imagine what kind of injury he had once sustained.
The wound was very large, revealing the bone and teeth within and appearing particularly horrifying. Although Qin Heng's strike earlier had been blocked by his silver mask, the sword intent had still pierced through and split open his old wound. Fresh blood flowed out, appearing even more malevolent.
The entire square was silent as everyone stared in shock. They looked at the fierce leader of the Black Knights using the spear in his hand to lift up the old Qin Master's only son and involuntarily thought of Fan Xian's curse to end the Qin family's bloodline.
Fresh blood dripped down from Qin Heng's throat along his sword and onto Jing Ge's hand, making everything slippery. Jing Ge was silent. He was thinking that his brother had once used this move and wrecked his face. These years, his hatred toward the Qin family forced him to wear a silver mask. He constantly watched the Qin family's movements on the battlefield. Today, you still used this move and died in my hands, so don't cry out in grievance!
Jing Ge raised Qin Heng's body and looked at where the old Qin Master was in the rebel camp. He roared in a stern voice, "I am Jing Ge!"
"Qing Ye! You killed my entire family, so I will kill your entire family!"
Chapter 562: Killing Qin
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On Jing Ge's spear was Qin Heng's bloody and dripping body. Jing Ge's chest was flooded with the joy of revenge. He gave a shout while surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers. He had finally avenged his family. After hiding in the darkness for so many years, he had finally avenged them.
Outside Jiaozhou, he had, for the first time, told Fan Xian about his past. Half a year later, Fan Xian had gently promised that he would give him a chance for revenge. Jing Ge didn't know what power Sir Fan junior had to help him achieve his desire, but his wish had finally become reality.
Boundless joy and murderous intent made Jing Ge laugh. The wretched wound between his ears split open like a clown's mouth. It opened larger than usual and looked unusually horrifying. It was also unusually mournful as tears slid down his face like rain.
The people who saw this sight felt a chill rise from the depths of their hearts. On the horse, the old Qin Master's heart felt like it was being torn apart. His eyes darkened, but he valiantly sat up straight on his horse. He didn't let anyone discover that he was close to being unable to endure the mental anguish.
The old Qin Master's face was pale. is white hair flew wildly. Looking at his only son stabbed by the spear of that strange Black Knight, he didn't say a single word.
At this time, a second event slowly changed the picture below the Palace walls like a hidden current. It was as if a master painter had recklessly scattered tens of thousands of red spots on an ink painting of mountains and autumn scenes. Immediately, countless wildflowers sprouted up in the mountains. The somber scene suddenly became a beautiful and bountiful harvest.
The main gate had been crashed open by the rebel army's heavy carriages. The rebel soldiers were cheering loudly as they charged in. However, a large knife dropped down from the gate. It brought with it an icy light and a streak of blood. A number of heads fell to the ground.
The large knife moved again. In the icy light, the Great Prince rode out in full armor with an unstoppable aura like a god. Bounding out of the gate, he cut open a blood path.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! The rebel soldiers in the vanguard had their limbs broken and heads sliced off. The Great Prince gave a great roar and, with the long knife in his hand, he led the 200 imperial soldiers behind him out in a sudden attack. Unexpected by everyone, the moment the gates were broken through, they stole the initiative and charged out to attack first. Thus began the true first attack by the people in the Royal Palace.
The thunder of hooves rang out. Although only a small path was cleared from the rocks and mud inside the Palace, it did not obstruct the speed of the Great Prince's counterattack. The 200 soldiers rode out quickly, relying on the speed of their attack and first-rate riding skills. They were like a knife through tofu, opening up a large gap in the rebel army's vanguard. No one could stand in the direction of the icy light. Those who dared all became bodies on the ground and dismembered limbs.
In just a moment, the imperial soldiers had charged forward almost 60 meters from the wide open gates. Like a stream of mercury, they could not be stopped.
The rebel soldiers increased their speed as they charged toward the broken gate. Dense, like a flock of locusts, they made one shiver in fear.
Although the 200 imperial soldiers were powerful, in front of such a powerful rebel army, they looked as slender as a silver thread.
The Great Prince was not afraid. Since he had put his trust in Fan Xian, he gave no thought to his life and death. He charged quickly and flipped his wrist. The large knife drew an arc through the air and chopped straight down to his right and forward. With a crisp crack, the short spear in a rebel officers hand split open.
The large knife chopped into the officer's shoulder. The Great Prince furrowed his brows with a muffled huff. Generating strength from his core, he dragged his arm. With a thud, the blade of the knife broke through the body and exited, immediately slicing the officer's body into two.
The Great Prince bent his body forward and dodged a sharp spear that passed by his face. The large knife in his hand dragged behind him and spun around his waist. Using the powerful strength of his arms, he hacked in a slant. The large knife whistled desolately through the air and forcefully sent the head of the rebel soldier to his left flying away.
With a gentle slapping sound, countless drops of blood splattered onto the Great Prince's silver armor. The long knife in his hand was stained with thick blood. Following the imperial soldiers desperate surprise attack, there was a line of blood that looked unusually startling and beautiful.
The helmet pressed down on the Great Prince's sword-like brows as a wildfire burned in his eyes. Brave and unstoppable, he led his troops forward, charging toward the rebel camp in the distance. Along the way, no one knew how many obstacles and killings there would be. Perhaps he would never arrive in front of Li Chengqian, but he still had to charge.
He was the Commander of Qing Kingdom's Western Expedition Army. The only person among the royal family who had battlefield experience. Even though he didn't understand Fan Xian's intentions, since he had accepted this order, he would see it through to the end.
He was not a martial ace, but he was a brave general in an army. The attack and defense in the Jingdou battle did not demonstrate his skill in command on the wild battlegrounds. The Great Prince had never feared charging forward and breaking through enemy lines. The cavalry battles on the battlefield were completely different to a duel between aces. Courage was the most important thing. His he courage was without question. The heart he had already pledged was raised with a peak condition.
As the mixed child of Dongyi and the Southern Kingdom, in some ways he was not liked by the Emperor. However, he had great depths of emotion for this land.
A silent arrow flew toward him. He swatted it aside with the tip of his sword, but it forced his body to pause. A few wounds opened up on his body from the countless spears rebel soldiers stabbed in his direction from below his horse. Fortunately, the horse was moving quickly, so he didn't fall into a trap. Instead, he slaughtered open a path and continued charging toward the rebel camp.
They were still very far away, but these 200 imperial soldiers gave one the feeling that they would arrive in front of the Crown Prince in the next instant.
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Fan Xian stood on the black coffins and nervously watched everything that happened below. When the Great Prince charged out of the gates and into his field of vision, he immediately gave the order.
"Clear the road for His Highness!"
There were not many imperial soldiers or Overwatch Council officials left on the walls. Most of them were doing their best to defend against the rebel soldiers attempting to scale the walls with ladders. Relying on two hours of preparation early in the morning, there had yet to be one rebel soldier that managed to climb over the wall.
However, they had long been given military orders. Although they were secretly afraid in their hearts, they followed Fan Xian's orders without hesitation. Leaving the area of the walls they were guarding, they quickly gathered in the middle to fire the few arrows left in their hands without any reluctance.
The arrows gathered together and fell like rain. They all landed on the path ahead of the Great Prince and group of imperial soldiers and on the head of rebel soldiers. They immediately did a great deal of damage. It also slightly reduced the obstacles in the path of the Great Prince's attack.
However, the defenses in the other areas of the Royal Palace became weak. Without the defense of arrows, the rebel soldiers on the scaling ladders seemed like they had taken stimulants and were bravely climbing upward. It looked like they were about to surmount the Palace.
The imperial soldiers desperately pulled at their bowstrings, completely unable to feel the pain in their arms. Blood splattered out from the bowstrings. By order of Duke Fan, they were to use the bows and arrows in their hands to open a path for the prince, but what about the rebel soldiers scaling the walls? But, the prince was leading 200 of their brothers toward the rebel soldiers. If their firing slowed down slightly and the prince was injured, what then? Fear, unease, courage, and various other emotions rolled around in the hearts of the soldiers on the walls.
The rebel soldiers had already mounted the walls via the scaling ladders. Although not many people made it, the Qin family's soldiers were all brave. After stabilizing their position with great difficulty, they began to expand their territory and open up the way for the rebel soldiers behind. However, 200 imperial soldiers had already charged out of the palace gate below. The rebel soldiers were unable to restrain them, so they entered through the broken gates and fought with the remaining defensive power left in the Palace.
It looked like the Royal Palace was about to fall at any moment, but the Great Prince was still charging and killing the rebels below the walls.
Two sets of buzzing sounds rang out. The two giant city guarding crossbows, which had been paused for a while, finally began to fire again. This time, the firing was not targeted at the heavy carriages used to break down the gate or the three-story carriage being transported over to surmount the walls. Under Fan Xian's powerful request, the arrows landed among the rebel soldiers in front of the path the Great Prince was charging along.
The giant arrows landed and pierced through the bodies of countless rebel soldiers, sending up mists of blood. They pierced repeatedly through the stone pavements, while some bounced up again. The heavy weight and powerful striking force were enough to crush a few people to death.
The abrupt and powerful rain of arrows, and the mighty and terrifying crossbow, greatly aided the Great Prince's attack. It opened a blood path right through the rebel soldiers. The Great Prince moved like a silver thread along this blood path, bravely charging toward the rebel camp.
The rebel army clearly had the advantage of numbers. Looking at the Great Prince's handsome and heroic posture on his horse, one felt fear in their hearts without reason. The Qing army valued battle merit above all else. Everyone knew that during these years, it was the Great Prince who led the army to fight in the West with the Hu people without having tasted defeat even once. He had achieved great military merit and was a famous general in the army.
With a famous general leading the attack, the pressure it formed and the power of the attack were not something normal people who oppose.
Fan Xian looked at this impressive sight and took a deep breath. The two slow cycles moving through his body picked up speed. Slowly shedding the layer of Tianyi Dao zhenqi on the meridians in his body, it allowed the ruthless Tyrannical zhenqi to circulate powerfully through his body.
His eyes grew more and more bloodshot as the effect of the medicine reached its peak. He held tightly to the hook and chain in his hand, waiting for the sound of the last arrow.
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Jing Ge was surrounded by the rebel soldiers who first arrived. The old Qin Master withdrew his gaze coldly and turned it toward the disturbance far away. He knew the Great Prince had led soldiers in a counterattack. He knew how wild and heroic the Great Prince's battle style was. If the opposition had 3,000 riders at his command, perhaps the old Qin Master would temporarily avoid their blades. At this time, the rebel soldiers' victory was already decided. The gates in the wall had caved in. At such a key moment, it was clear the old Qin master would not retreat a single step.
This was a natural instinct formed from spending decades on a battlefield. However, seeing the Great Prince's blood covered heroic pose, he thought of his only son's tragic death. The old Qin Master suddenly felt that he was already old. He was so old that he was about to smell the scent of death. The pain he had long hidden deeply in his heart made him make a wrong decision after a moment a hesitation.
"This is the enemy's last desperate counterattack, do not underestimate it," the old Qin Master coughed and said to his trusted general. "Take the Crown Prince to the rear of the camp."
The Crown Prince glanced at the old Qin Master. He didn't want to retreat. As the Crown Prince did not know anything about the military or wish to disturb the old Qin Master's arrangement of the soldiers, he could only leave silently.
With the Great Prince's last counterattack, he chose to be as immovable as a mountain. This was the best decision. However, personally witnessing his only son's tragic end still made him a bit more on conservative. He had the family general lead the Crown Prince away from the Great Prince's counterattack. Thus, he would have eight Qin family generals at his side.
Perhaps as a ninth-level ace, the old Qin Master didn't care about much.
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But, Fan Xian cared.
The massive city guarding crossbow finally exhausted all of its arrows while the Imperial Army's rain of arrows also became more sparse. The imperial soldiers the Great Prince led were still unable to break into the rebel army's camp after paying a terrible price.
Perhaps miracles could happen on the battlefield, but wanting to use 200 cavalry to carry out a successful counterattack was not called a miracle. It was called delusional. The Great Prince's blood-soaked battle had already cleared out a long and bloody path. His valiant battlefield capabilities had scared countless rebel soldiers witless.
At this time, the Royal Palace was about to be taken, the Great Prince was surrounded, and the remaining Black Knights and Jing Ge were surrounded. The big picture was set. Even the sound of the last city guarding crossbow firing sounded different than the dozen arrows earlier. It shot out, making a tragic whimper.
After this final arrow was fired, the two city guarding crossbows fell silent. Everyone seemed to be able to clearly hear the sorrowful sound the arrow made. No one noticed this arrow's path of flight was completely different from the trajectory of the arrows earlier, which had helped the Great Prince clear the road.
This arrow shot out slanted and swept over the heads of all the rebel soldiers and didn't cause any harm. It only slowly burned through its energy in the air. After flying a very long distance, it finally landed heavily right in front of the rebel army camp.
Although the arrow had traveled far, such firing was not a threat. In the end, it fell like a piece of copper or useless metal onto the ground. It didn't touch any rebel soldiers. It only gave them a fright.
With a thud, the arrow was like a knife a child played with. The lucky tip of the arrow pointed down and pierced through the mud between stone pavements to stand straight.
The people on and below the Palace walls all saw a sight that frightened them.
A person wearing black seemed to have appeared from the depths of the ground like a spirit. He was floating down from the walls along the trajectory the arrow had traveled in. The person flew quickly through the resistance-free air toward the foot of the palace.
From the top of the walls, they only used a moment of time before flying above the rebel troops.
The last arrow had a rope tied to its end. The black-clothed man used a hook and chain to slide down the rope, directly into the rebel army's camp.
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This sight shocked countless people into a daze. They were intimidated by the powerful killing intent and vigor in the air. Finally, someone came to their senses and saw the rope tied to the end of the arrow that had fallen heavily to the ground. In a loud and wild roar, he said, "Chop down the rope!"
A number of bright knives chopped down on the tightly stretched rope at the tail of the arrow.
The old Qin Master's eyes were slightly cold as he looked at the black shadow charging toward him at a remarkable speed. The pain and anger at the bottom of his heart burst forth again, making his body shake. The Great Prince's courageous attack and black-clothed man descending from the heavens couldn't help but make him lose his focus. The tragic death of his only son earlier had made this powerful figure finally reveal a flaw.
Just as the old Qin Master's heart trembled slightly, the corner of his eyes also lit up with a knife light. This knife light was not chopping down on the rope at the tail of the arrow. Rather, it was headed toward the old Qin Master's body.
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A crack exploded out of the rebel's camp. Gong Dian, in full armor, jingled randomly because of the zhenqi coursing through his body. The powerful zhenqi made his facial hair grow. His hands gripped the straight knife in his hand tightly as it chopped toward the old Qin Master's neck.
This one strike contained all of the power in Gong Dian's entire body. The peak strength of an eighth-level exploded outward in one strike that had waited for years.
A glimmer of rage and disbelief flashed through the old Qin Master's eyes. His face was flushed red as his hands firmly blocked Gong Dian's rude and unreasonable strike.
Fresh blood dripped down between the old Qin Master's finger and thumb. Faced with this sinister assassination, the first elder of the Qing military, a superior ninth-level ace, still shook like when he saw Fan Xian descending from the sky.
It was only a slight shake. The flush on the old Qin Master's face immediately became a pale white. He could no longer hold onto Gong Dian's long knife.
Another person had struck at the same time as Gong Dian, a very important and powerful person.
Ye Zhong struck out heavily. It seemed to carry some of the wind and sand from Dingzhou's desolate deserts, and the order of something in the spirit world. Determinedly and mercilessly, he tore through the body of a rebel general between him and the old Qin Master so that he could land his strike on the old Qin Master's waist.
Ye Zhong and Gong Dian attacked the old Qin Master sneakily at the same time.
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This scene happened too abruptly and craftily. It was too unbelievable. Even the old Qin Master did not understand what this meant. His close family generals had already escorted the Crown Prince to the side palace. The eight generals at his side did not react in time.
After this giant muffled sound, dust rose up in the rebel camp. When the dust had settled slightly, the three warhorses below the three people were shaken by a powerful gust of zhenqi. Without even time for a mournful cry, they exploded and died.
The old Qin Master sprayed out a mouthful of fresh blood. A horrifying wound appeared at his waist. His withered hand, which had quickly stretched down, was already tightly closed around Ye Zhong's wrist that held the sword.
Ye Zhong lowered his head. His brows were as steady as mountains. Without any reluctance, the zhenqi in his body surged out in powerful waves. Steadying his waist with a huff, he took one step forward and then another.
The old Qin Master's body shook again. A gust of powerful strength exploded out from his old body. His left arm flicked out and held onto Gong Dian's knife. The tip of his elbow had already crashed heavily into Gong Dian's chest.
With a splutter, Gong Dian sprayed out a blood fog from his mouth. Ge used this spray of blood to roar and, disregarding his life, pushed forward with his entire body. Pressing down on the blade of the knife forced the old Qin Master's left hand to go to his neck. He made a horrifying squeaking sound.
All of this happened in a short amount of time. Ye Zhong knew that he only had this one chance. Given his personality, which was as steady as a mountain, this was not an opportunity he would miss. He took a deep breath, expanded his chest, shook his left hand, and immediately became like a sheet of metal, leaving behind the old Qin Master's unusually powerful control.
His left hand turned into a metal plate. With the power of a coffin-breaker technique, he struck heavily onto the old Qin Master's chest, where there was already a wound flowing with blood.
Ye Zhong's hand technique was the best in the world.
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The powerful attack carried with it three top aces of the Qing military. On the stone pavements, footsteps retreated. The shattered ground, sending up puffs of dirt.
The rope behind the arrow had already chopped apart. Fan Xian, in black, fell down from mid-air, but he didn't fall into the group of rebels. He tapped the tip of his foot against the helmet of a rebel soldier and charged straight into the rebel camp like a streak of smoke.
At the same time, Ye Zhong's coffin-breaker technique landed viciously on the wound on the old Qin Master's waist.
Fan Xian shrunk into a ball of black shadow and immediately opened up. With two metallic zings, his left hand drew the Wei Emperor's sword bound to his back. His right hand pulled out the dagger he took back from Lady Ning from his boot. A sword in one hand and a dagger in the other, he became a streak of black smoke and swept over the heads of the eight Qin family generals in the rebel camp.
With a number of thuds, five generals died with their throats slit while three of the generals retreated with wounds on their chest.
Although it was only one meeting, Fan Xian had already demonstrated his greatest power since his rebirth.
Like a giant bird returning to the forest, he headed toward the three people killing each other like wild beasts.
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Injured, the old Qin Master gave a wild howl and clenched his fingers inward until only an inch remained before landing it heavily on Ye Zhong's left arm, shattering it. Ye Zhong did not care about this life and had completely disregarded his defenses. The foot below his body landed heavily on the ground and left behind a footprint. Moving his own body, he swiftly flew backward.
Ye Zhong gave a muffled huff. His hands formed the coffin-closing form of the coffin breaker technique to lock down the old Qin Master's right hand, which was overflowing with zhenqi and endlessly trembling.
Covered in blood, Gong Dian used one hand to hold onto the old man's left arm and stuck his body to him. He used his body to put pressure on the two knives between the two people. Separated by the old man's valiant palm, he pressed it down toward his neck.
The three of them twisted together and quickly retreated over 30 meters. With a boom, they crashed into the wall of a wooden building behind the square, shaking loose countless pieces of dust.
However, someone was even faster than them. Like a black bird, Fan Xian flashed through and appeared in front of the old Qin Master. The long sword in his hand flipped and pierced into the old Qin Master's abdomen.
Blood sprayed out as the sword slid into his body. Fan Xian held his sword with his head down. He gave a muffled huff and continued to press forward. The powerful forward momentum caused the body of the four warriors to break through the building's second wall and third wall. It shook up countless pieces of dust, hiding this sinister, shameless, and bloody murder where it couldn't be seen by tens of thousands of people.
The figures around the building flowed in a counter-clockwise direction. Fan Xian, Ye Zhong, and Gong Dian did not let go.
Although the three sinister assassins knew the old Qin Master had received life-threatening injuries from the combined attacks of two ninth-level aces and one eighth level ace. No one could determine what kind of brilliance this elder of the Qing military would let out in the last moments of his life.
With a muffled boom, this savage assassination was finally stopped in front of the last wall. Ye Zhong continued to use the coffin-breaker technique to hang tightly onto the old Qin Master's most powerful right hand, while Gong Dian continued to put pressure on the old man's left arm.
Fan Xian maintained his half-crouched position with his sword out. Trembling, his hands held onto the blood-covered sword. There was only the hilt of the sword left outside the old Qin Master's abdomen.
The old Qin Master's white hair was disheveled. A terrifying light continued to flash in his eyes. Like an old lion about to die, he suddenly gave a rage-filled roar. His entire body began to tremble violently. A ninth-level warrior's final counter-attack before death was foreshadowed by this kind of violent shaking.
However, a sword tip silently and suddenly extended out from the wooden wall behind him.
The tip of the sword only extended out 10 centimeters, but it just happened to pierce into the old Qin Master's lower back, the third section of his tailbone. This mysterious strike was withdrawn immediately and disappeared with a trace. It was the most fatal blow.
With a gurgling sound, the heavily injured old Qin Master's face was flushed a bright red. He sprayed out a mouthful of blood as his body weakly slid down along the wooden wall.