Poison! . . .
The man's voice echoed through the night, leaving behind his words.
"I, Chen Zhizhong, have failed the Kingdom of Chen. I am too ashamed to show my face. Feng Monarch, I wish you good luck... If you can survive this, I will come back to apologize myself!"
His voice reverberated in the sky as he swiftly departed.
Chen Zhizhong!
The name sent shockwaves through Ning Biluo and Zhao Pingtian. This was the No. 4 Assassin in the world, ranking even higher than Yin Yucheng. His accomplishments were on par with Zhao Pingtian's. No one had anticipated his presence. He had concealed himself among the other assassins, his expertise lying in discreet killings. He was renowned for dispatching his targets with a single lethal strike. In the Land of Han-Yang, he was unrivaled in clandestine assassination.
[What if he had managed to approach us unnoticed and delivered his infamous lethal strike? Could we have survived it?]
Ning Biluo and Zhao Pingtian were unnerved by the thought. They couldn't be certain of surviving a strike from Chen Zhizhong.
They were also surprised to learn that Chen Zhizhong was a native of the Kingdom of Chen.
Fortunately, Chen Zhizhong chose to depart.
Following his lead, dozens of assassins quietly left.
"It's a substantial amount of money. We may be ruthless assassins, but we feel ashamed. Take care, Feng Monarch!"
Dozens of them made the choice to depart.
Cha Eun Xiao sighed inwardly. [These individuals, despite being assassins, possess a sense of honor. In the face of this tempting bounty, it took courage to leave under these circumstances.]
Those who remained hesitated before hanging their heads.
None of them left.
Now, nobody departed.
After all, Feng Zhiling's head... held an irresistible allure.
It was a colossal prize!
Few could resist such a temptation.
A golden opportunity was laid out before them. This was an incredibly valuable head. Surrendering it to someone else would be a regrettable decision.
[Feng Zhiling must die!
So why let someone else have it?
Chen Zhizhong, motivated by his reputation, left this magnificent opportunity behind. He must have left his brain at home, unable to take away others' heads. Such a formidable adversary has departed. It's like a blessing from the heavens!
More assassins followed his example. As assassins, they spoke as if they were individuals of great honor...]
Many local assassins held such sentiments.
"Feng Monarch, spare us the theatrics. Stop trying to play tricks." A Lanfeng assassin laughed. "That is an astronomical sum. I would kill my own father for it, let alone Feng Monarch, whom I barely know... Haha. Only fools talk about honor and dignity in such a critical moment! Ling-Bao Hall is collapsing, and the Kingdom of Chen will fall soon after. It's destiny!"
Cha Eun Xiao nodded. "You're absolutely right, actually. I've contemplated that as well. But since you're all clearly here to kill me, I don't want to die. So, I will kill you. I was just concerned that I might end the life of someone honorable... I needed a reason to kill, you see."
"Now, I've found that reason. It's clear and unequivocal."
He gazed blandly at the assembled assassins. "I don't care who you are. I have more than enough reasons to kill you!"
For the first time since his arrival, Cha Eun Xiao moved. He advanced slowly, his eyes emanating an intense and murderous aura that reached for the heavens.
"Those who obstruct my path shall meet their demise!"
He spoke coldly.
"Kill him!" a man shouted loudly and charged forward first.
The assassins had no fear of Cha Eun Xiao due to his lack of a menacing reputation. While Ning Biluo, Zhao Pingtian, or even Liu Changjun might inspire dread, Cha Eun Xiao was not a figure to be feared in the eyes of the assassins.
As one of them initiated an attack, it set off a chain reaction, and the others did not wish to be left behind. They surged forward like an unstoppable tide.
No matter how Cha Eun Xiao had concealed his true strength, no matter how formidable he might be, it was an impossible task to defend against the onslaught of numerous adversaries.
Under the scrutiny of the assembled crowd, he took a step backward.
Simultaneously, a dark fog billowed forth from his body.
The fog expanded rapidly and began to envelop an area with a diameter of sixty meters. Its growth was relentless, spreading further and further.
Initially, most dismissed the dark fog as a mere visual illusion orchestrated by Feng Monarch. They believed he was attempting to escape under the cover of the fog and sneered at his supposed cowardice. [He talked so heroically, but now he's trying to flee...]
[I won't be fooled!]
Their foremost concern was not to be the last in line. They had fought fiercely to be at the front of the attack.
A few were more cautious. They had reservations about the rapidly spreading dark fog. However, as it continued to expand, they assumed it would become less dense, and any potential poison would be diluted. This gave them a false sense of security. They ceased their caution and charged into the fog, concerned that Feng Zhiling might escape under its concealment.
In the next moment, a voice exclaimed, "What's this? Why is my face so itchy?"
Another voice chimed in, "My goodness, it's so itchy. What's happening?"
"The itching is unbearable. I can't take it!"
"My back is itching... Oh my goodness, what's going on?"
"My eyes are itchy..." A man began rubbing his eyes.
Suddenly, the hundreds of men who had rushed into the fog first began to scream. They frantically scratched their bodies. The itch was excruciating!
"Scratch it... It feels so good! So good... It's itching again... Scratch it..."
"So good... Scratch it again..."
They appeared to be in agony while scratching, yet they derived a peculiar pleasure from it. Scratching seemed like an activity reserved for the gods...
However, after a while, they were gripped by shock. A cold sensation now coursed down their backs.
They looked at one another, their faces contorted with a mixture of pain and fear.
Those who had felt the itch on their heads began to tear pieces of skin and hair from their scalps. Hair clung to their fingers...
Those who felt an itch on their backs tore off pieces of muscle, resulting in bloody and mutilated wounds...
Those who felt the itch in their eyes reached for their own eyeballs. Eyeballs fell to the floor one after another. A man lost one eye but then experienced an unbearable itch in the other...