Thud!
The Thunder Arrow shot forward, piercing through the antelope-drawn carriage and striking the Eighth Prince's back. The arrowhead detonated, forming a fist-sized thunderball that unleashed arcs of lightning, leaving a gaping, bowl-sized wound in the Eighth Prince's back.
Swish!
A short, stout shadow dashed into the carriage. With just a flash of the blade, the Eighth Prince's head was severed and stuffed into a beast-hide bag.
The shadowy figure let out a sinister laugh, slung the bag over his shoulder, and fled the carriage. Moments later, he vanished into the dim night.
Sensing something amiss, Yun'er quickly halted the carriage and called out, "Your Highness, the Eighth Prince, what happened? Your Highness!"
She carefully lifted the carriage's curtain, only to find a headless corpse sitting there, the carriage filled with blood—a terrifying sight.
Yun'er screamed and fainted from fright.
...
Two shadowy figures, one tall and one short, moved swiftly through the capital and soon reached the moat.
Under a willow tree by the riverbank, Han Qingluo stood with her hands behind her back. Her tall figure cast a long shadow under the moonlight. She gazed at the reflection of the moon in the water and said calmly, "Is the mission complete?"
"Reporting to Lady Han, the mission was much easier than we anticipated. We succeeded in one blow; he didn't even have a chance to fight back," the tall, slender figure replied.
The shorter, stout figure laughed. "A so-called prodigy, yet he was utterly defenseless—a complete joke."
Han Qingluo nodded slightly. "You two are both at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm and are professional assassins. Killing him indeed shouldn't have been difficult. Do you have the head?"
"Yes, we have it!"
The tall assassin pulled out the beast-hide bag, placed it on the ground, and opened it. A bloodied head rolled out.
When Han Qingluo glanced at the head, her expression changed slightly, and she asked coldly, "Are you certain you killed the Ninth Prince?"
The tall and stout assassins peered into the bag, and their hearts sank as they realized they had killed the wrong person.
They immediately knelt, trembling. "Lady Han, please give us another chance. We will surely bring the Ninth Prince's head to you."
"You no longer have any chances!"
Han Qingluo shook her head. "You failed to kill the Ninth Prince and killed the Eighth Prince instead. Such a grave mistake will bring severe consequences, even for me. Do you think you can still live?"
"Lady Han, spare us!"
"Lady Han, please spare us!"
Suddenly, the tall and short assassins leaped up, attacking Han Qingluo with lightning speed.
Having failed their mission and committed the grave mistake of killing the Eighth Prince, they knew Han Qingluo would undoubtedly kill them. With nothing left to lose, they decided to risk it all.
If they could kill Han Qingluo and escape the city, they might have a chance to flee. With the vast world before them, even with the Queen's vast influence, they might manage to hide and survive.
Han Qingluo, too, was only at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm. The two of them, combining their strength and attacking by surprise, might stand a chance.
Han Qingluo sneered, her fingers transforming into claws, her nails sharpening like blades.
Shlick!
Her claw pierced through the tall assassin's chest, ripping out his still-beating heart.
The tall assassin stared as his heart was crushed in Han Qingluo's hand. Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, he collapsed.
Swiftly, Han Qingluo's palm, enveloped in a layer of icy True Qi, struck out again.
Swish!
Her palm, sharper than a blade, sliced off the stout assassin's head in one motion.
Even though both were at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm, Han Qingluo was far superior. Not even seven or eight peak Yellow Extreme Realm warriors combined could match her. Trained specifically in assassination, her attacks were precise and lethal, always drawing blood with each strike.
"The death of the Eighth Prince will undoubtedly cause a massive uproar in the capital. There is no longer an opportunity to assassinate the Ninth Prince. I must return to the palace immediately to report to the Queen and prepare a response."
Han Qingluo disposed of the bodies in the moat, wiped the blood off her hands, and disappeared into the night as a green shadow heading back to the palace.
...
Inside the Inscription Guild, Zhang Ruochen exchanged knowledge with Zorn, gaining significant insight into inscriptions.
Zorn also shared a wealth of information on artifact crafting, sparking Zhang Ruochen's interest in the craft.
Shan Xiangling stayed behind at the Inscription Guild to continue her studies, while Zhang Ruochen left ahead of her.
Stepping outside the guild, Zhang Ruochen glanced around, frowning slightly. "Where's Sister Yun'er? Did she return to the palace ahead of me? That doesn't seem right."
He didn't dwell on it for long, believing that within the market, where security was stable, nothing would happen. Perhaps she had an urgent matter and left first.
Afterward, he headed to the pill market, intending to purchase high-grade pills to aid his cultivation.
Returning to Qingxuan Pavilion.
As soon as he entered, Mo Hanlin greeted him warmly, smiling widely. "Your Highness the Ninth Prince, are you here to buy pills again? The owner has instructed that all pills purchased by you are half price."
"The owner is quite generous," Zhang Ruochen remarked with slight surprise.
Mo Hanlin squinted with a smile. "The owner isn't generous with just anyone. Only the Ninth Prince receives such treatment."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How much for a single Three Purities True Qi Pill?"
The Three Purities True Qi Pill is a second-tier pill, similar in effect to the Qi Gathering Pill but ten times stronger. Furthermore, the True Qi refined from the Three Purities True Qi Pill is much purer than that from the Qi Gathering Pill.
"Five thousand silver coins each," Mo Hanlin replied, holding up five fingers.
So expensive!
Such high-grade pills were beyond the daily use of even the top talents of major families, typically issued only once every six months.
Artifact craftsmen and alchemists really do make a fortune!
"I'll take ten," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Ten Three Purities True Qi Pills," Mo Hanlin noted down before asking, "Anything else, Your Highness?"
"I'll also take a hundred second-tier Blood Pills," Zhang Ruochen replied.
He had used up all the blood pills from his last purchase and needed to replenish his stock.
With his current cultivation level, he could absorb the energy from second-tier Blood Pills.
While most warriors at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm only consumed first-tier Blood Pills, Zhang Ruochen didn't mind spending more money. As long as it accelerated his progress, the expense was worth it.
Although second-tier Blood Pills were significantly more expensive, the benefits were much greater. A first-tier Blood Pill could provide energy for a day, but a second-tier Blood Pill could sustain a warrior for three days.
"Thirty silver coins each for second-tier Blood Pills. That's a hundred pills total!" Mo Hanlin recorded.
Zhang Ruochen continued browsing the display when his eyes fell upon a third-tier body-refining pill: the Heavenly Phenomenon Red Fire Pill.
Improving his physical constitution was Zhang Ruochen's most pressing need. The stronger his body, the greater his progress in future cultivation.
If cultivation were likened to constructing a building, the foundation was the most crucial aspect. The more solid the foundation, the higher the building could rise.
The Yellow Extreme Realm was all about refining the body and opening meridians, laying the groundwork for future cultivation.
"How much for the Heavenly Phenomenon Red Fire Pill?" Zhang Ruochen inquired.
Mo Hanlin's eyes sparkled. "The Heavenly Phenomenon Red Fire Pill is a third-tier pill, made from the marrow and blood of a celestial beast, combined with the seeds of the Red Fire Lotus. It's extremely valuable—eighty thousand silver coins each."
No matter the cost, Zhang Ruochen was determined to buy it.
"How many does Qingxuan Pavilion have?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Seven in total," Mo Hanlin replied.
"Alright, I'll take them all!" Zhang Ruochen decided.
He also purchased twenty vials of Meridian Washing Solution and a bottle of healing pills.
Mo Hanlin worked his abacus furiously. "Ten Three Purities True Qi Pills, fifty thousand silver coins.
One hundred second-tier Blood Pills, three thousand silver coins.
Seven Heavenly Phenomenon Red Fire Pills, five hundred sixty thousand silver coins.
Twenty vials of Meridian Washing Solution, four thousand silver coins.
Ten Holy Nirvana Pills, twenty thousand silver coins.
In total, that's… six hundred thirty-seven thousand silver coins. At half price, it's three hundred eighteen thousand five hundred silver coins."
Even with mental preparation, Zhang Ruochen was still shocked. Over three hundred thousand silver coins—those seven Heavenly Phenomenon Red Fire Pills were exceedingly costly. Fortunately, with the half-price discount, it was still within his budget.
"If I can fully absorb the energy from all seven pills, my body will definitely surpass the level it reached in my previous life," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
After paying Qingxuan Pavilion a total of 318,500 silver coins, Zhang Ruochen's remaining assets dropped to 800,000 silver coins, all stored at the Martial Market Bank.
As Zhang Ruochen exited Qingxuan Pavilion, he noticed a squad of armored soldiers riding warhorses charging down the main street, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A nearby warrior, observing the soldiers, muttered under his breath, "I wonder who had the audacity to kill the Eighth Prince. The entire city is on lockdown, and even the market's exits are sealed!"
"The Eighth Prince was killed?"
Zhang Ruochen distinctly remembered seeing the Eighth Prince at the Inscription Guild earlier. How could he have been killed so shortly afterward?
Rumble!
A squadron of soldiers rode up and uniformly knelt before Zhang Ruochen. Leading them was an elderly eunuch who bowed respectfully and said, "Your Highness, the King summons you back to the palace immediately!"