The arrow became a blur in the darkness, beyond Xu Qi An’s visual tracking. But his powerful spiritual sense locked onto the faintly cyan-colored arrow.
The Refined Spirit realm was indeed the minor peak of a warrior’s combat ability. Practitioners at this level had an ultra-keen intuition for danger.
Once reaching the Refined Spirit realm, one generally bid farewell to fates like being ambushed, backstabbed, or sneak attacked.
The magical crossbow of the Bureau of Astronomy, a weapon capable of killing Refined Spirit realm experts… Xu Qi An immediately identified the origin of the opponent’s weapon, as he once possessed such a magical item himself.
Instinctively, he wanted to leap off the horse’s back to dodge the arrow.
“No, I can’t let my little mare die here…”
As this thought flashed through his mind, he changed his plan. His right hand reached behind his waist, and with the clear sound of a blade leaving its sheath, he slashed backward, precisely cutting the arrow in two.
Rustle… With the soft sound of tiles sliding, two black-clad figures leaped from the roof ridges, one on the left and one on the right, attacking Xu Qi An from both sides.
They wielded standard long sabers, their blade auras distorting the air, intent on slicing through both Xu Qi An and his horse.
“Hya!”
Sensing the crisis, Xu Qi An squeezed his horse’s flanks in advance, urging his beloved mare to gallop forward, avoiding the pincer attack.
At the same time, he leaped from the horse’s back, landing lightly on the roof of a nearby tavern.
“Bang!”
The blade auras of the two black-clad figures hit empty air, carving deep gashes into the ground.
Refined Spirit realm… Xu Qi An looked down and made his assessment.
What concerned him more was the black-clad figure hiding in the alley ahead, who was likely even stronger than the Refined Spirit realm.
Strategic retreat!
This was the inner city, with night watchmen on patrol and the five palace guards taking turns patrolling. These three assassins couldn’t linger for long; the time they had was even more limited than that given to the national football team.
As long as he didn’t engage in prolonged combat, they wouldn’t be able to take him down quickly and would retreat on their own. Then he could immediately use his Qi-observing technique, lead the night watchmen to hunt down the three, and turn the tables.
At this moment, another image flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind: the tall, black-clad figure appearing mysteriously behind him, throwing a punch at the back of his head.
Damn, when did he get behind me… Xu Qi An’s body reacted faster than his mind, instinctively diving forward and leaping off the roof.
At the same time, he heard the thunderous sound of a fist breaking through the air behind his ear.
Bang!
The qi carried by the fist exploded into ripple-like circles in mid-air.
Missing the strike, the expert seemed surprised, not expecting this newly-entered Refined Spirit realm watchman to have such keen perception.
As soon as Xu Qi An landed, he was greeted by the blades of two Refined Spirit realm assassins.
Clang clang… He swung his saber to deflect the two incoming blades, then quickly fled after landing.
It was too dangerous to maneuver on the rooftops. Using alleys, houses, and other obstacles was a safer method.
But he hadn’t run more than a few steps when the sound of something cutting through the air rapidly approached from behind. His mind automatically fed him an image of the black-clad figure’s attack.
Gritting his teeth, Xu Qi An twisted his waist and turned to strike back.
Clang!
The black gold long saber clashed with the fist, sparks flying. Xu Qi An’s right hand’s tiger’s mouth split open, and his legs slid back more than ten meters along the ground, the thick soles of his shoes separating from the uppers with a ripping sound.
A sixth-grade warrior, with a body of copper skin and iron bones.
Although he had somewhat anticipated this, Xu Qi An’s heart still sank.
The mastermind behind this knows my level, so they sent assassins who can almost certainly defeat me… They also know my route, so they ambushed me on the path I had to take.
Who wants to kill me?
There was no time to think about this now, as the attacks from the two Refined Spirit realm experts followed closely. The three were clearly a well-coordinated team, with the Copper Skin Iron Bones realm expert leading the charge and the two Refined Spirit realm assisting, their offensive seamlessly connected.
I’ll be dead within fifty moves… This terrifying realization flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind.
In his haste, he stopped abruptly, ignoring the slash from the person on his left, and made a posture as if he was going to perish together with the person on his right. Strangely, the person on the right calmly accepted this mutual destruction, while the person on the left, who could have attacked, withdrew his blade to defend.
Xu Qi An suddenly turned and slashed at the black-clad figure on the left, precisely striking the blade that was held horizontally to block.
Swoosh… The long blade of the black-clad figure on the right pierced Xu Qi An’s left shoulder.
“Tch!”
Xu Qi An cursed under his breath.
His real target had been the black-clad figure on the left; the mutual destruction with the one on the right was just for show. Unfortunately, the opponent was also at the Refined Spirit realm and had sensed the danger in advance.
The plan had backfired.
Xu Qi An kicked away the black-clad figure on his right, the blade leaving his body and drawing out a stream of warm blood.
By this time, the Copper Skin Iron Bones realm expert had already closed in for the kill, his fist concentrating qi, fiercely striking Xu Qi An’s chest.
Boom!
Something in Xu Qi An’s chest exploded, and the next moment, he was sent flying as if hit by a heavy truck.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Xu Qi An, steadying himself, coughed up bloody foam. What had exploded in his chest was the magical bronze gong issued by the night watchman’s office and the heart-protecting mirror from Song Qing.
This double defense had allowed him to withstand the full-force blow from the Copper Skin Iron Bones expert, saving his life.
“Standard weapons, the magical crossbow from the Bureau of Astronomy, and you dare to kill in the inner city in broad daylight. You must be the death squad of some big shot, right?”
As he spoke, he discreetly scanned his surroundings.
The three black-clad men didn’t respond to Xu Qi An’s words, showing no awareness of their roles as villains, and relentlessly pounced on him again.
Xu Qi An turned and ran, diving into a narrow alley on his right.
The three black-clad men chased into the alley, seeing Xu Qi An standing at its end, his unparalleled sharp blade already back in its sheath.
“Why aren’t you running anymore?” asked the Copper Skin Iron Bones realm assassin.
His voice was hoarse, disguised.
“Can’t escape, so I’ve decided to kill you all here,” Xu Qi An squinted, quite satisfied with the width of the alley, which only allowed one person to pass through.
One slash, he only had one chance to strike.
The Copper Skin Iron Bones realm expert frowned, focusing his senses on the surroundings, but couldn’t detect any footsteps of night watchmen or patrolling soldiers.
Yet Xu Qi An’s confidence made him instinctively wary.
Was it just a bluff?
At this moment, he saw the newly-entered Refined Spirit realm watchman slowly place his right hand on the hilt of his saber.
Concentrating on a single point, reaching the pinnacle.
All emotions receded, all qi converged inward, like the sea receding before a tsunami.
In this instant, the three black-clad men felt a premonition of danger. Their Refined Spirit realm intuition told them: Danger, danger, danger…
Without hesitation, following a warrior’s instinct, they prepared to retreat from the alley. But just then, a roar that pierced eardrums and shook spirits rang out.
The three men’s consciousness fell into momentary chaos, losing control of their bodies.
Immediately after, they heard the clear, dragon-like sound of a blade being unsheathed.
The Copper Skin Iron Bones realm assassin was the first to break free from the Lion’s Roar’s shock, only to see a thin line of blade light slashing towards his face.
He only had time to cross his arms, surging his qi and muscles, relying on his indestructible physique to withstand the blow.
…
“Tap.”
A Qi Condensation realm watchman moved swiftly across the rooftops, following the trail of destruction until he reached the alley.
He bent down to look into the alley and saw four people in a standoff. The three black-clad men stood motionless, while opposite them, Xu Qi An leaned on his saber, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, with wisps of steam rising from the back of his head.
“Over here!”
The watchman shouted, holding a saber in one hand and a crossbow in the other, leaping into the alley to stand beside Xu Qi An.
Two more watchmen from neighboring roof ridges soon arrived, entering the alley.
“Lord Xu, are you alright?”
The three-man patrol team asked with concern. They sensed the area but couldn’t hear the heartbeats of the three black-clad men, concluding that the assassins had perished.
“I’m a bit injured, but it’s nothing serious.”
Xu Qi An panted. Before his three colleagues arrived, he had already taken a strength pill, and his stamina was slowly recovering, but he still needed another quarter hour of rest before he could walk.
The saber gifted by the Censor was a perfect match for the Heaven and Earth Slash.
The three watchmen nodded slowly, looking at the black-clad men. To force the newly-entered Refined Spirit realm Lord Xu into such a sorry state, at least one of them must have been at the Refined Spirit realm.
At this moment, the muffled sound of hurried footsteps approached, and a unit of fifty Imperial Blade Guards arrived.
“Lord Xu, you should return to the office to treat your wounds. Leave these three to us.”
The watchman who spoke left the alley and instructed the arriving Imperial Blade Guards, “Escort Lord Xu back to the night watchman’s office. Leave ten men to assist me in handling the bodies.”
The leader of the Imperial Blade Guards saluted, “Yes, sir.”
After Xu Qi An left, the three watchmen returned to the alley. When they touched the bodies, the previously motionless black-clad men suddenly split in two, their upper and lower bodies separating. A diagonal wound appeared at their waists, the cut perfectly even.
Various organs mixed with fresh blood flowed onto the ground.
The watchmen frowned, partly disgusted, partly surprised.
“I remember Xu Ning Yan’s ultimate skill was some kind of extremely powerful saber technique. He once wounded Bronze Gong Zhu with a single slash.”
“Indeed, and now it seems even more powerful. This single slash took down three people, and among them, one must have been at the Refined Spirit realm.”
The three simultaneously looked at the black-clad man at the front, clearly the strongest of the three.
“Hey, why doesn’t he have a weapon?”
The other two black-clad men were equipped with standard long sabers and crossbows, but this black-clad man was empty-handed, carrying no weapons.
It seems Xu Ning Yan may have taken the weapon.
Puzzled, they examined the black-clad man’s body separately. When their fingers touched the remains, they felt a steel-like texture. The corpse still retained the state of qi concentration from before death.
“Hm?”
A series of question marks appeared simultaneously in the minds of the three.
After a few seconds, they realized what this meant, and a mix of absurd and shocking emotions welled up inside them.
“C-Copper Skin Iron Bones…” one watchman mumbled.
…
Half an hour later, at the night watchman’s office.
Divine Sword Hall.
Zhang Kai Tai, on duty tonight, received the news and gathered all the Silver Gongs to discuss Xu Qi An’s assassination attempt.
The Silver Gong who had just led the team to investigate the scene reported: “From the assassination attempt to killing the enemies, the entire process took no more than 7-8 minutes. The three assassins seemed to know Xu Ning Yan’s route in advance and ambushed him on his inevitable path.
“After a brief clash, they chased Xu Ning Yan into an alley, where they were then swiftly killed with a single slash.”
Zhang Kai Tai nodded and looked at another Silver Gong, the one responsible for examining the bodies.
That Silver Gong spoke gravely: “The assassins used the most common standard long sabers. The three major forbidden army camps and five palace guard units all use this type of saber. Even some household guards of princes and high officials use these. We can’t find any clues from the weapons.
“Furthermore, we found a magical crossbow on one of the assassins, powerful enough to threaten those in the Refined Spirit realm. But this still can’t serve as a breakthrough.
“Embezzlement is severe in the Ministry of Works and Ministry of War. The private buying and selling of military supplies among princes and high officials is also frequent. Over the years, countless magical items and military equipment have leaked out. It’s impossible to trace.
“If we were to investigate, it would implicate half of the capital’s officialdom. The resistance would be overwhelming. Even if His Majesty personally ordered it, there likely wouldn’t be any results.”
Zhang Kai Tai nodded, seemingly having anticipated this, and asked, “What about the cultivation levels of the three assassins?”
“Two at Refined Spirit realm, one at Copper Skin Iron Bones realm.”
Killing a Refined Spirit realm and a Copper Skin Iron Bones realm expert with a single slash… The hall fell into a deathly silence.
After an unknown period, Zhang Kai Tai asked, “What about Xu Ning Yan?”
“He fell asleep after treating his injuries.”
Zhang Kai Tai nodded and looked around at the Silver Gongs, coughing once, “There’s no need to pay too much attention to certain details. As Silver Gongs, you are all top talents in Great Feng, no less than anyone else. It’s just that occasionally… occasionally there might be one or two anomalies that can’t be measured by normal standards.”
The Silver Gongs forced smiles and agreed half-heartedly.
Zhang Kai Tai changed the subject, “Who do you think sent the assassins?”
One Silver Gong frowned, “We don’t know who Xu Ning Yan has recently made enemies with. Based on what we know, if we exclude personal grudges, it’s most likely related to the Noble Consort Fu case.”
…
The next day, at dawn.
Zhang Kai Tai first went to check on Xu Qi An. Seeing him still asleep, he didn’t disturb him. He took the case file of “Xu Qi An’s Assassination Attempt” written by the clerk last night and went to Haoqi Tower.
After being announced, he came to the seventh floor and met Wei Yuan in the tea room.
This high-ranking eunuch’s activities were limited to two points: the imperial palace and Haoqi Tower.
Thanks to the intelligence network set up by the night watchman’s office, Wei Yuan could know about world affairs without leaving his door.
“Lord Wei, Xu Ning Yan was assassinated on his way back after leaving the palace yesterday,” Zhang Kai Tai handed over the case file.
Wei Yuan’s gaze sharpened as he took the file. Without opening it immediately, he asked, “How is he?”
“He’s somewhat injured, but it’s not serious. He’s just exhausted and still sleeping,” Zhang Kai Tai said.
Wei Yuan nodded and then opened the file, quickly reading through it. He looked up at Zhang Kai Tai: “Two Refined Spirit realm, one Copper Skin Iron Bones?”
He seemed to be seeking confirmation.
Even someone as wise as Lord Wei is often bewildered by that kid… Zhang Kai Tai made an affirmative sound: “Copper Skin Iron Bones.”
Wei Yuan was silent for a long time, then suddenly chuckled, “Not bad, not bad.”
Zhang Kai Tai seized the opportunity to ask, “Could it be related to the Noble Consort Fu case?”
“The Noble Consort Fu case is His Majesty’s family matter. It’s not appropriate for outside officials to intervene. However, I will report this incident,” Wei Yuan closed the file, frowning slightly.
He didn’t have many spies in the palace. After all, the imperial palace was Emperor Yuan Jing’s territory, and planting too many spies would thoroughly anger the Emperor. Since the last time three of his pawns were removed, Wei Yuan had temporarily given up on focusing on the palace.
The tacit understanding between monarch and subject should be maintained. Emperor Yuan Jing had made it clear: stop prying into palace affairs.
However, after Xu Qi An’s assassination attempt, Wei Yuan was somewhat angry. He decided to reactivate his spies in the palace and personally pay attention to this case.
Footsteps were heard from outside the stairs. Wei Yuan looked up, and Zhang Kai Tai turned his head.
A black-robed clerk entered the tea room with his head lowered, respectfully saying, “Lord Wei, an order has come from the palace. There will be a court assembly at the beginning of the Chen hour (7-9 AM).”
“Understood,” Wei Yuan nodded.
“There must be some major event…” Zhang Kai Tai rose tactfully, “Then this subordinate will take his leave.”
Court assemblies weren’t held every day. Usually, a diligent monarch would hold a grand court assembly every three days at a fixed time.
For negligent rulers, it might be once every five to ten days.
With Emperor Yuan Jing, he basically didn’t hold morning courts. Whenever he was in a good mood and felt like dealing with government affairs, he would send someone to inform the officials a day in advance.
A sudden court assembly like today meant that something major had happened.
Wei Yuan finished the tea in his cup and called for Nangong Qian Rou to accompany him to the palace.
They arrived at the Meridian Gate at 6:30 AM. The square was filled with capital officials, whispering and discussing the reason for Emperor Yuan Jing’s sudden court assembly.
Most were speculating whether it was related to the Noble Consort Fu case. It was the only major event recently.
This case involved the Crown Prince and the foundation of the state. Only such a matter could make the long-negligent Emperor Yuan Jing suddenly convene a court assembly to discuss with his officials.
“Lord Wei.”
The Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate approached, carefully looking around before whispering, “News from the palace says that His Majesty entered Phoenix Perch Palace last night and left in a rage.”
Wei Yuan’s expression paused slightly before he slowly nodded, “I see.”