"There are assassins! Head for the ancestral temple! "
Shouts were heard one after another. Apart from the guards of the imperial concubines' palaces, the patrolling guards of the imperial palace all ran toward the ancestral temple. They carried lanterns, swords, and bows. As they ran, they carefully searched the places they passed so that they wouldn't miss the hidden assassins.
There was a hubbub of voices. Since it was the first time that the imperial palace had encountered assassins in more than twenty years, the whole scene was a bit chaotic. Often a group of guards ran, but because of the search, they became groups of twos and threes. But in this way, the paths from Ming Hua Palace to the ancestral temple were gradually filled with the figures of guards. However, because of the concise order, most of the guards thought that the assassins were near the ancestral temple, so they didn't guard the area layer by layer. Instead, they all gathered toward the ancestral temple.
If Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu turned around and fled at this time, it would be easy for them to escape safely since there were no guards in other parts of the imperial palace. But if they left at this time, it would be equivalent to giving up the congenital embryo of Taoism to the incarnation of Mu Jing. When she gained initial control of the Primeval Dipper, the two of them would be dead, and there would be no time to escape from this world.
Both of them had experienced countless dangers. In a flash, they understood the situation they were in. So they didn't hesitate to fly forward, wanting to beat the slow ones with speed.
Relying on the ability of soul reflection, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu shuttled among the guards, narrowly avoiding the search. But as the number of guards increased, it became more and more difficult to avoid them. It was almost impossible to complete. Even the roof began to be illuminated by the guards with lanterns.
Fortunately, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu both understood the principle of "preparedness leads to success, and unhesitation leads to failure." They were prepared for the situation where they were discovered before they entered the ancestral temple. They looked at each other and instantly made a decision.
At this time, the two of them were in the corridor of a remote pavilion. On their left was a deserted house, and on their right was a lotus pond with a circumference of about ten feet. A fragrant aroma filled the air, and lotus leaves covered the surface of the water. Outside the corridor, there were two groups of guards coming from the other two paths. However, they should continue to move toward the ancestral temple, and would not turn back to search here.
At the fork in the road behind, there were two teams of ten guards running towards this remote path. As they ran, they pushed open the doors of the houses and pavilions, hurriedly checking to see if there were any assassins hiding inside.
It was true that there were jackals and wolves ahead and tigers behind.
If they hid on the roof, they would be able to temporarily hide. However, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu suddenly split up, each running to a different place to hide.
Two groups of bodyguards, one at the front and one at the back, shouted, "Assassin! To the ancestral temple! " As they shouted, they entered the corridor. The five bodyguards at the back saw the group in front of them push open the doors of the houses one by one, and illuminate the inside with lanterns. They simply took the opportunity to overtake them, and quickly passed through the door of the corridor.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu looked slightly excited as they pushed open the door of a room. For these hedonistic sons of nobles who had served as the Imperial Guards, although the assassins were dangerous, they felt a different kind of excitement when there were more of them. Moreover, if they could catch the assassins, it would be a great merit. They could be promoted to first-class imperial guards or be appointed as a provincial general.
With the lanterns illuminated, the two of them did not have time to look carefully. After a rough glance, they saw that there was no one inside, and they immediately turned to leave. Currently, the most important thing was to stop the assassins at the ancestral temple. What they were doing now was just doing their best.
However, at this time, the other three bodyguards who were on guard behind the two of them suddenly saw a black shadow jump out from the small artificial mountain in the middle of the lotus pond. It pounced onto the corridor behind them, and madly ran in the direction they came from.
"Catch the assassin!" One of the bodyguards shouted. With no time to think, he held a lantern in one hand and a long saber in the other, and chased after the black shadow. The other two bodyguards hurriedly followed.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu were startled by the shout. They subconsciously turned around and looked left and right in a daze. When they clearly saw their three colleagues madly running toward the fork in the road behind them, they suddenly realized that the assassin had escaped to that direction!
Just as the two of them were about to give chase, a black shadow suddenly hung down from the door behind them. The shadow's hands suddenly stretched out, one on the left and one on the right, and pressed down on the two's mouths and noses. Then, using the momentum of the jump, the shadow dragged the two of them into the room.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu were caught off guard. Their first reaction was to shout, but with their mouths firmly pressed down, they could only make soft muffled sounds. They were completely unable to alert their colleagues who were focused on chasing the assassins. They could only helplessly watch in despair as the assassins turned around the corridor and disappeared before their eyes.
Then, the two of them swung their lanterns, sabers, and swords randomly, but they didn't know where to slash, so they couldn't help but fall back into the room.
After the black shadow landed on the ground, he leaned his body on the two men's mouths and twisted them forcefully. With two snapping sounds, Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu's necks were twisted, and they fell limply to the ground. Their breathing instantly stopped.
This black shadow was Shi Xuan. While he was twisting the two men's necks with his hands, he still had the spare time to kick back and slowly close the door.
After a few breaths, the team of bodyguards who went out from the door of the corridor heard the shout "Catch the assassin" and hurriedly turned back. They hurriedly passed by the room and didn't feel that there was anything wrong with the door being closed. They thought that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu had found the assassin when they were searching the room with the door wide open.
Shi Xuan didn't panic, but his hands quickly took off Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu's soft armor, outer robes, and hats. He then removed his own outer robes and changed into Zhang Wen's clothes. The muscles on his face twisted strangely, and in the blink of an eye, he looked sixty to seventy percent similar to Zhang Wen. With Shi Xuan's current ability, this was already his limit.
After putting on his hat and lowering his head, Shi Shuan became another Zhang Wen. As long as no one who was familiar with him looked at him carefully, it was enough for him to fish in troubled waters in the dark of the night.
After waiting for another ten breaths, the door was suddenly pushed open. Mo Jingqiu flashed in and carefully closed the door. She softly laughed, "It really wasn't easy to get rid of them. Fortunately, the further we ran, the fewer bodyguards there were. Finally, we made use of the eaves and rockery to circle back."
As she spoke, she also quickly took off her outer robe and changed into Zhao Wu's clothes that Shi Xuan had already arranged. In a few breaths, she was dressed neatly. She twisted the muscles on her face and changed into Zhao Wu's appearance.
However, her appearance was graceful and beautiful, and there was a large difference between her and Zhao Wu. After a series of changes, she only looked thirty to forty percent similar. Fortunately, the sky was dark and could hide most of it. In a panic, at first glance, she looked no different from Zhao Wu.
As she lowered her hat, she helped Shi Xuan put the two corpses, changed clothes, and extinguished lanterns into two cabinets.
After settling everything, the two of them calmly opened the door and walked out. They controlled their voices and imitated Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu's voices, shouting, "There's an assassin! To the ancestral temple! "
This voice was so lifelike that it could almost be passed off as real. As the two of them shouted, they carried their long sabers and ran toward the door of the winding corridor.
When the guards who had chased after Mo Jingqiu confirmed that they had lost sight of him, they turned back and continued toward the ancestral temple. Only then did they realize that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu had disappeared. However, they did not find it strange. The night was dark, and many parts of the Imperial Palace were cold and desolate. It was normal for someone to not keep up with them or take the initiative to block their path. Even among the three people who had chased after Mo Jingqiu, one of them had disappeared.
However, their shouts of capturing the assassins had attracted many guards. In a short period of time, the number of people heading toward the ancestral temple had greatly decreased. Even the guards who had already reached the ancestral temple felt slightly relieved. It turned out that the assassins were still relatively far away.
…
Along the way, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu shouted from time to time, but they did not stop running toward the ancestral temple. They overtook many guards who were distracted and searched everywhere. When they heard the shouts of "capturing the assassins," they brushed past the guards who had turned back.
"Hey, isn't that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu? Why are they running so fast? Could it be that they want to show their faces in front of His Majesty? " A rich playboy who was familiar with them could not help but laugh when he saw the two of them running over while sweeping the grass with his long saber.
The guard who had turned back to capture the assassins sighed and said, "They are willing to spare no effort and are completely focused. They are even willing to give up the temptation of capturing the assassins. They are truly a model of loyalty and patriotism. We can't catch up. "
The further they ran, the more guards there were. However, most of them were like Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu, hurrying toward the ancestral temple. As for these two colleagues, they took a quick look at them. After finding them familiar and not unfamiliar, they did not pay any more attention to them.
Thirty to forty breaths later, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu could already see the ancestral temple from the passageway that was sandwiched between two walls.
The ancestral temple was a magnificent and solemn palace. It was situated on a square with a circumference of more than ten zhang. Several copper jars were placed at the corners of the square to prevent water from leaking.
The nearby guards had already gathered. Adding to the fact that it was heavily guarded to begin with, there were many soldiers equipped with strong bows and crossbows standing guard. As a result, the area outside the ancestral temple was brightly lit. A circle of guards and soldiers surrounded the ancestral temple. Their treasured swords and long sabers reflected the light of the fire, flickering. Strong bows and crossbows were all nocked and pointed outside. Once something was wrong, a rain of arrows would fall from the sky.
General Huang Qi, who was commanding the soldiers here, had the demeanor of a great general. Amidst the chaotic scene of the guards rushing over from all directions, he was calm and composed. From time to time, he would loudly berate them, telling them to move slowly and to identify the assassins. They were not allowed to charge into this circle of guards. Anyone who disobeyed his orders was to be killed on the spot to prevent the assassins from taking advantage of the situation.
As for the guards who had been identified, they were arranged to form two lines of defense outside this circle. This way, even if the assassins had any supernatural or terrifying abilities, after breaking through the guards in front, they would not be able to escape the strong bows and crossbows at the back.
However, after the distant shouts of "capture the assassins," Huang Qi's focused and abnormally vigilant mind relaxed a little. The assassins were still very far away. Once the chaos was settled and they were fully prepared, even if they had wings on their backs, they would not be able to break into the ancestral temple.
"My life has finally been saved." If the assassins really did break into the ancestral temple, as the temple guard general, Huang Qi's nine generations would be executed. He gently wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. "Damned assassins. When I catch you, I will cut you into a thousand pieces."
At this time, several guards ran out from a tunnel. One of them ran the fastest and shouted, "General Huang, this lowly officer has news of the assassins!"
As he shouted, he did not stop running. But when he got close, the guards immediately surrounded him to identify the assassins. He had no choice but to slow down.
Huang Qi looked at this guard and asked the people around him, "Who is this?"
A familiar guard said loudly, "Reporting to General, it is Marquis Zhang's second son, Zhang Wen. He is currently a third-class guard."
Seeing that someone recognized him, Huang Qi relaxed. He shouted, "Let him come over and report."
The guard on the other side carefully examined the appearance under the hat. But no matter how bright the night lights were, under the current conditions, it was still quite dim. The hat formed a shadow on the face, so he nodded, "It is indeed Zhang Wen."
One of the meritorious sons who was familiar with Zhang Wen frowned slightly, "Why does he look more like Zhang Wen's older brother? Could it be that there is such an effect under the light of the lamps? But speaking of which, the two brothers do look very similar. "
As he thought of this, he looked at Zhang Wen's back. The more he looked, the more strange he felt.
"Alright, I'll answer here." Seeing that Zhang Wen had walked to the outer circle of defense formed by the guards, Huang Qi cautiously asked him to stop.
'Zhang Wen' said anxiously, "Reporting to General Huang, our group of brothers found traces of assassins in Bright Pavilion. But their martial arts are ferocious and it is difficult to defend against them. As a result, we were forced to retreat step by step. Fortunately, our brothers in the surrounding area have come to reinforce us and are slowly trapping them. General, please send some guards over to help."
He seemed to be very anxious. As he spoke, he walked towards Huang Qi.
Huang Qi was just about to give the order to send a few dozen guards to follow Zhang Wen when he saw him suddenly pouncing towards him. His heart instantly trembled, "He is an assassin!"
And the meritorious son who was looking at Zhang Wen's back also came to a realization, "He is slightly taller than Zhang Wen!" Usually, Zhang Wen was slightly shorter than him, so he was used to being ridiculed by him. But now that he saw him, Zhang Wen was actually as tall as him!
In a flash, Shi Xuan hid among the guards, blocking left and right.
The surrounding guards swarmed forward and surrounded Shi Xuan, who was disguised as Zhang Wen. Shi Xuan's footsteps did not stop as he shuttled through the crowd. From time to time, his blade would flash and he would cut down the guards. Moreover, he would always narrowly avoid the guards' long blades. It was as if they were practicing martial arts together on a daily basis.
"This skill is really beyond imagination. It's a pity that he became an assassin." Huang Qi felt regretful. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers holding strong bows and crossbows slowly pushed forward, preparing to surround Shi Xuan. Now that he had the upper hand, Huang Qi did not dare to let the archers shoot without restraint. That would cause the guards surrounding the assassin to be shot dead as well. Moreover, many of these guards were meritorious sons. Unless it was absolutely necessary, even the Emperor would not make such a decision.
In any case, once the archers surrounded him and the guards slowly retreated, they would be able to shoot and kill the assassin.
As the archers surrounded him, Huang Qi made other preparations. He ordered the master archers beside him to find an opening to injure the assassin. If they could really hit him, with so many guards surrounding him, it would not be difficult to capture him alive. This would be much more meritorious than directly killing the assassin.
However, just as everyone's attention was focused on Shi Shuan, who was surrounded, a figure suddenly dashed out from the side. His body was very low, and in a few steps, he rushed past the archers who were caught off guard. He rushed to Huang Qi's side from the first line of defense, and a saber light fell down. In a flash, Huang Qi's saber was pushed aside, and it landed on his neck, holding him hostage.
"All of you, stop!" Mo Jingqiu shouted loudly. Previously, she had purposely walked at the back. Before she could be interrogated, she had taken advantage of the opportunity when Shi Xuan had purposely been discovered to rush over with the other guards. When the archers had moved forward and their attention had shifted, she had suddenly launched an attack, capturing Huang Qi in one move.
With their general captured, the guards and soldiers all panicked. Without anyone to command them, they all stopped moving, allowing Shi Xuan to pass through and meet up with Mo Jingqiu.
Huang Qi wanted to shout, "Don't worry about me. Shoot me down as well. Otherwise, if the assassin enters the ancestral shrine, it won't just be me who dies. Instead, my entire family will be executed, and even my nine generations will be executed." However, how could Mo Jingqiu allow him to speak at this time? She used her other hand to firmly cover his mouth.
After meeting up, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu did not waste any time. With Huang Qi as their shield, they retreated towards the ancestral shrine. Although their footsteps were weak, they were incomparably fast. In the blink of an eye, they had climbed up the steps and were about to reach the main doors of the ancestral shrine.
At this time, two figures sprinted over from afar. The person in the lead was dressed in a black chiffon dress. Her features were delicate and elegant. From afar, she shouted, "Release the arrows! If the assassin enters the ancestral shrine, all of you will die! "
The guards and soldiers were stunned. Who was this?
Zhu Shang, who was following behind, was panting heavily. This delicate and beautiful woman really did not look like her appearance. Seeing that the guards were not moving, he ran while holding up the token. "The Emperor's token is here. Release the arrows! Even if General Huang dies, his wife and children will still be conferred. Don't kill his entire family! "
"Yes, Imperial Tutor." The guards and soldiers felt their hearts tremble. Seeing the Emperor's token flash, they released the arrows that were originally aimed at Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu. At this time, the two of them were still a few steps away from the main doors of the ancestral shrine.
But at this moment, all of them felt dizzy. It was as if something had hit their souls. Their hands dropped involuntarily, and the rain of arrows fell to the bottom of the stairs.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu pushed Huang Qi. Using the counterforce, they flew into the air and crashed through the doors of the ancestral shrine. They fell inside and quickly rolled to the sides, hiding behind the walls.
Shi Xuan's face was slightly pale, and his head was buzzing. That last soul-shocking action, although only for a moment, was not as long as Imperial Tutor Zhu Shang's, but it was just right and had a wide range. Unless it was Shi Xuan, who was a Three Tribulations Lord Of Heaven, it would not be able to trigger it. Unfortunately, it was not as powerful as a spell. Otherwise, these soldiers would have all fallen to the ground, and they would not be able to draw their bows again.
The ancestral shrine was solemn. Without the Emperor's personal order, the soldiers did not dare to shoot their arrows. If they damaged even a blade of grass or a tree in the ancestral shrine, it would be a crime of great disrespect.
Seeing that Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu had entered the ancestral shrine, Mu Jing suppressed his anger. He quickly swept past the soldiers and dashed toward the main doors. Zhu Shang hesitated for a moment, but also followed. At the same time, he called over a dozen skilled guards. With so many people and his own methods, the two assassins would not be able to overturn the heavens.
However, inside the ancestral shrine, there were spirit tablets and offerings everywhere. There was not much space for them to move. If they had more people and failed to catch the assassins, but damaged the spirit tablets of the late Emperors, the late Emperors, and the others, even ten heads would not be enough to chop off.
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