His fingers dug into the cracks in the eaves of the temple, and Fan Xian's body gently swung up. The tips of his feet stepped on the wooden railing that protruded a few inches. His body suddenly rose up, and with a few jumps and a few jumps, he perfectly combined his skills with his little tricks. In the blink of an eye, he had already climbed to the highest floor of the Hanging Temple.
The situation on the hill below had already stabilized, and the fire had been extinguished. The nobles of the Qing Kingdom were ruthless characters who had been through the fires of war for a long time. After a moment of confusion, they calmed down. Under the orders of a few elders, they set up another layer of defense in addition to the guards. They had to ensure the safety of the Hanging Temple. At this moment, everyone anxiously raised their heads and saw Fan Xian's silhouette sweep up to the top floor like a bolt of lightning. No one had expected Commissioner Fan to be so skilled, and they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Fan Xian's right hand firmly gripped the corner of the eaves at the bottom of the top floor. His left leg was slightly bent, and his left hand rested on the black dagger hidden in his boot. It fluttered slightly in the mountain wind. The top floor was quiet, but he did not dare to rashly barge in. He called out, "I am Fan Xian."
It seemed that someone in the top floor said something. Fan Xian squinted and looked into the top floor, which was covered by the windows. Countless rays of cold light gradually disappeared. Only then did he relax. Someone inside said, "Come in."
With a creak, the wooden window was pushed open.
Fan Xian did not dare to be slow. The muscles in his waist tightened, and his entire body bounced up. He gently snuck into the top floor of the temple with the mountain wind, afraid that he would startle the Emperor. His feet landed on the ground, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the guards, who looked as if they were facing a great enemy, slowly take a step back. He knew that if he had rushed in without announcing himself, he would probably have been greeted by countless cold knives.
His eyes swept across the building, and he did not see the assassination that he had anticipated. He let out a sigh of relief. Then, he saw the empress dowager's shadow flash by in the corridor. Wan'er, whom he was most worried about, was supporting the old woman. The mysterious Hong Gongzheng walked at the back with his hands in his sleeves and his body bent.
There was a fire below, and the empress dowager and the women in the palace had already retreated.
"Why are you here?"
A dignified but calm voice rang out. Fan Xian only reacted after a pause. Turning around, he bowed to the middle-aged man by the railing on his left and calmly said, "The fire below should be man-made. I am worried about Your Majesty's safety."
The Emperor of the Qing Kingdom wore bright yellow but clearly casual clothing. He held his hands behind his back and looked outside the railing. The terrain here was very high. At a glance, countless mountains and rivers were in his eyes. The mountain full of yellow chrysanthemums gave off a sense of sternness. The Emperor did not seem to be too worried about his own safety. His gaze calmly looked at the great rivers and mountains that belonged to him. The corners of his lips curled up slightly. He revealed a glimmer of mockery toward the officials below the temple, who looked as if they were facing a great enemy.
By this time, the Empress Dowager and her lady-in-waiting had already left the building. On the third floor, they regrouped with the Imperial Bodyguards who had come up to greet them and carefully retreated downstairs. On the top floor of the Floating Temple, other than the unusually calm Emperor, there were also the Crown Prince, the Great Prince, and the Third Prince, the three men of the royal family, a dozen armed Imperial Bodyguards, and four or five accompanying eunuchs.
Fan Xian's gaze swept over them, and he could clearly see the defensive power of the building. He couldn't help but feel a flash of worry between his brows. The fire downstairs was clearly strange, but he had quickly extinguished it, so no one had a chance to take advantage of the chaos. However, the hidden assassins must still be in the temple. He just didn't know how the Kingdom of Qing, with its great power, could have let someone sneak in — but as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, he had a lot of confidence in the Kingdom of Qing's defensive power. Even if there were assassins in hiding, they could only be top-notch aces who could throw the world into chaos with one sword strike. There could not be more than three of them.
But the fact that Gong Dian was not in the building made Fan Xian's heart clench. Eunuch Hong helped the Empress Dowager down the stairs. This fact made Fan Xian's head hurt even more. Could it be that the assassins had started this fire just to lure the number one ace in the palace downstairs?
At this moment, upstairs, other than the armed guards, it seemed that he was the only true ace. Fan Xian judged the situation in the building with a bit of arrogance. After all, in his heart, the Great Prince's skills on horseback were not bad, but when faced with this kind of sudden attack, the difference between him and an excellent assassin was too great.
Looking at the Emperor's expression, it seemed that he didn't care much about this matter. Perhaps this was the steadiness and dominance that a ruler had to display. But Fan Xian didn't want to cause the deaths of countless innocents in the Kingdom of Qing because of the occasional injury of this middle-aged man. He frowned slightly and gave the Crown Prince, who was behind the Emperor, who was forcing himself to appear calm.
The Crown Prince was slightly surprised, but immediately knew what Fan Xian was thinking. He bowed to the Emperor and said, "Father, the cause of the fire is unclear. Please leave for now."
Who would have thought that the Emperor would not pay any attention to the Crown Prince's request? He slowly turned around, and there was a faint self-mockery on his thin face. He looked at Fan Xian and said, "Has the fire been extinguished?"
Fan Xian was slightly surprised, and nodded. "It has been extinguished."
"Then why do you still want to leave?" The Emperor's left hand gently stroked the railing. Slowly, he said, "In this life, there have been very few times when I have retreated."
Fan Xian's expression was calm, but in his heart, he had already begun to curse. He thought, You like to pretend to be cool and play with excitement, but I have no such interest. In a low voice, he said, "Although there have been no unusual movements, this place is high up on the peak. It is the most difficult to guard against. Please, Your Majesty, think of the world and immediately return to the palace."
Using the world to admonish an Emperor was the most effective method in court dramas in his previous life. But it was clear that it had no effect on the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing. Instead, he turned around and coldly said, "Fan Xian, you are the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. If someone dares to assassinate me … that would be a dereliction of duty on your part. Do you want me to be punished by not being able to admire the flowers because of your dereliction of duty?"
Fan Xian was angry and bitter. He thought that he was only the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. Although the Sixth Bureau was indeed in charge of this part of the business, the Chrysanthemum Viewing Banquet had not allowed the Council to interfere. How could he have predicted the enemy's actions? However, he immediately thought of the Overwatch Council's network of spies throughout the world. Recently, they had indeed not heard any news. There were only two or three powers in the world who dared to act against the Qing royal family. Those two or three powers had been quiet recently. Dongyi, which was the most difficult to guess, had also maintained its calm. Sigu Jian had always been an important target of the Overwatch Council's observation. They could confirm that he was still in Dongyi.
Looking at the Emperor's calm expression, Fan Xian couldn't help but mutter in his heart. Was this fire not the prelude to an assassination? Was he really too nervous?
Seeing Fan Xian sink into silence, the three princes present who had the right to speak all thought that he had been reprimanded by the Emperor, and their faces were a little embarrassed. The Crown Prince coughed lightly and was about to say something on Fan Xian's behalf, but he suddenly remembered that Fan Xian had recently beaten the Second Prince wretchedly, which made him feel "greatly gratified". However, this official's power seemed to have reached a point where he could not control it. At this moment, his father was suppressing him. Perhaps there was a deeper meaning to it, so he shut his mouth and only cast a comforting glance at Fan Xian.
The Great Prince did not think so much. In a low voice, he said, "Father, what Commissioner Fan says makes sense. Although I'm afraid there is no traitor in this world who would dare to assassinate you, for safety's sake, and for the sake of the elders downstairs, you should go downstairs first."
The Emperor seemed to admire the Great Prince's straightforward attitude, but he still did not have a good expression toward Fan Xian. Coldly, he said, "Fan Xian, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, you are so flustered in the face of trouble. You have disappointed me greatly."
Fan Xian cursed a few more times in his heart, but his expression became more and more humble. He laughed at himself and said, "Your Majesty is right."
The Emperor looked at him with a trace of questioning. Suddenly, he said, "Are you not satisfied in your heart?"
"Yes." Fan Xian's heart suddenly jumped, and he replied in a low voice, "I believe that Your Majesty is concerned with the world, and that safety is no small matter. You must take even more care, and no matter how careful you are, it is never too much. This scene reappears every year, and there is only one Emperor in the Kingdom of Qing. Even if others say I am flustered and as cowardly as a mouse, I must still ask Your Majesty to go downstairs and return to the palace."
There was an awkward silence in the building. No one had expected that Fan Xian would dare to contradict the Emperor in public, and even dare to discuss the Emperor's life and death. He even directly refuted the Emperor's earlier reprimand!
…
…
"You are very daring …" For some reason, after hearing these words, the Emperor's expression finally relaxed a little. Looking at Fan Xian, he said, "If you say you are as cowardly as a mouse, then I really don't know where to find such a big mouse in the world."
This was originally a joke, but other than the Emperor, everyone on the top floor was in a nervous mood. No one dared to laugh out loud. Only the extremely daring Fan Xian laughed, but his smile was somewhat bitter.
Suddenly, the Emperor's voice dropped a little. Even his eyes closed, allowing the mountain wind outside the railing to gently caress the middle-aged and gradually wrinkled face.
"In this life of mine, I have encountered countless assassination attempts. How could you children possibly know how turbulent the world was back then?" The Emperor smiled lightly. "You want to force me to leave with such a situation full of mistakes and a fire that can't even be lit? How could it be so easy?"
Fan Xian looked at this scene and secretly looked down on the ruler of a country for playing with petty bourgeoisie. His attention was mostly on his surroundings. Gong Dian and Eunuch Hong were not there. The Tiger Guards were not there. There were only the guards and three … or four? The princes and the eunuchs who served the Emperor closely were loyal and the relatives of the previous three generations were all under the control of the court. If they wanted to rely on these people to protect the Emperor, it was far from enough. In particular, Eunuch Hong had left with the empress dowager, which made Fan Xian very worried.
Suddenly, his heart jumped. He thought of a very subtle matter. If the Emperor was attacked at this time, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, wouldn't he bear the greatest responsibility? Why hadn't his father thought of this when they were downstairs?
Eunuch Dai said in a loud voice, "In his life, the Emperor has been attacked 43 times. He has never retreated a single step."
Fan Xian was stunned for a moment. He immediately thought of Wang Qinian far away in Northern Qi. He cursed in his heart. Behind all successful men, there was one or a few excellent sidekicks.
The Emperor slowly opened his eyes. A powerful self-confidence seeped through the calmness in his gaze. "Northern Qi, Dongyi, Western Hu, Nanyue, and those pitiful creatures whose countries were destroyed by me, who doesn't want to kill me? But, after 20 years, who has done it?" He laughed lightly. "When being attacked by assassins becomes a habit, Fan Xian, you can probably understand why I don't take it to heart."
Fan Xian cursed in his heart more than any other day. But since he was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, he had to be responsible for the Emperor's safety. Most importantly, he didn't want to be the biggest black pot in the world. And so, he didn't let it go. Thickening his skin, he bravely urged the Emperor to return to the palace.
The Emperor was finally annoyed by his words. He cursed angrily. "How did Fan Xian raise such a good-for-nothing? How did Chen Pingping take a fancy to you? "
Fan Xian's face was full of smiles, but he continued to curse in his heart. If you have the ability, teach me yourself. This should be your job.
The situation had long since calmed down. Even the most powerful assassin could only take the opportunity to escape. Otherwise, when the imperial guards spread out their nets and searched the mountain, there would be no good ending. So the mood of the people in the building relaxed a little. Seeing the Emperor, who never showed his emotions, berate Fan Xian, they couldn't help but find it funny. The Crown Prince shamelessly comforted Fan Xian with a gentle gaze. The Great Prince couldn't bear it and turned his head away. It was the youngest, the Third Prince, whose face was full of smiles. Perhaps watching this scene, he felt very vindicated.
He didn't know why the Emperor was so angry today. He kept on berating Fan Xian, as if he were scolding his own son. After all, Fan Xian was now a famous person. He was an important official in the court. In the Qing court, which placed great emphasis on the rule of law, it was rare to see such a humiliating official.
Fan Xian listened with a bitter smile, but he heard something else. He was afraid that the Emperor was suspicious of the same thing as he was, and that was why he was so angry. If this show was secretly arranged by the old cripple or his father, he could only praise them for being daring, ruthless, shameless, and retarded. To play such a brave act of saving the Emperor for the Emperor to see. The Emperor was not an idiot. At least, his intelligence was no lower than Fan Xian's. How could he not see it? It seemed that the Emperor believed that Fan Xian was also in the dark.
He sighed in his heart, thinking that there probably wouldn't be any serious assassins. It was just a farce.
But the problem was that Chen Pingping was not a kindergarten student, and Fan Xian was not a little girl who cried at the iron gate on the first day of school. The Emperor would not believe that his two most trusted subordinates would do such an absurd thing to gain favor for Fan Xian. The reason the Emperor was angry had little to do with Fan Xian.
…
…
The Emperor finally stopped talking. He turned around and slammed his hand on the railing, startling everyone in the building. Fan Xian was a master of reading people. He pursed his lips to Eunuch Dai, who was next to him, indicating that the Son of Heaven was thirsty.
Eunuch Dai had just been transferred to Taiji Palace, and he was being careful. Hearing Fan Xian's reminder, he couldn't help but feel happy. He prepared to serve tea.
"Wine." The Emperor did not turn around, but he knew what Fan Xian was doing behind him. He looked at the scenery outside the railing. His eyes, which were like floating clouds in the sky, could not help but show a trace of mockery. "A thousand poems in the cold autumn scenery, a cup of wine in the cold fragrance of the wine. Since we are going to a tall building to admire the chrysanthemums, how can we not drink wine?"
Every three years, chrysanthemum wine would be prepared for the Chrysanthemum Viewing Party. It had been prepared long ago. But the strange fire in the Hanging Temple had made everyone uneasy, and they had forgotten to bring it out. Hearing the Emperor's edict, a young eunuch with delicate features quickly carried the wine table to the side of the railing. His feet made no sound, and he was exceptionally careful.
Hearing the poem, Fan Xian was slightly surprised. This was a chrysanthemum poem by Jia Baoyu in the 38th chapter of Story of the Stone. The Emperor was reading it now to show Fan Xian that he actually knew everything. But this matter could not be hidden from the world, and Fan Xian was mentally prepared.
"Story of the Stone is about the love between a man and a woman. It is a bit low class, but the words are not bad … but these poems are a bit unpresentable."
The three princes and their attendants in the building did not know why the Emperor was suddenly talking about literature, and they were slightly startled. Fan Xian knew he could not back down. He smiled bitterly and bowed. "I did not expect my playful work to enter the Emperor's eyes. It is truly fortunate."
"Oh? I had thought … you were afraid people would know this book was written under your name, so you purposely put some despicable effort into the poems, making them as childish as possible. "
Fan Xian sighed, not knowing how to reply. At this moment, everyone present finally knew that Story of the Stone, which had long been secretly circulated among the people and in the Palace, had been written by Sir Fan junior. Amidst their shock, they also felt that it was natural. This book had always only been published by Danbo Bookstore. Furthermore, the literary talent was clear and elegant, and it was truly vulgar. If it was not written by Sir Fan junior, whose literary reputation shocked the world, who knew where in the world to find such a person.
The Emperor accepted the wine cup and sniffed the slightly strong fragrance in the cup. He gently took a sip and smiled faintly, no longer paying attention to the embarrassed Fan Xian and his shocked sons.
There were two cups of wine on the plate. Originally, the Emperor and the empress dowager each had a cup. At this moment, the Emperor had already taken a cup and drank it. There was still one left, and the empress dowager had already come downstairs. He did not know how to divide it. He looked at the Crown Prince and then at the Great Prince. His brows furrowed and then relaxed. Unconsciously, he pointed his finger at Fan Xian. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. Halfway through, he very stiffly turned his finger and pointed at the smiling and shocked Third Prince hiding in the corner.
The Third Prince was still young. With a pained expression, he said, "Father, I don't like to drink." Words like this could only be said by a child. Otherwise, he would not be convicted of the crime of disobeying an imperial edict.
The Emperor's expression darkened. Coldly, he said, "You dare to do things stronger than wine. Are you afraid of a cup of wine?"
The Third Prince's expression was pained. Pressed down by this icy aura, he was so frightened that he almost cried. He quickly gave his thanks and walked with his little feet to the railing. Stretching out his little arm, he took the wine cup and sent it to his mouth.
…
…
With a crisp clang, the wine cup in the Third Prince's hand fell to the ground and rolled far away. He stared dumbfoundedly at the cold light coming toward him. It was as if he could not understand why this guard wanted to hack him to death. He was just drinking a cup of wine.
After all, he was a prince. He had grown up in a very complicated and often dangerous situation. The little boy immediately reacted. Someone was trying to assassinate him!
Behind him was the Emperor. If he covered his head and ran like a rat, then this snow-like knife would cut directly into the Emperor's body. Of course, the Third Prince did not have Great Grandmaster Ku He's footwork in the snow that left no traces. He also did not have Ye Liuyun's strong hands that were as strong as a coffin frame. No matter how valiantly he blocked in front of the Emperor, this startling knife would probably cut him in half and take the Emperor's head along the way.
Dodging or not dodging was the same. Thus, the Third Prince chose the most correct method. He stood rigidly where he was and stared at the assassin's blurry face in the flash of the knife. His legs trembled. His pants were completely wet. Without a care for anything else, he began to scream shrilly.
Ah!
Before the shrill cry rang through the top floor, everyone present had already discovered the truth of the assassination. No one had ever thought that there would be an assassin among the internal guards of the Qing Royal Palace. Thus, when the knife carried a startling aura and chopped toward the Emperor holding the small wine cup by the railing, no one was able to react. Thus, the knife broke through the defensive circle of the guards. Only Fan Xian was an exception.
He exhaled, turned his wrist, and threw out a punch. This assassin had hidden himself too deeply. His attack was too sudden, and the light of the knife was too strong. It made it so that he did not hold back at all. The snow mountain at his waist suddenly lit up. The melted zhenqi flowed out like a large river along his right arm and traveled to his fist. Then, through the air a few steps away, he smashed it down toward the flash of the knife.
This punch was not simple at all. The wind generated by the punch had already split the air, and it was accompanied by a slight buzzing sound. It was like a muffled thunder, and it exploded in the saber light, shattering the snow-like saber light into pieces!
Of course, it was not that simple.
Fan Xian's chest tightened. He was extremely shocked to find that the person wielding the knife was also a ninth-level ace. But it made sense. An assassin who dared to assassinate the most powerful ruler in the world would not have the guts to attack without being a ninth-level ace. After the wind from the punch, he had already rushed to the side of the Third Prince. His left hand flipped over, and the black dagger came out of his leg. It very insidiously stabbed toward the lower abdomen of the assassin.
The knife in the assassin's hand only broke in half, but the power of the knife became more and more fierce. It was even faster, as if he was going to fight with his life on the line. The guards had finally woken up. They yelled and came over to Fan Xian's side. Even if this assassin was a ninth-level ace, there was nothing he could do.
But at this moment, the cloud in the sky in front of the Hanging Temple floated away. It revealed the sun, the blazing sun.
There was a flash of light, and the building was suffused with a ghastly white color. Then, an assassin dressed entirely in white appeared, holding a plain, ancient sword in his hand. No one knew how this assassin had appeared on the top floor, and no one realized that he had used the sunlight as a disguise to approach the Emperor.
Two sounds of wind breaking rang out. The two guards by the Emperor's side were the first to react and pulled the Emperor back. The price they paid was that their throats were slit and blood sprayed out. They didn't even have time to pull out their knives before they fell to the ground.
A man in white, holding an ancient sword, stabbed straight at the Emperor's face!
…
…
The Emperor, who had said he would never retreat in his life, was finally dragged back a few steps by the fearless guards in front of this sword that seemed to come from the heavens.
At this moment, the soul-stealing tip of the sword was still a foot away from him. But everyone seemed to feel that the tip of the sword had already pierced the Emperor's throat.
Everyone knew that the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom did not know martial arts. A few more guards roared and blocked in front of the Emperor. Things happened suddenly, and everyone was worried about the Emperor's safety. So, these guards chose the most direct method, which was to use human flesh to block the opponent's sword.
Blood sprayed everywhere, but the Emperor's eyes were still calm. He stared fixedly at the white-clothed assassin who advanced without stopping, who was one with the swordsman.
…
…
The bodyguards were strong enough. They just needed time to react. Eunuch Hong and the only two Level Nine strongmen of the Ye Family and the Qin Family were still under the Floating Temple. As long as they could stop the swordsman in white for a second, they could save the King's life.
But who would stop him? The guards had already done what they were supposed to do. They knew that with an assassin among their colleagues, it would be difficult for them to survive. In order to keep their families alive, they had already used all of their abilities. The rest of the task of blocking the sword for the Emperor should be left to the Emperor's sons.
The chain of attacks all happened in a very short period of time.
At that time, the wine cup that the Third Prince had dropped in shock was still spinning on the ground. The First Prince, whose face was filled with shock, was about to rush in front of his father and help him block that murderous ancient sword. However, he only had time to take two steps, and his heels had not even touched the ground.
At that moment, the black, thin, and long dagger that Fan Xian had thrown out was still a few inches away from the assassin's stomach. But, he already felt the shocking power of the sword behind him.
The sky was full of blood, like a mountain of chrysanthemums blooming. The bodies of the guards, who had died with their eyes open, flew through the air. They did not understand how the white-clothed assassin could be hiding above the Hanging Temple, when they had already checked it.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion. It was very detailed and shocking in front of Fan Xian's eyes.
He could even see clearly from the corner of his eyes that the Crown Prince's face was full of sorrow as he rushed toward the Emperor. His loyal and brave appearance was very touching. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince stepped on the wine cup that his brother had accidentally dropped. He slipped and almost fell to the ground in a comical position.
It was fate. At that moment, only Fan Xian, who was closest to the Emperor and had the fastest reaction, could be this loyal and filial son. The hair on the back of Fan Xian's neck stood up. The murderous intent on the sword behind him was purer than that of the ninth-level assassin in front of him. It was more violent. In a very short period of time, it had aroused the anger buried deep in his heart. He was confident that in this moment, he could save the Emperor and the Third Prince, but … he would definitely be severely injured by the white-clothed assassin behind him.
But, he decided to take the risk. This was such a good opportunity, and the stingy Fan Xian did not want to miss it. This was such a strong enemy, and the competitive Fan Xian did not want to miss it.
But at that moment, what made Fan Xian feel a little cold was that the assassin's last move had finally been made.
This time, the opponent had used a spy that had been buried in the palace guards of the Qing Kingdom for ten years. He had also paid an unknown price to invite the white-clothed swordsman. He had risked his ten years of hard work in the Qing Kingdom to lure Eunuch Hong away. He had acted at the right time to create this wonderful situation. However, the ninth-level assassin was not a killing move. Even the white-clothed swordsman who had struck out with a mournful sword was not a killing move.
The real killer move came from behind the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom.
After the Emperor was forced back a few steps by the white-clothed swordsman's sword, the handsome little eunuch, who had brought the chrysanthemum wine, stood in front of the Emperor. He flipped over the wine table and reached into the pillar. Like a magic trick, he pulled out a gray dagger and viciously stabbed it toward the Emperor's back.
The dagger was hidden in the wooden pillar of the Hanging Temple. The hilt was painted the same color as the wooden pillar. After so many years, no one could discover that there was a murder weapon hidden there. No one knew how long the dagger had been there, and no one knew how long the other party had planned to assassinate the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom.
Looking at the patience and careful planning, it was clear that the other party was determined to succeed. What was most needed to assassinate the ruler of a country was not power, but determination and courage.
At this moment, in front of the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom was a long sword that was overflowing with an ancient aura. Behind him was an extremely old but extremely slippery dagger. There was no chance for him to turn around.
Fan Xian knew that this was the most dangerous test he had faced since his rebirth. It was even more terrifying than the battle with Haitang on the meadow. But before he had time to sigh, he had already unconsciously made what he thought was the right choice. The black dagger left his hand and stabbed toward the other party's eyes.
He knew he was not an immortal. Even if Uncle Wu Zhu or the four Great Grandmasters appeared in his position, it would be impossible for them to repel the assassin in front of them, protect the Third Prince's life, fight the white-clothed swordsman head on, and still have enough time and power to help the Emperor deal with the eunuch behind him.
The little eunuch in the palace did not have much martial arts, but the old short sword in his hand was the most deadly thing.
So, he chose to save the Third Prince first, and then the Emperor. Although this choice would later seem to be disgraceful, in Fan Xian's eyes, the Third Prince was only eight years old. He was still a child.
If he wanted to save someone, he had to save the young first.
…
…
The black dagger was like a black snake, stabbing toward the space between the eyebrows of the first assassin.
His opponent had planned this in great detail. Of course, he knew that Fan Xian's most terrifying move was this black, slender dagger. According to legend, it was an inauspicious object that had been personally blessed by the old freak Fei Jie. The ninth-level assassin did not dare to be careless. With a flash of his half-straight knife, he viciously threw the dagger down the stairs.
He wanted to see how Fan Xian, who was praised by the world as a master of both the pen and the sword, could withstand his knife when he had lost his weapon.
Just as the dagger flew out of the railing, Fan Xian quickly turned around, exposing his back to the assassin. In the process of turning around, he moved so fast that no one could see it clearly. He fiddled with his hair, and used the momentum to swing the dagger behind him.
A thin embroidery needle pierced precisely into the outer edge of the assassin's pinky finger. Only a sliver went in. It seemed that not even a drop of blood would come out.
The assassin gave a muffled grunt. Suddenly, he felt that his blood and Qi were not flowing smoothly. With a swing of his knife, he cut off his pinky finger.
Raising his head, he could no longer see Fan Xian.
Like a ghost, Fan Xian had already arrived in front of the insufferably arrogant white-clothed swordsman. He stood between him and the Emperor. Following him were, of course, the three soul-stealing black crossbow bolts and a few puffs of smoke whose effects were unclear, but mixed together, it must have been a very lascivious, poisonous smoke that was enough to destroy intestines and open stomachs.
A large swath of yellow, green, and white smoke spread out in the wooden building on the top floor of the Hanging Temple. It was indescribably strange. It was like the fireworks that could occasionally be seen in Jingdou.
Unexpectedly, the white-clothed swordsman seemed to understand Fan Xian's sinister fighting style very well. He had long since avoided the three crossbow bolts. He also held his breath and continued to stab straight with his sword. It pierced through a thousand mountains, crossed ten thousand rivers, broke through the smoke, and headed straight for Fan Xian's face.
At this moment, Fan Xian, who had used all of his tricks, was in front of the Emperor. Even if the sword stabbed forward, it would first stab Fan Xian's body. Even if he was kind and righteous enough to sacrifice his life for the Emperor, this was all he could do. As for the little eunuch behind the Emperor who was trying to assassinate him … Hmm, the Emperor, please take care of yourself.
The sword came down!
The Tyrannical zhenqi in Fan Xian's body became incomparably violent. At this moment, it was unknown whether his mind was controlling the zhenqi, or whether the zhenqi had already taken control of his mind. He only heard a shrill scream, and both of his palms shot out. The zhenqi in his body seemed to have been compressed into two very strong pieces of mountain rock. It came out of his arms and met the cold sword.
The white-clothed swordsman frowned slightly. He knew that if he continued to hold the sword and advance, even if it pierced through Fan Xian's chest, the two terrifying palms would probably shatter his sternum.
With a swish, the ancient sword was like a celestial plucking a branch from the mortal world. It stabbed into Fan Xian's shoulder.
At this moment, the white-clothed swordsman abandoned his sword and met Fan Xian's palms.
There was a loud bang, and the power of the collision shook the surroundings. Dust flew everywhere, and the poisonous smoke dissipated. No matter how much of a genius the white-clothed swordsman was, he could not compare to the zhenqi foundation that Fan Xian had laid down when he was a baby. His left hand was slightly weaker, and with a crack, his wrist was broken.
But what made Fan Xian's heart tremble was that when the white-clothed swordsman was knocked back, he was still able to casually pull out the ancient sword that was stuck in his shoulder. How fast was this, and how wonderful was this technique?
Immediately retreating after failing to strike was the style of a first-rate assassin. The white-clothed swordsman tapped the railing with the tip of his foot, and without looking at Fan Xian again, he leaped down the temple. His clothes fluttered in the mountain wind, and he was like a white crane that was not stained by dust as it danced lightly.
...
...
In the instant that the white-clothed swordsman and Fan Xian exchanged blows, two inconspicuous sounds rang out.
The ninth-level assassin, who had put Fan Xian in a difficult situation, was now completely red in the face. His shoulder bones were completely shattered, and blood flowed freely. With a trace of unwillingness and despair in his eyes, he fell.
As he fell, a trace of black blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. By the time his body touched the floor, he was completely dead. Behind this assassin stood, shockingly, Eunuch Hong.
The stooped Eunuch Hong stood quietly, his hands still in his sleeves, as if he had not made a move at all.
Fan Xian thought of the assassin's ultimate move, and with some despair, he turned around and saw a scene that shocked him. It was a scene that he would still remember many years later.
The young eunuch, who had intended to assassinate the Emperor with a dagger, had already fainted on the floor. Next to his head was a pile of sawdust.
And the target of his assassination was the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing. In his hand was a wooden plate with half a wine cup. This was the only weapon that the Emperor had been able to grab in the chaos. He looked at the young eunuch at his feet and said in a cold voice, "Although I am not Ye Liuyun, I am not someone that can be killed by someone like you!"
Indeed, although the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing did not practice martial arts, he was still a brave man who conquered the world on horseback. In a normal fight, he still had some skill.
Fan Xian, who was still in a state of shock, looked at the image of the Emperor holding half a wooden plate, and for some reason, thought of the gangster movies he had seen in his previous life. What a move!
— — — —
Screams and curses came from below the Floating Temple. Presumably, the white-clothed swordsman had already escaped. It seemed that the nobles of the Kingdom of Qing were brave and ruthless. Knowing that the other party was an assassin who wanted to assassinate the Emperor, they all surrounded him.
Another scream and a muffled grunt came from afar.
Now was not the time to talk about punishment. Fan Xian stretched his head to the railing and saw that on the ground, Ye Zhong of the Jingdou Garrison was standing with his mouth covered. With his eyesight, he could clearly see that Ye Zhong was coughing up blood. Presumably, when he had been fighting with the white-clothed swordsman, he had used a lot of strength.
Ye Zhong was one of the few ninth-level aces in the Kingdom of Qing. If he had coughed up blood from his sneak attack, then the white-clothed swordsman must have been even more injured. As expected, among the chrysanthemums in the distance, the white-clothed swordsman's slightly sluggish silhouette could be seen.
"Legend has it that Sigu Jian had a younger brother who left home at a young age. No one knows where he is now." The Emperor stood behind Fan Xian and said coldly, "Fan Xian, capture him for me. Let's see if the two brothers are both idiots!"
After a series of dangerous encounters, the usually calm Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing finally became angry.
Fan Xian knew it was not his place to say anything. Since Eunuch Hong had already gone upstairs, it was not his place to worry about the Emperor's safety. Although blood was still flowing from his shoulder, he had already leaped over the railing. Like a black bird, he charged quickly down the stairs.
There was another cry of surprise from below.
"Watch the show!" Fan Xian's face was cold. Since the Emperor had spoken, there was nothing he could do.
Moments after he flew past, Ye Zhong of the Jingdou Garrison, who had also been caught off guard, finally recovered. With a dark face, he flew in the direction of the white-clothed swordsman. Gong Dian was his junior. If he did not capture the assassin today, then the entire Ye family would be doomed. Even if he jumped into the river, he would not be able to clear his name. Even if it cost him his life, he would personally capture the assassin, and capture him alive!
Immediately after, the guards' lightness skills also turned into countless arrowheads, leaping into the wilderness.
At the foot of the mountain, there were layers of imperial soldiers surrounding it. On the mountain, Fan Xian and Ye Zhong, two ninth-level aces, led a group of red-eyed imperial guards in pursuit. It was uncertain whether the white-clothed assassin would be able to escape.
(This chapter is well written. I'm proud of it.)
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