Chapter 332: Chapter 196: Assassination
’A Half-King is coming to meet us?’
This political marriage seems more important than I thought.
Gu Zheng mused to himself, his expression unreadable. "In that case, let’s pick up the pace and reach Huifeng Canyon as soon as possible."
"My thoughts exactly," Cao Qingsong agreed.
"Everyone, speed up!"
Zhong Zhengao gave the crisp order. "When we reach the rendezvous point, everyone gets three Profound Pills."
"YES, SIR!"
The others around them responded in unison.
Their speed instantly doubled.
The sprint was draining, but the reward was generous.
They were traveling light as it was, and with this incentive, the group’s morale soared.
As for the dowry, it had always been kept in a Storage Pouch, personally guarded by Zhong Zhengao.
Among them all, only Zhong Qishan remained sullen. Her face reverted to a numb expression as several handmaidens helped her move quickly.
Huifeng Canyon was still within Xin Country’s territory, but it was very close to the border of the Great Feng Country.
The Great Feng Country and Xin Country, just like Jing Country and Yue Country, were engaged in a Dragon Struggle, constantly sabotaging each other.
The two sides were hostile and spied on one another.
Jing Country and Xin Country had no conflict for the time being.
Previously, they had encountered Boshan Guanzhi, which was why the group hadn’t been attacked. With Sang Qianying acting as an intermediary to ease the tension, both sides had parted peacefully.
Ying Jiuyue was different.
If he were discovered by people from Xin Country, a conflict would be inevitable.
Therefore, for Ying Jiuyue to enter Xin Country’s territory to receive the marriage escort was already a significant gesture.
...
The group advanced quickly, crossing one mountain after another.
Just as they were about to reach Huifeng Canyon—
"Watch out!"
Gu Zheng suddenly let out a low shout.
The moment the words left his mouth, his figure flickered and shot to Zhong Qishan’s right side, less than a meter away.
BANG!
The Chaotic Heaven Shield materialized, blocking the space in front of him.
From the void, a pitch-black chain, flickering between solid and ethereal, shot out without warning. Its head, like a venomous snake, slammed into the Chaotic Heaven Shield, unleashing a shockwave of rampant, Powerful Qi.
Gu Zheng didn’t budge an inch, completely unaffected. The others around him cried out in alarm, screaming as they were sent flying or thrown directly to the ground, spitting blood.
SWISH!
Keeping the Chaotic Heaven Shield in front of him, Gu Zheng drew the Red Abyss Blade and fiercely slashed out multiple scorching Sword Gangs into the void above.
SSST! SSSST! SSSST!
The thread-like Sword Gangs crisscrossed, streaking through the void.
He shifted his position, moving the Chaotic Heaven Shield with him to shield Zhong Qishan from behind.
"BANG!"
Another loud bang. The resulting shockwave swept through the surrounding trees and rocks, shattering them and sending debris flying into the air.
SWOOSH!
Gu Zheng’s Divine Wondrous power surged as he swung his blade, slashing above his head, to his left, and then to his right.
It was as if his slashes had eyes; the Sword Gangs covered all three directions perfectly.
BANG! BANG!
The muffled explosions continued without end.
The pitch-black chain, flickering between solid and ethereal, silently vanished and reappeared, over and over.
This continued until a semi-transparent figure was forced out of hiding on a hillside a hundred meters away. As it retreated, the pitch-black chain finally disappeared.
"Ambush!"
"Protect Her Highness the Princess!"
"..."
The others, reacting belatedly, finally cried out in alarm and formed a defensive battle formation.
Zhong Zhengao’s expression was especially grave. He said in a low voice, "That’s the Black Water Hidden Kill Chain! It’s the Beiming Family!"
"The attacker is at least at the Heroic Body: Melting Furnace level." Cao Qingsong was just as serious. "What a bold move. Hiring a Heroic Body Realm assassin to annihilate us..."
"Cao, watch out!"
Gu Zheng shouted, and a Sword Gang from his Red Abyss Blade shot toward the space in front of Cao Qingsong.
SWISH!
CRASH!
BOOM!!
Amidst strange noises, collisions, and ripples in space, a pitch-black chain turned from ethereal to solid and back again before vanishing.
"Two of them!"
Zhong Zhengao hissed. "There are two people from the Beiming Family!"
"Everyone else, scatter immediately," Cao Qingsong commanded.
The nervous and terrified guards were all stunned by the order.
"What are you standing around for?"
Zhong Zhengao yelled, "You can’t stop a Heroic Body Realm assassin! Sticking together is just waiting to die! All of you, scatter! Get as far away as you can!"
"...Yes, sir!"
The guards hastily scattered in all directions.
The hidden Beiming Family assassins didn’t target them, letting the group of people leave.
By Zhong Qishan’s side remained a few handmaidens, as well as Gu Zheng, Cao Qingsong, and Zhong Zhengao.
This wasn’t because the guards’ lives were more valuable, or because Zhong Zhengao had a sudden crisis of conscience.
It was because their deaths would be pointless.
These guards and handmaidens were part of Zhong Qishan’s "dowry" when they left Jing Country. After arriving in the Great Feng Country, they would be the people closest to her, the ones she could directly command.
If they were all killed, Zhong Qishan’s future days would be very difficult.
The Beiming Family’s assassins were targeting Zhong Qishan.
Gu Zheng, Cao Qingsong, and Zhong Zhengao were enough.
If the three of them weren’t a match for the assassins, the others certainly wouldn’t be.
"The Black Water Hidden Kill Chain? Is it a Divine Weapon?"
Gu Zheng asked while warily sensing the abnormalities in the space around them. "Does it have any weaknesses?"
"Almost none."
Zhong Zhengao answered in a grave voice, "The Black Water Hidden Kill Chain’s stealth and speed are among the best of all the Noble Families, ranking in the top three. The people of the Beiming Family also cultivate a semi-invisible True Skill, which they pair with Marvels, all for the sake of a one-hit kill. They won’t retreat until their mission is complete."
"So, they’ll keep following us..."
Halfway through his sentence, Gu Zheng’s figure blurred as he moved in front of Zhong Qishan, who was still dazed and hadn’t come to her senses.
The Chaotic Heaven Shield shot up...
BANG!!
A deafening, muffled explosion erupted. The resulting shockwave disturbed the nearby earth, stones, and splintered wood, pulverizing them once again.
"Not two, three!"
Gu Zheng exclaimed, his face grim.
"What..."
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
The sound of rushing wind suddenly erupted.
Three figures could be seen flickering between transparency and visibility, rapidly circling Gu Zheng and the others.
Countless pitch-black chains, flickering between solid and ethereal, pierced through the void. Like a swarm of snakes emerging from a den, they poured out in a dense barrage, shooting toward Zhong Qishan in the center.
VMMMM!!
A terrifying pressure exploded outward, descending upon everyone’s heads and shoulders.
THUD, THUD.
The handmaidens, including Zhong Qishan, were forced to their knees on the spot, trembling all over with deathly pale faces.
Zhong Qishan finally snapped out of her daze. Her beautiful face was now completely drained of color, her large eyes filled with terror.
"Mr.... Mr. Wang..."
"It’s a Half-King!!"
Zhong Zhengao roared, his face filled with horror and his wide eyes showing utter disbelief.
To kill them, they had actually hired a Half-King Level assassin!
At this moment, let alone Zhong Qishan, even Zhong Zhengao and Cao Qingsong could only struggle to resist, finding it difficult to move.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
But the ethereal-solid black chains didn’t stop, continuing their assault.
SWISH!
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
Sword Gangs crisscrossed the air, swift as a startled goose, brilliant as the morning clouds.
Gu Zheng’s figure flickered, his blade moving like a downpour of rain as he single-handedly blocked all the attacks.
The pressure of a Half-King Level expert?
’I don’t feel a thing!’
However, there were three assassins.
Two at the Heroic Body Realm, and one Half-King.
Against such power, Gu Zheng couldn’t protect everyone by himself.
Especially not without using his trump cards.
And so, while swinging his blade, Gu Zheng’s Divine Wondrous power surged, enveloping Zhong Qishan. He pulled her to his side, leaped into the air, and shot straight ahead.
"I’m taking the princess and going on ahead!"
Leaving those words behind, Gu Zheng, with Zhong Qishan in tow, broke through the encirclement of black chains and quickly vanished, streaking toward Huifeng Canyon.
In Huifeng Canyon, Ying Jiuyue, another Half-King Level expert, was waiting to receive them.
Luring the assassins to the canyon was the only way to escape the ambush.
However, the three Beiming Family assassins obviously knew Gu Zheng’s plan.
Surprised by his sudden escape, they immediately gave chase.
In terms of speed, Gu Zheng was certainly not slow.
Empowered by the Wandering God Falcon Wings and going all out, the two Heroic Body Realm assassins from the Beiming Family couldn’t keep up at all.
Only the Half-King assassin remained in hot pursuit.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The ethereal-solid black chains continuously shot out from a distance, attacking Gu Zheng.
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
The Chaotic Heaven Shield blocked from behind, taking one attack after another.
Gu Zheng was fine, but Zhong Qishan, beside him, couldn’t withstand the shockwaves. After less than two hits, she passed out.
’She fainted?’
