Chapter 566: Chapter 156: Trapped in a Desperate Situation_1
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The grand Duke’s mansion. Many carriages were parked at the front gate; a dozen of glamorous young girls led by a steward entered the mansion. Their chattering brought some noise to the silent night. The girls, all around twenty years old, were dressed lightly, exposing large areas of white skin to the air, a sight hard to ignore. Led by the steward, they headed towards one of the smaller buildings within the mansion.
From a tall tree near the mansion wall, a dark figure watched as the girls entered the building. A spark of disdain and blood-thirst flashed deep within his eyes. He detested those filthy women the most. This figure was Ah Dai. He had been waiting for over an hour, his primary concern was the arrival of these girls. Aware of the dangers lurking within the Assassin’s Guild, Ah Dai knew that any lapse in focus would lead to his demise within this den of iniquity. Watching as the girls entered the building, Ah Dai stayed still, waiting.
Half an hour later, the scent of food and wine and the sound of flirtatious banter started to emanate from the small building. Ah Dai knew it was his time to act. Slowly he descended from the tree, moving swiftly towards a hidden sentry, slashing the sentry’s throat with a swift stroke. To minimize exposure from the glow of his energy, Ah Dai used the finger blades he had obtained from Wo Xin. The present him with the finger blades was incomparable to his past when he was a petty thief in the City of Nino. The finger blade wielded as if it were a part of him, under the control of his energy, it could be freely controlled. With a slight quiver of his fingers, the finger blade, which was originally used for theft, had now become a lethal weapon for killing.
Ah Dai removed his left hand, which was covering the sentry’s mouth, and stood still for a moment, relying on his superhuman hearing to observe any movement from the other sentries. Perhaps the sentries were too engrossed by the boisterous feast inside the small building, no one noticed the murderous intent filling the courtyard. Seeing no movement, Ah Dai proceeded to the next sentry using the same method. These low-level assassins had no chance of resistance; one by one, they met their end under Ah Dai’s finger blade. The fresh blood stained the green grass on the ground. The contrasting colors of red and green seemed so out of place. Thankfully, it was nighttime, and no one noticed these changes. Ah Dai moved quickly, within half an hour, all eighty-three sentries met their end under his finger blade.
Ah Dai stared at the finger blade in his hand, the turbulent murderous aura in his chest incessantly churning. After killing the last sentry, the blade was continuously dripping with blood, a dark red tint coating the originally shiny blade. After killing over eighty people, the malevolent aura in Ah Dai’s heart started to stir. His thirst for murder surged like a spring. However, Ah Dai was lucid, he didn’t directly enter the small building. Instead, he moved to a dark corner to meditate, controlling the Golden Body in his Dantian to float, with his impressive spiritual power, he was able to control his energy to prevent the emission of light. Under the effect of the Golden Body, the newly formed malevolent aura was gradually eliminated. Ah Dai regained his calm, took a deep breath, gently touched the Sword of Hades on his chest, rose into the air, and fearlessly made his way to the small building in the grand Duke’s mansion.
Ah Dai deciphered the location of the banquet from the boisterous noise and circumventing the foremost building, he arrived at the main building that was the largest in terms of area. Waves of the scent of food and wine and sounds of men and women bantering incessantly stimulated Ah Dai’s senses. Before he realized it, his right hand had touched the Sword of Hades on his chest. The cold, evil aura kept his mind clear. Just then, Ah Dai suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Startled, he stirred the Golden Body in his Dantian. The dizziness then faded in the flourishing vitality of the True Qi. Ah Dai figured that his brief dizziness was probably due to the extensive killing, he didn’t think much of it and cautiously made his way towards the main building. Ah Dai sprung into the air silently, landing on the wall of the main building. Utilizing the indestructible solid state energy, his fingers deeply embedded into the, solid as tofu under his grasp. Clinging tightly to the wall, he listened for a while to ensure everything was normal before carefully peering in through the window.
The expansive hall was over a thousand square meters. Empty in the center, pairs of men and women were embracing, drinking, joking around, and carrying out all sorts of indecent actions. The dozen or so assassins seen in the courtyard yesterday were present, each of them holding a beautiful woman. Drunkenly, they groped about, presenting a lewd spectacle. Ah Dai glanced towards the main seat in the hall, his eyes landed on a man dressed in a brocade robe. The man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with black hair and black eyes. He had a huge beer belly, and his circles around the eyes were blue - a clear sign of excessive indulgence in wine and meat. Judging by his dress and the Purple Gold Crown on his head, Ah Dai deduced that this man should be the Duke referred to by Mie Feng. But where was the guild’s leader? If the Duke was supposed to host the entire Assassin’s Guild, then the guild’s leader should also be present. Ah Dai carefully scanned the hall, but failed to identify anyone who could possibly be the guild’s leader. Just then, the hall’s door opened and a tall figure in black walked in. He was completely covered by a black robe, not even revealing his head. Because of the lowered hood, Ah Dai was unable to see the man’s eyes - the only part of him exposed. While this man did not exude any dangerous aura on the surface, Ah Dai could clearly sense that he was deliberately hiding his true strength. Consumed by hatred, he rashly concluded that this man must be the guild’s leader. With everyone gathered, Ah Dai felt this was his opportunity to take action. He took a deep breath, adjusted his True Qi to its optimal state and abruptly burst through the window to directly assault the Vice President in the hall. His hatred for the Vice President was second only to the guild’s leader. In order to ensure a successful strike, he chose to target the weaker, one-armed Vice President. "Hades Slash — Stance — Strike —" An indigo radiance instantly filled the hall; a surge of Evil Aura emerged abruptly with the appearance of the Sword of Hades. The chilling murderous intent sent a shiver down everyone’s spine, causing even the lamp-lights in the hall to momentarily dim. The Vice President, with his profound strength, still managed to respond amidst the chaos. He dramatically retreated, tossing the woman in his arms at Ah Dai. But at this point, Ah Dai had already surpassed the previous ’Nether King.’ The same Nether Slash manifesting in his hands induced a power that exceeded twice as much as the ’Nether King.’ The Vice President and the woman he threw were both eradicated by the wicked Sword of Hades without even having the chance to scream. The immense power also implicated another assassin of comparable strength to the Vice President. The three of them were reduced to ashes under the torrential Evil Aura of Hades’ sword, marking the end of their sinful lives. Just as Ah Dai was about to strike again, the dizzy sensation he had felt outside the building returned, escalating the Evil Aura from the Nether Slash which affected Ah Dai’s (rest of sentence is missing in the original). Despite his predicament, he forced a light purple sword of life around him, swinging it towards the surrounding assassins. Unexpectedly, not only did the higher-level assassins quickly respond by retreating, even the beautiful women in their arms floated into the air, landing to one side. Each woman suddenly wielded a black poison dagger. Ah Dai’s lightning-fast slash did not harm a single person. He took a quick breath and swiftly used the Golden Body within his Dantian to counteract the dizzy sensation and the Evil Aura of the Sword of Hades.
"Clap, clap, clap." Applause echoed throughout the hall. The rotund Duke rose from his seat. He did not seem startled by Ah Dai’s arrival; instead, he expressed amusement: "Good, worthy of being the successor of the Nether King. Your first move eliminated three of my strongest men. Indeed, you’re powerful! No wonder those idiots couldn’t defend against your sudden attack."
A chill ran down Ah Dai’s spine. It seemed the Duke had known he was coming. How did that happen? He had been cautious leading up to this moment. How did the Duke know of his plan? Ah Dai responded coldly, "That’s right, I am the successor of the Nether King, and the Grim Reaper who has come to claim your lives. Today, none of you scum will escape this place alive."
The Duke burst into laughter. His laughter contained no hint of hidden energy. Ah Dai had initially intended to resume his assault, but upon hearing laughter, he reconsidered. The laughter carried an array of elements. It was a laughter of triumph, a laughter of satisfaction.
The Evil Aura from the Sword of Hades was completely dissolved by Ah Dai, who was now ready to strike anytime. To better eliminate the enemy, he chose to lie in wait. After a while, the Duke stopped laughing and smiled, "So, you are very confident in yourself. I admit, you do have tremendous skills, and the Sword of Hades you wield is indeed the divine weapon of the God of the Netherworld. You were able to execute the fifth move, the initial emergence of ’Hades Domain,’ even while surrounded by many of the top assassins. What remarkable strength! You eliminated eleven of my strongest men at once. However, you’re simply too naive. What’s the use of your prodigious martial arts skills? In the end, you’ll still die at my hands. I have spent quite some time setting this trap and have waited for you for months. No matter how strong you’ve been, you can’t elude me. Don’t you feel a bit dizzy? Isn’t your strength gradually waning?"
Ahh Dai was taken aback. He subconsciously responded, "How did you know?" His eyes grew wide as he felt a shiver down his spine, "Did you poison me?"
The Duke shook his head, wagging a finger, "No, no, no, you are only half right. You indeed have been poisoned, but not by me. As one who practices the life energy of the Nether King, how could an ordinary poison suit your Grim Reaper status? What you’ve been poisoned with, like Owen, is the world-renowned Number-Two-Sacred-Water."
Whether due to the poison or the shock, Ah Dai’s head flooded with another wave of dizziness. He had been poisoned, poisoned by the incurable Number-Two-Sacred-Water!
The Duke continued: "You know, lad? I had to reveal my identity to deal with you. Now that you have no way to escape, the mistakes made when dealing with the former ’Nether King’ will not happen again. Since you can’t run anyway, I might as well let you die knowing the truth." He pointed at the man entirely covered in black clothing next to him, "You might have thought that he was the President of the Assassins Guild, huh? Well, I can assure you, your judgment was wrong because he is not. Mie Yi, reveal your true appearance."
The man in black respectfully responded, "Yes, Your Majesty." He casually removed the cloak and mask from his head, revealing a face that Ah Dai found incredibly familiar. A great shock overcame Ah Dai. He exclaimed, "You, you’re not dead? No, that’s impossible, how could you not be dead?" He turned his head towards the Duke, his eyes filled with cold light, resentfully telling, "You, you are the real master."
The master’s face still designed with a pleasant smile, "Correct, I am the president of the Assassin’s Guild, their master, and at the same time, I am the Duke with great influence in the Empire of the Sunset City. Are you surprised that I have so many identities? You may ask, being a heavy minister of the Empire of the Sunset, why did I organize the Assassin’s Guild? Well, it’s simple, I can openly tell you, it’s because our Dark Forces need operational funds, we need a large amount of money. Initially, I was sent by the Dark Forces to infiltrate the Empire of the Sunset. You may call me ’master,’ or the Fifth Elder of the Church of the Dark Saint. I climbed from a humble Viscount to the position I am today for accumulating funds to aid the resurgence of the Dark Forces. What does the Church stand for? When darkness falls upon the continent, they will be the first to be destroyed. Haven’t they experienced a setback more than half a year ago? That was just a mere lesson, the destruction of the Church is not far off. The continent of Tianyuan will enter the embrace of the God of the Netherworld. The darkness will never disappear." As the master spoke, a sudden change occurred in his dark pupils, gradually turning blood-red, emitting a weird glow. He pointed his finger at Ah Dai, "Kid, aren’t you curious about where the venom of the unparalleled holy water in your body comes from, and how I know about your arrival. It’s simple; let me show you someone, and you will understand." The master, having the upper hand, chose not to act hastily, largely due to fear of Ah Dai’s Sword of Hades; even he was unsure whether he could handle the fifth move of the Hades Sword Technique - the Netherworld. He revealed these secrets to distract Ah Dai, primarily to delay time and let the venom of the unparalleled holy water run its course.
The dizziness in his head intensified, and Ah Dai was not oblivious to the fact that the master was stalling. However, the revelations of the master had left him in shock, preventing him from acting. He was continually stimulating the Golden Body to seek traces of the potent poison from the unparalleled holy water. But, the unparalleled holy water, known as the world’s deadliest poison, has a highly volatile nature. Even a person with profound Dou Qi could only delay the onset of symptoms but couldn’t expel it from the body. Although the unparalleled holy water was immensely potent, Ah Dai remained calm. Inside his Dragon’s Blood, there was a silver sphere that could temporarily counter the poison of the unparalleled holy water. It was this sphere that allowed Owen to extend his life by five years. As long as the sphere allowed him to hold on until he could kill these people, he wouldn’t mind dying. He was currently struggling to suppress the poison’s effects, waiting for the truths behind his doubts to be revealed by the master.
The master shot a glance towards Mieyi, who sneered and turned to exit the hall. The master said to Ah Dai, "Whilst you are strong, your intellect is lacking. If you swear allegiance to me, the Assassin’s Guild, and the entire Dark Forces, I can control your poison to keep it from affecting you, and even make you my right-hand man. I will even allow you to continue using the Sword of Hades. You must understand that, even without intoxication, you wouldn’t be able to survive under the onslaught of so many masters under my wing. Not only have I gathered all the high-ranking assassins from my guild here, but these ladies are also my secret weapons against the enemies. They have been in my care since they were children, undergoing various kinds of training. Anybody who is capable of standing here has been meticulously selected and possesses Dou Qi of at least Stealth Killer level. Even if your Sword of Hades is formidable, could it overpower nearly sixty of my high-level Stealth Killers? Consider my proposal carefully. This is your last chance. Life or death is just a thought away."
While Ah Dai was taken aback, he didn’t show any surprise on his face. He calmly said, "Before I see who you have, let me show you something. Upon seeing it, you won’t feel so cocky anymore. You’ll even feel foolish." The Lord’s red eyes flashed with a chill, he casually said, "Fine then! I’d like to see what could possibly surprise me."
Ah Dai did his incantation softly: "With the blood of the Divine Dragon as the trigger, open now, the gate of time and space." A faint blue light appeared, and a huge figure gradually took form. Although the hall was spacious, it seemed rather cramped after the huge figure appeared, a 10-meter long grey body covered in thick overlapping scales. Under the light of the hall, the scales shone silver. The most eye-catching thing was the seven spiraling golden horns on its large body. The sacred aura emanating from the golden horns was something that the Assassin’s Guild, especially the Assassin’s Guild President feared. This, summoned by Ah Dai from the Divine Dragon’s blood, was Sheng Xie. Throughout the days, nobody understood Ah Dai’s mental changes more than it did, but due to the decline in the power of the Divine Dragon’s blood, it wasn’t able to communicate directly with Ah Dai, silently fretting within the Divine Dragon’s blood. Ah Dai’s intense urges to kill had already made Sheng Xie extremely irritable. After this period of quiet cultivation, along with the sacred aura released by Ah Dai when his will recovered, Sheng Xie’s state improved again and elevated his power significantly.
"Roar—" A tremendous dragon roar sounded. Sensing Ah Dai’s hatred, anger, and a tinge of fear, Sheng Xie’s raging energy exploded completely. The tremendous soundwave filled the entire hall instantly, and surging energy was shot in all directions. The hall shook violently. Seven rays of golden light surged out from behind Sheng Xie, striking everything around. Its massive wings spread open, and a ring of gray energy followed the gold, sweeping out across the hall. The sudden appearance of Sheng Xie surprised all the members of the Assassin’s Guild present, except for the guild leader, nobody thought that Ah Dai had still kept such a secret weapon. Even the guild leader was shocked for a moment when he saw this dragon-like creature for the first time. Their brief hesitation allowed Sheng Xie to strike. The surging sacred and evil energies burst out, covering the entire hall before the assassins could react. Bang—, the fortress-like building, made entirely of the hardest granite, exploded under the force of the massive energy. For a while, the entire hall was filled with the sounds of explosions.
Ah Dai didn’t hesitate to float onto Sheng Xie’s back. Within the protection of Sheng Xie’s energy, the pair abruptly thrust outwards with the sounds of violent explosions. With a shiver, the gray energy poured out of Sheng Xie’s body, and the dirt scattered everywhere didn’t touch Ah Dai or itself. Seizing the moment when Sheng Xie attacked, Ah Dai swallowed a silver ball from the Dragon’s blood. The cool silver ball, wrapped in his True Qi, accurately stopped in his Golden Body. Because Ah Dai can now completely control the shape of the Golden Body, the golden form inside of him holds the silver ball according to his will. The effect of the silver ball is indeed extraordinary. It is the best item for dealing with the highly volatile toxicity of Nino’s Holy Water. Ah Dai can clearly see the strands of blue liquid quickly pouring towards the silver ball from all directions within his body. With Ah Dai’s deliberate driving, the silver ball has played its most powerful role. By the time Sheng Xie burst out of the building and reached the expansive courtyard outside, Ah Dai’s dizzy feeling had disappeared. The silver sphere had turned a deep blue, he carefully enclosed the deep blue sphere with a powerful life-giving True Qi from the Golden Body. The toxicity of Nino’s Holy Water was temporarily resolved and with the threat of its toxicity gone, Ah Dai immediately felt much better.
Standing proudly in the middle of the broad garden was Sheng Xie, with its gigantic wings spread, casting a contemptuous gaze at the figures surrounding it. Ah Dai told Sheng Xie with his heart not to make a move yet. After swallowing the silver ball, the one who hoped to delay time was now Ah Dai. He needed time to expel the silver ball enveloped in the energy of the Golden Body. Although uncertain, this was his only chance. The weight of the silver ball, made with silver as its base, was significantly heavy in the body’s meridians, and it was challenging to move it even with the Golden Body’s internal energy. If it weren’t for Ah Dai’s complete control over the Golden Body, under the current circumstances, he wouldn’t dare to try. Because if there’s just a little error, and the energy covering the silver ball exposes a flaw, he will not be able to control the volatility of Nino’s Holy Water, which will immediately evaporate and swallow his entire body. No matter how high Ah Dai’s power is, he won’t be able to revert it.
The final strength of the Assassin’s Guild was indeed formidable, as the massive explosion in the house and Sheng Xie’s energy could not harm any of them. Under the lead of their master, they soared out like lightning, encircling Ah Dai in the center. There were a total of twenty-eight assassins of the Stealth Killer level and above and twenty-nine charming women. Originally, there were thirty assassins and thirty women, but three fell to Ah Dai’s Nether Slash, leaving fifty-seven left. The explosion in the building also brought forth more setups from their master, and eighty Stealth Killers appeared around the perimeter, rushing in rapidly from all sides, forming another defensive circle on the outside. Standing on Sheng Xie’s big head, Ah Dai gripped the largest horn and coldly swept his gaze over the elites of the Assassin’s Guild. "So, Master, you thought so highly of me! It seemed like the Assassin’s Guild had sent out all their force," he said calmly.
Having recovered from the surprise of the appearance of Sheng Xie, their master lightly smiled, "Indeed, including fewer than a hundred guards you killed earlier, all the remaining forces of my Assassin’s Guild have gathered here. Your abilities have already far surpassed that of the former world’s top assassin, ’Nether King’, how could I not value you? I once heard from Mie Yi that you could summon a dragon, at the time I did not dare believe it, but you managed to do it. However, do you think that with just a dragon, you can break out of our encirclement? You are thinking too simply. Please reconsider my earlier proposal. I know dragons can fly, but I have prepared some gifts for it as well. Byinlog, it’s time for you to make your move."
Ah Dai was taken aback. Byinlog? Wasn’t he one of the three greatest sorcerers on the continent, including Prophet Pu Lin and Larthas? Why was he with their master? Was it possible that... was he a member of the Assassin’s Guild as well? Just as thoughts stirred in his mind, an aged incantation echoed. Above the courtyard of the Duke’s Mansion, a faint blue light gradually spread. Ah Dai could not distinguish the source of the incantation, but he knew very clearly that the blue barrier in the sky was at least an eighth-level Protection Barrier. The Gap between the barrier and the ground was only ten meters, and it was filled with thick Wind Energy, which was not something he could break through at the moment. Moreover, if he were to attack the barrier, that would undoubtedly incite a fierce attack from the Assassin’s Guild. Furthermore, Ah Dai did not plan to break out at all. He had come here for revenge. Even if he fell into the enemy’s trap, this goal would not change. Killing their master and all the assassins was his ultimate objective. Hence, Ah Dai did not make his move, instead observing the master’s victorious smile remarking, "Didn’t you say you would make someone meet me? Why haven’t they come yet? Though you did set up a dead-end trap for me, before I die, I will surely bring you down with me. Even if I have to die a thousand or ten thousand times, I will never join the Assassin’s Guild." He then pretended to sway slightly on Sheng Xie’s head, revealing weakness. At such a critical juncture of survival, Ah Dai’s mind was as clear as ever. The subtle changes were all generating more chances to survive for him. While he used words to confuse their master, he was continuously circulating his True Qi to help the Golden Body slowly ascend.
The master had never expected Ah Dai to have a way to resist the world’s top toxic poison, Unique Holy Tea. Seeing Ah Dai’s trembling body, he was delighted to stall to reduce the damages to his subordinates. Even though he always looked down on people’s lives, it took years to raise these assassins to their current status; he could not afford to lose them so easily. In his mind, Ah Dai had already become a sitting duck; there was no way he could escape from his grasp. The master was a perfectionist. The appearance of Sheng Xie had greatly enhanced his sense of crisis. He knew that if Ah Dai and Sheng Xie teamed up, they might break out of his encirclement. Hence, the best way right now was to wait for Ah Dai’s poison to flare up.
"She is here." Mie Yi’s voice echoed from behind the ruins of the building. Two black shadows flit towards the direction of the master. As Ah Dai looked over, his body shook violently. He nearly lost control of his True Qi within, causing the lethal poison from Unique Holy Tea to recur. The one being led by Mie Yi was none other than Mie Feng, who had helped him eliminate the Assassin’s Guild. Wearing her black rogue outfit, Mie Feng’s long hair was neatly combed at the back; her face was unusually pale. When Mie Feng, along with Mie Yi, landed at the side of the master, she hung her head low and hardly dared to glance at Ah Dai.
Ah Dai took a deep breath, managing to suppress his raging emotions. He knew that if he wanted to take revenge and kill the master, he could not lose control now; he could only keep waiting. However, his hand gripped tightly on the Sword of Hades at his chest. Even if Ah Dai was a bit slow, when Mie Feng appeared in the camp of the Assassin’s Guild, he knew that the intense poison within him must have something to do with Mie Feng.
The master shot a glance at Mie Feng, "Ah Dai, your whereabouts and the Unique Holy Tea in you were all her masterpiece. What do you think? Did you see that coming? Are you satisfied with my arrangement?" he said.
Even though he had guessed it, Ah Dai still trembled all over when he heard the master’s words. He glared at Mie Feng and coldly spoke, "Why? Why did you betray me? Have you forgotten our agreement? Why was it you who schemed against me when I was about to fulfill my goal of revenge?" A strong hatred was revealed in Ah Dai’s eyes, and his hand gripping the Sword of Hades slightly trembled. With Mie Feng’s power, not even a Nether Flash could withstand it. However, could Ah Dai really make his move? Putting aside the fact that the lethal poison in him had not been eliminated yet, the favor Mie Feng had done him by taking care of him for three months had made it impossible for him to make a move against Mie Feng. With conflicting thoughts in his mind, Ah Dai felt some chaos in his heart. "Why? Why do you all have to deceive me in order to be satisfied?" he murmured. Even when he was in a danger of losing his life, the most vivid image in his mind was still that of the deeply loved Xuan Yue.
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