Chapter 1666: Chapter 1666: Ambushed by Assassins
Leading an army of 150,000 is thrilling just to think about. For any general, this is a great opportunity to make a name for oneself. If Mi Wen was sitting in the hall discussing with the assembled generals, many of them would definitely volunteer to take on the task. Ye Shikai could already imagine the looks of envy on their faces when Mi Wen announced him as the one to lead the troops.
However, deep down, Ye Shikai was reluctant to command the army. Objectively speaking, there didn’t seem to be a more suitable candidate than him. Could it be... because he was too excellent?
No wonder people often say that being excellent can be a crime.
Mi Wen was adept at understanding human nature and knew Ye Shikai’s weaknesses well. So whenever she made a request, it was indeed difficult for Ye Shikai to refuse.
"Even now, you still resist the campaign against Ba Shu?" Mi Wen saw Ye Shikai’s grim expression and smiled faintly. Her smile was full of cold allure. Although she was a woman, her means were high and her ambition was great. In this "male-dominated" society, women generally did not have high status, but Mi Wen managed to "dominate one side," naturally due to her personality. Frankly, apart from being a stunning beauty in appearance, in other aspects, she was more like a "man."
"The Wolf Clan is not only a sharp blade hanging over the heads of the Central Plains’ people but also a significant threat to the people of Chu Territory. Although Chu Territory is thousands of miles away from the Central Plains, if the Wolf Clan’s cavalry were to march south day and night, it wouldn’t take them months to step onto the land of the Chu State. You should know that tens of thousands of cavalry on the plains are like tigers entering a deep mountain or fish in water. The court simply cannot withstand it. Therefore, for the sake of people throughout the world, the Great Wall must not be lost," Ye Shikai stated firmly.
"Therefore, I beseech you, for the sake of all living beings, to consider postponing the military expedition, at least until after the Wolf Clan is defeated," Ye Shikai pleaded, kneeling on one knee, making a respectful bow, his tone bordering on supplication.
"I still stand by my words. The day the Wolf Clan marches southward will be the day our army sets out to Ba Shu," Mi Wen said coldly after a moment of silence.
"My Lord—"
"There’s no need to say more," Mi Wen interrupted Ye Shikai even before he could finish speaking.
"The tyrant in Xianyang may be unprincipled, but he is not utterly incompetent. Even if our army marches to Ba Shu, he will not pull back the 300,000-strong army from the north. So rest assured," Mi Wen added to reassure him.
"But... Please reconsider, my Lord."
"Enough," Mi Wen suddenly shouted. The guards around immediately knelt on one knee. This was one of the rare occasions when Mi Wen lost her temper, causing everyone to feel a jolt of surprise.
"I have understood your point. There’s no need to say anything further."
Whizz.
"Watch out."
Ye Shikai only felt a shadow flash by and hurriedly stood up, grabbing with his hand. In his grasp was an arrow, its tip sharp and blackened, coated with poison.
"Assassins!"
"Protect my Lord!"
Ye Shikai shielded Mi Wen with one arm. From the woods behind, suddenly dozens of men in black surged forth, wielding long knives, charging toward Mi Wen.
"Guards, forward," the general of the guards commanded. Dozens of personal guards immediately rushed up, while the remaining ones formed a protective wall around Mi Wen.
As the leader, Mi Wen’s guards were carefully chosen and comprised of skilled cultivators. Most were born into noble families of Chu State, or they were descendants of illustrious generals and ministers. Otherwise, they couldn’t have accessed cultivation. Despite such a formidable guard team, they struggled to subdue the black-clad assassins, and several guards even fell under their blades.
"These people are not ordinary; they are cultivators," Ye Shikai said coldly, shielding Mi Wen as they retreated. They came to the suburbs this time for hunting, without many soldiers. Additionally, the surrounding forest was dense, raising concerns about more assassins nearby, prompting Ye Shikai to suggest Mi Wen leave first.
"My Lord, there aren’t many guards, and there may be more people nearby. We should leave first."
"Alright, let’s go."
"Exterminate the rebels!" Suddenly, from the woods on both sides, another group of dozens charged toward Mi Wen. Their numbers were three to four times that of the guards, encircling them in an instant.
"Kill them!"
Whizz, whizz, whizz.
Dozens of arrows shot from all directions. The guards formed a circle, using shields to block the arrows, but a few were still struck and fell. The arrowheads were poisoned; even a scratch was lethal.
"Protect my Lord," the guard general pulled out a signal arrow and shot it into the sky. It was a distress signal; the nearby army would soon come to their aid.
Ye Shikai held a sword in one hand and a metallic sword in the other, watching the surroundings warily. With so many cultivators present, he didn’t want to use his avatar technique, his "ace in the hole."
"Courting death."
An assassin attacked. Ye Shikai parried with one sword and plunged the metallic sword into the attacker’s chest with a backhand stroke.
"They’re just a few assassins; what’s the big deal," Mi Wen said coldly, drawing her sword and charging out. Ye Shikai felt a pressure from her. Her sword was certainly not an ordinary weapon. As soon as it was unsheathed, its momentum was like a rainbow piercing the sun, sharp and intimidating. In the blink of an eye, Mi Wen had reached the assassins, slashing them down. The sword Qi killed several in the front, not only with massive power but also with remarkable speed. Ye Shikai, once known as the Netherworld King of the Underworld for his speed, was taken aback. If they were to face off, at least in terms of speed, Mi Wen would not fall behind.
Previously, Ye Shikai had a slight "spar" with Mi Wen but didn’t think she was this strong. Now it seemed that Mi Wen had held back her strength at that time.
With Mi Wen personally taking the field, Ye Shikai dared not delay and led the guards forward, his swordsmanship was excellent, killing four or five in quick succession.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed by; Ye Shikai only felt a glint in his eyes, instinctively raising his arms to block with his sword.
Bam.
Where the shadow passed, several guards fell, all with fatal cuts to their necks. Ye Shikai only felt a strong impact, nearly blowing him away. Clearly, among these assassins, there was a top-tier assassin.
Upon lifting his gaze, Ye Shikai was even more shocked; his sword was shattered to fragments, and the metallic sword had bent, distorted. Such a thing had never happened before, no matter the adversary. Even his weapons were destroyed.
Ye Shikai fixed his eyes on the figure. This person wore a black cloth over their face, concealing their features, and wielded two sharp blades. Unlike the others, Ye Shikai was not worried about them. However, the strength this individual displayed exceeded his expectations, posing a genuine threat to both him and Mi Wen as a "true assassin."
