In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1061 Unrivaled Warrior
The carriage moved slowly along West Heng Street.
The wheels crunched over the snow, the sound drawn out for an unusually long time.

The cold wind rustled against the oilcloth curtain of the carriage, sounding like countless fingers scratching in the dark, with an indescribable chill.

The broken lanterns swayed on the street.

The dim, yellow light fell on the snow, casting dappled shadows.

Sometimes it illuminates a section of icicles hanging under the eaves, like an upside-down sharp knife.

Lu Yunyi leaned against the inner wall of the carriage, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the wooden board.

He didn't turn on the lamp; only the faint light filtering through the gap in the curtain illuminated half of his cold and somber profile.

"Who could it be?" Lu Yunyi wondered to himself.

Northern Yuan bandits?

No, they don't have the ability to hide people so well, nor would they use such a well-organized ambush method.

A Goryeo person? Yi Seong-gye?
At present, trade between Da Ning and Goryeo is in full swing.

They wouldn't risk it for such a small benefit, nor would they dare to.

Could they be from the capital?

Jinyiwei?
Or were they those officials who feared his control of the military?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a loud bang suddenly exploded!
A tightly closed wooden door on the left was kicked open from the inside.

Amidst the flying sawdust, more than a dozen masked men dressed in black rushed out.

They were agile, their footsteps barely making a sound as they walked through the snow.
The long sword in his hand gleamed coldly in the moonlight as he charged straight at the carriage.

The assassin at the front moved the fastest, his long blade slashing straight at Basong, the driver of the carriage. The blade's wind carried a chilling aura, forcing Basong to jerk to the side, causing him to drop the reins.
The horses pulling the cart were startled, reared up, and neighed.

"There are assassins!"

Basong's roar shattered the silence of the night.

He drew his sword with his right hand and quickly grabbed the cart shaft with his left to steady himself.
The longsword met the assassin's blade; the two swords clashed with a crisp sound.
Sparks landed on the snow and instantly melted into tiny water droplets.

The already dispersed guards reacted extremely quickly.
Four guards on the left flank immediately raised their shields and stepped forward, forming a shield wall to protect both sides of the carriage.

The three guards on the right flank took down their short bows, nocked arrows, and aimed them at the charging assassins.

"put!"

With a low shout, three arrows pierced the air, accurately striking the shoulder blades of the three assassins.
The three men groaned, staggered, and fell to the ground, their long swords slipping from their hands.

But before the guards could even breathe a sigh of relief, a loud crash came from the roof.
Several tiles were crushed underfoot, and more than a dozen dark figures leaped out from behind the eaves.

They were all holding crossbows, with the arrows pointed directly at the assassins below!

Basong gave a soft snort, and then arrows rained down.
The five black-clad assassins at the forefront were instantly shot through vital organs.

Blood splattered on the snow.

This immediately made the snow, which was as soft as white sugar, appear somewhat like fine sand.

Lu Yunyi remained seated in the carriage, his expression growing increasingly calm.
In the end, it was almost like a sculpture.
Just then, a noise came from behind the carriage.
The door to another room was pushed open, and more than twenty people dressed in black and masked rushed out.
Besides long swords, several men were also carrying short axes, and they charged straight at the rear of the guards.

At the same time, more than a dozen dark figures leaped out from the roof.

This time, their crossbows were aimed at the personal guards:

"Fire arrows!"

With a low shout, arrows flew towards the guards, though most were blocked by their shields.

However, one arrow pierced through a gap in the shield and struck a guard in the arm.
The guard grunted, but gritted his teeth and didn't back down, still holding up his shield to protect the carriage.

"Protect your lord!"

Basong shouted, slashing down an assassin who charged at him with his long sword, and yelled to his guards:
"Kill the enemy!"

The guards each had their assigned tasks, and their movements were synchronized.

But the scene became increasingly chaotic, with the sounds of clashing knives, spears, and clubs filling the air.

Inside the carriage, Lu Yunyi slowly sat up straight, his eyes cold and icy.

He listened intently to the shouts of battle outside.
The dull thud of a sword striking a shield, the thud of an arrow piercing flesh,
The assassin's screams and the guards' shouts were mixed together, creating a deliberate sense of chaos.

The fact that they could hide fifty people in a house on West Heng Street in Daning City is no ordinary power.

"My lord! An assassin is charging at us! Be careful!"

Basong's roar came from outside.

Lu Yunyi lifted the corner of the curtain and saw a black-clad assassin break through the guards' defenses.

The long sword slashed straight at the carriage door, the wind from the blade sharp and fierce.

Seeing this, Basong snatched a short spear from one of his guards and threw it.

The short spear pierced the assassin's back with pinpoint accuracy, causing the assassin to freeze in mid-air.
The long sword clattered to the ground, and his body collapsed in front of the carriage, his blood seeping into the snow and onto the wheels.

Lu Yunyi glanced at the assassin's corpse.

The black clothes were made of coarse cloth and had no markings.

The hilt was wrapped in oilcloth, making it look no different from an ordinary long knife made by common people.
However, its blade was snow-white with only a few minor scratches, clearly indicating it was made of fine iron.
Such long swords were only available in the military.

Lu Yunyi let out a cold laugh.
The more thoroughly something is covered up, the more it shows that the person behind it is afraid of being found out.
As the shouts of battle grew louder and louder around them,
Lu Yunyi's thoughts froze. He placed his hand on the carriage wall, and the moment his fingertips touched the cold wooden board, his body leaped out like an arrow.

He drew the longsword with the ebony handle with a backhand motion.

With a clang, the scabbard fell to the snow, scattering fine snowflakes.

The long sword is a specially made, hundred-refined steel sword from the Dusi workshop.

The blade gleamed with a pale blue-green light, so sharp it could reflect a person's image. The ebony handle was wrapped with non-slip deerskin, making it exceptionally stable to hold.

"kill!"

The assassin at the forefront, his eyes bloodshot, roared as he swung his blade.

He already had several wounds on his body, and was covered in blood.

His exposed eyes revealed a resolute determination, clearly indicating that he was prepared to perish together with his opponent.

The guards around him tried to step forward to stop him.

But he was entangled by four other assassins and could only shout urgently:
"Lord be careful!"

Lu Yunyi didn't move a step, nor did he even blink.

Just as the wind from the blade was about to brush against his cheek,
He suddenly turned to the side, his movement so fast it was like a blur.

The assassin's longsword missed its mark, the force of which was uncontrollable, and he staggered forward half a step.

Lu Yunyi flicked his wrist, and the long sword slashed upwards from below.

With a soft thud, the blade struck the assassin precisely in the neck.

The assassin's roar abruptly ceased, his head lolling to one side.
Fresh blood dripped down the blade and onto the snow, instantly melting into small blood pits.

His body lurched forward two more steps.
He collapsed with a thud, his limbs twitched twice, and then he stopped moving.

Seeing his companion killed, the second assassin went even crazier with bloodshot eyes and raised his knife to stab Lu Yunyi in the chest.

Lu Yunyi took half a foot back with his left foot, while simultaneously blocking with his long sword.

With a clang, the assassin's knife was knocked away, his hand was ripped open, and blood flowed freely.

Before the assassin could react, Lu Yunyi's knife was already pressed against him.

The blade pierced his ribs, rotating half a circle.
He pulled it out sharply again, and the assassin let out a muffled groan.
He clutched his chest and collapsed into the snow, his body convulsing violently.

Blood gushed from between his fingers, quickly staining the snow beneath him red.

"The moves are too standard, too rigid; they lack the power of a desperate fight, and they also lack spirit."
You should be well-trained, but you've never been on the battlefield.

Lu Yunyi flicked the long sword in his hand, his voice cold and clear.
This caused the expressions of the assassins present to change slightly.

The third assassin learned his lesson and avoided direct confrontation.

He circled around behind Lu Yunyi, intending to ambush him from below the waist.

Lu Yunyi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.
Without turning around, he stepped back with his right foot, landing squarely on the assassin's ankle.

With a soft crack, the assassin screamed in pain, his knees buckled, and he knelt down.

Lu Yunyi turned around and swung his knife in a backhand motion.

The back of the blade struck the assassin heavily on the back of the neck, and the assassin's vision went black as he lost consciousness.

But Lu Yunyi didn't stop.

With a flick of the wrist, the blade fell, and the head instantly hit the ground, rolling far away, its face still showing a look of bewilderment.

The fourth assassin, wielding a short axe, tried to chop off Lu Yunyi's arm.

After dodging to the side, Lu Yunyi slashed diagonally with his longsword, knocking away Lu Yunyi's short axe.

Then, following his arm down to his shoulder, with a swish,
The assassin's entire arm was almost severed, and blood spurted high into the air. The assassin writhed on the ground in agony.

Lu Yunyi stepped forward and stabbed him in the heart, ending his suffering.

The last assassin saw that all four of his companions were dead.
Fear finally showed in his eyes, but he still rushed forward!

Lu Yunyi flicked a long sword off the ground with his toe, and simultaneously threw a hundred-refined steel sword from his right hand.

Two knives, one in front of the other, struck the assassin's knee with the longer blade.
The assassin collapsed to his knees with a thud as the steel blade pierced his back with pinpoint accuracy.

The blade pierced through his chest, dripping with blood, and remained embedded in the snow!
In the blink of an eye, all five assassins were killed.

Lu Yunyi raised his hand and wiped the blood splattered on his face.
His expression remained calm, and even his breathing was steady.
There was just a hint of contemplation in his eyes.

"Who is so stupid as to send you soldiers who have never been on the battlefield to intercept and kill me?"

"People like you might as well just kill yourselves right now, to save your energy and avoid humiliation."

He kicked the assassin's corpse on the ground, feeling its weight beneath his feet, and said calmly:

"The food isn't good either. Who's treating these suicide soldiers like this?"

As he spoke, he bent down and picked up his long knife.

Continuing forward, he easily killed the three more who charged at him.

This time it was even cleaner and more efficient.

Seemingly in an attempt to establish their authority, they even chopped off their heads.
A flash of light, a head rolled off, and blood gushed out like a fountain, bursting onto the ground like red plum blossoms!

Some of the newly recruited guards were still shocked by what they saw.
Rumor has it that the lord is the bravest in the army.

Seeing it today, it is truly terrifying!

Just then, the sound of heavy, synchronized footsteps came from afar.
Basong swung his blade fiercely, slicing off half of an assassin's face. His eyes lit up, and he quickly shouted:

"Sir, it's the city defense troops!"

Sure enough, not long after,
A squad of city defense soldiers dressed in blue armor ran over.

When the group saw the corpses and heads on the snow, their faces turned deathly pale.

Without saying a word, he charged toward the assassins dressed in black!
Soon, after only a few breaths, the sound of even more rapid hoofbeats rang out.

Zhang Bin, the deputy commander in charge of city defense, rushed over.

Upon seeing this scene, his expression changed drastically.
He dismounted and strode quickly to Lu Yunyi.
"This humble general, Zhang Bin, the Vice Commander of the City Defense Forces, has arrived late to escort Your Majesty. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

Lu Yunyi ignored him, his gaze fixed on the surviving assassins.
Several assassins who had just been subdued suddenly had black blood spilling from the corners of their mouths.

Blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices, his body convulsed and he collapsed to the ground, quickly losing his breath.

The guard stepped forward to inspect and reported back with a grave expression:
"Sir, they had poison in their mouths and are already dead."

Lu Yunyi then turned to look at Zhang Bin, his brows furrowing slightly:

"Get up. It's not your fault. The enemy was well hidden. It's already quite good that the city defense forces were able to arrive so quickly."

Zhang Bin stood up, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
His eyes swept over the corpses and bloodstains on the ground, his heart still pounding.

If Lord Lu makes even the slightest mistake, not only will he, as the Vice Commander, lose his head, but the entire city defense army will lose their heads.

"Sir, are you alright? Are you injured?"

He quickly pressed for details, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yunyi's body, afraid of missing even the slightest wound.

"I am fine."

Lu Yunyi shook his head and pointed to the assassin's corpse on the ground.

"Have people carry all the bodies back and examine them carefully."
See if you can find any clues, such as fabric, old wounds, or even buttons—don't overlook anything.

"Yes! I understand!"

Zhang Bin quickly responded, then turned and shouted to the city defense soldiers behind him.
"Someone! Load all the bodies onto the carriage, be careful not to disturb the scene!"
In addition, send men to blockade the north side of West Heng Street.

No one is allowed to enter or leave. Thoroughly search the surrounding houses to see if any accomplices are present!

The city's garrison troops immediately sprang into action, moving swiftly but daring not to make too much noise.

The bloodstains in the snow were slowly covered by the snow.
Only dark red marks remained, as if reminding people of the danger that had just occurred.

Lu Yunyi walked to the carriage.

Basong quickly handed him a clean cloth to wipe the knife.

As Lu Yunyi wiped the blood from the blade, he gave the order:
"Clean up all the snow on the ground and replace the broken tiles as soon as possible. The people still have to go to work tomorrow morning, so don't delay the important matters."

"Yes!"

After Zhang Bin finished dealing with the scene, he came over again and respectfully asked:

"Sir, are you going back to the Military Commandery now?"

"I will personally escort you back, and I will also dispatch two cavalry squads to accompany you to ensure your safety."

Lu Yunyi nodded: "Okay, let's go."

He climbed into the carriage, and Basong and several guards followed.

Zhang Bin rode his horse alongside the carriage.

The city defense troops followed behind, and the procession marched in a grand procession toward the military headquarters.

Halfway there, Lu Yunyi lifted the curtain and said calmly:

"Today I met with some merchants. Arrest them all and interrogate them thoroughly."

If they have nothing to do with it, then release them.

"Yes!"

Zhang Bin's expression turned stern, and he quickly waved his hand, causing more than a dozen guards to immediately turn and run away.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the group returned to the military headquarters.

As soon as Lu Yunyi stepped through the gate, he heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves behind him, growing louder and more urgent.

Lu Yunyi paused, turning his head to look outside the door.

Basong had already subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.
The assassination attempt had everyone on edge.

Before long, a dark figure rushed in, accompanied by a cold wind.

Liu Heiying was wearing black chainmail, the plates still covered with unmelted snowflakes.
The cloak on her shoulders fluttered in the wind, her face was full of anxiety, and her long hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks.

"Brother Yun'er! How are you? Are you alright?"

Liu Heiying rushed up to Lu Yunyi, grabbed his arms with both hands, and looked him up and down, his eyes filled with barely concealed panic.

"I just received news at the North Camp that you were assassinated, which scared me so much that I rushed over immediately!"

Lu Yunyi patted his hand, his tone calm:

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Liu Heiying finally breathed a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing.
But then he suddenly turned to look at Zhang Bin, who was following behind him.
His face instantly darkened, and the murderous intent in his eyes was almost overflowing.

He strode up to Zhang Bin, pointed his finger at his nose, and his voice boomed like thunder:
"Zhang Bin! What are the city defense troops good for?"

Zhang Bin shuddered in fright and immediately bowed:
"Lord Liu, please calm down."

Liu Heiying interrupted him, his tone even more aggressive.

More than fifty assassins, carrying military-style longswords, brazenly appeared in the city.

Didn't your city defense troops notice?

"Your Excellency has been assassinated, and you're already late? Are you just waiting to die, city defense officer?!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, and kicked a nearby stone block, causing the snow on it to fall in a flurry.

"Arrest and interrogate all the officers on duty for the past month to find out who let them in!"

Liu Heiying understood it very well.

Such a thing could never happen within the city without inside help and protection.

Because his men spend their days loitering in the streets.
Go find those unfamiliar faces and those suspicious individuals!
Zhang Bin's face flushed red, then turned deathly pale:

"It was my dereliction of duty, and I am willing to accept the punishment as you see fit, sir."

"What good would it do to punish you!"

Liu Heiying was about to curse again when Lu Yunyi walked over and placed his hand on Liu's shoulder.

"Black Hawk, that's enough." Lu Yunyi's voice remained calm.

"The cleanup must be done properly; carefully examine the assassins' bodies."
Find out where they came from, find out how they got in. If you can't find out, I'll make trouble for you.

Zhang Bin felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly replied:
"Yes! I will obey your orders!"

(End of this chapter)