Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 190 Assassination, Yan Ri is killed?

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

The State of Chu, the city of Shouying.

Just as Xiang Liang and his entourage left the palace, they suddenly heard a whooshing sound. In the middle of the procession was a carriage, and Xiang Liang was following beside it. He watched as arrows whizzed past his ears and headed straight for the carriage, causing the general's pupils to shrink in surprise.

"Assassination!"

"The target is Nian Duan!"

Almost instantly, he realized what was going on, but the next instant, a chilling killing intent burst forth from his body.

How could someone dare to assassinate someone the Xiang clan wanted to protect?

"alert!!"

A sound like muffled thunder rang out, and the accompanying soldiers immediately went into battle mode, surrounding the carriage and carefully observing their surroundings.

After a while, there was no further movement on the street, and Xiang Liang's face darkened.

If you miss a hit, you will be able to escape a thousand miles.

Without a doubt, this assassination attempt was carried out by professional assassins, whose targets were the two physicians from Jinghu Medical Manor.

"asshole!!"

Xiang Liang cursed under his breath, then spurred his horse to the side and asked softly, "Mr. Nian Duan, are you alright?"

Inside the carriage, a young man looked at the two still-shaken people beside him, and with a flick of his hand, he crushed the cold arrow that had just been shot at him from outside into powder.

Nian Duan spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "General Xiang Liang, we are alright!"

Hearing Nian Duan's strong voice, which didn't sound like a lie, Xiang Liang felt relieved. If Nian Duan were to be murdered here, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Xiang Yan, not to mention the young man from the Taoist Heavenly Sect.

"Master, you have been frightened. The Xiang clan will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."

Xiang Liang sat upright on his warhorse and gave a slight bow.

After saying this, Xiang Liang waved his hand, and the group returned to its original state and began to head towards the General's Mansion.

Inside the carriage, Duanmu Rong looked at the suddenly appearing young man, a hint of joy appearing deep in her calm eyes, especially given the circumstances before.

"How did you come?"

She kept her voice low, seemingly still somewhat concerned about the Xiang clan members outside.

At the same time, Nian Duan also looked up. This master of medicine seemed to have no idea that their first meeting in Shouying City after separating from the Medical Manor would be here.

"On the way here, I rescued a few members of the Xiang clan. In exchange, the Xiang clan is willing to help you and Miss Rong leave Shouying City safely."

A moment later, a voice resounded from the depths of their hearts.

Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong were taken aback. If they hadn't recognized the voice, they probably would have thought it was someone else speaking!
"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Nian Duan suddenly fell silent. Since they arrived in Shouying City, there hadn't been any major troubles, and she thought her previous worries were unnecessary.

After all, the person she was trying to save was the Queen Dowager of Chu, and with the addition of Prime Minister Li Yuan, they should be able to protect their safety.

Unfortunately, she overestimated the power of the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister. If these two could have absolute authority in Shouying City, would they still have been poisoned?

"The power dynamics within the Chu court are extremely complex, and even now I haven't fully grasped them."

The boy withdrew his hand, looked out the car window with a distant gaze.

He arrived in Shouying City about three days earlier than Nian Duan and the other two. During these few days, he had learned about the major and minor forces in Shouying City.

He had already met Xiang Yan, the head of the Xiang clan, and had a good impression of this master of military strategy.

Of course, this is for myself; the answer may be different for others.

As for Li Yuan and Li Huan, he had witnessed their abilities in secret. Li Yuan seemed to have absolute power in the court, but his actual influence in the Chu Kingdom was not the strongest. As for Empress Dowager Li Huan, her connections were complex and her main sphere of influence was within the royal palace.

If one had to rank the current power of the Chu state, the Xiang clan, which was aloof from worldly affairs, would be ranked first.

Then came the King of Chu, Li Yuan, Mi Hao, and Mi Fuchu.

Now, the only thing he hadn't witnessed was the power of that King of Chu.

Regarding the Chu court, he still doesn't understand what this Chu king, who is hiding behind the scenes, really means.

However, one thing he was certain of was that the King of Chu was an enemy of Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu.

"If possible, I still hope that Mr. Nian Duan and Miss Rong will retreat as soon as possible, now that the people have been rescued."

The boy didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: Shouying's situation was complicated, he was too deeply involved, and it would be difficult for him to extricate himself.

“Master Qingxu, I came to Shouying not only to treat the Empress Dowager, but also for my own selfish reasons. If things cannot be done, please help me take Rong’er away. I am willing to bear the rest of the consequences.”

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Rong, who was standing to the side, gently clenched her small hands.

The girl gently raised her head and stared intently at her master.

"master!!"

Xiu Yuan casually waved his hand, and his inner force surged, sealing off the entire carriage. Nian Duan's answer was unexpected.

"Selfish?"

Xiu Yuan turned around and looked over as well. He saw that Nian Duan had her head down, her eyelids lowered, and she looked preoccupied.

"I am quite curious, what exactly do you mean by 'selfish motives', Master?"

After a moment of silence, Nian Duan shook his head.

"It's just some old news!"

Seeing that the other party didn't intend to say anything more, Xiu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he didn't press the matter further.

Everyone has their own little secrets, and he himself is no exception. Since Nian Duan doesn't want to talk about it, he won't force him.

On the stone bridge, Chu Nan Gong stroked his beard and sighed softly.

"Looks like some people can't hold back any longer!"

There was a young woman beside him. When she heard what Chu Nan Gong said, her eyes flickered, but she did not reply.

After a while, the two of them subconsciously looked in a certain direction in the city, and the girl's brows furrowed involuntarily.

"He made his move?"

People came and went on the stone bridge, but the old man seemed oblivious. Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in the depths of his weathered eyes.

Just now, a fleeting aura disappeared from that spot.

Although it was only for a moment, they still sensed it. Shouying City was very large and had many people, but there were very few strong people like the other party.

"Senior Nan, are you certain that he will not sabotage our plans?"

Upon hearing this, the old man shook his head.

"Girl, there's one more thing I need to confirm. You can do as you please!"

The girl was stunned. Before she could react, Chu Nan Gong's figure had already slowly disappeared from the spot.

"That old man."

The young woman shook her head helplessly. Chu Nan Gong's cultivation level was above hers, and she couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted.

She then glanced in the direction of the earlier fluctuations in energy, her expression becoming somewhat serious.

Only a few days had passed, and the boy's aura had become three times stronger. She didn't know if the boy had held back that day, or if his talent was just like that.

If it's the former, it's not too difficult for her to accept, but if it's the latter, then the other party's talent in cultivation is truly astonishing.

"Taoism—Pure Emptiness".

"Paper, salt"

After a while, the girl slowly withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the bustling street. During their previous conversation, Chu Nan Gong had mentioned two things: paper and salt. She was still very curious about how much these two things would affect the world.

In the eyes of ordinary people, fate is unpredictable, but in the eyes of some people, fate has its own trajectory. Sometimes it takes a turn because of a certain person, and sometimes it fluctuates because of a certain event.

Those people or things have another name: the darlings of fate.

"The world changes, and fate is unpredictable. What kind of soul-soothing melody will this young Taoist play for this chaotic world?"

The sound dissipated with the wind, and the figure slowly vanished from the spot.

Suddenly, Chu Nan Gong's figure appeared in a dark alley.

"Covering the sun?"

"One of the Eight Swords of the King of Yue, I didn't expect to meet you here. This is quite interesting."

There was another man in the alley, a man dressed in black armor, holding a very strange sword in his hand, but Chu Nan Gong still managed to see through his secret in a single sentence.

"who are you?"

The man turned around, a hint of caution in his eyes.

He hadn't noticed how or when the other person appeared, so he was certain that the old man before him was far more powerful than himself.

"This is the Heavenly Sect's Autumn Waters and Still Waters of the Heart, no, it's a new technique that combines the advantages of both techniques."

Chu Nan Gong seemed to have sensed something, and looked over with some curiosity. The black-armored man in front of him was not low in cultivation; he was already a Grandmaster.

Such a person should be a famous figure in the martial arts world, so how could he appear here and kill several assassins?

Thinking of that boy from before, Chu Nan Gong suddenly had a strange idea.

"Is this one of that kid's backup plans?"

Seeing that the newcomer remained silent, the man in black armor's gaze darkened.

"Could you tell me what brings you here? Are you here to silence witnesses or to kill enemies? And which faction do these people belong to?" Chu Nan Gong asked leisurely.

He did not stop questioning the man in black armor just because he sensed the aura of the Heavenly Sect's techniques on him.

"No comment!"

The man smiled coldly, not intending to answer Chu Nan Gong's question.

"Oh?"

Chu Nan Gong gave a soft "oh," and looking at the other person's attire, he continued, "I've heard that there's an assassin organization in Qin called Luo Wang, which is affiliated with the imperial court. The assassins are divided into eight levels: Heavenly Killer, Earthly Extinction, Demons and Monsters. Among them, the Heavenly-level assassins are mostly grandmaster-level experts. About a year ago, two experts from Luo Wang appeared in Xinzheng, Han. They were carrying Xuan Jian and Yan Ri respectively, both of which are among the Eight Swords of the King of Yue."

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be from the Luo Wang."

Upon hearing this, the man in black armor tightened his grip on his sword. The old man before him appeared to be just an ordinary person, but the faint aura emanating from him spoke volumes about how he was not as simple as he seemed.

Furthermore, it is not difficult to see from the other party's words that he is familiar with the various forces in the seven countries, and even paid attention to the events that occurred in Xinzheng, South Korea a year ago.

"Are you the foremost sage of the State of Chu?"

Suddenly, Yan Ri seemed to realize something and exclaimed in surprise.

"Have you heard of me?"

Chu Nan Gong remained unhurried, seemingly unsurprised or unconcerned that Yan Ri could guess his identity.

"Tell me what you want to know, and I will let you go."

Upon hearing Chu Nan Gong's words, Yan Ri's eyes began to flicker.

Facing this foremost sage of Chu, he dared not be careless in the slightest. As for what the other party said, he didn't really believe it, but at this moment he didn't have a good solution.

After thinking about it, he had no choice but to confess honestly.

“These people are Mi Hao’s men. I’m here to kill the enemy.”

Chu Nan Gong stood aside, not speaking immediately, but stroking his beard and looking over.

His question seemed simple, but he had his own considerations. Asking which faction these assassins lurking nearby came from would reveal which people had designs on the Mirror Lake Healer.

Although it seems that only the two royal uncles, Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu, are being targeted, in reality anyone could make a move, and even the Xiang clan itself is no exception.

The appearance of Nian Duan can be considered an unstable factor for Shouying City. If the Empress Dowager is cured, she will inevitably cause trouble in Shouying City again, which is not something the Xiang clan wants to see.

Naturally, at this time, Chu Nan Gong was unaware that Xiu Yuan had already met with Xiang Yan.

As for other forces, they might also make a move. Even the king might use Nian Duan's death to incite Li Yuan, Mi Hao, and Mi Fuchu to take action and drag the Xiang clan into the mess.

Asking whether it's to silence someone or to kill an enemy reveals who the person is working for.

In that assassination attempt just now, the young man from the Heavenly Sect made his move, and his aura vanished in a flash. If he hadn't reached the Grandmaster level, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

The person before him was merely a grandmaster, perhaps unaware that the Mirror Lake Healer had already been rescued. Under these circumstances, he could gain more insights into his own questions.

"Mi Hao?"

"Kill the enemy?"

Chu Nan Gong pondered in his heart. Mi Hao was born into the royal family of Chu, and for many years he had been suspicious of the identity of the King of Chu. In the court, he had always been at odds with the King of Chu, Li Yuan, and Li Huan.

If Mi Hao felt murderous intent towards Nian Duan who suddenly appeared, that's understandable, but there's one thing he hasn't figured out.

Nian Duan comes from Jinghu Medical Manor, which is not a powerful force, and his cultivation level is also average. However, the person he invited this time was not an ordinary person, but the Xiang clan of Chu.

The Xiang clan wielded considerable power in the state of Chu, and Mi Hao was well aware of this. Provoking the Xiang clan was not a wise move.

Even if they were completely out of their minds, they shouldn't have chosen to act at this time.

So almost instantly, Chu Nan Gong knew that the person in front of him was not telling the truth.

Since he didn't answer the first question honestly, his subsequent statements are naturally of no reference value.

"Since you don't want to say it, then there's no need to say it anymore."

Yan Ri was taken aback.

Logically, this should be the most likely answer at present, so why did it become "I don't want to talk about it" when it came to Chu Nan Gong?

The next instant, Yan Ri felt a blur before his eyes, and Chu Nan Gong's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot. Immediately afterwards, he felt an aura behind him. Yan Ri subconsciously swung his sword to strike, but the rapid sword strike did not hit the object and missed.

"Whether you tell me or not, I will not let you off the hook."

A voice reached his ears, and Yan Ri instinctively rolled over, but just as he was about to move, he felt the space around him being sealed off by an extremely strong force.

Sensing this change, Yan Ri's heart skipped a beat.

This wasn't the first time he'd experienced this feeling; an idea popped into his mind.

"Grandmaster!!"

This wise man from the State of Chu, renowned throughout the seven kingdoms for his wisdom, was actually a Grandmaster-level expert.

Before he could think, a surge of powerful internal energy rushed into his body from his back, and this seemingly light palm strike instantly severed his life force.

Looking at the now silent Yan Ri, Chu Nan Gong withdrew his right hand and then turned to look at a corner of the dark alley.

"Little girl, aren't you coming out yet?"

Chu Nan Gong's voice rang out again in the alley. After a while, a silver-haired girl slowly walked out of the void.

"Like the light?"

A look of understanding flashed across Chu Nan Gong's eyes. From the very beginning, he had noticed that besides Yan Ri, there was another aura hidden in the shadows.

"Excellent talent!"

"Who is Qingxu to you?"

This was the first time Chu Nan Gong had ever seen this silver-haired girl. Seeing her exceptional physical attributes, the foremost sage of Chu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

He then thought of Qingxu, whom he had met before, who was also a young genius from the Taoist Heavenly Sect.

"He is my senior brother."

This person was Xiaomeng. She looked calmly at the old man in front of her. At this moment, she already knew his identity: the first sage of the Chu Kingdom.

Upon hearing this answer, Chu Nan Gong couldn't help but say with some envy, "That old fellow Bei Ming Zi is quite lucky."

A strange look flashed in Xiaomeng's eyes. This first sage of Chu seemed to know her master.

"You know my master?"

Chu Nan Gong smiled and nodded.

“Of course, I know not only your master, but also most of the grandmasters in the seven kingdoms.”

Xiaomeng's eyes lit up, but before she could ask anything else, Chu Nangong interrupted her.

"Girl, I can't tell you who these people are. If you want to know the answer, go ask your master when you return to the sect!"

Xiaomeng pursed her lips upon hearing this.

To be honest, she was quite interested in the Grandmasters among the Seven Kingdoms, but it seemed that the other party had no intention of telling her.

"Could you tell me what exactly happened here just now?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng frowned. Chu Nangong had just asked Yanri the same question, but in the end, the assassin from Luo Wang who had been subdued by his senior brother died at Yanri's hands.

"You want to kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Nan Gong was taken aback, then chuckled twice and shook his head slightly.

"how could be?"

“That person just now came from the Qin assassin organization Luo Wang. He infiltrated the Chu state and wantonly slaughtered my Chu people and disrupted my court. I will naturally not let him off the hook. But you have not done those things, so I will not do so.”

"Furthermore, your senior brother Qingxu is also here. He is quite powerful, and I don't want to provoke him."

Xiaomeng was somewhat surprised by such a straightforward answer.

However, as if she had thought of something, the girl said with a hint of amusement, "The Yan Ri that you just killed was actually my senior brother's man."

Chu Nan Gong narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard. He had long suspected this, but judging from the current situation, had this assassin from Luo Wang really been subdued by Qing Xu?
"Girl, has this person really been subdued by Qingxu?"

After a while, Chu Nan Gong's words were relayed again.

Xiaomeng's gaze sharpened, and she slowly walked to Yanri's side. Looking at the man lying on the ground, lifeless, she said in a gloomy tone, "Senior is right, he does indeed harbor evil intentions."

“I used the 'Hidden in the Dark' technique to overhear their conversation. These assassins are from the Imperial Guard; they are not from Mi Hao or Mi Fuchu, nor are they from the Xiang clan.”

"He orchestrated these assassinations! He's here to silence them."

As she spoke, Xiaomeng's eyes turned cold. It was hard to imagine that the person wielding the Sun-Covering Sword would have such thoughts.

If Yan Lingji hadn't sensed something was wrong with this person and discussed it with her, secretly following and investigating the matter, she might still not have realized it!
The person before him was not only an assassin from the Luo Wang organization, but also a man of King Mi Han of Chu! The assassination attempt that Xiang Quan encountered on his return journey was also orchestrated by the king of Chu, with the aim of dragging the Xiang clan into the mess and using them to deal with Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu.

The fact that Xiang Liang was able to freely enter and leave the palace with his clan's soldiers was part of this operation. Normally, the armored soldiers outside would not be able to enter the palace at all, but this time, in order to avoid conflict between the imperial guards and the Xiang clan, he replaced the imperial guards at the east gate with his own men, thus avoiding a conflict between the imperial guards and Xiang Liang.

So that if he were to be assassinated as soon as he left the palace, people wouldn't associate him with the Imperial Guard. It has to be said that Yan Ri's move demonstrates considerable skill in manipulating people's hearts.

Moreover, the other party's plan was not limited to this; this person even plotted against his own senior brother, wanting to use his senior brother as a tool to completely throw Shouying City into chaos.

If Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong die on their way to see Xiang Yan, how will my senior brother react? Will he hold the Xiang clan responsible? And what about Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu? In their rage, will they cause them trouble?

All of this was worth the gamble.

Unfortunately, this plan seems to have failed. Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong escaped unscathed for some unknown reason.

As for those involved in this operation, Yan Ri naturally intended to silence them.

Otherwise, when the investigation begins later, it will be a ticking time bomb for him.

"Force?"

Chu Nan Gong's eyes suddenly became somewhat complicated. The Imperial Guards belonged to the King. If these people came from the Imperial Guards, then was this operation also the King of Chu's doing?
"The poison of power."

(End of this chapter)