Hidden Shadow – CH 322

Chapter Three-Hundred-Twenty-Two: Battle in the Forest (2)

An Jiu abandoned the corpse and quickly left the scene.

The blood-red signal flare abruptly alerted the Konghe Army, who were gathering and resting.

“Heaven Branch Class A reinforcements!” the Konghe Army’s Dark Guard of the Capital shouted.

The red signal flare indicated an attack by a powerful figure—a desperate situation. The figures of six ninth-level experts from Class A disappeared into the darkness, while the rest of the Konghe Army silently gathered, awaiting further instructions.

The Capital’s Dark Guard did not issue any further orders.

Shortly afterward, the assassins from Heavenly Class A returned.

“My Lord, the entire Mao and Xu teams of the Earth Branch are dead! The signal was made by the Mao team leader.” One assassin succinctly explained the situation, then added, “Of the six, the Xu team leader died from a hidden weapon, and the other two members were killed—one with a sword to the throat, the other with a broken neck; the Mao team leader also had his neck broken, and the other two had their throats slit with a sword.”

Another assassin added, “It seems there were no more than three attackers.” Hidden weapons, a sword to the throat, a broken neck—the attacks were swift and decisive, instantly killing six experienced Konghe Army assassins. They could not believe it could be the work of the same person.

“Such a master exists on the island!” The Capital’s Dark Guard was slightly surprised. “Increase the number of men in each group to ten and continue the search.”

“My Lord, perhaps I should not question orders, but at this point, I cannot help myself,” the leader of the Heaven Branch Class A group asked. “If it is truly to save His Majesty, we would gladly die for him, but is it really the duty of the Konghe Army to spread the news of His Majesty’s serious illness so widely?”

If he were already dead, what use was that peerless medicine? If the Konghe Army was truly only after the medicine, no one in the world would dare to challenge the entire Konghe Army so boldly. Their vehement resistance clearly indicated there was more to the story.

The Capital’s Dark Guard was well aware of the problem with the order, but what right did he have to question it? “If you know you should not ask, then don’t!” he shouted.

The team leader of Class A coldly replied, “My Lord, we may kill, but we are not fools!”

The Capital’s Dark Guard angrily retorted, “Am I a fool?! But I have to accept this order! Because His Majesty is truly dying! Do you understand what our fate will be if His Majesty passes away?!”

A new Emperor brings a new court. Whether it was the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, they all had their own personal guards. When any of them ascends the throne, their trusted guards would replace the original Konghe Army. These former guards would have to undergo a radical reform; those who obeyed would live, and those who resisted would die.

The reforms within the Konghe Army would be different from those of the previous dynasty. They carried the same bloody and ruthless style, where life and death hang by a thread. Those in the upper echelons had been infected with a poison; the new Emperor would use them to purge the lower ranks first, and these very guards would be the first to suffer!

Everyone present fell silent.

Those unfamiliar with assassins would likely perceive them as a bunch of reckless idiots, but only they themselves understood that the more they kill, the more they cherish their lives, because they understood how fragile life is.

Death was like a lamp going out; life was gone. Nothing remains.

The team leader of Class A remained silent for a moment, then asked, “Is this medicine guaranteed to save His Majesty?”

“Eighty or ninety percent certain,” said the Capital’s Dark Guard. “After all, few have personally witnessed the efficacy of the medicine person’s blood. However, it is recorded in the Chronicles of the Konghe, which is relatively reliable.”

He paused, then added, “This medicine person was meticulously raised by the Liao royal family with immense resources. The efficacy of his blood is incomparable to that of ordinary medicine persons.”

Having received this result, the assassins, however unwilling, could only follow the Capital’s Dark Guard’s instructions, working in groups of ten to search the island.

The Capital’s Dark Guard pulled a box from his pocket. He hesitated for a moment, then handed it to the team leader of Class A. “The insect in this box can smell the blood of a medicine person. Take it…”

He had been suspicious when he first accepted the box. It was an insect with a sensitive sense of smell, not uncommon in the martial world but troublesome to use. The insect had to be fed food infused with the scent it needed to track for a period of time before it would become interested. How could the Liao Kingdom’s medicine-training army possibly possess such an insect…? The Capital’s Dark Guard had already guessed that either the Dark Commander or one of the Deputy Dark Commanders was a Liao spy. These two were the top two commanders of the Konghe Army, and the Dark Commander could not find any clues.

He decided that once he found the medicine, he would personally deliver it to the palace.

The night rain pattered.

The forest was shrouded in impenetrable darkness. An Jiu squatted on a tree, recalling the battle that had just taken place.

The initial meditative state she entered was incredibly profound, as if she had woven a net with her mental energy. Once the prey entered this net’s area, it could no longer use its own mental energy…

This hunting experience was exquisite.

An Jiu was still savoring the afterglow of the experience, closing her eyes and slowly dispersing her mental energy.

Darkness enveloped her once more. The surrounding mental fluctuations rippled outwards like chaotic waves, clashing and surging. An Jiu frowned, her temples throbbing. She endured for a moment, and when she opened her eyes again, everything was blood red.

Twenty martial artists of varying ranks simultaneously stormed into An Jiu’s net. It was as if the prey was too heavy, causing the net to break. In the instant it snapped, she felt as if a needle had pierced her temples, and her eyes stung.

Just as An Jiu’s head was spinning with pain, a crossbow bolt pierced the darkness and reached her.

An Jiu leaned back, hanging upside down from a tree, the bolt almost grazing her nose.

A dozen or so people approached silently, the glint of their swords flashing in the snow. Several more, carrying umbrellas and lanterns, followed, illuminating the scene clearly, revealing An Jiu’s figure.

Her petite, slender figure was clad in a sharp, close-fitting outfit; only her bloodshot eyes were visible, a truly terrifying sight.

Surrounded by over twenty men, An Jiu felt a mixture of fear and barely suppressed excitement.

The weapon in the box began to stir. The team leader of Class A, his heart pounding, spoke up. “We’ve searched high and low, and here it is, without any effort at all. Hand over the medicine person’s blood, or we will be forced to fight.”

“It’s Gu Jinghong,” An Jiu corrected sternly.

“Gu Jinghong?!” the team leader exclaimed in shock.

Gu Jinghong had always held a prominent position on the Konghe List, a name that resonated far and wide. No one had expected that such an invincible assassin was actually someone else’s medicine person!

“Whoever it is, hand over the medicine!” The team leader drew his longsword, his entire body radiating murderous intent.

This was like a signal; everyone assumed a stance ready to attack!

An Jiu stood in the center, a Tang sword in one hand and an umbrella handle in the other. Her vision was blurred by a bloody haze, making it impossible to discern anything. She closed her eyes, and the umbrella slammed open, scattering water droplets and fine silver needles in all directions.

“Take it!” With a low roar from the team leader, more than ten men pounced.