Chapter Twenty: Arrival at Yiqiu City

The first strike failed, and the enemy immediately launched a fierce offensive. Dozens of feathered arrows rained down upon the group. The three martial artists reacted quickly, diving behind a large tree for cover. Lin Wanqing gripped her Frost Moon Sword and charged at the assassins.

There were eleven assassins in total: two Martial Masters and nine martial artists. Lin Wanqing engaged the leader—a four-star Martial Master—in close-quarters combat, while the remaining ten assassins stayed at a distance, firing cold arrows. Lu Xingchen had to protect Li Yan, so he could not charge in with her. Instead, he drew his Azure Cloud Bow, notched an arrow, and fired at one of the killers.

[Congratulations to the host for killing a five-star martial artist. You have gained five experience points and five exchange points!]

Lu Xingchen’s arrows were swift; single-handedly, he suppressed all the assassins. With every shot he fired, another assassin fell. After a quarter of an hour, all the enemy martial artists had been eliminated, leaving only the two Martial Masters. Even so, the enemies did not lose their fighting spirit and continued to resist stubbornly.

Lu Xingchen exchanged fire with the archer Martial Master. Since his cultivation level was higher than his opponent's and he possessed numerous innate talents, he killed the enemy in just three shots. At the same time, Lin Wanqing struck down the four-star Martial Master. The assassin gang had come quickly and perished just as fast; within fifteen minutes, they had been wiped out by the combined efforts of Lu Xingchen and Lin Wanqing.

Only then did the three martial artists dare to emerge from behind the trees, their eyes filled with awe and fear as they looked at Lu Xingchen. Lin Wanqing was the top new disciple, so her ability to fight above her rank was no surprise, but she had only managed to kill one assassin. Lu Xingchen, however, had killed ten, and he remained completely unscathed! It was terrifying. His strength was clearly even greater than Lin Wanqing’s! The three of them felt a sense of relief; they were grateful that Lin Wanqing had brought Lu Xingchen along, otherwise, they would surely have died there.

The three approached Lu Xingchen. "Captain, are you alright?"

Lu Xingchen gave a cold snort. "Even if I were not, what could you have done about it?"

Hearing this, the three lowered their heads in embarrassment. They had previously questioned Lu Xingchen's strength, and now they had to rely on him to save their lives—it was truly mortifying.

Lin Wanqing walked over, her brow furrowed. "There is nothing on them to identify their origins."

Lu Xingchen said calmly, "That means they are professional assassins. There must be an organization behind them. We must get to the bottom of this, or it will cause a lot of trouble later. Let’s ask Li Yan."

The five walked over to Li Yan. Lu Xingchen asked coldly, "Uncle Li, why do these assassins want you dead?"

Li Yan sighed heavily. "Alas, it seems there was no escaping this. Our nation, Cloud Hidden, is surrounded by water on three sides and only borders the Great Xia Kingdom to the west. To trade with the outside world, we must pass through Great Xia. In the past, our relations were good, and we enjoyed mutually beneficial cooperation. But not long ago, the sovereign of Great Xia was replaced. The new ruler is hostile toward us, has drastically increased tariffs, and has proposed many unequal treaties, making life for the people of Cloud Hidden incredibly difficult. The King recalled me, hoping I could build a bridge across the sea for our nation to lead us out of this predicament."

Lu Xingchen pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "So, these assassins were sent by the ruler of Great Xia?"

Li Yan nodded heavily. "That must be it. He doesn't want me to return to Cloud Hidden alive."

Lu Xingchen sighed slightly. "Although our mission is indeed to escort you, it was only meant to guard against bandits on the road. Now that we are being asked to make an enemy of a whole nation, the pressure is too great."

Li Yan lowered his head and smiled bitterly. "I thought that using the name of the Lingxiao Sect would be enough to deter Meng Jie, the ruler of Great Xia, but I never expected he would dare to strike anyway. Captain Lu, your strength is clear to me. If you continue to escort me, I will surely be able to return home safely, and once I am there, our nation’s experts will naturally protect me. Please, help me! Once we reach Cloud Hidden, I will report to the King and ensure you are rewarded handsomely."

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen’s eyes brightened. He looked at Li Yan and asked, "Are there any Great Martial Master-level experts among the enemy?"

Li Yan immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not! Both countries have deployed troops to the border, and all the Great Martial Masters are currently stationed at the front lines."

Lu Xingchen turned to Lin Wanqing and said, "What do you think? Shall we take this mission?"

Lin Wanqing nodded repeatedly. "I think we should. Uncle Li is the hope of Cloud Hidden. As he stands on the side of justice, I cannot watch him die in a foreign land."

Lu Xingchen laughed. "Then let us continue our journey!"

Lin Wanqing chose to help Li Yan out of a sense of justice, but Lu Xingchen had considered much more. If they succeeded in the escort, not only could they squeeze a fortune out of Cloud Hidden, but they could also secure an ally for the Great Yan Kingdom. It was a profitable deal!

Upon hearing this, Li Yan was overjoyed, nearly dropping to his knees to thank Lu Xingchen. "Thank you, Captain Lu! On behalf of the people of Cloud Hidden, I thank you!"

Lu Xingchen quickly helped him up and smiled. "No need for formalities. I am only doing this for the reward you promised. Let us be off."

After packing their belongings, the six continued their trek toward Cloud Hidden. Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard in the capital of Great Xia, the ruler Meng Jie slammed his hand against a table and roared, "Wei Jie, is your 'Dark God' organization even capable? My scouts reported that every one of your men was killed!"

The man called Wei Jie, hidden entirely within a black cloak, replied in a low voice, "That shouldn't be. According to the rules of the Lingxiao Sect, such escort missions are only assigned to a disciple at the Martial Master level. I sent so many men, and they were all wiped out?"

Meng Jie said, "I don't care about that! I only know that if Li Yan makes it back to his country, it will be virtually impossible to kill him."

Wei Jie replied, "Rest assured, they won't escape. Next time, I will strike personally!"

Over the next three days, Lu Xingchen and his group pushed forward with all their might, remaining battle-ready at all times. Yet, the journey remained calm, and they did not encounter any more assassins. Finally, the six entered a city on the border of Cloud Hidden: Yiqiu City.

Li Yan’s tense heart finally settled, and he said with a smile, "The King has already arranged for experts to meet us here in Yiqiu City. We are finally safe!"

Lu Xingchen gave a faint smile. "I don't think so. The crisis has only just begun."

Li Yan asked in confusion, "Captain Lu, what do you mean?"

"If I were the leader of an assassin organization, once the first attempt failed, the target would be on high alert. The next strike would be with everything they have, trying to settle it all at once when the target is most relaxed."

Li Yan was shocked. "You mean they will strike inside Yiqiu City?"

"How long does it take to get from here to the City Lord’s Mansion?"

"A quarter of an hour."

"That is more than enough time for them to act!"

With that, Lu Xingchen looked ahead and said in a deep, steady voice, "They have arrived."