Chapter 80 - 78: Crown Prince
The sinister wind swept through, the perfect Yin Ghost Blade Technique engulfing and slaying in an instant.
Having killed two people in a short time and disrupting the opponent’s momentum due to Song Changming’s interference.
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng and other masters had already engaged the enemy, demonstrating the prowess expected of the General Department’s elite.
This line of defense was still holding firm.
Clang!
After cutting down three men in succession, Song Changming’s Dragon Pattern Saber was blocked when he met the fourth opponent.
Beneath a conical hat, was the face of a middle-aged man with high cheekbones.
Song Changming’s Bone Forging Skill had now reached the strength of the Fourth Realm, imbuing him with remarkable brute strength.
Equipped with the Dragon Pattern Saber, anyone who could directly withstand a blow from him was either superior in Body Refining Cultivation or possessed innate divine power.
Before him now, Song Changming quickly realized that this man was the former.
His Body Refining Cultivation had already reached the strength of the Fifth Realm!
And even if he was not on the same Bone Forging path, he was certainly on the Muscle Training refinement path, opting for the bulky muscle route.
Undoubtedly, Song Changming had met a true opponent.
The man wielded a large machete, switching from defense to offense, and swung it fiercely.
Song Changming executed the Soul-breaking Saber, meeting him head-on.
Both fought with power; even though Song Changming had only the Fourth Realm Body Refining Cultivation, his qi power did not seem inferior to the opponent’s Fifth Realm Body Refining Cultivation.
Under such circumstances, the contest came down to sword skill, light body skill, other martial arts mastery, and battle experience and reflexes.
Song Changming had another advantage: his Spiritual Monkey Marrow Cleansing Skill, which he had trained to the Second Realm, though not extremely strong, made him more agile and nimble than his opponent.
In a closely matched clash of masters, even slight advantages could be magnified and turn the tide of battle!
After trading dozens of blows, sparks flew, and the confrontation was incredibly intense.
In the end, Song Changming, with slightly faster blade and footwork, exposed his opponent’s flaw.
In the next moment, Song Changming changed his sword momentum to the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, sweeping in, with a speck of silver light breaking through the opponent’s form, piercing his chest and abdomen, and severely injuring him.
Immediately following, Song Changming reverted to the Soul-breaking Saber, decapitating his foe without delay.
This person seemed to hold some weight, for after Song Changming killed him, many from the opponent’s side wavered, their assault no longer as resolute.
Moments later, someone sounded a whistle.
The rest, hearing the whistle, abandoned their assault and opted to retreat.
"Trying to escape!"
At this moment, the Captain rode forward with several dozen cavalry, spearing one of the attackers and lifting them into the air.
"Leave none alive!" Xie Shihuan commanded loudly on the other side, all the Patrol Guard rushing in, encircling and pursuing the attackers.
Ultimately, nearly all of the attackers were annihilated, with only a few slipping away amid the chaos.
"Who sent you to commit such heinous acts!" Xie Shihuan looked at a row of living attackers, reprimanding them coldly.
"Would you dare to hear if I dared to speak!" One of the attackers suddenly looked up, staring at Xie Shihuan, saying slowly.
"You want to say that the person behind you is such an illustrious figure that we dare not even hear about it?!" Xie Shihuan, irritated, laughed.
Nearby, Lu Zheng frowned and stomped heavily on the attacker’s chest, causing him to cough up blood incessantly.
"Speak honestly if you want to live!"
"It... it’s the Crown Prince of the current dynasty!" The attacker shouted sharply, revealing teeth soaked in blood.
Everyone’s expressions changed dramatically upon hearing this.
Song Changming was no exception; his immediate reaction was thinking that the attacker was purely talking nonsense, unwilling to deeply consider it.
No one present dared to oppose the Crown Prince, seemingly as high as the heavens.
Not just them, but who under the heavens would dare?
The atmosphere was tense, Xie Shihuan’s mouth twitched several times, about to take action.
At this time, from inside the carriage, an elder dressed in dark brocade and wearing a jade crown slowly lifted the curtain and stepped out.
The elder’s hair and beard were all white, but his eyes were full of spirit, scrutinizing the attackers in front of him.
His refined demeanor carried the grandeur of someone in authority, making him instantly recognizable as no ordinary person.
"Mr. Xie, Captain Fan, don’t listen to this bunch of nonsense. How could the esteemed Crown Prince send such riffraff to cause trouble? There must be someone else behind it; please take them back for questioning," the elder said to Xie Shihuan and Captain Fan Yun with a hand gesture.
Directly dismissing the outlandish claim made by the attacker.
The crowd felt convinced.
Indeed, if the Crown Prince truly wanted to do something, he could simply issue a decree; there was no need to use such ordinary attackers to handle matters.
Song Changming showed no outward change, but his thoughts were racing internally.
Why did the attacker name only the Crown Prince?
While it sounded absurd and unrealistic to them, it might not have been meant for their ears.
The important figure who had remained calm in the carriage suddenly felt the need to step out and deny the claim upon hearing "Crown Prince."
This indicated that he was not so calm at that moment.
Perhaps the elder in the carriage indeed had some connection to the current Crown Prince, which the attacker used as a pretext.
Of course, logically, it was improbable for the Crown Prince to be the mastermind behind the attack.
Otherwise, it would imply a serious incompetence in the Crown Prince.
"The elder is correct; it’s not safe to linger here. We should swiftly return to the County City," Fan Yun nodded, with his long spear still dripping with fresh blood.
"Alright, take them all back!" Xie Shihuan ordered.
The task of escorting fell to the Patrol Guard, who were intact after the battle and skilled in this matter.
Additionally, the poisoned Patrol Guard and Armored Warriors were placed on horseback and taken along, while the remaining corpses would be dealt with later.
The convoy resumed its journey, moving faster than before to avoid further incidents.
When passing through the scene of the previous cavalry charge, they realized there were more disMembered bodies of attackers, scattered limbs creating a gruesome sight.
Song Changming couldn’t estimate how many intact bodies could be pieced together from these scattered remains.
It seemed over a hundred attackers had died here, testifying to the bravery of the cavalry brought by Captain Fan Yun.
The iron cavalry line they established was indeed robust, permitting only a few dozen attackers to reach Song Changming and his group.
Half a day later, the convoy was escorted into the city without incident, reaching the Governor’s Mansion.
Governor Xiao Jingchuan, already briefed, waited with his county governor and officials at the entrance to greet them.
Upon seeing the convoy damaged and blood-stained, Xiao Jingchuan’s expression changed dramatically, and he hurriedly inquired.
"Did something happen? Is the esteemed guest unharmed?"
The safety of the visitor was his utmost concern.
Anyone could be harmed, but not him.
Even the governor hadn’t expected this distinguished guest to face trouble only upon nearing the County City, having traveled southward without issue till then.
"We encountered attackers, and both the Patrol Guard and Cavalry Armored Warriors suffered casualties, but thankfully we completed our mission, and the person we were to protect is unharmed," Xie Shihuan reported first.
He dared not hide a single detail from the incident, including the attacker’s mention of the Crown Prince.
"The Crown Prince!" Xiao Jingchuan, startled, quickly whispered to Xie Shihuan.
"Keep this matter under wraps, and we must swiftly interrogate the captives; this is of utmost importance!"
"Yes," Xie Shihuan nodded in agreement.
Inside the carriage, the elder had already disembarked, immediately drawing Xiao Jingchuan’s full attention.
Xiao Jingchuan hurried forward to pay his respects, only to be stopped by the elder’s hand.
"During my stay here, I’ll have to rely on you, Governor Xiao. No need for formalities."
"Please rest assured; that has... been arranged. You can rest at my Governor’s Mansion, which is absolutely safe," Xiao Jingchuan replied.
"Thank you," the elder nodded, following Xiao Jingchuan into the Governor’s Mansion.
Standing at a distance outside the Governor’s Mansion, Song Changming watched the elder enter.
For some reason, he felt that a huge trouble had arrived here.
Surely, there was a significant secret involving this elder, perhaps entangling considerable matters!