Chapter 36

"Poof!"

The Thunder Arrow flew out, crashing into the ancient chariot pulled by the antelope horse, piercing through the back of the Eighth Prince.

The arrowhead exploded, transforming into a fist-sized ball of lightning. Lightning bolts shot out from the ball, leaving a bowl-sized bloody hole on the Eighth Prince's back.

"Whoosh!"

A short, plump black shadow rushed into the chariot. With a flash of the blade, the Eighth Prince's head was severed and placed into a leather bag.

He let out a sinister laugh, slung the bag over his shoulder, and dashed out of the ancient chariot.

In an instant, he vanished into the hazy night.

Yun'er, sensing the unusual noise, immediately stopped the ancient chariot and called out, "Your Highness, Eighth Prince, what just happened? Your Highness, Eighth Prince!"

She cautiously lifted the curtain and saw a headless corpse sitting inside, the chariot filled with blood, a terrifying sight.

Yun'er let out a scream and fainted from fright.

...

Two black shadows, one tall and one short, swiftly darted through the royal city, soon arriving at the moat.

Han Qingluo, with her hands behind her back, her tall figure casting a long shadow under the moonlight, stood under a willow tree by the river. Her eyes fixed on the moon in the river, she said calmly, "Is the mission complete?"

"Report to Miss Han, the mission was much easier than we expected. We struck successfully, and he didn't even have a chance to fight back," the tall, thin black-clothed man said.

The short, plump black-clothed man laughed, "What a joke, calling him a young genius. He was utterly weak."

Han Qingluo nodded slightly and said, "Both of you are at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm and professional assassins. Killing him wasn't difficult. Did you bring the head?"

"Of course!"

The tall, thin black-clothed man took out the leather bag, placed it on the ground, and opened it, revealing a bloody head.

Han Qingluo looked into the bag, her face changing slightly as she said coldly, "Are you sure the person you killed was the Ninth Prince?"

The tall, thin black-clothed man and the short, plump black-clothed man looked into the bag, their hearts sinking as they realized they had killed the wrong person.

They immediately knelt on the ground, trembling, and said, "Miss Han, please give us another chance. We will definitely bring the Ninth Prince's head to you."

"You have no more chances!"

Han Qingluo shook her head and said, "You failed to kill the Ninth Prince and instead killed the Eighth Prince. Such a grave mistake will result in severe punishment for me. Do you think you have a chance to live?"

"Miss Han, spare us!"

"Miss Han, spare us!"

Suddenly, the tall, thin black-clothed man and the short, plump black-clothed man leaped up simultaneously, attacking Han Qingluo with their fastest moves.

There was no other choice. Failing the mission and mistakenly killing the Eighth Prince, they would surely be executed by Han Qingluo.

If they were going to die, why not fight for their lives?

If they could kill Han Qingluo, they would immediately flee the royal city. In the vast world, as long as they hid, even the Empress's vast power might not find them.

Han Qingluo was also at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm, and with their combined strength and the element of surprise, they might have a chance to kill her.

Han Qingluo sneered, her fingers forming a claw, her nails becoming incredibly sharp.

"Poof!"

Her claw pierced through the chest of the tall, thin black-clothed man, digging out his bloody heart.

The tall, thin black-clothed man watched helplessly as his heart was crushed by Han Qingluo, feeling a sharp pain in his chest before collapsing to the ground.

Then, Han Qingluo swiftly struck out with her palm, enveloped in a layer of icy true qi.

"Swish!"

Her palm, sharper than a blade, decapitated the short, plump black-clothed man.

Both at the peak of the Yellow Extreme Realm, Han Qingluo was far more powerful. Even seven or eight such warriors combined might not be her match.

She specialized in killing techniques, and once she struck, blood was guaranteed.

"The death of the Eighth Prince will cause a huge shock in the royal city. There is no longer an opportunity to assassinate the Ninth Prince. I must immediately return to the palace and report to the Empress, preparing for the aftermath."

Han Qingluo threw the two bodies into the moat, wiped the blood from her hands, and transformed into a green shadow, heading back to the palace.

...

Zhang Ruochen and Zaoen exchanged knowledge about inscriptions, learning a lot.

Zaoen also shared a lot about alchemy, sparking Zhang Ruochen's interest in the craft.

Xiangling continued to study alchemy at the Inscription Guild, while Zhang Ruochen left first.

Exiting the Inscription Guild, Zhang Ruochen looked around, frowning slightly, and said, "Where did Sister Yun'er go? She couldn't have returned to the palace already, could she? That doesn't seem right!"

Zhang Ruochen didn't think much of it, after all, the Martial Market was safe, and nothing should have happened. He assumed she had left early due to an emergency.

He then headed to the Elixir Market, planning to buy some high-grade elixirs to aid his cultivation.

He arrived at Qingxuan Pavilion again.

As soon as he walked in, Mo Hanlin immediately greeted him with a smile, saying, "Your Highness, Ninth Prince, are you here to buy elixirs? The boss has instructed that all elixirs purchased by the Ninth Prince will be half price."

"Is the boss so generous?" Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised.

Mo Hanlin squinted and smiled, "The boss isn't generous to everyone. Only the Ninth Prince has this treatment."

Zhang Ruochen asked, "How much does one Qingxuan True Qi Pill cost?"

The Qingxuan True Qi Pill is a second-grade elixir with the same effects as the Qi Gathering Pill but ten times more potent. The true qi cultivated from the Qingxuan True Qi Pill is also purer than that from the Qi Gathering Pill.

"Five thousand silver coins each," Mo Hanlin held up five fingers and waved them at Zhang Ruochen.

So expensive!

Even the top geniuses of the great families couldn't afford to take such high-grade elixirs daily, probably only getting one every six months.

Alchemists and weapon masters were truly profitable!

Zhang Ruochen said, "I'll buy ten."

"Ten Qingxuan True Qi Pills," Mo Hanlin noted and then asked, "Ninth Prince, do you need any other elixirs?"

"Another hundred second-grade Blood Pills," Zhang Ruochen said.

The Blood Pills he had bought last time were finished, and he needed to buy more.

With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he could now absorb the blood qi from second-grade Blood Pills.

Most peak Yellow Extreme Realm cultivators only took first-grade Blood Pills. However, Zhang Ruochen didn't mind the extra cost, as long as it helped him advance quickly, it was worth it.

Second-grade Blood Pills were much more expensive than first-grade ones but also much more beneficial to the body.

First-grade Blood Pills provided a day's worth of energy for a cultivator, while second-grade Blood Pills provided three days' worth.

"How much does one Tianxiang Red Fire Pill cost?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

Mo Hanlin's eyes lit up, "The Tianxiang Red Fire Pill is a third-grade elixir, made from the bone marrow and blood of a Tianxiang and the Red Fire Lotus Seed. It is very expensive. Eighty thousand silver coins each."

No matter the cost, Zhang Ruochen had to buy it.

"How many does Qingxuan Pavilion have?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

"Seven in total," Mo Hanlin said.

"Good! I'll take them all!" Zhang Ruochen said.

He then bought twenty bottles of Bone Marrow Washing Liquid and a bottle of healing elixir.

Mo Hanlin held the abacus and calculated for a while, saying, "Ten Qingxuan True Qi Pills, fifty thousand silver coins.

One hundred second-grade Blood Pills, three thousand silver coins.

Seven Tianxiang Red Fire Pills, five hundred and sixty thousand silver coins.

Twenty bottles of Bone Marrow Washing Liquid, four thousand silver coins.

Ten Holy Nirvana Pills, twenty thousand silver coins.

In total, it comes to... six hundred and thirty-seven thousand silver coins. At half price, it's three hundred and eighteen thousand five hundred silver coins."

Even with mental preparation, Zhang Ruochen was still shocked. He had spent over three hundred thousand silver coins. The seven Tianxiang Red Fire Pills were extremely expensive, but fortunately, the half price was within his budget.

"If I can fully refine the seven Tianxiang Red Fire Pills, my constitution will definitely reach the level of my previous life," Zhang Ruochen thought.

After paying three hundred and eighteen thousand five hundred silver coins to Qingxuan Pavilion, Zhang Ruochen's assets were reduced to eight hundred thousand silver coins, all stored in the Martial Market bank.

As Zhang Ruochen left Qingxuan Pavilion, he saw a group of armored soldiers riding war horses rush down the street, raising a cloud of dust.

A nearby martial artist, watching the soldiers, sighed softly, "I wonder who had the nerve to kill the Eighth Prince. The city is now under martial law, and even the entrances and exits of the Martial Market are sealed!"

"The Eighth Prince was killed?"

Zhang Ruochen clearly remembered seeing the Eighth Prince at the Inscription Guild. How could he have been killed so soon?

"Boom!"

A group of soldiers rushed over, kneeling neatly before Zhang Ruochen. The lead figure was an old eunuch, who respectfully said, "Your Highness, Ninth Prince, the King has summoned you to return to the palace immediately!"

...

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