Chapter 80

"Minister of the Imperial Guard, Huang Shang!"

The man's tone was calm, and while others might not have found it significant, Zhao Yougong was shocked to his core. It was Huang Shang, no wonder his martial arts were so profound.

"Whoever you are, if you dare to block my path, I will kill without mercy!"

Shi Bao knew he was no match for Huang Shang, but since he had come, he had to leave a legacy. Shi Bao of Zhe Dong, even if he died, would give this traitor a nightmare.

After Huang Shang appeared, more than a dozen skilled guards from the Imperial Guard leaped over the high walls and surrounded Cai Jing. The assassins were momentarily unable to make any progress.

Cai Jing sipped his wine and smiled slightly, "Minister Huang, capture them alive!"

"Minister Cai, rest assured!"

With a proud voice, Huang Shang held a long sword in his right hand, swung his body, and two assassins who rushed forward were knocked to the ground. There was a scratch on their necks, but no blood flowed.

The sword's edge passed without drawing blood. What kind of speed and technique was this? The terrifying Huang Shang, the terrifying Imperial Guard, the royal inner guard, was there only one Huang Shang?

In one move, he killed two skilled assassins, instantly intimidating the rest. Perhaps they had already prepared themselves for death, and the only thing left was to take as many down with them as possible.

Shi Bao held his twin knives, his face filled with pain as he watched the scene. He had planned for so long to assassinate the traitor Cai Jing, but the result was this. It was too heartbreaking.

The assassination continued, but only the assassins were falling. One of the masked men removed his black cloth and ran to Shi Bao, "Master, retreat! If we don't retreat now, it will be too late!"

Seeing that face, Zhao Yougong almost cried out in shock. Wasn't this person the commander of Guangde Army, Yang Kaishan?

He never expected Yang Kaishan to be here. Zhao Yougong's heart was in turmoil, his brows furrowed, and his palms were sweating. Yang Kaishan must not be allowed to live. If he saw Cai Jing, the Huashigang incident would be exposed. Cai Jing was not a fool; he could tell if Yang Kaishan was lying or telling the truth. It was hard enough to pin the Huashigang incident on Yang Kaishan. If Yang Kaishan cleared his name, Zhao Yougong would be in grave danger.

His mind was no longer at ease; instead, it felt heavy. Cai Jing was too shrewd, and there was also the unfathomable Huang Shang in the room. Killing Yang Kaishan without anyone noticing would be extremely difficult.

As he was thinking, the situation in the room had changed. Shi Bao threw several flying knives and then ran toward the high wall. Reaching the wall, he leaped over it like a dragon. Huang Shang would not let Shi Bao escape. He let out a clear whistle, leaped up, and chased after Shi Bao like an eagle. Yang Kaishan did not linger, cut down two approaching imperial guards, and climbed the wall, running in the opposite direction.

Zhao Yougong recognized Yang Kaishan, and so did Cai Jing. His face was dark as he coldly watched Yang Kaishan's escape, "Capture Yang Kaishan alive! I will have him executed in a thousand ways!"

"Yes, Minister!"

Two skilled guards from the Imperial Guard responded and followed Yang Kaishan. Zhao Yougong's heart raced. He gritted his teeth, opened the back window, and slipped out like a cat.

Yang Kaishan's martial arts were not weak, but his lightness skills were not his forte. After a short chase, they arrived at the Wunwen River in the north of the city. With the river ahead and the pursuers closing in, he had nowhere to run. Yang Kaishan, a man of the military, was a madman at heart. Since he couldn't escape, he decided to fight back.

"Yang Kaishan, as a general of the court, how dare you join the rebels!"

Turning around, Yang Kaishan sneered, holding his knife in front of him, "Bah, don't use that to disgust me. If the court hadn't forced me, why would I join the rebels?"

"Hmph, you embezzled and plundered the Huashigang, your crimes deserve death. How dare you speak such arrogant words!" The two guards from the Imperial Guard slowly approached from both sides. Cai Jing wanted him alive, so they had to do their best.

"Bullshit, accusing me of embezzlement, heh, where there's a will, there's a way. In our Song Dynasty, how many officials are not corrupt? Heh, I only embezzled a little..."

Yang Kaishan's words were arrogant but true. The two guards frowned but were not flustered, "Is that so? Then how do you explain the Huashigang incident at Chishan Lake? Don't say Qian Bin wronged you!"

Hearing this, Yang Kaishan's face showed anger. He pointed his large knife at the ground and shouted, "Foul dog, when did I ever plunder the Huashigang? Kill me if you will, but don't use these words to disgust me. At this point, I have nothing to hide!"

Yang Kaishan's tone was agitated but sincere. Even the two guards from the Imperial Guard were doubtful. As Yang Kaishan said, at this point, he had no reason to hide anything. What crime could be worse than treason?

"Is it true that you didn't plunder the Huashigang?"

"Heh, why would I lie to you? Come on, I've heard the Six-Fan Gate is full of experts. I want to see for myself!"

"If it wasn't you, come with us and explain. Minister Cai will give you a chance!"

"Don't fool me. What kind of person is Cai Jing? Will he let me go?" Yang Kaishan was a rough man, but he understood the ways of the court. After attempting to assassinate Cai Jing with Shi Bao, he knew he would not be spared if captured. Compared to the Huashigang incident, it was no longer important. Even if Cai Jing knew the truth, he would not let him go.

Seeing that words would not deceive Yang Kaishan, the two men in green robes said no more and surrounded him with their swords. Their swordplay was swift, targeting Yang Kaishan's vital points. Yang Kaishan was also skilled. He stepped back, swung his knife in a circle, and the swords clashed with a metallic sound. The three of them exchanged blows, and although Yang Kaishan was in a dire situation, he managed to hold his ground for a while.

One of the men in green robes, holding his sword in his right hand, waved his robe, and a cross dart flew toward Yang Kaishan's face. In the midst of the fight, Yang Kaishan's mind was alert, and he had to dodge the cross dart by crouching. As he crouched, the other man rushed over and smashed his sword hilt into Yang Kaishan's shoulder. With a muffled groan, Yang Kaishan's massive body staggered and fell to the ground. The man who threw the cross dart then stepped forward, kicked Yang Kaishan's elbow, and the large knife flew far away.

Holding his sword to Yang Kaishan's throat, the man who threw the dart asked, "Is it true that you didn't plunder the Huashigang at Chishan Lake?"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you want to kill, just do it!"

Seeing Yang Kaishan's attitude, the man who threw the dart had his suspicions. If the Huashigang was not plundered by Yang Kaishan, then who did it?

"Yang Kaishan, come with us. If you explain everything, Minister Cai will spare your life!"

At this point, Yang Kaishan could not resist. He got up and let them take him. They tied him up and were about to leave the Wunwen River.

"None of you will leave!"

A deep, sinister voice echoed, and Yang Kaishan and the two guards from the Imperial Guard were all startled, "Who is it?"

The three of them looked to the right, where a large willow tree stood. A man in a yellow brocade robe stepped out from behind the tree. Although his head was lowered, the killing aura around him was unmistakable.

Seeing the man, the three of them were shocked, and the man who threw the dart even took a step back, "Your Highness, Yang Kaishan is extremely dangerous. Please be careful!"

"Indeed, Yang Kaishan is despicable. If he fights to the death and you are injured, wouldn't that be a good outcome?"

The man lifted his head, smiling, but Yang Kaishan and the two guards trembled. They never imagined that Zhao Yougong would be here. Now everything was clear. The Chishan Lake incident must have been orchestrated by Zhao Yougong. The question was, how could the seemingly useless Prince Yongning have hidden so deeply?

The man who threw the dart frowned, cut the ropes on Yang Kaishan's wrists, and signaled his companion to run.

Since Zhao Yougong dared to come out, he must have had a plan. Today, at least one of them had to escape.

The man who threw the dart's right hand now held two more cross darts. He threw them suddenly, and his companion turned and ran south without looking back.

Want to escape? How could Zhao Yougong let his years of effort go to waste? He watched the two cross darts, and as they approached, he extended his right hand, spun on the spot, and somehow caught both darts in his palm. Without hesitation, he threw them back, and with a pained groan, the massive Yang Kaishan fell to the ground, stunned.

The man who threw the dart was terrified. The terrifying Prince Yongning, whose martial arts were unfathomable, was unknown to anyone.

His right hand became a palm, and the large knife lying by the river trembled, emitting a light hum before landing in his hand.

It was the Dragon Seizing Skill. The shock was indescribable. The only thing left to do was to escape.

Zhao Yougong's steps were swift, and in a moment, he caught up with the man who had fled. He kicked off a tree and landed in front of him. Holding the knife with both hands, he swung it in a Wind-Cutting Slash. The Wind-Cutting Slash was as fast as lightning, the force concentrated in his hands, and the knife left a deep, unmeasurable wound, blood instantly soaking the man's robe. The man made no sound and fell softly onto the soft grass.

Now only one remained. Zhao Yougong raised his eyebrows and looked at the man's back. He threw the large knife like a spear, which flew straight toward the man.

With a pained groan, the man fell, the knife piercing his heart, leaving no chance of survival.

After checking again, Zhao Yougong wiped away the traces and fled like a ghost.

In the courtyard of the Chancellor's residence, the assassination had been thwarted. The assassins were all dead, and Cai Jing remembered the two princes. After searching, they finally found Prince Yuncheng Zhao Kai hiding behind a rock.

"Third Prince, where is the young prince?"

Pointing to the back hall, Zhao Kai, still trembling, said, "He's probably in the room. I saw him crawl in there!"

Cai Jing led his men to break down the door and search the room. They found the young prince Zhao, crouched under the bed, trembling. There was a puddle of water under him, and a strong smell of urine.

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.