Chapter 50: Stormy Assassination

"My Lord Song, do tell: just how extraordinary is that Imperial Prince who has been stranded in a remote small town for fifteen years?"

Zhang He squinted his eyes and asked. Song Shanyue frowned, pondered for a moment, but soon shook his head again:

"Hard to say."

Seeing this, Zhang He sneered and said:

"This time, I'm afraid My Lord Song is overthinking it. How extraordinary can a rough youth of about twenty be?"

"Is he a Innate Expert? A Grandmaster? A Great Grandmaster? He can't possibly be a Heaven-Man, can he?"

As he spoke, Zhang He busied himself adjusting his robes and said:

"It is normal for My Lord Song to be cautious, but do not be alarmed by the slightest sound. Moreover... what My Lord Song may not realize is that we are not the only ones who wish to kill that Imperial Prince!"

Hearing this, Song Shanyue raised his eyes to gaze at the prodigal Young Master before him, and only heard the other party continue speaking:

"Too many people hate the Great Li court. There are always some who share our heroic opinions, after all, such a good opportunity is rare."

"The matter of the true and false Imperial Princes has long spread throughout the Jianghu. Countless eyes in the world are watching this Great Li Imperial Capital. If someone were to cut off the head of that true Imperial Prince now and hang it high on the ramparts of Shangyang City, tell me, would that not be satisfying?"

"I imagine that even if Emperor Yuanwu does not feel sorrow, he will at least be half-dead with rage, hahaha..."

As Zhang He spoke these words, he burst into laughter, as if merely thinking of the matter brought him great pleasure.

Song Shanyue remained silent. Only after the other party stopped laughing did he speak:

"He has already gone to the Tianjin Guard Headquarters accompanied by Sun Changyu. I cannot guarantee I can kill him, nor can I guarantee that I will be the one to kill him personally."

Hearing this, the face of Zhang He, that young prodigal, instantly turned indifferent. He said:

"This is a rare opportunity. Even if My Lord Song does not think of himself, you must think of your son. You must do your utmost!"

"Furthermore, My Lord Song only needs to know one thing: the process does not matter. I only look at the result."

Just then, a muffled rumble of thunder sounded in the sky. Zhang He turned his head and looked out through the carved lattice window, then a sinister smile appeared on his face:

"It is about to rain. This is the perfect time to kill. My Lord Song must hurry."

Having said this, Zhang He held his head and pushed the door open to step out, while cursing and shouting that he was going to find his uncle, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Song Shanyue watched the other party's departing back, his eyes dark and gloomy, and slapped his palm onto the desk behind him.

In the next moment, the desk silently collapsed into a pile of crumbs. Not long after, the entire hall was utterly silent, already empty of any person.

The sky over the entire Imperial Capital churned with dark clouds, as if covered by a huge ink cloth. The carriage Li Musheng was riding traveled down a street where pedestrians were gradually becoming scarce.

A bolt of lightning, like a sharp sword, slashed through the long sky, instantly illuminating the long street ahead with a ghastly white light. Immediately following, another thunderclap exploded with a boom, as if it were about to shatter heaven and earth.

Dense raindrops began to fall on the carriage canopy, making a pitter-patter sound. The few commoners on the road immediately scattered in a panic, running to hide under the eaves of nearby shops.

In an instant, the entire sky seemed as if the Tianhe had burst its dikes. The rain poured down in sheets, and the howling wind tilted the rain. The banners at the entrances of shops along the street swayed violently.

Li Musheng sat listlessly in the carriage that was still moving swiftly, the wheels rolling and splashing up large sprays of water.

The long street that had been lively just moments ago had now become incredibly desolate under the raging storm, with only the sound of rain and bursts of thunder echoing.

And when the carriage turned into an even quieter alley, the Grand Eunuch Sun Changyu, who had been closing his eyes to rest, suddenly opened his eyes sharply.

He looked at Li Musheng, who seemed to have noticed nothing, and said with a serious face:

"There is killing intent."

Having said this, his figure flashed. Like a fluttering red swallow, he darted out of the carriage window.

In the next instant, the Grand Eunuch Sun Changyu flipped in the rain and landed lightly on the back of the horse in front.

Seeing this, the coachman who was whipping the horse immediately understood what was happening. He pulled the reins tight, causing the galloping fierce horse to stop abruptly.

Immediately, he reached down and pulled out a long knife wrapped in oilcloth from under the carriage seat.

With a slight shake, the oilcloth suddenly shattered and scattered. The coachman then casually gripped the hilt, leaped up, and the sharp, cold gleam of the blade tip appeared, filling the air with killing intent.

The entire process was seamless, as if it had been carved into the coachman's very bones.

At this moment, the surroundings were filled with the sound of rain crashing against shop eaves and the bluestone street. Thick water mist rose several feet high, making the near and far scenery in the rain curtain blurry and indistinct.

The Grand Eunuch Sun Changyu and the coachman stood silently, both projecting their True Qi outward. The rain in the world seemed to flow around them, and their robes remained completely unstained by water from start to finish.

At the same time, a person slowly walked forward from the street ahead, where the rain was pouring down.

This person wore a bamboo hat and a rain cape, holding a bamboo staff that tapped "tap-tap" on the ground, sounding exceptionally clear amidst the noise of the falling rain.

Behind the carriage, two swordsmen in green robes rode tall horses, galloping swiftly through the splashing water.

Only when they were several zhang away from the carriage did they stop abruptly amidst a long whinny of the horses.

"Hoo!"

"Hoo!"

Two more masked men in black suddenly leaped up from behind the shops on both sides of the long street. They brought gusts of wind whistling through the rain curtain and silently crouched on the roof ridges.

"Five people!"

"And every single one is at the realm of the Wudaoda Sect Great Grandmaster."

The coachman spoke with a hoarse voice, his gaze dark and indistinct. The Grand Eunuch Sun Changyu's face was gloomy, as if about to drip.

Standing on the horse's back, he glanced at the five people surrounding them and shouted sternly:

"This is the Great Li Imperial Capital. I advise you to withdraw immediately and do not bring ruin upon yourselves!"

His soft, feminine voice penetrated the dense rain curtain, echoing within a radius of ten zhang.

At the same time, a cold True Qi spread outward, rolling up the rain from heaven and earth and crashing toward the five people.

However, the five people around remained unmoved. The powerful force that could easily overturn a carriage quietly dissipated before them.

"No rush. Before you die, this old man must let you know who you are dying at the hands of. Only then will my half-month of sleeping in the wind and dew and my old bones running such a long distance not be in vain."

The old man in the rain cape ahead coughed once and slowly spoke, raising his old face covered in age spots.

His words also seemed to gain the approval of the other four people around.

However, the two masked men in black on the roof ridge merely fell silent and nodded slightly.

One of the two swordsmen in green robes then laughed loudly and said:

"Killing the dog Emperor's son in this Imperial Capital is a feat that can shake the Jianghu; if we do not leave our names behind, would it not be a waste of such a fine deed?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other swordsman in green robes spoke coldly:

"Remember, those who kill you are the West Wind Two Heroes!"

(End of this chapter)