Chapter 173

"Ah!"

The assassin leader let out a scream; the pain coming from his chest was not just sharp pain, but a strange energy of ice and fire intertwined, raging crazily in his body!

He looked at Fura in horror, as if looking at a monster.

The battle ended very quickly.

Except for the assassin leader who was severely injured by Fura and captured alive, the rest of the Scorpion Society assassins were all killed.

Hart dragged the assassin leader like a dead dog to Roko's carriage.

"Master, caught one alive."

Roko slowly got off the carriage and looked down at the assassin lying on the ground.

"Speak, who sent you? Archibald?"

The assassin leader spat out a mouthful of black blood, his eyes full of resentment.

"Don't even think about getting any intelligence from me!"

After speaking, he wanted to bite the poison sac hidden in his teeth to commit suicide.

But Roko was faster than him.

Roko flicked his finger, and a golden Battle Qi shot accurately into the assassin's mouth, instantly shattering his poison sac and sealing his jaw.

"In front of me, if you want to die, you have to get my permission."

Roko's voice was like a cold wind from the nine netherworlds.

He squatted down and stretched out a finger, pointing at the assassin's forehead.

A wisp of pure Holy Sun Battle Qi was slowly injected.

"Ahhhhh!"

The assassin instantly let out a heart-piercing scream!

He felt his soul being thrown under the scorching sun to be roasted; that kind of pain was ten thousand times more terrifying than any torture!

Holy Sun Battle Qi was the greatest nemesis of those who practiced dark arts!

"I'll say! I'll say! I'll say everything!"

In less than ten seconds, the mental defense of this Scorpion Society assassin, who had been stubborn just a moment ago, completely collapsed.

He spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

They were indeed hired by Archibald with a huge sum of money, and their mission was to constantly harass and test Roko's strength on the road.

They were just the first wave, the "appetizer".

The real main course, the real killing move, was waiting for Roko in Sunset City.

The Scorpion Society had already sent a "Gold-ranked Assassin" to infiltrate Sunset City, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Roko at the Marquis's banquet.

After hearing the assassin's confession, the expressions of Hart, Fura, and the others became incomparably grave.

"Master, this—"

Roko just stood up calmly and wiped his hands.

He glanced in the direction of Sunset City, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"Appetizer?"

"Then I'd like to see what the main course tastes like."

He waved his hand.

"Dispose of him, let's continue on our way."

Five days later, the majestic Sunset City finally appeared on the horizon.

As the head of the three major western provinces and the capital of Sunset Province, the scale and spirit of this city were far from comparable to a newly emerging territory like Vanguard Valley.

The towering city walls stood across the earth like black mountains.

On the city walls, every ten steps stood a soldier in heavy armor, and the flags fluttering in the wind bore the blood-red lion emblem of the Archibald family.

An aura of killing and majesty rushed toward them.

However, when Roko and his party approached the city gate, they found that the atmosphere was a bit wrong.

The wide moat drawbridge had long been lowered, and the city gate was wide open.

However, there were no civilians or caravans entering or leaving the city gate.

Two rows of elite City Guards wearing silver armor and holding long halberds extended from the city gate to the depths of the avenue inside the city, forming a passage made of steel and killing intent.

Thousands of soldiers were silent, their cold gazes focused on Roko's small "caravan".

In the air, an suffocating pressure permeated.

Was this a welcome?

This was clearly the most direct, most naked show of force!

Chief Advisor Samuel was standing at the city gate with a face full of smiles.

Only, his smile looked somewhat stiff and gloating.

"Master Roko! You've finally arrived! Lord Marquis has been waiting for a long time!"

Samuel greeted them, saying enthusiastically.

"Lord Marquis heard you were about to arrive and specifically ordered me to welcome you here. To show his importance to you, he even specifically sent our Sunset City's most elite honor guard to clear the way for you!"

Honor guard?

Hart and the Storm Knights behind him all revealed cold smiles.

Calling the ace legion of the City Guard an honor guard was something only such an old fox could say.

However, on Roko's face, no abnormality could be seen.

He seemed not to have felt the terrifying pressure aimed at him at all, just nodded calmly.

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Samuel."

"Lord Marquis is too polite. With such a big formation, those who didn't know would think we were going to the battlefield."

Roko's light words made the smile on Samuel's face freeze instantly.

This brat really saw through it.

But he was still being stubborn.

"Haha, Master Roko is joking. Please, Lord Marquis has prepared a welcome banquet for you at the Governor's Mansion."

Samuel stepped aside to make way.

Roko didn't say anything more, squeezed the horse's belly, and led the team slowly into this "welcome passage" made of enemies.

Clip-clop, clip-clop—

The sound of horse hooves knocked on the bluestone-paved avenue, the echo loud.

On both sides of the road, thousands of cold gazes, like tangible swords, scraped across them fiercely.

If an ordinary person were in this situation, they would probably have been scared to the point of weak legs and cold sweat.

But Roko and his party didn't change their expressions, their backs straight.

Especially Roko, who was walking at the very front; his expression was as calm as if he were taking a walk in his own backyard.

The twenty Storm Knights behind him, although wearing casual clothes, had an iron-blooded aura polished in mountains of corpses and seas of blood that was not a bit weaker than the thousands of elite soldiers on both sides.

Even stronger!

Their eyes were the eyes of wolves.

While the eyes of the soldiers on both sides could at most be considered those of watchdog dogs kept in captivity.

Their composed demeanor and the confidence that ignored everything instead formed an invisible pressure, fiercely pressing back. Samuel followed behind, becoming more and more shocked as he watched.

These guys—what kind of monsters are they?

This psychological quality is too terrifying!

Passing through the long avenue, Samuel led them to an extremely luxurious mansion.

"Master Roko, this is the place prepared by Lord Marquis for you and your entourage. You've had a tiring journey, so you can rest here for a while. I will send someone to invite you again for the banquet tonight."

"Good."

Roko dismounted, didn't even look at the golden and magnificent mansion, and walked straight in.

Hart and the others followed immediately, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

The gate closed slowly behind them.

"Master!"

As soon as Hart entered the door, he immediately said in a low voice, "There are at least five hundred archers ambushed around this mansion! And I felt several not-weak auras in the dark,

they should be Silver Grade experts."

"We are surrounded."

"Expected."

Roko's expression remained calm.

"Check the rooms and see if there are any 'surprises'."

"Yes!"

The knights immediately dispersed and began a carpet-style search of the entire mansion.

Fura's nose twitched slightly, her heterochromatic eyes flickering with strange light.

She walked to Roko's side and said softly.

"In the air, there is a very faint sweet scent; smelling it for a long time will make people mentally sluggish and Battle Qi circulation obstructed."

"Alchemy loudspeakers are hidden in the interlayer of the walls."

"Pressure-sensing alchemy traps are buried in the soil of the garden."

Roko listened to Fura's report, and the sneer at the corner of his mouth grew thicker.

"Archibald really went to great pains."

He walked to the center of the hall, looked up at the roof beam, and suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly spreading throughout the entire mansion.

"Tell your master, don't take out these children's tricks to embarrass yourself."

"If he wants to make a move, he can do it at any time."

"I, Roko Raymond, will accompany him to the end!"

In a secret room of the mansion, several secret agents responsible for monitoring heard the voice coming from the alchemy loudspeaker, and their faces turned pale instantly. He—he actually discovered it?!

Night fell quietly.

Inside the luxurious mansion, the candles were bright, illuminating the courtyard as if it were daytime.

Roko sat leisurely in the main seat, tasting the black tea Fura brewed for him.

Hart and the twenty Storm Knights stood like statues all around, their Obsidian Gold armor already fully equipped, the cold metallic luster flickering in the candlelight, full of killing intent.

The entire mansion appeared calm, but it was actually loose on the outside and tight on the inside; any movement could not escape their perception.

"Master, are we really just waiting here?"

Hart was a bit restless; he preferred to take the initiative.

"No rush."

Roko put down the teacup and said lightly.

"A hunter must have patience."

"Archibald is more anxious than us. The banquet is the stage he prepared. Before going on stage to perform, he always has to send some clowns to warm up the scene."

As soon as the words fell.

Fura's ears suddenly moved, and she looked fiercely at a shadow outside the hall.

"Who!"

Almost at the same time, Roko's eyes became sharp.

That shadow squirmed strangely, as if it had come alive.

A figure completely shrouded in a black cloak emerged silently from the shadow.

He was like a drop of ink blending into the night; if it weren't for Fura and Roko's amazing perception, it would be impossible to discover his existence.

There was no Battle Qi fluctuation on this person, nor any killing intent leaked; he was like a true ghost.

The Scorpion Society's Gold-ranked assassin!

He finally appeared!

"Good reaction."

A hoarse and dry voice came from under the cloak, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other.

"Unfortunately, you still have to die."

Before the words fell, his figure instantly disappeared from where he was. The next second, he had appeared behind Roko!

Fast!

Fast to the extreme!

Fast to the point that even Hart, this Silver Grade Knight Captain, only captured a residual image!

A dagger as black as ink, without any reflection, stabbed silently toward Roko's back!

This strike contained a belief in a sure kill!

However, the moment the dagger was about to touch Roko's clothes.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out abruptly.

The assassin's dagger seemed to have stabbed into a piece of the hardest refined gold, unable to advance even a fraction!

A layer of pale golden light flashed and disappeared on Roko's body surface.

Holy Sun Battle Qi!

"What?!"

From under the cloak came the assassin's unbelievable exclamation.

His sure-kill strike was actually blocked?

And the other party didn't even turn his head!

Roko slowly turned around, looking at the assassin close at hand, a mocking smile appearing on his face.

"With just this bit of ability, you deserve to be called a Gold-ranked assassin?"

"You're looking for death!"

The assassin was completely enraged; he flicked his wrist, and rolling black gas instantly emerged from the dagger, turning into a ferocious skull, opening its big mouth to bite at Roko's head.

This was a dark secret technique containing the power of poison and curses!

"Small tricks."

Golden light flourished in Roko's eyes; he didn't dodge or evade, just threw a punch!

"Roar!"

A bright griffin roar resounded throughout the mansion!

This punch of his didn't use any fancy moves, just the purest, most domineering Holy Sun Battle Qi!

The golden fist, like a small sun, instantly collided with that black skull!

"Puff!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

The black poisonous mist, upon touching the golden fist, was like snow meeting the scorching sun, emitting a harsh melting sound, and turned into nothingness in an instant!

The golden fist didn't lose its momentum, fiercely imprinting on the assassin's chest!

"Puff!"

The assassin was struck by lightning, flew backward like a kite with a broken string, and slammed into the wall in the distance, creating a spiderweb-like crack on the hard stone wall.

A mouthful of black blood sprayed wildly from his mouth.

"Ho—Holy Sun Battle Qi!"

The assassin's voice was full of horror and fear.

He never dreamed that this young Lord from a remote province actually mastered the Holy Sun Battle Qi, which was the greatest restraint against dark creatures in legend!

The intelligence was wrong!

The intelligence was wrong to the point of absurdity!

"You understand now? It's too late."

Roko walked toward him step by step.

"Kill him!"

Hart roared, leading the Storm Knights, about to rush up and tear this daring assassin into pieces.

"Wait."

Roko raised his hand to stop them.

"He is my prey."

The assassin struggled to get up from the ground; he knew he had hit an iron plate today.

He glanced at Roko, who was pressing in step by step, a flash of determination and madness in his eyes.

"Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"

He fiercely crushed the dagger in his hand, and a more intense, more evil black gas surged out from his body!

"Dark Forbidden Technique: Wraith Scream!"

Countless painfully twisted human faces emerged in the black gas, emitting ear-piercing screams, forming a visible sound wave that rushed toward Roko!

This was a secret technique that directly attacked the soul!

However, Fura moved at this time.

She blocked in front of Roko, and in her heterochromatic eyes, the left eye ignited with ice-blue flames, and the right eye lit up with brilliant starlight.

"Illusion is useless against me."

She said softly.

A strange mental fluctuation radiated from her eyes.

That terrifying Wraith Scream, when it rushed in front of her, actually shattered quietly like a reflection in a mirror, dissipating into nothingness.