Chapter 390: Dagger Revealed

Zhu Zai stared at Li Miao, and after a long while, he suddenly gritted his teeth.

"No, Big Li will not die."

"Lord Zhu... you—"

"In terms of martial arts, you are above me, but you don't understand Big Li as I do; he will never lose, and he will never die... it's just some changes, yes, some changes."

Zhu Zai muttered, his voice growing louder, as if persuading others, and as if persuading himself. But by the last sentence, the weakness was gone, and his tone became resolute.

"You just carry out your methods, do not stop."

"... es."

The officials had to comply.

Zhu Zai watched, his fist clenched tightly in his sleeve, but his face revealed no emotion.

He could not lose his composure.

These officials were not loyal; if he showed weakness, he feared these officials would also harbor dissent... He believed Li Miao would wake up, but during this interval, he had to drag it out for Li Miao.

Just at this moment, rapid footsteps sounded outside.

Two people ran in, both panting.

One was wearing Forbidden Army armor, stained with blood, with a blood-soaked bandage tied around his arm; after entering, he knelt on one knee and spoke urgently.

"My lord, something has happened to Lord Tang!"

The other had a Embroidered Uniform Guard sword at his waist, dressed as a guard, panting and covered in sweat; after kneeling on one knee, he followed up immediately.

"My lord, Battalion Commander An reports that Liu Jin has colluded with Jianghu figures and is heading toward the Imperial Palace along a secret passage; he is pursuing, but may not be able to intercept them outside the palace!"

"Also, Guard Commander Zhu Shoujing reports that he has brought back a Yingzhou Heaven-man; His Majesty is fighting An Qisheng, and the two are heading toward the palace city!"

Zhu Zai felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

The dagger is revealed.

The purge he finally decided on now seemed to have fallen right into the other party's trap!

But immediately, he suppressed his emotions.

"Let Zhu Shoujing take the Yingzhou Heaven-man and leave, heading north out of the city, and do not return!"

"Tell Cao Hanyan to stop the purge of palace servants, bring the palace Forbidden Army back here, and summon all officials to come and guard!"

"Let the Xiaolingwei Heaven-man take the Gu-insects to investigate the location of An Qisheng and His Majesty, three people rotating, reporting every sixty breaths!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard took the order and left.

Zhu Zai then supported the table and asked the Forbidden Army who reported.

"What happened to Lord Tang?"

————————

Let us rewind time by two hours.

Tang Lanzhou was riding on his horse, his waist and back already unable to straighten.

He was too old, and had suffered a great disaster, his heart and spirit damaged; he had not closed his eyes since the night before. Just now, his anger had attacked his heart, and he had personally killed that Ke Hongwen; although it was satisfying, it was adding frost to snow.

His heart twitched in pain, and his vision went black in bursts.

Now, he could no longer even maintain the appearance on his face, relying only on his subordinate officials walking beside him to support his legs and feet to sit steadily on the horse.

"Fortunately, only one last place remains."

Tang Lanzhou thought.

Just now, the Forbidden Army leader had gone to investigate, and the officials in Jiangmi Alley had also received the news, gathering spontaneously to protect themselves.

It was just right to wipe them all out.

After killing this last place, he could go see his old wife.

The sound of horse hooves was fragmented, and after a while, they arrived outside the mansion where the officials of Jiangmi Alley were gathered.

Tang Lanzhou stared fixedly at the plaque on the door for a while.

After a long while, he waved his hand.

"Kill, kill without mercy."

His consciousness was near unconsciousness, and he had no energy to argue with the dead; anyway, the work of convicting them would be handled by his subordinates. Now he only needed to kill, and then take the matter into the grave, and he would have completed his agreement with Zhu Zai.

"Yes!"

The Forbidden Army leader bowed and drew his sword.

With one slash, he shattered the gate!

"Obeying Lord Tang's order, kill without mercy!"

"Yes!" The Forbidden Army shouted in unison and filed into the courtyard.

Tang Lanzhou supported the horse's back, panting and waiting.

After a while, he heard no wailing or begging for mercy.

He slowly frowned.

He heard the sound of wind blowing against clothes, and the Forbidden Army leader leaped from the courtyard and landed in front of him, throwing a person to the ground and saying sternly.

"The officials in the mansion have all disappeared, leaving only some servants and retainers; this is the steward... Speak! Where did those officials go!"

The steward trembled, raised his head to meet Tang Lanzhou's eyes, and was instantly shocked by the cold killing intent contained in that gaze; before the Forbidden Army leader could continue to ask, he poured out the matter like bamboo beans from a tube.

"My lord, my lord, half an hour ago, several military officers came to the mansion and had a secret talk with those lords. When we went to serve them again, they were gone... We don't know what the situation is either!"

"Little one, little one..." Tears and snot flowed.

Tang Lanzhou closed his eyes and asked softly.

"Describe the appearance and clothing of those military officers, and tell me every detail you remember."

The Forbidden Army leader raised his sword and pressed it against the steward's neck.

"Speak!"

The blade was cold, and the bloodstains were not yet dry; the steward got goosebumps all over, and without needing torture, he poured out everything he had seen and heard in one breath.

After he finished speaking, before Tang Lanzhou could react, the Forbidden Army leader's expression had changed drastically.

"Lord Tang, those people are..."

"Iron-scaled armor, firearms, red robes... the Divine Machine Battalion."

The Divine Machine Battalion was one of the three major battalions guarding the capital, and it was also the only army in this era equipped with firearms in a systematic way.

Tang Lanzhou said calmly.

"Those officials were taken away by people from the Divine Machine Battalion. And I have seen the leader; he is a vulgar martial man, speaking and acting extremely rudely, completely different from what was described."

"That is Liu Jin."

"The Divine Machine Battalion has already been infiltrated by Liu Jin."

The Forbidden Army leader gritted his teeth.

"Lord Tang, what now?"

Tang Lanzhou sneered.

"Looking at the clothing of the officers who came to take people, their official ranks are not high; it seems the Divine Machine Battalion has not been completely controlled. We will go to the Divine Machine Battalion's station; I want to see if the Divine Machine Battalion dares to rebel!"

The group quickly prepared their horses and turned their heads to charge directly toward the Divine Machine Battalion's station.

When they reached a street at the city gate, they heard a sharp shout from the roof of the street.

"Fire!"

The Forbidden Army leader's expression changed drastically; he flashed to Tang Lanzhou's side and reached out to pull a shield to block in front.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—

A series of musket sounds rang out.

The pungent smell of gunpowder was carried to his face by the wind; the shield rang with "clang, clang, clang," and the sounds of people and horses falling came from all directions.

There was also a roar that reached them in an instant.

"Die!"

It was a Heaven-man with a hairless face and a shrill voice, leaping down from the roof, slapping a palm toward the Forbidden Army leader.

The Forbidden Army leader gritted his teeth, reached out to pull Tang Lanzhou's collar, and raised his hand to send him away with soft force.

"Lord Tang, go first; I will block here!"

Tang Lanzhou was thrown far away; although he was thrown out with soft force, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground after landing. Two Forbidden Army experts rushed over to support him.

"Lord Tang!"

Tang Lanzhou's vision went black; he felt his body could no longer support him. His gaze swept over the long sword in the Forbidden Army expert's hand, and he gritted his teeth, raising his hand to wipe it across the blade.

"Hiss—"

The blade cut deep to the bone, and the pain instantly brought his consciousness back.

Tang Lanzhou covered his hand and said sternly.

"Go! To the Divine Machine Battalion!"