Chapter 446: Dagger Revealed

Zhu Zai looked at Li Miao in a daze; after a long while, he suddenly gritted his teeth.

"No, Big Li will not die."

"Eunuch Zhu... you—"

"In terms of martial arts, you are above me, but you don't understand Big Li as I do; he will absolutely not lose, and he will absolutely not die... it's just some changes, yes, some changes."

Zhu Zai muttered, his volume rising, as if persuading others, and as if persuading himself. But by the last sentence, the weakness was gone, and his tone became resolute again.

"You just use your methods, do not stop."

"... Yes."

The eunuchs had to obey.

Zhu Zai watched, his fist clenched tight in his sleeve, but his face didn't show the slightest emotion.

He couldn't lose his composure.

These eunuchs were not loyal; if he showed weakness, he feared these eunuchs would also have ulterior motives... he believed Li Miao would definitely wake up, but for this period in between, he had to drag it out for Li Miao.

Just at this moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

Two people ran in, both panting.

One was wearing imperial guard armor, covered in blood, with a blood-soaked bandage tied around his arm; after entering, he knelt on one knee and spoke hurriedly.

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

The other had a Embroidered Uniform Guard sword at his waist, dressed as an Embroidered Uniform Guard, panting and sweating profusely; after kneeling on one knee, he also spoke immediately after.

"My lord, Battalion Commander An reports that Liu Jin has colluded with Ordinary Jianghu people 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, Commander Zhu Shoujing reports that he has brought back a Yingzhou Heaven-Man; His Majesty is fighting Zheng Zheng Anqi, and the two are heading toward the palace city!"

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

The dagger was revealed.

The purge he finally made up his mind to carry out now seemed to have played right into the other party's hands!

But immediately, he suppressed his emotions.

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

"Let Cao Cao Hanyan stop the purge of palace servants, bring the palace imperial guards back here, and summon all eunuchs to come and guard!"

"Let the Xiaolingwei Heaven-Man take the Gu insects to investigate the positions of Zheng Zheng Anqi and His Majesty, three people rotating, reporting every sixty breaths!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard took the order and left.

Zhu Zai then held onto the table and asked the reporting imperial guard.

"What happened to Lord Tang?"

————————

Let's move time back two hours.

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

He was too old, and had suffered a great disaster, his mind and spirit damaged; he hadn't closed his eyes since the night before. Just now, he was enraged and killed Ke Hongwen with his own hands; although it was satisfying, it was adding frost to snow.

His heart throbbed in spasms, and his vision went black in waves.

Now, he couldn't even maintain the appearance on his face, only relying on his subordinate official walking beside him to support his legs, could he sit steadily on the horse.

"Fortunately, only the last place remains."

Tang Lanzhou thought.

Just now, the imperial guard leader had gone to investigate, and the officials in Jiang Mi Lane had also received the news, spontaneously gathering together to protect themselves.

Just right to wipe them all out.

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

Just in this instant!

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

The main gate of the Fengtian Gate collapsed. It was as if a meteorite had descended from the sky, smashing into it, and the ground on the entire square shook. The accumulated snow on the ground was all kicked up.

"Kill, kill without exception."

His mind was nearly clouded, and he no longer had the energy to bicker with the dead; in any case, his subordinate officials would handle tasks like sentencing for him. Now, he only needed to kill, and after taking the matter to the grave, his agreement with Zhu Zai would be fulfilled.

"Yes!"

The imperial guard leader bowed and drew his sword.

He smashed the gate with one slash!

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

"Yes!" The imperial guards shouted in unison, filing into the gate.

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

After a long while, he didn't hear any wails or pleas for mercy.

He slowly frowned.

He heard a sound of clothes flapping in the wind; the imperial guard leader leaped up from the courtyard and landed in front of him, raising his hand to throw someone to the ground, saying sternly.

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

The steward trembled, looked at Tang Lanzhou, and was instantly intimidated by the cold killing intent contained in those eyes; before the imperial guard leader could continue to ask, he poured out the matter like beans from a bamboo tube.

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

"Little one, little one..." tears and snot flowing.

Tang Lanzhou closed his eyes and asked softly.

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

The imperial guard leader raised his hand and pressed the sword against the steward's neck.

"Speak!"

The sword blade was cold, the bloodstains not yet dry; the steward got goosebumps all over and didn't need torture to pour out everything he had seen and heard.

By the time he finished speaking, Tang Lanzhou hadn't reacted, but the imperial guard leader's face had already changed drastically.

"Lord Tang, those people are..."

"Iron scale armor, firearms, red robes... Divine Machine Camp."

The Divine Machine Camp was one of the three major camps guarding the capital, and also the only army in this era equipped with firearms in a complete establishment.

Tang Lanzhou said calmly.

"Those officials were taken away by people from the Divine Machine Camp. And the leader, I have seen; he is a vulgar martial man, extremely rude in speech and action, completely different from what he described."

"That is Liu Jin."

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

The imperial guard leader gritted his teeth.

"Lord Tang, what now?"

Tang Lanzhou sneered.

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

The group quickly prepared their horses, turned their heads, and rushed straight toward the Divine Machine Camp's station.

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

"Fire!"

The imperial guard leader's face 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 them by the wind; the shield clanged, and sounds of people and horses falling were heard from all directions.

There was also a violent shout that reached them in an instant.

"Die!"

It was a Heaven-Man with a white face and no beard, with a sharp voice, who leaped down from the roof and slapped toward the imperial guard leader with one palm.

The imperial guard 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 with soft force, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground after landing. Two imperial guard 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 across the long sword in the imperial guard expert's hand, and he gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and wiped it across the blade.

"Hiss——"

The knife wound was deep to the bone; the pain instantly brought his consciousness back.

Tang Lanzhou covered his hand and said sternly.

"Go! Go to the Divine Machine Camp!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 447 =====