Chapter 1088

He forced himself to be patient and said,

"The Minister of Works wishes to ask: why did not a single one of those honored officials act just now?"

Indeed, this was the most puzzling part for Zhang Han.

The men present had nearly gathered the strongest combat power of the Qin Empire.

Such strength, let alone Gai Nie, a mere Heavenly Being Realm cultivator,

even the top masters listed on the Heavenly Dao Golden List—each and every one of them—would never walk out of Xianyanggong alive once they entered.

Yet none of those honored officials had moved, and even Ying Zheng showed no sign of caution.

"Exactly! Please, my lord, enlighten me."

Zhang Han asked sincerely.

Li Si sighed, then found it amusing.

He patted Zhang Han's shoulder and said,

"There is a saying: those involved are confused; those watching are clear.

When Gai Nie stormed the palace, you and the Shadow Secret Guard moved at once, thus becoming entangled in the situation—you missed some details, but that's no fault of yours, Minister.

I ask you only one thing: do you truly believe Gai Nie is the Qin Empire's number one wanted criminal?"

At Li Si's words, Zhang Han froze in place.

Then Li Si, smiling, walked away calmly.

873 Qinglong Society assassin?

Zicheng was a small satellite city near Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Empire.

Before the struggle for dominance in the western frontier, it had been the Qin Empire's most vital military colony.

Because it had once been the Qin's final defensive line against the Six States of the East.

Thus, this small city housed many military facilities and encampments.

But after Qin unified the western frontier and claimed supremacy over the Nine Provinces,

with the shift of military focus, all of them were gradually abandoned.

The once vast military camp was now desolate and decayed.

That night, Gai Nie arrived alone at one such abandoned military camp.

After checking the vicinity near the central command tent for any followers, he leapt inside.

"You've come!"

Inside the tent, supposedly empty, sat a figure upon the dusty commander's seat.

The man wore a plain white robe, his long hair flowing over his shoulders, exuding effortless grace.

But his face bore a silver mask, and his voice was deeply low—making it impossible to tell who he was.

"Young Master!"

Gai Nie clasped his sword with both hands and bowed deeply.

"Why did you storm the palace without warning?"

The man asked directly.

"In reply, Young Master, the situation was urgent."

Gai Nie gave a bitter smile and explained,

"I defected from Qin and wandered among the common folk.

I thought to return to Jinghu Medical Villa to find Miss Duanmu.

To live with her in harmony, and end my days in peace.

At first, when I met her, she held deep hostility toward me.

But after several days together, her attitude toward me gradually softened."

Gai Nie's words had veered wildly off-topic.

Yet the mysterious Young Master seated at the table showed no impatience whatsoever.

Instead, he remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on Gai Nie, as if utterly fascinated by what he was saying.

Gai Nie continued slowly, recounting how he and Duanmu Rong had moved from misunderstanding and estrangement to gradual understanding.

At first, Gai Nie had indeed come hoping to obtain Duanmu Rong's primordial Yin Essence body, to gain the great benefits spoken of in the Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers List.

But first, such utilitarian intent was not truly his heart's desire.

Second, he had long harbored feelings for Duanmu Rong.

Thus, after arriving at Jinghu Medical Villa, he abandoned his obsession with advancing his martial path.

He simply wished to spend the rest of his life with Duanmu Rong in this serene, secluded place, surrounded by clear mountains and bright waters.

Yet one day, a mysterious assassin came to Duanmu Rong.

This assassin had come out of admiration, claiming to act on the order of a leader of the Qinglong Society, to invite Duanmu Rong out of seclusion to treat a vital person.

But after Duanmu Rong learned the nature of the man's injuries, she realized he violated her Three Refusals.

Regardless of whose command the assassin claimed to follow, she flatly refused on the spot.

This enraged the assassin, and after repeated attempts at coercion and bribery all failed,

he launched a sudden attack on Duanmu Rong!

"Did you kill this assassin?"

The noble young master asked, unable to remain silent.

The Qinglong Society's power was the greatest in the world!

When Duanmu Rong was attacked, Gai Nie would surely have intervened.

The assassins of Keqinglong Society are certainly not to be taken lightly.

In the struggle, that assassin must die!

After all, Hearing Gai Nie stands here now—he cannot possibly be dead.

And if that assassin truly belongs to Qinglong Society, failing the mission means death upon returning!

"No…"

Hearing Gai Nie smiled bitterly and said,

"If I had truly killed him, there probably wouldn't be so much trouble."

As he spoke these words, Hearing Gai Nie's eyes were filled with endless regret.

Originally, when the assassin struck, Hearing Gai Nie, who had been lurking nearby, did indeed intervene to help.

Yet although it was unknown whether the assassin belonged to Qinglong Society, his skills were truly formidable.

At this time, Hearing Gai Nie's cultivation was merely Earthly Immortal Realm.

Yet this assassin had already reached the brink of the Realm of Heavenly Beings!

His one-handed swift blade was not only astonishingly fast, but also dense and cruel.

Even though Hearing Gai Nie's Long Sword Technique excelled most in defense and counterattack,

he was still forced into steady retreat under the assassin's swift blade.

The two circled Miss Duanmu, exchanging more than twenty strikes.

Finally, at a critical moment, Hearing Gai Nie, with astonishing martial talent, discovered a flaw in the man's swordplay.

When the assassin reached his twenty-ninth move, Hearing Gai Nie had the opportunity to unleash Hundred Steps Flying Sword and kill him with a single strike.

But he feared that if this man truly belonged to Qinglong Society, killing him would bring endless unrest.

Thus, in his hesitation, he did not unleash Hundred Steps Flying Sword.

He hesitated, unwilling to deliver the killing blow.

Yet the assassin cared nothing for such thoughts.

Instead, he seized Hearing Gai Nie's moment of hesitation and slashed backward, forcing Hearing Gai Nie into a corner.

Hearing Gai Nie had no way to evade—he could only prepare to take the blade with his body, then follow with the Long Sword Technique's "Rainbow Piercing the Sun."

Though he would suffer serious injuries, he could also severely wound the assassin.

Unexpectedly, Miss Duanmu, who had always been cold and distant during their days together, stepped forward at this critical moment.

As the swift blade was about to strike Hearing Gai Nie, Miss Duanmu threw herself in front of him without regard for her own life.

Hearing Gai Nie panicked, abandoning all thought of using "Rainbow Piercing the Sun."

He could only change tactics on the spot, unleashing "Heaven's Blaze" to save Miss Duanmu.