With both its commanding major general and inspector general dead, three out of five brigadier generals fallen, and heavy casualties among the soldiers, the 10,000-strong division was plunged into chaos. Yet, amidst the turmoil, the two remaining brigadier generals strove to restore order, gradually bringing some semblance of order to the disoriented army.
As dawn was just about to break, the sound of galloping horses echoed outside the large encampment. The group of riders rapidly closed in.
“The ninth prince has arrived in person, where is Wang Xiaohe? Tell him to hurry up and welcome the prince!” A booming voice called out.
Even after a long pause, there was no response, prompting the group to storm angrily into the camp.
…
“What? Wang Xiaohe has perished just this night? Assassinated by a fearsome expert?” The group of experts clustered protectively around a young man in black robes, shocked to receive such a bolt out of the blue.
“How can this be? A month ago, General Wang was still in perfect health when he bid me farewell at Linjiang City!” The black-robed young man around twenty years old seemed to be in denial. His eyes were red, and his facial muscles twitched spasmodically as he held back his tears.
“I refuse to believe it. I must see Major General Wang’s body,” He declared, marching straight towards the collapsed central tent.
“Your Highness.” A lieutenant intercepted his path, attempting to dissuade him, “General Wang’s body has already…”
“Scram!” the black-robed young man roared, kicking him away. Though both were first-rate Adepts, the lieutenant was sent hurtling through the air, spewing blood as he landed nearly ten meters away.
Without hesitation, the black-robed youth pressed forward, arriving at the central tent with his retinue in tow.
The scene that awaited them was a macabre picture of carnage, with blood staining every inch of the area. Arrayed in a grim row were over a hundred lifeless bodies. The metallic tang of blood permeated the air, its pungent odor assaulting their senses. However, all of them were battle-hardened martial artists. This bit of gore wasn’t enough to rattle their minds.
The young black-robed man darted forth, coming to a halt before a lifeless body lying on a white cloth. It was Wang Xiaohe’s corpse. His body was split in two, barely held together, and his face was disfigured, almost beyond recognition.
“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!” The young man could no longer hold back his emotions, collapsing to his knees beside the body. He let out a guttural howl, a mournful wail of despair.
Silent and somber, the dozen or so experts stood behind him. They all knew that despite the nearly two-decade age difference between the ninth prince and Wang Xiaohe, both had been disciples under the same Grandmaster.
In their early years, before the ninth prince had revealed his talent, it was Wang Xiaohe, his Senior Brother, who had guided and mentored him in lieu of their master. Over time, they grew inseparable.
Later on, one ascended to the ranks of a major general while the other unexpectedly rose in prominence among the princes, securing a favorable position within Emperor Jin’s heart. He was now a strong contender for the throne!
After a moment of silence, the ninth prince suddenly looked up, his cheeks streaked with dried tears. His visage twisted with unyielding hatred and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
“You, come here!” The ninth prince pointed at the lieutenant he had just kicked.
“Your Highness,” the lieutenant quivered in fear, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What exactly happened here?” The ninth prince’s gaze bore into him, “Don’t leave anything out, I want every last detail.”
“Yes, earlier this night, I…” the lieutenant hurriedly recounted everything he knew.
Under the ninth prince’s command, three more of Wang Xiaohe’s personal guards were quickly summoned. They were brought forth and interrogated one by one. Their accounts amalgamated into a comprehensive retelling of the event, offering the ninth prince and his entourage of experts a clear understanding.
“Shadow Blade?” The ninth prince’s eyes were icy cold. “Is it the rumored Shadow Blade who acquired the Chu-Jiang Token? Uncle Jin [1], is it him?”
“Your Highness, it’s hard to tell. It could be an imposter,” a white-robed old man who was part of his entourage spoke softly, “Shadow Blade is known for his saber skills and throwing knives, but according to the description, this mysterious expert is skilled in spear arts.”
“Also, according to the intelligence gathered by the Starcom Consortium, Shadow Blade is merely an expert ranked in the 60s or 70s on the Jiang Continent Human Rankings. He is far from strong enough to kill Major General Wang amid 10,000 soldiers.”
“Even in a one-on-one confrontation, it’s unlikely that he could kill Major General Wang.” The white-robed old man shook his head slightly, “There’s a 90% chance it’s an imposter.”
At this moment, a middle-aged man in red robes who had been pacing back and forth in the collapsed tent returned to the group. Two short spears were fastened to his back, and his expression was cold.
“Instructor Li?” The ninth prince asked tentatively. His attitude when speaking to this man was distinctly different.
“I studied the traces of their fight and cross-examined it with the testimonials of the soldiers,” the red-robed middle-aged man stated icily. “This individual possesses the strength to rank within the top ten of the Jiang Continent Human Rankings.”
Top ten in the Human Rankings? Everyone’s hearts sank. This was an incredibly formidable expert, nearly on par with a Grandmaster in terms of strength.
“I am confident that I can kill him,” The red-robed middle-aged man uttered.
The crowd gasped in shock!
Apart from the few lieutenants and personal guards who were brought in for questioning, even the retinue accompanying the ninth prince exchanged incredulous looks. They knew this man was powerful, but his association with the ninth prince had been relatively brief, leaving them with limited knowledge about him.
He had the confidence to kill an expert ranked top ten in the Human Rankings?
“Excellent!” The ninth prince’s gaze was firm, his eyes radiating a chilling light.
He abruptly turned towards one of his followers, a black-robed man, “Nan Wei? Where’s your Bloodseeker Spirit Insect? I’m going to hunt him down.”
Nan Wei’s face paled as he responded, “Your Highness, we only have two Bloodseeker Spirit Insects left. Besides, we don’t know whether the assassin’s body was contaminated with blood, and several hours have already elapsed. I cannot guarantee that the tracking will succeed.” His words all hinted at one thing: he hoped the ninth prince would abandon this pursuit.
“Track him. Even if you fail, I won’t blame you.” The ninth prince stared at the black-robed man, trying to sound as gentle as possible while restraining his anger.
All eyes were fixed on Nan Wei, curiosity lurking within the gazes of several onlookers. Spirit insects were extremely rare. Many of them had only read of such creatures in ancient texts. It was their first time seeing one in the flesh.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Nan Wei reluctantly acquiesced, nodding his head.
He proceeded to collect a small amount of blood from each corpse, including that of Wang Xiaohe, and carefully mixed it within a vial.
Next, he gingerly opened a jade vial from his bundle and delicately deposited one of the insect eggs into the small vial of blood.
Right before their eyes, the insect egg devoured the blood in the jade vial, rapidly hatching. In a matter of moments, a crimson flying insect, no bigger than a thumb, emerged from the shell. Everyone watched it intently.
The insect began circling the pile of corpses. After a while, it seemed to make up its mind. It buzzed, flying off in a specific direction.
“Your Highness.” The middle-aged black-robed man caught the spirit insect excitedly, “The spirit insect has detected a familiar scent of blood. It’s in the southwest.”
“Southwest?” The ninth prince’s gaze swept across his subordinates, a glint of cold determination flickering in his eyes. “Uncle Jin, Instructor Li, Huo Ling, Nan Wei, the four of you shall accompany me. Together, we will hunt down this killer.”
“Your Highness, you mustn’t!” The white-robed elderly man known as Uncle Jin, immediately interjected, attempting to dissuade him. “How can we allow Your Highness to endanger your life? This vile man dared to assassinate a major general of Great Jin and deserves to be eliminated, but we can take care of it. There’s no need for Your Highness to personally take the risk.”
“Exactly! Your Highness, you should remain in the army, we’ll go.”
“Your Highness.” The others chimed in. Their futures rested on the ninth prince’s shoulders. Naturally, they didn’t wish for him to jeopardize his life.
“My father spent over ten years on the battlefields of the Xi Continent, constantly flirting with death. Only then did he become a Grandmaster, leading his victorious army into the capital.” The ninth prince looked at his followers, “Unless one reaches the Grandmaster level, one cannot become an emperor! This is a rule passed down by our ancestors.”
“Today, with Instructor Li and all of you by my side, how can I hope to become a Grandmaster if I shrink from pursuing a single assassin? How can I aspire to be an emperor?”
“Moreover, I must personally kill him!” The ninth prince growled.
“But…” The white-robed elderly man was still reluctant.
“There’s nothing more to discuss.” The ninth prince said coldly, “Uncle Jin, if you’re afraid, then you may remain here.”
“Nan Wei, release the spirit insect.”
“Yes.” Nan Wei didn’t dare to argue and quickly let go of the spirit insect in his hand.
The spirit insect flew into the air, its speed not particularly impressive.
“Instructor Li, Nanwei, Huo Ling, let’s go.” The ninth prince commanded, following the spirit insect. The experts hastily followed suit.
The white-robed elderly man sighed softly, turning to a black-robed burly man among the retinue. “Wu Xi.”
“Master Jin.” The black-robed burly man responded.
“Immediately inform Grandmaster Chen Luo about this. I will leave markings along our path. Tell the Grandmaster to hurry,” the white-robed elderly man urged. “Don’t delay. Go now!”
“Understood.” The black-robed burly man nodded, quickly heading back the way they came.
After issuing the order, the white-robed elderly man leaped several meters, chasing after the ninth prince and his party.
1. Not the same Jin as Emperor Jin ?