Zhi Li entered the royal capital without anyone knowing. In public opinion and perception, he should still be at the southern border city!
After riding the griffin beast back to the royal capital, he did not even enter the Young Lord’s residence, but secretly infiltrated the Divine Dragon Sacred Hall.
The Zhi Du Sacred Hall was an extremely massive castle estate. Including the area of the Inquisition, it even exceeded the royal palace in size.
And as one of the sixteen trial officers, Fu Ling Xi possessed a separate castle. In the underground secret chamber of this castle, Fu Ling Xi met Zhi Li.
“Young Lord, is there anything you are hiding from me?” Fu Ling Xi asked.
“Hiding from you?” Zhi Li laughed bitterly, “What else can I possibly have now?”
Fu Ling Xi said, “After the defeat, what does Young Lord plan to do?”
Zhi Li said, “Recruit civil and military talents who oppose Suo Lun, then lead them into the Yan Empire to establish a government in exile, and continue fighting Suo Lun to the end, resolutely refusing to recognise the legitimacy of Zhi Yan’s succession.”
Zhi Li was an extremely clever and cunning man. He would certainly not tell anyone about something as significant as assassinating the king.
And the words he spoke were seventy percent true and thirty percent false. If not forced by circumstances, he truly would have gathered his strength and fled to the Yan Empire. How could he possibly go to assassinate the king and walk this path of nine deaths and one life?
Fu Ling Xi immediately thought that the plan Zhi Li spoke of was indeed feasible, and even the best plan.
After Zhi Yan ascended the throne, but lost the protection of the Divine Dragon Sacred Hall, the Yan Empire and the Western Liang Kingdom would certainly mobilise a million great troops to strike while the iron was hot. At that time the Zhi Yan regime would be completely unable to withstand, the situation of the Fury Wave Kingdom would be as precarious as a stack of eggs, and Zhi Li’s chance for a comeback would arrive.
If Fu Ling Xi were to choose, she would also take this path.
“Young Lord, do not rush to leave the Fury Wave Kingdom. Stay in Zhi Du and do not go anywhere.” Fu Ling Xi said.
Zhi Li said in astonishment, “Why? I am now a wall that everyone pushes. Apart from my most trusted confidants, anyone could betray me.”
Fu Ling Xi said, “In any case, just wait quietly. Do not do anything, and observe the changes!”
“Changes?” Zhi Li said, “What changes? What changes will there be?”
Fu Ling Xi shook her head and said, “The situation is still unclear now. In short, do not do anything from now on. Just wait quietly like this, and absolutely do not leave the Fury Wave Kingdom!”
Zhi Li could not help but be startled, his heart suddenly leaping.
Fu Ling Xi told him not to do anything, but he was already in the midst of doing something earth-shattering. It should have already begun by now, and it was completely too late to stop it.
……
The Fury Wave Kingdom royal family had a total of over twenty griffin beasts, of which fifteen had been given to Suo Lun. The griffin knight squad left for the king numbered only ten.
In order to save Zhi Ning and her child, Gao Yin and others rode eight griffin beasts back to the royal capital.
However, the goal of these dozen or so experts was to save Zhi Ning and her child, not to protect the king.
So Li Cheng Lian and other experts completely focused their attention on the Young Lord’s residence and the Zhi Du Sacred Hall.
Wanting to snatch people out from the Zhi Du Sacred Hall was impossible, so the only opportunity was when Zhi Li took the people out from the Zhi Du Sacred Hall, and ambushed and seized them midway.
Of course, the consequences of doing so were equally terrible. First, the martial force by Zhi Li’s side far exceeded Gao Yin’s, and moreover he had Suo Lun’s son as a hostage in his hands.
In short, saving Zhi Ning and her child had currently become incomparably thorny.
Although the Shadow Pavilion’s power was enormous, the Shadow Pavilion had indeed completely failed to detect Zhi Li’s entry into the royal capital.
And the dozen or so experts Li Cheng Lian brought, plus a considerable portion of the royal capital Shadow Pavilion’s forces, were all invested in saving Zhi Ning and her child.
The forces protecting King Zhi Bian had still not increased, but had instead been reduced.
Because who would have thought Zhi Li would assassinate the king? Apart from a madman, no one would do such a thing.
……
The griffin beasts Li Cheng Lian mobilised numbered only five, with a total of twenty-two experts participating in the assassination of the king!
Although there were only twenty-two, they were absolutely the most elite forces, gathering the essence of the Demon Continent and the Hidden Continent within the Fury Wave Kingdom.
Because Zhi Li had obtained the support of Hidden Continent young master Fang Qing Yi and Demon Continent princess Wan Wan. Among the assassins for this king assassination, experts at the level of Zhuang Zhi Xuan numbered as many as eight or nine.
The remainder were also at least at the same level as City Lord Tu Li Wen, exceeding Yan Nai Er and Tu Ling Chen.
Even the eunuch Li Zhu did not qualify to enter this list of twenty-two assassins.
So although their numbers were few, they were an incomparably powerful martial force.
The moment the five griffin beasts entered the airspace above the Fury Wave Kingdom, they were immediately discovered by the spirit masters patrolling the air.
“Who is it? Lord Gao, or a special envoy of Lord Suo Lun? What is the password?” The spirit master patrolling the air immediately issued a warning.
Every time a griffin entered the royal palace’s airspace, it was either Suo Lun’s people or Gao Yin’s people. But every time, there was a special rendezvous password, and it was the person entering the airspace who initiated it.
But this time, these griffin beasts entered silently and noiselessly, making the spirit masters patrolling the air extremely tense, facing a great enemy.
On Li Cheng Lian’s side, there was of course no response!
This spirit master patrolling the air immediately wanted to blow the horn to send an alarm to below the royal palace.
However, it was already too late!
Very quickly, he felt his body completely paralysed, unable to move in the slightest, unable to emit any sound.
There was an expert, a top-level spirit master expert! One who could completely immobilise a griffin knight spirit master.
Then, Li Cheng Lian led the five griffin beasts to rapidly descend above the Purple Jade Palace.
When there were still several hundred metres from the palace, they were immediately discovered by the Shadow Pavilion experts guarding Purple Jade Mountain.
“Who comes? State the password.”
Li Cheng Lian and the others made no response.
“Assassins, assassins!”
Instantly, several spirit masters simultaneously issued warnings!
At the same time, several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors drilled out from every corner of Purple Jade Mountain, madly surging towards the palace at the summit of Purple Jade Mountain.
“Bang bang bang……”
Thick steel plates rose from the Purple Jade Palace’s doors and windows.
Instantly, the entire Purple Jade Palace was wrapped tightly in thick steel, as impregnable as walls of bronze and iron.
“Assassins, assassins……”
Throughout the royal palace, the sound of horns and piercing gongs rang out.
Then, countless imperial guards surged up like tidal waves.
……
The moment Li Cheng Lian and the other twenty-two assassins landed, they were surrounded by several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors.
The leader of the Shadow Pavilion warriors protecting the king was named Gao Fu!
Gao Yin and Gao Yu were known as the Great Lord Gao and the Little Lord Gao, the leaders of the Fury Wave Kingdom’s eunuchs.
And Gao Fu held no position whatsoever. His sole mission was to protect the king. He never left the king’s side by a single step, and never showed his face, just like an invisible person.
Suo Lun knew of this person, but had also never seen him!
Gao Fu’s gaze fell upon Li Cheng Lian, his eyes somewhat dull, and he asked, “Li Cheng Lian?”
“You have mistaken me for someone else.” What Li Cheng Lian emitted was actually a woman’s voice, and it was a complete disguise.
This disguise of his was truly going all out. In order to hide his identity and not expose Zhi Li, he had actually disguised himself as a woman.
Gao Fu did not continue to press the question, but merely said indifferently, “Kill!”
Instantly, several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors madly charged forward.
And Gao Fu directly sought out Li Cheng Lian to fight!
This was a very bizarre battle, extremely quiet and extremely fast.
The reason it was quiet was because there were no shouts, no screams of pain, not even the whistling sounds of weapons being swung.
The reason it was fast was because every movement was extremely simple, straightforward and direct, without any complexity. Yet it was fast to the extreme, so fast that the naked eye could not see clearly.
Dragon warriors in this world were precious, because to a certain extent the monopoly of martial arts meant that a noble family like Tian Shui City, when all added together, only had three dragon warriors in total. Suo Long, Suo Han Yi, and Yan Nu!
But dragon warriors in this world were also quite worthless.
For example, the Black Ice Mansion, the Young Lord’s residence, the Shadow Pavilion, the military, the royal palace.
Each of these places had no fewer than a hundred dragon warriors!
As for the four secret continents and the Divine Dragon Sacred Hall, their martial power need not even be mentioned, holding a complete monopoly position.
The Shadow Pavilion, as the secret organisation that King Zhi Bian alone trusted, in the dozen or so years since its establishment, had collected and cultivated far more than a hundred dragon warrior level experts!
But just protecting Suo Lun alone, who knew how many had died.
In this great decisive battle with Zhi Li, another batch had died. And to save Zhi Ning and her child, another batch had been sent out.
Now the dragon warrior level experts the Shadow Pavilion had left to protect the king numbered only less than a small portion, a mere thirty to forty people.
Because who would have thought that Zhi Li would be mad enough to assassinate the king.
In everyone’s view, assassinating the king was not only useless, but a path to death.
Now, several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors battling the twenty-two assassins led by Li Cheng Lian were completely at a disadvantage!
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh……”
These twenty-two top experts from the Hidden Continent and Demon Continent struck with incomparable terror.
Their weapons, every part of their bodies, were covered in strange poison!
When these experts slashed with their blades, even if they did not hit, as long as you smelled a strange odour, you were already poisoned.
And if the Shadow Pavilion warriors stabbed these assassins with their weapons it was still alright, but if they struck with their palms, the moment they touched the opponent’s clothes, their entire hand would rot and melt, and their entire body would be paralysed.
The strange poisons of the Demon Continent were impossible to guard against!
In order to support Zhi Li, the Hidden Continent had already paid a tremendous price. They were unwilling to let the chips they had invested go to waste, so even for something as mad as assassinating the king, they staked everything on a single throw and accompanied Zhi Li in this mad gamble.
Furthermore, even if the matter was exposed, it was Zhi Li who would die. What could Suo Lun do to the Hidden Continent and Demon Continent?
In silence and without a sound!
These twenty-two assassins, like ghosts and demons, madly reaped the lives of the Shadow Pavilion warriors.
Yet Gao Fu actually fought Li Cheng Lian to a standstill!
This man, although he never showed his face and never participated in political affairs, was an absolute martial arts fanatic.
Li Cheng Lian was extremely astonished. This Gao Fu’s martial arts actually far exceeded the Little Lord Gao Gao Yu’s.
In the darkness, devils danced wildly!
In less than a few minutes, several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors had almost all fallen dead to the ground.
And of the expert assassins Li Cheng Lian brought, only five had died and seven were wounded.
And at this moment, countless imperial guards were surging up Purple Jade Mountain like tidal waves.
“Quick, all together, kill Gao Fu!” Li Cheng Lian said.
Instantly, over a dozen top experts stepped forward to surround and kill Gao Fu.
“Puff stab, puff stab, puff stab……”
Over a dozen swords all stabbed into Gao Fu’s body.
Gao Fu stopped, looked at Li Cheng Lian quietly and said, “In single combat, you might not necessarily win against me.”
Li Cheng Lian said, “Right. Gao Yin is the number one expert of the royal palace. It is hard to say clearly which of us two is second.”
At this moment, he was no longer using a woman’s voice.
Gao Fu said, “We eunuchs are the royal family’s servants. We participate in the struggles between masters, but taking action to kill a master is an offence against heavenly law. Back then with Zhi Lan, neither I, the Great Lord, nor the Little Lord took action.”
“I did not wish to either……” Li Cheng Lian said.
“Puff stab……” The dozen or so swords fiercely tore!
Instantly, Gao Fu’s body was directly torn into several dozen pieces, dying a death by dismemberment.
This martial arts grandmaster of the Fury Wave Kingdom, almost no one knew his name. Even in death he left behind no reputation whatsoever.
This martial arts grandmaster, from beginning to end, was extremely quiet.
From discovering the assassins to finally being killed, his voice did not rise by half a degree.
……
Li Cheng Lian came to the Purple Jade Palace’s great door and reached out to touch it.
“Steel plate, three inches thick!”
A Demon Continent expert behind him stepped forward and took out a dark blue dagger.
That’s right, a dagger, about seven inches long.
A dragon gold dagger, and covered in strange poison!
“Puff stab……” This dragon gold dagger easily stabbed into the thick steel door, then began to cut.
One and a half minutes later!
“Bang!” A tremendous sound rang out, and the Purple Jade Palace’s great door was cut open with a massive hole.
And at the same time, countless imperial guards had already charged to the mountain summit and began fighting Li Cheng Lian’s assassins!
The experts of the Demon Continent, and the experts of the Hidden Continent as well, their martial arts were rapidly elevated through evil arts and drugs, so their foundations were unstable.
In battle, they were incomparably terrifying and sharp, killing people like lightning.
Just now, the several hundred Shadow Pavilion warriors had been killed clean in a few minutes.
But these people feared most large-scale armies. Their foundations were unstable, and their dragon power was easily exhausted. And once their dragon power was exhausted, and they were entangled by a large-scale army, they would certainly die!
“Quick, enter the Purple Jade Palace!” Li Cheng Lian said.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh……” Instantly, the remaining dozen or so assassins passed through the door hole and lightning-charged into the Purple Jade Palace!
……
At this moment, on the bed in the centre of the palace, lay an emaciated old man.
Surrounding gauze curtains hung all around, making it not very clear to see.
“This is the king?” Li Cheng Lian was horrified?
Although King Zhi Bian was not exceptionally tall and robust, he had a straight and tall figure, about 177 centimetres.
But** this emaciated and hunched old man was so thin and small, almost reduced to a dried human husk.
After hesitating for half a second, Li Cheng Lian drew out another sword.
A sword specially used to assassinate the king, called the Embroidery Needle, over a foot long, as thin and fine as a needle. After stabbing into a human body, it left almost no wound.
Walking to the bedside, he aimed at** the old man’s heart and stabbed fiercely.
“Puff stab……” Without the slightest obstruction, he directly pierced through the other party’s heart.
……
At the same time, inside the Zhi Du Sacred Hall!
Fu Ling Xi was playing chess with Zhi Li when she suddenly heard the commotion from the distance, and immediately rushed to the top of the castle.
It was the direction of the royal palace, with alarms ringing out and firelight shooting to the sky!
Someone was going to assassinate King Zhi Bian!
Instantly, Fu Ling Xi’s body convulsed, completely unable to believe her eyes.
Was Zhi Li mad? He actually went to assassinate the king?
Any person, even with the slightest bit of reason, would not do such a foolish thing as assassinating the king.
Fu Ling Xi immediately rushed back into the castle, and said to Zhi Li in a hissing voice, “You are mad, you are completely mad, to actually do something like assassinating the king? Even if you kill the king a hundred times over, you will not ascend the throne.”
How could Zhi Li not know this point in his heart, but he already had no other choice. Tu Ling Tuo could surrender to Suo Lun at any moment, and could tell Suo Lun about the demon bloodline in his body at any moment.
So, he, Zhi Li, was already at the end of his rope, and had chosen this path of nine deaths and one life of assassinating the king.
After killing the king, he firmly refused to acknowledge that he had any relation to this matter, instead calling it Suo Lun’s scheme.
He would proclaim that the king had long been dead, and after Suo Lun won, he specifically staged a play of assassinating the king, then pinned the blame on Zhi Li’s head, all for the purpose of completely putting him, Zhi Li, to death.
Of course, this reason was extremely absurd.
But in this world, calling a deer a horse and reversing black and white were too numerous to count!
Of course, most important of all, Zhi Li still had a hostage in his hands, Suo Lun’s biological son.
At that time, even if Suo Lun knew that he, Zhi Li, carried demon blood, he would absolutely not dare to publicise it!
Then Zhi Li would use the ten thousand plus troops he had in hand, plus the civil and military ministers of the royal capital, to forcibly ascend the throne.
Most important of all, he wanted to obtain the support of the Divine Dragon Sacred Hall.
If the High Sacrificer Ge Li and the Grand Inquisitor Luo Ge were willing to recognise his kingship, then this matter would be half successful.
Moreover, with Suo Lun’s son in his grasp, Suo Lun would not dare to use military force to attack the royal capital.
After forcibly ascending the throne, as long as he dragged things out for a month or two, the most dangerous time would have passed, and the nobles and nobility of the world would once again stand in line one after another.
After all, all the nobles and nobility looked upon Suo Lun with displeasure.
“Come, take me to see Zhi Ning and her child. It is time I got close with my nephew.” Zhi Li said, “Madam Fu Ling Xi, you are the child’s grandmother. Will you come too?”
Zhi Li grinned hideously, following a Sacred Hall acolyte towards the high tower where Zhi Ning and her child were imprisoned. He was finally about to trample upon the bottom line of human nature.