Seeing the arrows flying, Tu Lingduo shrieked, “Assassins!”
Then she violently shoved Tu Liyang aside, helping her husband dodge the first arrow. Of course, this was also part of the act.
But Fen Mo was a born divine archer, and his signature skill was the Nineteen Linked Arrows.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
The remaining dozen or so arrows shot towards Tu Liyang in mid-air, connecting into a single line.
The trusted warriors of the Tu Li family present felt their livers and gallbladders shatter. They rushed towards Tu Liyang like madmen. Unable to block the incoming arrows with blades, they used their own bodies to shield him.
“Thud, thud, thud…”
One after another, the trusted warriors of the Tu Li family fell, arrows embedded in their bodies.
Tu Lingduo felt a surge of shock in her heart. The great houses and traditional nobility truly were different.
These great houses, most having existed for over a century, had family warriors who had served their lords for generations. This loyalty was completely ingrained in their bones. At critical moments, they truly sacrificed their lives to save their masters.
As for the Tu Ling family, though currently hailed as the foremost military family of the Nulang Kingdom with influence far surpassing the Tu Li family, Tu Lingduo dared not think whether they had warriors willing to die protecting their lord.
Over a dozen trusted warriors of the Tu Li family threw themselves forward one after another, desperately shielding Tu Liyang from the arrows.
But Fen Mo’s archery was too terrifying. The Nineteen Linked Arrows never paused for an instant, striking like lightning.
In the blink of an eye, no one remained who could shield Tu Liyang, and he himself seemed stunned, losing all reaction. In truth, he had already lost his senses, so of course he could not dodge.
“Whoosh…”
A fatal arrow shot violently towards Tu Liyang’s head.
“Husband…” Tu Lingduo cried out in alarm, then threw herself fiercely onto Tu Liyang’s body.
“Thud…” An arrow pierced deeply into Tu Lingduo’s shoulder and back, passing straight through her body.
Blood sprayed forth with a cry of pain.
“Madam…” The distant Tu Li family warriors, witnessing this scene, felt profound shock in their hearts.
Miss Tu Lingduo was the daughter of a ducal mansion, beautiful as a flower, of noble status. Her marriage to Tu Liyang was truly like flowers stuck in cow dung. The Tu Li family warriors had all felt that this madam surely harboured no true feelings for the young master, and perhaps she even cuckolded him in private.
But now, seeing Madam take an arrow for Young Master Tu Liyang, the Tu Li family warriors present felt their hearts shaken, tears welling in their eyes.
Instantly, their reverence for Madam Tu Lingduo rose to the utmost!
Of course, this was still Tu Lingduo’s self-inflicted injury ruse!
Because plans could not keep pace with changes. Originally, Tu Liyang was not meant to be killed so quickly.
According to the original plan, Tu Lingduo would first commit adultery with Zhili and become pregnant. Then she would either grit her teeth and sleep with Tu Liyang once, or simply get him drunk and drugged, find another woman to sleep with him, and pretend the next morning that it had been her.
Thus, Tu Liyang would certainly believe the child was his.
Then Zhili would announce the death of Tu Liwen, the City Lord of Luanyang, and enfeoff Tu Liyang as the new Earl of Luanyang, City Lord of Luanyang.
Next, Zhili would help Tu Liyang eliminate dissent in Luanyang City, killing all opponents and all future competitors for the position of city lord cleanly.
Finally, after Tu Lingduo gave birth to the child, Tu Liyang would be killed. Thus Zhili and Tu Lingduo’s son would smoothly inherit the position of City Lord of Luanyang, and Tu Lingduo, as the mother of the city lord, would rightfully take control of Luanyang City’s power.
Of course, what if Tu Lingduo gave birth to a daughter?
That was simple. Tu Lingduo would find two or three maidservants to sleep with Zhili together, all becoming pregnant. In the end, surely one would bear a son. At that time, they need only kill the woman who bore the son and secretly switch the child.
According to the original plan, everything would flow smoothly and be foolproof.
But they had not expected that due to the sabotage of a traitor within the Young Lord’s mansion, Tu Liyang would discover the affair between Tu Lingduo and Zhili ahead of time.
That was still manageable. At worst, he could remain a walking corpse.
But more critically, that traitor had actually escaped from the Young Lord’s mansion. Once she reached Tianshui City, this matter would be exposed.
At that time, the scandal of Zhili’s adultery with Tu Lingduo and his plot to murder Tu Liyang would spread throughout the world, and the great houses of the realm would all turn away in disloyalty.
This was entirely different from his attempted molestation of Gui Qinshao. That time, Gui Xingfu had voluntarily offered his daughter.
So there was no other way. They could only murder Tu Liyang ahead of schedule and frame Suo Lun.
By then, when Suo Lun exposed Zhili and Tu Lingduo’s adultery and their plot to kill Tu Liyang, no one would believe him.
The people of the world would only think that Suo Lun, the thief, was crying “thief.” Tu Liyang was clearly killed by your subordinate Fen Mo, witnessed by many eyes.
However, killing Tu Liyang now made it difficult for Tu Lingduo to rightfully seize control of Luanyang City’s power.
Therefore, she had to execute the self-inflicted injury ruse to win people’s hearts.
Thus, Tu Lingduo staged a scene of taking an arrow for her husband, her shoulder and back pierced straight through by the arrow.
Indeed, the effect was perfect to the extreme. The Tu Li family warriors nearly went mad, shouting, “Protect the Madam! Protect the Young Master!”
Then, several hundred knights and warriors charged madly towards Tu Liyang and Tu Lingduo.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Fen Mo unleashed another volley of linked arrows.
And this time, no one could help Tu Liyang block the arrows anymore.
“Thud, thud, thud…”
Three arrows all struck Tu Liyang’s abdomen.
“No…” Tu Lingduo let out a mournful cry, pretending to faint, but her heart suddenly relaxed.
It was finally done. Tu Liyang was finally dead.
In the agreement with Fen Mo, the arrows shot at Tu Liyang were all coated with lethal poison. Death was instantaneous upon being struck.
While pretending to be unconscious, Tu Lingduo’s hand reached towards Tu Liyang’s neck artery. Indeed, there was no pulse.
…
“Hahaha…”
A burst of loud laughter. Fen Mo led a group of warriors charging out from Black Crow Valley. Every one of them wore cloaks and black masks over their faces.
Though there were only thirty-some men, each was a martial arts expert capable of facing ten opponents alone.
The warrior commander of Luanyang City gazed mournfully at the Tu Liyang couple fallen in pools of blood, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Who are you?”
“Who we are is none of your concern,” Fen Mo said. “Your master was too arrogant, completely seeking his own death.”
“You need not say it. I know you are Suo Lun’s men,” the Luanyang City warrior commander said fiercely. “Suo Lun dares to murder a great house of the kingdom in defiance of all under heaven. Is he not afraid of becoming the public enemy of the realm?”
“You think too much,” Fen Mo sneered coldly.
Then he looked at Tu Lingduo on the carriage and said, “This woman is still alive, and her figure is not bad. Capture her and bring her back for the master.”
“Yes!” The warriors behind him answered in unison.
Immediately, several hundred warriors drew their blades and rushed forward to seize Tu Lingduo.
This fit even better with everyone’s imagination of Suo Lun. Male enemies were all killed, female enemies were all captured to be bedded.
Not only did you murder our Young Master, but you also want to abduct our Young Madam? The Tu Li family warrior commander’s eyes nearly split with rage, his voice hoarse as he shouted, “Protect the Madam to the death!”
Then, a group of people charged madly forward to attack.
The two forces clashed fiercely, but Fen Mo led experts who pushed the Luanyang City warriors back step by step.
However, the Luanyang City warriors feared not death, fighting desperately to protect Tu Lingduo.
At this moment, Tu Lingduo stirred awake. Seeing herself surrounded and protected by the Tu Li family warriors, she immediately cried out mournfully, “Where is my husband? Go save him quickly!”
The Tu Li family warrior commander wept, “Young Madam, the Young Master is already dead.”
“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. Go save him quickly,” Tu Lingduo wailed.
Then she clutched her stomach and said, “Be careful, be careful of the baby in my belly.”
At these words, the Tu Li family warrior commander trembled, “Young Madam is with child?”
Tu Lingduo nodded through her tears.
Immediately, the Tu Li family warrior commander declared, “Protect the Madam to the death and break out of the encirclement. Team One, Team Two, follow me to cover the rear. The remaining Team Three, Team Four, escort the Madam out and flee back to the royal capital!”
Then, the Tu Li family warriors immediately changed formation.
The warrior commander led the strongest two hundred men to cover the rear, while another two hundred protected Tu Lingduo, desperately fleeing back to the royal capital.
“Two hundred years of the Tu Li family nurturing warriors, all for today’s bloody loyalty. Kill!!” With a single command from the Tu Li family warrior commander, two hundred warriors charged at Fen Mo’s assassin squad like madmen, completely prepared to die, seeking mutual destruction.
Under the charge of these two hundred death soldiers who feared not death, Fen Mo’s assassin squad was actually intercepted alive, suddenly falling into brief disadvantage.
Then, the other two hundred Tu Li family warriors mounted their warhorses and escorted Tu Lingduo, charging out of Black Crow Valley at full speed.
“Brothers, wait for us. Once we return to the royal capital, we will expose Suo Lun’s evil deeds to the world. One day, we shall surely accompany His Highness Zhili’s army of thousands upon thousands in attacking Tianshui City, exterminating the Suo clan completely, and avenging you!” The fleeing Tu Li family warriors, hearing the dying cries of their fallen brothers behind them, wept hot tears and roared hoarsely.
…
A frenzied melee, a frenzied slaughter.
The two hundred Tu Li family warriors left behind to cover the rear, their initial mutual destruction tactics indeed gave a fright, successfully intimidating Fen Mo’s assassination squad.
But this mutual destruction approach quickly exhausted their dragon power, and after all, the disparity in strength between the two sides was too great.
Barely a quarter of an hour later, their dragon power was depleted.
Then… it became a one-sided massacre!
“Slash, slash, slash, slash…”
The two hundred Tu Li family warriors died one after another.
The entire Black Crow Valley was completely dyed red with blood.
Many Tu Li family warriors, before dying, cast one final glance behind them.
The other two hundred brothers had already escorted Young Madam Tu Lingduo to safety, and the Young Madam was already with child in her belly. The Tu Li family would have descendants. They had died for a worthy cause, died with honour.
A quarter of an hour later, the two hundred Tu Li family warriors covering the rear were slaughtered cleanly, leaving only the warrior commander.
Fen Mo stepped forward and said, “You are brave. What is your name?”
“Tu Li Men,” the family warrior commander said.
Fen Mo sighed, “Was it worth it?”
“Of course it was worth it,” Warrior Commander Tu Li Men said. “I have served the Tu Li family for generations. To die for my lord now is my honour. If I am not mistaken, you should be Fen Mo?”
Fen Mo started, then removed his face mask and said, “How did you recognise me?”
Warrior Commander Tu Li Men said, “The Nineteen Linked Arrows, the born divine archer, the highest dragon archer under Suo Lun’s command. It is not difficult to guess.”
Fen Mo said, “It seems I am rather famous!”
Tu Li Men said coldly, “Fen Mo, your lord acts against the will of heaven, daring to assassinate a great house of the kingdom over a private grudge. This is practically violating the laws of heaven. Just you wait. Soon there will be a scene of the great houses of the world besieging the Suo clan. Your Suo clan’s destruction is imminent. Tianshui City’s century-old foundation will be destroyed by his hand.”
Fen Mo looked for a while, then shrugged his shoulders and said, “But the one who assassinated Tu Liyang was not Suo Lun.”
Tu Li Men started, then sneered coldly, “To hide this from a dying man like me? How laughable!”
Fen Mo waved his hand, and immediately the assassins behind him all lifted their face masks.
Tu Li Men started, for several of the warriors looked terribly familiar. There were trusted warriors of the Tu Ling family, and also eunuch experts from His Highness Zhili’s Young Lord mansion.
And standing behind Fen Mo, was that not Li Zhu, Zhili’s trusted eunuch?
It truly pained him. His ribs had been broken by Zhili’s kick, yet he still had to come out and play assassin. But there was no other way. This matter was too secretive. They had to use the most loyal and reliable people.
Warrior Commander Tu Li Men started, as if struck by lightning, completely unable to believe his eyes, his voice trembling, “Wha, what is going on?”
Fen Mo said, “Isn’t it obvious? The one who assassinated your Young Master is the very Young Madam Tu Lingduo whom you fought desperately to protect.”
Tu Li Men felt his liver and gallbladder shatter. The Madam Tu Lingduo who had just performed so heroically, sacrificing her life to take an arrow for her husband Tu Liyang, was actually so vicious? She was actually the mastermind manipulating this assassination?
Tu Li Men shook his head desperately, “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it… Argh… Argh…”
Then he let out a series of agonised roars.
Of course he believed it. The truth before his eyes left him no choice but to believe.
For the sake of this vicious woman, he had actually led two hundred loyal family warriors to cover the rear. He had thought he died for a worthy cause, but in fact he had been buried alongside this woman’s conspiracy.
It was clear that after this vicious woman returned to the royal capital, she would direct all accusations at Suo Lun.
Openly assassinating a great house of the kingdom over private resentment was simply outrageous!
Such behaviour would strike fear and unease into the great houses of the world. If Suo Lun could assassinate Tu Liyang today, he could assassinate other great houses tomorrow.
Such conduct would certainly provoke public outrage throughout the world, uniting all in shared hatred. Then Zhili leading the great houses of the world to besiege Suo Lun, with an army of millions attacking the Southeast Province, would flow smoothly.
What a scheme, what a vicious scheme!
“You will not die well, none of you will die well! The Tu Ling family will not die well! Zhili will not die well!” Warrior Commander Tu Li Men roared desperately.
Fen Mo took out a dagger, flickering with a deep blue light. Clearly it was coated with lethal poison.
“Very painful, isn’t it? Very agonising,” Fen Mo said. “You should thank me. Knowing these secrets before dying, you will not be a confused ghost.”
Then Fen Mo’s dagger plunged fiercely into Tu Li Men’s heart.
“Thud…”
Tu Li Men convulsed and twitched, then uttered meaningless sounds from his mouth, slowly collapsing.
“Alright, the matter is done,” Fen Mo said to Li Zhu and the others behind him. “You may return to report.”
Then Fen Mo hoisted Tu Liyang onto his shoulder and walked towards the edge of Black Crow Valley. Hundreds of metres below the cliff lay surging river waters, waves churning violently.
According to plan, he was to throw Tu Liyang down here, destroying the body and eliminating all traces.
However, Li Zhu and the others did not depart. Instead, they formed a semicircle, gradually surrounding him.
Fen Mo’s expression changed. “What is the meaning of this? What do you mean?”
Li Zhu said coldly, “My master and Madam Tu Lingduo both feel that Lord Fen Mo knows too much, and it is inconvenient for you to continue living in this world. So we must send you on your way, Lord Fen Mo!”
Fen Mo was horrified, first completely unable to believe it, his voice hoarse, “Tu Lingduo, she, she is my half-sister from a different mother?”
Li Zhu said, “You, a mere bastard, are fit to be her brother? Of course, these are not my words, but Madam Tu Lingduo’s own words.”
“Hahaha…” Fen Mo let out a mournful laugh. “Truly ruthless, truly ruthless… Tu Lingduo, you will not die well!”
Then, holding Tu Liyang, Fen Mo leapt fiercely from the cliff hundreds of metres high.
Li Zhu took out concealed weapons and fired them at Fen Mo’s back.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” Over a dozen poisoned needles all embedded themselves in Fen Mo’s back.
These were concealed weapons from the Demon Continent, coated with lethal poison. Death was instantaneous upon being struck!
Over a dozen poisoned needles, all entering Fen Mo’s body. Certain death!
Watching Fen Mo and Tu Liyang’s bodies fall continuously, finally crashing into the surging river waters and disappearing without a trace.
“Let’s go, return to report!” Li Zhu said.
Then he led the several dozen assassins, all departing.
…
A quarter of an hour later!
Fen Mo burst out of the water’s surface holding Tu Liyang, climbing onto the lush riverbank.
He quickly took out a bottle of medicinal liquid and poured it into Tu Liyang’s mouth.
Soon, Tu Liyang’s complexion returned to a rosy hue, his heartbeat and breathing restored.
Fen Mo hoisted him onto his back and rushed rapidly towards the nearest secret stronghold of Tianshui City.