Chapter 235 - 216: Assassination
Chen Ming had an agreement with Zhou Yilan that as soon as the people from the Nine Nether Sect sought her out, she would immediately send someone to inform him...
However, in this world, things often don’t go as planned.
He didn’t panic and asked in a deep voice, "What do they want you to do?"
Deng Wei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still trembling in his voice, "They... they want me to find a way to remove the Dragon Sealing Needle from one of the First Grade prisoners just after noon."
Yesterday, he had already followed Chen Ming’s instructions and given the map of the Six Gates and the prison to the people of the Nine Nether Sect.
Chen Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly; these people of the Nine Nether Sect were truly full of deep intrigue, already having planted a First Grade in the prison ahead of time.
He asked, "Which one?"
"The one with the surname Gan."
Currently, in the prison, there are two people with First Grade Cultivation, one surnamed Gan and the other surnamed Zhang.
Chen Ming quickly recalled the information on the First Grade individual with the surname Gan; this person had killed a core member of an aristocratic family and was suspected of deliberately getting caught to seek refuge in the prison.
According to past cases from the Six Gates, killing someone from an aristocratic family rarely resulted in a death sentence, at most exile.
This person’s claim of seeking refuge was false; in reality, he was preparing to cooperate from inside the prison with the Nine Nether Sect for an inside-outside collaboration!
Chen Ming asked again, "What time is it now?"
"Almost... there’s still about a quarter of an hour left."
A quarter of an hour is roughly fifteen minutes.
Time was very tight.
At this moment, a sharp whistle sound came from outside, heard even through an iron door. The whistle was three long and one short, repeatedly.
Deng Wei said tremblingly, "L... Lord... they... they’re attacking... attacking us..."
The whistle of three long and one short indicated that enemies had breached!
This prison is located at the back of the Six Gates Government Office, and in the five hundred years since the founding of the Great Jin, it’s the first time someone has sounded such a whistle in the prison.
They came so quickly!
Chen Ming roughly judged the position of the whistler from the whistle sound, right at the entrance to the second level. It was unclear how they had broken in.
Suddenly, the whistle abruptly stopped, the fate of the whistler was predictable.
Lei Chun and others, guarding outside, patted the door in a somewhat anxious voice, "Lord, there’s a situation."
Such a situation, they’ve neither encountered nor even heard of before.
The prison being breached, could the whole government office have fallen?
With so many experts at the Six Gates, could they all have been killed?
It wasn’t surprising they were panicked.
"Don’t panic."
Chen Ming opened the door, surveying the four people before him. From their expressions, he couldn’t discern any flaws, "Prepare to meet the enemy."
After speaking, he glanced at the Third Grade prisoner shrinking in the corner, who stayed silent, trying to minimize his presence, hoping they wouldn’t notice him.
Unfortunately, his hope was destined to fail.
Chen Ming drew his sword, coldly saying, "Tough luck for you."
"Lord—"
The Third Grade prisoner’s face changed dramatically, just as he cried for mercy, his throat was slit by a swift sword strike, dying on the spot.
[You killed an LV75 enemy, gained 300,000 Experience Points.]
In this life-and-death moment, he could no longer care about anything else, naturally using every possible means to enhance his strength.
With a fierce expression, he issued an order, "Go guard the front, I will finish off these prisoners to prevent future troubles."
His subordinates, intimidated by his killing intent, dared not disobey and went to support the prison guards at the front.
...
[You killed an LV76 enemy, gained 320,000 Experience Points.]
[You killed an LV78 enemy, gained 360,000 Experience Points.]
[...]
Chen Ming slaughtered his way through, amid the curses of those Third Grade prisoners, killing nine Third Grade prisoners in total.
Pity these Third Grade experts, most of whom shouldn’t have died. They just happened to encounter this situation and were killed by Chen Ming as a sacrifice.
Of course, the criminals imprisoned by the Six Gates definitely deserved to die. The law of the Great Jin might not sentence them to death, but it didn’t mean they didn’t deserve to die.
Chen Ming finished off the last person, then saw his subordinates and a group of prison guards retreating step by step, retreating to his side.
"Lord, they’re two Third Grade experts. We’re no match for them!"
Zhang Dingce had one arm injured, with a look of despair on his face.
The others weren’t in much better shape; facing two Third Grade experts, they couldn’t hold them off and had no choice but to seek his help.
At this time, the two men in the Six Gates official uniforms also stopped, looking at Chen Ming with a somewhat strange expression, "Were you the one who killed those prisoners? Kid, you’re really ruthless!"
Originally, they were ordered to come here to release the prisoners and create chaos, but as they came along, they found all the prisoners in the cells had been killed.
Chen Ming asked his subordinates, "Are these the only two people?"
Lei Chun replied, "We only saw these two people."
Something’s not right.
Zhou Yilan mentioned that the Nine Nether Sect should have at least three First-Grade members. Even if one was hiding in the prison beforehand, where did the other two First-Grade members go?
...
At the Six Gates Government Office, Zhou Yilan arrived at the pavilion where Ruan Caixiong was, accompanied by a guard.
The two guards recognized her and let her pass directly.
The guard straightened his back as he entered the pavilion and smiled, "Thanks to Junior Sister, I was able to come here smoothly."
Zhou Yilan kept a stern face, "I’ve already done what you asked of me. I hope you will keep your promise and spare Ruan Lang."
The man leisurely replied, "Junior Sister, you truly are devoted to your husband. But if Ruan Caixiong becomes a demon sect villain everyone wants to attack, do you think he’d blame you?"
Zhou Yilan was both shocked and furious, "You... you better not slander him like this..."
The man chuckled, "Oh, my dear Junior Sister, don’t you see? The reason he’s in such a situation is all because of you!
"You two were never meant to be together in this world. Insisting on marriage not only harmed yourself but also him. Back then, your talents surpassed the three of us, yet you only had eyes for romance, and now we’ve left you far behind. If you hadn’t neglected your training all these years, would you be where you are today?"
Zhou Yilan’s face grew paler, her voice trembling, "Senior Brother... where is he?"
"Why don’t you guess?" The man gleefully watched her reaction, "Speaking of that, it was you who found that Lifebound Object for Senior Brother, the Mirage Pearl. With that Lifebound Object, Senior Brother can change into anything. By now, he should have turned into Ruan Caixiong and killed Hong Yuze."
"You—"
Zhou Yilan felt her limbs grow cold, as if plunged into an icy cave.
If Senior Brother transformed into "Ruan Caixiong" and murdered Hong Yuze in broad daylight, her husband wouldn’t be able to prove his innocence no matter what he did.
Committing murder against a Six Gates First-Grade Governor, not even the Ruan Family could save him.
What’s more, her husband had already fallen out with the Ruan Family.
After that, there’d be no place for him in the world.
The man suddenly shouted, "Zhou Yilan, have you forgotten? If not for Hong Yuze shielding that Zhu character, would our master have died with unresolved grievances? He is our enemy. You swore back then to kill that man one day to avenge our master. Have you forgotten all that?"
"Now Senior Brother is going to kill him, yet you look like you’ve lost your father. If our master saw you like this from beyond the grave, he’d die of rage all over again!"
Zhou Yilan screamed, "Stop talking about it!" at the mention of her late father.
"Stop it—" Her emotions collapsed, and with that shout, it seemed like all her strength had drained from her. She leaned weakly against the wall, tears streaming down her face.
At that moment, the man finally found what he was looking for, clutched it tightly, and then turned to Zhou Yilan, saying, "Junior Sister, did you know? I’ve hated you all these years.
"Back then, it was you who dragged the three of us into cultivating that Demon Skill, onto this path of no return. But ever since you met Ruan Caixiong, it was like you’d become a different person, only wanting to live in harmony with him, and you stopped caring about us.
"Now it’s come to this, your husband is just like us, deemed a demon sect villain by everyone.
"Junior Sister, you can’t abandon us and live happily on your own. Hahaha..."
Zhou Yilan closed her eyes in anguish at the sound of his maniacal laughter.
She recalled that thunderous and lightning-filled night when she discovered the ancestral inheritance her father mentioned on his deathbed. Inside was the "Nine Nether Great Technique," and she resolutely dragged her three Senior Brothers into cultivating it, setting foot on a path of no return.
...
......
"Nine Nether Sect?"
Hong Yuze felt a headache just hearing that name, knowing it meant enormous trouble. He really didn’t want to get involved in such dangerous affairs.
At over eighty years old, he just wished to spend his remaining years peacefully and retire to his hometown at ninety to enjoy a well-earned retirement.
What’s merit, what’s Longevity Sect, what’s Nine Nether Sect—all this, he wanted no part of.
However, with Lord Zhong in seclusion and the other two highly ambitious colleagues off to Ten Thousand Thunder City’s Secret Realm in search of opportunities to unlock the Divine Treasure, he had no choice.
Standing before him was a disciple of the Celestial Dao Alliance, so he couldn’t refuse and had to muster the courage to say, "The Six Gates are full of experts. As long as we strengthen our defenses, that Nine Nether Sect wouldn’t dare to invade."
As he was speaking, someone suddenly barged in; it was Ruan Caixiong.
Hong Yuze looked as if he’d seen a savior, "Lord Ruan, you’ve come at the perfect time—"
Ruan Caixiong interrupted him, "Lord Hong, there’s been an incident!"
"You know already?"
Hong Yuze was somewhat surprised. Ruan Caixiong was notorious for not paying attention, so if even he was aware, it must indeed be true.
After several centuries, the disciples of the Nine Nether Sect had resurfaced.
He made a quick decision, "This matter needs to be reported to Lord Zhong immediately for him to decide!"
"Lord Hong, listen to me first."
Ruan Caixiong moved forward swiftly and pulled him aside.
"Lord Ruan—"
Suddenly Hong Yuze felt a chill in his chest; he had been ambushed!
A short sword was thrust into his chest.
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.
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