Chapter 4: Yan Chuan (1)

Chapter Two: Yan Chuan

"Kill!"

"Second Brother! You killed Second Brother, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Anyone who blocks me dies—kill, kill, kill!"

Outside the bamboo cottage, cries for blood shook the sky. Blood spilled madly, mud splashed everywhere, bodies lay scattered across the ground in all directions. The silver-armored soldiers had suffered heavy losses, yet still they clung to the bamboo cottage with their lives.

Huo Guang and the commander in black armor were both blinded by rage, their wounds making their battle ever more ferocious.

The servants outside the bamboo cottage trembled all over, while the middle-aged eunuch wore an anxious expression.

Just then, a ray of sunlight broke through the sky, dispelling the surrounding darkness in an instant. Everyone felt a sudden peace descend upon their hearts—the darkest hour before dawn had finally passed.

With a creak, the door to the bamboo cottage opened.

"Ah!"

The middle-aged eunuch immediately turned his head.

A pale-faced youth dressed in imperial yellow robes, frail to the eye, walked out slowly.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, please hide at once, don't let the enemy see you!" the eunuch cried out in panic.

The youth gave him a faint glance, paying him no mind, instead focusing on the bloody carnage before him.

"That bastard has come out, quick, let's kill him together!" an officer in black armor exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

At his shout, all eyes turned.

"Your Highness, run!" the silver-armored soldiers called out anxiously.

"Kill!"

The black-armored troops grew even more savage.

"Your Highness, let this old servant escort you away! This place is surrounded by a formation laid by the Grand Worshipper of Great Zheng. Once we break through, you'll be safe—our Royal Guard awaits outside!" The eunuch rushed forward, face filled with worry.

But the expected panic did not appear on the youth’s face. He looked at the crowd, his eyes full of unfamiliarity, yet this did not hinder his assessment of the situation.

"Formation?" he murmured calmly.

"Your Highness, if we don't leave now, it will be too late!" the eunuch cried out in desperation.

The youth shook his head, then turned and swept his gaze across the surroundings. His eyes narrowed, and in a moment, he locked onto a spot in the bamboo grove. Staring intently in that direction, his expression turned icy cold.

Deep within the bamboo grove, two men stood. One wore luxurious robes, his gaze dark and triumphant as he watched the cottage. The other was an ugly old man dressed in Daoist robes.

Before the old priest stood a small flag, and pale yellow light flowed from his palms into it, his eyes filled with self-satisfaction.

"Zhao Tiande, without you, we could never have found this place! The Emperor of Yan would never imagine that the Zhao family of Yan would want to slaughter that bastard," the old Daoist said with an evil smile.

"The Emperor of Yan? He wishes nothing more than for that bastard to die sooner. After all, his identity is too special, and his parents are long dead," Zhao Tiande replied with a cold laugh.

"This bastard’s origins are strange—if I were the Emperor, I’d grant him death as well. But he's lived here for seven years, and the Emperor has found no excuse to kill him. The Emperor isn’t in a hurry, but your Zhao family is? Ha ha ha!" the old Daoist cackled wickedly.

Zhao Tiande glanced at Master Ma and smiled lightly. "Rest assured, when my Zhao family controls the Kingdom of Yan, every promise we made will be kept. Not a single inch of land in the sixteen cities of southern Yan will be denied to you!"

"Ha ha ha, Zhao Tiande, as the eldest son of the Zhao family, your word stands for the whole clan. I trust you!" Master Ma replied with a sinister smile.

For Master Ma, whether Zhao Tiande kept his word was of no importance—the only thing that mattered was that the Kingdom of Yan would grow ever more chaotic.