Han Country Assassin, String Number Seven

After killing someone, Zhao Hongming panted like a wild bull.

Just now, he had used the final move of the Heaven and Earth Severing Slash, forcibly raising the power of that strike by burning a portion of his Qi and Blood.

By his estimate, that slash was roughly equivalent to Aperture Opening Fifth Rank cultivation.

Combined with the martial skill Eight Desolations Secret Travel, he had hidden in the shadows and struck without warning. The assassin had not even had a chance to react or fight back before being killed in a single slash.

As an assassin, this man had made so many preparations, only to be hacked to death by his own target the moment he stepped outside.

Among the assassins of the Six Kingdoms throughout history, he was probably the first to enjoy such a death.

At that moment, Zhao Hongming stood where he was as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

He knew this was the aftereffect of using the final move of the Heaven and Earth Severing Slash.

After using that move, his Qi and Blood had been forcefully stimulated and expended within a short time. If the body could not adapt in time, dizziness or even fainting would occur.

However, Zhao Hongming cultivated the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique, which focused on tempering the flesh. His physical constitution far surpassed that of ordinary people.

The moment he noticed the changes in his body, the Eternal Youth True Qi within him, along with the Eternal Youth True Intent he had just condensed, began circulating rapidly, constantly repairing the damage to his body.

Thus, after using the final move of the Heaven and Earth Severing Slash, Zhao Hongming felt only a little dizzy and suffered no real harm.

Had it been anyone else, after using it as violently as he had just done, they would already have collapsed unconscious.

He had tested this when he first mastered the martial skill.

Zhao Hongming lowered his head and looked at the corpse split in two on the ground.

Come to think of it, this was his first time killing someone.

At first, he had thought he would have to fight the other party bitterly. After all, the man was an experienced assassin.

He had not expected the actual fight to go even more smoothly than he had imagined, far simpler than expected.

I only came out casually tonight, yet I ran into something this explosive. This assassin wanted to harm me. If I hadn't killed him, I might have been the one to die.

The assassin's corpse had already returned to its original appearance. Suppressing his sensory discomfort, Zhao Hongming thoroughly searched the body, intending to turn around and flee.

But when he remembered there was another corpse inside the room, he doubled back.

They were dead already. Touching them a little would not be a problem.

Thus, Zhao Hongming searched Dai Gongzheng from head to toe as well.

The palace's defenses were strict. Although the fight just now had been brief, the commotion had not been small.

It would not be long before someone came to investigate. After searching both corpses, Zhao Hongming swiftly vanished into the night.

Not long after he left, a squad of palace guards hurried over.

When they saw the corpse split in half on the ground and Dai Gongzheng inside the room with his head separated from his body, their faces changed drastically.

"Quick, inform Commander Wan! Our chief is dead—his head has been taken off!"

The guards erupted in an uproar.

Wan Youqing, Commander of the Palace Guards and Commanding General of the Imperial Guards, rushed over with a group of subordinates as soon as he received the news.

His square, broad face was filled with severity as he asked his subordinates, "Have you found anything?"

Li Yongfa, General of the Left Imperial Guards, cupped his fists and said, "Reporting to the Commander, we are still investigating!"

Slap!

Wan Youqing struck Li Yongfa across the face.

Li Yongfa was sent flying by the blow, smashing hard into the wall behind him. His entire body went limp and collapsed.

A sweetness surged up his throat, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Wan Youqing flew into a rage. "What the hell are you all doing? The dignified General of the Right Imperial Guards had his head taken off in Memorial Palace. Are the patrols around here all blind?"

He then sneered. "His Majesty has only just ordered us to protect the palace's safety, and a General of the Right Guards is already dead. You people certainly know how to make me look good."

At those words, all the surrounding guards, regardless of rank, dropped to one knee. "Please punish us, Commander!"

Under such an atmosphere, Li Yongfa could not spare any attention for his injuries. He knelt alongside the others.

Wan Youqing swept his gaze over the crowd and said with imposing anger, "Someone tell me the results of the investigation!"

All the guards knew Wan Youqing was in the middle of his fury. No one wished to stroke the tiger's whiskers, and each lowered his head in silence.

One of the guards whispered, "A Can, didn't you find something? Hurry up and say it."

The guard named A Can stammered, not daring to raise his head.

The several guards behind him exchanged glances, then shoved him out.

Pushed like that, A Can lost his balance while half-kneeling. With a startled cry, he rose directly to his feet. "Ah!"

Wan Youqing looked over and fixed his gaze on A Can.

At this point, A Can could only grit his teeth and say, "Reporting to the Commander, based on the current investigation, someone poisoned the wine. General Dai was poisoned before being killed."

"As for the corpse outside that was cleaved in half, judging by his clothing underneath, he was from Han Country. There was also a tattoo reading 'String Seven' on his neck. This subordinate knows nothing else."

Hearing this, Wan Youqing nearly blurted out, "One of the Twelve Netherworld Assassins, String Number Seven!"

Everyone knew that Han Country had many assassins.

Eight or nine out of every ten assassin organizations in the world were in Han Country. Among them, the three most famous were Heavenly People, In the World, and Netherworld.

These assassin organizations of Han Country trained their assassins with exceptional harshness, like raising venomous insects in a jar.

Within Netherworld, only those outstanding in temperament, cultivation, and ability would be granted a string number.

Who would have thought that assassins bearing string numbers had now appeared within the palace?

The pressure facing the Palace Guard Division guards from now on would be anything but ordinary.

"How did this assassin die?"

After hearing a whisper from a subordinate, Li Yongfa intended to redeem himself through merit and took the initiative to say, "He was killed by a third party present at the scene, and he died in a single slash."

"How is that possible? Netherworld assassins are nimble in movement and extraordinarily cunning. It is difficult even to touch the hem of their clothes—how could one be killed in a single slash?"

"We have dealt with these assassins before. They use poison, ambushes, and every conceivable method. Even if we were guarding the door, we would not be confident of killing one in a single slash."

Li Yongfa smiled bitterly. "I don't believe it either, but judging from the scene, there were no traces of fighting outside. This assassin was killed the moment he stepped out the door and did not even have a chance to strike back."

"This..." Faced with the facts, many of those who had questioned it sucked in a cold breath and fell silent.

After a long while, Wan Youqing spoke. "In your view, what sort of person could accomplish this?"

"Only a Netherworld assassin around String Number One could do it."

"In other words, there is another Innate Realm assassin in our palace, one whose allegiance we do not know?!"

Li Yongfa lowered his head and said nothing more.

It was not only him. No one else spoke either.

Assassin martial artists were already difficult to deal with. If there was also an Innate Realm assassin, how were they supposed to guard against him?

For a time, everyone was filled with fear and unease.

"I understand this matter. Later tonight, I will report it to His Majesty and let His Majesty decide."

Wan Youqing rallied their spirits. "From tonight onward, all of you will keep yourselves on twelve parts alert. You must ensure the palace's safety. So long as you do well, this month's salaries will all be doubled."

"Also, from tonight onward, no one is permitted to drink. Violators will be severely punished without leniency."

Thanks to reader Summoner Fantasy for the reward~