Han Country Assassins Dared to Be So Arrogant

That said, the Eight Desolations Secret Travel truly lived up to being the complementary Martial Skill of an Immortal Martial Arts Technique.

As his Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique improved, this Martial Skill underwent another transformation.

Now, not only could he avoid the blind spots of human vision, but his presence had also become exceedingly faint, as though he could meld into nature itself.

So long as he did not deliberately reveal his presence, under the Innate Realm, it would be difficult for anyone to discover him without the support of a Divine Soul.

Along the way, Zhao Hongming encountered almost no obstruction.

Even the Palace Guard Division within the palace was riddled with loopholes in his eyes, allowing him to pass through with ease.

The defenses of the Huo Residence were even more nonexistent to him.

Thus, this time, crippling Huo Xianshui had gone far more smoothly than he had expected.

Huo Xianshui, within the Huo Residence, had clearly let down her guard.

She had never imagined that someone could successfully infiltrate the Huo Residence and openly make a move under the Son of Heaven's very nose.

Much less that Zhao Hongming possessed an Immortal Martial Arts Technique like Eight Desolations Secret Travel.

Throughout the entire process, Zhao Hongming had not spoken a single word. He had wrapped himself up tightly from head to toe, revealing only a pair of eyes. Even if they wanted to investigate afterward, they would have nowhere to begin.

With the Huo Family's strength, Huo Xianshui's legs might still be reattached. But even so, she will likely need to lie in bed for two or three months before recovering seventy or eighty percent, and hidden injuries will remain afterward.

The Empress will surely no longer summon Huo Xianshui into the palace.

Zhao Hongming knew that the Jian'an Emperor and Empress Tu Lihua wanted to use their overtures of goodwill, even the proposed "marriage alliance," to lull the Huo Family into complacency.

Under such circumstances, it was unlikely that he could delay matters through passive avoidance.

Doing so would very likely worsen his situation in the palace over the next two years.

Worse still, he might be branded as someone who did not know what was proper, and even his future establishment of a manor and bestowal of a king title might be affected.

After considering it from every angle, his current method was the safest.

Solve it at the root, once and for all.

The Imperial Family's Zhao Clan would never consider a crippled daughter of a wealthy and noble family.

A prince's consort with hidden physical ailments could hardly grace a grand hall.

No matter how unfavored a prince he was, he was still of direct Imperial blood. Marrying such a woman would only bring shame upon the Imperial Family.

To Zhao Hongming, a crippled Huo Xianshui was not much different from a dead Huo Xianshui.

Moreover, a crippled Huo Xianshui would cause less fallout, so killing her had never been part of Zhao Hongming's plan.

I just never expected Huo Xianshui to use her maid as a shield outright, merely to buy herself time to catch her breath. Such a woman is truly dangerous. She is no good match; I should avoid her more in the future and must not associate with her deeply.

Of course, there was one other matter that surprised him.

When he infiltrated the Huo Family, Huo Xianshui had happened to be discussing him.

Everything said beforehand had matched his own assessment of himself quite well. The only thing he had not expected was that he had left such a good impression on Chen Xuerong.

It seemed that when Chen Xuerong entered the palace next time, he could have a more in-depth exchange with her.

The black clothes he had used for disguise gradually turned to ash in the flames.

Zhao Hongming kicked several clumps of snow over, burying the ashes. His figure vanished into the falling snow and disappeared without a trace.

Huo Residence.

Just after Huo Xianshui's legs were severed, the entire Huo Residence descended into chaos.

"Call Doctor Song, quickly!"

"There is Reconnecting Paste in the residence. Bring it at once, and fetch the Blood Generating Pills as well."

After her legs were severed, Huo Xianshui did not lose her composure.

She circulated her True Qi and sealed the Acupoints in her legs, then quickly began issuing orders, doing everything possible to preserve them.

Having lost too much blood, her face had turned deathly pale, and she spoke somewhat weakly.

Before long, a middle-aged man in a brown brocade robe came running over, carrying a medicine case.

The instant Huo Xianshui saw him, she hurriedly cried, "Doctor Song, quickly, look at my legs!"

The middle-aged man in the brown brocade robe grew solemn. He bent down, picked up Huo Xianshui's two lower legs, and examined them carefully.

This man was Song Chaoping. His medical skills were exceptional, and he was quite renowned throughout the martial world.

"Doctor Song, can my legs still be reattached?"

"The cuts are clean, with no unnecessary bruising or crushed wounds. And since it is winter now, they can be reattached."

After a long while, Doctor Song gave his preliminary conclusion after a meticulous assessment.

Huo Xianshui visibly sighed in relief upon hearing this. Anxiously, she said, "I must trouble Doctor Song to reattach them for me. So long as you can restore my legs to how they were, Doctor Song will henceforth be an honored guest of my Huo Family. Whatever the Huo Family possesses, Doctor Song need only ask."

Song Chaoping shook his head. "Even if they are reattached, there is no way to restore them completely. Like a broken mirror, even after it is mended, cracks will remain. I can reattach the young lady's legs, and afterward, walking normally will not differ much from an ordinary person. But you will not be able to bear heavy loads, move swiftly, or practice martial arts again."

Hearing this, Huo Xianshui froze, her face instantly darkening. "Then would I not become half a cripple?"

Song Chaoping did not reply.

Huo Xianshui did not hesitate. Compared to being unable to practice martial arts or move swiftly, she was even less willing to spend the rest of her life in a chair. She immediately replied, "Then I must trouble Doctor Song to reattach them first. As for what comes later, we can speak of it later."

"Then I shall reattach the young lady's legs."

"Good. My words still stand. Once Doctor Song has reattached my legs, you will be an honored guest of my Huo Family. Whatever the Huo Family possesses, Doctor Song need only ask."

Song Chaoping said no more. He picked up the medicine case beside him and took out a row of blades.

Then he brushed his palm over the blades, and a flicker of fire flashed across them.

"Time is pressing, and there is no time to prepare Mafeisan. I will operate directly and set the young lady's bones and reconnect her tendons. Young lady, please endure it."

With that, Song Chaoping directly cut open Huo Xianshui's severed wounds, exposing the white bone within.

"Ah..." Waves of piercing screams echoed through the courtyard.

After a long time, Huo Xianshui's legs were reattached. Reconnecting Paste was applied, and the wounds began to fade slightly.

She sat in her chair, staring at the blood-soaked, devastated rear courtyard, and gritted her teeth. "No matter who you are, I will tear you to pieces. Steward, have you found any clues?"

A plump middle-aged man knelt on the ground. Though it was winter, cold sweat continuously beaded across his forehead. "Young lady, we searched the entire Huo Residence and did not find even a single extra footprint."

"In other words, you found nothing at all. What use are you?"

The middle-aged steward immediately said, "Young lady, I heard that an Innate Realm Assassin from Han Country has appeared in the palace. He also uses a blade, and his concealment methods are utterly divine. In Daliang, only their assassins could infiltrate the Huo Residence so silently. Many high officials and nobles throughout the Three Borderlands have already been assassinated. Perhaps our Huo Family is also on their list of targets."

Huo Xianshui had long heard of the Han Country assassins, as well as the alliance between Chu and Han.

She had not expected the Han Country assassins to be so brazen that they had already targeted the Huo Family.

"Someone, grind the ink. I will write to Father and inform him of this matter, so that he may seek justice for me!"

The author works part-time, so writing time is rather tight and many details were not handled properly. I hope readers will be understanding. The author will try to avoid this in the future.