"How dare you! Who would dare to harm a royal merchant of Wei?"
Just as Zhang Heng's military knife was about to sever Li Dagang's head, at the critical moment...
A loud shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, resounded from outside the Merchant Guild gate.
This shout was not a simple roar; it contained powerful True Qi, and the sound waves struck the eardrums of everyone in the hall like a tangible copper hammer.
The guards Cultivation slightly lower cultivation levels felt a buzzing in their heads, their vision went black, their Qi and Blood surged, and they almost lost their grip on their weapons.
Before the shout had even finished, a glint of cold light had already appeared.
"Laugh--."
A sharp whistling sound Rift Cleave as a streak of dark light shot in through the wide-open door at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, its target Zhang Heng's throat, who was about to strike with his knife.
Before the arrow even arrived, the chilling Killing Intent had already locked onto Zhang Heng, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his hair standing on end.
"Careful!!"
Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning screamed in terror at the same time, their faces turning ashen.
Jiang Luohan's pupils contracted sharply. Instead of stepping forward, she subconsciously took two steps back.
A strong sense of foreboding enveloped her. Anyone who dared to kill the Marquis Estate's heir while he was committing an Heir Apparent was definitely not a good person, and their strength was terrifying.
Zhang Heng himself was terrified; the arrow came too fast, too cunningly, and with too much Killing Intent.
He was only acting aggressively because of his family background and guards; his own Cultivation was mediocre, and he had never seen anything like this before.
The shadow of death instantly gripped his heart. He tried to dodge, but his body was frozen stiff, and he could only watch helplessly as that cold glint rapidly enlarged in his pupils.
"Presumptuous!"
"Protect the Heir Apparent!"
The two Ninth Rank Household Guard had been standing guard on either side of Zhang Heng like gatekeepers were already alert the moment the arrow pierced the air.
Seeing the Heir Apparent in imminent danger, the two roared in anger and moved forward like ghosts, narrowly blocking Zhang Heng's path!
"Clang! Clang!"
Two crisp, piercing metallic clangs rang out almost simultaneously!
The two Ninth Rank Household Guard reacted extremely quickly, drawing their swords in the blink of an eye.
The blade flashed like snow, meeting the deadly arrow head-on.
However--
"Snap! Snap!"
The expected scene of the arrow being deflected did not occur; instead, two teeth-grinding snapping sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
The two treasured swords, forged from refined steel and having accompanied the two Household Guards for many years, snapped in two the instant they came into contact with the black arrows, just like rotten wood.
That's not all.
The terrifying force contained in the arrow did not dissipate; it surged wildly along the broken blade.
"Puff--!"
"Puff--!"
The two Ninth Rank Household Guard were struck dumb, their faces instantly turning red and then deathly pale, and they coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The sound of bones cracking came from the arms that were gripping the knives, and they were sent flying backward uncontrollably as if they had been hit head-on by a charging elephant.
And the direction they flew backwards was precisely towards Zhang Heng, who was terrified.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two dull thuds.
The two Household Guards' heavy bodies crashed heavily into Zhang Heng one after the other!
"Ah--!"
Zhang Heng let out a shrill scream as he was thrown into the air and crashed heavily to the ground.
The power of a single arrow is truly astounding.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events and that terrifying arrow.
Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning covered their mouths, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror as they looked at Zhang Heng and his two Household Guards, who were lying on the ground coughing up blood and in a sorry state.
Jiang Luohan's heart pounded like a drum as she stared intently at the door, her fingers icy cold.
The guards from the Marquis Estate were so frightened they were frozen in place, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.
Their two strongest Ninth-Rank Martial Artist couldn't even withstand a single arrow from the opponent?
What level of skill does this archer possess?
At least... Ninth-Rank Peak, or even... Xiantian?
Moreover, he was calling himself "the Imperial Merchant of Wei"?
Mo Zhai and Li Dagang escaped death, their hearts filled with immense joy and horror.
Imperial Merchant?
When did we become Imperial Merchant?
Whose reinforcements are these now?
In the midst of this deathly silence, heavy, orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor against each other echoed from outside the Merchant Guild's gates.
A steady, authoritative voice, thick with official jargon, rang out clearly:
"The Imperial City Department is conducting an investigation. All bystanders, please lay down your weapons immediately!"
"Those who disobey will be treated as treasonous and executed without exception!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of about twenty armored Soldiers filed in like a black tide.
They instantly occupied all the key positions in the hall, surrounding everyone with a menacing aura.
The leader was not wearing armor, but rather a dark purple brocade Brocade Robe embroidered with gold python patterns.
Although he deliberately concealed his aura, the overwhelming and unfathomable pressure he exuded still made all the Martial Artist present feel breathless.
Innate Master, without a doubt!
His cold gaze swept over the mess in the hall, past the seriously injured Li Dagang and Mo Zhai, and finally settled on Zhang Heng was coughing up blood.
His brows furrowed slightly, and his voice was like iron filings scraping through the cold winter:
"In broad daylight, under the clear sky, armed violence is committed, harming a royal merchant... Prince Zhang Heng, do you still have any regard for the law?"
Do you still take the laws and regulations of my Great Wei Dynasty seriously?
The visitor was none other than Xiao Jingyan, the third son of the current His Majesty of the Wei Kingdom Prince Qi.
Inside the Imperial Clan Affairs Office, upon learning that Zhang Yu's subordinates were in trouble, Elder Xuan gave an order, and the three Princes who coveted the throne immediately sprang into action, vying for the credit of bestowing favors upon Zhang Yu.
Whoever saves Zhang Yu's people first will gain an advantage in front of the Old Ancestor and in Zhang Yu's heart, adding a significant bargaining chip to their quest for the throne.
However, strength is the only true passport.
The Third Princes, Xiao Jingyan, was the only one among the three Princes to be a master of the Innate Realm, so he was naturally the fastest and the first to arrive.
Thus, the breathtaking scene of turning the Heaven and Earth and striking with a single arrow occurred.
At this moment, Xiao Jingyan held the "Cloud-Splitting Bow," which had accompanied him in battle and drunk the blood of his enemies, in one hand, his figure as imposing as a deep pool.
His dark purple Coiling Dragon Robe accentuated his handsome face, giving him an imposing presence even without anger.
His gaze was calm yet profound, fixed on Zhang Heng's disheveled face.
Zhang Heng was utterly Divine Soul!
How could he not recognize the person before him?
The Third Princes, Prince Qi Xiao Jingyan, is a rising star in the struggle for the throne, enjoying increasing power in the court, strong support from some military forces, and is himself Innate Master martial arts!
Let alone Zhang Heng, even if his father, the Marquis Yong'an, were to come in person, he would not dare to be presumptuous in the face of this Princes who was at the height of his power!
Upon learning that Li Dagang and the others were Imperial Family, Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, and the others' expressions turned grim.
This matter involves the royal family, which makes things complicated and could very well backfire.
At this moment, Zhang Wanning and Qin Xuehua both glared at Zhang Heng resentfully, complaining about why he had brought trouble upon himself.
Zhang Heng also felt wronged.
He wasn't stupid; he had already found out beforehand that Li Dagang and his group were just ordinary merchants with no connections, which was why they dared to act so recklessly.
In fact, not only was he frustrated, but Li Dagang and Mo Zhai were equally puzzled as well, wondering how they had become Imperial Merchant.
There's nothing we can do; the Imperial Merchant was only recently bestowed by the Prince Qi, so it's normal that others don't know about it.
"Your Highness... How come I didn't know that these people became Imperial Merchant?"
Zhang Heng felt his internal organs churning, but with the crisis looming, he wanted to argue his point.
"Presumptuous!"
Prince Qi Xiao Jingyan's eyes turned cold, and his voice suddenly rose:
"Does the imperial family need to report to your Marquis of Yong'an's residence and obtain your approval, Zhang Heng's son, before bestowing a title upon a royal merchant?"
Xiao Jingyan questioned him sternly, directly accusing him of disrespecting Imperial Authority.