Assassination Once More

Chapter 30: Assassination Once More

By now, dawn had broken. Lin Yu stood in one place, seemingly having gained some realization. The aura around him fluctuated before erupting in an instant. Powerful spiritual energy swirled around his body, shaking up the dust that had lain still nearby. That aura now carried an additional trace of spiritual energy.

"This level of spiritual energy should be about enough. I've reached the fourth stage of Body Tempering. Tonight is a moonless night made for killing, when three thousand soldiers climb the mountain." Lin Yu had no way to deal with three thousand soldiers, but a few commanders and generals were still within his grasp. He smiled where he stood, then vanished without a trace.

Darkness fell. Lin Yu stood where he was and said calmly, "It is not that I wish to kill you. I truly have no choice. If I do not kill you, then I will be the one who dies." With a spiritual sword in hand and a smile on his face, Lin Yu looked at Zhang Shuai. "Do you know why you were my first choice?"

"General Flame Dragon's departure should have had something to do with you, shouldn't it?" Zhang Shuai had always known that Flame Dragon had protected the entire army. Now that Flame Dragon had left, the army's soul had scattered. What was left to fight with? There was no chance of victory at all.

Lin Yu glanced at him, utterly dumbfounded. To think he had been played by such a man for so long. But soon, he said, "That's right. General Flame Dragon's departure did have something to do with me. I greatly admired that senior. He taught me quite a few assassination techniques. There was poison in your body to begin with—you should know that very well."

"That is why you were my first choice. What I intend to do is exchange your heads for a period of peace. I wonder, are you willing?"

What could Zhang Shuai say now? Poison already riddled his body. Refusing meant death, and agreeing also meant death—it was all the same. What was there to be willing or unwilling about? He then closed his eyes tightly without saying a word.

"This is the first time I've felt that you aren't afraid of death." The moment Lin Yu said this, he cut off Zhang Shuai's head. Blood flowed as he swung his sword. He said faintly, "One head in exchange for lasting peace for the people on both sides—what is wrong with that?" Blood splashed across the tent, while those outside still had no idea what had happened.

Lin Yu had already disappeared. When the guards outside entered, all they saw was a pool of blood. Lin Yu raised his head and asked, "The funeral bell should be ringing by now, shouldn't it?" As he spoke, another head appeared in his hand. The funeral bell rang, and the soldiers all knew what had happened. Lin Yu thought to himself, What a pity. There are two scheming fellows whose heads I can't take yet. I can only wait until next time.

A sword flashed past, and another general's head appeared in his hand.

Many commanders still understood that it was time for this war, which never should have happened in the first place, to end. Lin Yu watched from the side as the funeral bell rang again and again. In an instant, the army's morale completely crumbled. They did not know how those great generals had died, nor who possessed such skill.

"Bing Sheng, was it you?" At that moment, the people sharing the tent saw Lin Yu's figure. Lin Yu shook his head. "Sorry. I used you. Bing Sheng has already left. As for me, I am merely an infiltrator—the one who will end this war."

He smiled faintly and continued, "For the sake of the porridge you gave me, I will not kill you. Leave the camp early. This war is over." As Lin Yu spoke, he sighed again. Perhaps it truly was over—or perhaps it had only just begun.

"An infiltrator? Heh, we were so stupid. We should have realized it long ago. Since that is the case, tell me—where did the real Bing Sheng go? Is he still alive?" Lin Yu looked at them and shook his head faintly. They should have long ago guessed that this would be the outcome.

For an infiltrator to enter a military camp, he first had to kill the original holder of that identity. They left, never saying another word to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu, who stood there, suddenly froze. "Old General, you should not have come here. That day, you were the one who stopped Yan Ting and Yan Tian from attacking the city in that self-damaging, profitless manner." It was Zhang Qingchun. Standing there, he indeed looked somewhat old, utterly incomparable to Lin Yu.

After that, Lin Yu spoke again. "What I want is to kill commanders. Otherwise, when they return, they will be beheaded anyway. If you had not let me see you, things would have been much easier."

"Alas, there is no need to say more. Even if I could survive, those two sons of bitches, Yan Tian and Yan Ting, would never let me go. I might as well die cleanly like this. Do it!" Zhang Qingchun had come this time prepared to die. After all, there truly was nothing worth staying for in such a military camp.

"Commander, I am sorry. I truly cannot give you a chance to survive." Lin Yu swung his sword. Zhang Qingchun was the only one Lin Yu had killed today who could die with his eyes closed. Lin Yu looked at him once more, sighed softly, and felt a measure of pity.

"Go in peace. Those two bastards will return in three days. I will make sure they join you beneath the Nine Springs." As he spoke, Lin Yu left and went to the command tent, quietly waiting for everything here to collapse completely.

Tianling City.

"Report—"

"You have no sense of propriety. What matter has made you so flustered?" Mo Ce was already irritated, and he had no idea what news this soldier had come to report.

"According to the scouts, funeral bells suddenly rose from the enemy camp—eighteen tolls in all." After saying this, he left directly. The generals in the camp burst into loud laughter. Truly, how could they not be delighted? The enemy army had lost fifteen generals in succession—this was a joyous occasion, a truly joyous occasion! Lin Yu had done it. He had really done it.

At the same time, in the Two Seats Mountain Range, two fast horses sped off in different directions. When Yan Ting and Yan Tian learned the news, both spurred their horses onward and raced outside.

Hearing the faint neighing of horses, Lin Yu sat up and looked into the distance. He said faintly, "Do you know? I waited here for one more day because of you... My sword is already thirsty." Lin Yu glanced over. The heads of the two generals flew out, requiring no more effort than blowing away dust. The funeral bell rang once again.

"You can all get lost. I do not want your lives," Lin Yu said to the soldiers.

Lin Yu thought to himself, Things here have been settled. It is only the matter at the military camp—Mo Ce is truly a difficult one to predict. Forget it. I have to return sooner or later. Just as Lin Yu was about to leave, an enemy force of thousands upon thousands surrounded the entire command tent.

"They still have not given up. But there is no need to create pointless slaughter." Lin Yu was a cultivator, and weren't those eight people from before cultivators as well? Had they not cultivated underground for so long?