Over a hundred elite Imperial Guards around him, armored and armed to the teeth, were swallowed by the storm of Sword Qi before they could even move. Armor shattered, and blood mist burst into the air.
The towering gatehouse and its arched eaves collapsed thunderously beneath the savage assault of Sword Qi. Broken bricks and tiles crashed down amid clouds of dust, burying the banquet's long tables, cups, and envoys alike.
Dust filled the air. Amid the chaos, countless officials and envoys scurried away with their hands over their heads, their cries, screams, and shouted commands tangled together.
Han Zhan knelt on one knee. The bandaged wound on his shoulder had torn open again, and blood streamed down his bare chest.
A layer of fractured ice armor covered his body-the life-saving defense he had formed with all his true essence at the last moment. Without it, he would already have been a corpse riddled with holes.
He raised his head, his eyes blazing, and stared into the depths of the Imperial Palace.
The gray-clad figure swept over one palace roof after another, receding farther and farther until he vanished into the impenetrable night.
"Your Majesty!"
Qu Guangling, Guan Pingchao, Li Bie, and the others rushed out of the dust, their robes bloodstained and their faces stricken.
Guan Pingchao stepped forward to help Han Zhan up, but Han Zhan abruptly raised a hand and stopped them.
He remained kneeling in the ruins, drenched in blood, his chest heaving. Staring in the direction where He An had vanished, he forced words of utter coldness through his clenched teeth:
"Kill him... at any cost."
He snapped his head around, sweeping his gaze over his trusted generals. His eyes were those of a savage beast choosing someone to devour, and he roared, **"I... will