“Already out here?” Jin De’s voice was deep and gruff, and one hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword.
“How come you’re here!” Yang Hao was shocked. He had thought his infiltration into the palace was completely undetected, but now someone was already waiting for him. Worse still, Jin De exuded a strong aura of killing intent, an unfamiliar sensation that made Yang Hao shudder inwardly.
“I’ve been waiting for you all along,” Jin De said sternly, “or rather, someone invited me to wait for you here.”
“Is it Ling Ziyan and Li Bo?” Yang Hao thought those were the only enemies he had.
Jin De did not confirm or deny. He sneered coldly, “Actually, it doesn’t matter who sent me. You should ask yourself why I knew you were here.”
“Why?” That was exactly what Yang Hao wanted to know.
“You brat!” Jin De stepped forward, his tall frame looming. “If you want to survive, remember this: never talk too much on someone else’s territory—especially when you’re talking to yourself.”
Yang Hao stared blankly as Jin De approached, his mind racing, trying to figure out what exactly had given him away.
“Oh no!” Hun Yuan Zi suddenly realized, “Was it the conversation we had back at that brothel? Did they overhear us?”
“Back at Ling Fei’s Star Sea?” Yang Hao also understood now. After treating the old man, he and Hun Yuan Zi had discussed how to cultivate the Nine Heavens Ice and Fire technique. But they had forgotten—they were still within Ling Fei’s territory. It was likely that Ling Ziyan had overheard everything, leading to this ambush today.
“Stealing inside the imperial palace is a capital offense,” Jin De’s right hand danced restlessly on the hilt of his sword as he edged closer.
Cold sweat poured down Yang Hao’s back. What he feared most was being caught. If someone framed him for a crime, he could still explain himself. But this time, he really was a thief. If he were sentenced, it would be disastrous.
“So you’re here to arrest me?” A heavy stone seemed to drop into Yang Hao’s heart, sinking to the bottom of his stomach. “Fine, just bring me to court!”
“Hey! Are you crazy?” Hun Yuan Zi protested, “If you get caught, you really will be sentenced!”
Before Yang Hao could reply, Jin De unexpectedly said, “No, I won’t call anyone to arrest you.”
“Not arrest me?” Yang Hao was even more stunned. He couldn’t figure out what the middle-aged swordsman was planning. He didn’t even notice that Jin De was now only five steps away.
“That’s right… not arrest… because…” Jin De hadn’t finished his sentence when suddenly, his right hand, hanging loosely at his side, erupted in a dazzling flash of light—like a diamond refracting brilliant, colorful brilliance. Then, a long sword, swift as a venomous snake, shot from his palm and struck Yang Hao directly in the chest, aiming precisely at his heart.
Clang! A loud noise rang out. Yang Hao was pushed back several steps by the tremendous force, nearly falling to the ground. Five flying swords simultaneously leapt from their sheaths, forming a protective circle around him.
Jin De was stunned when his attack failed. He stared at his sword—the tip still gleamed sharply. He had clearly struck Yang Hao’s heart, yet the body felt like metal, completely impervious to the blade.
“My god! It’s all thanks to me,” Hun Yuan Zi murmured with lingering fear. “Thank goodness I made you apply that ointment before coming here. Otherwise, both of us would be dead by now.”
Indeed, it was Hun Yuan Zi’s doing. Before entering the palace grounds, he had made Yang Hao apply the “Ice-Skin Iron-Ointment” over his heart to guard against unexpected dangers. While the ointment’s effects lasted, the skin around Yang Hao’s heart had hardened like iron, impervious to Jin De’s sudden attack.
“You ambushed me!!! How despicable!” Yang Hao finally reacted. “And you’re even the vice-commander of the swordsmen regiment!”
“Anyone caught stealing and resisting can be executed on the spot,” Jin De, though his first strike had failed, did not give up. He advanced again. “It’s only natural that I kill you now!”
“You were just hired by someone to kill me!” Yang Hao finally saw the truth. He knew he had no real grudge with Jin De—only someone like Ling Ziyan or Li Bo could have ordered his death.
Yang Hao felt utterly humiliated. Back at school, he had been forced to drop out because of a woman. Now, in the capital, he was entangled in trouble over a petty love potion. And now, even the vice-commander of the swordsman regiment had come to kill him.
In the Empire, being a vice-commander of the swordsman regiment was already a high-ranking military post. The Imperial military was composed of many units—the main force being large warships and soldiers equipped with advanced weapons. Yet for close combat and intimidation, the swordsman and martial artist regiments were far more formidable. In general terms, a single swordsman regiment was equivalent to tens of thousands of soldiers, and its commander could stand on equal footing with the planetary garrison commander.
The Imperial central government often used swordsman regiments to control the governance of its colony planets. For example, Wang Tao and Jin De’s regiment, though officially known as the Royal Swordsman Regiment of Leman Star, was actually under direct command from the Imperial center. Their real purpose was to monitor the royal family of Leman.
In other words, Commander Wang Tao and Jin De, although nominally part of the royal household, could easily ignore the orders of Leman Star. They were essentially local tyrants.
Now, such a formidable figure had come personally to kill Yang Hao. It showed how seriously Li Bo and the others regarded him—not merely as a nuisance over love potions, but as a potential threat to the Empire itself.
As Jin De continued to advance, Yang Hao, still shaken by the speed of the previous strike, quickly activated the “Flickering Petal Shadow Step” to avoid giving Jin De another chance for a five-step assassination. In a flash, Yang Hao’s figure blurred, instantly reappearing at a different angle.
Jin De’s eyes widened. Seeing Yang Hao’s technique, he finally abandoned his earlier contempt: “Not bad for a young kid. You’ve got some real skills.”
“I’ve got even more!” Yang Hao retorted defiantly while continuing his evasive maneuvers. In an instant, the open space was filled with illusory afterimages, as if dozens of Yang Haos had appeared simultaneously.
However, Jin De stopped advancing. He sneered coldly, “Your movement technique is impressive, but let’s see how long your energy can last!”
Jin De’s thinking was pragmatic. Although he didn’t fully understand Yang Hao’s technique, he assumed it must be highly energy-consuming. In his opinion, Yang Hao was still very young. Even if he had inherited strong family techniques, he couldn’t possibly possess a powerful energy reserve. Thus, such flashy movements wouldn’t last long before Yang Hao exhausted himself completely.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage