Chapter 894: Chapter 45: Ambush and Counterambush, Zhao Xing’s Backup Plan!
Dang County, Tian Jue Taoist burrowed furiously, fleeing wildly.
In one breath, he escaped a thousand miles, directly out of the range of Dang County.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, it seemed like he had hit something.
His whole body bounced back, his head colliding to the point of dizziness.
He had to end his escape skill and surface to the ground.
As soon as his head surfaced, a glowing rope looped around his neck.
The strangled Tian Jue Taoist’s face swelled at once: "Mmm~"
Seeing Tian Jue Taoist in a daze, the fair-skinned, extremely handsome Marquis Ling Huan crouched down slightly.
One foot on Tian Jue Taoist’s shoulder, a finger to his lips: "Hush~ Don’t shout, it’s normal to be dizzy, relax~ relax~"
Tian Jue Taoist’s pupils quickly contracted, reflecting scenes of the Illusion Realm.
Marquis Ling Huan released the hook lock from his waist.
"Puchi~"
The hook pierced into the back of Tian Jue Taoist’s head.
"Buzz~"
Tian Jue Taoist’s primordial soul was immediately pulled out.
The hook lock entwined Tian Jue Taoist’s primordial soul several times, and then Marquis Ling Huan casually tied his soul to a nearby silver-black wooden stake.
Nearby was also a small earth temple, a Mirage Pearl, and an Earth Mirror.
In front of the temple, there was also a burning pot of oil, and a rack of knives holding various torture instruments.
"Now, you can explain." Marquis Ling Huan smiled, "Who sent you to kill Zhao Xing?"
...
On the other side, Zhao Xing’s clone also found Pang Yuanzhen.
"Mr. Pang, Mr. Wei, Lord Yang, I fear I cannot discuss the Dao with you all."
Pang Yuanzhen, Wei Zhao, and Yang Song were all stunned instantly.
"Marquis Yuan Rang, what’s happening?"
Zhao Xing said mournfully: "Prince Liang has sent an assassin group, pursuing me in Dang County."
"If not for my Ten Thousand Skill Avatar, I might already be a corpse by now."
"However, with the power Prince Liang wields, even if this assassination fails, as long as he harbors the desire to kill me, I will be hard-pressed to escape death."
Zhao Xing spoke sorrowfully, then suddenly shifted his tone, becoming impassioned.
"But ultimately, one must die, be it as heavy as Qing Mountain, or as light as a feather."
"You need not worry for me; I was born in the military and serve as Minister of Agriculture. To die on the path of rebellion suppression, to die in managing natural disasters, would be dying in the proper place!"
If King Jin Ye and Ice Xuan King heard this, they would be furious enough to come back to life.
"Who exactly is assassinating whom here!"
"It’s just unfortunate that the new Chapter of the Self Theory of Heaven and Earth has not yet been completed, and I cannot discuss the Dao with you all. Truly a regret."
Upon hearing this speech, Wei Zhao and Yang Song had become extremely angry!
"Damnable Prince Liang, using the pretense of righteousness to purge the court, now persecuting the agricultural genius, it’s outrageous!"
"Marquis Yuan Rang, I am willing to die alongside you! Even in death, we must splatter him with warm blood!"
Pang Yuanzhen saw through it all but did not speak of it, immediately clasping his hands: "Marquis Yuan Rang, gentlemen, do not be rash. I will report this to Shangluo Academy at once, not letting you suffer any harm!"
...
Dang County, Mashan County.
In the gloomy sky.
"Damn Tian Jue, damn Jin Ye and Xuan Nu, they have ruined me!" Mr. Gu carried the Blind Taoist, continuously running.
And behind him, a golden dot appeared and disappeared intermittently.
"Can’t even distinguish between the clone and the real one, what utter waste, waste indeed!" Mr. Gu wailed.
"Sir, there’s someone ahead." The Blind Taoist suddenly spoke.
"I see them, I see them!" Mr. Gu shouted, "But what can you do, everything is within their calculations. Fate Officers can’t be beaten. Wherever we flee, someone will be waiting for us!"
"Then what does sir intend to do." The Blind Taoist asked, "It seems we can only stop."
"I know, I know! Let me think, stop yelling!" Mr. Gu’s face had many words swirling, like worms.
"Oh dear, it’s the Heaven and Earth Net Formation, we’ve entered already." The Blind Taoist grinned. "Sir, your fate is sealed!"
"Damn you, you’re a waste too!" Mr. Gu’s face seemed to have something about to burst forth.
"Hey, sir, let me give you a hand." The Blind Taoist suddenly laughed, his hands as swift as lightning, instantly gouging into Mr. Gu’s eyes.
"Rip~" A pair of eyeballs were immediately gouged out and then chewed by the Blind Taoist.
"Bastard, you ate too early!" The clothes on Mr. Gu began to tear, and the characters on his body suddenly burst out, then all fell onto the Blind Taoist.
"Puchi~"
The Blind Taoist inserted a hand into Mr. Gu’s chest, constantly digging and searching.
"Buzz~"
One by one, the characters drilled into the Blind Taoist’s body, while Mr. Gu himself was disintegrating.
Moments later, Mr. Gu completely disappeared, leaving only a scroll of remnants floating in the air.
The Blind Taoist had completely transformed.
"King Shenluo."
The Blind Taoist opened his mouth, his voice a mixture of his own and that of Mr. Gu.
"Yu Shanzzi." King Shenluo stood in the sky, riding on a bamboo horse, surrounded by dozens of floating mechanisms.
Seeing the Blind Taoist’s appearance, a trace of pity flashed in King Shenluo’s eyes.
"The renowned Yushan Priest, reduced to such a state, willing to be someone else’s Book Puppet."
"Who isn’t a servant to those stronger?" Yu Shanzzi said faintly, "King Shenluo, aren’t you also the puppet of Luo Hou King?"
"More words are useless." Yu Shanzzi looked at him and tossed the spirit tablet in his hand backward.
The golden light chasing from behind was instantly blocked.
"King Shenluo, you and I have sparred twice at the dojo, with one victory apiece."
"Today’s battle will determine both victory and life and death."
"Come on!" King Shenluo, filled with battle intent, his eyes lightning-like, "Let’s see if you’ve fallen into the evil path, can you kill me!"
...
Kunyuan Academy, Kunshan.
"Mr. Meng, Mr. Gu."
"Thank you both for your care over these past years, but I fear Zhao Xing can no longer listen to your teachings. I hope you both take care."
Zhao Xing’s clone appeared in the Kunshan Palace, as if delivering his last words.
"What do you mean? Chen An, what’s the matter?"
But before the two could question further, the soul within this clone fell silent, becoming almost imperceptible.
Meng Kun and Gu Changqing exchanged glances, instantly becoming anxious.
Recalling Zhao Xing’s earlier words, the two immediately linked to something.
"Chen An must have encountered misfortune!"
"Investigate! Investigate quickly, what exactly happened!"
Meng Kun jumped anxiously, shouting, "Changqing, quickly have all the branches of the Kunyuan Underground Palace in Pinghai State investigate!"
"Damn it, if Prince Liang killed Zhao Xing, I’ll rush to Pinghai State immediately!"
"Lao Meng, don’t act rashly." Gu Changqing grasped Meng Kun’s hand, "Let’s start from Lvliang State; it’s better to uproot Prince Liang’s mansion."
...
After speaking with those two, Zhao Xing’s clone sent messages via the Earth Mirror to Liu Tianning and Princess You Ruo.
Facing these two, Zhao Xing didn’t get sentimental, speaking frankly, recounting the happenings and analysis objectively.
After waiting for 15 minutes, Liu Tianning did not respond.
Princess You Ruo, however, quickly replied.
The message was simple, consisting of only three words: I know.
"Princess You Ruo’s style is becoming more like Lao Liu."
"I also don’t know what Lao Liu is doing." Zhao Xing muttered. He had not heard any news of Liu Tianning for a long time.
He only occasionally saw the name Liu Tianning in official documents and battle reports.
Yet himself, he seemed to have practically vanished.
Although distant water cannot quench present thirst, Zhao Xing didn’t need rescue for this current assassination attempt but for the future.
"Since Prince Liang sent people to assassinate me, I can’t just take this loss quietly; I must escalate the matter to have a way out."
"Isn’t he trying to purge imperial advisors, standing on righteousness’s side? Now he actually expends effort to kill a minor Minister of Agriculture like me; if known by the public, it would weaken his two-hundred-year-established prestige."
"He can blockade Pinghai State, but he can’t block the tongues of many people."
"Only by enlarging the problem can I have a way out; otherwise, with endless assassination attempts, even if I survive, I won’t be able to do anything." Zhao Xing thought.
"Now that I’ve grown strong enough, there’s no need to hide; it’s time to use the many layers of plans!"
"Prince Liang, I’m curious to see if, after angering the Minsters of Agriculture of the three sects, your army can still leave Pinghai State!"