Chapter 18 Big Fish

Although night had fallen, the dim moonlight and the lanterns within the residence allowed Xu Jingming and the other experts, with their cell-level control, to clearly see the situation inside.

"Protect Your Highness!" The twelve guards, who had been standing scattered, immediately rushed to the entrance of the main hall, intent on stopping the enemies.

"Block them!" Cheng Yanran anxiously ordered from inside the hall.

"Let's go." The disheveled old man, Swordplay King, urged, immediately leading the people beside him to break through the wall of the hall and flee outwards.

Both Swordplay King and Envoy Xun were extraordinary figures and had independently made the same decision—to have the twelve guards block and delay the enemy while they focused on escaping with all their might.

"The newcomers are malicious." Swordplay King's eyes blazed with anger. "At least three top-tier experts are leading the team; the enemy is definitely well-prepared! Who betrayed me? Who leaked my whereabouts?"

At that moment, Swordplay King instinctively believed that this terrifying assault force was targeting him!

Because he held the highest position and had the greatest influence among those present.

The Heir Apparent of Prince Yan might sound impressive, but in reality, his influence was quite limited; even Prince Yan himself didn't care!

Envoy Xun was strong, but he was just a reclusive expert.

Only he, Swordplay King! His position within the Red Lotus Sect ranked in the top five. He had traveled the world for a long time and successfully supported several rebel forces, giving him great prestige. With the current sect master growing old, he even had a chance to advance further and become the next sect master.

As a high-level figure in a rebel force, he couldn't act ostentatiously in the capital.

"I came here secretly tonight. My eight followers have been by my side, never leaving. Only Yao'er and Yanran had the opportunity to betray me, but they both underwent the Red Lotus Cleansing. They shouldn't have betrayed me. Where did things go wrong?" Swordplay King wondered.

He didn't think anyone else present could attract such a large-scale assassination attempt.

"Someone's assassinating my master?" Cheng Yanran was also shocked by the scene. "The Red Lotus Sect is ruthless and has made many enemies. There are quite a few who want to kill my master. The Black Lotus Sect is also at odds with the Red Lotus Sect; they might also be trying to assassinate my master. Am I being implicated?"

Envoy Xun's eyes were icy. "Where did these fierce people come from? Their mental strength is no less than mine. These three enemies are among the top-tier experts!"

Such terrifying mental strength was beyond the reach of most top-tier experts.

This was also why Swordplay King and Envoy Xun didn't hesitate to lead their people to flee! The enemy was powerful, and they had no confidence in resisting a head-on collision.

…

Xu Jingming and the sixty-odd experts transformed into afterimages, heading straight for the main hall. The twelve guards trembled at the sight.

"Form a formation."

The twelve guards were veterans of many battles, and not one of them collapsed despite the tension.

Xu Jingming and the others showed no mercy, fully executing Pang Ze's plan.

Using the three eighth-order experts as spearheads, and with the cooperation of the other first-rate experts, they first dealt with the twelve guards.

"Poof." "Chirp." "Rip—"

The glint of blades flashed!

The spear's light was dazzling!

And hidden weapons whistled!

Two fists were no match for four hands. The twelve guards were instantly surrounded by so many enemies, and there were even three eighth-order experts mixed in! Almost in a single exchange, four of the twelve guards fell.

The remaining eight were naturally killed in quick succession, in no more than five seconds!

"There are top-tier experts!"

"Ah!"

Amidst shrill cries, the twelve guards fell, blood flowing across the ground. Xu Jingming and the others didn't stop at all; they had already rushed into the hall and saw that one wall was shattered. Cheng Yanran, Swordplay King, Envoy Xun, and the others were fleeing in that direction.

Under the eighth-order experts' mental strength, they could completely lock onto Cheng Yanran's group's location.

"Chase!" Xu Jingming and the others quickly followed.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" One rescue flare after another shot into the sky.

These flares were different from the Blood Rain Guard flares; they bloomed in the air with golden patterns, representing the identity of Prince Yan's estate.

Clearly, the hidden guards around knew the enemy was powerful and had also launched flares to call for reinforcements.

"That damned Yu Feng; he transferred a total of thirty first-rate experts." Cheng Yanran watched as the hidden guards gathered around him, protecting him. He hated Yu Feng even more, and he also hated his father, Prince Yan.

"Originally, I had twelve guards and thirty-eight hidden guards, all of whom were first-rate experts. There was also Senior Xun protecting me. Even if I encountered a dangerous situation, so many experts would be enough to protect my escape." Cheng Yanran thought with hatred. "But now there are only eighteen hidden guards, and less than ten have arrived!"

As for the twelve guards on the surface, they had all fallen!

Cheng Yanran felt a strong sense of crisis!

Swordplay King and Envoy Xun, who were also fleeing, couldn't help but change their expressions when they looked into the distance. "Not good!"

Just as their group rushed out of the residence, they saw dense afterimages surrounding them from all directions, either along the streets, stepping on the roof tiles, or along the courtyard walls.

This was precisely Xu Jingming's other team—the hundred second-rate experts led by Liu Hai. Of course, only fifty or sixty people had arrived to intercept them first, and some second-rate experts were still rushing over at full speed.

"Block them!" Liu Hai and the others showed no fear. As cosmic citizen players, they weren't afraid of death. Instead, they looked forward to fighting experts!

"Break through them!"

Swordplay King, Envoy Xun, Cheng Yanran, the one-armed woman, the eight Red Lotus Sect experts, and the eleven hidden guards who had just gathered also fought desperately. If they had enough time, this group of experts could completely defeat Liu Hai's team of second-rate experts.

But they didn't have time to delay!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A tragic battle instantly erupted.

Swordplay King and Envoy Xun, these two top-tier experts, also fought desperately. One used dual swords, and the other used a cicada-wing-thin saber. Enduring hidden weapons and projectiles, they frantically slaughtered all enemies blocking their path.

"Kill." Cheng Yanran, the Heir Apparent, also took out the two swords from his waist and fought desperately. He was indeed talented to have Swordplay King as his master. The outside world didn't quite know that Prince Yan's Heir Apparent had quietly reached the realm of a first-rate expert!

At this moment, Cheng Yanran frantically attacked and killed the enemies in front of him, and the Red Lotus Sect experts and hidden guards beside him were all like madmen.

However—

The cosmic citizen players were even crazier! Even more reckless!

"They're not afraid of death!"

"They're all deathsworn!"

Swordplay King and Envoy Xun's hearts turned cold.

When the enemy wasn't afraid of death, their attacks were much more threatening.

Although Swordplay King and the others killed more than ten blocking experts in a single exchange, those few seconds of delay allowed Xu Jingming, the three eighth-order experts, and the sixty first-rate experts to catch up.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The many experts quickly surrounded Swordplay King and the others.

"Stop." Swordplay King spoke.

Xu Jingming slightly raised his hand, and the experts actually stopped.

The hidden guards of Prince Yan's estate had just launched flares! The number of experts who could arrive within ten minutes was limited, and Xu Jingming was well aware that there was still enough time.

"May I ask which expert this is, seeking to deal with me, Pang Cheng?" Swordplay King looked at Xu Jingming. He could tell that this man with a rigid, cold expression was likely the leader of the group.

"Pang Cheng?" Xu Jingming understood and smiled. "So you're Swordplay King of the Red Lotus Sect. I didn't expect that while dealing with Prince Yan's Heir Apparent, we'd also catch a big fish!"

Swordplay King was stunned.

What?

He was being implicated?

"Deal with me?" Cheng Yanran was also shocked. This ferocious enemy was targeting him?

"Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" Cheng Yanran said.

"Misunderstanding?"

Xu Jingming looked at him, then turned to Swordplay King and said coldly, "Swordplay King, if you want to live! Tell your subordinates not to interfere. Otherwise… you'll die together!"

Swordplay King's pupils shrank, and then he grinned. "Haha… Since you have a grudge against Prince Yan's Heir Apparent, I naturally won't interfere. None of my Red Lotus Sect people will interfere. Can you let us leave first?"

"Wait over there for now," Xu Jingming said.

Swordplay King didn't say anything, but he waved his hand. His eight followers, five hidden guards, and the one-armed woman all followed Swordplay King to the side.

"Yao'er, Master, you all…" Cheng Yanran looked at the scene with some despair.

"Yanran, don't blame your master," Swordplay King said. "This is a debt you incurred yourself; I can't help you." The one-armed woman sighed softly, unwilling to look at Cheng Yanran again.

Cheng Yanran was silent.

Indeed, there were Red Lotus Sect experts among his hidden guards. Now that Swordplay King had beckoned, the Red Lotus Sect people immediately followed Swordplay King to the side.

"Can you spare the Heir Apparent? The Heir Apparent has been kind to me," Envoy Xun said. "Whatever you want, just ask."

Xu Jingming's eyes turned cold. "Kill!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The three eighth-order experts and many first-rate experts instantly surged forward.

The few hidden guards beside Cheng Yanran fell instantly. Only Envoy Xun's blade was strangely unpredictable; every move was infused with mental strength, influencing the surroundings and affecting many first-rate experts. Envoy Xun also said, "I can't save the Heir Apparent; can you spare my life?"

But Xu Jingming watched coldly, ignoring Envoy Xun.

In just an instant.

Envoy Xun died! His blade techniques were terrifying, but the three eighth-order experts were each no weaker than him. Surrounded by the three of them, Envoy Xun was already remarkable to have lasted for an instant.

"Poof." Cheng Yanran, while frantically resisting, was ultimately stabbed through the chest.

"I…"

Cheng Yanran stared blankly at the wound on his chest.

Xu Jingming walked over.

"Cheng Yanran," Xu Jingming said, looking at him.

Cheng Yanran looked up, his eyes filled with madness. "I knew this day would come sooner or later. I've enjoyed myself these years; it's worth it to die."

"Worth it?" Xu Jingming took out a medicine bottle from his bosom, uncorked it, and sprinkled the powder from the bottle onto Cheng Yanran's body, as well as on the wound on his chest.

Cheng Yanran immediately let out a shrill cry, his voice filled with pain and fear.

But soon, his throat could no longer make a sound. His skin turned red and trembled all over. His eyes were filled with despair and pain; he had never tasted such a terrifying sensation. When the pain reached an unbelievable level, death was a relief.

"This is bloodworm powder, prepared specifically for you," Xu Jingming said softly. "Didn't you always want to kill me?"

Xu Jingming peeled off the human skin mask on his face and looked at Cheng Yanran.

Cheng Yanran, who could no longer make any sound, looked at the person in front of him, his eyes widening instantly.

Jingming?

One of Fei Xinlan's two male friends? On the day Fei Xinlan became a disciple, Jingming and Luo Baichuan were just minor characters standing in the corner. Wasn't he just an ordinary Blood Rain Guard captain?

Xu Jingming didn't bother looking at Cheng Yanran and looked up at Swordplay King and the others, who were in shock.

"Not good." Swordplay King and the others' expressions changed. "Taking off the human skin mask? Exposing his true identity? Although I don't recognize this person, seeing his real face… I'm afraid…"

"Kill them." Xu Jingming waved his hand.

"You…" Swordplay King anxiously opened his mouth.

The three eighth-order experts led many first-rate experts to surround and kill them.

Xu Jingming watched the scene calmly.

Let them go?

He didn't care if they were from the Red Lotus Sect or any other force! They would all be wiped out!

Just now, he had only 'divided them.' Otherwise, it would have taken some effort to kill Swordplay King, Envoy Xun, and the others. Now, it was much easier to defeat them one by one.

"You're still going to kill me even though you know my identity?" Swordplay King had thought that if there was no enmity, the other party shouldn't easily offend the Red Lotus Sect! If he offered some conditions, they might let them live.

But who would have thought…

They were still going to kill!

While surrounding and killing Swordplay King and the others, many second-rate experts were also ordered to search the residence and the corpses.

"Who exactly are you? Why must you kill me?" Swordplay King roared angrily before his death.

Xu Jingming watched him, watching Swordplay King die under the siege of three eighth-order experts!

"Search their bodies," Xu Jingming stepped forward and personally searched Swordplay King's corpse. This man was the most important figure present.

"These two swords are icy cold, clearly not ordinary weapons, and are extremely valuable." Xu Jingming first collected Swordplay King's two swords. "Silver notes, gold leaves… worth tens of thousands of taels! As expected of Swordplay King of the Red Lotus Sect."

Carrying tens of thousands of taels with him! And they were all unmarked.

For Swordplay King, it was just carrying some money with him. Traveling around the world, he often had to use money.

"This is…" Xu Jingming suddenly found a piece of animal skin.

The animal skin was incomplete and felt incredibly soft. There were dense, strange patterns on the skin.

"What is this?"

Touching the animal skin, the obscure aura on it made Xu Jingming feel a sense of suffocation. He vaguely felt… it was a treasure.

"It should be a treasure; I'll investigate it later," Xu Jingming thought as he put it in his pocket.

The residence, including all the corpses, was quickly searched.

Xu Jingming stood there, watching Cheng Yanran finally die in pain.

"Letting you die like this is already letting you off easy," Xu Jingming said silently.

At that moment, Liu Hai stepped forward and placed Cheng Yanran's head in a wooden box, then wrapped it up securely.

"Next, I'll have to trouble Master," Xu Jingming said, looking at Liu Hai.

"Leave it to me," Liu Hai said, carrying the package as he left. He had to go to the Seven Kill Hall's capital headquarters as quickly as possible to collect the reward for 'killing Cheng Yanran.' Because once the news of Cheng Yanran's death leaked, the official capital would definitely investigate the murderer frantically, and it would be difficult to collect the reward by then.