Assassination

The moment Xu Yuan and Lou Ji stepped into the secret chamber, sensor-activated inscription lamps flickered to life. The core of Huizhou County's city-protecting array occupied a cavern some seventeen to eighteen zhang deep. Rectangular in shape, its walls were neatly paved with specially treated stone, and a spiral stone staircase wound down along the edge. By the glow of the inscription lamps, one could faintly make out the myriad intricate array patterns carved into the bottom of the cavern. Descending the stone stairs toward the floor, their footsteps echoed through the hollow, quiet cavern. As they neared the bottom, Xu Yuan watched the flickering lines of array patterns, unable to suppress a flicker of admiration in his eyes. The Dao of Arrays truly was a miraculous craft devised by humanity. With merely a rough sweep of his spiritual vision, he sensed the immense, formidable power contained within. "Sister, is Huizhou County's city-protecting array really only Ding-grade?" Lou Ji's heeled lotus boots clacked crisply against the floor beneath her shapely, fair legs. Stepping up to the hub, she channeled Source Qi into it, answering his question with one of her own: "Your first time seeing the core of a city-protecting array?" Xu Yuan gazed at the thick array patterns lighting up around them, illuminating the entire cavern. "Back in Beifeng City, I mostly stayed in the military camp and never visited the array core." "That figures," Lou Ji murmured. Splitting her attention, she inspected the city-protecting array through the hub while smiling softly. "A mere county seat is naturally Ding-grade. Bing-grade arrays consume far too many resources, and there are simply too many county-level cities. The imperial court's treasury can't afford such an astronomical expense right now." As the Dao of Arrays evolved over the ages, it had branched into countless offshoots, but arrays were broadly divided into ten grades by strength, following the Heavenly Stems sequence. Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui formed the lower six grades. Commoners and wealthy merchants could freely carve them into their residences, common examples being Sound-Dampening Arrays and Spirit-Locking Arrays. Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding made up the upper four grades, reserved for the imperial court's military use. The city-protecting arrays of commanderies and counties across Great Yan all fell into this tier. Huizhou County, as a county-level administrative district, was fitted with a Ding-grade city-protecting array—the lowest tier within the military category. Yet no matter how weak, it remained a strategic anti-army array for a city, and its most fundamental requirement was the ability to fend off Transcendent Realm experts. This was the most crucial link in the system established by the Great Yan Dynasty to maintain stability under heaven. Built piece by piece since the founding of the dynasty, city-protecting arrays now blanketed every city across the expanse of Great Yan. They could repel rebel sieges and, to a certain degree, prevent high-tier cultivators from wreaking havoc. It was, so to speak, the accumulated wisdom of the ancients. Now that push had come to shove, however, Xu Yuan felt this ancient wisdom was a bit unreliable. A Ding-grade array being able to fend off Transcendent Realm experts was purely theoretical. Under conditions where the array was intact and fully activated, handling a Transcendent was indeed not difficult. But if an expert of that caliber truly intended to cause trouble, who would be stupid enough to wait until you spun the array up to full power before striking? Moreover, array maintenance was another issue entirely. Take right now, for instance... Xu Yuan caught the exasperated, murderous look on his elder sister's face. With a potential assassination looming, their group had come to this small town of Huizhou County for a very simple purpose. First, to use the city's communication crystal to conceal the existence of the Heavenly Communication Crystal; had they not stopped here, Feng Jiuxuan suddenly arriving to reinforce them would have seemed suspicious. Second, to try and use the local city-protecting array to fend off any impending assassination. Yet judging by Lou Ji's current expression, their second objective had likely gone up in smoke. Xu Yuan asked in a slightly somber tone, "Is there a problem with the array?" "..." Lou Ji took a deep breath and turned her eyes back toward him, carrying a touch of helplessness. "Changtian, even if you hadn't killed those people, they would have had to die right now." Xu Yuan's heart sank slightly. Well, looks like something really went wrong. And judging by the severe tone she used, the issue with Huizhou County's city-protecting array was no small matter. Xu Yuan subconsciously thought of the spirit storage pool. A spirit storage pool was a supporting facility built for every city-protecting array, continuously drawing in worldly Source Qi during peacetime to produce artificial spiritual liquid or even artificial Source Crystals, storing them for wartime needs. Officials in frontier cities generally dared not touch it; if foreign tribes invaded, the reserves of spiritual liquid and Source Crystals in the pool were a lifeline. In the peaceful heartland of the Central Plains, however, these spirit storage pools were hotbeds of rampant corruption. After all, an official could govern for decades without ever seeing war, while spiritual liquid was an invaluable commodity worth a fortune. Whether used for one's own or one's family's cultivation, or sold off for profit, it was an enticing prize. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan reached toward his Sumeru ring and spoke up, "If the spiritual liquid in the pool is depleted, I still have plenty of Source Crystals left in my Sumeru ring. It should be enough to sustain the array—" "The spiritual liquid in the pool is indeed nearly gone, but that's not where the real problem lies." Lou Ji cut him off, pointing to the glowing thick array patterns beneath their feet. "This city-protecting array has seventeen pattern hubs in total. All Source Qi conduits must pass through these hubs to channel energy throughout the city. But right now, two of them are completely dead, seven are semi-paralyzed, and only eight are functioning normally." Hearing this, Xu Yuan—who had learned some array theory from his fourth sister—felt his eyelid twitch. So that bastard was robbing Peter to pay Paul. Materials involving the Dao of Cultivation were exceedingly precious; repairing the wear and tear of Huizhou County's city-protecting array would cost at least several hundred thousand taels. Since there was no war and no need for the array, why not bribe the formation masters to lie on reports, use the embezzled silver to grease palms up and down the chain, build a few visible 'public-benefit' vanity projects for political merit, and pocket the rest? A win-win—no, a win-win-win. Benefiting the nation and the people; a world where no one got hurt had been achieved. Having puzzled out the reason, Xu Yuan immediately asked, "Then do we set off and continue south right now?" With nine out of seventeen hubs ruined, Huizhou County's city-protecting array was essentially a sieve. Concentrating all the array's power onto a single point might pose a slight threat to a Transcendent Realm expert, but if they patiently circled Huizhou County once or twice, spotting dozens of weak points to breach it with their sharp eyes would be child's play. Staying inside would offer no protection whatsoever from the array. Yet the moment the words left his mouth, Xu Yuan froze, and a strange look entered his eyes as he turned to Lou Ji. He thought of another possibility. If they activated the array here and the people from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion dared to breach it directly, that would constitute rebellion. In an era where rites and laws had not yet crumbled, pinning such a label on them... "No, we leave immediately." Lou Ji saw through Xu Yuan's thoughts in an instant and refused before he could even speak. "Ordinary people could never know my movements, but don't forget, Changtian—that Saintess knows full well that I am by your side." "Tianyan probably wouldn't—" *Thwack!* Amusement flickered in Lou Ji's charming phoenix eyes as she flicked him on the forehead. Xu Yuan rubbed his forehead in pain. "Clearer in the head now?" Lou Ji looked at him, asking with a light laugh, "Your sister would like to believe the girl wouldn't either, but right now, we have to formulate our plans under the assumption that she will." "..." Xu Yuan fell silent. Even with portable communications like the Heavenly Communication Crystal, the speed of Feng Jiuxuan and Xu Changge rushing here from the Imperial Capital could not match the proximity of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's people. And if they dared to strike while Lou Ji was accompanying him, it meant their party had someone capable of tying Lou Ji down. As long as Lou Ji was held back, even a single remaining Origin Realm cultivator would be more than enough to deal with his Soul Condensation Realm self... Lou Ji's voice was soft and earnest. "Changtian, I want you to prioritize your own life above all else from now on. Forget a charge of rebellion—even annihilating the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion wouldn't be worth as much as your life." Xu Yuan nodded silently and asked, "Since we're leaving, what about Li Junqing and the others?" "Their target is you. As long as I take you away, their safety—" "No, I mean, that rascal Li Junqing ought to have some trump cards. I think we can bring him along." "..." Lou Ji stared. After a moment of silence, Lou Ji turned down the proposal. "At my speed, if I focus purely on fleeing with you, those people most likely won't catch up." Lou Ji held the Third Prince in high regard, but she was unwilling to gamble on trump cards that might or might not exist. Hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes carried a hint of regret. Looks like I won't get to screw over that rascal this time. As he pondered, Lou Ji suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Changtian, is that Luo Xiran truly trustworthy?" In a situation like this, she had to eliminate every possible risk. "Trustworthy." Xu Yuan didn't hesitate for a moment. With primordial aberrant ghosts now extinct, it was practically impossible for Luo Xiran to replicate another version of him to verify her life's work. On that basis alone, she would never sit by and watch him die. "Good." Lou Ji's response was equally crisp. After acknowledging it, she immediately spoke aloud, "Senior Luo, please protect Changtian's physical body. If a battle breaks out, I fear I won't be able to spare attention for him." Her voice echoed in the cavernous secret chamber. After a brief hush, Luo Xiran's gentle voice drifted softly from the Blood God Stone jade pendant on Xu Yuan's chest: "No need for you to remind me." Even as Xu Yuan wondered what she meant, a cool silk-like sensation spread from the Blood God Stone jade pendant at his chest, enveloping his entire body in an instant. The black death armor. The familiar tactile feeling made Xu Yuan realize at once that Luo Xiran was controlling the fungal carpet to form fungal armor to shield him. Before long, however, Xu Yuan noticed how this differed from before. The refreshing coolness did not stop at the surface of his skin; it gradually seeped into his body through various acupoints. "This is..." "Your frail body is far too weak, brat. If Chief Lou carries you at full speed with her cultivation, you'll be gravely injured." Right, deep-sea acceleration fluid. Xu Yuan understood and offered no resistance. As he felt the fungal carpet sinking deeper into his body, Xu Yuan noticed that perhaps because his body had been reshaped by aberrant ghost transformation, it showed hardly any rejection toward the fungal carpet. He even felt a faint, instinctive intuition deep down that he, too, could manipulate this carpet... The vast cavern fell silent for a few breaths before Luo Xiran's voice sounded quietly once more: "Ready..." Before her words even settled, a violent tug made Xu Yuan's vision blur. When his sight cleared, Xu Yuan was startled to find he was already out of the secret chamber. Above was the boundless azure vault of heaven; below lay the bustling, smoke-wreathed county seat of Huizhou. Gazing around in a slight daze, Xu Yuan realized where he was and silently tightened his grip around his elder sister's fair, swan-like neck. A princess carry again, but it wasn't the first time anyway. Besides, a Soul Condensation expert being carried like a princess by a Semi-Saint expert was nothing to be ashamed of. Back in the illusion, when he had been an Origin Realm expert, he had princess-carried plenty of people himself—as the one doing the carrying, of course... Hovering in the air for merely a split second, Lou Ji turned into a purple streak of light and shot toward the horizon. Yet that rapid flight lasted for only an instant... Xu Yuan's field of view spun violently before snapping to a sudden halt. By the time he gathered his wits, he realized Lou Ji had stopped at the edge of Huizhou County. Seeing this, Xu Yuan felt no confusion—only a sinking heart. Lou Ji would never stop for no reason. And just as he suspected, in the next instant, the bright heavens suddenly dimmed, and a sphere of light as dazzling as a star ignited atop a hill several li outside Huizhou County! Within a breath, the sphere collapsed into a beam of light, tearing through the void and shooting straight toward Huizhou County. Its trajectory pointed precisely where Lou Ji had just been flying! Had Lou Ji not halted abruptly, she and Xu Yuan would have slammed head-on into this premeditated beam. The beam grazed past them through the void, shooting into the distant horizon. One breath. *BOOOM!* Fierce gales surged as a deafening roar tore across the entire sky! After a brief hush, the earth-shaking tremors caused chaos to erupt across the county seat below in an instant. Confused clamor and terrified curses immediately filled every corner of Huizhou County. Suspended midair, Lou Ji didn't move an inch, staring expressionlessly toward the hilltop where the beam had originated. There, a masked woman in a black dress slowly drifted into the air, her slender legs flashing beneath her fluttering skirts. At this sight, Lou Ji peeled Xu Yuan off herself and casually dropped him out of the sky. "..." Xu Yuan. Deep purple luminescence slowly seeped into Lou Ji's emerald eyes, and nearly tangible killing intent began coiling around her. The assassination had begun. *** Sunlight cascaded into a secluded courtyard tucked deep within the alleys, shining down upon Li Junqing and an alluring woman who were canoodling against a stone table. The sudden sky-rending roar made Li Junqing shudder in fright. He hastily yanked his hand out of the woman's open lapels and looked up toward the source of the sound. Seeing this, the alluring woman pinned beneath him panted softly in a flirtatious tone, "Your Highness... it seems those people have arrived." Hearing her, Li Junqing glanced at the sky, then looked down at the seductive woman beneath him, smacking his lips. "Tsk, almost... almost done." With that, he prepared to deftly resume their intimate dalliance. The woman had been well-trained by his eldest brother and knew quite a few tricks he rather enjoyed; he had to indulge in one last bout of tenderness... *Thud!* Before the thought could finish, an afterimage crashed straight into the courtyard, collapsing a nearby pavilion and kicking up a cloud of dust. Xu Yuan rubbed his head as he stood up from the crater. Shielded by the fungal armor, he was unharmed, though the rapid freefall still left him slightly dizzy. Even so, his mind replayed the beam-like spell he had just witnessed, as well as the woman in the black dress. That woman felt oddly familiar to him... Pondering this, he stood and looked around him. And then, "..." Li Junqing. "..." Xu Yuan.