Chapter 4, A Glimmer of Hope in Desperation

In the direction of the royal city, at the end of the valley, over a thousand elite cavalry rushed in response to the news, shaking the ground and mountains, with dust swirling in the air, creating a grand spectacle reminiscent of a thousand horses galloping.

Under the leadership of Zhou De, the group continued to advance, with the imperial guards closely following behind them

Thirty miles outside the ancient Western King's City, there is a narrow valley that serves as the passage for the counties of ancient West to enter the King's City, and it is also the necessary route for Zhou De and Wang Xu to return to the palace

Elder brother, how can you be so confused? We are being watched by the ten thousand troops of the heir apparent; how can we possibly escape? I fear that if the heir apparent becomes enraged, we will all perish without a place to be buried.

"A Da, why don't you escape? You possess exceptional martial skills and the strength of hundreds. Who could possibly stop you?"

The sun rises in the east, and the sunlight is warm

Wang Xu seized the opportunity and continued, "The prince is the ruler of a prefecture, and what he says naturally carries great weight."

The man in black, known as the Second Brother, looked at the scene outside the valley with a face full of confusion. Such a thing had never happened before; in the past, missions were executed without leaving any survivors. Today's unusual circumstances inevitably made him suspect the eldest brother. Nevertheless, this did not waver his resolve to assassinate Zhou De, for this was the mission. Only by completing the mission could his family remain safe and sound. Having made up his mind, he immediately issued orders to the various small teams. Dozens of men in black immediately rose and slowly approached down the mountain, their long swords drawn and poised for action.

Zhou Dedao: "Beyond the valley lies the royal city, let us hurry."

"Is this true?" said several men in black.

Dada!

The hundreds of assassins cultivated by the Crown Prince of Guxi are different; these individuals were not raised from a young age but were instead temporarily assembled from skilled martial artists captured from various regions. The parents and families of these black-clad assassins are in the hands of the Crown Prince of Guxi, and only by completing their tasks can their families remain safe and sound; any slight mistake would result in suffering for their loved ones. Although this temporarily formed organization of assassins cannot be said to be loyal to themselves, they will undoubtedly execute their tasks unconditionally. The parents and families of these black-clad assassins are in the hands of the Crown Prince of Guxi, and only by completing their tasks can their families remain safe and sound; any slight mistake would result in suffering for their loved ones. Although this temporarily formed organization of assassins cannot be said to be loyal to themselves, they will undoubtedly execute their tasks unconditionally.

Although the men in black have already submitted, Wang Xu still feels uneasy. For the sake of his own safety, he decides to first get closer to the men in black and improve their relationship.

Zhou De has truly invested a great deal this time, yet even so, he does not wish to depose the heir apparent. As the saying goes, even a tiger does not eat its own cubs; moreover, although Zhou De has many wives and concubines, they have all given birth to daughters, and he has only this one son. If he were to depose him, who would inherit the throne

After a day and night of travel, Wang Xu and his party finally crossed the mountains and arrived at the official road in front of the valley. Zhou De finally breathed a sigh of relief, for he saw the figures of the Four Yamen Guards, a military force entirely under the jurisdiction of Zhou Bo, completely loyal to him.

A low growl echoed, as if the sinister sounds of hell were emanating from both sides of the valley; in an instant, dozens of black-clad warriors rushed in groups of three, with the first to engage being the six Imperial Guards on the outermost perimeter. Without any suspense, in just one exchange, the six Imperial Guards did not even have the chance to draw their swords and were killed on the spot

Kill

A Da stood in front of Zhou De and said loudly: "Brothers, do not continue to serve the heir. Follow me to escort the prince back to the palace. The prince has already promised that once we return to the palace, he will release our parents, wives, and children, and restore our freedom"

"Damn it, old man, get down!" Wang Xu quickly grabbed Zhou De, crouched down, and moved to the side

In the silent empty mountains, the cold moon hangs like a hook, and the cold stars float above the sky, resembling scattered points of light, akin to a chessboard. The valley in the night should be desolate and serene, yet tonight it is anything but tranquil; beneath the valley, every few zhang, two soldiers clad in golden helmets and armor stand motionless, like deities in the night; in the mid-slope, the grass stirs, and on the branches of the trees, no birds rest for the night; it seems as if some fierce god or beast is lurking.

Ding ding ding

As the questions increased, the man in black gradually became annoyed; in desperation, he finally started a conversation with Wang Xu

In the early morning, withered grass begins to sprout, and the willow branches turn tender green; under the illumination of the sun, the entire valley is vibrant and filled with warmth

Brave warriors, you should first return to protect your wives and children. The royal palace is only a few miles from here. Once I return to the palace, I will deploy the hundred thousand troops into the royal city and have the Imperial Guard send you ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand warhorses. At that time, you can take the opportunity to escape. What do you think?

A Da, do not be discouraged. Your efforts in rescuing this time have been commendable. Once we return to the palace, the prince will surely grant you your freedom

"Everyone, rise and follow this king back to the palace"

Indeed, why does the elder brother not kill him

Brother Wang, you may not be aware that on the right side of our residence, there are one hundred thousand soldiers stationed. These soldiers are all under the command of the heir apparent, and our every move is under his watchful eye, alas

Dozens of black-clad warriors stood with their swords sheathed, and A Er and A San inquired.

Protect the prince

In the face of such a perfect ambush, the first to react were A Da, who was walking behind Zhou De, and another warrior in black. As the six Imperial Guards fell, the two had already drawn their swords simultaneously. The deaths of the six guards were not entirely without effect; at the very least, they had delayed the enemy for a few seconds. Although a few seconds may seem brief, for masters like the black-clad individuals, it was sufficient to execute several actions. The swords showed no sign of stopping, their blades aimed directly at Zhou De. The deaths of the six guards were not entirely without effect; at the very least, they had delayed the enemy for a few seconds. Although a few seconds may seem brief, for masters like the black-clad individuals, it was sufficient to execute several actions. The swords showed no sign of stopping, their blades aimed directly at Zhou De.

Your Highness, be careful

Child, we are safe now. Do you see the soldiers in front of the valley? They are the imperial guards from the royal city. Reflecting on the experiences of the past half month, it feels like a nightmare.

A Da furrowed his brow slightly and slowly turned to look at Wang Xu

"Brother Wang, we shall meet again in the future." A Da clasped his hands in salute

What are you looking at me for

Elder brother, what are you doing? Quickly kill him and return to report.

You all quickly look at the person next to the elder brother, could it be the one from the painting

In the valley, on the mountainside, among the grass, every few zhang one can see three figures in black clothing huddled together, whispering to each other

After much conversation, we finally clarified the origins of the man in black. According to A Da, the leader of the black-clad figures, there are not just three of them; there should be hundreds in total. Each one possesses exceptional swordsmanship and outstanding martial skills. They are the assassins trained by the heir of the ancient Western King, and these assassins are known for their disregard for death, placing their own lives at stake. Therefore, generally speaking, assassins are orphans.

Stop it, Second Brother, Third Brother

Second brother, quickly look, elder brother and the others have arrived

A group of people was approaching from beyond the valley, consisting of two beggars and three individuals in black clothing. Their behavior was quite strange. The imperial guards were about to intercept them, but upon getting closer, they were taken aback and hurriedly knelt down to pay their respects, exclaiming: "We pay our respects to the prince"

"How much longer until we reach the royal city, Your Highness?" Wang Xu inquired

The shadows of swords intertwined, and the sword flowers danced; the speed at which the man in black drew his sword was so swift that the Imperial Guards were killed before Zhou De and Wang Xu even noticed. It was not until A Da intervened to block the attack from the man in black that the two finally reacted.

Very well, I am willing to escort the prince back to the palace

Regrettably, no matter how Wang Xu inquired, the other party remained tight-lipped, leaving him with a sense of frustration akin to kicking against a steel plate

"A Da, the Imperial Guard cavalry is about to arrive, quickly take them away!" Wang Xu said

At this moment, there is no need for further explanation; thousands of cavalry have arrived, and it is impossible to continue with the mission. There is no other path but to believe. With a wave of his hand, A Dada ordered dozens of black-clad warriors to retreat rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished into the horizon