Chapter 4: Assassination of the Guardian

"The inner courtyard is flooded; where are you two going?" After circling around Liu Bian and Tang Ji, the young general scrutinized them from head to toe, slightly furrowing his brows as he said, "Could it be that you are taking advantage of the flood in the back courtyard to steal treasures from the palace?"

Not long after, Liu Bian emerged from the thicket. The soldier standing on the road, seeing Liu Bian come out but not spotting his companion, asked Liu Bian: "Where is my companion?"

In the darkness, a person appeared in his line of sight, driving a large cart pulled by three donkeys, slowly making its way towards him and Tang Ji

Upon hearing Liu Bian's words, the soldier did not inquire further. Just as he turned to look into the thicket, Liu Bian, who was only two or three steps away, suddenly lunged forward. A flash of cold light appeared in his hand as a short blade was thrust directly towards the soldier's neck

Seeing a cart approaching, he hurriedly pulled Tang Ji to hide in the bushes by the roadside, quietly gazing at the donkey cart that was getting closer and closer.

The young general shouted loudly from behind, causing Liu Bian and Tang Ji to be startled and halt in their tracks

Standing before Liu Bian, the young general looked down at the frail little eunuch. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Liu Bian's arm towards himself, spinning Liu Bian around him in a half-circle.

Just as Liu Bian was pulling Tang Ji along in search of the way out of the palace, a group of more than twenty armored soldiers approached from the opposite direction

Two soldiers marched briskly ahead, and with each step they took, the plates of their armor emitted a clattering sound. Liu Bian and Tang Ji followed closely behind, almost jogging, and before long, the outermost palace wall of the imperial palace appeared before Liu Bian.

Three palace walls were consecutively encountered, and armored soldiers with sharp weapons continuously passed by on the road and in the books, yet the main gate leading out of the palace was never seen.

General, I have heard of a fire and went to assist in extinguishing it. However, I did not expect to be burned by the flames. I am currently accompanied by my attendants to seek a physician.

The donkey cart gradually approached, and when it came within a distance of just over ten steps from them, Liu Bian detected a foul stench.

In the dim light of the moon, Liu Bian could clearly see several large wooden barrels being carried on the cart.

Upon entering the forest, he simply brushed aside some leaves on the ground, moving them to the side. After arranging the soldier's body, he took the leaves he had pushed aside and spread a layer over the corpse. Even if someone were to pass by nearby, at first glance, they would not notice that a body lay here.

Hearing the soldier's question, Liu Bian stepped a little closer, slightly bending his body as he said: "It's just behind, it should be out soon."

One of the soldiers reached out and gently pushed Liu Bian's arm, causing him to lean to one side, and said coldly: "Hurry up!"

More than ten soldiers rushed over, each with a hand resting on the sword at their waist. They walked hurriedly, their expressions anxious, swiftly passing by Liu Bian and Tang Ji, their robust figures creating a gust of wind as they moved quickly.

Thank you, General; I shall take my leave now! Liu Bian bowed, expressed his gratitude to the young general, and took a few steps back before turning around to walk towards the exit of the palace alongside Tang Ji

The number of people fighting the fire in the inner courtyard is increasing, yet the flames remain uncontrolled, showing a strong tendency to continue spreading. Half of the sky is illuminated in a brilliant red, reminiscent of a sunset.

Stop! Just as the two had taken a few steps, the young general called out to them again.

He pulled Liu Bian in front of him, gripping his sleeves tightly and tearing them forcefully. Seeing that there was indeed a burn on his arm, which was not particularly severe, he glanced at Tang Ji, who was covered in soot, beads of sweat on his forehead, and trembling slightly. The young general frowned, somewhat annoyed, and waved his hand at the two, saying: "Get lost!"

Pulling Tang Ji, he was walking along the path when the rumbling sound of wooden wheels rolling over the ground reached his ears

The companion said he needed to relieve himself, and the other soldier had nothing much to say. He simply instructed him to be quick about it, then stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of the road, watching as the soldier walked into the thicket with Liu Bian.

Unlike the previous several teams of soldiers, the one leading this group is a young general wearing a phoenix-wing crown, clad in golden armor, with a sword at his waist.

Upon seeing the palace walls, Liu Bian's eyes darted as he began to contemplate how to escape from under the watchful eyes of the two soldiers.

The place where the young general grabbed was precisely the area where Liu Bian had been burned when he rushed into the fire. The wound was seized, and he immediately gasped in pain, letting out a couple of miserable groans

Leading a group of people past Liu Bian and Tang Ji, the young general seemed to sense something, suddenly stopping in his tracks and calling out to the two who had already brushed past him: "Halt!"

Following the sound of the wheels crushing against the ground, Liu Bian looked towards the end of the road

He stepped forward to stand before the two, and the young general furrowed his brow as he scrutinized Liu Bian and Tang Ji. He then turned to the two armored soldiers behind him and gestured, saying: "You two, take them to see the physician"

The short blade pierced the soldier's neck, only penetrating halfway. Liu Bian gripped the hilt with one hand and forcefully pushed against the hand holding the sword with the other. With a soft "pu" sound, the short sword was fully embedded, the tip emerging from the other side of the soldier's neck

The great fire spread from the attic to the surrounding vegetation, and the entire inner courtyard of the palace was engulfed in flames. Although they were quite far from the source of the fire, Liu Bian and Tang Ji could still faintly hear the chaotic shouts of the firefighters.

Looking at the figures of Liu Bian and Tang Ji, the young general still wore a hint of suspicion on his face, feeling that something seemed amiss, yet he could not pinpoint what it was at that moment

Tang Ji, whose legs were weak and nearly unable to walk independently, was being dragged by Liu Bian, stumbling along behind him. The sweat trickling down her forehead washed away the coal dust smeared on her face, creating streaks of black and white on her skin

Startled by Lü Bu, Tang Ji was already so frightened that her lips turned pale, her whole body trembled, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat. When Liu Bian gently patted her waist, her legs went weak, and she could not support her body, collapsing softly onto the ground

To prevent blood from splattering, Liu Bian did not draw the short sword from the soldier's neck. He supported the soldier's back with one hand and slowly lowered the soldier's body to the ground. Only then did he grasp the corpse's arms and, with some effort, drag it towards the thicket.

The young general called for them to stop once more. Tang Ji, whose mind was on the verge of collapse, trembled slightly, and cold sweat soaked both her body and the winter clothing of the book, leaving them damp. Had it not been for the thick padding, her clothes would have surely been completely soaked.

Tang Ji's legs trembled slightly, and her somewhat fearful expression did not escape the young general's notice. This unusual behavior caused the young general to feel a sense of confusion within himself.

"General ... ... , do you have any further instructions?" Liu Bian slowly turned around with Tang Ji, lowering his head and stealing a nervous glance at the young general, his speech slightly stammering.

When the soldiers passed by, Liu Bian did not turn back to look; he merely pulled Tang Ji and quickened his pace, keeping his head down as he moved forward.

The two soldiers in front were completely unaware of the unusual expression on Liu Bian's face, only occasionally turning back to check if he and Tang Ji were keeping up.

Looking back at the flames soaring into the sky and the thick smoke that nearly obscured half of the night sky, Liu Bian felt somewhat at ease within himself, secretly contemplating: as long as the fire continues to burn, Lü Bu would not be able to rush into the fire scene, nor would he quickly discover the bodies of Li Ru and the two eunuchs, and the fact that he and Tang Ji had escaped would not be revealed too soon

Two soldiers received the order, clasped their fists in salute, and marched in step to the side of Liu Bian and Tang Ji, positioning themselves on the left and right, effectively sandwiching the two in the middle

The inner courtyard of the palace has walls that are not merely one or two layers

"Gentlemen, I am in urgent need to relieve myself." After passing through a thicket, Liu Bian stopped, covering his groin with both hands, lightly tapping his foot as if he were in great discomfort, and said to the two soldiers: "May I be allowed to step aside to relieve myself?"

It is actually a vehicle for transporting night fragrance

The fire in the inner courtyard was still raging, and the situation was urgent, leaving him no time for further contemplation. He planned to deal with the fire in the inner courtyard before carefully questioning these two individuals. He signaled to the soldiers following him and quickly led the group towards the location of the fire.

Just now, while entering the thicket with another soldier, Liu Bian took advantage of his momentary distraction to launch a surprise attack from behind, killing him and seizing his short blade. In an instant, he also dealt with the soldier waiting here, the one monitoring him and Tang Ji, eliminating him swiftly.

Standing before the two was a young general, approximately twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, who was noticeably taller than Liu Bian. His facial features were well-defined, exuding a sense of determination. Beneath his thick brows, his large eyes shone brightly, their gaze sharp as a blade, making Liu Bian feel utterly uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

Liu Bian had never met this young general, but judging by his demeanor and the imposing aura that emanated from him, he was undoubtedly a valiant and formidable warrior

As the donkey cart moved, the wooden barrels swayed, producing a series of sounds as the liquid surged and struck the walls of the barrels

This sword strike was both steady and precise. The soldier had just noticed a cold gleam rushing towards him, and before he could evade, the short blade had already pierced into his neck

Thank you for your attention, General. I take my leave!" After being nudged by the armored soldier, Liu Bian bowed once more to the young general to express his gratitude, and only then did he turn to leave the palace, accompanied by Tang Ji, under the watchful gaze of the soldiers.

Having dealt with the corpse, Liu Bian pulled the trembling Tang Ji, who was on the verge of collapsing to the ground, out of the thicket. They proceeded along the path towards the direction of the palace gates.

"I happen to want to go as well." Two soldiers stopped in their tracks, and one said to the other, "Brother, wait here for a moment; I will be right back."

As the vehicle drew closer, Liu Bian, hiding in the bushes, gently patted Tang Ji's waist twice, signaling her to remain steady