Chapter 444. A Closed-Quarters Fight & A Violent Explosion

Translator: DragonRider

The one addressed as ‘Brother San’ was not far away from them, and this was also part of their plan. A quick-witted man, he immediately called out to his companions, “Hurry! All those at the meeting last night, come here right away! It’s time to go! Remove your masks!”

“What are you doing?!” A muscleman from the Wan Kingdom marched over and swung his whip at the villagers, but some men in black suddenly materialized and stopped him.

The expression in Shan Congyi’s eyes instantly went cold at the abrupt change of situation. “Shit! It’s an ambush! Everybody stay alert!” he bawled.

“Protect His Highness!”

The musclemen quickly clustered around Shan Congyi. Wang Sheng and his parents-in-law were immediately rid of the pressure of imminent danger and, leading the group of villagers, hastened in the direction that the guard had told him to go.

“Just keep running in that direction. Do not stop.”

“Okay. Stonie, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, follow me! Hurry!”

Wang Sheng, gripping Stonie’s wrist and protecting his parents-in-law, started running in the direction that the guard had told him, the others following in his wake. As the fog thickened, more villagers caught on to the situation and fled in that direction.

All those engulfed by the thickening fog before they could run were the ones that had chosen to serve Shan Congyi at the very beginning. These people were the most fanatical and had been blinded by money. They, along with the village head, had unconscionably persecuted a lot of fellow-villagers of theirs. They were monsters, and Ling Zhang would never save any of them.

The fog wouldn’t last long. What with the rainstorm which was gathering strength and the roaring wind, it would be only a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out) before the fog lifted, but it was enough for those deserving of survival to escape. None of those who stayed in the wood was innocent.

Looking at those panic-stricken people in the fog with wintry eyes, Ling Zhang instructed flintily, “Do it.”

“Yes, Childe Ling!”

…

Before the fog dispersed, the fighting was virtually a ruthless massacre.

All those who’d mutilated their fellow-villagers, along with the group of conscienceless bastards from the Wan Kingdom whom they worked hand in glove with, died by the sabers of Ling Zhang’s men.

“Identify yourselves!” bellowed Shan Congyi, casting glances about in alarm.

He’d cautiously had everything planned out before coming to this county, and had even scouted out the lay of the land of every village before selecting Taowang Village to be his hideout. He was positive nobody would be able to find out about his true identity. What had he done wrong exactly? How had these people found him? Now he was trapped in this fog like a turtle in a pot.

When those musclemen gathered around Shan Congyi guarding against potential attack from killers hiding in the fog, the thick fog finally began to lift, allowing them to see the enemies in the hiding.

“Kill them!”

“Take no prisoners. Kill each and every single one of these bandits and rebels who dare make trouble under the watch of the imperial court’s army!”

The two groups of men engaged, fighting at close quarters. Shan Congyi and his men knew very well they were neither bandits nor rebels, but they didn’t dare blow their cover in these circumstances. Having no choice, they clenched their teeth and fought those men.

“Things are going south, Your Highness. We need to get out of here as soon as possible!” said Shang Congyi’s henchman.

Shan Congyi glanced in the direction of Jiangzhou and replied through gritted teeth, “Let’s flee this place first.”

…

The fight was getting increasingly intense, and Shan Congyi’s men was downed one after another.

They were unable to extricate themselves from this wood which was like a maze without any exits. Although the fog had dispersed, they still couldn’t find a way out. Several times they’d felt that the edge of the wood was right ahead of them, but when they’d got there, they’d found themselves faced with more trees.

They were completely trapped in this place, and their pursuers were making fools of them like a cat playing with a rat before killing it.

Shan Congyi was beside himself with fury. “Who are you exactly?! Why are you stooping so low?!”

“Stooping so low?” sneered Ling Zhang, standing on a tree branch.

His voice immediately struck Shan Congyi as familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before. “Who is it?!” he bawled.

He looked in the direction of the source of the sneer and saw a nondescript mustached young man standing on a tree, whom he’d never seen before.

“Who are you exactly? You’re clearly not soldiers of the Great Wen. Why did you stop us? We have no quarrel with you!” Shan Congyi had some time before noticed that these people were not troops of the army of the Great Wen, that they were more like killers working for some kind of non-government organization.

However, what he didn’t know was that although these people were not soldiers of the army sent by the imperial court, they were the most elite force under the command of the empress of the Great Wen. They always appeared without warning and disappeared without trace, and it seemed as though they could hold their sabers to Shan Congyi’s and his men’s throats at any moment!

“There’s no need for you to know about my identity. As subjects of the Great Wen, we’re obliged to rid our homeland of evil and crime. You bandits and ruffians are all going to die here,” said Ling Zhang.

By no means would he state the true identity of either of them. As Shan Congyi wanted to keep his doings secret, he would die in this place with his dark secrets!

“Have you any idea who I am?!” ranted Shan Congyi.

“You? You’re nothing but the leader of a bunch of bandits and thugs. You’re the culprit, which is why you deserve to die more than any of your men does,” responded Ling Zhang frostily.

“How dare you? I’m a prince of–”

“Ha! You’ve made yourself a prince? That’s yet another reason for you to die. There’s no point wasting any more time. Kill these mobsters!”

Shan Congyi was taken aback, for he finally came to realize that his enemies were not really in the dark about his identity! They knew very well who he was but still wanted to kill him!

Cold sweat breaking out over his back profusely, Shan Congyi finally came to know that it was no good trying to negotiate with these people, that he must escape!

“This way! Hurry!” Shan Congyi pointed in a direction and with that the musclemen from the Wan Kingdom, protecting him, rushed in that direction.

Standing languidly on a tree, Ling Zhang watched Shan Congyi and his men going round in circles in the area beneath him. They believed they were getting close to the edge of the wood, but in fact they were just running around like headless chickens.

Ling Zhang gave a wave of his hand and with that Yao Yi inclined his head, informed those beside him and they leaped off the tree together…

…

“AAAAAAARGH!”

The blood sticking to their blades was soon washed away by the rain, dropped onto the ground and mixed with the mud, losing its original color.

Shan Congyi had only four guards left now, all of whom were wounded. Even Shan Congyi himself was also injured. Gasping for air, he watchfully looked around. The rain was getting heavier, blurring their visions, making it difficult for them to hear the enemies’ movements. They were cornered and at the end of their rope.

“I have a hundred thousand taels of gold. If you let me go, I’ll give you all of it!”

Shan Congyi had no alternative but to resort to his last bargaining chip, intending to strike a deal and bargain for his life.

“A hundred thousand? That sounds like a lot of money, but unfortunately for you, I’ve already come to know where the gold is. Why should I let you go when the gold will be mine sooner or later?” Ling Zhang’s voice was heard once again.

What with his injury and the long cat-and-mouse game, Shan Congyi was somewhat groggy, but in this kind of dreamy state, he finally recalled where he’d heard a similar voice before. It was Ling Zhang!

“It’s you?! You’re Ling Zhang!”

Shan Congyi let out a roar, going berserk at the realization of his opponent’s identity, only too anxious to kill Ling Zhang.

“Ling Zhang? Who’s Ling Zhang? I think you’re losing your mind, you criminal. You can’t trick me by saying some random guy’s name. Actually you could’ve picked a famous one. It’s a waste of time to give a name nobody has ever heard of.”

Ling Zhang appeared quite unhurried, determined not to admit to his identity.

“He’s the empress of the Great Wen! How could you not know that?!”

“Is that so? Why is this my first time hearing that his name is Ling Zhang? Even if that is indeed his name, which is a big if, you’re just a criminal, the leader of a gang of bandits, and you’re in no position to refer to His Highness by his full name.”

Ling Zhang still looked quite at ease. “All right. Enough talking. Finish them off, boys!”

“Ling Zhang! I’m Prince Yi of the Wan Kingdom. Has it ever crossed your mind what consequences you’ll have to face if you have me killed in this place? You want another war?”

Shan Congyi panicked. He found it hard to believe that Ling Zhang really wanted him dead!

“Prince Yi? Never heard of it. I could tell at the mention of it that you made it up. Isn’t the Wan Kingdom an enemy state? I heard that your country lost the last war to the Great Wen. If there’s going to be another one, so be it. It’s no big deal,” replied Ling Zhang.

“You–!”

“AAARGH!” Another guard of Shan Congyi’s was killed.

One after another, the last four guards died by the sabers of killers in black before they knew it.

“Run, Your Highness. Run…”

“Run? He had his chance.”

Looking at the approaching killers, Shan Congyi kept backing off. “Ling Zhang! You’re such a maniac!”

“Ha.”

“Do you not want to know what’s going on in Jiangzhou?! Kill me and you’ll never find out! Your country is nourishing a tiger which will sooner or later devour its master! Spare my life and I’ll tell you what Wang Xiangxin is up to!”

“Is that so? Unlucky for you, I’ve already come to know what Wang Xiangxin is up to. Besides, he’ll join you in the underworld very soon.”

“It’s you! I knew it! Are you still going to deny it?!”

“I’m not, because you’re going to die soon anyway.”

Ling Zhang leaped off the tree and threw a palm strike, generating a gust of wind which shot at Shan Congyi like lightning.

Taken aback, Shan Congyi hastily took several steps sideways in an attempt to dodge the blow but was still hit by the gust of wind, the force of which dashed him against a tree trunk, reducing him to spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Kill him,” instructed Ling Zhang, standing where he was, looking at Shan Congyi who was a sorry sight and having trouble pulling himself to his feet.

A bodyguard of Ling Zhang’s, like a ghost, soundlessly closed in on Shan Congyi, who watched in horror as the bodyguard raised his saber. All of a sudden, Shan Congyi’s face instantly twisted and became murderous.

“You’ll have to die with me!”

“Watch out, Young Master!”

BOOM!

Shan Congyi produced a small black ball from his bosom. Nobody knew what it was, but it violently exploded as it hit the ground. Such was the force of the explosion that everything within a 50-meter radius was blown to pieces, gravel and dirt flying in all directions. Yao Yi rapidly whisked Ling Zhang away. The others also retreated in time.

The tree that Shan Congyi had leaned against a moment before had been reduced to ash, and his body seemed to have suffered the same fate.

When the ground stopped quaking, Ling Zhang hurried up to search that spot, but there was nothing left in that crater with a radius of fifty meters. It was as though the blast had devoured everything it’d come into contact with!

“Did any of you see Shan Congyi die or flee?” asked Ling Zhang coldly.

“None of us had a clear view of anything in that moment, but this wood is surrounded by the army of the imperial court, so it won’t be easy for Shan Congyi to escape. I’ll have them scour this area right away!”

Yao Yi immediately sent someone to deliver a message to the army of the imperial court on the periphery.

There was a circle of soldiers around this wood, whose job was to prevent Shan Congyi from escaping.

Ling Zhang gazed into the crater. There was a long cut on his arm caused by a piece of flying stone. It was very deep, and his arm had been covered with blood which was dripping onto the ground. There were also some scratches from flying gravel on his face. That blast just now had been so powerful. However, he had no idea whether Shan Congyi had been reduced to ash or fled in that moment.

Theoretically, given that Shan Congyi had been grievously wounded and at the center of the explosion, there was no way he could’ve survived in that instant, but Ling Zhang still felt that he wouldn’t be able to have complete peace of mind until he saw Shan Congyi’s dead body.

The surrounding circle was gradually contracting as the soldiers scrupulously combed the area. It took them more than an hour to finish the search and reach Ling Zhang’s position, but there was no sign of Shan Congyi’s survival.

“I think Shan Congyi is dead, Young Master. He couldn’t have survived that explosion.”

Ling Zhang slowly inclined his head. “Gather these bodies. Burn them after the rain stops.”

“Yes, Young Master. You’re hurt. You need to get that wound cleaned and bandaged as soon as possible.”