Chapter 134: The Assassin

It was night in Hedong, at the Liu estate.

The family head, Liu Lin, had just retired for the night. Suddenly, a strange sound drifted through the courtyard—the soft, rapid patter of footsteps. The inner courtyard of the Liu estate was strictly forbidden to everyone except Liu Lin’s favorite wife and the patrolling death-sworn guards. These guards always moved in disciplined squads of five, their steps rhythmic, synchronized, and heavy with purpose. The sound just now, however, was light and hurried.

"Trouble!" Liu Lin roared, grabbing his sword and charging out of his room. "Assassins!"

"Assassins, assassins..."

*Splat!*

No sooner had he opened the door than a blade slit his throat. A thin, masked figure revealed himself. Behind him stood eighteen men, similarly masked and wearing bamboo hats, each gripping a scimitar or a dagger. They were Luo Tong and the Golden Blade Guards, arrived from Hongnong County.

"Move!" Luo Tong commanded, his voice cold. They turned to depart, but the Liu family reinforcements had already arrived. A massive net dropped from above to block their escape, and dozens of swordsmen swarmed from the side gates, encircling the Golden Blade Guards.

"Who dares trespass in our Liu estate?"

"Kill them!"

The swordsmen surged forward. "Form up!" Lou Yi shouted. In an instant, the eighteen men split into six groups of three, shielding Luo Tong in the center.

"Defend!"

Facing the onslaught of dozens of skilled swordsmen, the Golden Blade Guards did not rush to strike. Instead, they held a defensive stance, focusing entirely on parrying the torrent of blades. They would test the enemy’s strength first before launching a targeted counter-offensive.

After a dozen exchanges, neither side had lost a man.

"Now... kill!" Lou Yi suddenly commanded.

The Golden Blade Guards shifted from defense to offense. Their strikes were lethal and precise. In a single round, they cut down six of the enemy. The tide of battle turned instantly; the Liu family, previously evenly matched, was now completely overwhelmed.

"How is this possible?" the onlookers gasped in shock.

*Splat, splat, splat...*

The so-called top-tier swordsmen could not hold on for long. Under the relentless counter-attack, they fell into pools of blood one by one. Their formation shattered, and they were picked off individually.

"My lord, these people are nothing special," Lou Yi remarked. "We’ve seen through their techniques. Shall we finish them all?"

"Kill them," Luo Tong replied.

Everyone in the courtyard became a target. Men and women, over a hundred and thirty in total, were spared none. After the slaughter, Luo Tong and his men walked out through the main gate, bold and unhurried. As they passed, Luo Tong noticed figures watching from the shadows outside. He scoffed, "Watch all you want. It won't be long before the same fate befalls you."

The news of the Liu family’s annihilation spread across Hedong. The other two great clans were stunned and filled with fury. "A fine imperial court! A fine Li Shimin! To dare strike so ruthlessly against the Liu clan!" Guo Jiang was livid.

"Liu Lin is dead... they say he was killed by a group of highly skilled warriors," Wei Tai said, visibly shaken. "Will they come for us next?"

"It’s entirely possible."

The two men exchanged glances, their anxiety deepening. If the Liu family, with all their elite guards, could not escape, could they possibly hold them off?

"Our guards are all out on assignment," Wei Tai said. "Since those people killed Liu Lin, we are surely next. We cannot sit idle and follow in his footsteps."

"What should we do?"

"Recall all the experts from outside. We must guard ourselves for a time. Only once they are gone can we stand down."

"Then let it be done."

That night, the death-sworn and swordsmen of the Guo and Wei families were concentrated together to brace for the threat. Luo Tong and his men knew this, yet they risked the venture anyway. Li Zhi had told them the goal was not just to kill, but to strike terror into the hearts of the noble clans. And how better to terrify them than to attack while they were at their most guarded?

In the front courtyard of the Wei estate, hundreds of experts stood ready. Luo Tong and the Golden Blade Guards appeared openly on the rooftops.

"They’re here!" Guo Jiang shouted in alarm. "Everyone, stay alert! Hold them back!"

"Archers, fire!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

At Wei Tai’s roar, the entire force unleashed a volley of arrows toward the roof.

"Watch out!" Luo Tong, just about to leap down, recoiled as the sky filled with arrows. "These fellows truly were prepared." He signaled for the Golden Blade Guards to stay low. "Be careful, don't let us capsize in this small ditch."

"Do not worry, my lord," Lou Yi said confidently. "When it comes to dodging arrows, we have never failed."

The famed Eighteen Riders of the past were invincible precisely because of their ability to evade missiles; no matter how dire the situation, they were rarely injured. Combined with their unique, integrated offensive and defensive formations, they could fight a hundred men alone. The Golden Blade Guards had inherited this legacy. To them, the hundred men of the Guo and Wei families were but a minor nuisance.

"Attention... after three breaths, charge with me!" Luo Tong commanded.

One. Two. Three.

Just as the archers below finished their volley and looked down to reload, Luo Tong sprang up. "Now!"

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Luo Tong and the guards leaped into the courtyard, flinging hidden weapons at the archers. *Thud!* The dozen experts guarding Guo Jiang fell. Guo Jiang backed away in terror, screaming, "Stop them! Stop them!"

"Charge!"

Countless experts swarmed to surround them. Wei Tai shouted, "Who are you people? Why strike so cruelly against the clans of Hedong? If it is money you want, you need not go to such trouble. We can provide ample payment, if only you stop opposing us!"

Wei Tai was fishing for information. If they weren't interested in money, then this was political. The imperial court’s campaign against the clans had reached a life-or-death intensity.

Luo Tong ignored him, continuing to hurl hidden weapons.

"It seems you really were sent by the court!" Wei Tai took a deep breath. He had to warn the other clans to increase their vigilance.

Guo Jiang stepped forward, addressing his guards. "No matter what, stop them! Whoever kills one of them shall be rewarded with fifty thousand coins! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

The promise stirred a desperate resolve in the men. Before, they were only doing their duty and had no desire to gamble their lives. But now, for a fortune that could make them rich overnight, dying was a price worth paying.