xymnovel Chapter 40 Dragon Shadow Guard
Chapter 40 Dragon Shadow Guard
The giant's pupils suddenly contracted.
He never expected that this young emperor, who was rumored to be muddleheaded and incompetent, would dare to step out of the carriage so calmly in the face of a Celestial Realm assassin like himself.
Rainwater streamed down Qin Mu's dark dragon-patterned robe, but he showed no sign of dishevelment. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, calmly observing the giant man before him, as if admiring an interesting toy.
"Dark Blood Eyes, Xuan Iron Heavy Sword."
Qin Mu suddenly spoke, his voice still calm.
"You are Xue Tu Tie Xiong. Three years ago, you slaughtered the entire Zhou family of 73 people in Yunzhou. You were wanted by the Six Doors with a bounty of 5,000 taels of silver. I never expected you to hide here."
A hint of surprise flashed in Tie Xiong's exposed eyes.
His identity was extremely secretive. He had changed his appearance over the past three years, and even his closest accomplices did not know his real name.
How could the emperor, who lived deep within the palace, recognize him at a glance?
"So what if you know?" Tie Xiong's voice was hoarse, like the grinding of gravel. "Today is your death day!"
Before he finished speaking, he raised his greatsword again!
This time, the sword strikes were fiercer and faster than before!
Wherever the sword passed, the rain was shaken into white mist, and a muffled boom echoed in the air.
This is a sign that speed is breaking the sound barrier!
A full-force strike from a Celestial Realm expert is enough to split mountains and shatter rocks!
The Imperial Guards closed their eyes in despair.
Zhao Kuo struggled to rush over, but due to his severe injuries, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
Suppressed gasps came from Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning's carriage.
Jiang Qingxue gripped the carriage curtain tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.
however--
"Buzz".
A slight tremor.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Tie Xiong's unstoppable giant sword stopped in mid-air.
No, it's not stopping.
It was pinched between two fingers.
The sword tip was only three inches from Qin Mu's brow, but it could not go any further.
Qin Mu remained standing in the same spot, without even moving the hem of his clothes.
He simply raised his right hand, extended his index and middle fingers, and gently pinched the massive black iron sword, which weighed a hundred pounds and was infused with the full power of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm's true energy.
The wind stopped.
The rain seemed to have lessened.
An eerie silence fell over the entire Eagle Falling Gorge.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Tie Xiong felt as if he had seen a ghost, his dark red pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
He tried to pull back the greatsword, but those two fingers were like iron clamps; no matter how much he channeled his inner energy, the greatsword remained motionless.
"Celestial Realm, is that very strong?"
Qin Mu asked softly, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Then, he flicked his finger slightly.
"bite--"
A crisp, metallic sound rang out.
The giant sword forged from black iron shattered inch by inch, starting from the tip!
It didn't break, it didn't shatter, but turned into dust, like crushed sand, scattered in the rain.
Tie Xiong's tiger's mouth burst open, blood gushing out. He staggered back three steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the bluestone pavement.
"You...you..." His voice trembled.
Qin Mu didn't look at him, but turned to the cliffs on both sides and said loudly, "Men, deal with these remaining enemies."
The moment the words fell—
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Dozens of dark figures leaped out from the shadows surrounding the carriage!
These people wore black soft armor completely different from the Imperial Guards, and their faces were covered with silver dragon-patterned masks, revealing only pairs of cold, knife-like eyes.
Their movements were as swift as ghosts, and they landed silently, as if they had never existed.
The leader knelt on one knee, his voice low: "Dragon Shadow Guard, we are late in protecting Your Majesty, please forgive us."
"Not too late, just in time." Qin Mu waved his hand. "Clean it up."
"As you command."
The leader stood up and gently waved his right hand.
The next moment, the killing began.
These men in black, who called themselves "Dragon Shadow Guards," were like messengers emerging from hell.
Their martial arts style is unpredictable and ruthless, with each move aimed directly at vital points without any unnecessary actions.
Those previously fierce black-clad assassins were as vulnerable as children in front of the Dragon Shadow Guards.
Screams echoed throughout the room.
The blood-red flowers bloomed in the rain, only to be quickly washed away by the rain.
One, two, ten, twenty...
The assassin fell like wheat being harvested.
Tie Xiong watched helplessly as his men were slaughtered, and boundless fear rose in his heart.
He suddenly turned around, wanting to escape.
But as soon as he took a step, a dark figure blocked his way.
It's the leader of the Dragon Shadow Guard.
The two looked at each other.
Tie Xiong roared and unleashed a powerful punch!
This is his trump card, the "Mountain-Crushing Fist," which once killed a master of the same realm with a single punch.
The leader of the Dragon Shadow Guard simply raised his hand and struck out with a palm.
Fist and palm meet.
There was no earth-shattering noise, only a slight "click".
Tie Xiong's entire right arm, from his fist to his shoulder, was shattered joint by joint.
He screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily into the cliff, his blood staining a patch of rock face red.
The leader of the Dragon Shadow Guards stepped forward slowly, looking down at him.
"Who sent you?" The voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.
Tie Xiong gritted his teeth, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.
He suddenly bit down on his back teeth.
There are poison sacs hidden there.
However, he was still too slow.
The leader of the Dragon Shadow Guards stepped on his face, dislocating his jawbone with precise force.
The venom sac rolled out of the mouth and mixed with the mud and water.
"Want to die?" The leader squatted down, grabbed Tie Xiong's hair, and forced him to look in the direction of the carriage. "His Majesty didn't order you to die, so you can't die."
Despair finally appeared in Tie Xiong's eyes.
The battle ended quickly.
In less than half an incense stick's time, all but one of the hundred black-clad assassins were killed, except for Tie Xiong, who was captured alive.
The body was quickly cleared away and dragged to the side of the road.
The Dragon Shadow Guards skillfully sprinkled corpse-dissolving powder, and pungent white smoke rose as the corpses slowly dissolved in the rain.
If it weren't for the bloodstains on the ground that hadn't been completely washed away and the lingering smell of blood in the air, the brutal battle that had just taken place would seem as if it had never happened.
The Imperial Guards stared in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
Zhao Kuo was helped up and looked at the silent Dragon Shadow Guards returning to their ranks, his heart filled with turmoil.
As the commander of the Imperial Guards, he was completely unaware that His Majesty possessed such a terrifying force!
Each of these Dragon Shadow Guards was no less powerful than him, and their leader was even more unfathomable.
With such guards present, why would His Majesty need the protection of the Imperial Guards?
Qin Mu slowly stepped down from the carriage and approached Tie Xiong.
The rain dampened his hair, and a few strands of black hair clung to his forehead, adding to his deep features.
"Speak, who sent you?" His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority.
With his jaw dislocated, Tie Xiong could only utter muffled whimpers, but his eyes were full of arrogance.
Qin Mu smiled.
He reached out and gently pressed his hand on Tie Xiong's head.
"I have many ways to make you talk. The gentlest one is soul-searching magic. However, that will damage your mind and turn you into an idiot."
Qin Mu's voice was as gentle as if he were speaking sweet nothings, "I don't really like that. After all, you are quite a master."
Fear finally showed in Tie Xiong's eyes.
Soul Searching Technique! That's a legendary forbidden martial art, lost for a century!
How could this emperor...?
"However, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a quick death." Qin Mu tightened his grip slightly.
Tie Xiong's body trembled violently, his eyes bulged, and blood began to seep from his seven orifices.
He opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out; he could only make strange "hoarse" noises from his throat.
Ten breaths later.
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, and Tie Xiong's body slumped down, his pupils dilated, and he was already dead.
"So it's the 'Shadow Tower'." Qin Mu said thoughtfully, "The number one assassin organization in the martial arts world, they certainly think highly of me."
He turned to the leader of the Dragon Shadow Guard: "Find out the Shadow Tower's strongholds, the identity of its leader, and all its patrons. Within three days, I want to see the Shadow Tower wiped out of the martial arts world."
"As you command." The leader bowed, his voice remaining completely calm.
It was as if wiping out the most feared assassin organization in the martial arts world was just a trivial matter.
Qin Mu then looked at Zhao Kuo: "Commander Zhao, how are your injuries?"
Zhao Kuo struggled to kneel on one knee: "This humble general is incompetent, please punish me, Your Majesty!"
"You have done your best." Qin Mu raised his hand to support him. "Pass down the order to speed up the passage through the valley and set up camp in the open area ahead. Take good care of the wounded brothers. Record the names and hometowns of the fallen, and provide triple compensation. Their children can enter the Royal Martial Academy."
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless!" Zhao Kuo's eyes reddened as he kowtowed deeply.
Upon hearing this, the imperial guards all knelt down and shouted in unison, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"
The sound echoed through the valley, drowning out the sound of the rain.
Qin Mu waved his hand, turned around and walked back to the carriage.
As he passed Jiang Qingxue's carriage, he paused slightly and glanced towards the carriage curtain.
Behind the carriage curtain, Jiang Qingxue's heart suddenly raced.
She covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound.
What she just witnessed completely overturned her perception of Qin Mu.
That lazy, muddle-headed emperor who only knew how to enjoy himself actually possessed such terrifying power!
And those Dragon Shadow Guards... She had never heard of the existence of this force.
Most importantly, Jiang Qingxue had a gut feeling.
That means Xu Longxiang might take this opportunity to ambush and kill Qin Mu!
Based on her understanding of Xu Longxiang, she knew he was absolutely capable of doing something like that!
Xu Longxiang...you absolutely must not come!
Jiang Qingxue cried out in her heart.
If Xu Longxiang really brings men to ambush and kill them, facing Qin Mu and the Dragon Shadow Guards would be tantamount to suicide!
But she had no way to send messages.
All the maids were strictly controlled; she didn't even have the chance to write a note.
All we can do is pray.
I pray that Xu Longxiang won't act impulsively...