'Really, karma's a bitch!'
Once Happy drained his wine, he resolutely left Heaven Fragrant Tower with a fling of his sleeves under Little Moon Immortal and Delicate Servant's reluctant gazes.
*****
Half an hour into the feast in Ruyang Mansion, a rather unhappy atmosphere finally descended on the royal mansion, because Zhao Min refused to appear even after a long time had passed.
The Eighth Prince finally flew into a rage, and he flung his wine cup furiously, left behind some harsh words, and stormed out of the royal mansion through the main door.
"Assassins!"
Lu Zhangke's cry of surprise rang through Ruyang Mansion at the moment the Eighth Prince was about to get into his carriage.
A figure shot out in front of the Eighth Prince, and the elites around him were flung away by a violent palm-generated wind like completely useless people. Lu Zhangke went forward to stop the attack, but he was also swiftly pushed into a disadvantage.
At that moment, a petite figure shot in front of the Eighth Prince like a flash of lighting.
"Zhao Min…"
She tapped the acupressure points on the Eighth Prince's son, and his cries were swiftly stuck in his throat. With a whoosh, Zhao Min positioned her longsword horizontally across the Eighth Prince's shoulders.
"Minmin! Stop!" Prince Ruyang had chosen that moment to come out of the mansion, and when he saw what was going on, he felt so scared that his soul almost left his body. "Release the Eighth Prince!"
"No!" Zhao Min was dressed in brocade robes, and she looked like an elegant pretty boy, but her gaze was resolute when she looked into the Eighth Prince's eyes. "I only want a promise from the Eighth Prince! Swear before everyone that you will not attack my parents. If you don't agree to it, then on the same day next year, you will be welcoming the anniversary of your precious son's death!"
"You—" The Eighth Prince was a sly and ruthless person, but when he faced Zhao Min, who was a girl even more brutal and ruthless than him, he could not help but panic a little.
Right when he was about to speak, a cold sword force that was sharper than anything charged down like a waterfall. It went straight for Zhao Min and the Eighth Prince at the speed of lightning.
"Lapdogs of the imperial court, die!"
Chapter 489 - Embroidered Uniform Guards Clearing Out the Place
A figure in white robes, with skin as white as snow and matchless beauty, brought forth a sword light that came charging forward like a tidal wave!
When Zhang Wuji and Xuanming Elder saw that Zhao Min was about to be cut down by that one slash, they stopped at the same time.
"Miss Zhou, don't!"
"Protect Princess Zhao Min!"
Three elites came forth to protect Zhao Min at the same time, and Zhou Zhiruo's slash, which had been certain to hit Zhao Min, was instantly knocked off kilter by Zhang Wuji, who charged to defend her.
Prince Ruyang walked out of the mansion in an awe-inspiring manner, and behind him were A'da and A'er, who took long breaths and had veins popping up at their temples.
"Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo, you're just asking for death!
"Xuanming Elders, hurry up and capture Ming Cult's master Zhang Wuji!
"A'da, A'er, capture Zhou Zhiruo, the remnant of Emei Sect. I want her alive. Once we have both of them, we can ask for rewards from His Majesty!"
It was only then that Prince Ruyang saw that the pitiful Eighth Prince still had a sword placed at his throat by his precious daughter. A tense look appeared on his face. "Bring Princess Minmin back to me. Protect the Eighth Prince and bring him back into the mansion as well."
Right after Prince Ruyang gave his orders, the martial artists around the royal mansion surged forward like a tidal wave.
Just then, they had received different system notifications, and they were as such:
1) Protect Zhou Zhiruo. Assassinate Zhao Min and the Eighth Prince.
2) Follow Zhang Wuji. Protect Zhao Min and leave Beijing.
The moment the three quests were given, the situation instantly became incredibly complicated.
Quite a number of Ming Cult and Wudang Sect disciples had their eyes on Zhang Wuji's Nine Yang Divine Skill, and some of them had their eye on Zhou Zhiruo's rising strength and inevitable subsequent decline in power; they felt that killing Zhao Min, who was in Moksha Realm, and the Eighth Prince was easier.
But there were also plenty of players who were from Beijing, and hence, most of them were from Six Doors, Embroidered Uniform Guards, and the Eastern and Western Depots. This meant that they only received the quest to protect the Eighth Prince and help Prince Ruyang.
The situation became incredibly chaotic!
Before the people from the three sides could get close to Ruyang Mansion, they were divided into different and distinct camps by the system. White, blue, or red armbands appear on each of their arms. The large group of players then engaged each other in a chaotic battle.
There were also multiple Inaction Realm fighters involved in the quest, so neither of the quests was something that the players could easily complete!
In the blink of an eye, the shadows of weapons flashed outside the mansion, and blood flowed in rivers.
However, there was no person who succeeded in getting to the center of the quest and threatened Zhou Zhiruo or Zhang Wuji. As for Zhao Min, she used the Eighth Prince as her protection, and she was also protected by a group of elites from Ruyang Mansion.
It was extremely difficult for the normal players to get close to her within a short amount of time. Even though the mansion wanted to capture Zhao Min, she was also a princess, so she was also a target for protection.
"Damn it!"
"What is this stupid quest?!"
"I went to capture Zhao Min, and the people from Ruyang Mansion actually came to attack me!"
The strange situation caused many players to realize just how complicated the quest was after they came into brief contact with it. They retreated then.
At that moment, a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards came forth from the other side of the street with uniform footsteps. They pushed away the crowd with a mighty manner. "The Embroidered Uniform Guards are here on official business! Those who are not involved, go away!"
But everyone in the area were all proud and powerful players.
Yet the moment they saw the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the people who were behind him, who numbered to nearly one hundred, they found out that they were all Sky Penetrating Tower members, and the enraged curses at the tip of their tongues instantly died away.
It was Langye, one of the three young masters of Beijing, in the lead!
Langye had come right on time. He used his identity as the vice commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards to get involved in the quest and joined Ruyang Mansion's side with boldness and self-assuredness. No one dared to touch him in the city, and when he surrounded Zhao Min with his people, they were even more dangerous than the Inaction Realm elites. Many of the veterans in Beijing quit the quest and withdrew to the crowd.
Some of the slower ones were surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards commanded by Langye. Around thirty people were captured and had shackles placed on them.
The chaos at the entrance of Ruyang Mansion was instantly controlled by Langye once he brought his people. The ones left were all government officials of the imperial court, and they were all players who had accepted the quest from Prince Ruyang.
The streets near the royal mansion instantly became clear!
Zhang Wuji was surrounded by Xuanming Elders, A'da, and A'er, and he could not get out. Zhou Zhiruo was surrounded as well. Even Zhao Min did not expect that such a situation would appear. She held the Eighth Prince hostage while standing against the wall.
However, even if the situation was dangerous, Zhou Zhiruo did not even need to show her full strength. Wherever the light of Heavenly Sword went, A'da and A'er would never dare to face it head-on, and the players would also f
lee far away from her!
Zhang Wuji had an even easier time!
His Nine Yang Divine Skill was the perfect counter for Xuanming Elders, and his Heaven and Earth Great Shift served as his body fortification. He stood as steady as a stone while surrounded by a group of elites from Ruyang Mansion.
For a period of time, there was a stalemate.
Langye stood outside the crowd while staring at the Heavenly Sword in Zhou Zhiruo's hands with burning eyes.
It was a divine weapon named Heavenly Sword.
Langye stood behind Prince Ruyang while surrounded by Sky Penetrating Tower and showed his great ambition by saying, "Find a chance and kill Zhou Zhiruo."
Zhang Wuji's strength was unfathomable, and he did not have any weakness, but Zhou Zhiruo did not have an invincible force they could not resist. If Langye could kill Zhou Zhiruo and obtain Heavenly Sword, he was confident that he could increase his rank several times on Dragon Rank. People like Blood Robes, Barren Murderer, and Zhou Zyu might not be able to resist Heavenly Sword's might head-on.
At that moment, an abnormal ruckus and the sounds of fighting rose from the royal mansion.
Prince Ruyang was shocked. It was clear that he did not expect that the backyard would be set ablaze.
"What happened?"
A Yuan Dynasty soldier quickly came to provide a report.
"Your Highness, it came from the direction of the dungeon. Someone came to steal our prisoners!"
"There isn't anyone important in the dungeon, why would they—"
"They came to free those wanderers we caught the day before yesterday. The people who came to free them are not weak, and they actually managed to hold back A'san. Right now, they have already entered the dungeon."
"Trash!" Prince Ruyang flew into a rage. "This is the city governed by the emperor. Those robbers simply do not care about our laws! Send someone to notify the city guards and have them lock down the entire city. We must kill them!"
Even so, he did not send even a single person from the entrance to provide reinforcements.
Clearly, to Prince Ruyang, the Eighth Prince's life, his precious daughter's situation, and Ming Cult's master as well as Emei Sect's leader were much more important than the nameless nobodies.
Langye, who stood beside him, noticed it clearly, and a stunned expression appeared on his face.
Someone had actually seized the chance to invade Ruyang Mansion at night, and they forced their way into the prison to free the prisoners who were detained by Prince Ruyang? Judging by the sound of it, they were not weak either.
Each of the three servants of Ruyang Mansion were already in Inaction Realm!
No ordinary person could hold back A'san, release the prisoners, and escape from the dungeon.
Langye suddenly remembered the yellow figure for whom he felt respect and fear. His heart trembled slightly, and he turned around subconsciously. He stared from a distance at Ruyang Mansion's backyard, and unexpectedly, he saw a familiar figure that brought shock to him charging out. As his breathing became labored, his eyes grew wide.
'There's no way there could be such a coincidence, right?'
Chapter 490 - The Dungeon of the Royal Mansion
The dungeon of Ruyang Mansion did have tight defenses!
It would be a very difficult quest for a person to invade the dungeon and free the prisoners without alerting anyone. Zhang Wuji and Zhou Zhiruo's appearance helped Happy quite a lot.
The Eighth Prince's capture and the appearance of two elites from the world of martial artists shocked the guards of the royal mansion into action, and most of them were afraid for their master. They quickly headed to the entrance of the mansion, which was why the originally tightly defended royal mansion had many holes in its defenses.
With practically no effort and with very little time wasted, Happy brought two men with cold expressions and who were dressed in night traveling clothes near the dungeon.
The people behind him were famous Beijing fighters Iron Saber and Thick Sword. They were solo players who became famous by challenging the powerful players on Dragon Rank in Beijing.
During one particularly critical moment in their life, they received protection from Wandering Know-it-all, who covered their tracks, and they managed to hide from Class One Hall and the elites from other sects. Because of that, they owed him a huge favor, and when Wandering Know-it-all asked for their help, they could be considered to be returning the favor.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Wind Blowing Needle sealed voice boxes when it saw blood, and it was the necessary tool to kill a person and steal things. It could almost guarantee a 100% kill rate when it was used against mooks.
Wandering Know-it-all had a pretty good judgment of character. The techniques of his two helpers and their control over timing were incredibly great, which made it unnecessary for Happy to bother with the tiny details. He seized the timing and shot past two Yuan Dynasty soldiers while they fell to the ground dead and headed straight into the dungeon ahead of the others. His courage and confidence caused the people who followed behind him to show anxiety and solemn expressions.
Even though the scouts at the periphery had been taken care of, they did not know what the situation was inside the dungeon. If they could not get rid of the barriers straight away, they might alert the royal mansion, and the city guards would surround them.
They did not dare to be negligent and followed behind the elite whose name they did not know. They chased him into the dungeon like lightning.
The moment they entered, they heard two bangs that came one after another, and soon, the sounds of people being killed were heard.
They swept their gazes over the area, and they saw that there were Yuan Dynasty soldiers already sprawled all over the hall of the dungeon. Each of the Yuan Dynasty soldiers had a terrifying and thin sword slash on their c.h.e.s.ts. What was even more was that they did not seem to have even drawn their weapons. The dozen or so Yuan Dynasty soldiers seemed to have died from a single attack.
'What a fast, ruthless, and accurate sword technique!'
When they looked over, they saw that the mysterious elite that Wandering Know-it-all had found had already entered the tunnel, which was sixty-five feet away from them. Two Yuan Dynasty soldiers, who had scimitars in their hands had their throats seized, and they were like chicks in the mysterious elite's hands, Their arms went limp by their sides, and their weapons fell to the ground as if they wanted to have them pierce through the ground like leather.
"Look at his weapon."
Thick Sword was very observant. He cried out in surprise when he saw the weapon, and it was only then that Iron Saber noticed that the elite whose name he did not know did not use swords, but gloves.
His Golden Gloves released a faint light in the dark prison, and their glow was very prominent. The flowing light that remained only stopped for a little over a second before disappearing into the air.
Iron Saber's eyes stopped on the man for a while, but he did not say anything.
"Third-echelon Golden Gloves. This person has some money on him," Thick Sword said with envy.
The appearance of a grade one masterpiece Golden Gloves was very fierce. Their fingers were like hooks, but the user could move their fingers at will, because the segments of the gloves were made well and were extraordinarily flexible. They had an astonishing ripping and blocking effect, and their speed was astonishing.
However, it was rumored that Golden Gloves were the hardest to be refined from the Golden Armor Set. Ordinary Forgemasters would not dare to touch them, hence, while their price was low, no refined Golden Gloves were sold on the market.
The people who had this sort of weapon could no longer be described as merely possessing a lot of money!
Iron Saber frowned and whispered, "We'll talk later. Let's focus on the quest first."
Then, he tapped against the ground and chased after the mysterious elite.
*****
There w
ere not many Yuan Dynasty soldiers in the dungeon, but the people who heard the sound still quickly became alert and came over.
"Someone is here to free the prisoners!"
Four Yuan Dynasty soldiers shot out from the deepest part of the dungeon. They drew their scimitars, but they were stopped by a mighty and low voice behind them!
"Keep watch over the prisoners!" The foreign man with a lot of tiny braids came out from a corner while speaking. His profound and cold eyes were cast on Happy's face, and his tone was chilling. "He's mine."
'A'san!'
The person who came over was A'san, who was tasked with guarding the prisoners in the dungeon.
During the battle at Eternal Peace Temple, Happy had safely escaped from his hands. Then, he had saved the elites of the six great system-allocated sects.
A'san and Happy could be said to have gone through two very unpleasant encounters, and A'san had not been able to kill Happy during either one of them! The effect of that was so great that his image within Prince Ruyang and Princess Zhao Min's hearts had been greatly diminished, and he was tasked to keep watch over the dungeon.
The young martial artist in Life and Death Realm had left behind an image A'san had a hard time getting rid of in his heart.
When such enemies met each other in Ruyang Mansion's dungeon, it was unavoidable for A'san to have the thought of killing this person so that he could ask for rewards from the prince!
Happy had a grave look on his face.
He swept his gaze over A'san and shifted his attention to the prisoners behind the four Yuan Dynasty soldiers.
Over there, a man and woman sat up with pleasant surprise and stared at him.
"Happy, why are you here?"
Silver Wolf had clearly not understood the situation just yet, and with his words, he revealed Happy's identity.
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