Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 400: Wu Bing Dies, and Your Crown Prince Is Doomed Too! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Did we disturb the Emperor Emeritus's peace and quiet?

Everyone was taken aback by the old man in the straw raincoat's words.

It seems that everyone was struck by the information contained in that sentence.

Even Wu Bing's sword, which was aimed at Yang Nannan, froze in mid-air.

The sneer on his face was completely replaced by boundless fear and disbelief.

He stared intently at the old man in the straw raincoat, as if he had seen a ghost, thinking, "Lord Liuyun is dead just like that? Killed by a single blow with his cane?!"

"No, impossible! You... what kind of monster are you?!"

Wu Bing's voice was distorted and strained by extreme fear.

The old man's cloudy gaze slowly turned to Wu Bing. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it made Wu Bing feel as if he were enveloped in eternal ice, his very soul trembling.

"run!"

This was the only thought in Wu Bing's mind.

What mission? What guard? They're all insignificant in the face of absolute death!
He let out a strange cry, no longer caring about Yang Nannan and Pei Xingjian, and pushed the strength of his legs to the limit. Like a startled rabbit, he turned and fled for his life in another dark alley.

"Take him!"

Despite his pain, Pei Xingjian sternly gave the order.

Yang Nannan's Imperial Guards wanted to give chase, but the soldiers were too fast. Before they could even get going, the enemy was already disappearing into the darkness of the alley.

However, at that moment, the sound of orderly, heavy footsteps, like muffled thunder, accompanied by the clanging of armor, came rapidly from the direction of the long street outside the alley.

“Tap tap tap tap—!”

Squads of city defense soldiers, clad in iron armor and wielding long spears and crossbows, instantly blocked the alleyway like a black iron torrent.

The torchlight pierced the rain, illuminating the soldiers' cold and grim faces.

The leader was a young general, clad in gleaming armor, wielding a long, finely crafted iron spear, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

He was Wang Haibin, one of the first students in the military academy.

After Li Chengqian returned to Chang'an, the outstanding students of their military academy spontaneously joined the city defense army, taking charge of commanding the soldiers in epidemic prevention, arrests, and maintaining public order.

"Where do you think you're going, you thief! Surrender now!"

Wang Haibin pointed his spear and spoke with a booming voice.

Ahead lay the iron wall of city defense troops blocking their way, behind them stood the mysterious old man who resembled a demon god, and Pei Xingjian and Yang Nannan, who had caught their breath.

Wu Bing was instantly plunged into a desperate situation.

"Damn it! You damn bastards!"

Wu Bing had never encountered such a desperate situation before, and panic began to rise in his heart.

Although the city guards in front of him could not stop him with his martial prowess, he was afraid of the old man in the straw raincoat taking action.

After all, even a general like Liu Yun was no match for him in a single move, let alone him, the wolf-like master.

"Ah—! I'll fucking fight you to the death!"

Despair completely consumed Wu Bing's reason. He let out a beast-like howl, his eyes bloodshot. Instead of retreating, he advanced, wielding his long sword like the wind, transforming into a desperate black streak of light, and frantically crashing into the city defense army's gun formation led by Wang Haibin.

He's going to fight to the death!

He would never sit idly by and wait to die!
"Fire arrows!"

Wang Haibin gave the order without hesitation.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

A dense barrage of crossbow bolts, like locusts, tore through the rain and rained down on the charging soldiers.

Wu Bing parried with his sword, the sword light flashing like a wheel, deflecting most of the crossbow bolts, but several powerful crossbow bolts still pierced through the sword net and embedded themselves hard in his shoulder and thigh.

Clearly, his swordplay was out of control due to panic.

The intense pain made him freeze in place.

Just at this moment.

The hunched old man in the straw raincoat had appeared beside Wu Bing like a ghost at some unknown time.

It was still that ordinary jujube wood cane, and the move still seemed effortless.

"boom--!"

A dull bang.

The soldiers were struck head-on by a charging battering ram.

His charging figure flew back at an even faster speed.

Blood gushed from his mouth, and his sternum made a sickening cracking sound.

The longsword flew out of his hand, spinning and embedding itself in the mud.

"Pfft!"

Wu Bing fell heavily into the muddy pool of blood, convulsing violently like a dying fish, blood and fragments of internal organs gushing from his mouth, his eyes glazed over, clearly not going to make it.

The old man in the straw raincoat didn't even glance at the dying soldier. His cloudy eyes swept over Pei Xingjian, Yang Nannan, and the others. His hoarse, dry voice rang out: "Tell His Highness the Crown Prince that the first leader of the Bu Liang Mountain is here to welcome him."

After saying this, he leaned on his cane, turned around, stepped into the rain, and disappeared into the darkness in a few flashes, as if he had never been there.

Pei Xingjian, Yang Nannan, Wang Haibin, and all the city defense soldiers looked in the direction where the old man had disappeared, and then looked at Liu Yun's corpse and the dying soldiers on the ground. Their hearts were filled with boundless shock and awe.

"The first generation of Bad Leader?"

After a long pause, Pei Xingjian looked at Yang Nannan with surprise and uncertainty: "Do you know?"

"I've only ever heard of the Bad Guys, the Bad Guy Commander!"

Yang Nannan shook her head and said, "I've never heard of any first generation. Could that old man just now be the first generation Bad Leader?"

“Yes, the Bad People I know are just a civilian anti-theft team made up of local thugs and criminals, and their leader is called the Bad Leader. But their status is not even that of a government constable, let alone the first Bad Leader with such power!” Wang Haibin echoed.

"Perhaps our understanding is flawed compared to reality; these are the real bad guys!"

Pei Xingjian pondered for a moment and then offered a reasonably acceptable explanation.

At this moment, Wu Bing, lying on the ground barely alive, suddenly coughed and gasped, "So... so it was the first generation of the Bad Guys, huh? Lord Liu Yun and I... we didn't die unjustly."

"Hey, Brother Xiaowu, it seems you know quite a lot. Tell us, what's the story behind the first generation of Bad People? And where is Bad Mountain?"

Upon hearing Wu Bing's voice, Yang Nannan immediately looked at him with a smile, her tone full of teasing.

"Humph"

Wu Bing grunted, ignoring her, and instead glanced at Liu Yun not far away, then said with a bitter smile, "I never imagined that my first mission with General Lang would involve encountering such a master. It's truly a matter of fate."

"Without further ado!"

Pei Xingjian immediately interrupted Wu Bing's self-pity: "If you know what's good for you, confess honestly! What was your purpose in assassinating me!? Also, where is your base in Chang'an? How many people are there, and what is your next plan!?"

"Heh heh."

Wu Bing looked at him like he was an idiot, and said breathlessly, "You... don't be too happy yet. Even your crown prince is doomed."

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Nannan swiftly threw something at him, sneering, "Want to die? Not so easy! You damaged my Gu puppet, so I'll use you to refine the next one!"

"you!"

Wu Bing was horrified. He saw that all the joints in his body were starting to move involuntarily, and countless tiny insects were burrowing into his skin.

"Ah—you vixen! You'll die a horrible death! The garrison commander will not let you go—!"

As if using all his strength, Wu Bing roared out his last complete sentence in this world.

"The garrison commander has arrived in Chang'an?"

Yang Nannan's expression changed, and she subconsciously looked at Pei Xingjian.

Pei Xingjian's expression changed drastically, aggravating his chest injury. A violent cough almost made him lose his balance, and he was quickly supported by the Imperial Guards beside him.

He suppressed his surging blood and qi, his eyes sharp as knives as he swept them over Liu Yun's corpse: "Search! Turn over every inch of his body! Don't let any clue slip by!"

His voice was hoarse from excitement and injury, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

The playful look on Yang Nannan's face had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

She crouched down, ignoring the Gu worms that were modifying her body, and began to examine Wu Bing's body herself.

Their movements were swift and professional, leaving no pocket unchecked and no crevice untouched where items might be hidden.

Under Wang Haibin's command, some of the city defense soldiers quickly set up a perimeter to prevent possible follow-up attacks, while others gathered around Liu Yun's body and began a thorough search.

The rain pattered down, and torches flickered in the wind, illuminating the tense and busy figures of the crowd.

Time seemed to stand still, with only heavy breathing and the rustling sound of clothes being rummaged through.

"Commander Pei, Commander Yang, please take a look at this!"

A soldier searching for Liu Yun's body suddenly shouted.

He carefully took out a hard object, no bigger than half a palm, tightly wrapped in oiled paper, from the inner lining of Liu Yun's clothes. Pei Xingjian and Yang Nannan immediately gathered around.

Yang Nannan took the oil paper package; it felt slightly heavy in her hand.

She quickly peeled back the layers of oil paper, revealing what was inside.

That was a token.

The token is neither gold nor iron; it feels cold and heavy to the touch, and its material resembles jade but is not jade, and is as black as ink.

There are no words on the front, only an extremely complex pattern in relief.

Several chains, seemingly made of thick ink, were intertwined layer by layer. At the center of the chains, the outline of a ferocious beast's head was faintly outlined, exuding a chilling aura.

On the back of the token is engraved a tiny seal character – '守' (shǒu)!
"This is the arrest warrant issued by the Guardian!"

Yang Nannan recognized the token at a glance, and then said with a serious expression, "It seems that Liu Yun should be the next Guardian Commander chosen by the Guardian Commander!"

"No way, is the next garrison commander really that weak? He got killed in one move?" Wang Haibin said with a strange expression.

But Yang Nannan and Pei Xingjian did not respond to his words.

The truth is, it wasn't that Liu Yun was too weak, but rather that the old man in the straw raincoat was too strong.

Otherwise, with Liu Yun's strength, without the old man in the straw raincoat, everyone here would be dead.

"Now that Liu Yun is dead, will the garrison commander retaliate against us?" Pei Xingjian asked seriously.

"I don't know either, but this matter must be reported to His Highness the Crown Prince immediately!"

Yang Nannan shook her head, then took out a hollowed-out iron box and said, "This is what I found on Wu Bing. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the box containing the mother-child Gu."

"Mother-child Gu?"

Pei Xingjian asked in surprise, "Wasn't he killed by your master?"

“You can kill them and then cultivate them again! With my master’s abilities, it’s not a difficult task! The key is that the mother and child Gu have already been planted, and we don’t even know which one was planted!”

"Who cares who he is, as long as he's not His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Pei Xingjian said nonchalantly, then suddenly seemed to remember something, slapped his thigh, and grinned, saying, "I almost forgot! His Highness the Crown Prince should be in danger!"

"What!?"

Everyone was shocked.

But Wang Haibin was the first to exclaim in surprise, "Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Li Chengqian was the backbone of Chang'an and the only hope for the people during this plague that swept through the city.

If something happens to him, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Quickly! Get to the Third Division prison!"

Pei Xingjian didn't waste any more words and immediately ordered his subordinates to head towards the Three Departments Office.

Meanwhile, in the temporary prison of the Three Departments.

The chanting of "Seven Killings Poem" and the pipa music of "Ambush from Ten Sides" seem to still resonate in the stone walls, carrying the scent of iron and blood.

Li Chengqian slowly put down the pipa in his arms, the dark red at his fingertips particularly glaring under the oil lamp.

He did not get up, but merely tilted his ear slightly, listening to the sound of the rain and the brief silence that faintly emanated through the thick stone wall, symbolizing the end of the battle.

A cold, all-controlling smile slowly curved his lips.

"Zheng——!"

The fingers lightly brushed the strings, producing a clear and melodious sound, as if drawing a pause to this massacre.

"Dr. Chu"

Li Chengqian's voice was calm and even, yet it carried an all-knowing indifference: "The night is still long! This pipa has grown tired of being played alone, put it away."

Chu Suiliang slumped to the cold ground, his back against the stone wall, his whole body soaked in cold sweat, trembling like a leaf.

He gazed at the dark figure sitting cross-legged in the cell, seemingly motionless, his eyes filled with boundless awe and fear.

"Your subject obeys."

Chu Suiliang's voice trembled so badly that he almost crawled over and respectfully and carefully picked up the pipa that seemed to still exude an invisible aura of killing intent.

On the other side, at the Shu King's Palace.

The candlelight shone brightly, yet it could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere and panic that permeated the hall.

Because no good news had come for a long time, and with the disappearance of the plague doctor, Li Ke sat upright in the main seat, his face as pale as paper, and the veins on his forehead throbbing faintly.

He forced himself to straighten his back, maintaining the last shred of his kingly dignity, but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his inner fear and unease.

Inside the hall, Chai Zhewei, Cheng Huailiang, and the other "Five Tigers and One Grand Duke" along with some loyal guards from the Prince's Palace all looked equally apprehensive.

Even the air was filled with a sense of despair, as if the end of the world was nigh.

Outside the palace, the rain gradually subsided, but another, heavier, more somber sound rolled in like muffled thunder, growing ever closer.

Those were the sounds of countless synchronized footsteps.

It was the clanging sound of iron armor scales rubbing together.

It was the dull echo of a spear striking the ground.

The sounds coalesced into an invisible torrent, carrying a chilling killing intent that enveloped the entire Shu Prince's Mansion.

"Report——!"

A guard from the Shu Prince's mansion scrambled into the hall, his voice trembling with terror: "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Xi Xi Jun Mai, with a large number of Imperial Guards and city defense troops, has completely surrounded our mansion!!"

"Bold!!"

Li Ke sprang from his seat, his eyes instantly bloodshot, filled with shock and rage: "How dare he be so insolent?! I am the dignified Prince of Shu, how dare he lead troops to besiege the palace, is he trying to rebel?!"

"Where is the Crown Prince?! I demand to see my elder brother, the Crown Prince—!"

"Your Highness, please calm down. This is His Highness the Crown Prince's decree."

"What did you say?!"

Li Ke stared at him in disbelief, as if he had misheard.

The guard, trembling with fear, said, "The people we sent to distribute the enhanced 'Plague-Clearing Powder' were captured and many were killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Even our secret workshops and pharmacies were raided by the city defense troops."

"How could this be? Didn't Wu Bing and the others go to kill Pei Xingjian?! How could this happen?" Li Ke still looked at the guard in disbelief.

But then the guard said, his voice trembling with tears, "Lord Wu Bing and the others have been killed."

Boom!

There was dead silence in the hall.

The last trace of color drained from the faces of Chai Zhewei and the others.

Liu Yun is a top-tier general among the guards!

Even he fell?
And the strength of the soldiers is also not to be underestimated!
How come they were all killed even though they attacked together?!

What exactly is going on? !
"Trash! They're all trash!"

Li Ke roared like a wounded beast and overturned the table in front of him.

Cups, plates, and bowls shattered and broke all over the floor.

"Guards! You bunch of bastards! You've ruined my plans! You've ruined my plans!!"

His roar was filled with anger and despair at the end of his rope.

The meticulously planned counterattack, the seemingly foolproof killing scheme, proved utterly vulnerable under the overwhelming force of the enemy.

Just then, a roar from outside the palace, like the clash of metal, filled with chilling killing intent, pierced the silence after the rain and clearly reached every corner of the palace:
"King Li Ke of Shu! He colluded with the sorcerer Shouzhulang, using the pretext of epidemic prevention to spread the highly poisonous 'Qingwen San', harming the people, imprisoning the imperial physicians, cutting off medical supplies, and plotting to murder the Empress, princes, and princesses! He even sent assassins to kill court officials! The evidence is conclusive! This is an unforgivable crime of treason!"

"By order of His Highness the Crown Prince! Immediately seal off the Shu Prince's residence! Anyone inside who surrenders will be spared! Anyone who resists—kill them without mercy!"

The four words, "Kill without mercy," were like four cold steel knives, piercing the hearts of everyone in the hall.

The guards of the Prince's Palace had cold sweat on their palms as they gripped their sword hilts. They looked at each other with fear in their eyes, then at Li Ke, who sat in the main seat, seemingly insane.

"Your Highness."

Chai Zhewei's voice trembled, on the verge of tears: "What...what do we do?"

Li Ke whirled around, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Chai Zhewei and the others, his gaze like that of a venomous wolf ready to devour its prey: "What are you going to do? Are you scared?! You want to surrender?! Don't forget! Your hands are stained with the blood of those disobedient officials and imperial physicians! With the blood of those commoners who dared to question 'Qingwen San'! Surrender? Do you think Li Chengqian will let you go?!"

His words were like ice water, instantly extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Chai Zhewei and the others' hearts.

Yes, they had already been bound to the Shu King's chariot, their hands were covered in blood, and surrendering meant certain death.

"Rather than wait to die, let's fight to the death!"

A crazed glint flashed in Li Ke's eyes as he abruptly drew his sword, its blade pointing straight out of the hall: "Defend the palace! I still have a backup plan! The garrison commander will not abandon me! Just hold on! Reinforcements will surely arrive!"

He roared, trying to muster the last bit of morale with this faint hope.

(End of this chapter)