Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 627 I'll Accept the Empress

At the top of the cliff.

The howling mountain wind swirled thick, impenetrable fog around the narrow, precipice platform of Baizhang Cliff.

The dampness seeped into everyone's clothes and into their very bones.

"Hongwei!"

The last surviving female Xuanluan Guard shouted sharply.

Her hand gripped the knife so tightly her knuckles turned white, her arm trembling slightly from the effort she was putting into controlling herself. Her fiery eyes were fixed on the deputy commander's dark face.
"You used the guise of guards to constantly divide your forces and lure away your fellow Xuanluan Guards!"

"And they even brought the Empress to this desperate situation! What is their intention?!"

Each word was like an ice bead falling, carrying an intense, unyielding doubt and a chilling murderous intent.

Her posture already suggested that the sword was ready to be drawn.

If Hong Wei cannot provide a convincing explanation immediately, she would not hesitate to execute this deputy commander of the Imperial Guards before protecting the Empress!
Hong Wei looked down at the Xuanluan Guards with a disdainful gaze, a hint of undisguised contempt appearing on his face, which was marked by military service.

"Hmph! A mere Luan Guard, whose rank is no more than a Thousand Oxen Guard, dares to question this commander?!"

His voice was loud and clear, even carrying a ridiculous and laughable tone:

"Back when I was slaughtering the Black Dragon Kingdom's people in the Western Desert, making them wail and shed blood on the yellow sand, you little wench were probably still wrapped in swaddling clothes and suckling your breast!"

insult!

Openly belittling one's identity and cruelly humiliating!
Xuan Luanwei's fair cheeks instantly lost all color, turning from deathly pale to an enraged lividity!

"Clang—!"

A chilling sound of a blade being drawn!
The incomparably sharp, cold light tore through the mountain wind!
A chilling killing intent, as if it were a tangible force, suddenly spread out from her center, causing the surrounding gravel and dust to tremble and bend low!
"presumptuous!"

Hong Wei's face remained contemptuous, as if he had only seen a raccoon dog with its fur standing on end.

But under the anxious gazes of the crowd, his hand slowly and heavily pressed down on the sharkskin hilt of the broad, heavy military knife at his waist.

With a snap of the thumb, the copper-inlaid spring made a barely perceptible "click".

This is a habit of veteran soldiers on the battlefield, a ready stance to draw their swords and strike at any moment!
Their eyes clashed in mid-air, like needles meeting wheat awns!

The air was filled with the acrid smell of death, like metal scraping against metal!

"Your Majesty, save us!"

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Several timid palace maids and young eunuchs were so frightened by this sudden change that they turned pale, collapsed to the ground, and futilely hugged themselves, trembling.

"Be bold!"

The dozen or so remaining elite Imperial Guards also roared in anger!

They were Hong Wei's personal guards!

The gleaming blades of the spears were raised in unison!
The sharp spearhead, like an angry hedgehog, instantly aimed at the Xuanluan Guard who dared to draw his sword against the deputy commander, and shouted sternly:
"Anyone who dares to be disrespectful to the Commander—dies!"

The situation is tense!

The air is thick with murderous intent!
At this critical moment, when internal strife was about to erupt!

"Stop!"

A clear, cold female voice, imbued with unquestionable authority, shattered the frozen air atop the cliff like a jade chime striking a stone!
Shepherd Frost!
She stood regally within the invisible protective barrier of joy and sorrow, the beaded curtain of her phoenix crown concealing most of her expression.

But those phoenix eyes that peeked out through the gaps in the beaded curtain were like a deep pool frozen by ten thousand years of ice, calm yet with a chilling presence that could freeze the soul!

Once Mu Congshuang spoke, no one around dared to make a move.

"Pfft!"

The sounds of people kneeling rang out one after another!

Hong Wei, the Xuanluan Guards, all the Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs hurriedly knelt on the ground.

Aside from the joys and sorrows of those who remain with their eyes closed, as if their souls have already transcended worldly concerns.

"In this perilous situation, treacherous villains lurk all around!"

Mu Congshuang's voice was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, only icy calm:

"Instead of joining forces to fight the enemy, you want to fight amongst yourselves? How ridiculous! How absurd!"

She turned slightly to the side, her gaze sweeping over Hong Wei's lowered head:

"My safety on this journey rests in the hands of Commander Hong, and at this juncture... I still trust in your loyalty!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Wei's kneeling body froze almost imperceptibly.

The face hidden in the shadows had no expression, but the hand pressing the knife seemed to have its knuckles turning white from the force.

Xuanluan Guard suddenly looked up, his urgent voice almost bursting out:

"Your Majesty! This man is treacherous; you must not trust him..."

She was unable to finish her sentence.

Mu Congshuang abruptly interrupted her with a flick of his wide sleeve!

The Xuanluan Guards could only reluctantly shut their mouths.

Her icy eyes were fixed on Hong Wei:
"Hongwei!"

The sound was as clear as a cold blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Tell me, what are your plans for protecting me and getting me out of this predicament?!"

Hong Wei slowly raised his head, his dark face showing no emotion whatsoever.

He clasped his hands in a deep fist salute:
"Your Majesty!"

His voice was deep and resonant, deliberately made so that everyone on the cliff could hear it clearly:
"The number and fighting strength of the assassins are unknown; it seems they planned to trap us here and kill us! If we rashly turn back down the mountain now—"

His voice suddenly rose:

"We fear we'll be surrounded by the enemy, and there will be no escape!"

His finger suddenly rose and pointed straight at the thick, bottomless sea of ​​fog churning like boiling water below the cliff!

"Look at this cliff! It stands a thousand feet high! It's shrouded in mist! Even with an arrow that can hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces away, or agility that even monkeys couldn't climb, it would be difficult to ambush or commit atrocities here!"

A near-fanatical certainty shone in his eyes:

"This extremely dangerous place has become a natural barrier, protecting us! This is the true gateway to life!"

"I swear on my life! I will ensure Your Majesty's safe passage from this cliff to the valley floor, evading the assassins' encirclement, and returning directly to the capital!!"

Wow——!
Upon hearing this, all the eunuchs and palace maids kneeling on the ground gasped in shock!
It's like hearing a fairy tale!
That cliff is so dizzying to look at, it seems to have no bottom!
Even birds cannot easily cross it!

"Hongwei!"

Like a mother leopard whose tail has been stepped on, the Xuanluan Guard sprang up suddenly, its blade pointing directly at Hong Wei's face!

Her voice was shrill and distorted with anger and disbelief:
"Your heart is as clear as day!! This is a perilous cliff, even birds cannot cross it! How dare you deceive the Empress into undertaking such a perilous journey?!"

She turned to Mu Congshuang, her voice trembling with a tearful resolve:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please be wise! How is his action any different from regicide?! If Your Majesty were to suffer even the slightest mishap during your perilous descent..."

Her eyes were bloodshot.
Even if his entire clan were ground to dust a thousand times, it would still be impossible to atone for even a fraction of his sins!

Hong Wei snorted coldly, showing no fear even in the face of the blade that was so close at hand!
He suddenly straightened his body, like a mountain cast in iron, exuding the fierce and savage aura of a soldier:
"My military achievements are the result of crawling through piles of corpses! What do I have to fear from a small cliff like this?!"

"If I say I can keep Her Majesty alive, then I definitely can!"

His fingertips almost poked Xuanluanwei's pert nose:

"You're spineless! You're not confident! So shut your mouth and stop blocking my way to save the Queen!"

Xuanluan Guard trembled violently with rage, the tips of his blades humming.
"Nonsense! Shameless scoundrel!!"

Mu Congshuang's breathing quickened slightly.

She subconsciously clenched her cold fingers inside the wide sleeves of her robe.

Hong Wei's oath shook her to her core, but Xuan Luanwei's tearful accusations were not without reason!
Is there truly a glimmer of hope in such a perilous place?
At this extremely anxious moment of decision-making—

"call out!"

"call out!"

Sharp, piercing whistles, trailing long whistles, suddenly exploded one after another from the distant mountain road!
A sharp whistle tore through the thick fog!
A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of the Xuanluan Guards!
"Miss!"

Her voice was filled with barely concealed excitement and hope:

"The signal arrow has been sent! Carrier pigeons have also been dispatched! Reinforcements are on their way! The elite Imperial Guards and top imperial guards will arrive in an instant!!"

She suddenly knelt down, her head bowed low.

"Your Majesty, please give the order! Hold the line and await reinforcements!! I swear on my life! I will escort Your Majesty unharmed until the reinforcements arrive!"

"Absolutely not... Absolutely not to believe the slander of this treacherous villain and risk your life!!"

Hong Wei also kowtowed heavily, his forehead hitting the cold rock with a dull thud!
He roared:
"Your Majesty! As the art of war says, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat!"

"We've left the main assassin force behind, but they could arrive at any moment!"

"To hold out on the cliff, surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides, is tantamount to sitting and waiting for death!"

"This humble general is willing to cover Your Majesty's retreat and fight to the death to stop the enemy!!"

He raised his weathered, bloodshot face, his eyes burning with a gambler's frenzied determination:
"I swear by the spirits of all my ancestors and the lives of all thirty-six members of my clan that if I disobey even slightly, may I be struck down by heaven and earth and condemned to eternal damnation!"

"Your Majesty, please make a swift decision!!"

The two fought fiercely, debating loyalty and treachery, their words filled with heartbreaking farewells!

All the pressure, all the gazes, even the howling from the abyss, weighed on Mu Congshuang's heart like a heavy boulder!

She felt short of breath!
Every decision could lead the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty to utter ruin!

Her gaze darted rapidly between Hong Wei's dark, resolute face and Xuan Luanwei's face, contorted with anger and determination...

finally!
Her gaze was fixed on the old monk behind her, who was chanting scriptures with his eyes closed, exuding a calm and serene aura like a rock!

"Grandmaster……"

Her voice carried an unprecedented sense of dependence and vulnerability; only at this moment did she truly reveal the helplessness of a woman facing a desperate situation.
"You... are the only person I can rely on right now."

Throughout the entire ordeal, Bei Huan never offered any opinion; she simply remained silent, protecting Mu Cong Shuang.

This made Mu Congshuang trust him more.

"Amitabha!"

Amidst the melodious chanting of Buddhist hymns, Beihuan slowly opened her eyes.

A subtle, indescribable glint flashed in the depths of those calm, still eyes.

"My Buddha is merciful."

His voice remained calm, yet carried an invisible weight:

"If Your Majesty trusts this old monk..."

His gaze slowly shifted to the unfathomable depths of the dense, churning fog that seemed to devour everything.

"This humble monk can protect Your Majesty... and ensure you are unharmed!"

The last four words weigh more than a thousand pounds!
Nobody questioned it!
No one can question the promise of a second-rank martial arts master!

A barely perceptible glint of something unusual flashed in Hong Wei's eyes!

Xuanluan Wei opened his mouth, but ultimately fell silent in the face of Beihuan's unfathomable presence!

suddenly!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!"

Just as the words of sorrow and joy fell to the ground!
Several crossbow bolts shot out from the dense forest with a piercing whistle!
Like venomous bees that have caught the scent of blood, they swarmed towards Mu Congshuang, who was trapped within the protective aura shield!
"Bang Bang Bang!!!"

The arrow struck the invisible wall of air, like rain hitting a banana leaf, the enormous impact causing ripples of air to spread outwards!

But it ultimately failed to penetrate even a fraction of the way!
The defense of a second-grade martial artist is not something that just anyone can break.

"Kill the wicked empress! Cleanse the court of corrupt officials!"

"Slay the Mu clan! Save the Great Qian Dynasty!!"

Suddenly, seven or eight assassins, wielding curved knives and wearing various strange masks, roared and leaped out from the dense forest!

They rushed desperately toward the Queen!
"How dare you, thief!"

No order needed!

The remaining Imperial Guards let out a wolf-like howl of fury, their already taut nerves like a fully drawn bowstring!

"Shh!"

Hold the spear horizontally!

Without hesitation, they charged towards the assassin!

The two sides immediately engaged in battle.

In an instant, there were sounds of flesh, blades, and bones colliding, and screams of agony!

In an instant, this place of life and death was transformed into a battleground!

Hot blood spurted out and splashed onto the cold cliff, where it was instantly blown into a mess by the cold wind!
And even more assassins began to appear in the forest.

"Miss!"

Hong Wei's eyes widened in horror, and he sprang up like a mad tiger!

The massive military knife in his hand drew a chilling crescent moon.

"This humble general will shield Her Majesty from these scoundrels!!"

His imposing figure exuded an astonishing aura, like a maddened iron bear, charging headlong into the fierce battle!
The third-rank martial artist's violent sword energy swept across the battlefield, instantly cleaving away the two masked assassins who were at the forefront, making the battle even more bloody and chaotic!
The Xuanluan Guards are preparing to get close to the Empress for protection!

however--

"Buzz!"

An extremely cold, cunning, yet incomparably sharp sword intent instantly locked onto her!

"call out!"

A dark shadow flashed like lightning from behind a gnarled old pine tree on the side, skimming close to the ground!

The speed was astounding!

Before the person even arrived, several invisible sword energies, barely perceptible to the naked eye yet possessing terrifying power capable of piercing through metal and stone, shot towards the Xuanluan Guard's vital acupoints like venomous snakes spitting their tongues!

A slender assassin, completely clad in night clothes, suddenly attacked!
His aura was clearly at the third rank!
"You madman! Don't even think about getting close to Her Majesty!"

Xuanluan Guard's scalp tingled instantly, and his heart pounded wildly!

She could sense the other person's strength from their oppressive aura.

But she has no choice!

She could only let out a shrill scream as the slender, sharp knife in her hand transformed into a sonic boom that tore through the air!

“Ding ding ding ding——!”

The dense clanging of metal against metal instantly merged into a sharp, piercing long sound!

Sparks flew all around her like a fountain!
The terrifying force continued to surge outwards, causing the surrounding trees to shake and snap. Two eunuchs and a palace maid, unable to dodge in time, were violently struck by the aftershocks of the terrifying gust of wind.

"what--!"

They let out extremely sharp and short screams!
Then, amidst the shockwaves of the fierce battle between the third-rank martial artists, the three figures were blown like three fallen leaves into the vast, misty abyss beside them that swallowed everything!

In the end, he was smashed to pieces!
"Your Majesty, let's go quickly!!!"

Hong Wei cleaved two assassins who were entangled with him with a single stroke, then turned around and let out a heart-wrenching roar!
This time, the Xuanluan Guard did not refute it.

She knew very well that the situation was no longer absolutely safe for the Queen.

Although they have the second-rank martial artist Bei Huan on their side, Bei Huan can only protect the Empress now and cannot easily participate in the battle.

After all, the empress was just an ordinary person, and she was also everyone's greatest weakness.

If she had no one to protect her closely, she would most likely be caught in the crossfire of the battle, or even be assassinated.

Hong Wei roared again, using all his remaining strength, towards the direction of sorrow and joy:

"Go! Quickly take the Empress away!!"

His voice was already hoarse!
Mu Congshuang's face turned ashen, and her delicate body swayed almost imperceptibly.

A resolute glint finally flashed deep within her majestic phoenix eyes!
"Grandmaster!"

She abruptly shifted her focus to joy and sorrow:
"Please take me away from this place! No matter where you go!"

Her voice lost its icy calm, carrying a hint of barely suppressed tremor!

Amitabha! Excellent!

A fleeting, deep light, almost the same color as the thick fog below the cliff, flashed in the depths of Beihuan's eyes!
He gently lifted his withered palms, which were clasped together.

A vast and powerful force, so immense that even a third-rank expert would be terrified, suddenly enveloped Mu Congshuang's entire body!
Under everyone's gaze—

Two figures suddenly rose from the ground!

Like two withered leaves swept up by a gale!

Withered and pale, the figure, shrouded in bright yellow, leaped resolutely into the terrifying white sea of ​​fog below!
The Xuanluan Guards hurriedly tried to follow!
But he was held back by the third-rank assassin who had come up to fight him!
She could only watch helplessly as that bright yellow, a symbol of the empress's dignity, disappeared into the all-consuming white abyss!

……

weightlessness!

Absolute weightlessness!

Mu Congshuang felt as if she had been thrown down from the highest point of the sky by an invisible beast!
Even the soul seemed unable to keep up with the speed at which the body was falling!

All around was an absolute expanse of white!
Can't tell up, down, left, or right!
Only the icy, damp fog felt like countless ice needles lashing at my cheeks!

The strong wind blasted into her throat, causing her to scream instinctively!

fear!

A primal fear that transcended status, power, and even life and death seized her!

Fortunately, the internal energy released by Bei Huan was like a large hand that held her firmly, which was her only sense of security during the descent.

I don't know how many hellish moments I've gone through...

call!
The dense, suffocating clouds seemed to have been cleaved open by a divine blade!

It vanished suddenly!

Below!

The rapidly enlarging ground and dense forest are—rushing towards us!
Mu Congshuang's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints!
At that moment, it felt as if my heart was being gripped tightly by a giant icy hand!

"what--!!!!"

Just when she thought she was going to die!
The withered body beside him suddenly sank!
An overwhelming and unstoppable force surged downwards like a tidal wave!
A large patch of dense tree canopy more than ten feet below seemed to have been broken by a hurricane, and with a loud "crack" sound, it exploded and scattered!
Joy and sorrow lightly touch each other on the dust and broken branches that are flying everywhere!
All the terrifying force of the two bodies falling seemed to vanish into thin air!
Like two real feathers!

It drifted silently onto the thick layer of decaying leaves and withered grass!

"Ugh...cough..."

Mu Congshuang's feet touched the ground, but her body felt like it was filled with lead. Her legs went weak and she staggered to the side!

She hurriedly reached out her trembling hand and grabbed a rough tree bark to barely steady herself.

Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed her senses like a tidal wave, and cold sweat instantly soaked through her luxurious undergarments!
She forced down her churning stomach acid and took several deep, greedy breaths of the cold, murky air from the valley floor.

That's the smell of the living!

She looked towards the sorrow and joy, her voice weak yet striving to maintain the resolute air of an empress:

"Thank you so much, Master, for saving me! I will repay this kindness with the utmost gratitude..."

The last word "report" was not fully uttered.

"puff!"

A sudden, mocking laugh from a woman was like a bucket of ice water poured over your head!

Mu Congshuang's voice abruptly stopped!

She looked up suddenly, like a swan whose neck had been grabbed!
A pair of bewitching yet piercing gazes suddenly shot towards us from the dense foliage not far away!

Immediately afterwards, there was a rustling sound of footsteps!

Dozens of masked assassins, wielding poisoned curved blades, emerged from the shadowy forest.

They surrounded the small open space where she and her joys and sorrows were, like a horde of ghosts searching for food.
At the heart of the group of masked men, a woman with a graceful figure slowly emerged from the grove.

A bright yellow base, embroidered with golden phoenixes and longevity symbols, adorned with South Sea pearls and a crown with nine dragons and nine phoenixes!
In the dim light of the forest, the phoenix crown shone brightly!

That phoenix robe was exactly the same as the one Mu Congshuang was wearing!
The most heart-stopping thing is...

That face!
Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows delicate and arched, her nose exquisite and her lips like sage's, her phoenix eyes sparkling with life... It was none other than—

Shepherd Frost!
Another "Shepherd's Frost"!
Mu Congshuang felt a sudden roar in her brain!
The whole world seemed to spin upside down at that moment!
"you……"

Her throat was so dry it felt like grit was grinding against her, and she could barely make a sound.

"Who are you!?"

She had never seen such a chilling reflection in any mirror before!

The woman's luscious red lips slowly curved into an exaggerated smile, her alluring smile as captivating as a poisonous flower.

"I?"

She extended her slender finger and touched her ample chest. In an instant, her demeanor lost its deliberate allure and became solemn, dignified, and exuded an inviolable royal majesty!

Even his voice changed from its previous alluring and flirtatious tone to a clear and piercing one, like an icicle striking jade:

"I am the current Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty, the direct granddaughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, Mu Cong Shuang!"

Her gaze abruptly fell upon the real Mu Congshuang, her eyes instantly flashing with disgust and icy rage, as if scrutinizing a despicable substitute:

"presumptuous!"

His words were like thunder!

"Who are you, you vixen?! How dare you use such a despicable appearance to impersonate the Empress of the court?! It's simply... an outrage against heaven and earth!"

Her jade-like finger suddenly pointed at Mu Congshuang, her phoenix robe's wide sleeves fluttering, her aura perfectly natural:
"Believe it or not, with a single command from me, I will slaughter your entire clan!"

Mu Congshuang felt ice-cold all over, as if she had fallen naked into an ice cellar!

She instantly understood!
Cliffs, dense fog, joys and sorrows... all along the way, there was supposedly "protection"...

A huge, menacing net has already been cast!

She abruptly turned to a mixture of joy and sorrow, despair and insane hatred exploding in her eyes!
"Grandmaster!"

Her voice had completely lost its queenly composure, becoming hoarse like a broken gong, carrying a final, desperate gamble:
"Kill her! Now! Kill this bewitching demon for me!!!"

The sound echoed with a desperate final note in the deathly silence of the valley.

however--

Joy and sorrow, he still clasped his hands and closed his eyes, like an ancient Buddha in deep meditation.

The chanting was melodious and deep.

no answer.

step!
Mu Congshuang subconsciously wanted to get closer to Beihuan, wanting to see the truth behind his compassionate mask.

However, this step was like stepping on a switch of fate!

The withered finger of Bei Huan, hanging from the wide, tattered sleeve, seemed to casually point at her from afar!
call out--!
A wisp of icy, bone-chilling, yet unstoppable true energy, like the sting of a scorpion!

In an instant, it pierced through the distance and precisely struck a major acupoint three inches below Mu Congshuang's dantian!
Pfft!
All the anger, fear, and disbelief in Mu Congshuang's eyes froze and shattered in an instant!
All the strength in her body seemed to be completely drained in that instant. Her vision went black, and her body collapsed softly into the cold, filthy mud and withered leaves, like a heavy sack that had been thrown away!
She could only stare blankly with her eyes unable to move, her whites instantly filled with disbelief!
She stared intently at Beihuan's unmoving, even more "compassionate" face:

"Why... why?"

Joy and sorrow finally slowly turned around.

His lowered eyes didn't look at her; instead, he sighed softly into the damp air of the valley floor, in a tone full of compassion, like that of a Buddhist sage:

"Amitabha!"

“Benefactor Mu, you are naturally intelligent and have a deep affinity with Buddhism.”

He shook his head slightly, as if lamenting her misfortune in this mortal world:
"This mortal world's golden steps are ultimately a prison of hell, where one is consumed by the flames of karma."

"Let go of the illusion of this physical body and take refuge in my pure Dharma."

The tone suddenly took on an irresistible power of salvation:

"Shaving one's head and becoming a monk, severing the three thousand afflictions of the mortal world, serving the Buddha beside the ancient Buddha and the green lamp."

He paused, his voice growing even deeper and more ethereal:
"This is the only true path to escape this boundless sea of ​​suffering and be reborn in the pure and wondrous realm!"

"Do it!"

The cold, harsh command instantly shattered the aura of compassion he had cultivated!

There is absolutely no emotion left!

The masked people, who could no longer contain themselves, pounced on the masks like hungry wolves!
They roughly lifted the limp empress from the ground, the muddy hemp ropes digging into the brocade of her magnificent clothes!
"Snapped!"

A vicious chop, imbued with internal force, slammed heavily into the side of her neck!

In the final moments, in Mu Congshuang's cloudy vision, all that remained was a fleeting, chilling smugness deep within Beihuan's cloudy eyes!

Then we were plunged into complete darkness!

"Quickly! Replace them!!"

The other "Mu Congshuang" instantly lost all traces of the Empress's majesty, leaving only the urgency and excitement of a successful scheme!
The withered arms of Bei Huan were like steel clamps, grabbing the woman by the back of her neck and collar!
"boom!"

A powerful burst of energy erupted!
The two figures shot off like arrows released from a bow!
With a piercing shriek, it reversed its previous trajectory and soared towards the bottomless cliff—soaring into the sky!

Their figures disappeared into the clouds and mist, never to be seen again.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

The remaining masked men, carrying the unconscious true queen, swiftly disappeared into the dense forest like ghosts.

Their agility was superb; they lightly touched the decaying leaves, mossy stones, and thick tree trunks with their toes, moving as swiftly as the wind and lightning.

In just a few breaths, they vanished into the dark, secluded heart of the valley.

Not far ahead, at the edge of the woods, beside the official road.

A funeral procession that had been waiting there immediately sprang into action!

Four simple but sturdy carriages were parked by the roadside, with several pine coffins placed on the carriages. They had just been painted, but still exuded a strong smell of blood and rotten corpses.
"Quick! Stuff it into the middle of the coffin! Seal it tightly and nail it shut!"

"Clothes! Masks! And weapons! Bury them immediately!"

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

A man who appeared to be the leader lowered his voice and shouted sternly, his voice hoarse and urgent.

Everyone quickly threw off their masks, took off their clothes, and put on grayish-white linen mourning clothes that smelled of sweat.

at this time.

A face wearing a strange mask caught the attention of someone digging a hole to bury something nearby.

"Hey! What the hell are you standing there for?"

The man yanked off his mourning cap, revealing a rough and fierce face, and impatiently cursed:

"Hurry up and throw the mask into the pit! Change your clothes! Do you want to leave clues for others to investigate while wearing this outfit?!"

The voice just fell.

A man burying something nearby suddenly threw down his shovel, narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and quickly scanned the surrounding "filial sons" before fixing his gaze on the last one still wearing a mask.

"wrong!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with surprise and doubt!

"We...we don't have the right number of people! There's one too many!"

He turned around abruptly and pointed at the masked man!
"This person isn't from our team!"

Whoa!

It's like a bomb has gone off!
The dozens of fake filial sons who were just busy collecting "evidence" almost simultaneously dropped everything they were doing in an instant!
Mud-covered hoes, shovels, and coffin hammers... all became deadly weapons!
An intense, almost tangible killing intent swept through like a hurricane!

With lightning speed and perfect coordination, they surrounded the abruptly appearing "comrade" tightly at the core!
The shovel and hoe were gripped so tightly in his hands that they creaked!

No questions were asked! No unnecessary words were spoken!

Quit your mouth!

They must be silenced immediately!

Whoever he is!
In the dead silence of this place, surrounded by wolves and filled with murderous intent.

The figure wearing the bizarre mask burst into a low, joyful laugh, as if it had seen something extremely amusing:

"Hahahahaha..."

The laughter wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out the howling wind in the valley and the noise of shovels clashing together.

The laughter suddenly stopped!

Immediately following was an incredibly clear voice, tinged with a cold, mocking tone:

"I originally intended to follow you all the way to see which temple you planned to send our Empress to for 'purification'."

The masked man's gaze, like a cold searchlight, swept over the woman's body, which the two fake filial sons were about to throw into the middle coffin.

His voice suddenly turned icy cold and resolute!
"Now that you've recognized me..."

A breathtakingly powerful aura erupted from him!
The surrounding withered leaves scattered and swirled as if caught in a storm, only to turn into dust in the next instant.

"Then, I will accept the Empress's gift without hesitation!"

"And you..."

Beneath the mask, two points of cold light, seemingly emanating from the depths of the netherworld, suddenly shone, chilling to the bone:

"Now you can die in peace!"

(End of this chapter)