Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 228 Assassinating Cai
An inn in Sweet Mountain.

The guesthouse has a grassland in the backyard.

A figure with his hair tied up and wearing a crown emerged, bathed in moonlight. This person was tall and had an extraordinary bearing. On his golden face was a long, narrow scar.

He stood there, and casually said, "Let's move to Sweet Mountain!"

The people in the distance were stunned by this order.

The capital city is located 200 li north of the inn. Tianyi Jushi is heading south from Xianhu to Suanling, which is 900 li away from the capital.

Tianshan is 700 li south of the capital. Why did Yuan Shisanxian neither go north to return to the capital to protect Cai Xiang, nor send troops south to hunt down Tianyi Jushi, but instead move his troops to Tianshan?

Is he crazy?

"Military Advisor Yuan, what are we going to Sweet Mountain for?"

"Sit back and wait."

"Who?"

The yellow-faced man in the tall hat smiled slightly: "Xu Xiaoyi and his group will definitely walk right into our trap."

Someone gasped: "The strategist is so confident? You should know that the Prime Minister's residence is poorly defended."

The man with the yellow face said calmly, "They are using a roundabout method. The capital city seems to be experiencing strong winds and heavy rain, but it is actually a deliberate feint to create a diversion and bluff." He pointed domineeringly to the mountain road, "They are taking the route through Suanling. Whether by water or land, they will have to pass through Tianshan. We will fight them to the death there!"

"Wow, strategist Yuan is truly amazing!"

His men suddenly realized what was going on, praised him, and then retreated to lie in ambush at various points along the mountain path.

Wait until everyone is gone.

The man with the yellow face stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly squatted down.

Eating grass.

Eat grass like crazy!
It devoured the grass frantically, bite by bite.

Like a bewitched giant antelope.

Suddenly, he looked up sharply, towards the direction of the capital.

Faintly, he seemed to hear a thunderous sword cry!
Yuan Shisanxian hadn't even finished chewing the grass in his mouth when his eyes widened, and he hissed, "Sword Qi Soars to the Sky! Who is it?"
-
Beijing.

Xiangfu.

This is a magnificent mansion with towering, wide gates that allow carriages to pass through easily.

The mansion features tall buildings, winding corridors, and is adorned with artificial hills and strange rocks.

In front of the main house with its upturned eaves, stand two green pine trees. In the night, their gnarled branches appear even more like iron and their clustered leaves like needles, adding a sense of vigor and solemnity to the luxurious and elegant house.

Under the long corridor, the hanging hexagonal palace lanterns swayed slightly, and the interplay of light and shadow created a variegated effect.

Inside the study, Cai Jing, slumped in his chair, yawned and slowly leaned back in the cushioned armchair, letting the maid gently massage his shoulders to relieve his fatigue.

Even though Cai Jing possessed superb martial arts skills, he still felt old.

Therefore, he became even more obsessed with power, because only by holding power could he see himself still high above and admired by thousands.

Only then can he truly feel alive and have an inexhaustible source of motivation.

As the saying goes, "Second only to one person, above ten thousand others."

Now all he needs to do is flatter his superiors and bully his subordinates so he can continue his "emperor"-like life.

just.

Cai Jing raised his hand to look at the scar on his arm. It was a scar from when Zhuge falsely accused him of forming a clique with Fu Zongshu, forcing him to mutilate himself.

It hurts a lot, and it's very annoying.

Cai Jing was furious. How could this old monkey use the same methods he usually employed?
So he had "Seventh Under Heaven" kill "Heavenly Garment with a Seam," and then instructed "Multi-Finger Monk"—Heavenly Garment Hermit's financial backer and his most trusted friend—to deliver two messages to him.

One is that Wang Xiaoshi killed Fu Zongshu and is being hunted down by both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

Another one is that Yuan Shisanxian instigated his apprentice "Tianxia Qiqi" to kill "Tianyi Youfeng" in order to prevent him from investigating the "Fanlongpo" case from back then.

As expected, Tianyi Jushi was fooled. Wang Xiaoshi was his only disciple, and "Tianyi Youfeng" was his only son. Now that one of them has escaped and the other is dead, no one can bear it, so he will definitely go to Yuan Shisanxian to hold him accountable.

As for the Yuan Thirteen Limits?

This man is insane; he's always been wary of the Heavenly Robe Hermit and Zhuge Zhengwo joining forces. If someone were to sow discord even slightly, he would definitely kill the Heavenly Robe Hermit!
So, you see!

What is layout?

For over a decade, Cai Jing has been supporting the hermit Tianyi with the nickname "Multi-Finger Monk." When needed, he can stir up trouble with just a meal or a word!

Thinking of this, Cai Jing couldn't help but chuckle softly: "Xu Xiaoyi, Xu Xiaoyi! So what if you've seen through my plan? Can you escape Yuanxian's pursuit?"

"As for old man Zhuge, how do you plan to deal with this situation?"

After saying that, he laughed non-stop, leisurely poured himself a glass of wine, and began to drink it by himself.

"Ah."

Suddenly, a soft laugh rang out.

Cai Jing's hand, which was drinking, suddenly stopped, and a huge wave of emotions surged within him.

what?
who?

There was someone in my study?

He forced himself to remain calm, slowly drank the wine in his glass, and then turned to look at the side from which the sound came.

In a dark corner where the light couldn't reach, a figure dressed in a white robe sat leisurely on a grand chair, with his hands crossed on his stomach.

A pair of bright, sparkling eyes were looking at me with a smile.

Cai Jing poured two glasses of wine and raised his glass with a smile, saying, "All who come are guests, but I wonder where they come from?"

The man flicked his sleeve, and Cai Jing's hand suddenly felt light; the wine cup was already in the man's hand.

The man in white raised his cup, drank it all in one gulp, and smiled, saying, "I came to kill you."

"Oh?" Cai Jing remained calm, looking at the handsome man. "You easily infiltrated my residence without your skilled men noticing. Such ability is beyond description. May I ask your name?"

The man raised his glass to the moon, his voice clear and bright: "My name is Ren Shaoyang."

“Ren Shaoyang?” Cai Jing frowned, tapping his fingertips lightly on the armrest of the wooden chair, and pondered, “I have never heard of your name before.” His triangular eyes rolled, staring intently at him. “Is this Mr. Ren’s first time entering the mortal realm?”

"This is my first time here," Ren Shaoyang said with a smile. "So I have two big things to do."

Cai Jing seemed quite interested, still staring at the armrest of the chair: "The first thing should be to kill this old man, so what about the second thing?"

"Save Xu Xiaoyi."

Cai Jing sighed and said, "Mr. Ren, are you under the command of Zhuge Liang?"

"I haven't met the Divine Marquis yet," Ren Shaoyang said casually, glancing at the simple, elegant wine cup. "However, we've long admired each other through our shared spiritual connection."

“Heh.” Cai Jing suddenly sneered, “This is the advantage of a good reputation. I have to use strategies, intimidation, and money to win people over. But Zhuge Zhengwo can attract talent just by using his reputation.”

"Even a master like Mr. Ren."

Ren Shaoyang smiled faintly: "It has nothing to do with him."

"Who sent you to kill me?"

"I."

"You?" Cai Jing's face paled, and he gripped the armrest tightly. "Is there a reason?"

Ren Shaoyang held his wine glass and said leisurely, "The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor for Jie."

Cai Jing suddenly relaxed, lowered his hand from the armrest, and said with a grin, "So you mean, God wants me dead?"

"No," Ren Shaoyang said seriously, "I want you dead."

"You're comparing yourself to God?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "To you, I am the sky."

Cai Jing rolled his eyes and slammed his hand on the armrest: "Kill him!"

"So long, you're only just arriving?" Ren Shaoyang smiled as he watched his movements and gently tapped the armrest.

((((Thump~!)))) Cai Jing suddenly felt a powerful force attacking from the void. He was about to shout loudly, but found that his mouth and nose were blocked and he could not move at all.

Then, with a "crack," a thin crack suddenly appeared on the rosewood square table in front of him, about an inch wide and a foot long.

Cai Jing was horrified but speechless.

"Uh~!"

From the dark corner came a few short, urgent screams, followed by the sound of a corpse falling to the ground with a thud.

Immediately afterwards, several more people swung down from mid-air with swords. Ren Shaoyang remained seated, casually catching the longswords and striking the tip with a few clinking sounds.

Those men felt a numbness in their hands, and their longswords slipped from their grasp.

They reacted quickly, clapping, punching, and kicking as they charged, but unexpectedly, the longsword suddenly turned its tip and pierced straight into their chests.

"Pfft pfft pfft pfft~" These men were pierced through the chest by long swords, and in an instant, they knelt down and died.

"Death!"

Just then, a crack was heard, the window shattered, and a man rushed in with a gun.

Ren Shaoyang remained calm and said indifferently, "Get out!" He didn't move his hands or feet, but the wine glass "whooshed" into the man's chest.

The man felt a tightness in his chest and lost control of his body. He somersaulted out of the window and disappeared from the study in an instant.

A sudden silence fell over the study.

Ren Shaoyang remained seated, his gaze sweeping over them.

Cai Jing's mouth dropped open, his face turned ashen, and he unconsciously took two steps back.

Ren Shaoyang sighed, "That's it?"

Cai Jing took a few quick breaths and hurriedly said, "Mr. Ren, what do you want? Gold and silver jewels, unparalleled beauties, immense power? I can give you anything! Even Yuan Shisanxian!"

"Correct!"

Cai Jing's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Didn't you want to save Tianyi Jushi? I can give you the original 'Mountain Classic'! It will help you break through Yuan Shisanxian's 'Heartbreak Arrow'. Just let me go, and all of this is yours!"

Since Fu Zongshu was killed by Wang Xiaoshi with a stone, everyone in Cai Jing's faction was in a state of fear and purged a number of suspected underlings.

While ordering his men to hunt down Wang Xiaoshi, he also deployed more defensive forces to protect himself.

However, there are both close and distant positions. Ever since Yuan Shisanxian was tricked into going to assassinate Tianyi Jushi, Cai Jing has been missing top-tier combat power.

Now that Ren Shaoyang had sneaked into his home without anyone noticing, Cai Jing couldn't help but beg for mercy.

Ren Shaoyang sighed: "I really wanted to read the 'Mountain Classic,' but what a pity."

Cai Jing's face lit up with a hint of joy, and he quickly asked, "What's a pity?"

Ren Shaoyang did not answer him at this moment, but turned to look at the door.

Cai Jing, not understanding what was going on, also looked towards the door.

With a creak, the study door opened wide, and the cool moonlight cast a broad beam of light into the room.

A tall, thin figure flashed by, and then a tattered bundle suddenly appeared in his hand.

The bundle is unpacked.

Ren Shaoyang and Cai Jingdi were greeted by an incomparably dazzling light, as if hundreds of suns had exploded at the same time, dazzling and brilliant, shooting towards them!

A thousand suns!

A thousand suns were in the hands of one person.

The newcomer's identity was obvious; he was none other than the Seventh in the World.

Yuan Shisanxian is the youngest disciple, yet possesses the greatest supernatural powers.

However, the thousand suns were not as scorching as the sun, nor as explosive as the "raging fire that burned the city" in Ding'an.

Instead, there were countless sword energies, chillingly cold, as if one were beneath an Arctic glacier, where even the blood seemed to stop flowing.

Powerful Sword!

"So, it's sword energy!"

Under the illumination of a thousand suns, Ren Shaoyang's voice suddenly rang out, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

"bass!"

Countless blue flames suddenly erupted!

Like countless fireflies fluttering up from the meadow, they collided wildly with the golden light!

In an instant, a clanging sound like raindrops falling on banana leaves was heard, and sparks burst forth.

All around, vases, tables and chairs, floor tiles, and calligraphy and paintings were silently broken in two.

Suddenly, the blue flame shrank and was held in Ren Shaoyang's hand with two fingers.

Cai Jing stared intently and saw that it was a clear blue sword blade covered with flame-like sword energy, as dazzling as a giant torch.

The moon was high in the sky, and the study was brightly lit by candlelight, but even the dazzling light of the sword made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

Suddenly, Cai Jing opened his eyes again and stared intently at the tip of the sword.

There was a small bloodstain on it, which was slowly evaporating.

Blood?

Whose blood?

"What terrifying swordsmanship!" came the hoarse voice of the Seventh Under Heaven. "What a powerful sword!"

"A thousand birds in the forest are not as good as a bird in the hand." Ren Shaoyang's calm voice rang out. "Your sword energy is numerous and scattered, so it can't compare to my sword light. If you could combine 'a thousand suns' into one, then you could contend with me."

"A thousand into one?" the Seventh Under Heaven murmured, then revealed a bitter smile, "Isn't that the ancestor's 'one in a thousand'?" Before he finished speaking, blood spurted out from his body and he fell backward to the ground with a thud.

Just then, a loud footstep sounded, and a group of soldiers rushed over.

The leader, Master Long Ba, shouted, "The thief is here! Quickly save Prime Minister Cai!"

Just then, a loud, clanging sound rang out, making everyone's ears ache, and they covered their ears and cried out in pain.

Immediately following, a resounding voice rang out: "Today, the one who eliminates the traitors is none other than I, the Sword God Ren Shaoyang!"

All that could be seen was a figure emerging from the study, surrounded by sword blades that seemed to flicker like the tentacles of an octopus, making him appear like a demon or monster.

"bass!"

In an instant, countless sword blades shot out, flashing blue light and hissing sounds. Grandpa Long suddenly felt himself lowered and roared angrily, "You villain, do you still dare to resist?"

At that moment, he heard screams from everyone. He looked down and was terrified. He realized that he had been cut in two by Ren Shaoyang!
Grandpa Long wanted to shout, but all the soldiers around him were cut in two, and even the pavilion and the huge rocks in the courtyard were cut in half at the waist and collapsed with a crash.

Inside the study, Cai Jing was terrified by the scene that resembled a slaughterhouse and dared not move.

"Qiang!"

Ren Shaoyang sheathed his sword and walked out the door without looking back.

Just as Cai Jing was surprised that this person had let him go, Ren Shaoyang's faint voice came again.

"I have something I haven't finished saying."

"What!" Cai Jing was startled and quickly rolled under the table to find cover.

Ren Shaoyang's voice faded into the distance, growing longer and longer: "What I just said was a pity. What I meant was that you're dead, and the deal can't be completed."

"Ok?"

Cai Jing was stunned. Suddenly, everything went black before his eyes, and his head flew off with a "plop," spraying blood straight up to the roof beam.

With a "click," it was embedded inside.

The dead head's eyes were wide open like copper bells, staring intently at the headless corpse below and the pool of blood around it, which looked like red flowers.

He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.
P.S.: I've been experiencing heart palpitations and anxiety these past two days, so I went to the hospital. The doctor advised me to go to bed early and rest.

I'll post two chapters today. I'll take a couple of days to rest before continuing with three more updates.

(End of this chapter)