Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 121 Secret attack
After the brokers tidied up the courtyard and rooms, they took their leave.

Lin Xuan closed the courtyard gate and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard.

He didn't bring the precious sword and armor that Youmeng gave him into the city, and he also buried most of the pills in a secluded place outside the city.

Given his status as a fugitive, he shouldn't possess these treasures of the Jiuli tribe.

He closed his eyes, and without needing to enter into meditation, his mental energy spread out like an invisible net.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a hint of surprise in them.

The three of them...

Inside the small courtyard where Lin Xuan originally lived.

Wenren Yue was busy in the kitchen, while A Luo and Tian Qingluan helped her.

Soon, several dishes, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor, were placed on the stone table.

Tian Qingluan picked up a piece of food, looked at Wenren Yue, and exclaimed, "A-Yue's cooking skills are getting better and better."

A smile appeared on Wenren Yue's face as she said, "I'm glad you like it."

Of the four dishes on the table, only one was her favorite.

The other three dishes are: one that A'Luo likes, one that Qingluan likes, and the last one that both of them like.

If she hadn't sent Lin Xuan to Bozhou, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess.

She always felt that she owed them a lot.

She looked at Tian Qingluan and asked, "How did the business go today?"

Tian Qingluan nodded slightly and said, "It went fairly smoothly. How are you? Commander Du has been transferred back to the capital. When are you leaving?"

A few days ago, Du Yunzhou, a centurion of the Bozhou Border Pacification Division, was transferred back to the capital, and Wenren Yue has become a centurion of the Bozhou Border Pacification Division.

Wenren Yue shook her head and said, "I'm not leaving yet."

In fact, she should have left. The vast net that the imperial court had laid in the southwest had begun to tighten, and Bozhou was no longer safe. The sons of powerful and wealthy families who had been assigned to the southwest were also returning to the capital one after another, waiting to be rewarded for their merits.

She asked to stay.

She wanted to see the Yang family fall with her own eyes.

After a moment of silence, Tian Qingluan suddenly asked, "Is the imperial court planning to wipe out the Yang family?"

Wenren Yue looked at her, nodded slightly after a moment, and then asked, "How did you know?"

She believed that Lin Xuan would not tell him about this.

Tian Qingluan put down her chopsticks and said, "Not long after the Tian family implemented the new salt law, the Song family also launched refined salt, which was obviously provided by the imperial court. So many sons of officials in the capital suddenly came to the southwest in large numbers. It couldn't have been just for sightseeing. As soon as the Yang family was in chaos, they immediately returned to the capital. The imperial court's purpose is not hard to guess..."

Wenren Yue remained silent.

The imperial court's operation was supposed to be extremely secretive, but the fact that these sons of officials came to the southwest was a major flaw.

She was no longer just a well-known young lady who only knew how to cultivate. With such great merit, the powerful figures in the cabinet, including her family, would certainly not let her off the hook.

They would rather have the court's plans exposed than not claim credit for it.

She did not deny it, saying, "The Song family is indeed supported by the imperial court. The Yang family's collusion with the Western Barbarians reveals their wolfish ambitions. All of the imperial court's plans in the southwest are aimed at annihilating the Yang family..."

After lunch, the three of them cleaned up the dishes together and then went back to their rooms.

Inside Aro's room.

She held a vermilion brush and wrote quickly on a telescope.

The Yong Kingdom court is secretly supporting the Song family in an attempt to wipe out the Yang family. This is a golden opportunity for the An family, one they absolutely must not miss!

Behind Anjia's success, the Nanzhao Kingdom has always been providing support.

The Yang family had the support of the Western Barbarians, a country that had historically clashed with the Yong Kingdom, but was a mortal enemy of the Nanzhao Kingdom.

After all, Nanzhao and Yongguo were separated by a group of chieftains in the southwest, but they were directly adjacent to Xifan.

The Nanzhao Kingdom's defense against the Western Barbarians was far more stringent than its defense against the Yong Kingdom.

For hundreds of years, Nanzhao was nearly destroyed by the Western Barbarians several times.

Once the Yang family becomes powerful and completely controls the southwest of Yong, Nanzhao will inevitably struggle to withstand the attack from both sides.

Eliminating the forces supported by the Western Barbarians in the southwest would be entirely beneficial to Nanzhao.

Of course, she did this not only for the sake of Nanzhao, but also for her own personal grudges.

They killed him, so she wanted the entire Yang family to be buried with him!

Meanwhile, in Tian Qingluan's room.

She held a vermilion brush and slowly wrote on the telescope.

The Yang family was the largest chieftain in Dayong, with businesses spanning the entire southwest.

Once this behemoth falls, it will surely attract countless people to devour it.

This is the best opportunity for the Tian family. Even if they can only take over 10% of the Yang family's business, it will be enough to double the family's strength. They must prepare early.

Through the telescope, the father's question came through.

After a moment of distraction, she picked up her pen again.

The next few years will be the best time for the family to grow stronger, and she has no plans to, and will not, consider, marriage...

A courtyard at the entrance of the alley.

Lin Xuan slowly opened her eyes.

After he left, their relationship seemed to improve.

What Lin Xuan least expected was that Wenren Yue, a daughter of a prominent family, would actually take on the responsibility of cooking.

They've all changed a lot these days.

He composed himself and began to meditate.

Martial arts cannot be practiced for the time being; one can only focus on spiritual power.

He no longer needs the tranquilizer.

And in his mind, there were no longer just two simple planets.

A complex star system is slowly rotating.

While visualizing, Lin Xuan was also silently observing everything about them.

……

The next morning, Lin Xuan arrived at the prefectural government office of Bozhou.

The Yang family were the local tyrants of Bozhou, and the Bozhou Prefectural Government Office was also their private office.

After identifying himself, Lin Xuan was led inside by a constable. There were also some martial artists waiting for their assignments, most of whom were at the eighth rank. Including Lin Xuan, there were only three seventh-rank martial artists.

A thin young man looked at Lin Xuan and asked, "Brother, my name is Xu Gong. What's your name?"

Lin Xuan said calmly, "Chen Yu."

Xu Gong smiled and said, "Hello, Brother Chen. Judging from your accent, you must be from the capital, which isn't far from my hometown. What kind of job are you looking for, Brother Chen? We can work together and look out for each other..."

Lin Xuan said, "Guards."

Upon hearing this, Xu Gong paused for a moment, then said, "Brother Chen, not to be rude, but you'd be better off coming with us to escort the goods. Even if we encounter danger, you can abandon the goods to save your lives. Being a bodyguard for the Yang family isn't easy..."

Lin Xuan looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"

Xu Gong looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Chen must have just arrived in Bozhou. You don't know, the Yang family has been targeted by assassins from Nanzhao. In the past two months, more than a dozen direct descendants of the Yang family have died, including three peak sixth-rank guards. If we join them with our strength, aren't we just handing over our heads to them?"

Lin Xuan showed an indifferent expression and said, "I don't really like running around. Besides, the grievances should be settled by the perpetrators, and I didn't provoke any assassins from Nanzhao. They have no reason to make things difficult for a seventh-rank guard like me..."

At this moment, another man with seventh-rank strength approached and said, "I heard that the Yang family is determined to capture that female assassin this time. Half of the fifth-rank experts from Dragon Cliff Fortress have come down the mountain, and the Yang family has also hired two fifth-rank sorcerers, just waiting for that female assassin to walk into their trap. If she dares to make another move, she won't be able to escape..."

Xu Gong was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Really?"

The burly man said, "Believe it or not, I'll choose to be a guard too. Maybe I can even earn a small reward when we capture that female assassin..."

Xu Gong glanced at Lin Xuan and said with displeasure, "Brother Chen, did you already know this news? That's not very nice of you. I've been completely honest with you, and you're keeping it from me. I'll just join you as a guard. Let's go out for drinks later, it's on me..."

Neither of them refused Xu Gong's invitation.

The Yang family has been in turmoil lately, and the only way for these newcomers to stay safe is to stick together.

When assigning tasks, Xu Gong specifically requested that the three of them be grouped together.

During the banquet, Lin Xuan learned that the other burly man was named Wei Lang.

Coincidentally, both of them had committed crimes in their hometowns and were forced to come to the southwest.

Wei Lang's sister was frequently beaten by her brother-in-law. In a fit of rage, he accidentally killed his brother-in-law and fled all the way here.

Xu Gong, on the other hand, caught his wife and lover having an affair. Overwhelmed with passion, he sent them both to their deaths on the spot and fled to Bozhou.

This place is far from the capital, a region within the Dayong territory where the imperial court's reach is limited.

Wei Lang picked up his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, sighing, "I never imagined that Brother Xu would have such a sorrowful matter..."

Xu Gong waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about the past. I admire Brother Wei's character. This bowl is for you!"

Wei Lang then looked at Lin Xuan and said, "What I did is nothing. Brother Chen is the real man of character. He dared to kill even a seventh-rank official and managed to escape from the Jingye Division. I admire him greatly..."

-

Lin Xuan, Xu Gong, and Wei Lang were assigned to protect a member of the Yang family.

This young man's name is Yang Xiao. Although he has no talent for martial arts, he has considerable business acumen.

He manages many of the Yang family's businesses.

The Yang family valued him highly, and therefore, the guards around him were far stronger than those of ordinary Yang family members.

Twelve seventh-rank guards took turns protecting them day and night.

There were also two sixth-rank martial artists who stayed by his side every step of the way, and even at night, one of them would sleep with him.

Lin Xuan and his two companions were assigned to keep watch on the first day.

Xu Gong had many complaints about this and secretly cursed the Yang family countless times.

Compared to daytime duty, nighttime duty is naturally more dangerous.

Because the Nanzhao female assassin always operated at night.

The Yang family doesn't value the lives of outsiders like them at all.

There were six guards: two stood guard at Yang Xiao's door, and the other four were divided into two guards for the front yard and two guards for the back yard.

In addition, there were also eighth and ninth-rank martial artists patrolling and guarding the area throughout the night.

This is only the visible protective force.

Lin Xuan also knew that a fifth-rank martial artist and a fifth-rank sorcerer lived next door to Yang Xiao.

The Yang family went to great lengths to capture her.

Lin Xuan did not want her to come here.

His feelings towards mandala were complicated.

The two were both teacher and enemy. She planted a heart-devouring gu in his body, forcing him to work for Nanzhao, but she also taught him many skills.

In order to help him "avenge" his family, she went directly against the Yang family.

He just couldn't accept this deception.

He is more important because of this.

Nothing happened for the next few days.

Lin Xuan was on duty at the Yang residence as usual, and had no opportunity to obtain any important intelligence.

early morning.

Inside the Yang residence.

A young man looked at Lin Xuan and the others with a hint of apology on his face and said, "Brothers, you've worked hard these past few days. This is just a small token of our appreciation, please accept it..."

Behind him, a servant of the Yang family brought over a tray with six silver ingots on it.

Each ingot contains ten taels.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Young master is so generous!"

"It's not hard, it's not hard..."

The people who had initially complained about keeping watch every night suddenly lost all their grievances upon seeing the silver, and genuine smiles appeared on their faces.

After everyone took their silver ingots, Yang Xiao said, "Everyone, go back and rest. Have a good rest today. Starting tomorrow, you will take turns on daytime duty."

Stepping out of the courtyard, Xu Gong put his arm around Lin Xuan and Wei Lang's shoulders and said, "Brother Chen, Brother Wei, you've been exhausted these past few days. Let's go find some girls, listen to some music, and relax."

Lin Xuan said, "You and Brother Wei go ahead, I'm going back to sleep."

Xu Gong shook his head and said, "Sleeping alone is so boring..." Wei Lang also waved his hand and said, "I'm not going either, I don't like listening to music..."

Xu Gong sighed, "You two are really boring..."

After saying goodbye to the two, Lin Xuan went straight home.

Although they successfully infiltrated the Yang family, this current job is completely useless.

A mere guard would have no access to any of the Yang family's core secrets.

However, this is actually quite good.

He wasn't the only one who infiltrated the Yang family. If he could get in and the imperial court took action against the Yang family, his mission would be successfully completed. Although he might not have made any great contributions, it would be good if he could land safely.

He bought two steamed buns from the bun shop, and as he walked to the alley entrance, a figure walked out towards him.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept across her face without lingering for long.

He walked to the gate of his rented courtyard, took out his key, opened the gate, went inside, and then closed the gate again.

As A Luo walked out of the alley, she looked back and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.

This person had appeared at the entrance of this alley before.

He was also the one who rented this small courtyard.

There was nothing to doubt about that; perhaps he was looking for a place to stay at that time.

But when the two of them brushed past each other just now, he only gave her a brief glance.

No normal man would just glance at her.

Although she couldn't rule out the possibility that he liked men, she still paid more attention to him.

Bozhou is getting more and more chaotic. She won't allow any danger to get close to Tian Qingluan. He's gone, but she will continue to protect her in his place...

Back at his lodgings, Lin Xuan finished two steamed buns and continued his meditation.

With a fourth-grade mental strength, one wouldn't feel tired even after three days without sleep.

Time passed silently until a fragrance wafted into his yard.

Lin Xuan slowly opened her eyes.

During his absence, Wenren Yue's culinary skills improved again. Who would have thought that just two months ago, she was a pampered young lady from a wealthy family who never lifted a finger in the kitchen...

After returning here, Lin Xuan did not buy any more pots, pans, or other kitchenware.

He eats all his meals outside.

The intelligence reports from the Jingbian Division did not mention that Chen Yu could cook.

night.

It was past midnight, and all was quiet.

Lin Xuan, lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes.

He sat up in bed and looked outside.

Has she started making moves again?
Lin Xuan lay down again.

Three breaths later, he sat up again...

A mansion in Bozhou City.

Night had fallen, and the guards at the mansion gate had relaxed their vigilance and were dozing off against the wall.

You can only be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against a thief for a thousand days.

They had been on high alert for more than half a month to guard against the female assassin. Anyone would be exhausted by that. It was already past midnight, and even the two seventh-rank guards at the door of a certain room were starting to doze off.

A faint chirping of an unknown insect came from a corner of the yard.

Listening to the chirping of insects, the two people at the door could no longer resist their sleepiness and leaned against the pillar, drifting off to sleep.

A dark figure appeared silently in the courtyard.

She gently raised her hand, and two flying insects flew from the necks of the two men into her sleeve.

This is the residence of a marginalized member of the Yang family.

As she continued to take action, the Yang family greatly strengthened the protection of important clan members. Since she had no opportunity to assassinate them, she could only target some less important, marginalized clan members.

Although this person was a marginal member of the Yang family, he was still extremely wicked and deserved to die.

She walked slowly to the door.

These two people were bitten by the Sleeping Gu and will not wake up before dawn.

She placed her hand on the door, and the latch opened automatically.

A soft snore could be heard coming from a bed deep inside the room.

She closed the door, walked silently to the bedside, and a cold glint appeared in her hand.

The next moment, a chilling voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"After waiting for so many days, you've finally arrived!"

At the same time, a surge of true energy suddenly erupted from the bed in front of her.

A fist, imbued with powerful energy, came hurtling towards him.

boom!
She raised her arms to block, but was blasted away by a tremendous force, crashing through the door behind her and landing heavily in the courtyard.

puff!
She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and her arm completely lost sensation.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Fifth rank!

There's actually a fifth-rank master hiding here!
A middle-aged man wearing an undershirt strode out of the room. Looking at the woman in black in the courtyard, a hint of joy appeared on his face: "I never thought that ten thousand taels would actually fall into my hands. It wasn't a waste of all these days of waiting..."

At this moment, the guards outside also heard the commotion and rushed into the courtyard, surrounding the woman in black.

The woman in black managed to stand up. Even with her serious injuries, dealing with these eighth and ninth-rank guards wouldn't be difficult for her.

However, she would be no match for a martial arts master of the fifth rank.

The Yang family really went to great lengths to capture her.

An insignificant member of a marginalized tribe was actually protected by a fifth-rank expert.

She gently wiped away the blood that had spilled from the corner of her mouth, and at that moment, she felt incredibly calm.

They were already walking on the edge of an abyss, and could fall into it at any moment.

The first lesson in the Secret Service is how to face death.

She was ultimately not a qualified spy.

Having killed so many members of the Yang family, she knew in her heart that they wouldn't let her off easily. Reason told her she shouldn't show her face again, but she did it anyway...

Sister Black Lotus is right; acting on emotions is her biggest weakness.

At that moment, she felt a strange sense of relief.

People say there is another world after death.

Once she gets there, she'll be able to see her parents...

Perhaps, I'll see him again.

Despite thinking this, she still stabbed the man's chest with the short blade in her hand.

As the female assassin thrust her dagger at him, a hint of mockery flashed in Tu Qiancheng's eyes. Although the Vajra Skill was not as good as the Mountain-Suppressing Skill, it was still a first-class defensive technique. Even if he stood still, a mere sixth-rank assassin could not break through his protective aura.

The thought had just crossed his mind when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his brain.

The pain, originating from his very soul, left his mind blank, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

It was at that very moment that he lost control of his inner energy.

The protective aura that had just been erected instantly collapsed.

puff!
The poisoned dagger pierced his heart with deadly precision.

Tu Qiancheng looked down at the short knife, his chest quickly stained red with the blood pumped from his heart. His lips moved, a numbness spread throughout his body, and then his knees buckled, and he knelt down heavily.

Even on his deathbed, his mind was still filled with confusion.

Why is this happening...

In the courtyard.

The fifth-rank expert that the Yang family had hired at great expense collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then fell silent.

Wow!

Upon seeing this, the dozen or so guards retreated in fear.

That was a fifth-rank martial artist! He was just killed like that?
This female assassin is incredibly powerful!

Beneath the blood-stained veil, an expression of disbelief also appeared on that pretty face.

Why didn't he defend?

Did I just kill a fifth-rank martial artist?
Without time to think, she tried to leave, but her body swayed and she almost fell...

She was already seriously injured, and that last stab was a desperate attack that used all her inner energy. Now her body was severely exhausted, and she could no longer even stand steadily.

Having witnessed the killing of a fifth-rank expert, the guards, who were already terrified, were instantly invigorated by this scene.

"She's out of strength!"

"Kill her with one sword each!"

"We'll split the reward!"

……

After several loud shouts, more than a dozen blades flashed in the courtyard.

But the next moment, a clanging sound was heard, and their weapons fell from their hands and crashed heavily to the ground.

The dozen or so guards remained in their sword-wielding stances, but their eyes had all rolled back.

Pfft!
Puff, puff!
In an instant, they collapsed to the ground, one by one, and instantly lost consciousness.

Mandala stared blankly at the scene, frozen in place.

Everything that happened to her tonight was eerie.

She tried to leave and nearly fell again.

The next moment, she felt a gentle force lift her up, carrying her several meters into the air, flying out of the mansion, through several streets, and finally landing in a dark alley.

Recalling what had just happened, she quickly realized what was going on.

A fourth-rank sorcerer!

A fourth-rank sorcerer saved her!

Although she didn't know his identity, since he was willing to save her, he must be a friend, not an enemy. She forced herself to stand up, clasped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for saving me, senior. May I meet you in person, senior?"

There was no response from the surroundings.

Just when she thought the other person had left, something suddenly flew in from the direction of the alley entrance.

She reached out and took it, discovering it was a pill.

The mere scent of the pill invigorated her. After a moment's thought, she slowly put the pill into her mouth.

The pill melted upon entering her mouth, instantly transforming into warm currents that flowed into every part of her body.

She could clearly feel that her injuries were healing rapidly.

In just a dozen breaths, she felt her body had fully recovered.

She had never seen such a powerful healing pill before!
Suppressing her shock, she clasped her hands in thanks again: "Thank you, senior!"

She waited there for a long time, but there was no further sound from outside.

She then slowly walked out of the dark alley, looked around, but found nothing.

After letting out a soft sigh, filled with doubt, she leaped away and disappeared into the vast night.

In a courtyard house at the entrance of an alley.

Lin Xuan sensed that she had returned to her room before lying down again.

He still vividly remembers the oppression and fear she instilled in him when he first met her six months ago.

Six months later, Lin Xuan could also give a fair assessment: she was neither an excellent spy nor particularly capable.

Despite knowing the mission was fraught with danger, she still acted on her emotions.

She had reminded him of these things time and again, but she simply couldn't do them herself...

(End of this chapter)