The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The carriage drove through the bustling East Market and turned into the relatively quiet "Willow Shade Lane".

This is an old street connecting the east and west markets. On both sides are the back walls or side walls of grand houses. The road surface is made of bluestone, and ancient trees reach for the sky with intertwined branches and leaves. Even in the daytime, the light is somewhat dim.

The alley is quite long, and at its narrowest point, it can only accommodate two cars passing each other.

The sound of cars echoed through the quiet alley.

The guards subconsciously softened the sound of their horses' hooves, watching the high walls on both sides and the alleyway ahead with vigilance.

suddenly!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

A piercing sound suddenly rang out!

Dozens of cold stars shot out like ghosts from the shadows of the walls, rooftops, and even the corners of alleyways!

The target was clear: the windows and doors of Yun Jin's carriage, as well as the horses pulling it!

It's a crossbow bolt! A poisoned crossbow bolt!

"Enemy attack! Protect the Emperor!" Commander Feng, the head of the guards, shouted sharply and drew his sword to parry.

However, the crossbow bolts came too fast and too densely, and several guards were hit by arrows and fell from their horses in an instant, screams of agony filling the air.

The two horses pulling the carriage were also hit by arrows, and they reared up with mournful cries, causing the carriage to shake violently!

Almost at the same time the crossbow bolts were fired, more than twenty black figures, like vicious eagles hunting their prey, swooped down from the walls and rooftops, their blades flashing, and went straight for the guards around the carriage!

These men, dressed in black and masked, moved swiftly and ruthlessly, their teamwork impeccable. They were none other than the "Night Owl" assassins, the most elite group under the First Prince!

"Form ranks! Protect the princess's carriage!" Deputy Commander Feng's eyes were bloodshot as he led the remaining guards in a desperate resistance. The sounds of clashing swords, roars, and screams instantly echoed through the alley!

However, the Night Owl assassins were far more powerful than the palace guards. In addition, they were caught off guard by the enemy's strategy. As soon as they made contact, the guards were at a disadvantage, and their formation was quickly cut off and broken up.

Just as the "Night Owl" assassins were about to break through the guard line and reach the carriage.

"put!"

A short, sharp shout came from the roof of the carriage!

Zhao Jianing and his twenty elite men, who had been lying in ambush behind the higher rooftops and tree canopies on both sides, finally made their move!

They were not carrying swords or knives, but rather standard military crossbows!

The crossbow bolts rained down like a torrential downpour, covering the area where the "Night Owl" assassins were most concentrated!

"Pfft pfft pfft!"

Caught off guard, seven or eight "Night Owl" assassins were instantly riddled with bullets, screaming as they fell to the ground.

The remaining assassins were shocked and hurriedly sought cover, causing their attack to stall.

"Ambush! Get on the wall!" The leader of "Night Owl" roared, and several assassins immediately tried to climb the wall and attack Zhao Jianing and his group.

However, just as they leaped up, a large amount of white powder suddenly poured out from the top of the wall and behind the eaves—quicklime!

At the same time, several large nets with barbs descended from the sky!

"Ah! My eyes!"

"It's a net! Cut it!"

The lime stung their eyes, and the hooks and nets entangled them. The suicide soldiers climbing the wall were thrown into chaos and fell one after another. They were easily dealt with by Zhao Jianing's men who rushed down from below with spears and hook-and-sickle spears.

The "Night Owl" assassins suffered a heavy blow and were thrown into disarray.

Upon seeing this, Deputy Commander Feng was greatly encouraged and led his guards in a fierce counterattack.

But the real killer move is only now being revealed.

Just as the battlefield descended into chaos and everyone's attention was drawn to "Night Owl" and Zhao Jianing's troops, at the end of the alley, in the shadow of the dilapidated gate of the abandoned "Land Temple," a tiny, almost non-reflective glint quietly aimed at the window of Yun Jin's carriage.

That's the sharpshooter from Blood Shadow Tower! He's like a lurking viper, waiting for the chance to strike and kill.

The crossbow bolts were coated with the deadly poison "arsenic," which is lethal upon contact with blood!

His fingers slowly moved toward the crossbow's suspended blade.

However, just before he was about to unleash his power, a chilling, hair-raising sense of crisis suddenly struck him!

Without thinking, he suddenly rolled to the side!

"Knock!"

A short, black, dull crossbow bolt grazed his ear and embedded itself deeply in the doorpost where he had just been hiding, its fletching still trembling.

The sharpshooter looked up in horror, only to see a masked figure with icy eyes slowly lowering his crossbow from behind a second-floor window of a restaurant across the street. The other person had already spotted him!

At the same time, on the low wall to the side of the Earth God Temple, another Blood Shadow Tower assassin had just taken out a poison smoke blowpipe when he felt a chill on his neck.

He looked down in astonishment and saw only a bloody blade protruding from his throat before his consciousness plunged into eternal darkness.

The figure of the Grey Falcon appeared behind him like a ghost, gently drawing a short sword, and the corpse collapsed.

Seeing that their whereabouts had been exposed and their leader had been killed instantly, the remaining three Blood Shadow Tower assassins knew that things were hopeless. Without hesitation, they immediately scattered and fled in three different directions, their figures as swift as smoke and their speed astonishing.

"Trying to leave?" Zhao Jianing sneered and waved his hand.

The "Listening" experts, who had been lying in ambush at the alley entrances and rooftops further away, revealed themselves, and their crossbows, hidden arrows, and darts rained down on the fleeing assassins.

These "Listeners" may not be as good as the Blood Shadow Tower assassins when fighting alone, but their excellent teamwork, blocking routes, and remote interception immediately put the three assassins in grave danger.

One of the assassins, possessing the best agility, withstood two crossbow bolts and was about to break through the encirclement and leap onto the roof.

Suddenly, the tiles beneath his feet collapsed without warning!

What lay beneath was a trap that had long been hollowed out and lined with straw!

Caught off guard, the assassin cried out and fell.

Below, several burly men wielding fishing nets and hooks rushed forward.

Another assassin was forced into a dead end, his back against a high wall, wielding two knives, his eyes fierce. Several skilled "Listening" experts slowly approached.

Just then, the carriage behind, disguised as Su Che's vehicle, turned around in a panic as planned and "fled" towards the other end of the alley.

Upon seeing this, several "Night Owl" assassins who had been surrounding Yun Jin's carriage assumed that their target was about to escape, and immediately sent a group of them shouting as they gave chase.

"Chase them! Don't let that carriage get away! The person inside might be the one!"

The "Night Owl" assassin chased after the decoy and rushed into another, narrower alley.

Just as they were about to catch up, the carriage in front suddenly stopped.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and the shadow guard disguised as Su Che jumped out of the carriage and rushed toward a half-open courtyard gate next to him.

"Where do you think you're going!" The "Night Owl" assassins, without suspicion, swarmed into the courtyard.

The courtyard gate slammed shut behind them.

The courtyard was deserted, except for an abandoned ancient well and fallen leaves scattered on the ground.

"Oh no! We've fallen into their trap!" The leader of "Night Owl" realized in alarm, but it was too late.