Qin Dynasty: Ying Zheng is my brother, I am the Bad Commander

Outside Xinzheng City lies Duanlong Valley.

The sky was overcast, with dark clouds as black as ink, making it hard to breathe.

A sudden downpour washed over this ancient battlefield, where countless souls of the Zheng Kingdom had been buried. The rainwater mixed with the earthy smell permeated the air.

Han Fei and Zhang Liang shared an oil-paper umbrella, standing on the muddy road, surveying the surrounding terrain.

"The terrain here is treacherous, with steep cliffs on both sides. If we were ambushed, we would have no chance of escape." Zhang Liang looked at the sheer cliffs on both sides, his brows furrowed. "If there really were ghost soldiers passing through that night, this would have been their only route."

Han Fei crouched down, picked up a bit of damp soil with his long, slender fingers, smelled it, and shook his head: "Zifang, look at the signs of this soil being turned over. Although it has been washed away by the heavy rain, you can still see some traces. Even if ghost soldiers passed through, the tracks of a cart carrying 100,000 taels of gold cannot be completely erased by a few rains, can they?"

"Brother Han means..."

"There were no ghosts in this world to begin with. It's just that when too many people pretend to be ghosts, ghosts appear." Han Fei stood up, dusted off his hands, and stared intently. "Now it seems that the so-called ghost soldiers robbing the supplies was nothing more than a meticulously planned scheme..."

Before the words were finished, a mournful cawing of crows suddenly pierced the rain.

"Wow—wow—"

Flocks of black crows appeared out of nowhere, circling overhead, their dark mass obscuring the already dim light.

A chilling killing intent instantly locked onto Han Fei!

"Watch out!" Zhang Liang reacted quickly, grabbing Han Fei and pulling him back.

The instant they retreated, several jet-black feathers shot out like arrows from the spot where they had just stood, embedding themselves deep in the soil, their tail feathers still trembling slightly.

If he had been even half a step slower, Han Fei would have been riddled with arrows by now!

"Who goes there?!" Zhang Liang drew his sword and stood protectively in front of Han Fei, watching their surroundings warily.

"Hehehe... Ninth Young Master's nose is really sharp; he smelled the dead bodies here so quickly."

A mocking yet chilling voice rang out through the rain.

Not far away, a man dressed in black was standing on a withered tree branch. He wore a black mask, and there were strange patterns at the corners of his eyes. His black winged cloak fluttered in the wind and rain.

Mo Ya looked down at Han Fei, his eyes gleaming with a cat-and-mouse-like mockery: "Unfortunately, some secrets are the privilege of the dead. If the living know them, they become the dead."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Ya's figure flashed, turning into a black afterimage and disappearing from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, countless black feathers rained down on Han Fei and Zhang Liang like a storm of pear blossoms!

Each feather is infused with internal energy, sharp as a knife, capable of cutting through gold and jade.

"Zifang, retreat!" Although Han Fei did not know martial arts, he had excellent eyesight and knew that Zhang Liang was no match for this level of assassin.

Zhang Liang parried with his sword, the sword light like a net, but under the dense attack of black feathers, he still seemed to be struggling to defend himself.

"Ding ding ding!"

Sparks flew everywhere, and Zhang Liang's longsword was actually shattered by a few feathers!

Mo Ya appeared behind Zhang Liang like a ghost, struck out with a palm, sending Zhang Liang flying several feet away, and then his five fingers formed a claw, aiming straight for Han Fei's throat!

"Ninth Young Master, I'll take your life." A cruel smile curled at the corner of Mo Ya's lips.

Han Fei's pupils contracted as he watched the approaching claws, but he neither closed his eyes nor begged for mercy. He simply stared intently at Mo Ya, as if trying to etch that face into his mind.

Just as the sharp claws were about to touch Han Fei's throat—

"Clang!"

An orange sword aura appeared out of nowhere, domineering and unparalleled, instantly tearing apart the rain curtain!

Mo Ya's expression changed drastically. Feeling the suffocating sharpness, he had no choice but to abandon his attempt to kill Han Fei. He forcibly twisted his body in mid-air and retreated dozens of feet backward.

Even so, his mask was still torn by the sword energy, leaving a thin bloodstain on his cheek.

"Who?!" Mo Ya landed on a treetop, staring intently ahead.

Suddenly, a cold and stern figure appeared in front of Han Fei.

Also wearing a black veil covering her face, her white hair danced wildly in the wind, her black and gold robe fluttered in the wind, and she held a uniquely shaped shark-tooth sword in her hand, the blade emitting an eerie orange light.

Mo Ya glanced at Han Fei, who was unharmed, and then at Wei Zhuang, who exuded an imposing aura, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

With this person around, there's no chance to kill Han Fei today.

The next second, accompanied by a cawing of crows, the black crows transformed into countless black crows, scattering and disappearing without a trace.

The crisis is over.

Zhang Liang, clutching his chest, staggered over: "Brother Han, are you alright?"

Han Fei took a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart and shook his head: "I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, brother."

Wei Zhuang sheathed his sword and said coldly, "You should be glad I happened to be passing by."

In fact, he had been secretly following Han Fei all along, just to see how capable Han Fei really was and to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes.

Han Fei looked in the direction where Mo Ya had disappeared, his eyes filled with solemnity rather than relief at surviving the ordeal.

"They're getting anxious."

Han Fei said in a deep voice, "The fact that a top assassin came to kill me means that we have found the key point, or rather... our existence has already threatened their next plan."

Suddenly, Han Fei's expression changed, and he abruptly turned his head to look in the direction of Xinzheng City.

"Oh no! This is a diversionary tactic!"

Zhang Liang was taken aback: "What do you mean, Brother Han?"

"Since they dared to attack me, they certainly won't let go of this only clue!" Han Fei said urgently. "My two uncles! Lord Longquan and Lord Anping are in danger!"

"Quickly! Back to the city! To death row!"

Ignoring the mud, Han Fei lifted his robes and ran wildly towards Xinzheng City.

Wei Zhuang watched Han Fei's anxious back with a hint of admiration in his eyes, but did not follow him and turned to leave.

……

Xinzheng, death row.

When Han Fei and Zhang Liang arrived at the death row, it was eerily quiet.

The usually noisy jailers and prisoners seemed to have vanished at this moment, and the entire prison was deathly silent, with only the crackling sound of burning torches.

An ominous premonition enveloped Han Fei's heart.

He rushed into the deepest cell, but the sight before him made him stop abruptly.

The prison doors of Lord Longquan and Lord Anping were wide open, and the two men lay dead in the center of their respective cells.

Their eyes were wide open, their eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets, their pupils filled with extreme fear and despair.

Their hands were clutching their chests tightly, as if something was tearing at their hearts.

Strangely, they had no external injuries, no bloodstains, and no signs of poisoning.

It's like... being scared to death.