The Blade-Wielding Legend

Dong dong dong!

The heavy footsteps from the surrounding alleys approached closer.

Two thousand elite garrison soldiers surged from various streets like a black tide.

Among them were also two hundred Black Feather Guards.

Ordinary Black Feather Guards focused on speed, mostly wearing light armor and riding fast horses, but this group was clad in Mystic Iron heavy armor, each of them tall and sturdy, and holding Divine Fire Guns that were a size larger.

Moreover, the chest of each armor was inlaid with a protective talisman engraved in brass, almost identical to the one Li Yan had snatched from Xiong Baodong, but much more cumbersome.

This talisman is called the "Six Ding and Six Jia Talisman."

It can protect and save lives, ward off evil skills, and is frequently used in military formations, specially made on the request of the Ministry of War of the Great Xuan Dynasty, worn by Fifth Rank and above military officers to prevent disturbances from evil skills.

Though not genuine, it can still easily block spells.

This is what the "Black Feather Guards" keep at the bottom of their chests—the heavy armor resists weapons, the "Six Ding and Six Jia Talisman" shields against spells, combined with the more powerful Divine Fire Guns, worthy of the title Killing God.

The soldiers rushing in seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Such a feat was possible only with tight deployment.

The cold wind howled, and everyone within the Prince Mansion looked grim.

At this moment, everyone realized,

They had fallen into a trap!

Li Yan closed his eyes slightly, exhaled deeply.

Before coming, he had an uneasy feeling but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, until now, he understood the reason.

They had underestimated "Lu Sheng."

This was the old monster who even deceived Emperor Shi, sparked the burning of books and burial of Confucian scholars, and had been living secretly until now; how could he not spot the flaws in the plan?

What seemed like a vulnerability was clearly a fishing net.

And today was the time to reel it in.

He even thought, once outside the city and upon seeing King Shu, to directly summon Heavenly Thunder and strike him dead.

But now it seemed there were even more terrifying traps outside the city…

Across the street from the Prince Mansion, several garrison generals rode forward.

The army of the Great Xuan Dynasty mainly comprised the garrison system, with each state managed by the Commander Department.

Then there were the "Garrisons" and "Houses."

Each "Garrison" had about six thousand men with one Standard Third Rank Commander, and the "Houses" were divided into Thousand Households and Hundred Households based on numbers.

These generals were all garrison Commanders.

The leading one, clad in fish-scale chain mail, had a clear and indifferent gaze.

What the surrounding soldiers failed to notice was that beneath his thick neck scarf, his blood vessels bulged with dark red lines, as if a blood centipede was lurking under the skin.

Li Yan's guess was correct.

These garrison Commanders were not cursed.

That day, they were lured into the Great Prince Mansion by the Great Prince, and after being knocked unconscious, their families were cursed with Gu by the Blood Nuo Master, promised territories and noble titles as rewards if successful.

From the beginning, they knew what they were doing.

The reason was simple; if they were enchanted with the Enchantment Spell, they would obey orders but, due to the spell's influence on thinking, often acted chaotically.

In a strict military environment, this would easily be discovered by subordinates, so King Shu had to take extra effort.

Even the garrison soldiers understood their tasks.

However, once set into motion, they couldn't stop, and King Shu's prestige gave them hope of fluke success.

If they succeeded, their status would change instantly.

"Surround them, let none escape!"

"Blast that rat hole for me!"

At the lead Commander's order, the soldiers swarmed to surround the Prince Mansion impenetrably.

Hualala!

The rear army raised their firearms.

Although not new firearms, their numbers compensated for power.

Simultaneously, soldiers guided by Evil Mages stormed into the inn, hacking down the pugilistic world warriors guarding the door, and tossing explosive packs into the tunnel.

"Boom!"

With a massive roar, the inn collapsed, dust and debris flew chaotically.

The sound brought despair to those within the Prince Mansion.

"There's still a chance!"

Upon seeing this, Master Wuxiang immediately tore off a bloody sleeve from a corpse and quickly sketched a nearby map, marking several circles on it.

Though crude, it was clear to all.

Not three streets away from the Prince Mansion was a new secret passage entrance, and there were four of them!

At this moment, hope of survival surged again among the people.

"Everyone, give it your all, prepare to break out!"

Master Wuxiang's eyes were filled with killing intent, his features constantly twisting.

Even he might not survive this time.

Dong!

A muffled sound.

It was the Great Prince who, unbeknownst to anyone, had moved to the door while everyone was observing the exit. Suddenly he slammed open a side door and dashed out.

His python-patterned brocade robe was covered in dust and blood, his crown askew, and he had lost one golden-thread boot, his bare foot stepping on the snow, waving as he ran:

"Uncle, save…"

Bang!

A loud bang, his head exploded, leaving a headless body slumped to the ground.

The leading commander coldly collected his smoking flintlock short gun and said blandly, "The demon harmed the Great Prince, attack!"

The Great Prince was naive; seeing things go awry, he rushed out, intending to declare he was kidnapped.

Better to lose riches and the throne than to lose his life.

What he didn't know was that the uncle who loved him dearly since childhood was already filled with resentment towards him.

Slaying the Great Prince, none of the nearby soldiers even cared.

From the surrounding encirclement, people emerged from all directions, carrying bamboo ladders and charging forward.

Bang bang bang!

The sound of ladders hitting the walls erupted, and the rear soldiers began climbing.

The Prince Mansion was vast with a high perimeter wall, and these soldiers did not know the Light Body Skill, so they could only use siege tactics.

Simultaneously, soldiers holding strong bows drew them one after another, sending arrows into the mansion.

Not aiming to kill, merely to provide cover.