Chapter 2037 - 2035: Night Raid

True to her word, in the dead of night, Xiang Zhuang donned an all-black outfit and stealthily approached the side of Hangu Pass.

Back then, as the protagonist, Xiang Shaolong naturally had a bit of a "Golden Finger," like how he crafted some small tools for the Special Forces to climb walls and rooftops. These tools have gone through innovations over the years, like the one in Xiang Yu’s hand, an improved version invented by his father, equipped with a mechanism that can shoot like an arrow, allowing them to scale the city walls.

However, Xiang Yu himself disliked these sneaky gadgets, so he gave them to his adopted sister, while Xiang Zhuang, unlike Xiang Yu, was quite fond of these gadgets and had used them to assassinate several Qin generals. This time, she clearly intended to use the same trick to assassinate Fang Zheng.

Although Hangu Pass was a natural escarpment, precisely because of this, it was suitable for climbing. With the help of the claw and rope, dressed in black, Xiang Zhuang swiftly and effortlessly climbed up and entered Hangu Pass. However, once inside, the sight before her turned out to be quite perplexing for Xiang Zhuang.

"What do I do now..."

Standing on a cliff, Xiang Zhuang looked out and could see Hangu Pass lit up as if it were daytime, despite being night. Whether it was an illusion or not, she had the impression that the lights in and around Hangu Pass were even brighter than those in her own camp, illuminating the entire pass.

Aside from this, Xiang Zhuang could also see that on both sides of the wall, there were several strange-looking objects resembling cylinders. Inside was a giant bronze mirror with a light burning, and the light reflected by the bronze mirror swept across the ground, making the spots that were originally pitch black stand out brightly.

"What are those strange things!"

Seeing those peculiar cylinders, Xiang Zhuang muttered to herself. She was adept at stealth assassinations and understood that such devices were the most troublesome for stealth assassins like her. After all, even with torches, only the fringes of the city walls were illuminated, and torches offered limited brightness.

However, this method illuminated the exterior of the city wall. Although not as bright as day, once a shadow passed by, it would be clearly seen by the soldiers guarding the wall, rendering stealth useless.

Moreover, as a martial arts master, Xiang Zhuang could sense that the soldiers patrolling the walls were mostly skilled in martial arts. Of course, martial arts were not uncommon among military personnel, but some appeared to be on par with her, which was troubling for Xiang Zhuang.

She originally wanted to examine those black cylinders on the wall, but they were guarded so tightly by the other side that Xiang Zhuang couldn’t find an opportunity, forcing her to abandon the idea and instead look for Fang Zheng.

However...

The soldiers were indeed peculiar.

The more she observed, the more curious Xiang Zhuang became. She had infiltrated numerous mansions and camps and was familiar with this environment. In her view, the soldiers at Hangu Pass were full of vigor, which wasn’t unusual since strict military discipline could achieve it, just like the impressive demeanor of Tyrant Ying Zheng’s army.

But some aspects made Xiang Zhuang uneasy.

The soldiers were not only full of vitality but also seemed incredibly steadfast. From Xiang Zhuang’s experience, a force that had just repelled an army of 400,000 should be celebrating, yet as she observed, the soldiers appeared indifferent, lacking any excitement. Furthermore, their demeanor gave Xiang Zhuang a peculiar feeling as if they were fighting not for their ruler but for themselves.

And it wasn’t simply a fight for survival!

Xiang Zhuang understood this well, as she was part of Xiang Yu’s army when they achieved the decisive victory against the Qin army. But now, the state of these soldiers was very unusual.

Strange, just like him.

It was troublesome and difficult for Xiang Zhuang to slip past these soldiers. She knew well the challenges posed by a strictly disciplined force. Fortunately, with her special mechanism and claw, scaling walls was not an issue, and taking advantage of their inattentiveness, she successfully infiltrated Hangu Pass. Although, it took her much longer, as by the time she entered, it was already midnight.

Using her experience, Xiang Zhuang quickly found the building used by generals and then... easily located Fang Zheng.

Inside a bedroom with an open window, illuminated by moonlight, Xiang Zhuang could clearly see Fang Zheng sleeping soundly in bed.

"Hmph, not even a guard around. How careless," she muttered, gritting her teeth. She had scouted the area earlier and found no guards nearby. If a regular general did this, Xiang Zhuang would suspect a trap. However, she had clashed with Fang Zheng before and knew firsthand his extraordinary martial skills; he wasn’t afraid of surprise attacks.

But as for assassinations... heh heh heh...

With this thought, a smile crept onto Xiang Zhuang’s lips, and she withdrew a dagger smeared with a bluish poison—extracted from the fangs of several venomous snakes, lethal on contact, guaranteed to be fatal even with the slightest scratch.

Xiang Yu never liked underhanded tactics and had admonished Xiang Zhuang, believing a man should stand tall and not engage in such deceitful acts.

However, Xiang Zhuang retorted, saying she’s a woman, not a man, so it was none of her concern.

Xiang Yu was left speechless, unsure of what to say.

"Alright!"

After making some preparations, Xiang Zhuang quietly landed like a cat, sneakily walked to the door of Fang Zheng’s bedroom, gently pushed it open, and entered the room.

Although she could use a crossbow or throwing knife, Xiang Zhuang knew that the sound of them breaking through the air would alert skilled individuals to her presence. Her sneak attacks had never succeeded against Xiang Yu, so using them against Fang Zheng would likely only alert him prematurely.

Entering the bedroom, Xiang Zhuang tightened her grip on the dagger and cautiously approached Fang Zheng, observing his breathing and movements closely. If anything seemed off, she was prepared to flee immediately. However, Fang Zheng appeared completely unaware of her presence, sleeping soundly in bed.

Hey, a rather handsome fellow.

By moonlight, seeing Fang Zheng’s features, Xiang Zhuang blushed slightly. Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened. During their encounter, she hadn’t paid special attention to Fang Zheng’s appearance, but now, he seemed far more dashing than her brother, so much so that even his sleeping posture left her a bit entranced...

What am I thinking!

Startled, Xiang Zhuang quickly regained her senses. She didn’t know why, but the more she looked at Fang Zheng, the more captivated she became, almost getting lost in the moment. Fortunately, her instincts as an assassin snapped her back to reality. By now, she was in front of the bed, staring at Fang Zheng, biting her lip.

Embrace death!

Xiang Zhuang inwardly yelled, then her dagger transformed into a lethal serpent, slicing toward Fang Zheng’s neck!

Xiang Zhuang’s attack was truly ruthless; if she managed to cut Fang Zheng’s neck, he wouldn’t be able to call out even if awakened, and even if unsuccessful, if he attempted to block, the poison on the blade would quickly finish him!

However, Xiang Zhuang calculated everything thoroughly, but did not expect that her dagger did indeed slash Fang Zheng’s neck, yet......

"Clang!!"

With a soft sound, in the next moment, the dagger in Xiang Zhuang’s hand actually broke!!

Broke!?

Looking at the shattered dagger in her hand, even Xiang Zhuang was stunned for a moment. She could feel that when her blade touched Fang Zheng’s skin, it still felt like human skin. But when she exerted a little force, that originally soft skin felt as hard as stone and metal.

What kind of skill is this?!

This sudden change startled Xiang Zhuang, and after a moment of shock, she was about to turn and run. However, she hadn’t started yet when she felt her body tremble and then softly fell to the ground.

"Huaa......."

At the same time, with a yawn, Fang Zheng sat up from the bed, stretched lazily, and looked at Xiang Zhuang sitting on the ground.

"I was wondering who dared to disturb my sweet dream in the middle of the night, turns out to be you......"

"So what if it’s me?"

At this moment, Xiang Zhuang knew she had fallen into his trap. Helpless, she looked fiercely at Fang Zheng.

"My sworn brother crushed tens of thousands of Qin Army in Julu, he is the true Overlord worthy of the world. Someone like you, a despicable scoundrel, only knows how to take advantage of others by using such contemptible tactics!"

"Oh, so he sent you to assassinate me?"

Hearing Xiang Zhuang’s words, Fang Zheng touched his chin and chuckled.

"Not at all!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Zhuang immediately shouted out.

"My brother’s skills are unmatched in the world; he wouldn’t stoop to use such underhanded means. This was entirely my doing!"

"That’s easy to say, but who would believe it."

Fang Zheng crossed his arms, looking at Xiang Zhuang with interest.

"You say it’s not, and it’s not? Although Xiang Yu is indeed a brute, he wouldn’t be without any strategy."

"Don’t insult my brother!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Zhuang shouted even louder.

"This is all my doing alone. If you’ve got the guts, take it out on me; whether to kill or flay me, I, Xiang Zhuang, will not flinch!"

"Very well."

Facing Xiang Zhuang’s words, Fang Zheng stood up and walked towards her.

"You said it yourself, don’t regret it."

"Mmm......"

Seeing Fang Zheng’s hand reaching out to her, Xiang Zhuang gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. As an assassin, she certainly knew the consequences of failing, but......up to this point, she could only pray for a swift end.

However, to Xiang Zhuang’s surprise, the next moment, she felt her body suddenly lifted off the ground and then flown through the air before landing heavily with a "thump" on a soft bed.

"Hey? Hey?!"

The girl opened her eyes wide in surprise, only to see Fang Zheng slowly walking toward her while removing his pajamas.

"Wait, wait, what are you going to do?"

"Do I really need to say it? Since you disturbed my dream, you have to take responsibility and help me have a good dream."

"You, you are actually this kind of person!"

Looking at Fang Zheng before her, the girl widened her eyes.

"How am I that kind of person? Didn’t you say let me handle it however I wish? Now, how I wish to handle you is my business. You, a failed assassin, don’t really think you can choose the punishment you’ll receive, right?"

Speaking of which, Fang Zheng already came to the girl’s side, then reached out and gently pulled at her clothes. Accompanied by a "rip", the pitch-black tight night outfit was torn asunder, revealing the white, tender skin underneath. Feeling the chill of the night, the girl shivered violently.

"Wait, wait, mmm......"

However, before the girl could finish her words, Fang Zheng lowered his head and sealed her cherry lips.

Soon, sounds of painful breaths arose, followed by struggles and collisions, but after a short while, with a suppressed moan, the sound of creaking from the window came. And in the next moment, as if unable to bear the trembling, the previously open window "thudded" shut, blocking out the moonlight, plunging the entire room into pitch-black darkness.