Chapter 359 - 270: Killing the Monarch

Chapter 359: Chapter 270: Killing the Monarch

He arrived quickly.

Mere moments after the golden thread was pulled, the sound of rustling robes cutting through the air came from outside. Immediately after, a man entered the hall.

The man was dressed in the traditional attire of the East Sea. His hair was streaked with white, but his face was completely free of wrinkles. His lips, however, were as scarlet as blood, giving him an unnervingly strange appearance.

Upon seeing him, Otsuka Kazuji looked as if he had seen his savior. Casting aside all semblance of a Monarch’s dignity, he immediately began to shout at the top of his lungs.

"Lord National Preceptor, save me!"

The man, however, remained completely unmoved. He simply stared intently at Wu Liangchen, only breaking into a wide grin after a long moment.

The smile revealed a mouth full of sharp, gleaming white teeth, which was a horrifying sight.

"Such potent yang qi... Your blood must be delicious."

As he spoke, the man extended his tongue and licked his lips with avarice.

Wu Liangchen’s expression grew colder.

He could sense an overwhelming, malevolent aura emanating from the man.

The sheer power of his presence was enough to shatter the courage of any ordinary Martial Artist.

Without a doubt, this was another Martial Arts Grandmaster.

This came as no surprise. After all, though the East Sea was a small nation, its Martial Arts had always flourished; otherwise, a renowned sect like the Vajra Institute would never have emerged from it.

Therefore, it was only natural for a Martial Arts Grandmaster to be stationed in the imperial palace. Wu Liangchen was already prepared for this possibility.

Judging by his attitude toward Otsuka Kazuji, his relationship with the East Sea’s royal family was likely more of a partnership.

What was crucial was that the man’s malevolent aura and his recent words filled Wu Liangchen not just with distaste, but also with vigilance.

’This man is far from simple.’

However, Wu Liangchen wasted no words on him, simply raising a palm and striking at Otsuka Kazuji.

Otsuka Kazuji seemed to have been frightened senseless, sitting frozen in place without moving an inch.

The man never expected Wu Liangchen to be so unprincipled. His cold, aloof persona instantly shattered. He let out a piercing shriek and then charged forward with ghostly speed.

But as fast as he was, Wu Liangchen was faster.

Just as he was about to close the distance, Wu Liangchen’s palm had already slammed into Otsuka Kazuji’s head.

BANG! Otsuka Kazuji’s head instantly shattered. A mixture of red and white fluids sprayed out, splattering across the face of Graham, who stood nearby.

Graham felt a warm wetness on his face. His throat tightened, and he fought the urge to vomit.

But he forced it down.

At that exact moment, the man arrived. Seeing that Otsuka Kazuji was dead, he let out a furious shriek.

"Die!"

In truth, he didn’t care about Otsuka Kazuji’s death at all.

The people of the East Sea might view their Monarch as a living god, but someone who had reached this man’s level certainly didn’t believe such nonsense.

’What damn god? He’s just an ordinary man who got his position through his bloodline.’

Besides, throughout history, it wasn’t as if a Monarch of the East Sea had never died under mysterious circumstances.

So he truly couldn’t care less that Otsuka Kazuji was dead.

What he cared about was the fact that he had already arrived, yet this Wu Liangchen still showed him no respect, killing Otsuka Kazuji right in front of his face.

For someone who had always been so incredibly arrogant, this was simply intolerable.

Thus, he attacked ferociously, every strike aimed at Wu Liangchen’s vitals.

Wu Liangchen remained perfectly calm, meeting the assault with his fists.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of thunderous impacts was as dense as a torrential downpour, and the faces of Graham and the other Folangji merchants were masks of pure horror.

’Is this truly a level that a human being can reach?’

「Suddenly.」

The two figures broke apart.

Wu Liangchen was expressionless, his clothes not even bearing a single wrinkle.

Compared to his calm and composed state, the other man was in a much sorrier state.

His once-meticulously styled hair was now a disheveled mess. The sleeves of his robes had been torn to shreds by the concussive force of their exchange, revealing deathly pale arms beneath.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his expression was more solemn than ever before. His eyes, as he stared at Wu Liangchen, were filled with dread.

"Golden Body Cross Training Skill... Are you a Martial Artist from the Vajra Institute?"

Moments ago, his every attack had been blocked by Wu Liangchen’s fully mastered Golden Body Cross Training Skill.

It was important to understand that Wu Liangchen’s mastery of the Golden Body Cross Training Skill had reached an unprecedented level.

Even the original creator of the skill would likely not have as profound an understanding of it as Wu Liangchen did now.

That was why, despite being a Martial Arts Grandmaster himself, the man could not breach Wu Liangchen’s defense.

As a Martial Artist of the East Sea, the man was naturally very familiar with this signature Martial Arts of the Vajra Institute.

And that was precisely why he was so shocked.

He had crossed paths with the head of the Vajra Institute before, so he knew just how monstrously powerful this young man’s Golden Body Cross Training Skill was.

"I am not from the Vajra Institute, but I do have a certain connection to it."

As he spoke, Wu Liangchen slowly drew the blade from his back, his killing intent flaring ever stronger.

From their brief exchange, he had already formed a rough assessment of the man’s strength.

’He is indeed strong, but still a notch below me.’

And since their paths had crossed, there was no reason to let him go. Wu Liangchen decided it was time to use his strongest blade techniques.

Sensing the shift in Wu Liangchen’s aura, a flicker of fear appeared on the man’s face.

He was an expert retained by the East Sea’s royal family. Normally, he had to do nothing. Only when the golden thread was pulled would he appear to protect them.

His relationship with the royal family was purely transactional; he felt no sense of loyalty.

Besides, now that the Monarch was dead, there was even less reason to fight to the death.

Most importantly, this young man’s strength far exceeded his own imagination. He would gain nothing by continuing this fight.

At this thought, the idea of retreat took hold. He gave a dry laugh and said, "Since you have a connection to the Vajra Institute, we can consider ourselves acquaintances of a sort. Let’s let this matter drop. Farewell!"

With that, he turned to leave.

But Wu Liangchen had no intention of letting him go.

This man was no saint, and his strength was considerable. Letting him go would only leave a lingering threat.

And Wu Liangchen hated lingering threats above all else.

So he lunged forward and struck with his blade.

He was still in mid-air when the flash of his blade arrived first.

The light of the blade was like a flash of snow, aimed straight for the man’s neck.

The man shuddered in terror, but he didn’t dare turn his head.

He knew that if he got caught in the blade’s assault, escaping would be nearly impossible.

So he desperately charged for the exit, willing to suffer an injury if it meant escape.

It had to be said, he had a very clear grasp of his predicament.

But he had still underestimated Wu Liangchen’s skill with the blade.

SHLICK!

The edge of the blade first sliced through the back of his robe, then traveled all the way down, cutting the garment completely in two.

Although the blade never touched his skin, the razor-sharp wind it generated was enough to tear a massive, bloody gash across his back.

Blood gushed out instantly, and he let out a pained scream.