Chapter 382: For the Sake of Brotherhood

Soon, sounds of chaos erupted outside, with horses neighing and people shouting.

“What’s happening?”

King Liangzhou quickly pulled aside the carriage curtains, his eyes still bleary from intoxication, and saw torches flickering wildly in front, shadows crossing each other.

The voice of the guard commander came out of the darkness: “Quick, protect the Prince! There’s an ambush!”

Almost simultaneously, dozens of dark figures rushed out from the woods on either side of the official road, swooping towards the convoy like phantoms.

They wore night attire, faces masked, weapons glinting coldly under the moonlight.

“Kill them! Leave no one alive!” The leading assassin’s voice was icy, and with the command, the black-clad figures surged forward like a tide.

With a clang, the guard commander drew his sword to fend off the first assassin charging towards them and shouted fiercely: “Form ranks! Protect the Prince’s carriage!”

The guards hurriedly engaged in combat, but the long journey had already left them utterly exhausted.

The black-clad assassins, however, were well-trained, striking viciously with deadly moves. In mere moments, several guards lay dead in pools of blood.

King Liangzhou’s face turned pale, losing all vestiges of drunkenness. He recognized instantly that these black-clad figures were none other than death warriors, just like those kept within his own residence who would fight till the end.

He fiercely drew the sword hanging on the carriage wall and shouted to Zheng Wenqian: “Stay close to me!”

Wenqian nodded, trembling, but then he saw a flash before his eyes as an arrow whizzed through the air, “thud,” piercing his throat.

His eyes widened, hands futilely grasping at his neck, blood gushing between his fingers before he collapsed heavily inside the carriage.

“Wenqian!” King Liangzhou exclaimed, only to be pulled back to reality by the fierce sounds of battle outside the carriage.

He kicked open the carriage curtains and leaped out, just in time to see the guard commander being besieged by three black-clad figures.

The guard commander was highly skilled; wielding a longsword, he created an impenetrable defense and had already slain two assassins.

But he was outnumbered, and his right arm had been slashed open, revealing a bone-deep wound, with dark red blood dripping down amidst the darkness.

“Prince, flee quickly!”

The guard commander shouted with all his might, simultaneously dodging a fatal blow and then thrusting his sword back through an assassin’s chest.

King Liangzhou did not flee but instead joined the battle, wielding his sword.

Though he was a prince, accustomed to luxury, he had trained in martial arts since childhood and possessed formidable swordsmanship. With a single thrust, his sword pierced an assassin’s shoulder.

“Protect the Prince!”

The remaining guards fought desperately to gather around him, forming a fragile defense line. But the assassins were numerous, swiftly felling Liangzhou King’s guards one by one.

The guard commander fought while retreating, reaching King Liangzhou’s side: “Prince, I’ll hold them off, you must ride away quickly!”

“I am not one to shy away from death!” King Liangzhou shouted angrily, pressing his sword towards another assassin.

Just then, an arrow shot from the shadows, striking the guard commander in the back.

The loyal guard commander, whom the prince had recently struck on the forehead with a teapot, let out a muffled groan, collapsing to his knees, yet still propped himself up with his sword.

“Zhou Huan!” King Liangzhou attempted to help him, only to be pushed away.

“Go… hurry…” The guard commander spat a mouthful of blood, using his last remnants of strength to charge towards the closing assassins, buying King Liangzhou some time.

With tears in his eyes, King Liangzhou turned and rushed to a riderless war horse. Just as he was about to leap onto its back, a shadow sprang from the darkness, kicking him to the ground.

“King Liangzhou, in such a hurry to leave?”

The leading assassin walked up slowly, blood dripping from the longsword in his hand.

King Liangzhou struggled to his feet, clutching the sword tightly in his hand, “Who sent you? Wei Mingyuan? Or…”

The assassin leader sneered, interrupting him: “Why bother asking when you’re about to die.”

The sounds of fighting around gradually subsided, and King Liangzhou looked around, seeing corpses everywhere; all of his guards had perished.

Under the moonlight, the blood stained the official road’s soil a dark red.

“Ha! Such a ‘brotherly’ act.” King Liangzhou laughed bitterly, “That bastard couldn’t wait to take me down just after ascending the throne. Does he not fear the world’s scorn?”

The assassin leader spoke no more and waved his hand, and three black-clad figures rushed forward.

King Liangzhou fought valiantly, his swordsmanship fierce, momentarily driving back the assassins.

But he was ultimately outnumbered; soon his back was slashed open, blood soaking his moon-white python robe.

“I am the legitimate son of the former Emperor! You dogs dare to kill me?” King Liangzhou roared, piercing an assassin’s throat with a thrust.

The assassin leader flashed a look of impatience and personally joined the fray.

His martial arts were evidently far superior to the others, disarming King Liangzhou in just three moves, then thrusting his sword into the prince’s abdomen.