Chapter 465: Chapter 276: Special Envoy (2)

Wei Jinzhong sat upright on his horse, his expression cold and resolute.

He knew the outcome of this game of power would be decided at any moment.

However, he didn’t realize that Fang Yue had already seen through his plan and was fully prepared to counter it.

~~~~~~

In a dense forest not far from the border of Gongzhou Prefecture, Fang Yue lay in ambush alone, concealed by the thick foliage.

He stood so still that he seemed to merge with the surrounding trees and grass, becoming nearly impossible to spot.

Fang Yue’s gaze was sharp as a hawk’s, fixed on any movement on the road below. Though the night grew darker, his vision remained completely unaffected, as if he could pierce the darkness and see everything.

After all, at his level of cultivation, his five senses were preternaturally sharp. Seeing in the dark was a trivial matter.

Seconds ticked by, then minutes, yet the road remained silent. However, Fang Yue felt not the slightest hint of impatience or anxiety.

He knew patience was an essential quality for a hunter. Only by waiting for the prey to walk into the trap on its own could he ensure a single, decisive strike.

Suddenly, a light breeze swept through the forest, making the leaves RUSTLE like nature’s whisper. Fang Yue’s ears twitched. He sensed something unusual carried on the wind.

Just then, a flurry of urgent hoofbeats echoed from the distant road, shattering the tranquility of the night. Fang Yue’s senses sharpened. ’The prey has finally taken the bait,’ he thought, readying himself to strike.

However, just as the envoy’s retinue was about to enter his ambush zone, the unexpected occurred.

A swift black horse suddenly burst from the woods, charging straight for the road. The rider was clad entirely in black, his face obscured by a cloth mask. He wielded a Longsword whose blade glinted with a cold light. His intentions were clearly hostile.

This sudden development startled Fang Yue. ’I didn’t expect anyone else to be ambushing the envoy’s retinue out here.’ Judging by the black-clad man’s attire and aura, he was clearly no common bandit.

The envoy’s retinue was thrown into chaos by the sudden assault. The guards drew their swords to meet the attack, while Wei Jinzhong’s expression turned grim. He never expected to be attacked so close to Gongzhou Prefecture.

The black-clad man’s Swordsmanship was deadly, his movements swift. He quickly broke through the guards’ defensive line and charged straight for Wei Jinzhong.

Although Wei Jinzhong was a master in his own right, he was quickly overwhelmed by the black-clad man’s ferocious assault and could only struggle to parry the blows.

As he fell back, he yelled, "Who are you? How dare you intercept an imperial envoy!"

The black-clad man didn’t answer. He just pressed his attack, each swing of his sword aimed to kill.

’This is bad,’ Wei Jinzhong thought. ’This man is clearly after me, and he’s too strong. I’m afraid I can’t hold him off.’

Hidden in the dense woods, Fang Yue silently observed the sudden battle.

He didn’t intervene immediately, choosing instead to wait and see how things unfolded.

After all, while the black-clad man’s appearance had disrupted his plans, it also gave him an opportunity to observe.

The black-clad man’s Swordsmanship was lethal, each strike aimed at Wei Jinzhong’s vital points. He was clearly trying to kill him.

And while Wei Jinzhong was a master himself, he cut a sorry figure under the man’s ferocious assault.

He could only just manage to defend himself, all while shouting for his guards to come to his aid.

However, the attacker’s onslaught was too swift and fierce for the guards to get close. They could only fire arrows from the perimeter, attempting to disrupt his assault.

But the black-clad man’s Body Technique was nimble. He easily dodged the incoming arrows and continued his relentless assault on Wei Jinzhong.

As Fang Yue watched the fight, he couldn’t help but be impressed by the black-clad man’s strength.

He could tell that the man was a Mid-stage Innate Grandmaster, perhaps even stronger. Furthermore, his Swordsmanship was superb, each strike packed with immense power.

But Fang Yue also noticed a few details.

He noticed that the attacker was, whether intentionally or not, avoiding a certain area of Wei Jinzhong’s body. It seemed he didn’t want to kill him just yet.

This struck him as odd. ’Is there some personal grudge between him and Wei Jinzhong?’ he wondered. ’Or is his objective something other than murder?’

Just as he was pondering this, the black-clad man suddenly lunged, thrusting his sword toward Wei Jinzhong’s chest. The strike was so fast that Wei Jinzhong had no way to dodge. The tip of the blade was about to pierce his heart.

But at the very last second, just as the tip was about to touch Wei Jinzhong’s robes, the attacker halted the blade’s momentum. He then turned it, swatting Wei Jinzhong with the flat of the sword and sending him flying.

Wei Jinzhong crashed heavily to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to his feet, his face a mask of terror as he stared at the black-clad man. "You... Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?"

The black-clad man sneered but didn’t answer. He simply pointed his sword at Wei Jinzhong, seemingly waiting for something.

Wei Jinzhong was now both terrified and furious, his mind racing.

As a key member of Duke Wei’s Family, when had he ever faced such peril?

The attacker’s strength far surpassed his expectations, leaving him with a profound sense of helplessness. He knew in his heart that he probably wouldn’t make it through the night.

Just then, the black-clad man spoke, his voice cold. "Wei Jinzhong, you don’t need to know who I am. Just hand over the appointment letter, and I’ll spare your life."

Wei Jinzhong froze when he heard this, then immediately understood the man’s purpose.

’So that’s it! He’s here for the appointment letter!’

A blaze of anger erupted in his heart. The appointment letter determined the future of Gongzhou Prefecture and concerned the interests of his Wei Family. How could he possibly hand it over?

He gritted his teeth and said defiantly, "Dream on! This is an important imperial document. It cannot fall into the hands of a scoundrel like you!"

The black-clad man sneered, apparently unsurprised by Wei Jinzhong’s response.

With a flick of his Longsword, a glimmer of sword light shot out, aimed straight at Wei Jinzhong’s throat.

Wei Jinzhong’s face drained of color. He scrambled back several steps, barely dodging the strike.

"Hand over the appointment letter, or you won’t live to see morning," the black-clad man said coldly, his tone radiating an undeniable authority.

Wei Jinzhong was now caught between a rock and a hard place.

He knew he was no match for the powerful black-clad man.

But if he surrendered the appointment letter, the future of Gongzhou Prefecture would fall into another’s hands—an outcome he could never accept.

Just then, a flurry of urgent hoofbeats echoed from the distance.

Hearing the sound, the black-clad man’s expression flickered. He turned to see a troop of cavalry galloping toward them, led by a middle-aged man in brocade robes.

This brocade-robed man had a dignified mien, and his bearing revealed an extraordinary air. His gaze was sharp as a torch as it swept over the black-clad man and Wei Jinzhong, and he appeared to grasp the situation instantly.

When the black-clad man saw the newcomer, a flicker of apprehension crossed his eyes. He clearly recognized the man and knew that both his status and his strength were not to be taken lightly.

Wei Jinzhong, however, lit up as if he’d seen his savior. He quickly shouted, "General Li, help me!"

As it turned out, the man in the brocade robes was none other than the commander of the Gongzhou Prefecture garrison, General Li.

He was also a top-tier Grandmaster at the Innate Great Success realm. With the hundreds of elite soldiers behind him, their combined strength in a battle formation would be even greater.

Hearing Wei Jinzhong’s cry, General Li’s brow furrowed slightly.

He glanced from the black-clad man to Wei Jinzhong and understood most of the situation.

He knew the black-clad man was obviously here to intercept the appointment letter, and that Wei Jinzhong was the imperial envoy.

This conflict, regardless of its outcome, would bring significant trouble to Gongzhou Prefecture.

With this in mind, he took a deep breath and called out, "Who might you be, sir? Why are you waylaying an imperial envoy?"

The black-clad man sneered but didn’t reply. He knew that General Li’s arrival had just made the situation far more complicated.

But he wasn’t afraid. He was confident he could escape unscathed.

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