Chapter 510: Kill them all

Translator: Sparrow Translations  Editor: Sparrow Translations

…

The battle inside the Seven Star Lane was not as intense as expected. When the black-cloaked figures descended, the results of the battle were decided.

The Southern Region messengers didn’t expect that they would be outmuscled and outthought. They wanted to fight their way out of the Seven Star Lane.

However, that was impossible because the gates had been locked. In fact, they had locked the gates themselves.

“Now, will you tell me who you’re working for?” Fang Zhengzhi asked the wounded Southern Region messengers.

“Dream on!” Their faces were devoid of color but their tone was firm.

“I guess we won’t be able to extract any information from them. Kill them.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded when he heard their reply.

“Kill them?” Ping Yang was stunned.

She wasn’t alone. Even the Southern Region messengers were stunned to hear this. They thought that Fang Zhengzhi would want to take them alive.

That being said…

Right now, they preferred death to life.

In fact, they had already decided to commit suicide if they couldn’t escape. However, they were still shocked that Fang Zhengzhi would say something like that.

“Hahaha… we don’t need you to do it. We can kill ourselves! Brothers, we will avenge the Crown Prince in our next life!” One of the Southern Region messengers grit his teeth and chuckled after recovering from his initial shock.

The other Southern Region messenger grit their teeth as well. They would die if they couldn’t escape.

“Stop them! Don’t let them die!” Ping Yang panicked slightly when she saw that the Southern Region messengers were about to commit suicide.

“No need. Let them die.” Fang Zhengzhi placed a hand on Ping Yang’s shoulder and nodded to the black-cloaked figures.

When they saw the look on Fang Zhengzhi’s face, they sprang into action. Their swords had an icy glow to them.

They went straight for the jugular at breakneck speeds.

The Southern Region messengers didn’t believe that Fang Zhengzhi would actually kill them. However, the fact was that the swords showed no signs of slowing down.

“Sh*t!”

The swords pierced their hearts and sent blood spraying in all directions. All of a sudden, there were multiple puddles of blood on the floor.

Death was a form of release.

The Southern Region messengers had no idea why Fang Zhengzhi would not take them alive. However, they didn’t resist when then knives pierced their body.

“Boom!”

The Southern Region messengers crumpled to the ground.

Ninth Prince Lin Yun looked at Fang Zhengzhi in confusion. He didn’t know what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking.

“Why did you kill them? How do we investigate dead people?” Ping Yang pouted. She couldn’t believe Fang Zhengzhi didn’t know something that simple.

“Do you really think we could investigate even if they were alive?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“Erm…” Ping Yang was speechless. She could tell that these men were fiercely loyal and would never say anything to implicate others.

However, she felt like there was a glimmer of hope if they were alive.

“Sometimes dead men are more useful than live ones.” Fang Zhengzhi added cryptically before waving to someone inside the Seven Star Lane.

A few figures responded and they walked out dressed in black. They arrived in front of Fang Zhengzhi.

“Master!” The men replied.

“Mm, change your clothes.” Fang Zhengzhi pointed to the Southern Region messengers.

“Yes, Master!” The males nodded and removed the heavy rattan armor from the dead bodies.

Ping Yang suddenly realized what Fang Zhengzhi was planning.

“You want them to impersonate these Southern Region messengers? I don’t think that it’s very possible. They look different! The people will definitely recognize them!” Ping Yang said doubtfully.

“Have you heard of the art of disguise?” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“Disguise? Of course I have! However, it would take us many hours to create a similar human skin mask for them. Will we be in time?”

“If my guess is correct, they are wearing masks already.” Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.

At that moment, one of the figures in black removed an exquisite human skin mask from the face of the Southern Region messenger and put it on.

“They are really wearing masks? How did you know that?” Ping Yang was shocked and confused.

“The people of the Southern Region have slightly darker skin color. It is not easy to find people powerful enough for this mission with that skin color. As such, the mask was the natural option.” Fang Zhengzhi explained.

“I see, what do we do next?” Ping Yang nodded. It was incredibly difficult to find powerful cultivators who looked like a Southern Region messenger.

“We should deal with them according to the law.” Fang Zhengzhi replied.

“According to the law?” Ping Yang was slightly confused.

“By law, these people should be sent to the Ministry of Law. Then, the Ministry of Rites will communicate with the Southern Region and the issue will be resolved when the queen arrives in the city.” Ninth Prince Lin Yun replied.

“I understand. You want to send them to the Ministry of Law and force their hand. Am I right?” Ping Yang seemed to understand.

“Mm.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.

“Would they buy it? I feel like it’s a little too obvious.” Ping Yang replied doubtfully.

“It is a little too obvious.” Ninth Prince Lin Yun nodded.

It was not difficult to guess the true identity of these men from their appearance and Fang Zhengzhi’s tone.

They were not actually Southern Region messengers.

However, Ninth Prince Lin Yun also knew the mastermind. If these men were sent to the Ministry of Law…

He could guess their fate.

One of two things would happen the moment they stepped foot inside…

First, they could possibly die a horrible death in jail. The second possibility was that they would disappear from the face of the earth without a trace.

Either way, the issue would end here.

As such…

Why would Fang Zhengzhi do such a thing?

“That’s why I will need your help, Ninth Prince. I would like you to perform a little skit with me. Do you mind?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ninth Prince Lin Yun.

“You need my help?” Ninth Prince Lin Yun was stunned. He didn’t expect that Fang Zhengzhi would say something like that. After all, he was just an ‘outsider’.”

However, since Fang Zhengzhi asked, he began to think about it.

“What are you thinking of?”

“Are you afraid of implicating yourself?” Fang Zhengzhi queried.

“I am!” Ninth Prince Lin Yun hesitated, then grit his teeth, “but some things need to be done.”

“Haha, actually this won’t cause you much trouble at all.” Fang Zhengzhi smiled when he heard this.

“It doesn’t matter even if it puts me in trouble. After all, I’m already…” Ninth Prince Lin Yun shook his head and looked at the fallen assassins.

As a Prince, he knew the situation in the capital well. However, he was merely a spectator.

This was a lonely place to be, but it was also a form of release.

Everyone wanted the throne. However, sometimes, the throne was so far from your reach that no amount of effort and work would get you there.

Giving up was an option as well.

“You can still have your freedom as a Lord!” Yan Xiu replied calmly and coldly.

“Mm, that’s right!” Ninth Prince Lin Yun nodded. Then, his eyes were filled with a steely determination. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

…

Inside the Crown Prince’s residence.

A black figure sprinted through the yard and entered the study. Then, he looked around and entered without knocking.

Crown Prince Lin Tianrong was pacing about in his study. His silver white robe clapped behind him.

There was one other person in the study…

Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping.

“Your Highness, something bad has happened!” The black figure fell to his knees and said whilst trying to catch his breath.

“Speak!” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s expression changed but he didn’t waste any time.

“Everything was going to plan and the drinks had been spiked with White Dew Frost. Our people locked the Seven Star Lane and the soldiers guarded the outside. However…”

“But what?!”

“I don’t know how, but our plan failed!”

“Failed?! Where are they? Where are they now?!” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong shuddered and walked over to the black figure.

“They are being sent to the Ministry of Law.” The black figure responded immediately.

“Sent to the Ministry of Law?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong was stunned. Then, he smiled, “Is he stupid? If he sent them to the Ministry of Law, what are we waiting for? Send people to take care of it! Take my token and have our people in the Ministry take action immediately! We must have them out of jail by tonight!”

“No!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping replied. He squinted as he looked at the black figure, “Are you sure that these are the men we sent out?”

“Yes, they look the same!” The black figure replied.

“Prime Minister, is something wrong?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong felt a wave of doubt when he heard this.

“I can’t be sure of anything.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping shook his head and looked at the black figure, “Are those men dead or alive?”

“Alive but unconscious. They seemed to have been drugged by some poisonous mist.” The black figure replied after some thought.

“Unconscious? Poisoned?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s eyes glowed.

“Yes, they were not the only ones who were poisoned. Everyone else in the Seven Star Lane was poisoned as well. I think that Fang Zhengzhi was the one who poisoned them.” The black figure reported.

“The entire Seven Star Lane was poisoned? Are you certain of that?”

“Yes.”

“I never expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be so adept at poison after just one year… I was too careless!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping exclaimed.

“Prime Minister, the Emperor is out of the city. If we wait till he’s back from the Ten Mile Lake, it may be too late. Since they are already on the way to the Ministry of Law, why don’t we…” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong looked at Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping and the kneeling figure.

“Your Highness, if you were in his shoes, would he send those men to the Ministry of Law?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping turned to look at the Crown Prince.

“You’re saying that… he is sending them on purpose?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong replied calmly.

“I can’t be certain of that.” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping shook his head and turned to look at the kneeling figure. “This is important. Are you certain that Fang Zhengzhi wanted these men to be sent to the ministry?” He asked icily.

“No, that was not Fang Zhengzhi’s intention. It was the Ninth Prince’s!” The black figure replied without hesitation.

“Ninth Prince?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping was shocked.

“Yes, the Ninth Prince happened to be in the Seven Star Lane. Fang Zhengzhi and company wanted to bring them to Ping Yang’s residence but the Ninth Prince objected to it. He had a huge argument with them outside the Seven Star Lane, scolding them for wanting to take matters into their own hands. In the end, our men had to step in.” The black figure reported.

“You’re saying that Ninth Prince Lin Yun stopped Fang Zhengzhi from taking our men to Ping Yang’s residence and had the soldiers take them to the Ministry of Law?” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping’s eyes brightened.

“Yes!” The black figure nodded.

“Prime Minister, what do you think?” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong asked.

“I was too cautious. Please forgive me, your highness. Since that is the case, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. That being said, this is still quite risky. Let me arrange it personally!” Left Prime Minister Yu Yiping bowed, visibly relieved.

“Prime Minister, don’t worry about it. I only managed to get to where I am today with your help. I am reassured now that you are taking control of things.” Crown Prince Lin Tianrong squinted, then smiled.

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