Chapter 1627 – Conquering Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (39)
“Is there really going to be an assassination? Are they lining up to deliver heads?”
“The world is so beautiful, isn’t living great? Why run over to seek death?”
“I can feel the host’s killing intent even through the screen. Everyone else panics at the thought of an assassination, but her vibe is different—she’s practically itching for a fight. Sigh, even though I’m scared out of my mind, I can’t leave with a host this pretty and skilled!”
“I’m here, giddy with anticipation, waiting for the host to slaughter the enemies and smash these assassins’ heads!”
The idlers were even more excited than Jiang Pengji, eager to see her deal with those assassins.
Jiang Pengji didn’t let them down; with a slight squeeze, she crushed the arrow in her hand, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
The assassins hiding in the woods exchanged glances, and the next moment, they heard the sound of weapons being drawn.
“Kill—”
No matter how the world painted Jiang Pengji as a heroic figure, those who hadn’t seen her in action would remain skeptical, especially since her figure was deceiving. Who could imagine that such a tall but not bulky woman would possess such immense combat power?
Battlefield slaughter and small-scale skirmishes were different.
The first emphasized brutal aesthetics, with no tricks involved, while the latter relied more on techniques and coordination.
Jiang Pengji was alone, without a guard by her side, while these assassins were trained killing machines; it was anyone’s guess who would prevail.
With a cold gaze fixed on the enemies charging from the forest, Jiang Pengji sneered in disdain.
With a swift motion, she drew the Slashing God Blade, and instead of retreating from the encircling assassins, she charged forward with a hint of excitement.
The assassins were dumbfounded—was this nobleman Lan Ting seriously not here for laughs?
In that brief moment of distraction, the blade was already upon them.
She struck so quickly that the first assassin didn’t even register pain before the blade had brushed his neck.
A second ago, the assassin was contemplating how to kill, and the next, he felt a chill at his throat, only to realize someone’s blood was spraying out and staining his vision. Everything spun, and his body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. A question flitted through his mind—why had the temperature around him dropped so suddenly? Why had daylight faded? Why did his neck hurt so?
He tried to voice some sort of protest, but not even a sigh escaped his lips.
Of course, Jiang Pengji didn’t care what went through the mind of the dying assassin; all she knew was that the Slashing God Blade was trembling in excitement.
This blade had been wronged, going so long without a taste of blood; naturally, it was time to make up for lost opportunities.
She knew capturing the assassins would be better than simply killing them—if no one was commanding them, they wouldn’t have ambushed Jiang Pengji—but who could refuse a conveniently delivered head? Leaving one or two alive was just the same.
This batch of assassins numbered a hundred, each a carefully trained killer, not something an ordinary noble family could raise.
Training a competent assassin required immense financial and human resources; ordinary wealthy families couldn’t afford to nurture high-quality killers. Upon engaging with them, Jiang Pengji had a rough idea of their origin—it likely had something to do with the Nan Sheng clan.
They would send people to assassinate her, and Jiang Pengji was prepared for that.
In this era, the ancients couldn’t even accept cremation, firmly believing it meant “no intact corpses,” “shattered bones,” “desecration of the dead”… The more prominent the family, the more superstitious they became. If they couldn’t accept cremation, how could Jiang Pengji digging up their ancestors’ graves and pillaging gravesite treasures be tolerated? Even if she had a thousand reasons, Jiang Pengji had already offended them to death.
She hadn’t acted before simply because they lacked confidence; she had heavy guards surrounding her.
But now?
She had recklessly ventured out with just a handful of guards for some winter swimming and hunting, and unlucky for her, had brought along Yang Tao too.
If they could assassinate Jiang Pengji and pin the blame on Yang Tao later, they could wash their hands clean and watch Jiang Pengji’s forces collapse. These thoughts were fantastic, but they relied on the foundation that Jiang Pengji truly died.
As long as she didn’t die, their calculations were nothing but delusions.
If bystanders were observing the forest, they would witness a red figure moving through the assassins at speeds beyond ordinary capability.
Each time the blade was unleashed, a crimson arc would rise, taking a life with it.
Despite the assassins’ secret arrows and ambushes, Jiang Pengji remained completely unscathed, as slippery as an eel.
The forest echoed with the nauseating sounds of blade clashes…
Meanwhile, a group of guards obediently followed Jiang Pengji’s orders, using the waterways to escort Yang Tao back.
As dusk fell, the temperature over the water was colder than on land. Yang Tao suddenly shivered, waking up groggily.
“What time is it now…”
He mumbled the question.
The guards respectfully reported back; Yang Tao nodded in a daze and sat on the deck for a moment, trying to regain his senses.
“Where’s Liu Gong?”
He remembered drinking a lot, and his head still hurt, but before passing out, he recalled that Liu Gong was even more drunk than him?
The guards hesitated, “The Lord has gone hunting and specifically instructed us to escort you back.”
Yang Tao instinctively exclaimed but quickly realized something was off.
The number of guards Jiang Pengji brought wasn’t small, and the ones he brought along were also plenty.
If all these guards were here, did it mean Jiang Pengji had no one else with her?
He couldn’t fathom that Jiang Pengji would boldly wander around alone, and the thought didn’t even cross his mind.
“Did Liu Gong say when she would return?”
The guard replied, “I do not know, my lord.”
Yang Tao pressed, “She didn’t say? It’s getting dark; it’s not safe outside.”
If they didn’t return soon, it could lead to trouble.
Even though she was a lord, Jiang Pengji seemed to have a “curfew.”
If she spent the night outside without a word, her civil and military officials would explode!
The guard’s expression changed, hesitating as he said, “The Lord wasn’t accompanied by anyone and didn’t mention when she’d be back…”
Yang Tao couldn’t process the information at first, taking a while to digest what the guard had said.
“Not accompanied? What do you mean not accompanied?”
His voice raised an octave.
The guard’s head dropped even lower.
“The Lord does not prefer having others follow her… this time too…”
“Do you realize how many people want her life right now? Even if she doesn’t care about yours, you shouldn’t abandon your duties?” Yang Tao was completely astonished and sobered up, his tone surprisingly serious, “Order the boatman to turn back immediately!”
It was better if nothing happened; if something did, both these guards and he would be lining up to meet the King of Hell!
