The Imperial City, South Gate.
Today, the guards of the Imperial City were more vigilant than usual.
The tallow lamps hanging on the city walls were several times more numerous than on ordinary days, and the walls themselves were crowded with soldiers of the Forbidden Army.
Lu Tai clutched Jia Yu tightly, sprinting all the way from the Grand General’s Mansion straight to the south gate of the Imperial City.
Here, he rendezvoused with his subordinates who had just delivered official documents to the Ministry of Punishments.
His three thousand Canglang Cavalry were also gathered behind him.
With one hand holding Jia Yu—who had long since given up struggling—and his right hand raised, gripping the golden axe-yue, Lu Tai shouted loudly toward the Forbidden Army soldiers stationed at the south gate, “I, Lord Lu Tai, seek to enter the palace to protect His Majesty.”
Two generals of the Forbidden Army stood at the gate, clad in golden armor and wearing blood-red cloaks.
Their brows creased slightly as they glanced at the three thousand Canglang Cavalry behind Lu Tai.
One young general, no more than twenty years old, stepped forward two paces and said coldly, “By order of the Grand General, tonight—”
A heavy sound of horse hooves came thundering from the west.
More than ten thousand heavily armored cavalrymen charged down the middle highway of the street, riding tall battlehorses at breakneck speed.
At the sight of these cavalrymen, the bows on top of the city walls twanged again and again.
The Forbidden Army soldiers at the south gate instinctively braced their custom-made two-zhang-long spears, forming a dense spear formation pointed at the charging riders.
Jia Yu, struggling upright atop the Wolf King, waved toward the two generals at the south gate with a smiling face. “Generals Le, Lord Tian’en is one of our own. He heard that tonight in the Imperial City, the Empress Dowager is—well, you know.”
“Lord Tian’en, out of loyal heart, came rushing to the Imperial City to serve the Emperor.”
“Heh, don’t look at me like that. Tonight, I already told the Grand General I’d stay behind at the mansion and had no intention of getting involved in that business… but Lord Tian’en, he is just too loyal—so anxious he dragged me along!”
“You know I’m timid, Generals Le. I’m just bringing extra men to bolster my courage, which is only natural, right?”
Both young Forbidden Army generals laughed simultaneously.
With Jia Yu there, and vouching for Lord Tian’en Lu Tai, letting Lu Tai into the Imperial City would pose no problem.
Besides, Lu Tai held the imperial bestowal—the golden axe-yue.
If anyone dared anger him, this man truly had the authority to punish even those two brothers of his.
Just as they prepared to order the palace gates opened, Lu Tai suddenly turned his head and gazed toward the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion, not far away.
Inside the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion, firelight blazed high into the sky.
Not only that, in Kunpeng Lane, hundreds of flickering flames rose steadily.
Black smoke spiraled into the heavens, blending with the high clouds to form a massive dark shroud.
Among the clouds, thunder roared explosively, with streaks of lightning flashing wildly, outlining the clouds in dazzling light.
“This… this…” Jia Yu stared blankly at the fiery Kunpeng Lane. “Is this… a flood?”
Lu Tai and the icy-wilderness Canglang wolves beneath his cavalry all lifted their heads.
Their ears trembled violently as they emitted continuous mournful howls.
A chilling murderous aura radiated from the pack of wolves.
Lu Tai sneered coldly, “Not a flood. Someone’s set fire. There’s murderous intent—a large force killing people!”
The silver-maned Wolf King beneath him howled repeatedly, and Lu Tai nodded. “Good. So more than ten thousand are taking action? Tomorrow, I will submit an official report to the Gaojing Magistrate, the Ministry of War Headquarters, and the Gaojing Command Office. Under the clear heavens and peaceful reign, how can the arson and murder by bandits in Gaojing City go unpunished?”
With a clang, Lu Tai drew his sword from his waist and shouted fiercely, “Sons, do not let these few bandits disturb the Son of Heaven.”
“Charge with me!”
“Jia Yu, I hold the axe-yue; I command you to lead this unit of Forbidden Cavalry to punish the traitors!”
Lu Tai casually grabbed Jia Yu by his neck and tossed his shriveled, weak form aside.
A general riding a tall warhorse was quick-eyed and snatched Jia Yu up.
When these Forbidden Army troops rushed out from the Grand General’s Mansion, they had even brought an extra warhorse.
The general placed Jia Yu on the saddle and hastily drew his sword, looking eagerly at Jia Yu, who was now clinging nervously to the horse’s neck. “General? Shall we…”
Jia Yu froze for a moment, glanced at the Imperial City, then at the blazing Kunpeng Lane.
He kicked hard at the general’s thigh and said, “Are you all stupid? Tell me, do you want to make merits killing men, or do you want to die struggling with phantoms? Choose for yourselves!”
Jia Yu shot a fierce glare at the general and waved his hand majestically. “Sons, follow this general to suppress the rebels!”
Over ten thousand heavily armored Forbidden Cavalry whistled loudly, raising their spears and urging their mounts to charge in the direction of the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion.
As these troops launched their charge, within just a few breaths, Lu Tai had already led the three thousand Canglang Cavalry more than two li away, rushing straight to the gates of the ravaged Grand Chancellor’s Mansion.
“Canglang Cavalry, attack!”
Lu Tai gripped the golden axe-yue in his left hand and wielded his sword in his right.
A nearly tangible stream of ghostly blue water condensed on the blade’s edge.
Accompanied by the heavy roar of surging waves, a water dragon as thick as a bucket spouted from the sword’s tip, instantly sweeping across a twenty-zhang radius ahead.
With just one strike, the hundreds of assassins gathered at the Grand Chancellor’s gate, struggling with the scattered city guards, military officers, and soldiers, were all pierced through their bodies by the water dragon.
The Jingyang Lu Clan’s mastery of Canghai Strength was fierce and domineering, their aftershocks came in wave after wave, ceaseless and relentless, building up with overwhelming power.
With a single strike from Lu Tai, the assassins immediately endured the impact of hundreds of layers of hidden force—wave upon wave, compounded one after another.
The first impact was only two to three thousand jin; personally stacking a hundred impacts instantaneously, the assassins suffered a terrifying thirty to thirty-five thousand jin of force all at once.
Hundreds of assassins exploded simultaneously into crimson mist.
Lu Tai raised the golden axe-yue and shouted sharply, “I am Lord Tian’en, bearer of the Emperor’s bestowed axe-yue, punisher of rebels. Do not panic. Follow my Canglang Cavalry and form ranks to fight!”
Holding the golden axe-yue, and as the Emperor’s appointed punisher of rebels, Lu Tai enjoyed a rank just one official grade higher during wartime!
The scattered city guards, officers, and soldiers who rushed here, seeing the gleaming golden axe-yue in Lu Tai’s hand, instantly felt confident and loudly pledged to follow behind the Canglang Cavalry.
Within the Canglang ranks, a dozen or so junior officers were already issuing orders to these scattered government forces.
The armored city defense soldiers formed square formations in front, ready for assault.
The city patrol officers, equipped with hard crossbows, dropped their fire-and-water rods and formed a wild goose flying formation to unleash volleys of hard crossbow bolts.
The city clerks trailed behind as rear support.
These clerks were no better than ordinary civilians; no one expected much from them in battle or killing.
Under officers’ commands, the clerks carried iron chains and ropes, following closely.
If they captured enemies alive, they would bind them as prisoners, and also help treat their own wounded—making themselves somewhat useful.
Lu Tai’s steed charged straight through the broken gates of the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion.
His sword danced freely, and ghost-blue water dragons swept in all directions.
Wherever his blade passed, assassins’ bodies exploded and died.
The Canglang Cavalry behind him were even fiercer.
Mounted on Canglang wolves, wielding specially crafted powerful longbows almost as long as their own bodies, any assassin caught in their sight was bombarded mercilessly with a hail of arrows.
These special longbows delivered over twice the force of the bows and crossbows issued to the Forbidden Army, plus specially made armor-piercing arrows with incredibly lethal penetration power.
Many assassins caught off guard were riddled like sieves under the arrow hail.
Several assassins were lifted and thrown backward by the arrows, ‘bang bang bang!’ The arrows sank deeply into walls and pillars, pinning these assassins tightly in place.
Compared with the well-organized charge of the Canglang Cavalry, the assassination squads rushing into the mansion were a disorganized rabble.
Faced with the concentrated assault of the Canglang Cavalry, they were like loose sand, quickly shattered and slaughtered until rivers of blood flowed.
Lu Tai delayed no moment.
The Wolf King beneath him howled repeatedly, rushing toward the direction where the fighting was most intense.
Like a sharp blade, Lu Tai’s Canglang Cavalry tore into the assassins from behind with brutal precision.
Charging forward effortlessly, Lu Tai burst into the back garden.
Facing the complex terrain of the garden, Lu Tai let out a long roar and leapt into the air, leaving his mount.
The three thousand Canglang riders followed suit, dismounting and letting their three thousand massive Canglang wolves howl as they plunged into the darkness of the garden.
The dark, tangled garden was perfect hunting ground for the Canglang wolves.
Howls echoed from all directions, sounds of teeth ripping flesh filled the air, and the wolves’ roars quickly drowned out the cries and battle shouts all around.
From the rear, the dull pounding of hooves could be heard—a host of over ten thousand heavily armored Forbidden Cavalry smashed through the walls of the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion and surged forward in overwhelming force.
Lu Tai wielded his sword, stepping on fallen trees as he charged ahead.
The three thousand Canglang riders formed ranks on the ground, coordinating perfectly to kill and ambush the assassins stalking along their path.
Compared to the assassins, these Canglang riders’ individual strength was greater, their cooperation tighter, and their attacks far more ruthless and merciless.
With three thousand mighty Canglang wolves assisting, all the assassins’ ambush tricks proved useless.
Xiong Taitou climbed the fake mountain, attacked by eight bed crossbow bolts at once.
At the same time, Lu Tai had already rushed to the foot of the mountain and let out a loud howl, “Grand Chancellor, are you on the mountain? Lord Lu Tai has come—do not panic!”
Zhu Chong’s face twitched as he looked down upon the terrace beneath the mountain where swords clashed fiercely.
“Don’t panic? When have I ever panicked?”
“Xiong Taitou—someone go and cut him down.”
“Should we really let Lu Tai take the credit for this? That would be a disgrace!”
Zhu Chong hissed low in displeasure.
On the third floor of the tall building, a handsome young man clothed in pure white robes leapt into the air.
Holding a sharp sword, he slashed downward like a falling star toward Xiong Taitou’s temple.
“Father, watch my Haojian Palace ultimate skill!”
Before his words had even ended, when the sword light was still three chi above Xiong Taitou’s head, Xiong Taitou suddenly punched toward the sky.
A tremendous roar like thunder echoed.
The sword broke, the youth’s arm snapped.
He spat a mouthful of blood and was blasted away like a kite cut loose, flying over ten zhang backward.
Zhu Chong’s face changed abruptly, and he shouted hoarsely, “(pu)’er!”
(End of chapter)