The heavy knocking sound caused everyone in the court to pause for a moment. This was not a place where neighbors casually dropped by; anyone who dared to knock on the door like this during court session would most likely be captured by the palace guards at the gate and questioned, if not executed on the spot. Moreover, even if someone was willing to sacrifice their life, were the guards outside just for show?
The acting prime minister, seated steadily in the lower left corner and currently overseeing the court affairs, had already sensed that something was amiss. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the guards standing behind the pillars in the hall to approach, while the officials automatically moved away from the doors.
However, the turn of events unfolded faster than their reactions. After the knocking had stopped for two seconds, the solid wooden door embedded with copper nails suddenly shattered, and a long spear engulfed in crimson flames pierced through the door, leaving a massive hole as it shot into the hall.
One guard who happened to be behind the door was caught off guard and was instantly impaled by the spear, pinned to the ground. Bright red blood and fragments of organs gushed out freely from the gaping wound in the guard's chest, creating a gruesome scene.
This sudden upheaval left the court officials speechless for a moment. The civil officials mostly turned pale, with some even unable to contain their nausea. The military officials, having experienced battles before, remained calmer, but their expressions were equally grim. Wearing weapons was prohibited during court sessions, and even though they were confident in their skills, facing an assassin who was prepared was no easy task.
The powerful shot that pierced through one guard, along with the gate latch that was destroyed in the process, slowly pushed open the gates under the force. A dark-clothed and masked figure, enveloped in flames similar to the spear, strode in boldly with another spear in hand, exuding a fervent aura of bloodlust.
The other guards were not to be underestimated either. Normally, both inside and outside the court were guarded by palace guards: thirty-six in silver armor outside and six in golden armor inside, all elite members of the Imperial Guard, each being a master who had achieved martial ascension akin to high-ranking knights in West Land.
Despite one of their comrades falling unexpectedly, the remaining five guards showed no signs of panic. They formed a defensive formation with three at the front and two at the back, shielding the officials behind them. Their golden spears also exuded spiritual energy, creating a protective barrier against the sudden intruder charging towards them.
Intruding into the palace, disrupting court affairs, attacking the guards, and attempting to kill court officials - any of these offenses were grave enough to warrant several deaths, even extending to their families. The guards were now fully empowered - no, obligated to eliminate the intruder on the spot.
However, facing the combined might of the golden-armored guards, the assassin, with both hands gripping the spear, chuckled, "Hehe... Hahaha! Good, good!"
The spear moved like a dragon soaring through clouds, its power augmented by spiritual energy. When it clashed with the golden spears, there was no normal metallic clang, but a clean ripping sound as it effortlessly tore through the weapons of the first three guards.
The guards reacted swiftly, showing minimal surprise. They decisively discarded their broken spears and drew blades from their waist sheaths. The golden spears of the guards were primarily for ceremonial and intimidation purposes, with emphasis on visual aesthetics in material and design. The immediate counterattack was merely a convenient choice; the long knives at their waists were their true lethal weapons.
Nevertheless, the assassin seemed to embody a fierce warrior's way of killing. Facing the fully committed guards, he did not hesitate. Swinging his spear horizontally, he suddenly changed it into a thrust, escalating his speed beyond the reactions of several guards.
With a singular long weapon, he wielded it like a short dagger in the hands of a thief. Before the middle guard could draw his blade, the assassin lunged forward and struck at his exposed chest with lightning speed. The guard's thick chest plate proved as fragile as paper against the assassin's thunderous strike.
Seeing another comrade fall, the two guards behind, who were on alert for other potential assailants, could no longer hold back. Discarding their spears, they drew their blades and charged forward, determined to take him down together.
"Oh no, we have a major issue." Aya and Jojo were still crouched by the window, looking somewhat surprised at the sudden turn of events in the hall. They couldn't believe that an assassin could openly make his way into the grand hall where court was held in this country.
Fortunately, the remaining four golden-armored palace guards managed to team up and noticeably thwarted the assassin, despite his long spear still being razor-sharp and challenging for the guards armed with shorter weapons to approach. However, in this grueling battle of attrition, the assassin's stamina was evidently wearing thinner than that of the guards.
"Phew, it's a relief that Grandpa Wu is unharmed. Thank goodness my father didn't have to meet the envoy from the West today..." Jojo sighed in relief as she saw the guards gaining the upper hand.
"Don't speak too soon," Aya clicked her tongue, "There might still be some unexpected turns. You pointed out earlier that something was amiss in the central square today – the patrolling guards were absent, and the outside palace guards were nowhere to be seen. That assassin might not be working alone after all."
—If Her Royal Highness were here, she would probably not hold back from commenting, "You shouldn't have that high of an IQ."
And indeed, as if to validate Aya's concerns, an unexpected incident did occur. However, the surprise didn't come from elsewhere but from the assassin standing at the center of the hall.
"Hey, wait a minute, is he taking drugs?" Aya noticed a small movement by the assassin. In a gap while brandishing his spear wildly, he alternated between sneaking something that looked like a pill into his mouth with one hand and then the other.
Of course, it could have been just a way to relax by eating a piece of candy while fighting, but at a time like this, it was hard to believe, right?
At the moment he swallowed the pill, the assassin's spear suddenly shifted from defense to offense, unleashing a flurry of countless spear shadows. If it had been at the original intensity, the guards could easily evade or block it, as the assassin's strength was not overwhelmingly superior to theirs. Moreover, launching an attack towards all four guards would undoubtedly expose him to vulnerabilities, leading to his defeat.
But this time, his assault was quicker and more ferocious than the guards had anticipated.
As the spear shadows scattered like countless shooting stars, each person felt as if a meteor shower was heading their way, filled with an oppressive force that seemed impossible to resist.
Splatter... A series of chilling sounds of blades piercing flesh made one's scalp tingle, the bodies of the four guards almost simultaneously bursting into a crimson mist. The glistening golden armor pieces on them were pierced like pieces of paper, falling apart.
"Geez... What's with this exaggerated speed?” Aya almost failed to catch sight of it. The responsiveness and speed at which he carried out his attacks were unbelievably insane. Even with the use of some secret techniques or potions, it shouldn't be this fast, right? Aya knew that the enhancement effects she was familiar with, like berserk or acceleration, at best provided only a slight increase. That pill seems extraordinary; if the speed the assassin displayed before was his original speed, the effect of this pill had probably enhanced his speed by about ten times.
This was truly beyond belief; who could create such a potent enhancement drug? There should be limits to the extent of enhancement!
"Hmm?" As the golden-armored guards fell, although Senior Wu remained composed and showed no intention of fleeing, a slight furrow appeared on his brow, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The surprise was not at the death of the guards or the sudden display of the assassin's formidable strength but rather at the moment when, after the sudden speed boost, the assassin's hood which had already become loosened in the intense combat, completely fell off, revealing his face.
"You... are you from the Liu family?" Senior Wu squinted his eyes, focusing on his face and inquired.
The facial covering dropped, and the assassin instinctively raised his hand to touch his face, with no attempt to conceal it. Instead, considering the fact that he had just personally taken down all six golden-armored guards in the hall, the situation should have been completely under his control.
"Old man, surprised you can still recognize me."
The assassin held a gun in his right hand and pointed it at Wu Shengchen, coldly saying, "37 lives from the Liu family back then, today I will make you pay with your blood!"
"Hmm... judging by your age, you must be the youngest child from back then, right? At the time, the soldiers only found charred corpses and couldn't identify anyone."
Wu Shengchen stroked his beard and calmly stated, as if he was not being threatened by a fierce killer holding a weapon but having a drink with someone.
No, it shouldn't be like this at all. Clearly, I am the one in control now, holding the lives and deaths of all court officials in my hands!
The assassin also sensed that Wu Shengchen's calm demeanor did not match the current situation, feeling a bit uneasy.
"My name is Liu Suo! Today, I will use your head, old man, to pay tribute to my family!"
His speed was unmatched, leaping back and throwing the gun he used to shoot the first palace guard towards Wu Shengchen. The burning spirit, the tearing sound of the air, despite the exclamations from the courtiers, they couldn’t stop the sight of the gun about to nail the loyal servant who had served three dynasties to his seat.
"Dragon's Breath Blow!"
In this short distance and time, when the courtiers were powerless to stop it, Aya abruptly intercepted the spear's flight path. With a long-charged right fist strike, the highly compressed air scales collided head-on with the spear tip, shattering the scale armor at the cost of deflecting Liu Suo's surefire blow.
"Phew, just in time just in time."
Shaking her numb right hand, Aya glanced back at the spot where she had just flown in, only to see Jojo standing behind the shattered window giving her a thumbs-up. Her indigo purple stand behind her exuded an aura of invincibility.
Hiss... this stand's power is quite formidable... the speed at which I threw myself in just now was a bit too fast, although I struck in advance, I didn't expect to catch up so seamlessly.
"Who goes there?!"
Liu Suo had no anticipation for the sudden interception of his attack by this individual. The mental pressure of intruding into the court for an assassination was already significant, and his mind couldn't process the appearance of a white-haired beautiful young girl on top of that failed strike.
"Your daddy."
Aya was more straightforward, showing no intention to chat any longer. She came in to protect that prime minister, and any assassins could just lie down. With force from her feet, she twisted her fist and charged forward.
