Assassination

Translator: CinderTL

Xu Sanyan tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he maintained a calm smile. "How did you know, Madam?"

Yang Qiyuan lowered her head and replied, "Since I was young, I've been good at reading people. I just made a wild guess based on your expression earlier."

Xu Sanyan nodded slowly, not denying it. "Do you have a solution, Madam?"

Yang Qiyuan's heart was in turmoil. On one side was her father's royal treasury, and on the other was her husband. She was torn between the two.

Although her father had never treated her well, he was still her father.

Xu Sanyan didn't pressure her. Instead, he reached out and gently stroked her hair, pulling her into his embrace. Softly, he said, "Although I'd like to visit the royal treasury, I can't bear to see you in such a dilemma."

Yang Qiyuan was deeply moved. She leaned her head against Xu Sanyan's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Due to her appearance, no one had ever been this close to her except her mother. Even her father and brothers had always kept their distance.

Before their marriage, she had thought that Xu Sanyan had married her to gain favor with her father. But as time went on, he had never treated her coldly. Instead, he remained consistently gentle and affectionate.

Yang Qiyuan wished that time could stand still in this moment, never moving forward.

Xu Sanyan looked down at his wife in his arms, his heart as calm as a still lake, not a ripple of emotion stirring.

Love is what makes people impulsive.

But he had no love.

As the sky gradually darkened, the Xu residence came into view. Xu Sanyan's ears twitched slightly as he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind the carriage.

The footsteps were steady and light, neither hurried nor slow, maintaining a perfect distance of twenty paces behind the carriage, no matter its speed.

Xu Sanyan immediately understood that the person was after him. A thought crossed his mind as he glanced at Yang Qiyuan in his arms, and he quickly formed a plan.

Whoosh—

Just as they were about to arrive at the Xu residence, a sharp whistling sound pierced through the air, aiming directly at the two inside the carriage.

Xu Sanyan was prepared but feigned panic, shouting, "Assassins!"

With a swift motion, he pushed Yang Qiyuan aside. A long blade narrowly missed them, slicing through Yang Qiyuan's flowing hair and piercing through the chest of the carriage driver in front.

Bang!

The carriage exploded, and Yang Qiyuan was thrown out. Xu Sanyan leaped forward to face the enemy, shouting over his shoulder, "Run!"

Yang Qiyuan knew she would only be a burden if she stayed. She quickly limped away in the opposite direction, planning to circle back to the royal residence to seek help.

Xu Sanyan didn't have time to worry about her. He focused on the figure at the street corner—a gray-robed elder with his hands behind his back, calmly watching him, completely ignoring Yang Qiyuan's escape.

"Who are you?" Xu Sanyan asked in a deep voice.

From the earlier attack, he could tell that this person's strength was not far from his own, likely at the peak stage of the Celestial Being Realm.

"This old man's surname is An."

The elder seemed in no hurry to attack. Instead, he looked Xu Sanyan up and down with interest. "A Celestial Being at the age of twenty—your talent is truly remarkable. If you had been born in the Central Plains, you might have become a prodigy of your generation. What a pity…"

As he spoke, the elder shook his head regretfully, as if waiting for Xu Sanyan to ask what he meant.

Seeing that no one was around and that Yang Qiyuan had already fled, Xu Sanyan no longer hid his true nature. A faint smile curled on his lips, but he didn't take the bait.

The elder, seeing that Xu Sanyan still had the leisure to smile, couldn't help but ask, "What are you laughing at?"

Xu Sanyan slowly raised his right arm, and his Inner Qi surged. The long blade in the distance flew into his hand. "I'm laughing at how pretentious you are."

"You!"

The elder's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeve in anger. "How vulgar!"

Clang—

Under the dimming sunset, a cold glint of the blade appeared. Xu Sanyan bent his knees slightly and then burst forward, the long blade like an arrow aimed straight at the elder's head.

The elder's pupils flashed as the blade reached him in an instant. He was shocked—this young man's speed was incredible!

This was definitely not the strength of someone at the initial stage of the Celestial Being Realm!

When the Eldest Prince had sent someone to invite the elder surnamed An earlier that morning, he had only mentioned that the target was Xu Sanyan, a Celestial Being at the initial stage, and nothing else.

The elder quickly sidestepped, his two fingers glowing with a faint golden light, as if coated in gold paint, and thrust them toward Xu Sanyan's throat.

Clang—

Xu Sanyan twisted his wrist, using the back of the blade to block. The fingers collided with the blade, producing a metallic clang.

Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered. Those fingers were incredibly hard, likely surpassing even metal.

What was the point of training fingers to be that hard? Was it to compensate for something else that couldn't get hard?

Xu Sanyan found the thought amusing and even grinned.

The elder was baffled. They were in a life-and-death battle, and this young man still had the nerve to laugh?

Was he looking down on him?

The elder's anger flared, and he no longer held back. Crossing his arms, he let out a loud "bang," and his sleeves exploded, revealing two golden arms.

"Hmph, let me show you the Golden Arm Technique I've been practicing for years!" the elder snorted.

"Golden Arm Technique?"

Xu Sanyan looked at it with interest, then shook his head. All flash, no substance.

"Hmph, young man, even if you're Prince Rui's son-in-law, you won't escape death today!"

With that, the elder swung his arms in a fierce attack. The surrounding air was compressed by the force, creating sonic booms, a truly intimidating display.

The old man's martial arts were indeed fierce.

Xu Sanyan remained calm, bending his knees slightly and meeting the attack with a single palm.

Bang—

A dull thud echoed as their fists and palms collided. The elder's eyes widened in shock. Xu Sanyan had actually blocked his attack with just one hand!

Xu Sanyan didn't even take a step back. The stone tiles beneath his feet cracked slightly, spreading out like a spider's web.

"You…"

The elder looked up in disbelief. He couldn't understand how this slender young man had managed to withstand his punch, which carried the force of over a hundred thousand pounds.

Even if he had dodged, it would have been understandable. But he had actually blocked it head-on!

Xu Sanyan lightly tapped with his right palm, and the elder was forced to take a few steps back.

Xu Sanyan smiled faintly. The elder clearly had no idea what a Heavenly Earth Treasure was!

To compare strength with him?

Xu Sanyan's body had been enhanced by a Heavenly Earth Treasure. Even he wasn't sure how strong he truly was.

"You're definitely not at the initial stage of the Celestial Being Realm!"

The elder's lips trembled, the golden color on his arms fading. His arms shook uncontrollably.

The earlier attack had already caused him internal injuries, even though he appeared unharmed.

"Who sent you?"

Xu Sanyan already had a guess. It was either the Cui Family or the Eldest Prince. No one else could hire a Celestial Being at the peak stage.

The elder gritted his teeth, his expression showing signs of retreat. The mission had already failed, and he might not even make it out alive.

"Tell me, and I'll let you go," Xu Sanyan said, as if reading his mind.

"Really?" the elder hesitated.

Xu Sanyan nodded. "Of course. I always keep my word."

The elder thought for a moment, then nodded heavily. "Fine. I hope you honor your promise. It was the Eldest Prince who hired me to kill you."

The elder spilled everything. He wasn't a professional assassin and had no sense of professional ethics.

Xu Sanyan wasn't surprised but instead asked curiously, "How much does it cost to hire someone of your strength?"

"Money? I wanted Spirit Herbs," the elder said, while cautiously backing away.

"Spirit Herbs?"

Xu Sanyan's interest was piqued.

(End of the Chapter)

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