Chapter 60 Things are getting more and more interesting

Fresh blood continuously gushed from the mouth of Xu Xianchun, the Commander of the Northern Guard Bureau, while the vitality in his eyes steadily faded. The physical agony he suffered paled in comparison to the devastating mental blow of his impending doom.

He had toiled away his entire life, acting as a lapdog for Wei Zhongxian and later for Tian Ergeng. Originally, the Northern Guard Bureau held a unique and prestigious position among the Brocade Guard, with its Commander possessing the direct privilege of audience with the Emperor. Yet, under the constant intimidation of Wei Zhongxian, he had been reduced to a mere walking corpse, unable to even straighten his back in the presence of Tian Ergeng.

Now, driven by a spasm of pain and sheer nervous reflex, his back stiffened for a fleeting second before his head slumped heavily onto his chest.

Ding Baiying yanked her blade back, and Xu Xianchun tumbled off his horse.

"Go!" Ding Baiying shouted to Pei Lun, not forgetting to toss the token onto the ground, where it landed with a sharp clatter.

Pei Lun had already worn Wei Yu down to exhaustion and was moments away from delivering the fatal blow when Wang Lu arrived with reinforcements.

The appearance of the Eastern Depot operatives was purely coincidental, their original orders falling somewhere between executing the targets or letting them be. However, as a Brocade Guard, Pei Lun naturally despised the men of the Eastern Depot and wanted to slaughter Wei Yu on a whim—especially after hearing that this man was the nephew of Wei Zhongxian.

Had Wang Lu not said that the more chaotic the situation, the better?

Seeing a blade flash toward him, and having already suffered an arm injury from Pei Lun earlier, Wei Yu lacked the physical strength to parry such a swift and fierce strike. Even more despairing was the sight of a squad of Brocade Guard rushing over only to rescue Xu Xianchun, ignoring him entirely.

Just as he prepared to accept his fate, Wei Yu caught a glimpse of the two leading Brocade Guard centurions charging straight at him.

Clang!

Shen Lian and Wang Lu struck out simultaneously, but Wang Lu moved more than twice as fast as Shen Lian. The collision of their blades produced a resounding ring that cut through the sound of rain pelting against the bluestone pavement.

A smirk flashed beneath Pei Lun's mask. Knowing that Wang Lu had arrived, he knew it was time to leave.

Simultaneously, Ding Baiying’s warning cry echoed through the air. Pei Lun immediately took a defensive stance facing Shen Lian and Wang Lu, then rapidly retreated.

Shen Lian naturally gave chase, but Wang Lu did not stop him. Instead, he stepped forward to steady Wei Yu, asking, "Are you alright, Your Honor?"

With an ugly expression, Wei Yu cast a sideways glance at Wang Lu. His legs weak, he could only lean on Wang Lu for support as he forced himself to say, "Thank you. If not for you, I would be a dead man."

Wang Lu shook his head and replied, "We all serve the Emperor; saving you was only my duty."

Just then, a shout rang out from not far away: "The Commander is dead! The Commander is dead!"

Wang Lu’s expression shifted. He called back Shen Lian, who was already halfway through his pursuit: "Shen Lian! Stay and take care of His Honor! I’ll go after them!"

Shen Lian hesitated for a fraction of a second, halted his steps, turned back, and took over supporting Wei Yu from Wang Lu.

By the time Wang Lu rushed to the scene, Ding Baiying and Pei Lun had already dispatched another four or five men. To Wang Lu's secret dismay, two of the slain men happened to be his own subordinates.

"Don't let them escape!" Wang Lu roared, thrusting his Miao sabre forward.

True to form, Pei Lun pulled out a smoke pellet and hurled it to the ground, where a thick cloud instantly burst open.

When Wang Lu and his men broke through the billowing smoke, the two assassins had vanished without a trace.

"Damn those vicious scoundrels!" Playing his part to perfection, Wang Lu shouted in feigned exasperation before turning and running toward Xu Xianchun.

Reaching the corpse, Wang Lu scooped Xu Xianchun up in his arms and shook him frantically.

"Commander! Commander, wake up!"

Seeing Wang Lu's frantic state, Lin Guoer couldn't help but tug at his sleeve. "Centurion, Lord Xu... he has already passed."

As if snapping out of a dream, Wang Lu gently laid the Commander's body back into the carriage. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he barked, "Shen Lian!"

"Here!" Shen Lian, having just handed Wei Yu over to others, stepped forward immediately with a solemn expression.

"Take a squad and escort His Honor back to the Eastern Depot!"

"Understood!" Shen Lian nodded.

"Senior Centurion Lin Guo."

"Here."

"Take a squad and escort Lord Xu back to the Northern Guard Bureau headquarters. Let no word of Lord Xu's death leak outside for now!"

"Yes!" Lin Guo cupped his fists and nodded curtly.

"The rest of you, come with me to the Brocade Guard Chief Commander's Office for an audience with the Chief Commander!"

Scarcely had Wang Lu finished speaking when Xue Jing’s voice rang out from behind.

"My Lord! I've found something!" Xue Jing said with an exceptionally grave expression, gesturing for Wang Lu to come over.

Wang Lu turned and walked toward him, and Xue Jing handed over a token.

"It belongs to the Prince of Xin's estate."

Rumble—

Almost the exact moment Xue Jing's voice trailed off, a deafening crack of thunder split the heavens, followed immediately by a flash of lightning that illuminated a series of grim faces. The bloodstains on their fish-scale uniforms reflected a predatory, chilling sheen.

Inside the Brocade Guard Chief Commander's Office, Tian Ergeng slammed his teacup down onto the floor with such force that the exquisite, kiln-fired porcelain shattered into eight jagged pieces.

"What?! Xu Xianchun is dead?!"

Wang Lu nodded, glancing sideways at Wei Yu.

Wei Yu seemed to look down upon Shen Lian, stubbornly insisting on accompanying Wang Lu directly to the Chief Commander’s headquarters first.

That suited Wang Lu just fine; having a witness of this caliber worked entirely to his advantage.

"I was patrolling the city with my men when we ran into Lord Xu. Shortly after, assassins launched a ferocious ambush while we were inspecting Lord Xu's tally. Lord Xu was killed in action, and if not for Centurion Wang arriving in the nick of time with his men, even I wouldn't have made it back alive."

In Fish Alley, within the lavish residence of Wei Zhongxian, Wei Yu recounted the events with a face full of bitter resentment to the man seated above.

Wei Zhongxian was twirling two small iron balls in his palm. They had been rotating at a leisurely pace, but as he grasped the full picture of the situation, they ground to a complete halt.

The corners of his mouth drooped heavily, his expression stern, and his eyes as sharp as a falcon's, enough to make anyone's blood run cold.

"You... you too, you were also targeted by assassins?" After a prolonged silence, Wei Zhongxian looked down at Wang Lu and asked.

Wang Lu wore a blank, vacant expression, perfectly conveying the hollow grief of someone whose immediate superior had just been violently murdered.

"Yes. At the time, I was searching for clues inside the residence of the eunuch Guo Zhen. When I discovered a hidden mechanism in the courtyard and was organizing my men to investigate, two assassins suddenly charged at me."

Wei Zhongxian suddenly leaned forward, his eyes narrowing into slits as he spoke in a low, rumbling voice, "Then why aren't you dead?"

A sudden chill pierced through Wang Lu's heart, but the sound of the system mission trigger chiming in his mind instantly steadied him.

"At the time, my subordinates were numerous, and I had the assistance of Bureau Chief Wu and Shen Lian. Had it not been for them, this humble subordinate probably wouldn't have lived to see Your Honor the Eunuch again."

Wei Zhongxian scrutinized Wang Lu's face for a long, agonizing moment before finally letting out a soft sigh and leaning back slightly.

His voice was hoarse and low, every single word enunciated with chilling clarity: "You said those thugs left behind a token? Where is it?"

Wang Lu immediately stepped forward, reached into his breast pocket, drew out the Prince of Xin's token, and held it up respectfully.

A female guard dressed in black with a sabre at her waist stepped forward, took the token from Wang Lu's hands, inspected it closely, and then bowed. "Foster Father, it is indeed the token of the Prince of Xin."

Without a word, Wei Zhongxian extended his hand. Wei Ting promptly placed the token into his palm.

"Heh..."

Wei Zhongxian stared at the token for a second or two before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle.

The laughter felt jarringly out of place given the oppressive atmosphere.

Outside the room, the rain continued to pour, yet Wei Zhongxian's laughter grew louder and louder, echoing with a sinister resonance that sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.