Chapter 74 (1/2)

Hunting Down Mu Rongrui

“No!” Mu Rongrui released a terrified scream as his phantom shadow flailed and writhed in the blood light.

“Save His Highness! Go!” A few of the masked men shouted, and they ran into the blood-red light.

A Spirit Weapon was still superior overall: Although the spirit of the Demonic Blood-Devouring Sword had been destroyed, and thus its power greatly reduced, the sword was still supernatural; normal weapons paled in comparison. A member of the Royal Family, Mu Rongrui would, of course, use the best of weapons; yet, it could never compare to the Demonic Blood-Devouring Sword.

“…Argh! …Argh!” A few shrill cries resounded in the mountain valley and eventually throughout the Illusory Battlefield.

Two people heading toward the dale abruptly halted upon hearing the screams. They looked fearfully toward the valley. “L-Leader, what’s happening over there? It’s horrific!” A chubby man exclaimed in a quivering voice to the more slender man in front of him.

“Go over and check it out,” Commanded the man leading the pair, and the facial expressions of the timid men behind him changed.

The chubby man was the most cowardly of them all. “Erm, leader, I suggest it would be better if we d-don’t go.” He shrank his neck.

“Look at you!” The leader glared at him. “Don’t forget our mission: to find Qin Yu and obtain his Spirit Weapon. Then, we kill him for the five Black Grade Promotion Pills. Have you forgotten that?”

“No, we… we haven’t!” The rest of them solemnly chorused.

“Good. If a few screams is all it takes to scare you off, you all can forget about the Spirit Weapon and get lost!” After reprimanding them, the leader’s tone softened, and he said, “Okay, enough talk. Let’s go!” He then set off boldly toward their destination. Whether they were willing or not, the people behind him had no choice but to follow. After all, coming this far already, they had to at least try their luck.

……

Within the valley, a few more holes were added to Qin Yu’s clothes. He held onto Qing Yun with his left hand, and his right hand gripped the Demonic Blood-Devouring Sword. His eyes were blood red, and his bloodcurdling gaze fell upon Mu Rongrui and his men. The prince was in a sorry state. He had already been injured, and now his wounds had increased severely. Body covered in blood, his face was pale If not for the masked men who had protected him just then, he probably would’ve been dead meat. Out of the four men who had helped Mu Rongrui, only one had escaped; the rest had become bloody corpses. Spirit Weapons were truly terrifying, especially in Qin Yu’s hands.

“Ruo Feng, why? Why?!” Mu Rongyue screamed in the guard’s direction, unable to accept that Ruo Feng had betrayed her. Her heart ached as the person she trusted most turned his back on her. Tears flowed from her eyes and muddled her vision. She remembered Ruo Feng would gladly sacrifice his life for her; why would such a person betray her?

“Princess, s-sorry, I… I…” Ruo Feng’s voice gradually faded. The guard could no longer face Mu Rongyue, and he lowered his head.

“You useless fool!” Mu Rongrui angrily bellowed at Ruo Feng. “Why didn’t you attack Qin Yu just now?! What’s the point of attacking a woman?” Mu Rongrui wanted to stomp Ruo Feng into the ground. He should have attacked Qin Yu, but the guard had attacked the insignificant Qing Yun instead.

Ruo Feng knelt with a plop. His voice trembled as he responded, “Your Highness, please, don’t be angry. Qin Yu wore the Golden Silk Armor, and it would’ve been futile if I had attacked him. I could only strike the woman beside him so that his attention was divided when he tried to save her. This created an opportunity for Your Highness to kill him, but I never thought……” He didn’t dare finish the sentence.

“You never thought I was so useless? That I’d be unable to kill Qin Yu and be severely injured myself? Is that it?” Mu Rongrui gritted his teeth, and a ferocious glint entered his eyes.

Ruo Feng, covered in cold sweat, hastily tried to explain himself, “No, no, no! That wasn’t what I meant! That wasn’t what I meant!”

“Kill him!” Mu Rongrui didn’t care for the man’s excuses and ordered his death.

“Yes,” responded a masked man, stepping forward to immediately execute the order.

“Stop! Anyone who dares kill him, I’ll kill every one of your family and friends! Don’t think I don’t know who you are! You’re all Golden Sword Guards!” Mu Rongyue had finally recognized the identities of their assailants from the three corpses that had fallen before the prince. One of their masks had cracked, and the man’s face was that of a Golden Sword Guard from the Palace. The masked man about to kill Ruo Feng heard Mu Rongyue, and his body shook. He didn’t dare move any closer.

“Do you want to die?! Do you obey her or me? Do it now!” Mu Rongrui shouted fiercely.

The executioner appeared to be in a tight spot. Turning to Mu Rongyue, he said with difficulty, “Princess, I’m just doing what I’ve been ordered. I’m willing to pay with my life for this, but I hope the Princess would spare my family.” With this, he raised his huge blade and cried, “Kill!”

“Rainbow Startling Sword!” Mu Rongyue drew her sword at the same time, and a resplendent light bloomed. She struck with immense speed, and the tip of her sword pierced the back of the man’s neck. She was growing more and more familiar with the move. “Argh!” Mu Rongyue screamed out in agony as she withdrew her sword. Her sword was stained with blood, and she was close to crying. Killing the guards who had protected the Mu family pained the princess, but she had no alternative.