HLnovel Chapter 20 Fierce Battle in the Palace and the First Signs of the Truth
Chapter 20 Fierce Battle in the Palace and the First Signs of the Truth
Xuanyuan Che and Su Yao hurried through the dark palace, the eerie laughter echoing around them like demonic sounds from hell. They followed the sound to the Imperial Garden, where a thick layer of black mist filled the air, and within the mist, shadowy figures swayed.
Xuanyuan Che charged into the mist first, his sword emitting a faint light that barely illuminated the surrounding area. Suddenly, a group of black-clad assassins surged out from all directions, their weapons gleaming coldly, thrusting towards Xuanyuan Che and Su Yao. Xuanyuan Che's swordsmanship was fierce, each strike repelling several assassins, but these assassins seemed endless, impossible to kill.
Su Yao observed the assassins' attack formation from the sidelines. She noticed that they were arranged in a peculiar Bagua formation, coordinating their attacks and defenses with remarkable order. She shouted to Xuan Yuanche, "Your Highness, this formation must be broken through the Gate of Life, to the northeast!" Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanche turned and charged towards the northeast. His sword, like a dragon emerging from the sea, instantly broke through the assassins' defenses and disrupted their formation.
As their formation crumbled, the assassins' attacks became chaotic and disorganized. Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao seized the opportunity to counterattack, gradually slaying the assassins. But just as the assassins were about to be completely wiped out, the dark mist suddenly churned violently, and a figure in black robes emerged from it.
The man in black robes had his face covered, obscuring his features, but his eyes exuded a powerful, malevolent aura. He coldly stared at Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao, saying, "Do you think you can so easily ruin my plans? This is just a small warning."
Xuanyuan Che roared, "Who are you? Why are you disrupting my dynasty and harming the people?" The man in black robes burst into wild laughter, "Who I am is not important. What is important is that you will all become my pawns and witness the downfall of this dynasty."
Su Yao said, "No matter what your schemes are, we will not let you succeed. Those strange phenomena you manipulate and the arrays you use to disturb the people will surely come to a bad end." The man in black sneered, "Do you think you can break my array by finding those few spirit pearls? You are too naive. That array is only part of my plan, and everything you are doing now is within my calculations."
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, palace guards rushed to provide support. Seeing the situation was dire, the man in black robes vanished into the dark mist in a flash. Xuan Yuanche tried to pursue, but the mist was like an impenetrable wall, blocking his path.
Left with no other option, Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao could only arrange for the guards to strengthen the palace's defenses before continuing to discuss countermeasures. They realized that this man in black robes must have a close connection with that mysterious force, and to completely resolve the crisis, they had to find out the man's identity and the power behind him.
Su Yao recalled some clues she had obtained during her search for the Spirit Pearl, and she discovered that these clues seemed to vaguely point to an ancient family. This family had been suppressed at the beginning of the dynasty and disappeared without a trace, but perhaps they had been secretly accumulating power, plotting revenge.
Xuanyuan Che decided to send people to investigate the history and current situation of this family. During the investigation, they discovered that the descendants of this family had been researching a forbidden magic that could manipulate people's minds and cause natural disasters. The methods used by that mysterious force had many similarities to this magic.
As the investigation deepened, they gradually identified a suspect—a nobleman named Murong Xuan. Murong Xuan appeared loyal to the court, but in reality, he was secretly plotting a massive conspiracy. He colluded with remnants of the old regime in a neighboring country and some evil sects in the martial arts world, attempting to overthrow Xuan Yuan Che's dynasty and seize the throne for himself.
The man in black robes was none other than Murong Xuan's secret strategist. Skilled in sorcery, he had been devising schemes and creating chaos for Murong Xuan. When Xuan Yuan Che learned the truth, he was greatly shocked; he hadn't expected such a dangerous figure to be lurking among his ranks.
He immediately ordered Murong Xuan's arrest. When the guards arrived at Murong Xuan's residence, they found it empty. It turned out that Murong Xuan, realizing his plot was about to be exposed, had already fled. Based on the clues, Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao deduced that Murong Xuan might have escaped to an abandoned ancient castle in the west. This castle had once been the stronghold of that ancient family, heavily fortified and difficult to attack.
Without hesitation, Xuan Yuanche and Su Yao led their guards toward the ancient castle. They knew it would be an extremely difficult battle, but for the sake of their country and its people, they had to bring Murong Xuan and his accomplices to justice and completely avert the crisis. Inside the castle, they would face Murong Xuan's desperate resistance, various dangerous traps and mechanisms, and even more powerful evil magic attacks from the black-robed man, but their resolve was unwavering; they would never retreat.