Chapter 1384
Xuan Jian Leaves the Imperial City, Chaos Erupts!
Chapter 1384 Xuan Jian Leaves the Imperial City, Chaos Erupts!
Not long after, the bluestone pavement of the west street of the imperial city of Daling was darkened by the twilight. Just as the entourage of Zhao Chengye, the commander of the Daling Imperial Guards, turned the corner, and before the clattering of horses' hooves on the stone pavement had faded, a blue shadow fell from the eaves of the building like a kite with a broken string.
This man was dressed in a navy blue fitted outfit, with leggings tightly binding his legs, which accentuated his tall and slender figure. His black hair was casually tied back with a blue headband with a red ribbon, and a few strands of hair danced lightly in the evening breeze along with the ribbons. He was none other than the top-ranked assassin of the Luo Wang organization—Black and White Xuan Jian!
He held his two swords crossed in front of his chest. The black sword "Xuan" gleamed with a cold, inky light, while the white sword "Jian" reflected the afterglow of the setting sun. The shimmering light flowing across the blades was dazzling.
"Who dares to obstruct the Imperial Guards' ceremonial procession?!"
Zhao Chengye, a veteran general who had seen many battles, immediately drew his sword and shouted upon seeing this.
Before he finished speaking, Hei Bai Xuan Jian had already moved. He raised his two swords, and the fierce sword energy made the air buzz. At the same time, the white sword in his left hand drew a graceful arc, aiming straight for Zhao Chengye's lower body. The combination of strength and gentleness in his moves was dazzling to behold.
Zhao Chengye hurriedly parried with his sword, but unfortunately he was only at the level of a god-general. He was able to become the commander of the Imperial Guards simply because the military generals of the Great Ling Dynasty were dwindling and a new generation of war gods had not yet grown up. Furthermore, there were powerful ministers in various courts who checked and balanced each other, which is why he got such an easy position.
With a loud clang, the blade of the sword was chipped by the impact of Xuan Jian's twin swords. Zhao Chengye felt his hand go numb. Before he could adjust his posture, the figures of the black and white Xuan Jian had already closed in. The black sword was aimed straight at his heart, while the white sword was slashed towards his neck with the reverse blade. It was the ultimate killing move of "the straight blade takes the life, the reverse blade suppresses the soul".
Zhao Chengye tried his best to turn to the side, but the black sword still managed to slash a deep, bone-revealing wound across his chest. Blood instantly soaked through his armor. At the same time, the reverse blade of the white sword grazed his neck, sending a tingling sensation through his entire body and making his internal energy circulation somewhat sluggish.
"You... are you a member of the Luo Wang organization under the Duke of Zhenguo in the Great Qian Dynasty?"
Zhao Chengye staggered backward, pointing at Hei Bai Xuan Jian, his eyes filled with horror.
He had long heard that the Duke of Zhenguo, Su Ye, who was about to take over the entire Great Qian Dynasty, had a mysterious organization called Luo Wang, whose assassins were all top-notch. However, he never expected that they would directly attack him in the Great Ling Imperial City.
Hei Bai Xuan Jian did not answer. His twin swords flew again, their sword energy weaving together. In just three moves, he cut down a group of Zhao Chengye's personal guards. With the fourth move, he thrust straight at Zhao Chengye's shoulder blade. With a "whoosh," the longsword pierced through the armor and pinned him to the old locust tree next to him.
"mission completed."
Hei Bai Xuan Jian drew his twin swords, blood dripping down the blades. He wiped the blood off the swords, and in a flash, he disappeared into the depths of the alley, leaving behind only the dying Zhao Chengye, the corpses scattered on the ground, and the bloodstains slowly spreading on the old locust tree.
Just as Yao Guangxiao was arranging the Luo Wang operation, in the council hall of Wang Mang's mansion, candlelight flickered, and Jiu Ling and Jiu Zhong stood side by side below.
Jiu Ling was dressed in silver armor, her face was calm, and her brows revealed the majesty of someone who had long held a high position. Jiu Zhong, on the other hand, wore a set of black soft armor, his eyes were sharp, and a crescent shovel was hanging at his waist.
After being taken in by Wang Mang, these two men managed to gain a foothold in the capital of Daling through his underhanded tactics. Wang Mang not only cleared their identities but also, under the pretext of "reorganizing military equipment," allocated a thousand men to each of them, euphemistically called the "Imperial Guard Auxiliary Battalion," which were in reality Wang Mang's own private troops.
Among them, Jiu Ling's troops are called the "Lion's Roar Battalion," and the soldiers are all hand-picked strong men, equipped with black iron armor and mountain-splitting axes, and they are mainly engaged in head-on confrontation; Jiu Zhong's troops are called the "Hidden Dragon Battalion," and most of them are experts in naval warfare and ambushes, equipped with short swords and crossbows, and they specialize in assassination and reconnaissance.
"Zhao Chengye is now in dire straits. You two should immediately lead your troops to the Imperial Guard camp to take over the defense."
"You all know the situation with the Imperial Guards; it's a very complicated situation. I don't need to teach you what to do, do I?"
Wang Mang sat in the main seat and tapped his fingers on the table.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency, we understand." Jiu Ling bowed and clasped his hands in greeting. He knew perfectly well that the Imperial Guard was not an easy task to handle. The Imperial Guard of the Great Ling Imperial City had a total strength of 30,000, divided into five units, each with its own duties.
Among them, the Tiger Warriors Battalion numbered eight thousand, all of them heavily armored infantrymen, armed with long spears and heavy shields, responsible for guarding the imperial city walls. To put it bluntly, they were the "city wall guards." They were usually very disciplined, and their commander was Zhao Yan, a member of the imperial family, who was loyal to the imperial family.
The Flying Feather Guard, numbering seven thousand, is mainly composed of light cavalry. They are skilled in raids and reconnaissance and are responsible for patrolling and guarding the area inside and outside the imperial city. They are essentially "imperial city police." The commander, Liu Song, is a cousin of the Empress, one of the actual power holders in the current Da Ling royal family, just like Liu Bang and his two brothers. He has been heavily courted by the other Grand Secretaries.
The Shenxiao Camp, with 5,000 men, was equipped with heavy weapons such as crossbows and catapults. It was responsible for guarding the palace gates and important residences. As a "technical unit", its commander, Wang Huan, was a distant nephew of Wang Mang. Naturally, he had long been secretly controlled by Wang Mang, who was a time traveler.
The Jinwu Guard, numbering six thousand, consisted entirely of elite infantrymen armed with ring-pommel swords and short crossbows. They were responsible for guarding the emperor's bedroom and the cabinet offices, and could be considered "imperial bodyguards." Their commander, Zhang Qian, was a fence-sitter, obeying whoever was most powerful.
The Yihui Camp, with a strength of four thousand, was a mixed force consisting of infantry and cavalry. It was responsible for the perimeter security and emergency support of the imperial city and was a "mobile force." Its commander, Liu Yi, was a protégé of another Grand Secretary, Zhang Minyuan, and was extremely loyal to Zhang Minyuan.
Of these five units, the Shenxiao Battalion was Wang Mang's direct subordinate, the Jinwu Guard could be won over, and the remaining Tiger Guard, Flying Feather Guard, and Yihui Battalion were all tough nuts to crack.
Jiu Ling and Jiu Zhong's mission for this trip was to lead their two thousand private soldiers, in coordination with the Shenxiao Camp's spies, to first capture the commanders of the Tiger Guard, Flying Guard, and Yihui Camp, and then seize control of these three forces.
"Remember, a quick victory is best. Don't make too much of a commotion. After all, the rebels are still outside the city. It wouldn't look good if things got too tense."
Wang Mang added.
Jiuzhong grinned, revealing a set of sharp teeth.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency, I'm an expert at beheading people!"
Jiu Ling turned around and glared at him. Jiu Chong immediately stopped smiling and bowed in agreement.
As the two turned and left, the sound of their armor rubbing together gradually faded into the distance. Wang Mang watched their retreating figures, a faint smile playing on his lips—with the Nine-Headed Demon and the Nine-Headed Insect, these two "fierce demon generals," he was confident that the Imperial Guards, this tough nut to crack, would be easily crushed.
Having resolved the matter of the Imperial Guards, Wang Mang looked at Surtur, who was standing in the corner.
The Norse fire giant still had the same red hair and beard, wearing a fireproof black leather armor and carrying the "Burning Branch" greatsword. He seemed to be surrounded by a faint heat wave, which even made the candlelight in the council hall flicker slightly.
"Surtur, come with me to visit some of the elders."
“Some old fogies need to be shown what it means to be a wise person who knows when to yield.”
Wang Mang stood up and patted his python robe.
(End of this chapter)