Chapter 728: Fishing in Troubled Waters to Enter the Ancestral Temple (Two Chapters in One)
——A big chapter of 5,000 words. There will be another chapter before 12 o'clock. The remaining 1,000 words will be added, and there will be an extra chapter for 500 monthly tickets.
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“There is an assassin! Towards the ancestral temple!”
The shouts came one after another. In addition to the guards in the palaces where the concubines were, the guards patrolling the palace all ran towards the ancestral temple. They carried lanterns, swords, bows and crossbows, and searched carefully for the places they passed by while running, so as not to miss the assassins hiding.
The crowd was noisy. Since it was the first time in more than 20 years that the palace encountered assassins, the whole scene seemed a bit messy. Often a team of guards ran and ran, and because of the search, they became twos and threes. But in this way, guards gradually appeared on the roads from Minghua Hall to the ancestral temple. However, due to the conciseness of the order, most of the guards thought that the assassin was near the ancestral temple, so they did not guard it layer by layer and were on high alert. Instead, they all gathered towards the ancestral temple.
If Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu turned around and fled at this time, it would be easy to escape safely in the absence of guards in other parts of the palace. However, if they left at this time, it would be equivalent to handing over the innate Dao fetus to Mu Jing's incarnation. When she initially controlled the Hunyuan Golden Bowl, they would be dead and would not have time to escape from this world before then.
Both of them had experienced countless dangers. In a flash of thought, they understood their own situation, so they ran forward without hesitation, wanting to beat the slow with the fast.
Relying on the power of mind reflection, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu shuttled between the guards, avoiding the search in a dangerous way, but as the number of guards increased, it became more and more difficult to avoid them, almost impossible to complete. Even the roofs began to have guards lighting lanterns.
Fortunately, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu understood the principle of preparation for everything, and they were prepared for the situation where they were discovered before entering the ancestral temple due to sudden or unexpected events. They looked at each other and made a decision in an instant.
At this time, the two were on the corridor of a remote pavilion. On the left was an uninhabited cold house, and on the right was a lotus pond of about ten feet in diameter, with fragrance everywhere and lotus leaves all over the water. Outside the corridor door in front, two teams of guards were coming from two other roads, but they should continue to move forward to the ancestral temple and would not turn back to search this side.
On the fork road behind, there were also two teams of ten guards running towards this remote path. As they ran, they pushed open the doors of houses and pavilions, and hurriedly looked to see if there were assassins hiding in them.
There were really jackals in front and tigers behind.
If they hid on the roof, they could have temporarily avoided it, but Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu suddenly separated and ran to hide in different places.
The two teams of guards entered the corridor one after another, shouting: "There are assassins! Towards the ancestral temple!" The five guards behind looked at the team in front, pushed open the doors of the houses one by one, and illuminated the inside with lanterns, and simply took the opportunity to surpass them and quickly passed through the corridor door.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu pushed open the door of a house with a slightly excited look. For them, the dandy boys who were appointed as palace guards, although assassins were dangerous, they felt a different kind of excitement because they were braver in numbers. Moreover, if they could catch the assassin, it would be a great achievement, and they could become first-class guards or be sent out as generals of a province.
With the lantern shining, the two had no time to check carefully. After a rough look, they saw that there was no one inside, so they turned around and left immediately. Going to the ancestral temple to intercept the assassin was the most important thing at the moment. Now they were just doing their best.
But at this time, the other three guards who were on guard behind them suddenly saw a black shadow rushing out from the small rockery in the middle of the lotus pond, pounced on the corridor behind, and ran away in the direction they came from.
"Catch the assassin!" A guard shouted, without thinking too much, holding a lantern in one hand and a long knife in the other, he chased after the black shadow, and the other two guards hurriedly followed.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu were startled by the shouting. They turned around subconsciously and looked around blankly. When they saw their three colleagues running towards the fork in the road behind them, they suddenly realized where the assassin had fled!
Just as the two were about to chase, a black shadow suddenly fell from the door behind them. It was hanging upside down, and its hands suddenly stretched out, one on the left and one on the right, and stretched forward to press the mouths and noses of the two people. Then it took advantage of the momentum of jumping down and dragged the two people into the room.
Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu were caught off guard. Their first reaction was to shout, but the hands firmly pressed their mouths, so they could only make a small and dull sound, which could not alarm the colleagues in front who were concentrating on tracking the assassin. They watched helplessly and desperately as they turned around the corridor and disappeared in front of them.
Then the two people swung their lanterns and swords randomly, but they didn't know where to chop, and they couldn't help but retreat into the room.
After the shadow landed, it leaned forward, pressed the mouths of the two men with both hands and twisted them outwards. With two clicks, Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu's necks turned and fell to the ground, their breathing stopped instantly.
This shadow was Shi Xuan. While twisting the necks of the two men with both hands, he still had time to kick back twice and slowly closed the door.
A few breaths later, the team of guards who had previously left the corridor door heard the voice of "Catch the assassin" and hurriedly turned back and hurriedly passed by the room. They didn't think it was wrong that the door was closed. They thought that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu had found the assassin when they were searching in the room with the door wide open.
Shi Xuan was not in a hurry, but his hands quickly stripped off Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu's soft armor, outer robes, and hats, then took off his own outer robe and put on Zhang Wen's clothes. The muscles on his face twisted and moved strangely, and in a blink of an eye, he looked 60% similar to Zhang Wen. With Shi Xuan's current ability, this was already the limit.
Putting on the hat, lowering the brim of the hat, and lowering his head slightly, Shi Xuan became another Zhang Wen. As long as no one familiar with him looked closely, it was enough to fish in troubled waters in the night.
After waiting for more than ten breaths, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Mo Jingqiu flashed in, carefully closed the door, and smiled softly: "It's really not easy to get rid of them. Fortunately, the further you run, the fewer guards there are. Finally, you can get back by using the eaves and rockery."
As she spoke, she took off her outer robe just as quickly and put on Zhao Wu's clothes that Shi Xuan had already laid out. In a few breaths, she was dressed neatly, twisting the muscles on her face, and became Zhao Wu.
However, her appearance was very different from Zhao Wu's, and after the changes, she was only three or four points similar. Fortunately, it was dark, which could hide a lot. In the panic, at first glance, she looked no different from Zhao Wu.
She lowered her hat while helping Shi Xuan stuff the two bodies, the changed clothes, and the extinguished lanterns into two cabinets.
After handling it properly, the two of them took long knives, pushed open the door calmly, walked out, controlled their voices, and shouted like Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu just now: "There is an assassin! Towards the ancestral temple!"
The voice was so lifelike that it was almost real. While shouting, the two of them held long knives and ran towards the door of the corridor.
When the guards who were chasing Mo Jingqiu confirmed that they had lost his trace and turned back to continue to the ancestral temple, they found that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu were missing, but they did not find it strange. It was dark at night, and many places in the palace were quiet and remote. It was normal for someone to not keep up with the fast running to catch him, or to intercept him from another road on their own initiative. Even one of the three people who chased him at the beginning was missing.
Their shouts of catching the assassin attracted many guards to gather together. The number of people going to the ancestral temple decreased greatly in a short period of time, and even the guards who had already arrived at the ancestral temple relaxed a little, because the assassin was still far away.
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Along the way, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu shouted slogans from time to time, but they ran to the ancestral temple without stopping, passing many guards who were distracted and searching everywhere, and passing by guards who turned back after hearing the shouts of "catching the assassin".
"Hey, isn't that Zhang Wen and Zhao Wu? Why are they running so fast? Do they want to show off in front of the emperor?" A familiar playboy was sweeping the bushes with a long knife, and he couldn't help laughing when he saw the two running over.
The guard who turned back to catch the assassin sighed: "They are so dedicated and focused, and they can even give up the temptation to catch the assassin. They are truly a model of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. We can't catch up with them."
The more they ran forward, the more guards there were, but most of them were like Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu, rushing to the ancestral temple. They took a quick look at these two colleagues and felt that they looked familiar and were not strangers, so they didn't pay any more attention to them.
After thirty or forty breaths, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu could see the ancestral temple from the corridor between the two walls.
The ancestral temple is a magnificent and solemn palace, located on a square of more than ten feet in radius. There are several copper vats at the corners around it to prevent water from leaking.
The guards nearby had gathered here, and the temple was already heavily guarded, with many soldiers equipped with strong bows and crossbows guarding. Therefore, the outside of the ancestral temple was brightly lit, and the guards and soldiers in a circle, their swords and long knives reflected the firelight, flickering, and all the strong bows and crossbows were strung and pointed outside. Once they found something wrong, they would rain down arrows.
General Huang Qi, who commanded the soldiers here, had a great demeanor. In the chaotic scene where the guards from all directions rushed over, he commanded calmly and shouted loudly from time to time, asking them to slow down, accept the identification, and not to attack this circle of guards. If anyone disobeyed the order, he would kill them without mercy to prevent assassins from taking advantage of the situation.
The guards who accepted the identification were arranged outside this circle by him, and they tried to form two lines of defense. In this way, even if the assassin had some supernatural and terrifying things, after breaking through the guards in front, he would not be able to escape the strong bows and crossbows behind.
However, after the shout of "Catch the assassin" sounded in the distance, Huang Qi's mind, which was fully focused and extremely alert, relaxed a little. The assassin was still far away. After the chaos was calmed down and thorough preparations were made, they would not be able to break into the ancestral temple even if they had wings on their backs.
"My life and property are finally saved." If the assassin really broke into the ancestral temple, Huang Qi, as the general guarding the temple, would be executed along with his entire clan. He gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Damn assassin, I will cut you into pieces when I catch you."
At this time, several guards ran out from a corridor, one of whom ran the fastest and shouted loudly: "General Huang, I have news of assassins to report!"
While shouting, he kept walking, but when he got close, the guards immediately surrounded him to identify him, and he couldn't help but slow down his pace.
Huang Qi looked at the guard and asked, "Who is this?"
A familiar guard shouted, "Reporting to the general, this is Zhang Wen, the second son of Lord Zhang, currently a third-class guard."
Seeing that someone recognized him, Huang Qi felt relieved and shouted, "Let him come over and report."
The guard over there carefully looked at the face under the hat, but even if the lights were bright at night, it was still quite dim under the current conditions, so the hat cast some shadows on his face, so he nodded, "It is indeed Zhang Wen."
One of the meritorious disciples who was familiar with Zhang Wen frowned slightly: "How come he looks more like Zhang Wen's elder brother? Maybe it has such an effect under the light, but speaking of it, the two brothers do look very similar."
While thinking this, he looked at Zhang Wen's back as he walked over. The more he looked at it, the more strange he felt.
"Okay, just answer here." Seeing Zhang Wen reach the defensive line formed by the peripheral guards, Huang Qi cautiously asked him to stop.
"Zhang Wen" said anxiously: "Reporting to General Huang, the brothers in our team found traces of the assassins in Guangming Tower, but their fierce martial arts were really difficult to resist, so they retreated steadily. Fortunately, the surrounding brothers reinforced them and slowed them down. If you are trapped, please ask the general to send some guards to help."
He seemed very anxious and walked towards Huang Qi while talking.
Just as Huang Qi was about to speak and sent dozens of guards to follow Zhang Wen, he saw him rushing toward him, and his heart suddenly trembled: "He is an assassin!"
And the meritorious disciple who was looking at Zhang Wen's back also woke up: "He is a little taller than Zhang Wen!" Usually Zhang Wen is shorter than himself, so he is used to being laughed at by himself, but when they met today, Zhang Wen was actually the same as him. Equally high!
Shi Xuan dodged and ducked into the guards, blocking with his left and right.
The surrounding guards swarmed up and surrounded Shi Xuan, who was disguised as Zhang Wen. Shi Xuan kept walking and shuttled among the crowd. The light of his sword lit up from time to time, cutting down the guards, and he always avoided them in dangerous ways but just right. The long swords of the guards were in perfect harmony as if they were practicing martial arts on a daily basis.
"This skill is beyond imagination and amazing. It's a pity that I became an assassin." Huang Qi regretted it. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers holding strong bows and crossbows slowly pushed forward, preparing to surround Shi Xuan. Now everyone Having the upper hand, Huang Qi did not dare to let the archers shoot without scruples, otherwise the guards surrounding the assassin would be shot dead. Many of these guards were meritorious sons. Unless it was absolutely necessary, even the emperor would This decision will not be made.
Anyway, once the archers surround him and the guards slowly withdraw, they can kill the assassin with random arrows.
As the archers surrounded him, Huang Qi made other preparations. He ordered several sharp archers around him to find an opening to shoot the assassin. If he could hit the target, it would not be difficult to capture him alive under the siege of so many guards. This would be comparable to killing the assassin directly. Much credit is given.
But just when everyone was focusing on the surrounded Shi Xuan, a figure suddenly jumped out from the side. His body was buried very low. In a few steps, he rushed past the unprepared archers and jumped from the first line of defense. He rushed to Huang Qi's side, the sword light fell, and in a flash he blocked Huang Qi's saber, fell on his neck, and held him hostage.
"Stop it all!" Mo Jingqiu shouted loudly. She had deliberately walked at the end. Before she could be interrogated and distinguished, she took advantage of Shi Xuan's deliberate discovery and rushed over with many guards. When the archer moved forward, His attention shifted, and he launched an attack, capturing Huang Qi in one fell swoop.
The general was captured, and the guards and soldiers were in panic. Without anyone to direct them, they all stopped and allowed Shi Xuan to pass through and meet up with Mo Jingqiu.
Huang Qi wanted to shout, "Don't worry about me, shoot me together. Otherwise, if you are assassinated into the ancestral temple, it will not be me who dies alone, but the whole family will be killed and the nine clans will be killed." But how could Mo Jingqiu do it? Let him speak at this time while holding his mouth firmly with the other hand.
After meeting up, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu didn't delay at all. Using Huang Qi as a shield, they walked backwards towards the ancestral temple. Although their footsteps were broken, they were extremely fast. In a blink of an eye, they climbed up the steps and arrived at the gate of the ancestral temple.
At this time, two figures ran over from a distance. The first one was wearing a black gauze skirt and had a beautiful appearance. He shouted from a distance: "Fire the arrow! If you are assassinated and enter the ancestral temple, you will all die!"
The guards and soldiers were stunned, who is this?
Zhu Shang, who was following behind, was running out of breath. This frail and beautiful woman was not what she looked like. When he saw that the guards were not moving, he ran and held up his token: "The emperor's token is here, shoot the arrow! Even if General Huang Even if he dies, he can be given the title of wife and son. Don't you want to kill his whole family?
"It's the imperial master." The guards and soldiers were shocked. They saw the emperor's command card shining again. They were aiming at Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu. The ready-to-go crossbows were about to be released. The two were now far away from the gate of the ancestral temple. There are still a few steps left.
But at this moment, they all suddenly felt dizzy, as if something hit their souls. They lowered their hands involuntarily, and arrows rained down from the sky and hit the steps.
Taking this opportunity, Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu pushed Huang Qi, and with the help of the counter force, he flew into the air, knocked open the door of the ancestral temple, fell in, and quickly rolled to the sides and hid behind the wall.
Shi Xuan's face turned slightly pale, and his head was buzzing. The last move that shocked his soul, although it only lasted for an instant and was not as long as the state master Zhu Shang, it was just right and had a wide range. It was not like Shi Xuan's three calamities. Tianjun's spiritual reflection cannot be triggered, but it is a pity that it has not reached the power of the spell, otherwise all these soldiers should have collapsed to the ground, and it would be impossible to draw their bows and arrows again now.
The ancestral temple is solemn. Without the emperor's personal order, the soldiers did not dare to shoot bows and arrows. If they shot down every plant and tree in the ancestral temple, it would be a crime of disrespect.
Seeing Shi Xuan and Mo Jingqiu entering the ancestral temple, Mu Jing suppressed her anger and quickly passed by the soldiers and rushed towards the gate. Zhu Shang hesitated for a moment and followed, and at the same time greeted more than a dozen martial artists. Together with the incredible bodyguards, their strength in numbers, and their own means of assistance, the two assassins could still turn the world upside down.
However, the ancestral temple is filled with spirit tablets and offerings, so there is not much space to move them. If there are more people, but they fail to catch the assassin and damage the spirit tablets of the previous emperor and the previous emperor, then ten heads will not be enough to chop off.