Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhou Shu opened his eyes. He felt as if a sharp blade was pressing against the main artery on his neck. The cold air from the sharp blade caused his skin to tremble slightly.
Zhou Shu’s intuition as a Forging Master allowed him to immediately determine that what lay across his neck was a ranked weapon.
“Don’t move, or I’ll kill you!” A hoarse and low voice sounded in Zhou Shu’s ears.
The other party was extremely cautious. His entire body was hidden behind Zhou Shu’s back. One hand held a sharp blade against Zhou Shu’s neck, while the other pressed against Zhou Shu’s back, keeping his spiritual essence within.
“You better not take any chances. You’re just a ninth-rank martial artist. You can’t escape from my hands!”
Ranked martial artists still had mortal bodies. If their neck arteries were severed, they would still die.
The human body would only undergo a qualitative change when one’s cultivation reached the third rank or above.
Zhou Shu didn’t move. His eyes shifted as he realized that this person probably hadn’t seen him kill the other two assassins.
Otherwise, he should have known that his cultivation was not only at the ninth rank of the Martial Dao.
He was a little puzzled. How many assassins have come to my mansion?
Where are the servants?
Were they killed? Or were they captured?
Could they have taken over the mansion?
A few thoughts flashed through his mind, but he wasn’t too worried.
So what if the blade was placed on his neck?
Even if he stood still and allowed the other party to kill him, the other party might not be able to kill him!
At the eleventh level of the Golden Bell Shield Technique, the only vulnerable part of his body was half an inch from his vital point. His muscles were as hard as steel when they were hard, and when they were soft, they were soft like cotton. He was invulnerable to swords and spears, impervious to fire and water. When he attacked, his strength was like wind and thunder, and his movement technique was as light as a feather. He could run on the waves without falling.
Unless the other party stabbed half an inch within his vital point, he wouldn’t be able to harm Zhou Shu at all.
Cut open my neck?
Naive!
Disdain flashed across Zhou Shu’s eyes, but he said, “I won’t move. Don’t hurt me. Take whatever you want. If you want money, I have money!”
The man who had always had the dream of becoming Best Actor was now about to show off his acting skills.
“I want your secret forging formulas!” A hoarse and low voice came from behind. “Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber, Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber, Horse Slaying Saber, I want them all!”
“You all came for the secret forging formulas?” Zhou Shu asked.
“Hmph, did I ask you to ask questions?” The other party snorted and kicked Zhou Shu’s knee.
Zhou Shu hurriedly retracted his true qi, afraid that he would directly kill the other party. He pretended to stagger a step as he said, “I’m just asking. If you’re not willing to say it, then don’t say it. Isn’t it just forging formulas? I’ll give them to you. I’ll give you whatever you want. Don’t hurt me!”
At the same time, he glanced in the direction of the princess’s residence.
His mansion didn’t have any guards, but the princess’s mansion was different.
How could the grand residence of Great Xia’s princess not have any defense?
The place separated by a wall had been occupied by assassins, but there was no movement at the princess’s residence?
But then again, there were only a few servants in his baron’s mansion. They weren’t weak, but that was about it.
If the assassins really subdued them, it wouldn’t cause too much of a commotion.
It could only be said that these assassins were really too bold. They actually dared to attack right next to the princess’s residence!
Zhou Shu was very curious about their identities.
They dared to take such a risk just for the secret forging formula of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber?
Even if I give it to them, can they take it away?
Do they really think that they can come and go as they pleased in the capital of Great Xia?
“Sir, you must first hand me a pen and paper. Only then will I be able to write down the secret forging formulas,” Zhou Shu said in a trembling voice, playing the role of a frightened baron perfectly.
The assassin behind him didn’t notice that Zhou Shu was drawing the Great Destroyer Sword closer to his body.
Perhaps it wasn’t that the assassin hadn’t noticed the Great Destroyer Sword in Zhou Shu’s hand, but he never would have imagined that the giant sword in Zhou Shu’s hand was actually a ranked weapon.
Even Yin Wuyou and Sun Gongping, who were very familiar with Zhou Shu, didn’t believe that Zhou Shu could forge a ranked weapon, let alone outsiders.
According to the assassin’s information, Zhou Shu was a Forging Apprentice who was good at forging standard sabers. He suddenly had a sword in his hand. Perhaps he wanted to understand the standard longsword?
The assassin didn’t think too much about it. He didn’t even think about asking Zhou Shu to put down his weapon.
He was just a ninth-rank martial artist, so what if he had a sword?
Furthermore, his vital points were all within his control.
The assassin pushed Zhou Shu to his study.
During this process, Zhou Shu understood more about the situation.
This assassin didn’t even need Zhou Shu to lead the way. He directly pushed Zhou Shu into the study.
What did this mean?
This meant that the other party knew the baron’s mansion like the back of his hand!
The other party had come prepared!
Along the way, Zhou Shu didn’t see any servants of the baron’s mansion. Instead, he saw three assassins dressed in night clothes!
Other than the two he had killed, there were at least four other assassins here!
His own mansion had become a nest of thieves?
Zhou Shu couldn’t understand how the other party had done this!
His mansion was only a street away from the imperial palace and a wall from the princess’s mansion.
How insane must these assassins be to directly occupy a baron’s mansion?
This was no longer a simple assassination.
What are the people from the Divine Constable Bureau doing?! They actually let assassins occupy a baron’s mansion in the capital!
Zhou Shu sat down at the desk and pretended to grind the ink while cursing Ma Fengzhang in his heart.
At this moment, Ma Fengzhang, who was accompanying Emperor Yuan in the military camp in the outskirts of the capital, sneezed several times.
If he knew what Zhou Shu was thinking, he would definitely point at Zhou Shu’s nose and lecture him. The Divine Constable Bureau wasn’t the capital’s imperial guards. How could they be blamed for this?
Zhou Shu didn’t know that in order to escort the You Prefecture Army and the Bing Prefecture Army, Emperor Yuan Feng had arrived at the military camp in the outskirts of the capital. Because of time, he didn’t even return to the city tonight. Instead, he stayed in the military camp.
But even if Zhou Shu knew, he would still complain.
Just because the emperor was not in the palace, assassins could occupy a baron’s mansion?
Were Chang’an’s defenses so lousy?
Zhou Shu tried to turn his head to look at the assassin holding him, but he felt a chill at the back of his waist. The sharp blade almost pierced his skin.
He stopped turning his head and pursed his lips.
This fellow is so afraid that I will see him? Is he afraid that I’ll recognize him?
Is he someone I’ve met before?
This assassin’s voice was definitely not his original voice, and Zhou Shu couldn’t see his figure. In order to avoid being exposed, Zhou Shu didn’t even use his divine sense to observe him.
Therefore, he had no idea where to start.
But it didn’t matter. As long as his acting skills were good, he would be able to find out their identities very quickly!
Zhou Shu confidently raised his brush and began to write down the secret forging formulas of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber, Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber, and Horse Slaying Saber.
So what if he wrote it down for them?
They had to be alive to take it!
The city defenses of Chang’an are lousy, but with me around, justice has long arms.
Not to mention a few assassins, even if a first-rank Martial Dao expert comes, I will make him suffer.
With this thought in mind, Zhou Shu didn’t deliberately delay. Instead, he quickly wrote down the secret forging formulas.
“Sir, here you go!” Zhou Shu didn’t turn around. He raised his hand and handed the pieces of paper back.
“I’ve already given you the forging formulas. You have to keep your promise and not hurt me. If you want money, I have it too. I have a lot of gold. I’ll give it all to you!” Zhou Shu said.
He heard a snort from behind him, followed by the sound of pages flipping.
The assassin was clearly looking at the forging formulas he had written.
Zhou Shu’s heart stirred, as if he had thought of something. The other party is looking at the forging formulas. Is he a Forging Master? Or is he a Forging Apprentice?
A person who didn’t know anything about forging wouldn’t understand the authenticity of the forging formulas.
“At least you know your place!”
Zhou Shu was still thinking when he heard a cold snort from behind him.
“Well, Sir, what else do you want? As long as I have it, I’ll give it to you!”
Zhou Shu suddenly said, “If you think that I don’t have enough things here, next door is the princess’s residence. Her Highness is loaded—”
“Loaded?” The voice behind him was slightly puzzled.
“It means very rich,” Zhou Shu explained.
“Sir, you might not know, but within the princess’s mansion, not only are there mountains of gold and silver, but there are also many precious weapon forging formulas. I don’t know if there are any heaven-grade weapons, but there are at least dozens of earth-grade weapons!”
“Dozens of earth-grade weapons?”
Zhou Shu could feel the assassin behind him frown.
If Yin Wuyou heard Zhou Shu’s words, she would definitely roll his eyes at him. Dozens of earth-grade weapons? Do you have dozens of earth-grade weapons to give me?
Not to mention the princess’s mansion, even the imperial family’s inner treasury might not have dozens of earth-grade weapons.
“Why would the princess’s mansion have so many earth-grade weapons?” the assassin asked in a low voice.
“The princess is also the grand minister of the Forging Division. She’s rich, very rich!” Zhou Shu encouraged him.
If these assassins took the secret forging formulas and left, how would he have the chance to lure all the assassins out?
As for whether these assassins would harm Yin Wuyou, he wasn’t worried at all.
The princess was a third-rank martial artist. How could she be so easily injured?
Besides, there was still him.
The assassin behind him didn’t say anything. Zhou Shu thought that the assassin didn’t dare to touch the princess’s residence. He sighed inwardly. If he couldn’t lure everyone out, then he could only torture them and force them to confess. He didn’t know if this fellow behind him would be able to withstand the beating.
Just as Zhou Shu was about to make a move, the assassin suddenly said coldly, “You even betray your own people. You’re not a good person either!
“As expected of jackals of the same tribe as Mi Ziwen. No wonder you two became sworn brothers! All of you deserve to die!”
As the assassin spoke, Zhou Shu felt the cold air hit his back.
He hurriedly shouted, “Wait a minute! Sir, you’re being unreasonable! You clearly agreed that you would let me go if I gave you the secret forging formulas!”
“When did I promise you?” The assassin snorted. “I’m already being kind enough to let you die so easily!”
A cold light flashed.
Clank!
The assassin’s expression froze.
Zhou Shu sighed. Why are these people so uncooperative?
I’ve already put so much effort into acting. Can’t they follow the script?
If they can occupy a baron’s mansion for a few forging formulas, why can’t they attack the princess’s residence for more formulas?
How can they be robbers if they are so timid?
He angrily turned his head away, and the assassin behind him also came to his senses. With a swing of his short sword, he slashed at Zhou Shu’s neck.
Clank!
Another crisp sound.
Zhou Shu didn’t dodge, allowing the dagger to slash at his neck.
The golden light around his neck disappeared in a flash, and the dagger was blown away, not even leaving a white mark.
Zhou Shu reached out and grabbed the assassin’s neck.
The assassin was startled. Just as he was about to resist, an enormous force suddenly smashed his body against the wall.
Boom!
With a bang, the building almost collapsed. A trace of blood flowed down from the assassin’s black mask.
The assassin’s eyes were full of disbelief. Why is Zhou Shu so strong?
The huge force that came from the palm made him unable to move at all, and the spiritual essence in his body had already been scattered by a strange force. At this moment, it was moving around in his body, and he was completely unable to control it.
Although he didn’t want to believe it, he realized sadly that he seemed to have completely lost the ability to resist after just one move.
Zhou Shu looked at the assassin with a faint smile. “Your cultivation isn’t bad.”
The assassin’s eyes were brimming with shame and anger. Are you being sarcastic?
I’m unable to withstand even a single move from you, yet you say my cultivation isn’t bad?
“Let me guess. You know how to forge and have decent cultivation. And you hate me to the bone.”
Zhou Shu continued, “I can only think of one person.
“Shen Yue, Deputy Envoy Shen, am I right?
“I’m just a little curious. Even if my Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Saber defeated Great Wei, it’s not a personal grudge. Do you have to hate me so much?”
As Zhou Shu spoke, he reached out and pulled off the assassin’s mask, revealing a furious face.
It was the deputy envoy of the Great Wei, Shen Yue!
Shen Yue’s eyes were spitting fire as he glared at Zhou Shu. “The winner is king, and the loser is vilified. I, Shen Yue, am not as skilled as you. Do as you please!”
“Yo, you’re starting to act like a hero now?” Zhou Shu sneered. “You even dared to rob me. Do you think you’re some kind of hero?
“Shen Yue, I’m very curious. Who gave you the guts to think that you could rob a baron in Chang’an?”
“Zhou Shu, I knew it. How could an ordinary Forging Apprentice forge so many weapons consecutively? And they are all excellent works! You are indeed hiding something! With your cultivation level, for you to lower yourself to be a mere Forging Apprentice, you are plotting something big, aren’t you?”
Shen Yue said coldly, “You can kill me, but once I die, your secret will be exposed!”
