Chapter 678: The Overt Turbulence of the Martial World, The Covert Manipulation of a Mastermind
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The martial artists did not lack experienced seniors, however, as they discerned the crux of the matter. It was inevitably true that the assassins' singular assassination ability was unrivaled, but the martial practitioners had the absolute advantage of manpower. As long as they refrained from direct confrontation and advanced slowly, the outcome would be entirely different!
In addition, it was a vague force that utilized the power that stemmed from all sorts of rumors and methods to deliver such strategies to everyone's ears.
Due to such a stratagem, the martial artists remained unhurried in their advance. Such a method achieved the result of tens of thousands of the assassin's deaths and securely trapped them on the other end; they could not escape even if they were to be given wings!
Hen Bieli had initiated dozens of attempts to break free, but they were all futile. They suffered from casualties, losing more and more men on each occasion.
Both sides were suffering from a high death toll; the assassins' headcount decreased by the thousands every day, while the martial world side lost even more people each day compared to their opponent. It was fortunate that the martial artists were in excess – plenty came after a lot had died; when the substitutes came in abundance, the total combat power strengthened over the days.
On the other hand, the assassins had no more people to back them up. A single death was the permanent loss of one head.
The difference in strength between both sides grew even more apparent.
The foul smell of blood could be sniffed within Yutang's palace, despite being half a city away!
After seven or eight days had passed, the east side of Tiantang City had completely turned into a ghost district – a bloody underworld. If it were not for the soldiers of Yutang who went into the zone several times a day to collect the corpses, the plague would have started long ago.
Throughout these days, the civilians of the city's east hastily moved out as well. Some stubborn houses who did not want to move no matter how the officials summoned them fled so promptly that they would crawl out of the region even if their legs were broken.
'Oh my God, it's too scary!'
The officials, however, were reeling in joy upon watching the conflict.
One day, Tie Zheng received a confidential letter. The letter was short, reading, "Are you dumb? You know how to complain about being poor every day – why not make money by seizing this opportunity? What are you waiting for? So many great martial artists are trapped in the city's east, don't they need to eat?"
Tie Zheng's instant response was to ponder upon how reasonable this idea sounded.
He was quickly enlightened and therefore sent soldiers to start businesses in the district, selling wine, meat, dishes, steamed buns… All sorts of food were to be sold, the action taken was absolutely prompt.
Whether it was within reason or it was expected, the business was great either way; even when everything sold was ten times more expensive than the price outside, the martial masters bought them enthusiastically, paying without batting an eyelid.
Being in this part of the city meant that their lives were at stake all the time. Was there a need to be concerned about such a sum of money? It was better to maintain an energetic physique.
'Isn't it only ten times more expensive? No worries, I'll take it!'
Usually, the transaction would end with a good amount of reward as well.
Standing on the line between life and death, wealth was only a worldly possession.
In spite of this, this only made it harder for the assassins.
Yutang's military food business did not limit its offer from the assassins. Anyone in the east side of the city could buy them.
The current situation, however, was that the assassins were being oppressed by countless martial artists and dared not even come out. The rice and dishes were here and the killers wanted to have some too – they wanted a hot meal as well, so they could only assemble the elites to go out and buy them in an entourage.
They killed their way out and killed their way back after purchasing the food. It was a troublesome and tiresome matter. Usually, a few hundred men would come out to buy some steamed buns but before the steamed buns could even be seen, these hundreds of people would already be gone…
In truth, many of the higher-level assassins had spatial rings and there were stored supplies in them, regardless of the amount. It was not like the assassins were being starved.
Yet, this was not the norm.
The reality now was that the martial artists were growing in number, but the assassins were decreasing.
Each of the assassins' ambushes was being pushed back by their opponent aggressively.
'Isn't it fine here?'
As a man, of course, they had to fight back violently as well...
'We can be sent home if we die here!'
'Where are you running to?'
'Going to other places and breaking the rules! All of us will be doomed!'
'That would mean dying without a burial place, for real! You wicked assassins – are you trying to make me die without a burial place?'
This was what truly plagued the assassins.
Hen Bieli had lost a lot of weight these days, looking like a skeleton. He was all skin and bones.
"Yutang's imperial court is obviously borrowing the forces of the martial world to exterminate the world's assassins. After this battle, there'll rarely be any more killers. The so-called assassins league is destined to come to naught…" Hen Bieli looked at Hong Zhan with eyes brimming with fatigue.
"Hong Zhan, recall carefully. Are you sure you have not been tricked?"
By the look of things, it was a trap by the look of things, a trap that targeted the assassins. What Hen Bieli could not figure out was who could have been so capable as to have carved out this deception.
Hong Zhan pulled his hair helplessly and said, "Big brother, look, this dragon hide is genuine. Could this be forged?"
He took out the secret map easily and placed it before everyone to let them check the pieces up close. After the group's scrutiny, they were unanimous in agreeing that the dragon hide pieces were definitely real.
There was no way it could be fake!
Yet, this perplexed everyone even more.
"We're all resolute people but dare I ask, who's willing to use such an item as a device?" Hong Zhan was near to committing suiciding from frustration. "Big brother, will you be willing to, if it were you? Even if it's Ling Xiaozui or Dugu Chou… would they be willing to?"
Hen Bieli checked the pieces, burning and slashing away at them; it was already his fifth verification that the dragon hides were absolutely authentic.
Everyone in the assassin's league acknowledged that Hong Zhan was right in his words – who would be willing to use such a gem as a ploy?
This was provided, of course, that the person had not lost his mind.
Yet with what was happening now, what was the case?
Was it fortuity by chance or a coincidence that came to be from specific factors? Perhaps, it was a chain reaction formed due to some other reasons? Thoughts went wild, but there could hardly be a definite frame.
It was undoubtedly the imperial court's plan but behind the many martial artists outside, there must be a hidden mastermind who helped steer things in the right direction. There could even be a direct organization; otherwise, it was impossible to form such a subterfuge.
The question was, how did the problem crop up? It was a mind-boggler!
Wind whizzed in the higher altitude where the fog and cloud were dense.
The dark clouds looked even lower in the dark night. The weather seemed to be hinting at a snowfall or a shower of rain. It was gloomy with a sky full of clouds and breeze.
The gale whistled and billowed, crying endlessly.
Yun Yang melted into the clouds, watching the east of Tiantang City coldly.
Everything that had happened up to now was all in his plan, unfolding in perfect order.
Just like Hong Zhan and Hen Bienl had said earlier as what everyone in the league had thought – who would be willing to give up the secret map containing the remarkable legend of the Seventeenth Master of the Abyss!
Be it Ling Xiaozui, Dugu Chou, the Four Seasons Tower's Mr. Nian, Heaven's Inquisition Gu Chaliang or the God of Wine Feng Xiange, it would be a challenge for them to toss away such a treasure. There was no cultivator in this world who could resist the temptation of this legacy!
They did not know, however, that there was one person in this world who could stand against such enticement. Not only could he be impervious to it, he had utilized this temptation as best as he could, throwing it out without a hint of heartache and creating the current extreme confrontation between the countless martial experts and the league of assassins!
There was no other way around the conflict. The league of assassins' fall was within anticipation; it was only a matter of time.
Yet, to Yun Yang, this outcome was only secondary.