“It’s Xiao Haozi…”
Empress He’s beautiful eyes were filled with despair, seeing that she was about to be stabbed to death by a sword.
However, looking at that familiar and reassuring back shielding her, Empress He’s delicate body trembled, and a spark of life appeared in her despairing eyes.
Xiao Haozi saved her again?
This fatal sword strike was actually blocked by Xiao Haozi?
A huge joy of surviving a catastrophe overwhelmed Empress He.
But then, Empress He couldn't help but despair again.
The leading black-clad assassin was simply too strong.
Jian Shuo was no match, so how could Zhang Shihao be?
With the same mindset as Empress He, Zhang Rang and Liu Hong’s momentary joy quickly turned to fear.
“Cough… cough, Xiao Haozi, block him, I will heavily reward you.”
Although he didn't believe Zhang Shihao could block the terrifyingly skilled assassin in front of him, Liu Hong still said weakly, looking at Zhang Shihao’s tall and sturdy figure.
“Understood! Xiao Haozi will definitely protect the safety of Your Majesty, the Empress, and the First Prince.”
Zhang Shihao didn’t turn his head, holding his Fangtian Halberd, which weighed about fifty catties, he looked at Wang Yue as if facing a formidable enemy, and responded loudly.
“Get out of the way!”
Seeing that the Eunuch who had just knocked away the arrow aimed at Prince Bian had once again blocked his sword aimed at Empress He, Wang Yue frowned deeply and said in a cold voice.
“Do you know that assassinating His Majesty and the Empress is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family? While the Imperial Guards haven’t arrived, retreat quickly, otherwise, no one can save you!”
Zhang Shihao tightened his grip on the Fangtian Halberd and replied loudly.
Hearing Zhang Shihao’s words, Wang Yue’s body visibly stiffened, but the next moment, his footsteps flickered, and his body suddenly shot towards Zhang Shihao, holding his chilling longsword and striking out.
“Kill!”
Zhang Shihao, who was treating Wang Yue as a formidable enemy, had long been guarding against him. The moment Wang Yue moved, the Fangtian Halberd in his hand surged forward. With the addition of immense strength, it was like a furious python, swift and fast, striking towards the approaching Wang Yue.
Boom!
The Fangtian Halberd cut through the air, and the wind howled. Wang Yue, who had initially been nonchalant, instantly felt his eyelids twitch, sensing a strong danger. He looked at the rapidly approaching halberd in surprise, then slightly shifted his feet, his longsword grazing the halberd. With a slight push, the halberd instantly veered off, and Wang Yue skillfully dodged Zhang Shihao’s ferocious strike.
“Die!”
Zhang Shihao had overextended his strength and couldn’t retract the halberd in time. Wang Yue closed in, his longsword sparking along the halberd, aiming to slice at Zhang Shihao’s right hand, which held the halberd.
A chilling sensation swept over Zhang Shihao’s skin. Startled, he abruptly exerted force with his arm, and the halberd shaft instantly swayed left and right with immense power. The next moment, Zhang Shihao unhesitatingly released the halberd with his right hand. Wang Yue’s chilling longsword sliced past the halberd shaft, missing its target.
The chilling longsword spun, intending to slash at Zhang Shihao’s abdomen, who had released the halberd.
However, at this moment, the halberd, swaying and vibrating in mid-air, was like an enraged dragon, about to strike the encroaching Wang Yue. Wang Yue frowned, seemingly sensing danger, and quickly retracted his longsword, which was meant to strike Zhang Shihao, and blocked it in front of him.
The swaying halberd shaft struck the sword blade.
Boom!
A huge force from the halberd shaft imprinted on the sword blade. Wang Yue’s expression changed, his face flushed, and he stumbled back repeatedly, both himself and his sword.
Zhang Shihao once again gripped his Fangtian Halberd and quickly created distance, looking at Wang Yue with shock and as if facing a formidable enemy.
That was too close!
Wang Yue’s swordsmanship was simply too exquisite!
Zhang Shihao was shocked by Wang Yue’s swordsmanship.
Wang Yue, likewise, frowned and looked at Zhang Shihao in shock.
“This Eunuch has such great strength. Even that fellow in Bing Province who also uses a halberd can’t compare, can he?”
“This… he blocked it?”
Empress He, Zhang Rang, and Liu Hong, who had not held much hope for Zhang Shihao, were all stunned to see him actually force Wang Yue back. The next moment, they were ecstatic.
“Xiao Haozi, block him, you must block him!”
“Your Majesty, hold on, hurry and leave, protect His Majesty, quickly, someone come and protect His Majesty!”
Zhang Rang shouted repeatedly with a high-pitched voice, his sharp cries echoing, as he frantically helped Liu Hong and tried to flee into the distance.
Zhang Shihao ignored Zhang Rang’s shouts, his eyes fixed on Wang Yue. Wang Yue was too strong, not allowing him the slightest distraction.
“Get out of the way, die!”
Seeing Empress He and Liu Bian about to leave, and a group of more than a dozen Eunuch Imperial Guards rushing over from afar, Wang Yue instantly couldn’t sit still. His footsteps pressed down repeatedly, and he shot towards Zhang Shihao like a sharp, pointed sword.
“Kill!”
Zhang Shihao protected Liu Hong and Empress He behind him, retreating while wildly swinging his heavy halberd with his immense strength. The halberd, empowered by Zhang Shihao's might, was like a furious, raging python, fast and swift, launching a barrage of attacks at Wang Yue, who sought to engage in close combat.
The ferocious Fangtian Halberd, carrying a strong gust of wind, gave a feeling of instant death upon contact, making it impossible for Wang Yue to get close to Zhang Shihao.
Indeed, having learned of the terrifying close-combat swordsmanship of Wang Yue, Zhang Shihao naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to engage him in close quarters.
Instead, he directly leveraged the advantage of his Fangtian Halberd’s length, swinging it with all his might, launching a barrage of attacks at Wang Yue, absolutely refusing to let him get close.
On the battlefield, under everyone’s astonished gaze, a Fangtian Halberd, normally used only as a ceremonial object, was wielded by Zhang Shihao with such power that it roared through the air, forcing the leading black-clad assassin to repeatedly dodge, making Zhang Shihao appear like a god of war.
“This… cough cough… good, good, hold him off!”
Watching Zhang Shihao block in front of them, forcing the leading black-clad assassin to repeatedly dodge and unable to approach, the weak and pale Liu Hong weakly cheered.
Empress He looked at Zhang Shihao’s heroic appearance, feeling an unprecedented sense of security at this moment.
The sounds of battle echoed in the plaza in front of the Changle Palace main hall. Wang Yue was blocked by Zhang Shihao, and although his disciples, such as Shi A, also possessed superb swordsmanship and had already killed dozens of Eunuch Imperial Guards, a continuous stream of Eunuch Imperial Guards kept pouring in.
As time passed, more and more Eunuch Imperial Guards arrived as reinforcements, surrounding and protecting Liu Hong, Empress He, Prince Bian, and others.
“Damn it!”
Wang Yue, tightly blocked by Zhang Shihao, saw that about twenty Eunuch Imperial Guards had already surrounded and protected Empress He and Prince Bian. His heart was burning with anger and unwillingness. He glared fiercely at Zhang Shihao, who was wildly swinging his heavy halberd with no signs of exhaustion, realizing that the situation was no longer feasible.
“Retreat!”
Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Yue decisively gave up on continuing to kill the Empress and Prince Bian, shouting loudly.
Upon hearing this, Shi A and the other disciples immediately felt as if they had been granted amnesty and quickly disengaged.
Wang Yue fell back to cover them, and Shi A and the other disciples, like nimble monkeys, climbed the walls and disappeared from everyone’s sight. Wang Yue, with a slight tremor of his feet, sprang up and vanished extremely quickly.
“Quickly pursue them, not a single assassin must escape!”
“Quick, His Majesty has fainted, call the Imperial Physician, call the Imperial Physician.”
Zhang Rang’s high-pitched voice echoed, hoarse from shouting, and a group of Eunuch Imperial Guards immediately went to pursue the assassins.
Zhang Shihao, however, paid them no mind. He dropped his halberd and quickly went to Liu Hong, who was pale and extremely weak.
“Quick, have someone prepare hot water.”
…
The Han Emperor Liu Hong was assassinated in his palace, struck by two arrows, severely wounded and unconscious. The news exploded in Luoyang like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
The Imperial Palace was shaken!
Luoyang was shaken!
The Han Imperial Guards were mobilized, the Southern Army was mobilized, the Imperial Palace was under martial law, and Luoyang was under martial law.
Imperial Guards and Southern Army soldiers were searching everywhere for the assassins.
The entire Luoyang was unprecedentedly tense, with a sense that a storm was brewing.
Everyone knew that Luoyang was about to change!