Translation: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

The alleyway was deathly silent. Faint moonlight spilled across the earth, casting a hazy, ethereal glow over the night.

Luo Yu gripped his short dagger, Breaking Dawn, his muscles taut. His gaze was fixed on the pitch-black depths of the narrow passage. Beside him, Xiao Shaoyou gripped the hilt of his own sword, the blade ready to leap from its scabbard at a moment’s notice.

“Centurion Luo has quite the reaction speed. They say your skills are extraordinary. It seems the rumors are true, heh.”

Amid a chorus of mocking laughter, over a dozen figures emerged from both ends of the alley. Thirty men in total now sealed off the path, front and back.

The mysterious assassins were all clad in black with faces behind masks, leaving only their cold, sinister eyes exposed.

Luo Yu’s heart sank. His expression turned incredibly grave. Judging by their positioning and coordination, these were no amateurs. Thirty elite killers against the two of them—this was a death trap.

“You know me?”

Luo Yu’s face remained impassive, his brow arching slightly. “Who sent you?”

“That, we cannot say.”

The man leading them let out a soft chuckle. “We simply want to ask, when Centurion Luo killed the Qiang centurion, Walige, at Black Ditch Fortress, did you happen to find anything?”

“Walige? What could he possibly have had on him? What are you talking about?”

Luo Yu feigned confusion, though in truth, everything had become clear. It seemed the traitor behind the scenes was finally making a move against him.

“You don’t know? Are you truly ignorant or just putting on an act? Such petty tricks won’t fool me.”

Luo Yu replied sarcastically, “I truly don’t know. Or perhaps you could tell me exactly what it is you’re looking for and see if I can remember it then.”

“Sharp-tongued brat.”

The man in black fixed a savage expression on his face and raised his scimitar. “Whether you know it or not, you must die. Only the dead are truly reliable.”

“This is Yunyang Pass! You dare to act so brazenly here?”

Xiao Shaoyou’s cold voice rang out, “Attacking two centurions in the middle of the street? You are far too arrogant. If I find out who is behind this, you’ll be lucky if I leave your corpses intact!”

“Heh, spare us the meaningless threats.”

The man in black chuckled softly. “Centurion Xiao, is it? This matter has nothing to do with you. I advise you not to poke your nose into other people’s business. If you leave now, we might spare your life.”

It was clear these people had come prepared; they knew exactly who both men were.

“You should go,” Luo Yu said calmly. “This matter really doesn’t involve you.”

Luo Yu knew perfectly well that these people were after him, specifically after that secret letter. They couldn’t handle twenty-odd experts on their own. Why throw Xiao Shaoyou’s life away for nothing? He might actually have a better chance of escaping if he were alone.

“Bullshit! Your business is my business. If I leave now, wouldn’t I be a spineless coward with no balls?”

Xiao Shaoyou sneered, drawing his long sword and pointing it forward. “Let me see what tricks you pieces of trash have up your sleeves!”

A warmth spread through Luo Yu’s chest. For Xiao Shaoyou to stay in a situation like this meant he was willing to walk through the gates of hell by his side.

“Refusing a graceful exit to seek death, then!”

The leader roared, “Kill them all!”

“Go!”

At the leader’s command, dozens of black shadows lunged forward like ghosts. The sharp glint of their blades instantly filled the deep alley with a freezing radiance.

These men were not fools. While they attacked, they kept men stationed to block the ends of the street, pinning the two targets inside the narrow passage.

Luo Yu’s eyes sharpened. He spun Breaking Dawn in his palm, his body light as a swallow as he charged the enemies in front. He threw out a quick warning, “The ones in front are mine, watch your own back!”

“Watch my back?”

Xiao Shaoyou gave a cold laugh. “Your bladework is good, but mine isn’t bad either! Let’s see who kills more!”

Clang!

With a crisp metallic ring, Luo Yu’s short dagger collided violently with an assassin’s scimitar. Sparks flew, the force of the blow numbing the enemy’s arm. Luo Yu used the momentum to pivot, his dagger sliding straight up the length of the scimitar’s edge to accurately slit the man’s throat.

The man in black let out a muffled groan, clutching his neck as he collapsed. Blood sprayed out in a torrent, his eyes wide with sheer terror.

The old saying that length meant strength did not apply to Luo Yu at all.

“What a fast blade!”

The surrounding assassins’ expressions shifted. Before they could react, Luo Yu had already closed the distance, the dagger in his hand replaced by a stolen scimitar.

“This kid is wrong, get him together! Kill him!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Luo Yu relied on his agile movements to weave through the crowd. His scimitar danced, and countless blades brushed past his chest and back in a series of hair-raising misses.

The assassins lunging from his left and right didn’t even see the movement of his blade before they were struck dead on the spot.

Xiao Shaoyou was not to be outdone. His long sword continuously tore through the chests of the men in black, sending blood splashing. In terms of martial prowess, he was also among the elite of the army.

The two men occasionally split up to face enemies and occasionally stood back-to-back for support. Though it was their first time fighting together, their coordination was seamless.

However, there were simply too many enemies. Furthermore, the space in the alley was too cramped, making it difficult to maneuver. They had no chance to escape and were slowly being pushed into a disadvantageous position.

The assassins’ primary target was clearly Luo Yu. They only sent a few men to tie up Xiao Shaoyou, while the rest swarmed Luo Yu in a tight circle.

Shadows clashed, and the fierce battle raged on. In the darkness, however, someone was surreptitiously raising a crossbow, quietly aiming at Luo Yu’s back.

Swoosh!

The bolt shot out, carrying a trace of killing intent through the night.

“Watch out!”

Luo Yu hadn’t noticed the arrow coming from behind, but Xiao Shaoyou spotted it immediately. He threw himself forward without a second thought. “Get down!”

Puchi!

Xiao Shaoyou blocked the path with his body. The arrowhead sank right into his left shoulder. Blood sprayed, and the sharp pain made him gasp for air.

“Bastards!”

Luo Yu roared in fury. He swung his blade back, hacking down the assassin closing in on him, and grabbed hold of Xiao Shaoyou. “Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine, I won’t die yet.”

Xiao Shaoyou cursed resentfully, “I actually took an arrow for you. I’ve lost big time on this deal!”

“Consider it a debt I owe you!”

“Let’s kill our way out first!”

Luo Yu’s face was icy. He didn’t waste time talking. Holding his blade, he stood in front of Xiao Shaoyou and charged straight at the leader of the assassins.

He swung his blade with unstoppable momentum. Even when two shallow cuts were opened on his shoulder by enemy steel blades, he didn’t flinch, cutting down several men in succession.

The leader of the assassins blocked three of Luo Yu’s strikes but was forced back repeatedly. Finally, he was kicked squarely in the chest, sent tumbling to the ground as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Luo Yu snatched him up like a small chick, holding him in front of his body as a hostage. The dozen or so remaining assassins circled them with their blades drawn, hesitating.

“Let go of the boss!”

“You damn brat!”

Luo Yu acted as if he hadn’t heard them. In front of everyone, he slowly began to saw through the man’s throat, letting the blood soak his own robes.

Even in the face of such a bloody scene, he didn’t so much as blink.

One man, one blade, standing before Xiao Shaoyou. His eyes were frigid as he scanned the crowd. “Didn’t you want to kill me? Come on!”

His roar cowed the assassins. For a moment, not a single person dared to step forward. Luo Yu was radiating a palpable aura of violence. Facing over a dozen men alone, he showed no fear whatsoever. Even Xiao Shaoyou was startled by the sheer intensity of this killing intent.

“Boss, I’m here!”

“Dammit, who dares touch my Brother Yu? I’ll tear you all into ten thousand pieces!”

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Meng Hu’s enraged shouting echoed from the mouth of the alley. Torches flickered, and the sound of many footsteps suggested reinforcements were arriving.

“Dammit, people are coming!”

“Consider yourself lucky, kid! Brothers, retreat!”

The men in black were pragmatic. Knowing the mission had failed, they retreated instantly. The remaining dozen vanished into the night in the blink of an eye.

Luo Yu’s momentum collapsed instantly. Exhausted, he slumped to the ground. “Dammit… If they hadn’t come, I really would have been done for.”