Chapter 39: Tang Tiannan Appears

Xiang Anran’s eyes were wide with terror. The twin maces in his hands were barely an inch away from Chen Zhuoan’s forehead. Yet, despite that tiny distance, he found himself unable to strike. This was because a sharp knife was currently lodged in his throat.

A very small flying dagger, yet it was enough to take a life.

The dagger had pierced through the back of his neck, the tip protruding from his Adam's apple. Xiang Anran’s eyes bulged, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened even in death. The one who shared the same fate was the one-eyed youth; a flying dagger was also lodged in his throat. Neither had even managed to utter a final word before dying in this underground hall under such mysterious circumstances.

What they never could have imagined was that the person who had thrown the dagger was actually one of the black-clad assassins they had brought with them!

Leaning against the wall, Chen Zhuoan stared at the black-clad assassin, breathing slightly heavily.

"It was you..."

The situation had shifted with lightning speed, the tide turning in an instant. With the sudden deaths of the two leaders on Xiang Anran's side, the remaining black-clad assassins stared at one another in confusion. Two of them lost their nerve and turned to flee, but just as they reached the passage entrance, the sound of a flying dagger cutting through the air rang out behind them. The blades struck them in the back, and the two men collapsed, twitching a few times before falling still.

The remaining assassins knew that with this dagger-thrower present, fleeing meant certain death; their only hope lay in a desperate struggle. Without further thought, they brandished their long blades and charged toward the dagger-thrower and Min Rou.

However, having lost their two commanders, the remaining seven or eight men clearly lacked sufficient combat strength. They were picked off one by one by Min Rou and the dagger-thrower, until they were finally annihilated.

At this moment, over a dozen corpses lay scattered across the hall. Min Rou and the others felt a profound sense of having survived a catastrophe. Leaning against the wall, Chen Zhuoan coughed up another mouthful of blood and smiled faintly.

"It has been a long time, Hall Master Mo."

The black-clad assassin removed his mask, revealing a middle-aged man in his thirties. He also smiled.

"It has been a long time, Chief Hall Master Chen!"

Min Rou went over to help Chen Zhuoan up. Leaning against the wall, Chen Zhuoan coughed twice more and said, "That day on the street, when you disguised yourself as a beggar and secretly passed me that note—that was also you, Mo Yun?"

The man called Mo Yun nodded. "It was indeed me. I infiltrated Xiang Anran's men. Truth be told, I was the first Hall Master to arrive in Yongle Town this time, but it was simply inconvenient to meet with you all."

His expression then darkened. "Unfortunately, Xiang Anran kept too close a watch. Although I learned they intended to harm Fatty Wang and Hua Shiniang, I was unable to break free from his surveillance to save them. I could only find a way to get the news to you. Regrettably, my news arrived too late; I failed to save Fatty Wang and Hua Shiniang, and their lives were wasted."

Chen Zhuoan’s face turned pale and grim. "Every mistake, every fault, is mine. I was useless, and because of me, my brothers died tragic deaths..."

Observing his expression, Min Rou spoke softly from his side, "Zhuoan, you must not blame yourself too much. From the moment we decided to follow you, we had already placed our lives in your hands. We do what we can and leave the rest to fate; no one can predict fortune or calamity."

Mo Yun added from the side, "That's right. In this life, I, Mo Yun, bow to no one under heaven or earth except for Old General Zhang and you, Chen Zhuoan. We all performed the blood oath that day. My life was handed over to Chief Hall Master Chen long ago. If one day you were to tell me to die immediately, I wouldn't even blink."

Hearing this, Chu Laosan felt his blood boil. Ignoring his injuries, he sat on the ground and slapped his thigh.

"You rogue, Mo Yun! You've taken all the credit with your fine words, leaving nothing for me! Come, come, come—tonight, the two of us must settle this over drinks!"

Before Mo Yun could speak, Min Rou frowned. "Laosan, you are heavily injured. How can you drink without medicine?"

Chu Laosan chuckled. "Madam Hall Master, you don't understand. Wine is a poison to the gut, but it is also a thousand-gold remedy. No medicine in the world compares to a jar of cloudy wine. If I just have eight or ten jars, I guarantee all my wounds will heal."

When Min Rou heard him call her "Madam Hall Master," her face flushed red. She spat, "You brute, you have no sense of propriety." As she spoke, she stole a glance at Chen Zhuoan, only to find that he did not seem to mind. As their eyes met, Min Rou suddenly felt that the gaze of the man she had loved for years was as gentle as water—a feeling she had never experienced before.

Beside them, Mo Yun coughed and said, "This is no place to linger. We should leave first. It is a pity that although we annihilated Xiang Anran and his men, we still failed to obtain the fake imperial decree. It seems we must reconsider our plans."

Just as he finished speaking, a voice responded from outside the hall

"As for the fake imperial decree... it's not that we didn't get it, but whether it's what you want is another matter entirely."

Mo Yun's expression changed, and he looked warily toward the passage. Chen Zhuoan, however, relaxed and smiled lightly. "Brother Liang moves like a ghost; you truly are no ordinary man."

At that moment, two figures walked in side-by-side from the passage, a man and a woman: Liang Yan and Tang Diexian. After glancing at the people in the hall, Liang Yan smiled. "It seems Brother Chen has also resolved his situation."

"Indeed. Brother Liang's sudden disappearance must have been to pursue the fake imperial decree. I wonder if you succeeded," Chen Zhuoan asked tentatively.

Liang Yan looked at him and replied calmly, "Fortunately, I have fulfilled the mission. However, whether this fake decree is what you all desire remains to be seen." With that, he pulled a yellow scroll from his robe and tossed it to Chen Zhuoan.

Chen Zhuoan reached out to catch it and impatiently unfurled the decree. However, in the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief. The decree was completely blank; there wasn't a single character on it.

"How... how can this be..." He knew that given the martial arts and methods of these two, there was no reason for them to deceive him, yet he could not understand why the fake decree was empty!

Chen Zhuoan had been obsessed with obtaining the fake decree to topple Li Hong, cleanse the imperial court, and return a clear and bright world to the people.

To this end, he had gathered a group of like-minded brothers, traveling and planning tirelessly for years. He had finally reached this day, only to end up with a blank piece of paper!

Unable to accept this, the shock to his spirit triggered his internal injuries, causing him to cough up more blood. Min Rou gripped his arm, tears streaming down her face as she urged, "Zhuoan, do not be too agitated. We will find another way."

At this time, a strange expression appeared on Liang Yan's face. He frowned and said, "There is no need to reconsider. Perhaps someone can explain this matter to us right now, and he is already at the door."

Turning his gaze toward the passage, he asked

"I am right, am I not, Tang Tiannan?"

The four people in the center, including Chen Zhuoan, looked confused, following his gaze toward the entrance of the hall.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man's voice drifted from the passage

"The Immortal has eyes like a torch; nothing in this place can escape your sight."

A man with a sallow complexion walked out. His posture was slightly hunched, and he coughed as he walked. It was Min Rou's subordinate, the waiter from Laifu Inn: Tang Er!

The scene was utterly surreal. Min Rou asked in shock, "What are you saying? Tang Er, you are Tang Tiannan?"

Tang Er gave a bitter smile. "My apologies, Boss. Having deceived you for so long, I am indeed the real Tang Tiannan. The fake imperial decree is in my hands."

He pulled a yellow scroll from his robe and unfurled it before everyone. As Chen Zhuoan and the others stared intently, they saw the contents: Li Hong's false imperial edict, which secretly sentenced Old General Zhang to death. Their suspicions were immediately confirmed.

Tang Tiannan bowed slightly toward the group. "You have all worked hard. In toppling Li Hong, your contributions will be immense. Upon returning to the capital, I will report everything truthfully to His Majesty."

Chen Zhuoan smiled bitterly. "Since Lord Tang has the decree in hand and knows our situation so well, why did you not contact us sooner? You made us go through such immense hardship only to find a blank scroll!"

Tang Tiannan shook his head. "You do not understand this Xiang Anran under Li Hong's command; he loves to play with people's hearts. I suspected there was a mole among you. If I had prematurely revealed my identity, I might not have been able to protect the decree. I felt I could only trust the decree if I personally delivered it to the Emperor in the capital."

Chen Zhuoan said indignantly, "So you just watched from the shadows, watching my brothers fight and die for a blank piece of paper?!"

Tang Tiannan said solemnly, "Those who achieve great things do not dwell on trifles. Years ago, to steal this decree, I even gave up the lives of my own wife and child. Such sacrifices are inevitable!"

He paused and continued, "Furthermore, do you truly think the current Emperor is unaware of Li Hong's ambitions? Hmph, the Emperor has simply lacked evidence. Coupled with the fact that many old officials support Li Hong, he has had to let things take their course, allowing him to kill Old General Zhang. But it was all worth it. The Emperor has been accumulating strength in secret for years. Now, with this fake decree as evidence, it is legitimate and lawful to eliminate Li Hong in one stroke!"

Chen Zhuoan, who had been filled with passion, felt his heart sink to the bottom of an abyss upon hearing this. He murmured, "You are saying that Old General Zhang's death was also a result of the Emperor's deliberate inaction?"

Tang Tiannan replied, "Indeed. Old General Zhang died for his country; he died a worthy death. In the future, His Majesty will surely erect a monument in his honor, and his name will be passed down through generations!"

A sense of confusion washed over Chen Zhuoan. The Old General Zhang, whom he had revered like a god, had not died a hero's death on the battlefield, but had fallen victim to the conspiracies within the imperial court.

And the "Society of Treason-Slayers" he had founded was, in the end, nothing more than a pawn in the power struggles of the court. He thought back to the eight brothers who had once drunk fine wine and sworn blood oaths together—how heroic they had been! Now, some were dead, some were wounded. As his gaze swept over the corpses in the hall, he suddenly felt a profound sense of listlessness. The cause he had been so obsessed with suddenly seemed to have nothing to do with him anymore.

Supported by Min Rou, he walked a few steps and spoke flatly, "Xiang Anran and his lackeys are gone. I trust Lord Tang has his own way to enter the capital. I shall take my leave."

Seeing him leave, Tang Tiannan hurriedly said, "Brother Chen, will you not accompany me to the capital to meet the Emperor? You have performed great service; His Majesty will surely reward you handsomely. Then, as officials in the same court, we can work together for the benefit of the people."

Without stopping, Chen Zhuoan replied indifferently, "There is no need. I ask that Lord Tang enters the capital and does not mention my name at all. I thank you for everything."

With that, he and Min Rou walked away without looking back, followed by Mo Yun and the limping Chu Laosan.

In the hall, only Liang Yan, Tang Diexian, and Tang Tiannan remained. Tang Tiannan bowed respectfully to Liang Yan. "My thanks to the Immortal for your assistance!"

Liang Yan waved him off. "No need for formalities. I still have questions for you."

(End of Chapter)