577 Fang Zhengzhis True Identity (1/2)
Alas, the power swiftly draining from his body made the person in black realize that everything has already been set in stone. It was a reality that was impossible to change.
”Cough cough … are you? Who … are you?!” He coughed several times, feeling extremely indignant, making it look slightly pathetic.
”Shan Yu!” The person's tone was unbelievably cold. At the same time, the black cloak covering her head loosened in the wind, revealing silky black long hair.
Her wheat-colored skin gave off a strange yet wild sense of beauty under the moonlight, and the pitch-black pupils in her eyes were like two restless balls of fire.
”Shan Yu? Shan … You … You are the Princess of the Southern Region!” The person in black wore a hideous expression. He was shocked, unbelievably shocked. He knew that he had fallen into a trap, and that the thousands of people in black in front of him were not the Northern Barbarian army. But he would have never imagined that they would be the Southern Region Army, and that the woman standing before him now would be their Princess!
How is this possible?
Why is the Southern Region Army inside the Imperial Palace?
Didn't King Duan mention that the four gates of the Imperial Palace were sealed off by the Palace Guards? How could the Southern Region Army have infiltrated the palace from the outside?
He couldn't grasp the situation, but Shan Yu had no intention of letting him think about it further. She forcefully yanked the dagger out from his heart. Blood splashed everywhere like a fountain.
Then, he saw three figures standing among the countless people in black. The person in the middle still maintained his mocking smile.
”Eh? Looks like you're about to die, so why don't you answer my final question? Was my stirring heroic performance acted convincingly?” Fang Zhengzhi probed him in curiosity.
”Act … Act …” The person in black's chest pumped up and down as blood gushed out uncontrollably. At the same time, a mouthful of fresh blood poured out from his mouth. His feet became weak, no longer able to support his weight.
”Plop!”
He fell to the ground.
In the instant he collapsed, he could see another person in black falling to the ground not far away. He could see the same disbelief in his comrade's eyes.
The Southern Region … It was the Southern Region!
Why are they in the Imperial Palace?!
His eyes were bursting with vigor and rage but his body fell silent.
Ping Yang subconsciously puffed up her mouth after watching the person in black being literally angered to death by Fang Zhengzhi.
”Where are the Rebirth State warriors you promised? They're still weaker than me!” Ping Yang cast a look of disdain at the person in black sprawled on the ground, then turned to Fang Zhengzhi and asked, ”Did you act as well as I did?”
”You?” Fang Zhengzhi responded with the same expression.
”But honestly speaking, I nearly believed you when you exclaimed that you'd rather die in glory than live in dishonor!” Ping Yang added after she thought about it.
”This is called talent, and talent cannot be learnt.” Fang Zhengzhi smirked and turned his attention to Shan Yu and the two pitch-black daggers in her hands.
After not seeing her for a year, this woman's improvements have been this drastic?
Fang Zhengzhi only witnessed Shan Yu's abilities once a year ago outside the Emperor's chamber of the Southern Region. Her style can be summarized in three words: quick, precise, and brutal.
But now …
Shan Yu has evidently improved a great deal compared to a year ago. Although Shan Yu relied on an ambush strike, her opponent was nonetheless in the Rebirth State, and such a drastic gap in their state levels was not something that can be overcome this easily.
Judging by her close combat abilities alone, Shan Yu's level of attainment was indeed top-notch.
As the two people in black collapsed, their remaining comrades could not hold on any longer too.
Fang Zhengzhi was not surprised by this at all, because the thousands of soldiers in front of him were the most elite troops of the Southern Region, and furthermore, there were a few great Settlement Chiefs in the Rebirth State hidden within the regular troops.
But with her mastery level skyrocketing, coupled with her unexpected ambush attack, she did not require too much effort to swiftly dispatch these few people in black in the Rebirth State.
Fang Zhengzhi stopped watching the battle between the people in black and the Southern Region soldiers, instead turning around slowly and gazing at the neat files of Palace Guards in the distance as well as the Palace Guards in front of Lin Xinjue.
”Your Sixth Brother seemed to have committed treason …” Fang Zhengzhi whispered.
Ping Yang naturally noticed the changes in the Palace Guards but reserved her opinions, only gritting her teeth as her clear eyes reflected a tinge of dreariness.
Although Lin Xinjue has a different mother, they … share the same father. How could she possibly be happy watching her half-brother suddenly switch his allegiance halfway through the battle?
Shan Yu arrived beside Fang Zhengzhi. Her ink-like pupils were not fixated on Fang Zhengzhi, instead focusing on Lin Tianrong not far away.
She has already waited for this day … for a very long time.
A year ago, the Nobelite Shan Ling was murdered and died in the Southern Region. His corpse was ferried back to their empire by the Silver Horned Wolf Calvary, and he only left a single letter on his body. The letter contained only a single sentence.
”Fang Zhengzhi is the murderer.”
That day, there was heavy snowfall which painted the entire Southern Region landscape silver.
That day, there were howling winds which blasted through the dense forests of the Southern Region.
Shan Yu could still remember the expressions plastered on the faces of the Southern Region soldiers and the emotions in her father's eyes on that decisive day, and it was also that day when she became the new King of the Southern Region.
”Lin Tianrong …” Shan Yu's gritted her teeth but her eyes ultimately shifted away from Lin Tianrong and onto Lin Xinjue. ”Attack!”
”Attack!”
Following Shan Yu's command, thousands of Southern Region soldiers brandished their spears in the air at the same time.
”Attack!”
”Attack!”
At a second command, thousands of long spears lunged out menacingly.
For the Southern Region soldiers, hurling long spears was naturally harder than hurling pikes, but the difference in familiarity was not a major issue.
Thousands of long spears shot into the sky but did not fall towards Lin Tianrong, instead preparing to land unmistakably on the Palace Guard formation.
”Ah!”
”What's going on?”
”Enemies are attacking from behind?!”
All the Palace Guards who were continuously drawing their bows had been focusing their attention on Lin Mubai all this time without paying much attention to the developments unfolding behind them. In fact, they would have never expected that the 'Northern Barbarian Army' charging from behind would strike them down so suddenly, and with long-range spear projectiles no less.
Amidst waves of pitiful screams, the neatly filed formation instantly descended into chaos.
And that was not all. After the aerial strike of the spears, the Southern Region Army charged out, brandishing their knives and daggers while charging straight towards the 'fragmented' Palace Guards formation broken up by the long spears.
”Kill!”
”Kill!”
Battle cries reverberated through the air, followed by stampeding thunders of footsteps.