Desperados Attack - Chapter 68 - Jing Ke

“Hey!”

Han Lan raised his hand to stop, not to mention whether Liuchuan had the ability to eloquently persuade the world or the wisdom to strategize. The Jiuli Pot he held was a rare treasure. If it were to be used by the king of another country, wouldn’t it put Han in peril?

With this in mind, Han Lan exclaimed, “Why be stuck on status? You and I serving in the same hall, wouldn’t that be joyous?”

Seeing Han Lan’s words, Liuchuan immediately responded, “Take your own path. Sooner or later, such ideas will lead to the decline of the country.”

With that, Liuchuan turned and left. By the time Han Lan came to his senses, Liuchuan had already disappeared into the dense forest.

…

Three days later, they returned victorious.

On this day, Han Lan shed his armor and changed into his usual clothes before heading to the largest restaurant in Yu City.

The people here may have heard of Han Lan’s name. Although they had never seen his appearance, they would never have imagined that Han Lan would have the image of such a wanderer.

The restaurant was called Changchun Building.

It was the largest restaurant in Yu City, often a place where only the wealthy could afford to dine.

Han Lan never ate at this place, except this time, because he wanted to celebrate with the soldiers, so he held a victory banquet at Changchun Building.

Han Lan was a low-key person. He ordered the soldiers to appear in plain clothes and instructed them never to reveal their military identities in any sudden situation.

So, at today’s victory banquet, the owner had no idea who the celebration was for. The soldiers ate and drank on one side, while Han Lan sat alone at a small table with a pot of wine and a plate of peanuts.

Compared to the carefree drinking and eating of the other soldiers, Han Lan’s mind seemed heavier.

Just as Han Lan was deep in thought, he was interrupted by a chorus of orderly shouts.

“Long live the Prince!”

“Hmm?”

Upon hearing the words “Long live the Prince,” Han Lan wondered if his fellow brothers and sisters had also come to celebrate.

He immediately turned to look and saw a black horse, with a fat man in luxurious satin clothing sitting on its back, entering Han Lan’s view.

The fat man led the way, followed by a young man in a white robe. The young master sat on his horse, followed by rows of men and horses.

Han Lan frowned at the sight, resentment swelling in his heart. He thought, “Yu City’s total military force is only about fifty thousand, yet half of them are required to protect you. It’s truly disgraceful and detestable!”

In the bustling street, vendors and common folk alike bowed to the ground, repeatedly shouting “Long live the Prince.”

At this moment, a young, impressive figure appeared at the forefront of the crowd. This spirited young man, with piercing eyes, carried a noticeable heroic aura compared to Han Lan’s carefree demeanor.

However, from his rosy face, it was clear he was drunk.

“Assassin, there’s an assassin!”

The fat man tugged on the reins, afraid that the person before him was an assassin sent to harm him.

“Sun Zi, you traitor! Your grandfather here has come to take your miserable life.”

The man in white was a swordsman, but with a “cling,” he drew a blade from its sheath. A swordsman wielding a blade?

This was because the man was named Jing Ke, famed throughout the world for wielding a sword that acted like a knife.

Jing Ke loved to drink, and when inebriated, delighted in meddling in others’ affairs, especially to eliminate traitors and evildoers.

And the man referred to as “Sun Zi” was the King of Han’s attendant and childhood companion. This was precisely why the weak and clueless King of Han often heeded Sun Zi’s advice. Sun Zi, in his role, regularly offered suggestions, but they were always pleasure-seeking schemes.

Suddenly, with a “whoosh,” an iron bolt flew in.

Han Lan, observing from the side, drew a sharp breath. He had long loathed Sun Zi; if not for him, the King of Han wouldn’t have strayed so far down a misguided path.

Seeing someone shoot an iron bolt before Sun Zi even gave an order angered him.

“This man dares to shoot in the street without orders; it’s truly detestable!”

By this time, the arrow was already close. Jing Ke tried to parry with his blade but, likely due to his drunkenness, the strike swung wide.

Not only did the move fail to deflect the arrow, it caused him to sway. The arrow headed straight for Jing Ke’s heart.

“Snap!”

Watching from the restaurant, Han Lan clenched his hand, shattering the cup he held. He thought, “What a disaster! This person is a contemporary hero; could he really die here in the street?”

In this perilous moment, with a sudden “whoosh,” the arrow was knocked to the ground in the blink of an eye.

Han Lan was taken aback. An iron bolt could penetrate stone, yet it was effortlessly struck down. How could this happen?

He scrutinized the broken arrow on the ground, then noticed a half-eaten chicken bone beside it and almost crushed the plate he held in shock.

Jing Ke also noticed the chicken bone on the ground, surprised, he asked, “Could the Chicken God have intervened, hinting I shall feast today?”

While Jing Ke was distracted by the half-eaten chicken bone, the troop of personal guards had already reached them.

Sun Zi, with his animated features and two thin mustaches that epitomized a face full of mischief, sneered.

“You brazen assassin, daring to attack in broad daylight, truly fearless! Tell me, who’s sent you?” Sun Zi toyed with his jade ring as he asked, unaffected by the situation now favoring him.

Jing Ke stepped forward, intending to kill him in one strike, but as soon as he took even half a step, the soldiers brandishing swords, spears, and halberds surrounded him.

“You vile traitor, you’re hated by all. I’ll tell you who sent me: the common people of the world. Are you ready to face your death?”

Jing Ke, known as the world’s greatest assassin, possessed unparalleled martial arts and lightness skill.

With a swift step and a twist of his waist, he leapt out of the encircling soldiers. This jump spanned at least 20 meters, as if he descended from the sky, aiming his blade at Sun Zi.

Transforming his blade technique into a sword-like thrust, this attack was both a strike and a slash.

Whoever it struck was severely injured, and the injured died.

But Sun Zi was merely a servant who had never trained in martial arts. As soon as Jing Ke appeared before him, fear showed on his face, and he shouted, “Guards, guards, come quickly, someone come quickly!”

He was afraid to die; how could he not be afraid?

After all the luxury and comfort he had enjoyed, in the face of death, he was indeed cowardly.

“Hey, why do you want to kill me?”

Why?

Upon hearing this question, Jing Ke somersaulted back and landed on a huge stone near a pond.

“Alright, are you pretending to be clueless? I’ll make sure you die knowing why!”