The three of them, including Eunuch Chen, turned rigid in an instant, their faces contorting with dread as they slowly swiveled to face Lin Yu.
Could it be that their whereabouts had been detected by a powerhouse in the imperial palace?
If so, they were doomed this time!
Both men in black were only at the 6th rank of Martial Artist, while Eunuch Chen, though stronger, barely reached the 8th rank.
Within the palace, there were dozens of Innate Realm martial artists, not to mention the Purple Mansion Realm masters entrenched in its depths.
Discovery meant certain death!
But upon recognizing Lin Yu's features, Eunuch Chen and his cohorts all exhaled deeply, relaxing immediately.
"I wondered who it was—turns out it's the infamous good-for-nothing Third Prince!"
"Lin Yu, our master wasn't planning to kill you yet, but you fool walked right into us. Don't blame us for being ruthless—we'll send you to your grave today!"
The twoMen in Black exchanged a glance, then drew short blades from their sleeve robes. Flanking Lin Yu in an instant, one slashed for his throat while the other stabbed for his heart.
Their attacks were vicious beyond measure, showing no intention of sparing him from the start.
"Not so hasty. I still have questions—let's take this slow."
Lin Yu remained calm as theMen in Black charged, his expression unflinching.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure surged from his body, crashing down on the two men like an invisible mountain.
Thump!
Their deadly strikes halted mid-air, and they collapsed to their knees involuntarily, their kneecaps shattering upon impact.
The gap in power was too vast—Lin Yu needed no physical attack. Merely his aura was enough to crush them to powder.
"Innate Realm martial artist...!"
The old eunuch's face paled, stammering: "Lin Yu, weren't your Qi Sea and Dantian destroyed? How can you be this strong?"
News of Lin Yu's catastrophic southern campaign defeat, where he lost one hundred thousand troops and had his cultivation crippled by a sneak attack, had spread nationwide. Thus, the old eunuch's shock at seeing Lin Yu not only uncrippled but advanced to Innate Realm was profound.
"Who is your master?"
Lin Yu regarded the old eunuch coldly. Those plotting against his sister Lin Yue could not be spared.
"Will we live if we talk?" The kneelingMen in Black pleaded, eyes wide with terror.
"You're in no position to bargain."
Lin Yu snorted, and the pressure emanating from him intensified. The men groaned as the terror威压 pulverized them into bloody mist, dissipating instantly.
"Third Prince, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Witnessing theMen in Black' gruesome end, the old eunuch paled, kowtowing frantically. But as he bowed, he hurled a thunderclap bomb. Smoke billowed, and he fled toward the palace gates, covering dozens of zhang in an instant.
"Escaping?"
A cold glint flashed in Lin Yu's eyes. He flicked his fingers like a sword, and the Sword Intent of the Wind coalesced into a cyan, semi-transparent flying sword. Before the eunuch had fled a hundred zhang, the sword intent pierced his chest.
Thump.
The eunuch stared uncomprehendingly at the wound, then collapsed. The Sword Intent of the Wind, embodying the essence of Kendo, was nigh unto law. Not even a 7th-rank Innate master could withstand it, let alone an 8th-rank martial artist.
"The Sword Intent of the Wind lives up to its name. Hunting the Demon King can be scheduled."
Nodding, Lin Yu pocketed his Qi-dissolving powder as imperial guards approached, then vanished toward the imperial mausoleum.
...
That night, the imperial kitchen courtyard blazed with torches, surrounded by guards. Two human-shaped bloodstains marred the ground, while a palm-width hole pierced the right wall—identical holes punctured five consecutive walls nearby, as if something had torn through them in sequence.
A hundred zhang away, the old eunuch's corpse lay with a sword wound through his chest, his face frozen in horror. The Han Emperor, arriving with his guard commander, demanded: "What happened here?"
"Your Majesty, two unknown intruders lie dead. Additionally, Chen Shen, the kitchen supervisor, was found slain a hundred zhang away with a blade wound—no weapon found. His fascia and bones suggest he was at least a 7th-rank martial artist, yet he hid his cultivation for over a decade."
"Outrageous!" The Han Emperor seethed. "The imperial palace infiltrated, and a spy in the kitchen for years! If word spreads, we'll be laughed at!" The thought that concubines and princes had been at Chen Shen's mercy for a decade chilled him.
"Who killed Chen Shen? Why no prisoner?"
"Unknown, Your Majesty—he was found dead."
"Idiots! A spy for years, and infiltrators under your noses! Is this palace a defenseless garden?" The guard commander fell to his knees in apology.
"Your Majesty, something's amiss!" cried a green-robed elder, Xu Feng, a 6th-rank Innate master. "That eunuch was killed by Sword Intent of the Wind—from a hundred zhang away! The killer's cultivation surpasses mine."
Xu Feng, lacking understanding of sword intent, marveled at the feat.
"Uncle Su! Prince Su must have returned!" The Han Emperor brightened.