The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1219 - 1219 595 Time to Hunt (One more)

Chapter 1219: 595 Time to Hunt! (One more) Chapter 1219: 595 Time to Hunt! (One more) “`

If previously Master Zhuang felt a fleeting delusion that it was a trick of the eyes, then the phrase “Is it your turtle descendant that drifted away, or is it me, Xiao Ji, who can’t lift my saber anymore?” left no doubt in Master Zhuang’s mind that the person who had arrived was indeed Marquis Xuanping!

So his earlier guess was correct: Xiao Hen’s tactic of luring the snake out of the hole, as well as Empress Dowager Zhuang’s sudden appearance, their fundamental purpose was to buy time, waiting for the arrival of Marquis Xuanping!

But isn’t this strange?

Just a few days ago, he had received a report from South Island, mentioning that a band of pirates had fled by boat and Marquis Xuanping had gone to pursue them in their retreat!

Could it be—

That those so-called reports of pursuit were all fake, and that Marquis Xuanping was actually already on his way back to the capital?!

Master Zhuang gnashed his teeth as he glanced at Marquis Xuanping, then back at Xiao Hen, seething with frustration. Both father and son were cast in the same mold, their schemes even slicker than the crafty old mandarins in Court!

Marquis Xuanping glanced at the whip injury on Xiao Hen’s face, a dangerous glint in his eyes as they fell on Master Zhuang’s hand tightening on the reins: “Which hand hurt my son?”

This was the second time Marquis Xuanping openly acknowledged Xiao Hen as his son.

In front of Master Zhuang, he wasn’t bothering to hide it any longer, which wasn’t a good sign. While Xiao Hen’s identity was still a secret generally, there are some people who can keep secrets forever.

Master Zhuang’s eyelids suddenly twitched. He had never feared Marquis Xuanping like this before. After all, in terms of official rank and status, he was no less than Marquis Xuanping, even having a good deal more experience from his longer years of service.

Yet at this moment… he felt chilled to the bone!

He instinctively looked towards General Nangong standing to the side.

“No need to look, he won’t escape either!” Marquis Xuanping stated. General Nangong furrowed his brow, but before he could react, Marquis Xuanping had already thrust the hilt of his broadsword fiercely into the ground.

Immediately his horse leaped forward, startling Master Zhuang’s horse, which began to hop about in panic, letting out a series of neighs.

Master Zhuang struggled to keep his balance, but Marquis Xuanping’s hand was already reaching out unceremoniously towards him, grabbing his collar and ruthlessly dragging him off his horse.

“Marquis Xuanping—”

Master Zhuang shouted in anger!

“Your lordship, my ass!”

Marquis Xuanping threw the man on the ground roughly.

He was a military general, and the grace and nobility he displayed in front of others was only a façade; at his core, he was rough and savage.

Most people would not manhandle an elderly and weak scholar-official like Master Zhuang; they would uphold the law with civility. But was Marquis Xuanping an ordinary person?

He wasn’t playing by human rules at all!

Bullying this frail old man did not cause Marquis Xuanping any psychological pressure; not only did he throw the man to the ground, but he also tightened the reins in his hand, allowing the horse’s hooves to raise and then step consecutively over Master Zhuang’s right hand and left hand.

Two crisp cracking sounds rang out in the air, followed by Master Zhuang’s agonized screams of unbearable pain.

After Marquis Xuanping finished trampling, he turned his horse around and looked at him innocently: “I asked you which hand, and you didn’t say, so I had to waste them both.”

Master Zhuang was utterly dumbfounded.

There were indeed shameless and brazen people in this world!

Taking advantage and still pretending to be innocent – that’s him, for sure!

Master Zhuang had spent most of his life navigating the official seas, benefiting from selling a good sister to the palace, and these years had been smooth sailing. Even if someone tripped him up, it was mostly done in an indirect and implied manner.

Who would believe that someone would dare to cripple his hands in public?

Master Zhuang had never suffered physical hardship before and was in so much pain he nearly fainted.

He looked towards Empress Dowager Zhuang, who sat calmly in the carriage a short distance away, quietly watching the scene unfold.

This brother, who had fed off her flesh and blood her entire life, she had let go.

“Zhuang Jinse… you are so ruthless…” Master Zhuang spat blood, gasping with vicious breaths.

Was it her who was ruthless?

There are people in the world who get used to living off others’ flesh and blood, and once they are no longer fed, they become unforgivably heartless and disloyal.

But when they fed on the flesh and blood of others, they never thought that maybe they shouldn’t have bitten down in the first place!

Forget it, why talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality with such a person? How about fairness and grace?

At their core, they are utterly selfish; it’s impossible for them to consider others, otherwise, they wouldn’t have done so many appalling things.

Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t plead for him; in fact, she didn’t even look his way again: “Ahen, come over to your auntie.”

She called herself auntie.

Not ‘Her Majesty.’

In that moment, Master Zhuang truly realized that Empress Dowager Zhuang wasn’t just angry with him, she truly had given up on the Zhuang family. She now had a new family, one with no blood ties, yet one she could trust and depend upon.

Once upon a time… Empress Dowager Zhuang must have treated the Zhuang family the same way, right?

It’s a pity that aside from Zhuang Yuheng, no one else could see her efforts; they only thought that she was a daughter that had left the Zhuang family, and was thus obliged to dedicate her life to its benefit.

Xiao Hen turned and walked toward Empress Dowager Zhuang’s carriage.

“`

General Nangong’s eyes darkened.

The Marquis of Xuanping drew his long saber and blocked it in front of him on his horse, “I’ll deal with that old bastard later. Now, it’s time to settle our score.”

Five years ago, he had failed to protect his son. This time, he would not let these bastards succeed again.

General Nangong watched the Marquis of Xuanping with a grave expression.

He had heard of the Marquis of Xuanping’s reputation, for being shameless, and for remarkably making it onto the list of the beauties of the six nations!

How on earth did this man squeeze onto that list?

His own sister, Princess Nangong, ranked behind him!

He had thought the Marquis would be a frail, sickly pretty boy, but to his surprise, he was an iron-boned, ringing-voiced master of martial arts!

General Nangong had gathered plenty of intelligence before coming to Zhan Country. He narrowed his eyes at the Marquis of Xuanping’s waist, “Zhan Country’s first-rank military Marquis, Xiao Ji, I hear you have a waist injury. You’re no match for me. Are you sure you want to fight me alone? Fine, I’ll give you three moves.”

The Marquis of Xuanping snorted. Who the hell wanted to fight him one-on-one? Wasn’t it better to gang up?

“Chang Jing.”

The Marquis of Xuanping lazily lifted his eyelid.

General Nangong then saw a young man in black leading three ghastly-faced military officers, leaping into the air from the ranks of the ghost-faced army, dashing over the Dragon Shadow Guard on the ground with a swift lightness, and ferociously joining the Marquis of Xuanping’s side.

“Beat him up,” ordered the Marquis of Xuanping.

General Nangong’s eyes widened in astonishment. Was this not against the warrior’s code? Shouldn’t a general face another general in one-on-one combat to determine the victor?

“Wait, wrong,” the Marquis of Xuanping called out to Chang Jing, “It’s ‘chop him’!”

Chopping off his son’s fingers, huh!

General Nangong: “…”

Chang Jing drew his long sword.

It was a Black Iron Sword, the blade engraved with a single bamboo leaf.

General Nangong changed color in shock: “The Dark Night Clan?”

The Dark Night Clan, a notorious assassin clan famed throughout the six nations.

But wasn’t the Dark Night Clan in Shang Country?

How could their masters appear here?

And right beside the Marquis of Xuanping?

Chang Jing had joined the battlefield and his martial skills had greatly improved. His moves carried a natural murderous intention. With a long sword swinging towards General Nangong, the General hastily drew his sword to block!

He managed to fend off the attack, but he was forced off his horse.

General Nangong was quite surprised.

Were all the masters from the Dark Night Clan this formidable?

You should know, he was from the Nangong Family, and his martial skills ranked amongst the top in the six nations.

Very soon, he realized why the martial skills of this young man in black were far more formidable than the ordinary Dark Night Clan masters.

He had seen that sword before. The tassel on Gai Yin’s sword hilt was a gift from the King of Yan Country. He was present at that time, and the sword belonged to the current leader of the Dark Night Clan—Chang Kun!

Chang Kun… Chang Jing…

When he looked at Chang Jing again, he was completely rattled.

This is the damn young leader of the Dark Night Clan!

Marquis of Xuanping, what price did you pay to employ the services of the young leader of the Dark Night Clan? My Nangong Family will offer double!

General Nangong was caught in a dilemma: not to fight seriously was to die, but to kill the young leader of the Dark Night Clan was to invite revenge from the Dark Night Clan upon the Nangong Family – either way, he was dead!

General Nangong was not a rowdy military riffraff like the Marquis of Xuanping. He was a cultured and educated military officer, but that evening, in his mind, he exhausted a lifetime’s worth of expletives.

The Marquis of Xuanping didn’t care about General Nangong’s turmoil. He rode his horse with a long saber in hand, leisurely launching attacks on the Dragon Shadow Guards and attendants of Yan Country.

His ghost-faced army numbered three thousand strong. Alone, they might not match the Dragon Shadow Guards of Yan Country, but when it came to coordinated combat, no one was more formidable than they were!

General Nangong’s forces were divided into two groups: one on the clearing and the other at the canyon entrance, with the Empress Dowager Zhuang’s carriage and a few individuals sandwiched between the two forces.

Once the Marquis of Xuanping entered combat mode, he seemed to transform into a different person. He rode a tall steed, his expression stern as he wielded the command flag in his hand.

The three-thousand-strong army dismounted, split into three groups, and with shields and spears encircled both groups of Yan Country forces. The last group formed an iron wall around the Empress Dowager Zhuang’s carriage.

With the command flag in motion, the Coiled Dragon Formation commenced, the Flying Dragon Formation moved. They could defend or attack on command; each change in the formation was flawless. In contrast, the situation for Yan Country looked less optimistic.

Wave after wave of Dragon Shadow Guards fell, and screams of agony rose.

General Nangong watched helplessly as these unfamiliar formations, like the maw of a giant beast, mercilessly devoured his troops. He was entangled by the young leader of the Dark Night Clan and the three ghastly-faced military officers, unable to give any commands!

In his moment of distraction, Chang Jing thrust his sword, hitting him in the waist, then with a backhand swing, chopped off an arm!