Chapter 148: Violent Infiltration

A Four-Wheel Carriage carried Elham, Ya and Ling, and Tolin. The two young men with swords from the Green Gem Hotel rode alongside as guards. The group left No.1 Shenghui Street without giving the tax officials any explanation. The tax officials also remained silent. They raised their triangular hats in salute to the Four-Wheel Carriage, then rode straight away.

They had come to pressure Elham and the others. Now that the main targets had departed, no matter who they went to seek help from, it no longer concerned these tax officials. If they sought help from Tixiang, then they likely would not appear here again in the future. If they went to seek help from someone else, then what difficulty would there be in the officials coming again?

The idlers nearby exchanged glances and quickly sprang into action. They ran toward distant teahouses and inns to report that Elham and the others had left. Furthermore, carriages belonging to some young nobles began following Elham and his group from a distance. About thirty carriages headed in the direction of the Victory Palace.

Lin Qi clapped his hands vigorously. He looked up at the sky, put a finger in his mouth, then drew an arc in the air with the saliva. “Excellent! The wind and snow will intensify tonight. I can already smell it. A heavy snowstorm—perfect!”

Long Cheng gave a slight, fierce smile. “A moonless, windy night is perfect for killing. I like heavy snow days! Snow covers the bows and blades, haha!”

The two exchanged a smile, then lazily straightened up and crept away, soon disappearing into the dim twilight. There were far too many idlers like them in the area, so no one paid them any attention.

About twenty minutes later, it grew completely dark. Workers from the City Hall carried lamps, lighting the streetlights along Shenghui Avenue and nearby side roads one by one. As they worked, Shenghui Avenue gradually became illuminated. But No.1 Shenghui Street, like other mansions, was densely wooded and received no benefit from the streetlights, remaining shrouded in darkness.

It hadn’t been long since Elham and the others left; they probably hadn’t even reached the residence of the Hualishi Family near the Victory Palace. Yet Lin Qi and Long Cheng, along with twelve eerie men dressed entirely in black, quietly infiltrated the International Botanical Garden behind No.1 Shenghui Street.

Long Cheng moved with excellent grace, creating no wind as he went. The twelve strange men in black appeared and vanished in the darkness like ghosts; not even a whisper of wind accompanied them, as if they didn’t exist at all. Only Lin Qi’s body was bulky and heavy, and his footsteps were quite loud. But Long Cheng walked beside him, occasionally reaching out to pull or steady him, so he made no sound either.

The International Botanical Garden covered a vast area. Usually, only a few hundred people tended to the large garden, so at night, it became pitch-black and devoid of human presence. Because of this, the garden became a favored spot for noble young men and women to have secret rendezvous. Surrounded by exotic flowers and rare plants, a Four-Wheel Carriage parked in a secluded spot was enough to set the stage for a romantic encounter.

Also because of these romantic young nobles, the garden staff dared not wander around at night. There had been an incident where someone intruded upon a duke’s son’s secret meeting and ended up with broken arms and legs. With such a precedent, who would dare roam the garden in the middle of the night?

So Lin Qi and his group moved quietly among the shadows, reaching the rear fence of No.1 Shenghui Street without alerting anyone.

It was clear that the former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Gaul Empire, who built this mansion, cared deeply about his safety. The fence between his backyard and the botanical garden was a full eight meters high, made of steel bars as thick as a child’s arm. Except for small mice, no creatures could slip through. Additionally, many cactus-like flowering trees from the Goblin Continent’s deserts, covered in long, dark thorns, were planted along the fence. These trees could grow over ten meters tall, covered in black poisonous thorns as long as a middle finger—sharp as blades and naturally carrying a paralyzing venom.

But these flowering trees couldn’t stop Lin Qi and his companions. Long Cheng grabbed Lin Qi and, without any visible effort, rose lightly into the air like a cloud. Slowly ascending over ten meters, he landed soundlessly in the yard.

The twelve men in black from Lin Qi’s family were even more bizarre. Their bodies twisted like wisps of smoke. They swiftly approached the thorn-covered fence, and as if the steel bars and flowering trees weren’t there, they passed through the obstacles easily and entered the yard. In fact, they entered the yard while Long Cheng was still seven or eight meters above the ground, moving much faster than him.

“Impressive skills!” Long Cheng’s eyes gleamed. “Even under my command, I only have a camp of three hundred such assassins. I never thought your family could nurture assassins of this caliber.”

Lin Qi looked at Long Cheng blankly. These twelve assassins in black were insisted upon by Blackbeard for him to bring along. As for who they were, where they came from, or whether they were family subordinates, Lin Qi knew nothing. He didn’t even know how strong these black-clad men were. So although he included these family assassins in the operation, he truly had no idea of their actual capabilities.

Seeing Lin Qi’s clueless expression, Long Cheng couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Assassins who could turn their bodies into shadows weren’t exactly unique, but in the East, they were rare top-tier assassins. When assassins of this level struck, it often led to the downfall of powerful ministers or noble families. Lin Qi actually had twelve such assassins accompanying him—this kid’s luck was incredibly good. Moreover, this was in a barbaric, uncivilized country, making it all the more remarkable.

Shaking his head, Long Cheng pointed toward the three buildings ahead. Lin Qi nodded and waved at the twelve assassins.

Eight of the assassins vanished like the wind. The remaining four closely surrounded Lin Qi, not leaving his side.

Then, footsteps were heard. Two men wearing soft armor and cloaks had just stepped out of one building when two assassins suddenly appeared behind them. The assassins placed thin bamboo tubes in their mouths, blew hard, and two fine, hair-like needles flew out, accurately striking the back of the two men’s necks.

The potent anesthetic on the needles took effect instantly. The two men stiffened and fell heavily to the ground.

The two assassins swiftly pounced on them, grabbed their bodies, and without a word, delivered a sharp chop to the back of their heads. Watching their decisive and efficient movements, Long Cheng gasped in admiration.

So experienced, so skilled—it was as if they often broke into private residences.