Chapter 26: My Life Is at an End!

The private room was instantly engulfed in the flash of blades and the chaos of battle, a sight that left Liu Xie trembling with fear.

Meanwhile, the other two occupants of the room, Mother Yang and Wang Jingyun, were utterly petrified. They had never imagined that the gentle and lovely Qin Wan'er was, in fact, a highly skilled assassin.

Although Fuhu was a formidable fighter, he was unarmed; even the greatest martial artist is vulnerable against a blade. Hemmed in by Qin Wan'er’s relentless, lethal strikes, he could barely hold his ground. Within a few exchanges, Fuhu had already sustained several wounds, his clothes shredded and soaked in blood, leaving him in a wretched state.

Realizing he was about to be overwhelmed, Fuhu shouted, "My Lord, run! I will hold her off!"

With that, he delivered a side kick toward Qin Wan'er’s face, blocking her as she lunged forward. Qin Wan'er’s expression turned cold. Seeing Liu Xie and his companions attempting to flee, she shrieked, "Xiao Su! Do not leave any survivors!"

Before Liu Xie could react, the door to the private room burst open. Before he could even feel a moment of relief, he saw a small, gleaming blade flying straight toward his face. It was Xiao Su, who had been waiting outside and had rushed in upon hearing Qin Wan'er’s command.

Watching the incoming blade, Liu Xie felt a wave of despair wash over him: *My life is forfeit! Oh, cruel heavens! Am I to die here? I haven't even finished my plans!*

As if the heavens had heard his plea, a bare-chested, drunken man, who had been standing nearby, suddenly lunged forward. With a fierce gust of palm energy, he struck the blade-wielding servant square in the chest with precise, deadly force. To Xiao Su’s shock, the drunkard followed up with a brutal backhanded punch to his right shoulder. A sharp "crack" echoed through the room, and Xiao Su’s arm, still clutching the knife, went limp.

"Who... who are you?" Xiao Su stammered, staring in horror at the silent, bare-chested man.

The drunkard said nothing. He merely cast a cold glance at the assassin and delivered a swift chop to his neck. Before falling into unconsciousness, Xiao Su let out a desperate cry: "Disciples of the Yellow Heaven Sect! The Twelve Heavenly Fiends! Do not let the dog emperor escape!"

He then collapsed to the ground, completely limp.

The entire Drunken Immortal Pavilion erupted into chaos. *The dog emperor? The Emperor is here at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion?*

The bare-chested man’s eyes narrowed. Liu Xie, though he had escaped death, wore a heavy frown, while Wang Jingyun and Mother Yang stood by in utter shock. *The Emperor?*

The assassins had come for them, but since they were clearly not the Emperor, there was only one conclusion. Both turned their gaze toward Liu Xie. Sensing their eyes upon him, Liu Xie could only offer a bitter, nodding smile, effectively admitting his identity.

"Th-thank you, brother! You... you are actually... ah, wait, no, it is Your Majesty..." Wang Jingyun was incoherent. He wanted to die of shame. He had actually cursed the Emperor when he arrived! He suddenly understood why his uncle had acted so strangely toward Liu Xie earlier. It was a miracle he was still alive!

But there was no time for his racing thoughts. Surrounded by twelve figures in various disguises—some looking like wealthy, smiling merchants, others like refined young scholars, and even one resembling a child—they were clearly the Twelve Heavenly Fiends, the elite assassins of the Yellow Heaven Sect.

Liu Xie could no longer worry about his identity being exposed; the immediate danger left no room to ponder their origins. The twelve assassins closed in from all directions, and dozens more figures smashed through the windows, swarming into the pavilion.

Liu Xie was surrounded. Cold, glinting weapons converged on him from every side. It was a death trap.

As the sea of enemies descended, the bare-chested man charged forward without a hint of fear. His martial arts were, if anything, superior to Fuhu's. With fists and feet moving like a whirlwind, he managed to hold back the tide of attackers. Liu Xie, Wang Jingyun, and Mother Yang seized the chance to move toward the stairs, Liu Xie praying only that they could make it out of the pavilion alive.

The man fought with incredible strength, but even the strongest cannot fight a thousand. With the assassins working in shifts and utilizing superior numbers, the man began to falter. These were clearly highly trained killers.

Just as the trio failed to notice, two assassins shifted their blades toward Liu Xie’s back. At the last split second, the bare-chested man smashed aside two of the Heavenly Fiends, ignored the blade of the smiling merchant, and threw himself over Liu Xie.

Liu Xie heard the dull thuds of blades piercing flesh and felt a sudden, warm wetness on his back. Turning around, he saw the bare-chested man sinking to his knees.

"Number Three of the Earth Division, Da Shi He... I cannot escort you back to the palace," the man said with a tragic smile, blood streaming from his lips. He moved his lips one last time before slumping to the floor. "Your... Your Majesty... run... quickly!"

Looking at the fallen, nameless hero, a surge of rage ignited within Liu Xie. A man he didn't even know had sacrificed his life to protect him, while he remained helpless.

Liu Xie quickly composed himself, stood up, and bolted.

Seeing Liu Xie fleeing, the assassins shouted, "Catch him! The dog emperor is running!"

Liu Xie ran for his life, never looking back, nursing a cold vow in his heart: if he survived, he would root out the origin of these assassins, and whoever they were, he would make them wish they were never born.

But just as he reached the entrance of the pavilion, a graceful figure drifted down from the upper floor, blocking his path. Seeing the dripping, flexible sword in Qin Wan'er’s hand, Liu Xie’s heart sank—Fuhu must have fallen as well.

"Why do you want to kill me?" Liu Xie glared at her, trying to read something in her icy eyes.

Qin Wan'er spoke with a voice filled with hatred, "To bring peace to the world and slay a tyrant!"

Behind him, the sound of rushing air signaled the arrival of the dozens of assassins from the upper floor. The entire ground floor was filled with the glint of cold steel. Liu Xie felt his heart sink further.

A death trap.

Surrounded on all sides, his protector dead, and Fuhu’s fate unknown, he was truly alone.

*Is this where I, Liu Xie, am to meet my end?*