Chapter 564: Chapter 434: Turning the Tide, the Ghost Sect Makes a Move
Heir Hong only felt a ripping pain beneath him, his body already violently flipped onto the ground.
Beside him, a chaos of shouting ensued.
He saw, his wife, children, and concubine all lying dead on the ground, breathless.
Cries for help and sobbing filled the air, when a pair of feet walked towards him.
Heir Hong struggled to lift his eyes, and he saw his third brother, Hong Fang.
Hong Fang slightly bent down, seeming from an outsider’s perspective like he intended to help Heir Hong up.
"Third brother, save..." Heir Hong tried to call for help, but after uttering just a few words, a hot, fishy taste surged in his throat.
"Big brother, I wonder, do you like this big gift I have given you?" Hong Fang whispered into Heir Hong’s ear, swiftly hiding a dagger back into his sleeve.
Heir Hong’s eyes suddenly widened, his bloodshot eyes filled with incredulity and resentment.
It was him! He was behind all this.
Before he could finish speaking, Hong Fang struck the top of Heir Hong’s skull, and the latter’s body limply fell to the ground.
"Hong Mingyue, you have the audacity to plot against Your Majesty!"
Military Marquis Gu Cangtian protected the Empress and the Empress Dowager, along with Prince Feng and others.
The explosion that had just occurred was sudden and powerful, turning the Imperial Palace Training Ground into a fiery wasteland, with innumerable casualties.
Lan Yingwu and Nie Fengxing, leading hundreds from the Imperial Army, were evenly matched against the people from Hong Residence.
Behind Hong Fang stood nearly a hundred Combat Alchemists, along with hundreds of disciples from the Sha Sect.
The Duke An among several military generals also stood behind Hong Fang.
"Lord Marquis Wu, if I were you, I’d refrain from angering him just yet," Hong Fang faced Military Marquis Gu Cangtian without a hint of fear.
"Qiqi!" Empress Liu cried out in distress.
Xiahou Qi was restrained by Hong Mingyue, and the elder from Luo Song and Three-Life Valley also moved behind Hong Fang.
Seeing the Crown Prince restrained, Gu Cangtian’s expression also changed.
At this very moment, Military Marquis Gu Cangtian was seething with rage, his emotions turbulent.
Days ago, Lan Yingwu had suddenly reported that Hong Residence harbored rebellious intentions.
Gu Cangtian interrogated the source of this information, and Lan Yingwu was evasive, mentioning only that it came from a sect called Ghost Sect.
Gu Cangtian had severely reprimanded Lan Yingwu then, well aware of what sort of faction Ghost Sect was, as a regular army of Daxia, Gu Cangtian despised collusion with bandits.
Moreover, although he had always clashed with Hong Qingyun throughout their lives, he never believed Hong Qingyun would betray Daxia.
Little did he know, this negligence had led to a grave mistake.
Emperor Xia was assassinated, and even the Crown Prince had fallen into enemy hands.
Despite Military Marquis Gu Cangtian’s much higher cultivation compared to Hong Fang, he still cautiously avoided the Hong father and daughter’s tactics, daring not to act rashly.
The two forces were at a stalemate for the moment.
Hiss—
Just then, a very faint sound was heard.
It was a burst of laughter.
Both Hong Fang and Military Marquis Gu Cangtian furrowed their brows; at a time like this, who could possibly still laugh.
"Thirteen, what are you laughing at!"
Hong Mingyue was closest to the source of the laughter, naturally, she also saw clearly who was laughing.
Thirteen stood there still, unlike the two groups of tense, tightly wound people.
This new champion of the Daxia Imperial Competition, with a face full of calmness, was now looking at Hong Fang and Hong Mingyue with eyes prettier than a woman’s, filled with mockery.
Hong Fang was also on alert, for some reason, he always felt that this Thirteen was not simple.
Just now, Emperor Xia was killed, the training ground exploded, the scene was so chaotic, yet he neither fled nor took action, just stood aside like a bystander, watching.
This person, although eccentric in temperament, is calm in behavior, and truly a talent.
In Hong Fang’s mind, thoughts twirled around rapidly, and he immediately decided to rope Thirteen in.
"Thirteenth Young Master, we have also met before. You have seen today’s situation as well. As long as you join my camp, in the future in the court, you will undoubtedly stand above tens of thousands."
"Hong Fang, you rebel and traitor! Thirteen, don’t listen to his words, the Hong Residence has committed a great disturbance, despised by the world." Xiahou Qi rebuked angrily.
"Xiahou Qi, a king is made by victory and ruined by defeat. The outcome is already decided. Your father was originally a useless person, if it weren’t for me and a few other marquises wholeheartedly assisting, where would Daxia’s era of peace and prosperity come from?"
Hong Fang snorted coldly, his gaze once again falling on Thirteen.
"Thirteen, joining my camp is all beneficial to you, and you must know, behind me, there’s not just the Hong Residence. The power behind me is something even a marquis should tread carefully around."
Father Hong Qingyun was late in appearing, although his side was numerous and powerful, when it really came down to actual strength, just Military Marquis Gu Cangtian alone was enough to shake the entire scene. If it were not for still holding the Crown Prince as a lifeline, Hong Fang would absolutely not dare to confront Marquis Wu.
In this situation, Thirteen, who had astounded everyone during the Imperial Examination, undoubtedly became a big chip both sides wanted to recruit.
"Hong Fang, are you trying to say that behind you is also the Beiqing Pill Palace?" Thirteen raised an eyebrow.
Upon hearing the name Beiqing Pill Palace, Hong Fang was momentarily startled.
"Are you curious how I know this?" Thirteen smirked coldly, pulling out a letter from his sleeve.
At the sight of the letter, behind Hong Fang, a wave of tragic cries rang out, nearly a hundred Combat Alchemists acted simultaneously, brandishing their blades and slaughtering hundreds of Sha Sect disciples.
Hundreds of heads fell to the ground at the same time.
"Husband! Save us!"
Hong Fang and Hong Mingyue’s expressions changed drastically.
Zhuge Rou and Hong Yulang were subdued by Yan Che leading the Ghost Sect Thirteen Kills, their expressions pale.
Looking at the letter in Thirteen’s hand, Hong Fang felt a thunderous noise in his head, going blank.
"Perhaps, I should reintroduce my identity, Thirteen, Ghost Sect Leader. Sorry, the letter you received was just a little joke I played on you." Thirteen cruelly curled his lips, revealing his beautiful white teeth.
Hong Fang felt as if the sky was spinning.
Fake, that letter was actually fake.
Thirteen, all of this was a trap laid out by Thirteen.
A hundred Combat Alchemists, with eager eyes, trapped Hong Fang and his daughter Hong Mingyue among others completely.
Hong Fang, truly an experienced figure resembling a formidable character, could still manage a smile even now.
"Thirteen, this time, I indeed underestimated you. However, the Crown Prince is still in my hands. Guess whose hands are quicker, your men or the speed of the Crown Prince’s death?" Hong Fang had also realized by now.
Thirteen was clearly together with the Crown Prince, Marquis Wu, and others.
Although he didn’t know when the Crown Prince had conspired with the Ghost Sect, as long as he had the Crown Prince, he didn’t need to worry. All he needed was to stall for time, waiting for Hong Qingyun to arrive, and everything would be resolved!