Chương 187: Chapter 187: "Why Fight?"
Chapter 187: "Why Fight?"
The assassin targeting Xue Beng was a young woman, appearing to be in her early twenties.
Her soul power level was forty-one, placing her at the rank of a Soul Ancestor.
For someone of her age to possess such strength, even among students at top-tier soul master academies, she would be considered an elite prodigy.
Her martial spirit was a dagger, specializing in assassination, disguise, and stealth.
Because of her striking beauty and humble background as a commoner, she caught the attention of a slave auction house, leading to the extermination of her entire family.
By a twist of fate, she was taken in by the Spirit Hall. Upon learning why her family was killed and uncovering the forces behind the auction house, she gradually became an assassin driven by revenge.
She had no name, only a codename: Ten Faces.
Ten Faces was extraordinarily skilled at disguises, which was the origin of her name.
As for why she wasn't called "Thousand Faces"? Well, the Spirit Hall bore the surname Qian...
The Royal Knights' Order sounded formidable—and in truth, it was.
Of course, their true strength lay in their formation: when hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of Royal Knights formed a battle array, even an ordinary Titled Douluo would hesitate to charge in recklessly.
However, most Royal Knights at the rank of general were merely in the forties in terms of soul power, making them Soul Ancestor level.
A Royal Knight acting alone would have combat power comparable to any soul master of the same rank.
At this moment, Ten Faces was surrounded by dozens of Royal Knights, the oppressive killing intent palpable in the air.
She hadn't planned to survive this mission. Killing a prince would count as avenging her family. Besides, she had already hunted down and eliminated those directly involved in the massacre years ago.
But how one dies, and how to die without implicating others, was an art. She couldn't afford to expose the people behind her. Not that it mattered—she didn't know who they were.
Behind her was the Spirit Hall, an organization that had raised her and aided her quest for vengeance.
Even in death, she would never reveal their involvement.
"Criminal, surrender now!"
A Royal Knight with four soul rings barked sternly.
To dare assassinate a prince in broad daylight—and succeed—meant her fate was sealed!
Hearing this, the corners of Ten Faces' lips curved upward as the dagger in her hand traced a slow arc before her.
She felt almost amused.
Surrender?
How naïve!
"I know there's no escaping today. With so many Royal Knights present, there's no way out for me."
Ten Faces' voice was ethereal and melodious—a standard young noblewoman's tone.
"But don't you want to know why I assassinated Xue Beng?"
At this, the Royal Knights exchanged glances. They didn't act immediately.
Their mission was twofold: first, to kill her and avenge the Fourth Prince Xue Beng; second, to uncover the mastermind behind the attack.
If Ten Faces were willing to divulge the identity of the one pulling the strings, it would be a great achievement for them.
"Speak!"
The four-ring Soul Ancestor Royal Knight ordered.
His gaze was locked firmly on Ten Faces as he continued, "You'd better name the mastermind. I can promise you a swift death!"
"Don't even think about escaping. With our numbers here, even a Soul Emperor would meet their end!"
This wasn't bravado—it was a fact.
With nearly a hundred Royal Knights present, a lone Soul Emperor would have no chance of survival.
Unless, of course, it was a Soul Sage with a martial spirit avatar.
"General, don't worry. I have no intention of fleeing. To kill a prince—I've already avenged my family."
Her words puzzled the knights. What did she mean by this?
Was this a personal grudge?
The Fourth Prince did indeed have a bad reputation, frequently engaging in scandalous behavior. They were well aware of that.
"I was born in a small mountain village…"
Ten Faces began recounting her background, explaining the tragic enmity between her and the royal family.
"Have you, as Royal Knights, who resist foreign enemies and die on the battlefield, ever thought about this? Are you protecting this hypocritical royal family—or are you protecting your own families?"
Ten Faces smiled as she spoke, but the smile was somewhat bitter, filled with helplessness.
"Stop trying to confuse us with your treacherous words!" a Royal Knight shouted angrily.
"Is it treachery? Don't you already know the truth yourselves?" she countered.
"The auction house—it's not far from here!"
Among the Royal Knights, some were nobles seeking to gain experience and prestige, often referred to as "gilding." However, the majority of Royal Knights were commoners.
Hearing her words, the group fell silent.
"We eat from the emperor's hand; we are loyal to the emperor's cause," one of them said.
"Your background and your suffering are indeed pitiful, but that does not justify assassinating the Fourth Prince."
"Absurd!"
"Why shouldn't I seek revenge? Is it simply because he's a prince?" Ten Faces retorted sharply.
"It's a pity my strength is lacking. Otherwise, I would have killed that old scoundrel Xue Ye too!"
The Royal Knights surrounding Ten Faces began to feel a tinge of regret. Why had they listened to her speak for so long? Judging by her demeanor, she didn't seem to be lying. But now that they knew about this royal scandal, could they even hope to survive?
"General, I…"
Some of the Royal Knights were beginning to waver. Their motivation for becoming knights was admiration for their strength in protecting the kingdom from external threats.
But now, they questioned—what exactly were they protecting?
"..."
"Hah…" The four-ring Soul Ancestor General exhaled deeply, letting out a long breath.
He thought more deeply than the others. It would have been fine if they'd remained ignorant of this scandal—they could have considered this mission a success.
But now, after hearing Ten Faces, he began to suspect everyone present of being a potential traitor. Even if they swore to keep this secret, could he ensure no one would leak it? Could he even trust himself?
Killing Ten Faces or sparing her was no longer the real issue.
If word of this leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Criminal, what cunning methods you employ!"
Ten Faces chuckled. It seemed these knights weren't as foolish as she'd initially thought.
Even if they killed her now, the seeds of doubt had already been planted. The fate of these knights was sealed.
If they wanted to survive, the Emperor Xue Ye would either have to overlook the incident entirely—or the empire itself would need to undergo a regime change.
Not far away, Kong and the Raiden Shogun stood observing. Due to the sheer number of Royal Knights present, they couldn't see Ten Faces' appearance clearly, but they could hear every word she said.
What she said seemed true. However, she had concealed her affiliation with the Spirit Hall.
"This woman has remarkable methods," Kong muttered. "I wonder if this was all orchestrated by Xiao Xue or just her improvisation?"
He had been aware of the assassination plot against Xue Beng; Qian Renxue had mentioned it to him beforehand.
However, he hadn't expected them to deploy an assassin like this for the mission.
Was it all for revenge?
Suddenly, Kong thought of the catwoman Ning Fengzhi had taken from the auction house. If she had joined the Spirit Hall or a faction promising her hope for vengeance, she would likely accept such a task without hesitation.
Women like her weren't uncommon. Those with the potential to become soul masters were likely training relentlessly, waiting for their opportunity…
(End of Chapter)
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