We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 132 Shadow Assassins Branch, News from the Prefecture City, the Hong Clan is in Trouble
The defenses of Green Willow Manor were half strict and half lax.

The outer area is loosely guarded, and visitors can come and go as they please.

However, only those wearing gray robes and carrying waist tags are allowed to enter the inner area.

Of course, this was not a problem for Su Chen and his two companions, as they did not intend to openly barge in.

The three of them carefully blended into the inner perimeter of the manor, concealing their tracks and following behind three men in gray robes.

"Shall we make a move?" Qiao Qiliang saw through Su Chen's intention and asked in a low voice.

Su Chen shook his head and looked around. There were patrolling guards nearby, so it wasn't convenient to take action right now.

After a short while, they passed through several courtyards, and the number of guards decreased significantly. Su Chen said, "Make your move!"

"who?"

Before he finished speaking, Su Chen and his two companions burst forth, each targeting a gray-robed figure, quickly leaping behind them and dispatching them with a single move.

"Change into their clothes and blend in," Su Chen said hurriedly.

The three quickly changed into gray robes and obtained waist tokens from the assassins.

Which way do we go now?

Qiao Qiliang asked a question, and after looking around, he found that the area was a maze of roads with similar scenery, and for a moment he really couldn't tell which way to go.

"This way!"

Su Chen had expected this, and pointed in a direction.

These gray-robed men never changed their direction; they were always heading deeper into the manor.

"somebody is coming."

Just then, Qiao Yong's voice rang out, and the three of them quickly hid.

"Another assassin."

Upon seeing the newcomer, the three realized who it was and their faces lit up with joy.

After the gray-robed man passed by, the three pretended to appear and followed behind him.

"strangeness?"

The gray-robed man in front suddenly sensed someone watching him. He turned around and saw three other gray-robed men appear behind him.

"When did these three guys appear?"

The gray-robed man paused for a moment, then noticed the waist tags on the three men's clothes, but didn't pay much attention to them.

Although they are all members of Shadow Assassins, they rarely interact with each other and don't know each other at all.

Following the gray-robed man through the hall, Su Chen and his companions soon arrived at a large hall.

It is quite spacious inside, capable of accommodating hundreds of people. Its structure is similar to the Misty Rain Pavilion, but it is noticeably more lively.

There are four directions in total, and above each direction hangs a different sign, namely 'Receive', 'Return', 'Letter', and 'Rest'.

The other three, including Su Chen, were not yet clear on what it meant, but the many empty seats under the "Rest" sign made them quickly realize that this was a place to rest.

The three exchanged a glance, then silently found a spot, sat down, and began to observe.

After looking at it for a while, Su Chen finally understood the meaning of the other three signs.

'领' means to receive a task, '归' means to complete the task and register it, and '信' means to purchase information.

Squeak.

Suddenly.

The door was suddenly slammed shut, and the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became quiet and eerie.

Immediately afterwards, all the windows slammed shut almost the instant the doors closed.

The group of gray-robed men stopped what they were doing, and whether they were standing or sitting, they all stayed in place and did not move.

But their eyes swept across the surroundings, warily watching the gray-robed figures around them, and everyone seemed to have become nervous.

Before long, a man in black robes walked in. Unlike the man in gray robes, he revealed his true face.

However, upon seeing the other party, the group of gray-robed men did not make any unusual movements, but simply stared at the black-robed man.

"We have a few uninvited guests who have sneaked in here!"

The first words spoken by the man in black robes shocked Su Chen and his companions.

His eyes were sharp as he scanned the entire room, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"You, you, and you, hand over the token!"

The man in black robes spotted Su Chen and his two companions in the crowd and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, the other gray-robed men all turned to look at the three of them, their eyes radiating a dangerous aura.

The three exchanged glances. Su Chen took out the token and showed it to the man in black robes. The man in black robes glanced at it, then nodded and turned to Qiao Qiliang and the other man.

Seeing that Su Chen had easily fooled him, Qiao Qiliang, who had been somewhat flustered, felt much more at ease and calmly took out his token.

The man in black robes shifted his gaze from the two men's tokens, put his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.

Just when Su Chen and his companions thought the matter was over, they heard the black-robed man's cold voice: "Kill them!"

Upon hearing this, the assassins around them instantly transformed into predatory beasts that had caught the scent of food, their eyes suddenly turning greedy and bloodthirsty as they surrounded the three like wolves and tigers.

"Wait a minute!"

Su Chen's expression hardened. Although he didn't know when he had been exposed, he didn't intend to be surrounded and killed without knowing why, so he shouted.

"I know what you want to ask." The man in black robes stood outside the encirclement, looking at Su Chen with a cold smile.

"Then tell me," Su Chen said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I just want to know when you've been exposed!"

The man in black shook his head, revealing a disdainful smile. "Every year, people who think they are our people break in, but no one has ever managed to escape alive, and the three of you are no exception."

He paused, then chuckled and asked, "Do you think I'll tell you this secret?"

Su Chen smiled upon hearing this, showing no anger at the black-robed man's words. Instead, he retorted, "Since you enjoy guessing so much, I'll let you guess too. Guess whether it's your people surrounding the four of us, or the four of us surrounding you?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Although the assassins didn't laugh, the mockery in their eyes was undisguised.

Four people surrounding thirty people?
That's just wishful thinking!
Wait, that's not right. He just said there were four people, but there are only three people in front of us. Where is the other person?
The assassins instantly tensed up, their smiles vanishing as they looked around suspiciously.

"What's the panic!" the man in black sneered, interrupting the assassins' wild imaginations, and shouted, "There's no fourth person. There are only the three of them this time!"

Having said that, he glared at Su Chen, his face contorted with anger. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He abruptly opened his mouth and let out a sound that broke the silence:

hiccup~
The moment the hiccup sound rang out, it instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

Due to the identity of the man in black robes, the assassins did not show any expression, but their eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

puff!
As if it were a fuse that ignited the fire, the sound of farting followed the burping and became unrestrained.

then……

hiccup...

Puff puff……

Like a plague, it spread throughout the hall in an instant. Apart from Su Chen and his two companions, almost everyone else started burping and farting.

"not good."

Seeing such a spectacle, the man in black robes knew perfectly well that they had been poisoned, but the poison was not very potent; it was extremely insulting.

He looked at the three of them and asked in a deep voice, "When did you poison them?"

"Guess!" Qiao Qiliang replied casually.

Guess what?!

The man in black robes was about to swear when a strong smell of meat and vegetables suddenly rose in his throat, spreading throughout his body and making him feel nauseous.

"Do it!"

Su Chen didn't wait for the medicine to fully take effect. Instead, he shouted to Qiao Qiliang and Qiao Yong, "If we don't act now, when will we?"

"kill!"

The man in black robes roared, barely suppressing his discomfort, and the assassins immediately attacked.

The sounds of slaughter began to rise!

Bang bang bang!
Su Chen seemed to transform into a ruthless killing machine, sweeping across the surroundings with overwhelming force. Almost no assassin could withstand a single move from him.

Most of these assassins were below the level of Golden Eagle, and were no match for Su Chen and his companions.

"hateful!"

Seeing his painstakingly trained assassin killed, the man in black robes' face immediately turned ugly, and a surge of anger rushed to his head.

"Who dares to cause trouble here!"

Just then, a sharp shout suddenly rang out, and a group of men in black robes rushed out, led by a man in black robes wearing a blue mask.

"Master, don't come any closer! It's poisonous!"

Seeing this, the man in black robes shouted a reminder.

"Hold your breath!" the masked man in black robes said immediately upon hearing this.

Then, he turned his gaze to the hall and landed on Su Chen and his two companions. When he saw them slaughtering a group of assassins, he was immediately enraged.

"Arrest those three!" At his command, the black-robed men behind him swarmed forward.

Upon seeing the man in black appear, the assassins breathed a sigh of relief and retreated.

Before they could catch their breath, they felt dizzy and disoriented, and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Ignore these people, kill them first!"

Upon seeing this, the masked man in black robes narrowed his eyes and spoke in a shrill voice.

"kill!"

These men in black robes were more powerful than most assassins, and their teamwork was excellent.

With the combined efforts of more than ten people, they actually unleashed a strength comparable to the peak of the Bone Forging Realm.

Unfortunately, they encountered Qiao Yong and Su Chen.

Su Chen's own strength goes without saying; he has already killed four Bone Forging Perfection martial artists.

Qiao Yong is even stronger than Su Chen.

Although he hadn't seen the other party actually make a move, Su Chen vaguely guessed that Qiao Yong had most likely already entered the Blood Transformation Realm.

It was no problem for the two of them to hold off the encirclement of these men in black robes.

"I can't hold on any longer, someone help me!"

Qiao Qiliang struggled to withstand the attacks of the group of men in black robes, but finally could not hold on any longer and had to ask for help.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yong easily repelled the attack of one of the men in black robes with a swift movement, and then flashed to Qiao Qiliang's side, helping him repel several more men in black robes.

"These guys are so fast!"

Finally having a chance to catch his breath, Qiao Qiliang sighed and looked at the black-robed men jumping around, their murderous intent lurking beneath the surface, his expression grave.

boom!
Qiao Yong didn't speak, but struck out with another palm. The surging force seemed to be a response to Qiao Qiliang's words, and with just one move, the black-robed man coughed up blood.

Upon seeing this, Qiao Qiliang's lips twitched. Could you please give me some face?

Bang bang bang!
On the other side, Su Chen was even more brutal.

Despite the agility of these black-robed figures, they were hardly effective against a near-perfect martial artist like Su Chen.

After a few rounds, he was slapped to death by Su Chen.

"careful!"

Qiao Qiliang glanced at the masked man out of the corner of his eye and saw him rushing towards him with the force of a landslide. He threw a punch that caused the air to tremble and produce a muffled sound.

boom!
Qiao Yong remained calm and met the attack with a palm strike. His palm strike was like a tiger descending a mountain, seemingly possessing the power to swallow mountains and rivers, causing the surrounding air to freeze.

As fists and feet clashed, a thunderous sound immediately resounded.

puff!
"Blood moving warrior!"

The masked man, who was spitting out a mouthful of blood, was utterly shocked and horrified.

Blood Moving Realm, it's actually the Blood Moving Realm!

When did their Shadow Assassin branch provoke such a powerful figure?
run!
A sudden urge to fight to the death rose in the handsome man's mind, and he lost all will to resist.

He used almost all the speed he had ever used in his life, and he had never been so eager as he was now, wishing he had four legs.

"Want to run?"

As Qiao Yong approached the masked man in black, Qiao Qiliang guessed what the man would do next, so he kept a close eye on him.

He thought the other person would escape through the main door, but to his surprise, the other person took an unusual route and ran towards the window next to him.

Fortunately, it wasn't far from his location.

"Go away!"

Upon seeing Qiao Qiliang and Su Chen appear ahead, the masked man in black robes couldn't help but roar, his face revealing a fierce expression.

Made.

Behind him were powerful Bloodthirsty experts eyeing him menacingly, and in front of him were two ungrateful bastards blocking his way, causing his killing intent to surge uncontrollably.

The masked man in black robes had a ferocious expression, his gaze fixed on Su Chen on his right, revealing endless killing intent.

Upon seeing this, Qiao Qiliang on the left was stunned for a moment, then stomped his feet in anger.

This guy clearly doesn't take him seriously; he completely ignores him.

"Die, Shadow Blade!"

A deep voice reverberated from the depths of the masked man in black robes. At this moment, a fierce killing move, tinged with a hint of madness, was suddenly drawn from his waist and then transformed into a dazzling river of blades that poured down.

Zheng!
A blinding glint of cold light flashed, followed by the crisp sound of metal clashing against metal, which then rippled outwards before falling silent.

"Sword Drawing Technique!"

With a thought, Su Chen's gaze became still, his eyes fixed on the radiant light that shone like a galaxy.

fast!
Whether it was the masked man's shadow blade or Su Chen's sword-drawing technique, both were incredibly fast, so fast that it was difficult for the eyes to react.

The former's speed is like something hidden in the darkness, bursting forth in an instant once the opportunity arises.

The latter's speed is pure speed; even though a single slash is made, three blade shadows flash, creating a visually chaotic effect.

Bang!
"what?"

The collision of the knife and the flesh produced a metallic clang that rendered the masked, black-robed man speechless.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...

Blood dripped slowly from the neck of the masked man in black robes. A thin line of blood suddenly split open, and after a moment of reaction, blood gushed out.

As his strength dissipated, his consciousness gradually blurred, and his life rapidly ebbed away, the masked man in black robes stared blankly at the curved blade that had landed on Su Chen, his eyes filled with horror.

The curved blade only tore Su Chen's clothes, but it never broke through Su Chen's strength, nor did it injure Su Chen's body.

In contrast, Su Chen's blade not only broke through his force but also slashed his throat, sealing his life with a single blow.

With a thud, the masked man in black robes collapsed to the ground.

On the other side, Qiao Yong had also dealt with most of the remaining black-robed men. Seeing that the masked black-robed man had been killed by Su Chen, his movements suddenly quickened, and he killed the remaining black-robed men in less than half a minute.

The entire lobby suddenly fell silent.

"And them!"

Qiao Qiliang looked at the unconscious assassins and showed no mercy, giving them a quick death.

This time, Su Chen didn't even need to show anything; Qiao Qiliang took the initiative to start touching the corpses. However, after touching a few people, he looked displeased: "Why is there nothing on them?"

Su Chen, who was standing to the side, had expected this. These assassins were all shrewd, so how could they possibly carry anything important on their person?

Even so, Su Chen still managed to accumulate some wealth. They didn't have any treasures, but they had plenty of money. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had earned over ten thousand taels.

Soon, the three finished looting the corpse, but apart from a few coins, they didn't find much else.

They arrived at the room under the sign with the word "leader" on it. Inside were small bamboo tubes, each with a different word written on it, containing a different task.

The three of them watched for a while and then stopped paying attention.

These missions are mostly assassinations, just at different levels.

Of course, there are also some very high-value bounty missions, with no time or location restrictions, and the mission scope covers the entire Qinzhou area.

The most eye-catching one is Su Chen's 200,000 bounty mission.

At the very top of the list, far ahead!
The three then entered the "Return" room, which was relatively simple and didn't have much to offer; it was just a registration area for assassins after completing their missions.

Qiao Qiliang had originally thought he could find the real identities of these assassins here, but the register did not show their real names, and instead used code names and waist tag numbers.

"This is where Shadow Assassin sends messages?"

Before long, the three entered the last room, where the assassins bought information.

It was significantly more spacious than the other two rooms, and had many shelves storing messages and documents from different periods.

"Look, these are all materials related to the Hong family."

Qiao Qiliang walked to a shelf and clicked his tongue in amazement. The entire shelf of materials was related to the Hong family.

"what?"

Suddenly, Su Chen saw a letter that was still unopened, so he took it out.

"Why are the words 'Chu Family' written on the shelves of the Hong Family?"

Qiao Qiliang noticed the strangeness of the envelope and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Su Chen glanced at him, then opened the envelope and took out the secret letter inside.

"Chu Xiangxin is pregnant with a son!"

There was only one sentence on it, which left Su Chen completely confused, but Qiao Qiliang's expression turned serious after seeing it.

"What's wrong?" Su Chen asked Qiao Qiliang.

Qiao Qiliang replied, "Chu Xiangxin is the concubine of the prefect's son and a direct descendant of the Chu family. Now that she is pregnant with a son, the Chu family's status in the entire Donglin Prefecture is likely to rise, and the Hong family is going to be in trouble!"

The Hong family and the Chu family have a long history of love and hate. Their relationship used to be relatively peaceful, but in the last ten years or so, thanks to the Qi and Blood Pill, the Hong family's status and strength have increased significantly, and their relationship with the Chu family has gradually turned cold.

Now that Chu Xiangxin is pregnant with a son, she will surely rise in status because of him, and the overall power of the Chu family behind her will also increase. As the Chu family becomes stronger, the Hong family may not be so fortunate.

Especially given the recent conflicts between the two sides, it is not hard to guess that once the Chu family gains power, the Hong family's position in the prefectural city will definitely be hit, and it may even endanger Qinzhou.

"This is the only good news we got tonight!"

(End of this chapter)