We bear people have power

Helan Chushi slept restlessly tonight, feeling that something was amiss. Ever since he had brought all sorts of benefits from the Great Zhou Kingdom by turning his hand to make clouds and rain, his life was basically secure for the rest of his days.

Furthermore, having practiced the "Longevity Mantra," living to over a hundred years old is no problem at all. In other words, Helan Chushi is currently at the pinnacle of his life, with plenty of good days ahead of him to enjoy.

That's why this feeling of unease made him extremely vigilant. The good times had just begun; if something went wrong, that would be truly regrettable.

Helan Chushi ordered the guards to be tripled to ensure his safety. Even though he was in the midst of an army of 100,000, surrounded and protected by the city walls of this military town, Helan Chushi still felt that it was never too much to be cautious.

As expected, Helan Chushi's premonition was correct; just as midnight approached, shouts of "Fire is raging!" were heard.

Upon hearing the sound, Helan Chushi, who hadn't been sleeping very soundly, immediately woke up. He put on a robe and went outside the tent.

Upon seeing the direction the water was flowing, Helan Chushi cried out in alarm, for it was the location of Yuchi Jingde's main tent!

The army remained encamped and could not return home. Although Yuchi Jingde had a very reasonable explanation, it could not quell the soldiers' homesickness after the battle. Therefore, in order to stabilize the soldiers' morale, Yuchi Jingde and Helan Chushi stayed with them in the military camp, refusing the luxurious comforts of the town.

This practice of sharing weal and woe has yielded remarkable results; at the very least, no soldier complains that the officers are enjoying themselves while they are suffering in the barracks.

Unexpectedly, the accident happened near the main tent.

A small disturbance occurred in the military camp, but Yuchi Jingde was a skilled commander, and this minor commotion should be easily suppressed without causing a riot.

However, from a distance, the unrest did not subside for a long time.

Helan Chushi immediately realized that this was not an accident, but an assassination attempt on Yuchi Jingde.

Which faction is it? The prince who seized the throne, a powerful minister in the court, or perhaps Yuchi Jingde's old enemy who wants to use someone else to kill him?

Various possibilities swirled in Helan Chushi's mind, but there were no answers. The only thing that made Helan Chushi feel fortunate was that not long ago, Yuchi Jingde had also mastered the "Longevity Manual" with his help.

Yuchi Jingde is now far more formidable than he was in his youth; ordinary assassins might not be a match for him. Even if the assassins are powerful, Yuchi Jingde should be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive.

Helan Chushi gave a few instructions, telling the guards to keep a close watch on the gate and not to panic, and then he walked towards the main tent.

The assassins had already appeared, so Helan Chushi no longer needed anyone to protect him. These soldiers were far less capable than him; aside from providing early warning, ordinary guards served no purpose.

Helan Chushi was already skilled in martial arts, and after cultivating the "Longevity Technique," he became far stronger than ordinary people. He covered three zhang in a single step, and in the blink of an eye, he was near Yuchi Jingde's tent.

When he arrived, he saw a masked swordsman wielding a long sword confronting Yuchi Jingde amidst the encirclement of the army.

Yuchi Jingde clutched his arm, which was covered in blood, indicating a serious injury. In the past, given Yuchi Jingde's advanced age, such an injury would have been enough to cause him to faint.

But now he was shouting at the assassin with great enthusiasm, sounding like a spirited young man.

The masked assassin appeared somewhat taciturn, but even surrounded by a large army, his longsword did not tremble in the slightest, showing composure and calmness.

Seeing that Yuchi Jingde was alright, Helan Chushi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly jumped into the battle, standing beside Yuchi Jingde.

“Who sent you, sir? If it’s just for money, why not name your price? With our army of 100,000, one copper coin per person would be worth 100 strings of cash,” Helan Chushi said.

"Who are you?" The masked assassin looked Helan Chushi up and down before asking.

“Helan Chushi, I am the quartermaster. I manage all the army’s food and supplies, so you don’t need to worry that I’m lying to you,” Helan Chushi said.

"Hahaha, it came so easily, now we have everything." The assassin laughed three times.

Just as Helan Chushi sensed something was wrong, he saw a sharp glint appear in the darkness—the assassin's sword tip. The speed of the strike was incredible; by the time Helan Chushi reacted, the sword tip was already close to piercing his throat.

He managed to turn his head to avoid the sword, but Helan Chushi's skin was still cut by the blade, and blood flowed freely.

"What a fast sword!" Helan Chushi was greatly surprised.

No wonder Yuchi Jingde was also stabbed after practicing the "Longevity Technique". The assassin's swordsmanship was too fast, almost like the flying sword technique of immortals.

"Oh, you managed to dodge my sword, you're not bad at all," the assassin said smugly to Helan Chushi, seemingly unconcerned about being surrounded by a large army.

"Hmph, you haven't seen all of my abilities yet." Helan Chushi channeled his magic power into his hands, and countless bolts of lightning flashed, illuminating the entire tent.

"It seems you've really gained quite a bit from the Great Zhou with your mastery of the 'Longevity Manual'." The assassin's words exposed Helan Chushi's methods, further shocking him.

Just as he was about to ask another question, he heard the assassin say, "I want to see how many swords you can withstand with your stolen skills."

The next moment, Helan Chushi realized that the swordsman in front of him had disappeared. A sense of alarm rose in his heart, and Helan Chushi subconsciously turned his body to the side, then felt a pain in his chest.

A longsword pierced his chest, just a hair's breadth from his heart. But as Helan Chushi struck out with both palms, preparing for a desperate counterattack, he felt another sharp pain in his chest. The sword had been pulled out again, and the assassin had vanished once more.

Who exactly is this person? Are there such masters in the Tang Dynasty?

Unable to find answers to his many questions, Helan Chushi was given no chance to think, as the assassin's longsword offered him no opportunity. Helan Chushi felt like a small boat adrift in a raging storm, barely managing to stay alive.

The assassin's sword was too fast and too sharp. No wonder even Yuchi Jingde was assassinated. Although I had been practicing the Longevity Technique for longer than Yuchi Jingde, my martial arts skills were not as good as those of this famous general.

Helan Chushi dodged thirteen sword strikes, leaving him with thirteen wounds of varying depths, his entire body stained with blood. But he couldn't withstand the fourteenth sword strike; he could only watch helplessly as the sword tip pierced towards his brow.

I never expected there to be such a master in this world. It seems that the "Longevity Manual" is not truly invincible.

Wait, the Longevity Manual?!

Helan Chushi suddenly had a very bad feeling. Could these people who came here be from the Great Zhou Kingdom? Otherwise, how could ordinary people have mastered such terrifying swordsmanship?

Just as Helan Chushi reached the crucial point, the assassin's sword pierced his brow. Blood splattered, and Helan Chushi seemed to hear the sound of his skull cracking open.