It was clear to the remaining embroidered envoys just how grave the situation was. They exchanged glances, and each of them saw the same unwavering determination in their companionsâ eyes. They quickly said to Huang Huihong, âCommander Huang, take the criminals with you and run! Weâll bring up the rear!â
Huang Huihong frowned, but offered no other objection. He nodded his head with a grave expression. He couldnât say anything right now, and could only gesture with his eyes. Brothers, take care!
Every single embroidered envoy had undergone cruel training. They no longer cared about their own individual lives. They valued the fulfilment of the emperorâs mission above all else.
That was why none of the remaining members of the Embroidered Envoy showed the slightest bit of hesitation, and neither did Huang Huihong. He leapt into action to carry out the plan immediately.
He tossed all of the captives into the covered carriage. Taking the reins, he drove away at a reckless speed.
The dark elves immediately tried to give chase, but they were blocked off by the three embroidered envoys who had stayed behind.
Even though the dark elves had the greater fighting strength, every member of the Embroidered Envoy was an expert who had undergone strict training. They had already resolved to make this patch of ground their final resting place. Without the fear of death to hold them back, it was difficult for the dark elves to break through their defenses right away.
The dark elf leader looked at the dragon race elder in anger. âWhy didnât you stop them?!â
The old elder dragon said indifferently, âI am only in charge of dealing with the Embroidered Envoyâs imperial edict. Iâve already completed this taskâthe rest is up to you.â
With that, he turned and left. Even though his gait was slow, it only took a few steps for his figure to vanish into the depths of the forest.
The dark elf leader had an awful expression on his face, but he didnât dare provoke that elder. He tamped down on his rage and charged at the three embroidered envoys.
The three embroidered envoys were heavily outnumbered. The fact that they had lasted until now was a miracle in itself. Their bodies were already drenched in blood.
The dark elf leader released a cold snort. He dashed forward, leaving an afterimage behind while his real body became transparent. Bright slashes flashed all around him. When he reappeared, the three embroidered envoys were covered in mortal wounds, blood gushing out of their bodies. Their corpses crashed heavily to the ground.
âAfter them!â The dark elf Leader didnât bother to give the corpses a second look. He led his subordinates in the direction that Huang Huihong had disappeared, beginning a relentless pursuit.
â¦
Meanwhile, inside of that speeding carriage, Zu An couldnât resist opening the carriage door to offer up a snide remark. âYou guys really need to do something about how slow your imperial edict ceremony is. Why do you need so many fancy rituals and flowery words? Arenât you suffering the consequences of that now?â
Huang Huihong gritted his teeth, but could not reply.
You have successfully trolled Huang Huihong for 444 Rage points!
He was already furious that he wasnât able to use his ultimate attack against an opponent that he should have been able to defeat. Zu Anâs words only fueled his anger further.
Sang Hong stepped in. âYou canât blame Commander Huang for this. His Majesty was probably the one who devised this ceremony.â
Zu An replied, âOh, that makes sense. The emperor must really love to show off. I would order my subordinates to do all that nonsense as well, if I cared that much about looking good. I guess he didnât consider that it would end up becoming a burden for his men.â
Huang Huihong felt himself growing more irate by the second.
Sang Hong frowned. âPlease speak cautiously. Talking about His Majesty behind his back is disrespectful, and a major crime.â
âThereâs no way the emperor can hear me anyway.â Zu An didnât seem to mind. âHe might be the worldâs number one expert or whatever, but heâs still far from being omniscient and omnipotent. Otherwise, he couldâve just interfered personally and killed those dark elves. Those Embroidered Envoy members wouldnât have had to die.â
Huang Huihong did not take kindly to the mention of his subordinatesâ death, but again, he could not reply.
Sang Qiang snorted. âYou know nothing about respect. His Majesty obviously has his own considerations when he makes his decisions. Someone of your level cannot even begin to fathom the depth of his thoughts.â
Zu An chuckled. âFrom young master Sangâs tone, it seems like you know exactly what His Majesty was thinking. Please enlighten us!â
Sang Qianâs face turned red. âI already said that His Majestyâs considerations are his own. How could I dare to guess his sacred thoughts?â
âTsk.â Zu Anâs face was full of contempt. âYou pretend like you know everything, yet you canât say a single useful thing when it matters. People like that absolutely disgust me. You guys mindlessly worship the rich and powerful, and think that every fart coming out of their ass is a deliberate action taken after deep reflection.â
âYou!â Being criticized like this in front of his own wife made Sang Qian furious. He stood up in rage, about to fight Zu An to the death.
You have successfully trolled Sang Qian for 999 Rage points!
Unfortunatelyâor perhaps otherwiseâhe was stopped by his father. âEnough. Think about the situation we are in! Stop causing trouble. Commander Huang, we are in a moment of crisis. Do you still have no intention of undoing our seals so that we can lend you a helping hand?â
Huang Huihongâs face was red, and his expression flickered rapidly. He was clearly experiencing an intense internal conflict.
He was obviously aware that Sang Hong would be of great help, given his cultivation level. However, once he unsealed them, the heavens only knew whether they would really help out, or if they would just make a run for it! He wouldnât be able to control anything at that point.
It was one thing if the Sang clan members took off on their own, but he wouldnât be able to stop them if they took Zu An with them.
Considering the enmity between Zu An and Sang Qian, which had only built up along the way, they might even kill Zu An as soon as he undid their seals. That would truly be the worst outcome.
Just then, a glimmering streak of black lanced towards them, and Huang Huihong quickly dodged to the side. Even though he avoided being struck in a vital area, blood still gushed out from his shoulder.
A trace of black energy seeped outward from his woundâthat arrow was poisoned.
Huang Huihong quickly fished out a bottle of medicine to suppress the effects of the poison. He had come from the capital, after all, so he wasnât lacking in supplies.
Eight dark elves swiftly surrounded them. They had clearly learned their lesson from the last encounter. Each occupied a different position, cutting off all chances of escape.
The Dark Elf leader snorted coldly. âRun, why donât you? Letâs see where you can run to now.â
Huang Huihongâs eyes smoldered with anger. The appearance of these dark elves meant that his three compatriots were already dead.
Zu An looked around him, puzzled. âHm? Where did that dragon elder go?â
Sang Hong replied, âMembers of the dragon race are usually uninterested in the affairs of the world. I believe they do not wish to become too deeply involved.â
âAh, so theyâre just hypocrites,â Zu An concluded. âIf thatâs the case, canât Huang Huihong use the imperial edict as much as he wants, since heâs not here?â
Sang Hong smiled bitterly and said, âItâs not so easy. He is still afflicted by that elder dragonâs silencing Soulspeak. Itâll be at least another two hours before the effects wear off. Thatâs enough time for us to die eight hundred times over.â
âOh,â Zu An said. He had a pensive look on his face. So, the Soulspeak skill can be used in this way. Doesnât that mean I donât have to fear Soulspeak or the Embroidered Envoyâs imperial edict anymoreâ¦?
Sang Hong examined Zu An curiously. âWhy donât you seem flustered at all?â
âWhat?â Zu An was momentarily confused.
Sang Hong continued, âIâve been watching you carefully all this time, yet I havenât seen any trace of fear in your expression. Putting Huang Huihong aside for a moment, even I, an old man who has lived out most of my life and has absolute confidence in my own willpower, feel alarmed. However, I donât sense even a speck of nervousness from you.â
Zheng Dan, Sang Qian, and even Huang Huihong studied him curiously when they heard this.
Zu An laughed. âThis is known as having the temperament of a protagonist, okay? Even mountains can crumble, yet I will always remain unfazed! Sorry, but this isnât something you guys can learn.â
Sang Hong and the rest of them stared at him, mouths slightly ajar.
The dark elves clearly didnât want to waste any more time. Their leader ordered in a low voice, âKill everyone apart from Zu An⦠Oh. Keep that woman alive as well.â
Zheng Dan was beautiful, especially in her stunning bridal dress. Even these dark elves were tempted.
A beautiful girl like that would surely be fun to play with. Once theyâd had enough of her, they could sell her off for a tidy sum.
Even though Zheng Dan didnât know what they were thinking, their gazes made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, and she leaned against Zu An subconsciously. Being at his side made her feel slightly more at ease.
Even though her movements were slight, they didnât escape Sang Hongâs attention. His brows drew together in a frown.
Sang Qian remained silent. Iâm masquerading as Zu An right now, so I shouldnât be in danger of dying. It seems like Zheng Dan will survive as well. All I need to do is wait for little sis to save us. Then again, is little sis strong enough to beat these dark elvesâ¦?
Huang Huihong knew that they were in critical danger, and was just about to undo Sang Hongâs seal, when suddenly, a sweet and flirtatious and female voice came from above. âI didnât expect it to be so lively over here.â