Chapter 110: Slay the Enemy!

As soon as he entered combat mode, Li Yi’s demeanor changed instantly—cold, ruthless. Even Li Er, standing nearby, was taken aback. Was this still the same roguish kid Yi? Yet, he had to admit, Li Yi now seemed remarkably reliable.

Just as Li Yi had suspected, the assassins were well-prepared. Before all of them had even arrived, a volley of arrows rained down, forcing Li Yi to hastily shove a table forward as a shield, instantly losing the heroic composure he had just displayed.

“Mother of mercy! They actually dared to shoot arrows—how shameless!” Li Yi eyed the table, now riddled with arrows, swallowing nervously. These maniacs had coated the arrowheads with poison, even blackening them. Damn it, how much toxin had they used?

“Come on, kid, is that really necessary? It’s just two poisoned arrows,” Li Er said with disdain, looking at Li Yi’s panicked expression. With this cowardice, he wondered how Li Yi had even trained those nine men. Could they be as useless as decorative pillows? At that moment, Li Er began to seriously doubt Li Yi.

“Uncle Li, is your math off? Two arrows? No, it’s not about the number of arrows—it’s about the poison! Damn it, here they come again!”

Swish, swish, swish—a fresh volley of arrows fell, this time far more numerous because the assassins had fully assembled. Li Yi glanced over: at least a hundred men.

“Hey, brat, you’re not planning to keep hiding forever, are you?”

“No way!” Li Yi took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. Damn it, he couldn’t afford to chicken out anymore—if he did, it would be over.

“Team One, prepare! Throw hidden weapons—now!”

At Li Yi’s command, the hidden youngsters scattered concealed weapons instantly, having grown impatient waiting. After releasing their weapons, they retreated just as another arrow storm engulfed their previous position.

Li Yi saw the hidden weapons had taken out nearly ten enemies, significantly boosting his confidence.

“Team One, prepare! Throw hidden weapons—now!”

Another wave of hidden weapons flew, eliminating almost ten more attackers. However, this time they exhausted all their ammo, so they retreated to the earlier ambush spot—where a large cache of poisoned arrows still remained.

Before the assassins could react, the youngsters swiftly gathered the poisoned arrows and withdrew.

“Mobile operations! Disperse and fire! Choose your paths! Coordinate carefully—begin!” Li Yi’s order instructed them to pick their own routes, shooting while running and collecting arrows—a high-intensity task demanding precision, coordination, and avoidance of enemy fire, draining both mind and body.

At once, five young soldiers from Team One spread out and began firing, inflicting heavy losses. Within just over a hundred meters, more than half of the assassins fell before they even reached Li Yi.

Li Er was genuinely stunned by their seamless teamwork and individual combat skills. Were these still soldiers? This was the prowess of generals! What nonsense was this kid talking about—that they weren’t trained yet? If this was untrained, then what did trained look like? They were no less than his own elite Xuan Armor troops—a true treasure.

Li Yi paid no mind to Li Er’s thoughts, fully focused on the battle. Seeing that the assassins’ poisoned arrows had been depleted, he seized the opportunity to strike.

“Two-man squads, form a ‘Heaven-Earth-Man’ formation and crush the enemy!” Li Yi declared, drawing the ancient ink sword. Chang Dong instinctively moved beside him, forming a pair. The other four divided into two groups, creating a six-man triadic formation that threw the assassins into chaos.

Though the youngsters were fighting for the first time, they were seasoned veterans accustomed to bloodshed. Having undergone similar drills repeatedly, they fought with composed skill.

Thus, the hundred-plus assassin force became the first stepping stone for Li Yi’s special troops. But no battlefield is without surprises. Just as they were finishing off the last enemies, a fallen assassin suddenly fired a hidden poisoned arrow aimed directly at Li Yi. Fortunately, Li Yi’s reflexes saved him—he instinctively raised his blade and blocked the shot. The shock drenched him in cold sweat. The assassin who attempted the sneak attack was mercilessly executed afterward—though Li Yi never saw the result, he knew the assassin’s fate was grim, especially since the executioner was No. 8 of Team One, a youth with an inherently ruthless visage.

The harrowing assassination attempt ended, but Li Yi’s troubles were far from over. The Han King remained at large, and Li Yi was more anxious than anyone. He knew the Han King now despised him utterly. If the scoundrel escaped, considering his cunning and potential for revenge, Li Yi shuddered at the thought.

The group exited the Ministry of Justice prison. Li Yi intended to question Li Er, but saw him staring with gleaming eyes at the five from Team One. Li Yi immediately guessed the truth—damn, Li Er was already eyeing them as prized recruits.

“Uncle Li, Uncle Li, now’s hardly the time. The Han King’s still on the loose, but rest assured, these people will be yours sooner or later!”

“Enough!” Li Er slowly withdrew his gaze, regaining a calm demeanor. After all, he was the emperor, with a mindset beyond ordinary men. His curiosity was fleeting. As for the Han King, Li Shimin was not worried. In this Tang dynasty, in Chang’an, under his feet, if a rebel could still slip away, then he was unworthy of being emperor. Such was Li Shimin’s imperial magnanimity.

Thus, whether Li Yi was solving cases or capturing enemies, Li Shimin treated it as relaxation, and also as training for Li Yi. Whatever else, once the matter was clear, there was nothing Li Shimin could not handle. Because now, the realm bore the name Li.

“Your Majesty, where are Chou Gu and the others?”

Li Shimin thought for a moment. “I have ordered Cheng Chumo to imprison them in Xiaoxiang Pavilion. So many women—it wouldn’t do to throw them all in jail.”

“True enough,” Li Yi said, falling into thought.

Li Er noticed Li Yi’s mind was elsewhere, not on capturing thieves, and knew something was amiss.

“What’s on your mind, brat?”

Li Yi frowned. “Your Majesty, I was considering that poisoned arrow just now. The assassin who tried to kill me was positioned between you and me. So whether the target was you or me, the assassination could have succeeded. Why then did he choose to attack me?”

Li Er pondered uncertainly. “What are you implying?”

“Your Majesty, the Han King must not be treated lightly. Every detail counts. He never acts without purpose. I deduce that the assassin, even in death, tried to kill me. Could it be that the Han King’s primary target was me? If so, it means he is confident he can escape Chang’an. He believes he has a chance to rise again. So his first target wouldn’t be you, but me. Because as long as I live, he won’t get that chance!”

Li Er was shocked by the reasoning. It seemed far-fetched yet highly plausible.

He thought further. “If that’s true, then Li Yuanchang must have a way to escape—and it won’t be by conventional means. But what could it be?”

Li Yi frowned deeply, then suddenly exclaimed, “No! It must be Xiaoxiang Pavilion!”