The guards who accompanied Wu Ziyue were used to flaunting their authority, so when they saw soone causing trouble, they didn’t bother with pleasantries and took action directly.
These individuals were quite skilled, all were Second-level Sword Masters, and their attacks were rciless, aid directly at vital points. From their deanor, even if they weren’t trying to cripple Han Yan and the others’ cultivation, they were intent on breaking limbs and teaching a harsh lesson.
No past grievances nor recent animosities, and without even asking about identities, they resorted to such vicious tactics! Han Yan’s eyebrows slightly furrowed; earlier she had heard from Zhu Xiuqing that Wu Ziyue was greedy and tyrannical, and she thought seeing is believing since she wouldn’t trust entirely in the words of that young playboy prince. But now, seeing the actions of his guards, it’s easy to imagine his usual arrogance.
"Clang!" The Cold Sky Sword leapt from the sheath, carving a bright flash in the air.
The guards grunted in unison, staggering backward several steps from the force of the sword and spat out blood.
Han Yan resented their cruel attacks and wielded her sword without reservation. Though no limbs were broken, the internal injuries they suffered weren’t light; it would take a year or two of recuperation for them to recover. Even after recovery, their future cultivation progress would be severely hindered. For Second-level cultivators, such punishnt is quite severe.
The power of Han Yan’s sword left a hushed silence around her.
The city folk were familiar with the prowess of Wu Ziyue’s guards, knowing well their abuses in Dingbian City. No one expected that this stunningly beautiful girl could seriously wound them with just one sword stroke?
Looking at Han Yan, everyone showed expressions of awe.
Wu Ziyue was montarily surprised, and then he gazed at the Cold Sky Sword in Han Yan’s hand, a greedy glint in his eyes.
"So, there are accomplices! A few days ago, an ancient divine sword was lost from the City Lord’s Mansion. I’ve been searching openly and secretly for days without success, but it seems it was stolen by you." Wu Ziyue said with a cold laugh.
Han Yan was about to exclaim; again with losing things from the City Lord’s Mansion? Is that place made of paper, how can it be so easy to lose things?
The surrounding citizens also smiled bitterly to themselves; another valuable item has caught the greedy eye of Lord City Master, these people are in trouble now.
"Seize these Anyun spies!" Wu Ziyue pointed at Doctor Sun and then Han Yan, shouting harshly.
Behind him, about a hundred guards clad in black armor began to surround them.
Of course, on an inspection, the City Lord wouldn’t only bring a few guards; there’s a large contingent of city guards with him too.
Given Dingbian City’s strategic location and Wu Ziyue’s status as the Shoulder-to-shoulder King’s only son, his guards are not only well-equipped but also mostly highly skilled. The strongest among them are Third Stage Sword Masters and the weakest are Ninth Rank Swordsn, far surpassing the Imperial City Guard led by Li Dingfeng in strength.
Huayue and others grabbed their sword hilts; if it ca to a one-on-one duel, even if the opponent was sowhat stronger, they wouldn’t be overly concerned. But dueling among swordsn is entirely different from the chaos of battlefield fighting.
Dueling requires higher cultivation realm and more refined sword techniques, whereas battlefield combat relies more on teamwork and superior equipnt. Their seemingly simple martial arts are honed from thousands of years of war, designed for efficiency, with greater power when combined.
Don’t underestimate the bulky appearance of these heavily armored guards; their armor provides formidable defense. If surrounded by them, even with Han Yan’s skill, it wouldn’t be easy to escape.
Invisible killing intent approached, causing heavy pressure on all present.
The crowd stepped back, their gazes filled with sympathy for Han Yan and the others.
"Is this how Shangyue Country treats envoys from neighboring countries?" Han Yan remained calm and composed.
"Envoys?" Wu Ziyue hesitated, and the crowd watching also paused in disbelief.
"I am Han Yan, envoy of Anyun Country, authorized to visit Shangyue. Here are the embassy docunts." Han Yan presented the papers.
Having heard Old City Lord’s heartfelt words in Hanshan Town, Han Yan felt deeply moved. Although she found Wu Ziyue utterly distasteful, for the sake of the greater good she refrained from acting impulsively, avoiding unnecessary conflict.
Wu Ziyue took the docunts and examined them, his expression shifting unpredictably.
"Finished reading? Can we leave now?" Han Yan said impatiently.
"Wait," Wu Ziyue replied.
"What, is there any doubt about the docunts?" Han Yan mocked, curious to see what tricks he had up his sleeve.
"There’s no falsity in the docunts, but I haven’t received any word of Anyun Country sending envoys to Shangyue. There’s sothing strange about this; perhaps it’s a precaution you’ve taken to cover your tracks in case you were exposed.
Alright then, please stay at the City Lord’s Mansion for a few days while I report this matter to the court and verify your identity. After that, I’ll personally escort you to the Capital.
But until then, I ask you to hand over all your belongings, and if your identity checks out, I’ll return them untouched," Wu Ziyue pondered before responding.
"Your na is Wu Ziyue, correct? Could you possibly be more shaless?" Han Yan’s eyes showed disdain, her smile filled with sarcasm.
The surrounding citizens continuously shook their heads.
From Wu Ziyue’s words, they understood the docunts were genuine, and Han Yan and her companions could not possibly be spies. The dispatch of envoys between nations is a significant matter, not child’s play. The Anyun Royal Family would never provide embassy docunts to protect re spies; for the high and mighty Royal Family, a few spies are rely ants. Who would care for their lives?
The reason Wu Ziyue insisted on detaining Han Yan and her companions essentially stemd from his desire for the Profound Sun Phoenix Feather Grass and the unusual treasure sword in Han Yan’s hand. Should they be foolish enough to believe him and enter the City Lord’s Mansion, it’s likely their belongings would vanish long before they left; losing a few more items from the frequently misplacing City Lord’s Mansion wouldn’t be considered strange.
Due to Wu Ziyue’s frequent injustices, the city’s citizens detested him profoundly. Furthermore, since Doctor Sun frequently perford charitable acts upon entering the city, many citizens had benefited from his kindness. Hence, despite knowing Han Yan and her companions’ identities, the people of Dingbian City held little hostility towards them, feeling rather sympathetic instead.
In reality, they had heard rumors from the Shangyue Royal Family suggesting a possible restoration of diplomatic relations between Shangyue and Anyun. Having lived generations in this border town, they better understood the terror and brutality of war compared to other Shangyue people, longing for peace and exhibiting lesser enmity towards Han Yan and her companions.
"How dare you show disrespect to the City Lord!" Hearing Han Yan’s rciless sarcasm, Wu Ziyue turned furious.
The surrounding guards drew their swords, the atmosphere becoming even more intense.
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