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The shadow moved swiftly, and when Luzi leaped into action, the tile in his hand had yet to be thrown. As a larger object, it could not match the speed of a smaller one. Just as the fleeing figure jumped, a gust of wind rushed from behind.
Luzi had calculated his strike to target the waist of the fleeing individual, as there was no leverage for the body in mid-air. With no room to maneuver up or down, evasion was impossible.
Curiosity got the better of him; after confidently throwing his projectile, Luzi did not pursue further. He believed this strike would hit its mark, and the target would have no chance to escape again. He wanted to see how accurately he had calculated the lead time compared to where the tile landed, and the Patrol Team was almost there!
What Luzi did not expect was that the fleeing shadow was clearly aware of the situation as well. Ignoring the capabilities of that person, one could only imagine that someone daring enough to probe into the State Minister's secrets must be an exceptional individual!
Standing still, Luzi watched as the shadow managed to turn mid-air, followed by the sound of a crossbow string snapping that shattered the tile. As fragments scattered in all directions, some still struck the target.
Hearing a muffled grunt from the other side, just as Luzi was about to leap over and capture the assassin, he hesitated. He watched helplessly as the shadow flipped over the wall and did not continue fleeing.
The arriving Patrol Team heard the commotion and rushed over to inquire about what had happened. Among the troops, Huang Yong was the first to notice the scattered tiles on the ground and loudly ordered the guards to ensure Chancellor's safety. He then drew his sword and led a group over the wall in pursuit.
Hearing chaos in the courtyard, Li Xin hurried over upon receiving news and saw Luzi standing still. He rushed to check if Luzi was injured. Noticing that Luzi hadn't even drawn his sword, Li Xin realized there had been no fight. Relieved, he approached to examine the scattered tile fragments, picked one up for inspection, then turned back to look at Luzi's position.
Luzi understood what Li Xin was investigating and glanced around, indicating that this was not a place for conversation. Once the Patrol Team dispersed, he walked over and squatted down to examine a piece of broken tile closely.
Seeing that there were no other individuals present at the scene, Li Xin handed over a tile with a distinct smooth mark on it and quietly asked, "General! The crossbow bolt should have been in your hand, right?"
Luzi did not hide anything and pulled out a crossbow bolt from his pocket to hand it to Li Xin. "This is a small self-defense crossbow; its shaft is short with a large head. It has a limited range but packs quite a punch at close distances. Thankfully! I wasn't hit!"
When it came to matters involving arrows, Li Xin—who inherited knowledge from the Sharpshooter Clan—was undoubtedly an expert. Based on his examination of the scene earlier, he didn't believe this arrow could have struck Luzi at all. He was now completely confident that this arrow had only come into Luzi's possession after hitting the tile and being deflected away. Moreover, there was one crucial question: why did Luzi let that assassin escape when he clearly had the opportunity to capture him?
As an Imperial Guard, Li Xin had been with Luzi for quite some time. Even without speaking, Luzi could sense what he was thinking. However, at that moment, Luzi did not want to discuss the matter, as he was not yet certain about the question that lingered in his mind.
"Alright! Let's hurry back to the room and get some sleep! We have to travel tomorrow!"
After such a commotion at night, the guards naturally had to be vigilant. Those assassins would not dare to cause trouble again and would look for another opportunity instead. Luzi did not stand guard outside Chunshen Jun's room anymore; instead, he returned directly to his own room to sleep.
The night seemed long but passed in a blur. Just as dawn was breaking, Luzi, still dressed, finally fell asleep. As soon as he closed his eyes and sank into the boundless darkness, he was abruptly awakened by a noise from outside. When he opened his eyes again, he realized it was already bright outside.
The sound of hurried footsteps stopped at his door, followed by a knock.
Luzi sat up and grabbed the sword that was resting on his bedside, hanging it at his waist. He gestured for the person outside to wait a moment while he soaked a cloth in a basin of water. Wringing it out and placing it on his face brought a refreshing sensation that jolted him awake. He ran his hand through his hair and then walked to the door to open it.
Huang Yong, waiting outside, bowed respectfully upon seeing the spirited Luzi. "My lord! The Chancellor requests your presence!"
Given the significant disturbance from last night, it would be unusual for Huang Xie not to inquire about it. Luzi nodded and said, "Please lead the way, General Huang."
Regardless of whether the assassins existed or not, the two hidden guards stationed on either side of the Chancellor's bedroom had gone missing. This indicated that the unexpected incident Luzi had anticipated had indeed come to pass. Huang Yong, who dared not pry into Luzi's affairs anymore, was no longer as arrogant as he had been in previous days; he repeatedly expressed his reluctance to overstep and hurriedly led Luzi toward the reception hall.
The two arrived at the door of the hall one after another. Huang Yong signaled for the four guards stationed at the entrance to open the door. Stepping aside to indicate that the Prime Minister was waiting inside, he invited Luzi in for a discussion.
On their way there, Luzi learned from Huang Yong that two swordsmen had suddenly gone missing around midnight last night. Those two exceptional swordsmen were actually the two hidden guards Luzi had seen chasing after someone.
It was clear that these two had been deliberately lured away; if Dawn had not returned yet, things could be dire. Knowing that Huang Yong shared a brotherly bond with the other swordsmen, Luzi felt it was inappropriate to discuss this matter further without confirmation. He listened to Huang Yong speak, merely nodding without saying anything.
Luzi entered the reception room and knelt to pay respects to the Chancellor of Chu, who was seated above. After the door behind him closed, he stood up and walked over to present the crossbow bolt that the assassin had left behind last night for Huang Xie to examine.
During the Warring States period, Zhou Tianxia still prevailed, so the weapon configurations used by various Feudal States adhered to Zhou standards. The bows and arrows forged by each Feudal State looked almost identical, and they were not much different from the crossbow bolts used at that time. Even so, one could easily distinguish between the two.
Especially for those generals who had long dealt with the military, a single glance was enough for them to tell the difference. Some could even identify which Feudal State produced a particular item.
What Above spoke of was how to identify bows and arrows, but what Huang Xie held in his hand was a crossbow bolt. At that time, there were not many Feudal States that used crossbow bolts; considering the firing speed, the armies of the lords were still heavily researching and developing bows and arrows rather than crossbows. This meant that only the Qin State and Zhao State had such weapons at this time.
Having already learned about last night's assassination attempt, Huang Xie scrutinized the crossbow bolt in his hand, his mind racing with thoughts. The Qin State expected me, as Chancellor of Chu, to prevent the Chu Army from joining the Joint forces; naturally, they would not go so far as to eliminate this delicacy. That left Zhao State! The relationship between me and the Plain King is quite good; why would he suddenly send a retainer to assassinate an old friend!?
“Luzi! While it is true that he organized the Allied Forces, I never said I opposed him!”
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