Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Your Fate is Unfortunate, a Family Should Be Neat and Tidy

The unexpected always happens.

Yang Chan had chosen the safest route to Yun City, never expecting to run into trouble on this very path.

He had originally taken this route to Yun City to avoid the rain. The weather had been terrible for days before he set out, and rain would have made the shortcut too dangerous. Yet, two days into his journey, the sun was scorching, with no sign of a single drop.

It seemed the unexpected loved to play jokes on him.

Just like now. He had been hiding perfectly, only to be discovered because of a horse. Who could he even complain to about that?

He couldn’t blame the Qing State Horse and kill it; if he did, he’d have to walk the rest of the way.

And he couldn’t really blame these people for having eyes, could he? That didn’t make much sense either.

But now that he was in trouble, he had to resolve it. After all, he wasn’t fond of being targeted for assassination.

A Hidden Weapon was currently aimed at him, a fact he thoroughly disliked.

"Young brother, hearing other people’s secrets can cost you your head!"

"That’s a fine horse you have. I’ll be taking it."

"And your luck is poor, so I’ll be taking your life as well."

When Nalan Hongbo saw Yang Chan, his expression grew even more delighted. The Qing State Horse by Yang Chan’s side was excellent, and Yang Chan himself was young, with no discernible powerful aura about him.

Clearly, he was no threat.

Since their paths had crossed, he might as well see the young man off.

He was killing someone from the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty, but he didn’t care. In fact, he’d kill more if given the chance.

As Nalan Hongbo spoke, his figure blurred. Empowered by his Martial Seal, he moved at incredible speed, lunging to kill Yang Chan, giving him no chance to mount his horse and flee.

As for Princess Lan Yue, she was already severely wounded, and the poison from the Bone-Piercing Nail was taking effect. She couldn’t possibly escape.

"This is the first time anyone’s ever told me I have poor luck."

"It seems you’re the one who’s blind!"

"And people with bad eyes should have them gouged out!"

Seeing this, Yang Chan knew he had no choice but to act.

’Some people just insist on courting death; you can’t stop them.’

With a flick of his wrist, he fired a Hidden Weapon from his Sleeve Arrow, sending it hurtling toward the rapidly approaching Nalan Hongbo.

The man was fast, but that was a relative term.

In Yang Chan’s eyes, his speed was no better than a crawl. Pathetically slow!

As the Sleeve Arrow projectile shot out, Yang Chan also launched several Flying Needles from his palm.

"AH! My eyes!"

Nalan Hongbo had been dodging with extreme confidence, yet he couldn’t evade them at all. The Flying Needles pierced both his eyes, and his vision instantly went black. Unable to see anything, he let out an agonized howl.

An expert at External Refining of Iron Bone Perfection was formidable, but he was even more so. The Hidden Weapons he used were all Sharp Weapon Level, capable of piercing the defenses of even an Inner Master, to say nothing of someone still at the External Iron Bone Refining stage.

"Who are you? Why would you harm me?"

"Answer me! I’ll kill you!"

Nalan Hongbo lunged forward, but his steps became chaotic. He staggered and fell to the ground, wildly swinging the Curved Saber in his hand, hoping to somehow kill Yang Chan.

"Noisy."

Yang Chan watched him for a moment, then fired another projectile from his Sleeve Arrow.

Instantly, the projectile pierced Nalan Hongbo’s head, and he fell silent.

Seeing this, the not-too-distant Wulan Haochuan immediately turned to flee.

’This man’s Cultivation must be immense,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, he couldn’t have killed Nalan Hongbo so easily.’

’In a frontal assault, Hidden Weapons are at their easiest to dodge, yet Nalan Hongbo failed. That can only mean this young man is far stronger.’

Wulan Haochuan understood all of this perfectly, which was why he fled without hesitation. It was his only chance.

He could only hope that the man would see his low Cultivation and consider him beneath the effort of killing.

"Where are you running off to?"

"A family should stick together. If you run off, won’t he be lonely?"

As Yang Chan spoke, his figure flickered, and in the next moment, he appeared before Wulan Haochuan, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

’If these people had been a little more sensible, I would have been long gone by now. But since I’ve made my move, I have no choice but to kill them all.’

’Leaving no one alive is always the best option.’

’Since this involves two empires, and I have no desire to be entangled, I can only ask everyone who saw me to please go and die.’

"Senior, spare me! This prince never intended to act against you! It was that old dog Nalan who wanted to attack you! Death was too good for him!"

"I am a Prince of the Jin Meng Empire. If you spare my life, Senior, I will ensure you are handsomely rewarded in the future."

Wulan Haochuan scrambled to his knees. Facing Yang Chan, his only recourse was to kowtow and beg for his life.

Against this man’s phantom-like speed, he knew he couldn’t escape. Begging was his only sliver of hope for survival.

At the same time, he dangled the promise of rewards.

It was an empty promise, of course, but the title of "Prince of the Jin Meng Empire" was enough to tempt anyone with greed.

"Oh? And what kind of handsome reward would that be?"

Yang Chan asked, feigning interest.

"Anything you desire, Senior! Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals, Superior Elixirs, Top Level Spirit Medicines—you name it, and this prince can provide it!"

Hearing this, Wulan Haochuan’s face lit up with ecstasy. He sensed that Yang Chan was tempted, which was excellent news for him.

He would promise anything at this moment, so long as it bought him some time.

Besides, for the man to collect these rewards, he would have to escort him out of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. Once he was out, he would have his guards back.

The gears of calculation turned in Wulan Haochuan’s mind. It seemed like a perfect plan.

As for whether he would ultimately deliver on his promises, well, that was a matter for another time.

Once he returned to the Jin Meng Empire, he would be the one calling the shots.

"Is that so? Let me think."

"In that case... I’ll take your life."

"I despise trouble, and you are one of its primary sources. So let’s use your life to put an end to it for good!"

Yang Chan smiled faintly as a Flying Needle shot out, embedding itself in the still-stunned Wulan Haochuan’s head.

Wulan Haochuan’s breath hitched, and he died in a state of shock, his face frozen in disbelief. He had clearly never imagined he would die like this.

He had traveled from the Jin Meng Empire to the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty to propose a marriage, never thinking he would one day die here.

"Princess Lan Yue, you’re next."

"You could have chosen any path to escape, but you just had to choose mine. Allow me to see you off and put an end to your miserable life."

Yang Chan’s gaze shifted to Princess Lan Yue, who was barely holding on. Her condition was dire; the poison was already seeping into her vital organs.

Even with an Antitoxic Pill, it wouldn’t cure the root of the problem. The Poison on the Bone-Piercing Nail was simply too potent, too aggressive.

Her earlier battle with Nalan Hongbo had already allowed the toxins to spread deep within her body. Her condition was deteriorating rapidly, and even if Yang Chan did nothing, she likely wouldn’t last much longer.

But Yang Chan was a man who hated loose ends and taking chances. So, even in this state, he decided to act. He would extinguish Princess Lan Yue’s last flicker of life and ensure she was completely dead, preventing any freak chance of survival.

’If she lived, it would only mean trouble for me. It’s better this way, with her dead.’