Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 31: Midnight Blood Battle

That very night.

Zhang Yao changed into a set of night clothes and quietly left the West Garden residence, heading towards the westernmost side gate of the Governor’s Mansion.

Along the way, he noticed several patrols carrying torches, all composed of competent and powerful hospital guards and soldiers, led by some tributors and members of the Wang Clan.

Zhang Yao silently noted the patrol routes and found that compared to two months ago, they had changed significantly, with the personnel almost doubled and many government soldiers from the City Defense Army mobilized.

"The Governor’s Mansion is indeed on high alert inside, even though it’s outwardly relaxed, just as Zhao Donglai’s intelligence suggested."

With Zhang Yao’s martial arts skills, he easily avoided the patrols and reached the far west side of the Governor’s Mansion without alerting anyone.

He hid in a garden not far from the side gate, concealed within the flowering branches and leaves, quietly waiting.

"Caw... caw..."

About two quarters of an hour later, several short crow calls sounded.

Zhang Yao’s eyes flashed, and he agilely leaped over the courtyard wall, indeed finding Zhao Donglai a few yards away.

He was dressed in a tight-fitting black martial robe, carrying a thick-backed Kaishan Saber, looking like a night tiger ready to strike.

"Nephew Zhang, you’ve arrived!" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Upon seeing Zhang Yao, Zhao Donglai looked pleased and immediately asked, "How is the situation inside the Governor’s Mansion?"

Zhang Yao briefly recounted the intelligence he had gathered, finally saying, "The Wang Clan members, especially the direct line and high-level ones, all reside in the inner residence, which I couldn’t access."

"But judging from the outer residence’s layout alone, the defense is very stringent. To storm in at once would likely not be easy."

The Governor’s Mansion occupies an extensive area, far more spacious than ten Qingping Palaces.

This is the Wang Clan’s stronghold, managed for many years, with strong defensive forces. If just a few absolute peak experts rush in, they could easily be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

"That’s to be expected."

Zhao Donglai, having been prepared, said solemnly, "The Wang Clan has long been on guard. A surprise attack is impossible; we can only launch a direct assault and fight to the death."

"This time, the four forces are joining hands. Besides the few of us holding the line, there are at least thirty perfect martial artists and over a hundred at the great success level."

"With such a massive force, it’s enough to crush the City Defense Army’s three thousand soldiers in a head-on assault, and the Wang Clan alone absolutely can’t stop us!"

"Once we break into the inner residence and kill all the Imperial Family’s high-level members and direct line descendants, our victory is assured!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yao nodded and asked, "Do we proceed according to the original plan?"

Over a month ago, after a private meeting, they devised a cooperation plan:

Zhao Donglai was responsible for negotiating with other forces, while Zhang Yao lurked in the shadows, ready to act at critical moments, promising great results.

The four absolute peak experts were each from different forces, and Zhao Donglai was cautious about exposing Zhang Yao too early.

This suited Zhang Yao perfectly; if Zhao Donglai’s intelligence were wrong and Grandmaster Wang was feigning death as bait, hiding in the shadows meant he could escape the fastest.

"Yes, the plan remains unchanged."

Zhao Donglai said, "This time, I came early to inform you of our attack route."

"At five quarters past midnight, we will storm in from the main gate of the Governor’s Mansion, bypassing the Donghua Pavilion, then..."

He detailed the attack route, and Zhang Yao naturally memorized it firmly.

Clearly, Zhao Donglai or another force had planted spies in the Governor’s Mansion, and they were not of low status to devise such a thorough plan.

Soon, Zhao Donglai finished relaying the intelligence, reminded him a few more times, then quickly turned and disappeared into the night.

Zhang Yao withdrew his gaze, climbed back over the courtyard wall to return to the Governor’s Mansion, first retracing his steps, then circumventing the West Garden, and hid near the inner residence.

......

Half an hour later.

"Boom!"

The area near the Governor’s Mansion’s main gate suddenly erupted with a thunderous explosion.

With the joint force of four absolute peak experts, the heavy, red-painted copper-studded main gate, over ten feet tall and weighing several thousand pounds, was shattered into pieces, crashing heavily to the ground.

Outside the gate, the bodies of more than a dozen Governor’s Mansion guards lay on the ground, bleeding profusely.

"Charge with me!"

"Kill! Kill the Wang family’s vermin!"

"Storm the Governor’s Mansion, slay Wang Dezhai!"

Amidst the furious and raging shouts, filled with excitement and fervor, a large group of martial artists, clad in armor and wielding weapons, poured in like a swarm.

In chaos that had persisted for so many years, the Weapon Ban Order was practically defunct. With the four forces united, over a hundred sets of finely made armor were brought out, forming a small martial artist army.

At the forefront of the martial artists: Zhao Donglai led the charge, accompanied by an elderly man with a clear and distinct face, holding an antique longsword.

Two other elderly men were half a step behind, dressed in similar brocade, one stout and the other lean, each holding a weapon, exuding a fierce aura. They were the patriarchs of the Chen and Li Families.

At the level of absolute peak experts, cutting through gold and smashing jade was but a trivial feat. Armor wasn’t much use anymore; instead, it could hinder speed and agility.

One must know that among experts of the same level, a hairsbreadth difference could mean life or death, and unless on a real battlefield, no one would don heavy armor.

"Kill..."

In the deafening cries of battle, the four absolute peak experts, leading over a hundred martial artists, fought their way through several patrols and some Governor’s Mansion house servants and guards, their attacks viciously unstoppable.

At the same time, the Governor’s Mansion was brightly lit, with alarms urgently ringing everywhere, and guards, soldiers, tributors, martial artists... continuously gathering.

The Wang Family summoned over a thousand City Defense Army soldiers, under a marshal’s command, rapidly assembling, forming a defensive line, ready to rely on the terrain for blockade.

When Zhao Donglai and others pressed forward halfway through the outer residence in one go, they finally crashed into this wall of resistance.

"Boom!"

The forces clashed, like two massive waves colliding fiercely.

At the first moment of the clash, swords and knives clashed, bloody slaughter ensued, and Zhao Donglai’s side suffered its first casualties.

The Wang Family’s many perfect martial artists, great success martial artists, along with numerous tributors and martial artists fought fiercely, cooperating with the City Defense Army soldiers, firmly holding them at bay.

The battle turned into a stalemate, both sides grinding each other down like millstones, with casualties occurring every moment, but with absolute peak experts present, Zhao Donglai’s side clearly held the upper hand.

Yet, at such a critical juncture, the Wang Family’s three absolute peak experts still had not appeared.

"Quick retreat! Don’t linger in battle!"

"Go to the inner residence and kill Wang Dezhai first!"

Zhao Donglai roared angrily, repelling the opposing Wang Family martial artist with several strikes, taking the opportunity to disengage from the frontline.

The Commerce Association’s chief tributor Yunyi, along with the Chen and Li Families’ two absolute peak experts, made similar decisions simultaneously.

Despite their strength, capable of breaking through the defense line with their followers, it would surely take considerable time.

Now was the time to seize every second; if the Wang Family’s high-level members and direct descendants escaped, finding a chance to rally allies and reinforcements, returning in force, it would lead to failure.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"...

After Zhao Donglai and the others gathered, they wasted no time, swiftly locating a weak point in the defense line and breaking through together.

Even without armored protection, they remained invincible in the small-scale battlefield, each swing of their swords claiming lives, and their coordinated efforts making them as fierce as a pack of tigers descending the mountain, their might overwhelming.

"Boom!"

After crushing through the defense line, worried about ambushes, they avoided the door and directly smashed through the brick wall, bursting through the swirling dust, charging into the inner residence.

A few breaths later, Zhang Yao’s figure quietly appeared, cautiously observing before stealthily infiltrating the inner residence.