98: Chapter 98 The Queen is Assassinated; the Rules Rebound Instantly Kills the Assassin

Outside the village, torches continued to converge toward Luofeng Village.

In the Elf District, rows of newly built wooden houses were lit up, and the white light of teleportation arrays flickered continuously as players remained frenzied over the elven migration and hidden classes. However, on the eastern official road, Su Ninghua's royal motorcade had already reformed.

It was time for her to return to Holy Light City.

"Mr. Lin, I shall remember what happened today."

Su Ninghua stood before the carriage, a corner of her black imperial robe lifted by the night wind. Her phoenix eyes fell upon Lin Zhe, losing some of the cold severity of the court and gaining a touch of uncontrollable softness.

"This trip to Luofeng Village was not in vain."

Lin Zhe stood at the village entrance, his expression calm.

"Take care on the road."

Four very simple words.

Su Ninghua paused visibly, the corners of her lips curling up slightly.

"With those words from you, I am even more reluctant to leave."

Several surrounding guards quickly lowered their heads, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.

The watching players nearby, however, already had eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Holy crap, the Queen's tone is all wrong."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Big Shot Lin has really won the Queen over!"

Lin Chen sat on a dirt slope holding a dragon egg, waving his hand while speaking in a childish voice.

"Goodbye, Queen Auntie!"

Ling Xi stood beside Lin Zhe holding Lin Yueyao. The little girl was dazed with sleepiness, her small hand still clutching her scepter, and she let out a tiny, childish hum upon hearing the voice.

Looking at this scene, Su Ninghua's gaze softened even more.

She was just about to board the carriage.

Just then—

In the dark forest beside the official road at the east end of the village, over a dozen cold, glinting lights suddenly erupted!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Too fast!

Over a dozen dark figures sprang out almost hugging the ground, their movements ruthless and synchronized. They were all dressed in black with masks, wielding short daggers coated in a deep blue poisonous glow!

death soldiers!

And their first move was aimed straight for Su Ninghua's heart!

"Protect the Queen!"

The Royal Guards' expressions changed drastically as they roared and drew their blades.

But it was too late!

The assassins had been hidden too deep and erupted too fiercely from such a close distance. The first three daggers were already within three feet of Su Ninghua's chest!

The surrounding players instantly exploded into a frenzy.

"Holy shit! An assassination!"

"Someone is assassinating the Queen!"

"The aristocratic opposition must be crazy!"

Su Ninghua's pupils constricted as her body instinctively retreated, the imperial short blade in her sleeve just about to be raised.

But at the very moment the daggers were about to strike.

Lin Zhe moved.

He didn't rush over.

He didn't draw a sword.

He simply gave a gentle tap with his fingertip.

Buzz—

A pale golden ripple of rules instantly expanded, centered on Su Ninghua!

It was incredibly fast!

In the next second, the dozen or so poisoned daggers shuddered violently.

As if they had slammed into an invisible wall of rules.

And then—

Rebound!

They weren't just knocked away.

Instead, the entire attack trajectory was forcefully reversed!

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

A series of dull thuds of sharp weapons entering flesh made one's scalp tingle.

The dozen or so death soldiers in the front didn't even have time for the ruthlessness to fade from their faces before they watched helplessly as the daggers in their own hands turned around and stabbed back, plunging deep into their own chests!

The heart!

The throat!

The lungs!

All vital spots!

The deep blue poison exploded upon contact with blood, spreading frantically through the wounds.

"Ugh—"

The first death soldier didn't even finish his scream before his eyes bulged, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Then came the second, the third, and the fourth!

Boom!

Over a dozen bodies hit the official road one after another, as if their bones had been removed.

They died instantly and cleanly.

It was ridiculously fast.

They hadn't even managed a second strike before being completely wiped out!

A mess of equipment and daggers clattered onto the ground, with a few pieces of black light armor rolling to the wheels of the carriage.

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

Not just the guards.

Even the surrounding players were stunned.

"Insta... insta-killed?"

"I didn't even see what happened!"

"Big Shot Lin didn't even go over; he just tapped his finger, and they're all dead?"

"Rule Reflection is back! This wave instantly killed the killers!"

Only then did the Royal Guards rush forward to shield Su Ninghua in the center, every one of them breaking into a cold sweat.

They had really been half a beat too slow just now.

If Lin Zhe hadn't acted, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Su Ninghua was also stunned for a moment.

She looked down at her unharmed chest, then at the assassins who had died instantly all over the ground, and finally looked up, her gaze falling directly on Lin Zhe.

In those originally sharp phoenix eyes, shock, lingering fear, and gratitude all welled up.

She knew very well.

That move just now wasn't a normal rescue.

It had forcefully turned a certain-death situation into the sudden death of the opponents.

Lin Zhe looked at her, his tone still very calm.

"Stand steady."

Just that one sentence.

Su Ninghua's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something.

The system notification also rang out at this moment.

[Ding! Su Ninghua encountered a fatal crisis. The host triggered Rule Protection and successfully saved the target.]

[The progress of the Third Bond has increased significantly.]

[Current Progress: 30%]

It was at thirty percent now.

A golden pattern flashed in Lin Zhe's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, Su Ninghua had already taken two steps forward.

She didn't care about the corpses on the ground or the gazes from all around; she just stared fixedly at Lin Zhe, her voice a bit lower than before.

"Lin Zhe."

This was the first time she had called him directly by his name.

"You've saved me again."

"I... owe you more and more."

Lin Zhe said indifferently, "Just a few pieces of trash."

Su Ninghua suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, but it softened her entire being.

"To you, they are trash."

"To me, it's a life."

The surrounding players' eyes went wide as they listened.

"It's over; the Queen has completely fallen."

"That look in her eyes is practically dripping with affection."

"Big Shot Lin didn't say much, but the effect was maximized."

At this time, several Royal Guards had quickly finished inspecting the bodies.

The leading guard knelt on one knee, his face grim.

"Your Majesty, we've found something."

"These people have hidden family crest imprints on them; they are death soldiers raised by those aristocratic opposition families in the city."

"The poison on the daggers is also their usual Heart-Eroding Blue."

The softness on Su Ninghua's face vanished instantly.

Her phoenix eyes turned cold, and killing intent spilled out directly.

"Very well."

"I haven't even returned yet, and they're already in such a hurry to die."

She glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground, her voice as cold as a blade.

"Drag the bodies back."

"Investigate based on the family crests."

"After returning to the city tonight, the nine generations of the involved families shall be exterminated."

"Leave none alive."

The guards lowered their heads in unison.

"Yes!"

The surrounding players felt their scalps tingle, but not one of them thought it was too cruel.

Instead, there was a chorus of approval.

"That's how it should be done!"

"Daring to assassinate the Queen and even acting in front of Big Shot Lin? If you don't exterminate their nine generations, are you waiting for the New Year?"

"The Imperial aristocrats are probably going to piss themselves this time."

Su Ninghua turned back to Lin Zhe.

This time, the admiration in her eyes was no longer concealed.

"Lin Zhe."

"When you have time, come to Holy Light City."

"I will personally host a banquet."

"The Imperial Palace will always be open to you."

She paused, then added another sentence.

"The entire Human Empire also welcomes you at any time."

As these words fell, there was another stir among the surrounding players.

"Personally hosting a banquet!"

"This must be the highest specification!"

"When Big Shot Lin enters Holy Light City, they'll probably have to roll out the red carpet from the main gate."

Lin Zhe looked at her and nodded.

"I'll go when I have time."

Hearing this, Su Ninghua's eyes visibly brightened.

She didn't stay any longer.

If she stayed any longer, there would only be more trouble back in Holy Light City.

Soon, the guards took away the bodies and the dropped items, once again guarding the royal carriage.

Before boarding the carriage, Su Ninghua took one last look back at Lin Zhe.

That look was profound.

As if she were engraving him directly into her heart.

The carriage slowly started moving.

The wheels rolled over the official road.

The royal procession moved forward once again.

Only this time, the surrounding guards' blades were unsheathed, and their killing intent silenced the entire road.

The players were still standing there, staring at the departing motorcade, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

A moment later, the world channel completely exploded.

"The Queen was assassinated, and Big Shot Lin's Rule Reflection instantly killed over a dozen death soldiers!"

"The aristocratic opposition is finished this time!"

"The Queen even personally invited Big Shot Lin to a banquet in Holy Light City!"

"The Human Empire storyline is about to take off!"

By the dirt slope, Lin Chen hugged the dragon egg and let out a childish hum.

"Wanting to kill people at my doorstep."

"So stupid."

Ling Xi looked down at Lin Yueyao in her arms; the little girl seemed unaffected by the killing intent from earlier and was sleeping peacefully.

Lin Zhe stood in place, his gaze sweeping over the departing royal motorcade, and then glanced at the progress of the Third Bond in the system, which had risen to thirty percent; his expression remained calm.

And at the end of the eastern official road, the night in the direction of Holy Light City had grown even darker than before.