48: Chapter 48 The Purpose of the White Lotus Sect

"Dead?"

"Captain Li Zhong... is he really dead?"

After a brief silence, a thunderous, overwhelming wave of ecstasy erupted within the dilapidated warehouse.

"Hahahaha! He's dead! The hardest bone in the Xiushan Princes Mansion has been broken!"

"Long live the Saintess!"

"Our great cause is within reach! It is within reach!"

All the surviving White Lotus Sect members broke free from their suppression and grief. Their faces flushed with excitement as they hugged one another and roared, venting the thrill of having survived a brush with death.

Captain Li Zhong, a commander of the Xiushan Princes Mansion and a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, was the sharpest blade of the Prince of Xiushan, the Prince of Xiushan.

His death was equivalent to severing an arm of the Xiushan Princes Mansion.

In their eyes, the greatest obstacle had been cleared, and the Xiushan Princes Mansion was now within their grasp.

Chen Fan leaned against a dark corner, silently circulating the Internal Energy of this body to heal the hidden injuries sustained during his escape. He watched the group of fanatical sect members with cold eyes, his heart devoid of any ripples.

A bunch of idiots.

Did they think killing Captain Li Zhong would be enough to topple the Xiushan Princes Mansion?

That was a vassal king who presided over an entire province and held command over thousands of troops. Captain Li Zhong was merely the force the Xiushan Princes Mansion displayed openly; who knew how many experts were hidden in the shadows?

However, this was a good thing for him.

The more fanatical and brainless these people were, the safer he would be.

A newly joined assassin from the Longxing Sect, reticent and inconspicuous—it was the perfect cover for him to hide.

"Quiet, everyone."

A cold, clear female voice, though not loud, instantly drowned out all the cheering and noise.

The warehouse fell silent once again.

All the sect members were struck dumb, looking with reverence at Su Xin, who sat cross-legged.

Su Xin slowly opened her eyes. She had been heavily injured, and her originally beautiful face was now pale and drained of all color, but this did not diminish her majesty; instead, it added a touch of fragile, cold severity.

"Did a single Captain Li Zhong make you lose your heads?"

Her gaze swept slowly over everyone, and those she looked at couldn't help but lower their heads.

"Just because Captain Li Zhong is dead, does that mean the Xiushan Princes Mansion has collapsed? Will the Prince of Xiushan simply surrender?"

"Have you forgotten that within the Xiushan Princes Mansion, there is still an advisor?"

"An authentic Fifth-Rank expert who has been in seclusion for years and never concerns himself with worldly affairs."

"A Fifth-Rank expert!"

These four words acted like a basin of ice water, dousing all the fanatical sect members from head to toe.

Those who had just been so excited were now pale, their bodies beginning to tremble slightly.

An Eighth-Rank was considered a skilled hand in the Jianghu.

A Seventh-Rank was a commander, capable of defending a city.

A Sixth-Rank was as rare as a phoenix feather.

As for a Fifth-Rank... that was an existence on an entirely different level, capable of splitting stones and breaking monuments with a mere wave of their hand. As for this group of remnants, let alone assassination, they probably couldn't even withstand a single finger from such a person.

The atmosphere in the warehouse instantly plummeted from the peak of ecstasy to the icy depths of despair.

Chen Fan's heart, however, stirred.

"Fifth-Rank..."

If he were ever sent to assassinate this Fifth-Rank expert, it would truly be like lighting a lamp in a latrine—courting death.

But courting death was a good thing for him.

Dying at the hands of a Fifth-Rank and reincarnating as a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist would be a step toward heaven.

But then he thought of that old housekeeper in the mansion, nearly sixty years old, and heard he was even a eunuch. On second thought, forget it.

Su Xin took in everyone's reactions; this was the effect she wanted.

Striking them down was meant to keep them clear-headed.

But she couldn't let this newly ignited morale be extinguished just like that.

"A single Fifth-Rank expert, and you're scared like this?"

She snorted coldly.

"Then should I tell you that besides the Xiushan Princes Mansion, there is another mountain in this Xiushan Province that we cannot bypass?"

Hearing this, everyone's hearts trembled, and they all lifted their heads.

"The Xiushan Province Commander-in-Chief, Zhou Zhenxiong."

Su Xin enunciated the name word by word.

"A Fourth-Rank military general personally appointed by the Great Shang Dynasty."

Everyone's faces were extremely grave.

If a Fifth-Rank expert was a high mountain, then a Fourth-Rank was an insurmountable chasm!

Such figures had Internal Energy that could manifest as a protective aura, were impervious to blades and spears, and one man could stand against an army of thousands!

A sense of powerlessness.

A thorough, complete sense of powerlessness enveloped everyone's hearts.

The joy of killing Captain Li Zhong had long since vanished.

They finally realized what a terrifying behemoth they were trying to challenge.

Let alone an uprising, with their numbers, they probably weren't even enough to fill the gaps between the enemy's teeth.

Even Chen Fan felt surprised.

This world was even more dangerous than he had imagined.

A Fourth-Rank expert... and this was just the ceiling of martial power for one province.

What about above that?

What kind of dragon's den and tiger's lair must the Imperial Capital be?

"Look at how spineless you all are."

Just as everyone was feeling hopeless, Su Xin suddenly chuckled.

She stood up, and on her pale face, that confidence of controlling everything reappeared.

"The Commander-in-Chief, Zhou Zhenxiong, will be dealt with by experts from our Sect; it is not for us to worry about."

This sentence was like an adrenaline shot, instantly injected into everyone's bodies.

The Sect had experts capable of dealing with a Fourth-Rank?

The hearts of the crowd, previously dead silent, began to stir again.

"As for that Fifth-Rank advisor in the Xiushan Princes Mansion..."

Su Xin paused, scanning the room.

"In a few days, the Sect will send another Fifth-Rank expert to assist us."

Once these words were spoken, the warehouse boiled over again!

Only this time, it was an excitement that was suppressed, filled with the thrill of having survived and infinite hope.

With the support of Sect experts, what was there to fear!

"Our goal remains the Xiushan Princes Mansion."

Su Xin walked in front of the crowd, her voice not loud, but filled with the power to beguile hearts.

"Captain Li Zhong is dead, the mansion's defensive forces are greatly reduced, and this is the best opportunity for us to infiltrate."

"What we need to do is completely collapse the interior of the Xiushan Princes Mansion before the two Fifth-Rank experts engage in their decisive battle, turning it into an empty shell!"

"Do you all understand?"

"Understood!"

This time, everyone's answer was uniform, filled with the determination of those who have faced death and come out the other side.

Chen Fan blended into the crowd and shouted along, but his mind was racing.

Infiltrate the Xiushan Princes Mansion?

This job sounded dangerous.

He had just escaped the vortex of the Xiushan Princes Mansion and did not want to dive headfirst back into it.

Just as he was contemplating how to decline.

"Chen Jinzhong."

Su Xin's gaze fell precisely upon him.

Chen Fan's heart gave a jolt; he immediately stepped out of the ranks and bowed.

"I am here."

"Captain Li Zhong is dead, the Xiushan Princes Mansion will certainly strengthen its defenses, but at the same time, a new power vacuum will emerge."

Su Xin looked at him and spoke slowly.

"You were previously in charge of assassinations, so you should have some understanding of the outer defenses of the Xiushan Princes Mansion."

"I want you to continue lurking around the Xiushan Princes Mansion and collect all useful intelligence."

"Especially regarding the selection of the new commander and personnel changes within the Xiushan Princes Mansion."

"Can you do it?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Chen Fan.

There was envy, jealousy, and scrutiny.

This was an important task assigned individually by the Saintess.

Chen Fan cursed her ten thousand times in his heart.

This woman, indeed, had no good intentions.

She was treating him as a path-finding stone to be discarded after use.

The Xiushan Princes Mansion had just lost a commander and was currently in a state of high alert; going there to scout for information carried a high probability of being discovered.

But could he refuse?

No.

His current persona was that of an assassin who was grateful to the White Lotus Sect and loyal.

Refusal would only arouse suspicion.

Moreover, he unexpectedly discovered from Chen Jinzhong's memories that this guy was actually a simp.

He claimed to be grateful to the White Lotus Sect and wanted to repay them.

Perhaps there was some truth to that, but the main reason was the Saintess, Su Xin!

Chen Jinzhong was driven by lust, a total simp for the Saintess.

If Su Xin told him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west!

"I will certainly not fail the mission!"

Chen Fan knelt on one knee and replied in a resolute tone.

"Very good."

Su Xin nodded with satisfaction.

"Go, be careful."

"Yes!"

Chen Fan stood up, without any hesitation, turned around, and walked toward the outside of the warehouse.

He could feel a dozen gazes on his back, like prickling needles.

He walked step by step, steady and firm, as if he had no fear of the impending danger.

Just as his hand was about to touch that dilapidated wooden door.

"Wait."

Su Xin's voice drifted over from behind.

Chen Fan's footsteps halted.

He slowly turned around and looked at that woman, dressed in white as snow but with a heart like a scorpion.

Su Xin was also looking at him, her beautiful eyes seemingly able to see through the human heart.

"The movement technique of the Longxing Sect is indeed the best in the world for fleeing."

Her words were soft, but they made Chen Fan's heart jump violently.

"But do not forget."

Su Xin took a step forward, and a faint, lingering fragrance drifted into Chen Fan's nostrils.

"Your life was given to you by the Sect."