Chapter 330 - 328: Assassination

Chapter 330: Chapter 328: Assassination

Sharp Stone City was situated on a major trade route between the Scorching Wind Territory and the Star Sea Territory, so it saw a great many traveling merchants.

Every year, Sharp Stone Castle collected a considerable sum of money from these people in the form of tolls and trade taxes.

Torre Courtney, the Lord of Sharp Stone Territory, was fond of extorting Gold Coins under various pretexts, the most common of which was inviting wealthy merchants to celebratory banquets.

He needed only to prepare a few tables of decent food and serve some palatable wine to collect a hefty sum.

The pretexts for these banquets varied. Formal ones might be for birthdays or holidays, while more casual ones could be for something as simple as an improvement in his Swordsmanship.

At the end of December, Sharp Stone Castle held a banquet on the pretext of "celebrating the first birthday of the heir, young master Willard," inviting all the Knights, wealthy merchants, and Free People with large landholdings in the Territory.

As night fell, Sharp Stone City was plunged into darkness, but Sharp Stone Castle was brilliantly lit, adorned with braziers, candles, oil lamps, and Magic Energy Lamps.

This was why the Nobility loved to hold banquets at night—the level of illumination was a display of a noble’s wealth and standing.

After two days of preparations, flowers and colorful ribbons decorated every corner of Sharp Stone Castle. Unlike the hastily arranged banquets of the past, today’s celebration for Willard’s first birthday was far grander.

Baron Torre had, for once, donned formal attire and was standing with Selena in the great hall, accepting the congratulations of their guests.

Meanwhile, the castle steward and several servants were outside the courtyard, counting and recording the guests’ gifts.

Even Knight Sean, who had privately accused Selena of having an illicit affair with Brison, presented a gift of several dozen Gold Coins today.

He was only a Manor Knight; who knew where he got so much money.

The banquets at Sharp Stone Castle lacked any tedious formalities, so before the Baron took his seat, the wealthy merchants were all chatting amongst themselves.

Some lamented that the business environment had worsened, making it difficult to make a living and putting them under too much pressure.

Others prayed that the two great lords, Duke Star Sea and Viscount Freddy, would resolve their misunderstandings and conflicts soon, so as not to make life difficult for those beneath them.

Still others were as optimistic about the future as the people of Sentry Town, but they believed Duke Star Sea would be the first to show weakness, as the Secret Realm in the Scorching Wind Territory held vast treasures.

"Alright, everyone! Welcome to Sharp Stone Castle!"

Baron Torre sat down in the host’s seat and, with a coarse gesture, lifted a jar of wine.

"Let’s dispense with the formalities and pleasantries! I thank you all for the congratulations you’ve brought for my son, Willard!"

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Torre tilted his head back and drank deeply. When he set the jar down, it was already empty.

"Come on, don’t just cheer! Quick, eat and drink!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, and the atmosphere grew lively.

In truth, if not for the exorbitant gifts they had to offer, a few more banquets like this wouldn’t have been so bad.

Selena didn’t touch her wine. She just sat to one side, absently nibbling at a few dishes.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, she was extremely anxious inside, glancing toward the entrance from time to time.

’She didn’t know if Duane had arrived, or when he would make his move.’

Just then, a maidservant hurried to Selena’s side and whispered a few words to her.

Selena immediately stood up and leaned in to whisper in Torre’s ear, "My lord, Willard is crying nonstop. I’m going to check on him."

Torre, perhaps in high spirits from the wine, wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. He just laughed and waved his hand. "Heh heh, go on. Take good care of Willard!"

Selena gave a slight bow, then left her seat and walked outside.

But just as she stepped out of the great hall, something unexpected happened.

A fierce blast of energy surged from outside, striking Selena like a heavy stone.

"Ah!"

She let out a stunned cry of pain as she was sent flying back into the great hall.

The lively atmosphere instantly froze.

Baron Torre, living up to his reputation as a Celestial Tier Warrior, reacted swiftly.

He tossed the wine jar aside, leaped to his feet, and caught Selena securely.

Selena’s hair was in disarray and her clothes were torn in several places. She was a complete mess.

"Who’s there? Show yourself!" Baron Torre’s face darkened as he roared.

’He never expected someone would actually come to his door and cause trouble.’

"Baron Torre seems to be in a fine mood, holding a banquet at a time like this."

A figure clad in black walked in slowly from outside. He carried a Longsword on his back and held a One-Handed Sword in his hand.

This was none other than Duane, who had made all his preparations and was now beginning the assassination.

However, the upper half of his face was covered by a mask, leaving only his mouth visible, concealing his features.

His voice had also been altered, sounding completely different from its normal tone.

Selena endured the pain, her inner panic subsiding. She knew Duane had arrived.

’She hadn’t expected him to attack her.’

’But with a moment’s thought, she understood. Duane was doing this to further clear her of any suspicion.’

’She was deeply moved. This Lord truly considered so much on her behalf.’

Torre let out a cold, dry laugh and set Selena aside.

He held out his hand, and a Male Servant, understanding immediately, took the Great Sword down from the wall and brought it to him.

"I don’t know who you are, but you deserve to die for daring to disrupt my banquet and injure my wife!"

BOOM!

Fighting Qi erupted from under his feet, and he used the recoil to instantly charge the assassin.

Normally, against an enemy of this level, Duane could have ended the fight in an instant.

But that would be too conspicuous. He needed to suppress his strength.

CLANG!

The Longswords collided, sending out a shower of brilliant sparks.

Torre was indeed a long-renowned Celestial Tier Warrior. His Strength and attack skills were superb, several cuts above Tara, whom Duane had previously defeated.

Duane used his Fast Sword style to parry the attack, but he remained purely on the defensive, not launching any offense of his own.

This made Torre feel as if he was overpowering the assassin.

"Hahaha! With such pathetic skill, you dare to play the assassin? You clearly don’t know the meaning of death!"

A pale white light suddenly flashed on Torre’s Longsword; he had activated the Thunderous Power within it.

It was an Enchanted Longsword.

Duane quickly circulated his Fighting Qi to protect his arm while shifting from defense to offense. "I was just testing your strength. Did you really think you were that powerful?"

SHHIIING!

The sharp glint of the sword tore through Baron Torre’s formal wear, leaving a clear wound on his arm from which blood flowed.

Torre grunted, realizing the danger. "Sean, Monto, what are you waiting for? Surround him!"

The two Knights complied, grabbing their weapons and charging forward.

Instantly, a three-on-one situation formed in the spacious courtyard.

The banquet guests, who had been nervous at first, now began to relax.

"I’d say this assassin is just a Celestial Tier Warrior, on par with the Baron. Now that the Baron has two Earth Tier Warriors, Sean and Monto, helping him, it surely won’t be a problem."

Someone immediately chimed in, "Right! Look, the assassin is already being suppressed."

"I can’t imagine what this person was thinking, trying to assassinate the Baron all alone."

The guests began to act like spectators, commenting on the fight and speculating about the assassin’s identity.

They were quite relaxed, but on the battlefield, Torre and his two men were under immense pressure.

They discovered that no matter what kind of attack they launched, their opponent could neutralize it, which meant he was hiding his true strength.

"Use your Combat Techniques! A full-power strike!" Baron Torre shouted.

The three immediately abandoned their encirclement and instead began to channel the Fighting Qi in their bodies, gathering power for their strongest killing moves.

"Thunderstorm!"

Baron Torre’s entire body flickered with Thunderous Power, which merged with the lightning on his Enchanted Longsword to form a powerful Thunder Blade.

Duane’s brow furrowed. He said in surprise, "I didn’t expect you to have a breakthrough!"

’That thunder just now wasn’t just the power of the Enchantment. It must be his Attribute Fighting Qi.’

"Heh heh, there’s no injustice in dying at the hands of a Shooting Star Warrior!"

At that moment, the massive Sword Auras condensed by Sean and Monto arrived one after the other.

Duane snorted coldly and swung his sword, a Fighting Qi Slash tearing through their combination attack.

In an instant, chaotic energy exploded outward, sending the surrounding flowers and ribbons flying, tearing them to shreds. The flagstones on the ground also shattered, leaving a scene of devastation.

But the real killing blow had yet to arrive.

"Die!"

Baron Torre transformed into a flash of lightning, piercing through the smoke and dust. He brought down the hyper-compressed thunder blade, intending to dismember Duane.

"Quite confident, aren’t you."

Lightning also flashed around Duane’s body as he met the attack head-on.

The two bursts of Thunderous Power collided with a deafening roar. A blinding flash of lightning exploded, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were day.

The guests raised their hands to shield their eyes, but the intense light still blinded them temporarily.

They could only hear a deafening explosion and feel the ground shake as if the world was ending.

Those standing closer were knocked to the ground by the shockwave.

"You!"

Torre was not just shaken, but utterly shocked. He hadn’t expected his opponent to also be a Shooting Star Warrior.

’No wonder. No wonder he dared to come assassinate me alone.’

"A Shooting Star Warrior... Who in the world are you?"

Torre roared, putting more force into his hands to press his sword down.

Duane said scornfully, "The one who’s here to take your life!"

Just as he raised his hand to counterattack, there was a CRACK, and the Longsword in his hand snapped in two.

"My chance!"

Torre’s eyes went wide. He instantly moved to Duane’s side and swung his Longsword in a horizontal cut.

Just then, Duane drew the Longsword from his back.

CLANG!

The two swords clashed, and the tremendous force of the impact pushed them apart.

At that exact moment, the Fighting Qi Slashes launched by Sean and Monto precisely hit the spot where he landed.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Duane didn’t dodge, allowing the two blasts of energy to slam into his body and rip his black coat to shreds.

When the dust settled, Duane was revealed once more. His clothes were in tatters and stained red with blood, making it seem as if he was heavily injured.

"Look, it’s the ’Silver Star Sea Waves’ crest!"

"The assassin is from the Star Sea Clan!"

A silver star and indigo waves—this was the crest of the Star Sea Clan, symbolizing a rising star of tomorrow emerging from the sea.

Then someone else shouted, "Look at his sword! It’s glowing with blue light!"

"Duke Star Sea wants to kill Baron Torre? Is he trying to start a war?"

The guests instantly erupted into an uproar.

A moment ago they were only speculating, but after seeing these two clues, they were almost certain that the assassin’s identity was connected to Duke Star Sea in the South.

"The Star Frost Sword!"

A myriad of possibilities flashed through Torre’s mind in an instant. "Did Eldrin send you?"

Duane coughed lightly and spat out a mouthful of blood, appearing to be injured.

But he didn’t answer. Instead, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and the Star Frost Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a bone-chilling, ice-blue radiance.

His figure blurred, and in the next instant, the edge of his sword was before Torre.

Torre’s pupils contracted. His Thunderous Fighting Qi surged wildly as he tried to block, but Duane’s sword suddenly accelerated at that very moment—

SHLICK!

The sword blade pierced through Torre’s chest without any resistance, impaling his heart as blood sprayed out.

Torre’s Thunder Blade froze in mid-air, his eyes filled with unwillingness and horror.

’The fight was so evenly matched just a moment ago... how did I lose in an instant?’

"The Frost... Frost Bloodline?"

Duane twisted his wrist, churning the longsword. A torrent of Thunderous Power surged from the blade, mangling the Baron’s heart.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Sean and Monto stood frozen in place, not even daring to breathe.

The guests’ faces were pale. No one dared to move.

’Baron Torre... was really killed?’

Just then, Duane coughed, swayed twice, and nearly fell.

Sean reacted instantly. "He’s injured! Get him!"

Logically, now that they knew the assassin’s identity, the assassin couldn’t possibly let them live.

This was also what spurred Sean and Monto to act.

The two of them, along with the Guards and the Advanced Warriors at the banquet, surrounded and attacked Duane, and it seemed as if they were overpowering him.

"He’s injured, quick—"

"Annoying!"

Duane shouted in annoyance, unleashing a tremendous force that swept back the surrounding Guards. He then flashed in front of Sean and cleanly lopped off his head.

At that moment, Monto’s sword happened to stab into his arm. Duane grunted and struck Monto with his palm, sending him flying.

Facing the people closing in on him, Duane coughed violently and spat out another mouthful of blood.

Then, as if unwilling to prolong the fight, he escaped the battlefield with a few leaps.