novelapdf 108. Assassination
108. Assassination
Seven Absolutes Manor was shrouded in silence. Lin Mo stood by the window of his study, gazing at the faint outline of the mountains in the distance, pondering his next move. Since rescuing Li Yu, security around the manor had been tripled, but the invisible pressure was growing heavier and heavier.
"Master," Lin Feng appeared silently behind him, "a secret letter from the capital."
Lin Mo took the secret letter and unfolded it by candlelight. The contents of the letter made him frown—the Third Prince's residence had been making frequent moves recently, not only mobilizing a large number of elite imperial guards, but also recruiting many desperate criminals from the martial arts world.
"It seems the Third Prince is determined to eliminate the Crown Prince's heir." Lin Mo burned the secret letter over a candle flame. "What else have our people found?"
Lin Feng whispered, "Our informant at the Third Prince's residence reports that the Third Prince has been frequently summoning a man known as 'Poisonous Scholar.' This man is skilled in poison and hidden weapons, has a terrible reputation in the martial arts world, but is ruthless and has never failed."
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed: "The Poisonous Scholar? I remember him. I died at his hands in my past life."
Lin Feng looked up in surprise: "Does the Master know this person?"
"We have a history," Lin Mo said calmly. "It seems I'll be dealing with him again in this life."
Just then, a slight noise came from outside the window. Lin Mo flashed and appeared in the courtyard. A dark figure was seen passing by the direction of Li Yu's room.
"Stop!" Lin Mo shouted coldly, a long sword already in his hand.
Seeing that his tracks had been discovered, the dark figure turned and fled. Lin Mo was not about to let him succeed; with a flash of his sword, he had already blocked the opponent's path.
"Speak, who sent you?" Lin Mo pointed his sword directly at the other man's throat.
The man in black sneered and suddenly spewed out a cloud of black smoke. Lin Mo was prepared; with a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind dispersed the smoke. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the man in black leaped into the air, attempting to escape over the wall.
"Trying to leave?" Lin Mo sneered, his longsword flying from his hand and transforming into a streak of light that pierced straight into the opponent's back.
The man in black screamed and fell off the wall. Lin Mo went forward to check on him and found that he had committed suicide by poison.
"An assassin." Lin Feng said after examining the body. "There were no markings on the body, but the martial arts style is that of the Imperial Guard."
Lin Mo's expression was grave: "They've come knocking so quickly. Pass down the order: everyone be on high alert, especially protect Li Yu."
The next morning, Lin Mo convened a meeting of the core members of the villa.
"The Third Prince has discovered Li Yu's whereabouts and will undoubtedly send more experts," Lin Mo said, scanning the crowd. "We must be fully prepared."
"Master, why don't we move the Crown Prince's orphan to another place?" an elder suggested.
Lin Mo shook his head: "Moving now would be more dangerous. Seven Absolutes Manor is easy to defend and difficult to attack, with many traps and secret passages, making it much safer than outside."
He turned to Lin Feng: "You will lead a team of elite troops to guard Li Yu's residence day and night. Remember, you must guard against not only external enemies but also internal traitors."
"Does the manor owner suspect there's a spy within the manor?"
"We must be on guard," Lin Mo said. "The fact that the Third Prince was able to find this place so quickly means our whereabouts have been exposed."
After the meeting, Lin Mo went alone to a secret room in the manor. This room contained martial arts manuals and mechanical blueprints accumulated by the Seven Absolutes Manor over the generations. He needed to find some defensive measures suitable for the current situation.
As Lin Mo flipped through the ancient scrolls, he suddenly stopped on a page. It described a formation called the "Seven Star Soul-Locking Array," which could trap intruders and sound an alarm.
"This is it." Lin Mo carefully studied the arrangement of the formation.
Over the next three days, Lin Mo personally led trusted disciples to set up the Seven Star Soul-Locking Array throughout the manor. This array was extremely ingenious, requiring seven array points to resonate with each other; if an outsider were to intrude, an alarm would be triggered immediately.
At the same time, Lin Mo began to personally instruct Li Yu in martial arts. Since danger was imminent, it was always good to give the young man some ability to protect himself.
"You need to be careful with the strength in your wrist for this move," Lin Mo corrected Li Yu's posture. "When facing an enemy, your moves don't need to be too flashy; practicality is the most important thing."
Li Yu studied very diligently, knowing that these skills might save his life in the future.
"Master Lin, I...I've dragged you into this," Li Yu said softly during a break from practice.
Lin Mo patted his shoulder: "No need to say that. I saved you not only for you, but also for the sake of justice in this world."
That night, Lin Mo was meditating when he suddenly sensed that the Seven Star Soul-Locking Array had been activated. He immediately got up and rushed towards the direction from which the alarm had come.
At the center of the formation, three men in black were trapped and trying to break free. Lin Mo watched them coldly; these men's martial arts skills were clearly far superior to those of the previous scouts.
"What brings the three of you here so late at night?" Lin Mo asked casually.
The leader of the men in black sneered, "Lin Mo, I advise you to hand over the Crown Prince's orphan, or Seven Absolutes Manor will be wiped out!"
"Such arrogance." Lin Mo chuckled. "Just the three of you?"
"Of course not," another man in black said ominously. "The Poisonous Scholar has been waiting outside for quite some time."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat; the Poisonous Scholar had indeed arrived. This man was ruthless and his poisonous methods were unpredictable; he was indeed a formidable opponent.
"In that case, let the Poisonous Scholar show himself," Lin Mo said loudly.
A soft laugh came from the darkness, and a scholar dressed in white slowly walked out. He had delicate features and held a folding fan in his hand, appearing gentle and refined, but his eyes revealed a coldness.
"Master Lin, I've long admired your name." The Poisonous Hand Scholar bowed slightly. "I've come on orders; I hope you'll grant me this favor."
Lin Mo sneered: "What if I don't agree?"
The Poisonous Scholar sighed, "Then I'm afraid we'll have to offend him."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly opened his folding fan, and several cold beams shot straight at Lin Mo's face. Lin Mo was prepared, and drew his longsword, deflecting all the hidden weapons.
"Impressive skills," the Poisonous Scholar praised, but his attacks became even more ferocious.
The two engaged in a fierce battle in the courtyard of the manor. The Poisonous Scholar's martial arts were unpredictable and varied, sometimes using poison, sometimes using hidden weapons, making it impossible to defend against. However, Lin Mo was, after all, a reborn person, and was already familiar with the Poisonous Scholar's tactics, countering each move and holding his own in the slightest.
"It seems that Master Lin is quite familiar with my methods." A hint of doubt flashed in the Poisonous Scholar's eyes.
Lin Mo didn't answer, but instead changed his sword stance, aiming straight for his opponent's vitals. This sword strike was both fast and ruthless, and the Poisonous Scholar hurriedly retreated, but was still cut on the arm by the sword's energy.
"Retreat!" Poisonous Scholar ordered immediately, seeing the situation was dire.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three men in black broke through the formation and quickly disappeared into the night along with the Poisonous Scholar.
Lin Mo did not pursue, knowing that the Poisonous Scholar would not give up so easily. Tonight was merely a test; the real killing move was yet to come.
"Master, why not keep them here?" Lin Feng asked as he arrived.
Lin Mo shook his head: "The Poisonous Scholar's methods of using poison are bizarre; forcibly keeping him would come at too high a price. Besides, I need him to go back and deliver a message to the Third Prince."
"What did you say?"
Lin Mo gazed into the distance, a cold glint in his eyes: "Seven Absolutes Manor is not a place they can come and go as they please. The Crown Prince's orphan, I'll protect him!"
Back in his study, Lin Mo began to rearrange the defenses. The appearance of the Poisonous Scholar meant that the Third Prince had used his true trump card. In the days to come, Seven Absolutes Manor would face an unprecedented test.
But Lin Mo was not afraid. In his previous life, he had managed to escape from the Poisonous Scholar; in this life, he was determined to ensure the scholar's demise. The Crown Prince's orphan was a crucial bargaining chip in his fight against the Imperial Guards and the Third Prince, and he could not afford any mishaps.