Chapter 103: The Holy Lord and the Hired Thug

The diplomatic envoy’s procession made its grand entrance into the territory of the Great Han.

Apart from a previous trip to Lu City, this was the first time Fan Li had ever "traveled abroad." He had originally been full of anticipation, eager to observe the customs of the Great Han. To his surprise, however, everything that met his eyes was a scene of bleak desolation. Dilapidated walls and crumbling ruins were everywhere, while the fields lay barren and overgrown with weeds.

"Is this... really the Great Han?" Fan Li asked in astonishment.

One had to remember that at the founding of the Chu, Han, and Ming dynasties, the Great Han had been the wealthiest and most powerful. Following the principle that "the Han inherited the institutions of the Qin," the empire had thrived on the legacy of the former Qin.

"This is not only the Great Han, but we are also only two or three days' journey from the capital, Chang'an," Princess Changle replied, her tone indifferent, as if the matter were of no concern to her. Clearly, she no longer held any affection for this land.

After a brief pause, the Princess added, "Grand Minister Cao Cao once said, 'White bones lie exposed in the fields; for a thousand miles, not a rooster crows. Of the living, one in a hundred remains, a thought that breaks one's heart.' Fan Li, do you understand now? The Great Han’s destiny has run its course."

Fan Li nodded with a heavy expression. Indeed. He finally understood why Princess Changle, who aspired to be an empress, was willing to marry into the Chu Kingdom. The Great Han was finished. The balance of the three kingdoms was about to be shattered, and it was time to prepare for the fallout.

Just as they were exchanging these words, a troop of cavalry suddenly charged from the distance. They wore black flags, black armor, and ghost masks, numbering fully two thousand.

"Is this the Great Han’s iron cavalry, here to greet the envoy?" Fan Li wondered to himself, having received no prior notification. Furthermore, every one of these riders wore a mask. Were they hiding in the shadows? Afraid of having their identities revealed?

"Princess, are these Great Han cavalry?" Fan Li asked in a low voice. "Are they friend or foe?"

Princess Changle shook her head. "Ghost-masked cavalry? I have never seen them before."

No sooner had the Princess finished speaking than a rain of arrows descended! The arrows, imbued with spiritual energy, possessed a terrifying, fierce power!

"Ambush!" The imperial guards reacted instantly.

"Form ranks!"

Three thousand streams of spiritual energy merged into one, creating a massive barrier that blocked the trajectory of the arrow rain. The arrows collided with the barrier, emitting the sound of clashing metal and stone. By the time the arrows were spent, the spiritual barrier had also been shattered.

Two thousand against three thousand—to be evenly matched in the first exchange?! Fan Li’s eyelids twitched; he knew they had encountered a formidable enemy.

The ghost-masked black cavalry, seemingly stunned by the fighting strength of the envoy’s guard, immediately came to a halt.

"Who are you?" Fan Li shouted. "I am the chief envoy of the Chu Kingdom, visiting your country at the invitation of the Han Emperor. Why this discourtesy?"

As he spoke, the Holy Master of Hanyue also revealed herself. Seeing Fan Li in trouble, she merely let out a cold, gloating laugh, standing with her hands folded, content to watch from the sidelines.

"Hahahaha!"

"The Chu envoy’s delegation? You must be carrying quite a few gifts, right?"

Someone rode out from the ranks of the ghost-masked cavalry. This person also wore black armor and a ghost mask, but he held a heavy halberd and rode a mount as red as blood, exuding an extraordinary aura!

Fan Li’s eyelids twitched wildly as he took in the man’s attire. *It can’t be, right!?*

Just as he was about to demand the man's identity, the stranger spoke first:

"The Blue Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"
"In the year of Jiazi, the world shall find great peace!"
"I am the Yellow Turban righteous army!"
"Chu envoy, leave behind all your treasures, and I, the General, shall allow you to leave freely! Otherwise—death!"

The ghost-masked general’s shout of "Death!" soared straight into the sky, scattering a vast expanse of clouds.

"Be careful, this man is at the Ninth Grade of the Harmony Realm, the Great Perfection!" Princess Changle’s face revealed shock.

Ninth Grade of the Harmony Realm? Just one step away from the Mahayana Realm? Fan Li was indeed surprised, but not by the man's cultivation. *What is this nonsense? Is your surname Lu or Zhang? "The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise"—is it really appropriate for you to say that?*

"Robbers?" the mocking voice of the Holy Master of Hanyue drifted from nearby. "As the chief envoy of Chu, if you allow a bunch of ruffians and bandits to plunder the delegation’s gifts, what face will you have left to see the Han Emperor?"

*Ruffians and bandits?* Even the Holy Master of Hanyue could not single-handedly defeat two thousand black cavalrymen plus a Ninth Grade Harmony Realm expert. However, if she wished to avoid the battle, she could retreat unscathed. Because of this, she was unperturbed, finding time to sneer at Fan Li.

Fan Li cast a cold glance at the Holy Master of Hanyue. *She thinks a few words can break my composure? This woman is looking down on me too much.*

After a moment of thought, Fan Li figured out exactly what was happening. He had heard that the Han Grand Preceptor, Dong Zhuo, was arrogant, extravagant, and lecherous, stopping at nothing to plunder the wealth of the common people. So, he was doing it under the guise of the Yellow Turban Army? A clever scheme. As for targeting the Chu delegation, the people along the road were so destitute that there was little wealth left to seize, so they had finally decided to target the envoy.

And the one leading the raid was *him*!? A halberd in hand, beast-faced armor, and a red hare for a mount? Who else could it be but the greatest brute of the Great Han?

Fan Li shouted loudly, "Three-surnamed slave—ah, no, servant of three masters! You want to take the treasures of our delegation? Ask the Holy Master of Hanyue first! She is the world’s number one female sword cultivator, a Third Grade Mahayana expert. Do you dare to strike at her?"

Fan Li paused slightly, ignoring the murderous glare the Holy Master of Hanyue cast his way, and shouted to her instead:

"Holy Master, be careful! This thief has formidable cultivation and relies on his numbers. I shall lead the guards to protect the gifts; I will die before I let these thieves take them. Please, Holy Master, feel free to engage him—do not worry about us!"

With that, Fan Li ordered the three thousand imperial guards to reposition, quickly distancing themselves from the Holy Master of Hanyue. The scene, which had been a standoff between two sides, now transformed into a three-way confrontation. The Holy Master of Hanyue stood alone outside the carriage, forming a faction all by herself.

"Fan Li, how dare you!?" Hanyue was both shocked and furious. But the imperial guards were carefully on alert, giving her no opportunity to lash out.

Princess Changle’s expression was peculiar. She had originally expected the Holy Master of Hanyue to refuse to intervene for Fan Li, meaning they would have to rely on themselves and the guards to fend off the enemy. She had never expected Fan Li to use his silver tongue to push the Holy Master into the front line.

"You are so wicked, but I like it," Princess Changle whispered into Fan Li’s ear, her breath fragrant. "If I truly bear your child in the future, will I be plotted against like this as well?"

Fan Li’s mouth twitched. *How can she joke at a time like this?*

"I’m bullying you?" he replied indignantly. "And you’re going to bully our son? Are all three of us in this family crazy?"

"Hehehehe!" Princess Changle laughed until she shook.

Not far away, the ghost-masked general was preparing to strike.

"Chu envoy, listen well! Once I defeat this woman, you will obediently hand over the treasures and gifts! I am not a man who enjoys conflict; as long as you cooperate, you shall leave in one piece!"

Fan Li almost burst out laughing. He remembered that in his past life, this fellow was the ceiling of martial strength in every Three Kingdoms game, but the basement of intelligence. A brute who dared to challenge Liu, Guan, and Zhang alone at Hulao Pass—sure enough, he did not fear a Third Grade Mahayana expert like the Holy Master of Hanyue.

The Holy Master of Hanyue, however, was absolutely livid! How dare he? As the dignified Holy Master of the Pure Land and adoptive mother to the Chu Emperor, she had been turned into Fan Li’s hired muscle?

She was just about to retort when the brute on the other side finally moved!

With a swing of his halberd, as if splitting a mountain, he struck heavily toward the Holy Master of Hanyue!