Chapter 50: Mastering the Art of Assassination

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Chapter 50: Mastering the Proper Art of Assassination

There are countless tortures in this world.

One such method involves wedging a toothpick beneath the toenail of the big toe, then kicking the wall with all your might—the pain is excruciating.

The agony of extracting a soul is akin to multiplying this pain a hundredfold.

When the soul was taken, Meikawa Pants was reduced to an idiot.

Luo Feng shook his head and ended him with a single palm strike.

It is always advantageous to know one more language. If Meikawa Pants had spoken Chinese, his death might not have been so agonizing.

Perhaps, after just three or four rounds of torture, he would have confessed everything.

"This story teaches us the importance of diligent study," Luo Feng remarked, then turned to look at Xuanming the Daoist.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Xuanming smiled slightly, clasped his fists, and said, "I did not fail the mission."

"The post of Grand Priest of the Three Temples is secured, and there is also a shortcut."

……

Piecing together the information on the nine Japanese Deviants, using the method of elimination and comparison, they finally arrived at the most accurate information.

He gazed at the names, addresses, and times written on the paper.

By the Inverse Water River, there was a temple—the Grand Priest of the Three Temples was there.

After a moment’s contemplation, Luo Feng turned and asked, "Li Yan, do you recognize the Grand Priest of the Three Temples?"

Li Yan’s head snapped up, his eyes gleaming with a cold light as he gritted his teeth and said, "Rest assured, Senior. I will never forget the faces of those three beasts for as long as I live!"

Luo Feng clasped his hands together and smiled. "In that case, tonight we shall assassinate the Grand Priest of the Three Temples."

"Assassinate?!"

"An ambush?!"

The remaining twenty-two Deviants exchanged glances—some were bewildered, others twitched at the corners of their mouths.

Luo Feng, having secluded himself in the mountains, was unaware of their reputations.

But in truth, most of the twenty-two Deviants were renowned figures throughout the martial world.

They had all heard of one another.

Mo Yan, the Daoist from Mount Longhu, ranked among the top five in his sect for his mastery of thunder magic.

The old monk Wild Fox Zen, over a hundred years old, a former figure from the Qing era—despite his gentle demeanor now, he was once a major force in the anti-Qing resistance.

Miss Qing, with her swordsmanship, dominated the six provinces south of the Yangtze, unmatched by any.

The young Shaolin monk, the last disciple of the previous abbot, was rumored to be the reincarnation of a living Buddha, born with innate wisdom.

Yang Yunqiang, skilled in the arts of warfare, might not be the strongest in single combat, but in group battles, he was without peer.

……

The three northeastern provinces had already been turned into a stronghold by the Japanese Deviants.

If one lacked true ability, charging in would be suicide, not heroics.

Now, with the map, timing, and shortcut in hand—

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Even sending just ten of the Deviants would be enough to annihilate the Grand Priest of the Three Temples in an instant, let alone all twenty-two.

Judging by their expressions, Luo Feng could tell they were becoming overconfident.

He sighed and spoke sincerely, "The Grand Priest of the Three Temples is a prominent figure on the surface, but what if the Japanese have prepared hidden traps in the northeast?"

"What if the Grand Priest is concealing his true strength? What if they’ve set an ambush, luring us into a trap?"

"What if they’ve prepared hundreds of tons of explosives, intending to take us down with them?"

......

There were simply too many uncertainties.

Luo Feng explained all the various plots and schemes he’d read and thought about.

Everyone listened, stunned.

At last, Luo Feng sighed, "The martial world is perilous! The human heart is perilous!"

"We must hold our enemies in contempt strategically, but take them seriously tactically!"

"Thus, assassination is the best approach—if the first strike fails, retreat immediately!"

"We have plenty of time; understanding the enemy’s strength is what matters most."

After this, Luo Feng asked, "What do you all think?"

The twenty-two Deviants' faces twitched, but they nodded.

You’re strong, you make sense, we’ll do as you say.

At this moment, the purest among them, number twenty-three, Li Yan, raised his hand and asked, "What if our assassination succeeds?"

"You misunderstand, benefactor," the young Shaolin monk replied with a smile. "How could this be an assassination? We are charging into the enemy stronghold with righteous might, displaying the divine power of our land!"

"This is a deed that will shake the heavens and earth!"

Luo Feng looked approvingly at the young monk.

As expected of a Shaolin disciple—truly insightful!

At the side, the old monk Wild Fox Zen nodded repeatedly. As expected, the reincarnation of a living Buddha—born with wisdom!

……

On a moonless night, perfect for killing, with wind high and ready to spread fire.

The twenty-two Deviants split into three groups and infiltrated the temple where the three High Priests resided.

The outer patrols were mere common ninjas—before the Chinese Deviants, they had no time to shout before being silently dispatched.

Luo Feng nodded to himself—the first hurdle was cleared.

They pressed on slowly.

As they moved along the central path, nearing the perimeter of the temple walls, a sudden blaze erupted to the south, accompanied by shouts of battle.

Their faces changed; they exchanged glances.

Luo Feng decided instantly, "Rescue them first. Now that they’re on alert, the difficulty has doubled."

Daoist Mo Yan from Mount Longhu chanted, "Let this humble Daoist open the way."

Luo Feng shook his head. "Too slow."

With a pinch of his fingers, essence and qi manifested in the air—small and delicate, forming ten layers.

With a gentle tap, the two energies began to spiral, forming a black and white Taiji diagram.

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With another flick, yin and yang split—nothing could stand in their way.

The thick walls burst open, revealing a passage several miles long, cutting clean through the entire palace-temple complex.

From above, one would see the vast structure cleaved in two as if it were a cake sliced perfectly in half.

Luo Feng looked at the spectacle he had created, nodding in satisfaction.

The fusion of Lotus—this technique was rarely used.

The power was simply too overwhelming.

A few years ago, when he reached his third apex, he had reduced one of the Nine Peaks to dust, leaving no trace.

Thus, he had always refrained from merging the two energies.

For years, he only used qi or essence separately, at most combining two.

Now, with lives at stake, he deployed the dual fusion—and the effect was remarkable.

"Gentlemen, let’s go."

Luo Feng waved his hand, only to find Daoist Mo Yan and the others standing there, dumbfounded.

"Gentlemen?!"

Luo Feng called sharply.

The group snapped out of their stupor and hurried forward.

On the way, Yang Yunqiang muttered, "Are we just here to watch the show?"

The Deviants with him nodded instinctively.

Given the current situation, it seemed their role was to chant ‘amazing’ from the sidelines.

On the way to the rescue, Japanese Deviants tried to block their path.

But Luo Feng, focused solely on saving lives, wasted no time on tactics—he simply struck out with his palm.

By the time he reached the southern side of the palace, who knows how many Japanese Deviants had perished.

A quick glance—an estimate of five or six hundred, perhaps.

Looking at the southern team, battered and disheveled, Luo Feng asked with concern, "Are you all right? Any injuries?"

At the front, Miss Qing swallowed hard and replied, "If damage to our robes counts as injury, then yes, we are indeed wounded."

Luo Feng breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, the eastern team rushed over, the leading old monk immediately asking, "Where are the three High Priests?"

Miss Qing silently pointed to three ornately dressed corpses by the passage.

Luo Feng was briefly at a loss. When he opened the passage, those three had attacked on sight, and he hadn’t paid much attention.

It seemed, perhaps, most likely, that he had struck them down as if they were just ordinary priests.

After a long silence,

Luo Feng considered and tentatively asked, "Does this count as a successful assassination?"

Yes!

However you say it, Elder!

[There was something I had to do today, so the update is late.]
[Still owe one more chapter; will make it up tomorrow.]
(End of chapter)