Chapter 122: Murderous Intent

After leaving the pharmacy, Yang Fan headed back to his residence. As he walked along a main road, he suddenly sensed a murderous aura in the air.

"Something is about to happen." Yang Fan stood by the side of the road, looking around with a curious glint in his eyes. He perceived five highly concealed auras lurking nearby. As a legendary god of assassination, Yang Fan was hypersensitive to killing intent. Although his current cultivation was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, he could detect such intent the moment it entered a certain range. Moreover, these individuals had not yet reached the level of mastery where they could fully conceal and release their murderous aura at will—a feat reserved for top-tier assassins.

Yang Fan stood aside, wanting to see who was about to be ambushed. "Fifteen auras in total, with five being significantly stronger. It seems the target is no simple figure," he mused to himself. Judging by the strength of the auras, ten of the individuals were below the Houtian realm, while the five strongest had reached the Xiantian realm. A lineup like this meant the target was certainly someone of high status.

After waiting for five minutes, Yang Fan saw a motorcade approaching in the distance. "High-ranking officials from Yanhuang," he realized upon spotting the markings on the vehicles. The people lying in ambush were clearly targeting these high-level Yanhuang officials. The motorcade consisted of seven vehicles, with the one in the center clearly carrying the person they meant to protect.

As the motorcade drew nearer, Yang Fan sensed the fifteen auras beginning to shift and close in. Suddenly, a large truck appeared ahead of the motorcade and drove the wrong way, hurtling toward them at a terrifying speed.

"Protect the Chief!" the bodyguards in the lead vehicles roared. Without a hint of hesitation, the three lead cars slammed into the oncoming truck. Just before the collision, the bodyguards inside leaped out.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The truck crushed the first car, then rammed into the second, and finally the third, before overturning. The bodyguards who had exited the vehicles immediately formed a perimeter around the car housing the Chief. There were twenty-four of them in total, each displaying a resolute, unflinching expression.

"Kill!"

Fifteen masked assassins suddenly surged from the surroundings, wielding katana swords and charging at the bodyguards. The assassins were clad entirely in black, leaving only their cold, ruthless eyes visible. Seeing the charge, the bodyguards met them without fear, engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

All twenty-four bodyguards were martial artists, with the weakest among them at the early Houtian stage. They paired off against the attackers, while the remaining guards stayed by the car to ensure the Chief’s safety. The scene erupted into a fierce, clashing melee.

"You Fusang scum, daring to invade Yanhuang—you're courting death!" a middle-aged man roared, charging at one of the masked assassins. His opponent was a Xiantian-level fighter. As they clashed, the battle became intense. Every punch the middle-aged man threw carried immense force; the friction between his fists and the air created a roaring sound, like a bomber jet. The assassin countered with a sharp katana that shimmered with a faint blade aura. Their collision produced the metallic sound of fists striking steel. The man’s onslaught was fierce, forcing the assassin to retreat steadily.

"Hah!" With a thunderous shout, the man threw a punch at the assassin’s chest. Had it landed, it would have caused catastrophic injury. The assassin, sensing the danger, dodged with a nimble flip. *Boom!* The punch, imbued with explosive power, struck a nearby car, sending it flying five meters away. The onlookers were stunned; some began filming on their phones, while others called the police.

The stalemate continued. Yang Fan watched from the side, feeling perplexed. He recognized the assassins as being from the nation of Fusang, but he could not fathom why they would target high-ranking Yanhuang officials. To commit murder on Yanhuang soil meant these people were prepared to die. Given the sheer number of powerful martial artists in Yanhuang, they surely knew they had no chance of escaping alive.

"Look out, a grenade!"

At that moment, a whistling sound cut through the air as a projectile shot toward the motorcade. It was impossible to move the Chief in time; the only option was to intercept it. In the crisis, a young man stepped forward.

"Get back, all of you!" the youth bellowed, his aura surging to its peak. He lifted a small car and hurled it at the projectile. The entire sequence took place in a split second.

*Boom!*

The explosive struck the flying car, detonating in mid-air. The vehicle was torn to pieces, reduced to a heap of scrap metal. The shockwave forced the youth back, his blood boiling from the impact.

"We can't wait any longer! Get the Chief out of here!" the middle-aged man yelled at the youth. Help from the police was still too far away, and the longer they stayed, the more dangerous it became. The bodyguards surrounding the Chief began to move quickly. By now, three assassins had fallen, and two bodyguards were down, with one seriously wounded. The situation was dire.

Another whistling sound signaled a second projectile incoming. It targeted the remaining bodyguards, clearly intent on wiping them out. The others were too far away to intervene. One bodyguard stepped forward with a look of grim determination, his aura reaching its peak.

"Liuzi!" the other bodyguards screamed, realizing he intended to intercept the shell with his own body.

"Protecting the Chief is my duty! Brothers, we shall be brothers again in the next life!" Liuzi’s face was devoid of fear. Staring at the incoming shell, he crossed his fists over his chest. *Boom!* The explosion was instantaneous, obliterating his arms and sending him flying. His chest was caved in, and though his eyes remained wide with a fearless gaze, his breathing had ceased.

Seeing Liuzi die, the others were consumed by a rage-fueled desire for vengeance.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Yang Fan sensed a hidden aura emerging and his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't realized there was yet another assassin. This individual was moving rapidly, yet remained invisible.

"Late Xiantian stage," Yang Fan thought, surprised. He had finally gauged the opponent's true strength. The arrival of a late-stage Xiantian martial artist was enough to completely alter the outcome of the battle.