Chapter 174: Is this what you wanted to confirm?
The three remaining assassins exchanged glances before nodding in unison. They attacked simultaneously, their movements synchronized. But Hua Jing was faster.
She dodged the first strike with a fluid backstep, deflecting the second with her stolen blade. The third, however, managed to graze her shoulder. The sharp sting of pain barely registered as she retaliated instantly, severing the hand that had dared wound her. The man’s scream was lost in the chaos as she drove the blade through his heart.
The last two, now desperate, moved with renewed aggression. Hua Jing, however, was already upon them. With a fierce upward slash, she disarmed one, the clang of metal against stone ringing through the night. She slammed the hilt of her sword into his temple, sending him crumpling to the ground.
The final assassin made a final, reckless attempt—but he was already too late. Hua Jing spun and plunged the blade into his chest, pushing until the hilt pressed against his flesh. He gasped, eyes wide in disbelief, before falling lifelessly at her feet.
Silence followed. The stench of blood filled the air.
Hua Jing exhaled, wiping the blood from her face with the back of her hand. She turned to the Prime Minister, eyes gleaming with triumph. "Is this what you wanted to confirm, my lord?"
The Prime Minister stood there, trembling as Hua Jing began to walk toward him. Each slow, deliberate step echoed against the stone pavement, a chilling counterpoint to the flickering torches that barely illuminated the blood-streaked battlefield. The sword she had claimed from one of the assassins scraped against the ground, creating a trail of sparks as it dragged along the stone. The Prime Minister swallowed hard, his nerves betraying him despite his attempt to mask them with a strained smile.
"Oh, indeed," he said, his voice faltering for just a second before he composed himself. "And I must say, my dear, you have exceeded my expectations."
Hua Jing tilted her head slightly, her dark eyes narrowing as a slow, cruel smile spread across her lips. "I have?" she mused, lifting the sword just slightly before letting it drop again with another eerie scrape. The sound sent a shiver up the Prime Minister’s spine.