"Understood!"
The generals immediately responded.
Clearly, General Li Teng placed great importance on the hall of elixirs. Judging by the expressions of the generals around him, they felt the same.
This was perhaps a difference in perspective, shaped by the times. To them, these pills were miraculous medicines, not poisons.
They did not know about heavy metal poisoning or similar concerns.
To Zhao Feng, however, all the pills in the chamber were worthless nothing but garbage.
Still, as he had anticipated, no one had suspected a thing when he had helped himself to the herbs in the herb chamber and the short blades and armor from the weapons hall.
After all, who would believe that Zhao Feng could single-handedly take so many items?
"Who would have thought there was such a secret passageway hidden in the royal palace? If not for Zhao Feng's keen eye, we might never have discovered it," Commander Sima Kuai Pu remarked with a smile.
"Indeed," Li Teng nodded, smiling as well. "If Zhao Feng manages to capture the King of Han and bring him back, it would be an extraordinary achievement. Coupled with the merits of breaching the city, such a feat would surely delight the King, who would reward him richly."
Hearing this, the surrounding generals fell silent, nodding in agreement.
But human nature is what it is, while some felt admiration for Zhao Feng, others harbored envy.
"Zhao Feng is so lucky," one thought.
"To stumble upon this secret passage and possibly capture the King of Han? That's a huge achievement."
"If only I had such luck!"
"If it were me who found this passage and caught the King of Han, I'd surely earn a double promotion in rank!"
...
These thoughts ran through the minds of the generals standing near Li Teng.
However, Zhao Feng remained unaware of all this.
That Night
At the far end of the secret passage:
"Damn it," Zhao Feng muttered under his breath. "This passage is so long must be at least ten miles. Building it must have taken years, if not decades. It's a hidden escape route left by the Han royal family."
He smirked, though, as he finally reached the end of the passage.
"The final door. Let's see where this leads."
Zhao Feng approached the entrance, gripping the Dragon Spring Sword at his side. He reached out with his spiritual senses.
"Someone's stationed outside," he muttered to himself.
"So, it's true the King of Han escaped through this passage."
His spiritual senses had confirmed the presence of guards outside, their numbers clear to him even without seeing them directly.
Zhao Feng showed no hesitation. With the same method he used to breach the treasure vault, he sliced through the lock on the door with a single stroke of the Dragon Spring Sword.
Clink!
The chain fell to the ground.
Outside the passage, a dozen Han royal guards turned toward the sound, their faces filled with confusion.
"Why did the chain just break?" one guard asked, puzzled.
"No idea," another replied. "Maybe it wasn't secure?"
"Go grab another chain and lock it up," a senior guard ordered. "This passage leads directly to the royal palace it must be secured. The Qin army has already breached the capital, so we must wait for an opportunity to escape."
As the guard approached the entrance, ready to secure it again, the door suddenly swung open with a bang!
The royal guards froze in shock, their expressions of disbelief etched on their faces.
But before they could react, a figure darted through their ranks.
Slash!
A glint of sword light accompanied by spurts of blood.
The three guards nearest the entrance fell to the ground, their heads severed from their bodies, blood spurting from their necks. The sight was both gruesome and terrifying.
The sudden attack threw the remaining guards into a panic.
When they finally caught sight of Zhao Feng, clad in Qin army armor, their fear gave way to rage.
"It's a Qin soldier!"
"Kill him!"
"Attack!"
The remaining guards drew their swords and rushed toward Zhao Feng.
But Zhao Feng moved like a phantom, weaving through their ranks.
With every flash of his blade, another guard fell.
In mere moments, the royal guards were all dead, their bodies strewn across the blood-soaked ground.
All except for one.
"Killed a Han soldier. Gained 5 Strength points."
"Killed a Han soldier. Gained 5 Speed points."
...
The notifications on Zhao Feng's system interface popped up continuously, each kill strengthening him further.
Zhao Feng walked up to the sole surviving guard, whose face was pale with terror.
"I'll only ask this once," Zhao Feng said, his voice cold and steady. "Where is the King of Han?"
"I... I..."
The guard trembled violently, overwhelmed by the killing intent radiating from Zhao Feng.
"Not going to talk?" Zhao Feng raised his sword, the blade glinting ominously.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the guard stammered, falling to his knees. "The King is hiding in a secret palace deep in the mountains nearby."
"How many men does he have with him?" Zhao Feng pressed.
"Th-th-three hundred elite guards," the man stammered. "They're not just regular guards they're shadow guards, the finest of the Han army."
"Good," Zhao Feng said with a nod. "You're honest. Strip off your armor and go live as a commoner. I'll keep my word and spare your life."
With that, Zhao Feng turned and strode in the direction the guard had indicated.
The guard, watching Zhao Feng's retreating figure, glanced at the corpses of his fallen comrades. He felt as if he'd been granted a new lease on life.
"Is he even human?" the guard murmured, awe and fear mingling in his voice.
Not daring to linger, the guard quickly stripped off his armor, discarded his weapon, and fled in the opposite direction.
Standing at the exit of the passage, Zhao Feng surveyed his surroundings.
The passage had brought him to a mountain not far from Xinzheng the only mountain in the area, and a notable landmark of the region.
The forested mountain had long served as the royal hunting grounds, inaccessible to commoners.
But now, it was clear that the mountain also concealed the royal family's final escape route. patreon.com/LordoftheReader