Roaring Dragon-Chapter 94: Eyes Closed in Death, But Not at Peace

The two stood side by side on the rooftop. Before they could exchange more than a few words, the full force from the Golden Tower had already rushed over.

Leading the charge was Linghu Qingmo, her face pale as she ran straight up to Xie Jinhuan and exclaimed anxiously:

“Why are you out here?! Are you hurt?”

Xie Jinhuan had just gone off to assassinate Han Jingchuan, but of course, that wasn’t something he could admit.

“I was just strolling down the corridor,” he said casually, “heard something outside and came to check. Wouldn’t you know it, someone was sneaking right up to my window. Next thing I know, fighting broke out. Looks like two different groups—both trying to kill me.”

“Those bastards!”

Linghu Qingmo was fuming. If she could, she’d have dragged a corpse back just to flog it.

“I should have stayed by your side! You’re still injured. You should’ve called someone when you noticed something. Why rush in alone again?”

“Sigh. I didn’t know they were assassins. Things just happened too fast...”

Linghu Qingmo was genuinely frightened something had happened to him. Right then and there, she resolved: from now on, even sleeping—I’ll sleep in his room if I have to!

Zhang Huaiyu had been about to say something from among the crowd when a furious voice suddenly roared from inside the Golden Tower:

“Those bastard Chilin Guards have gone too far! Laifu! Go summon eight hundred Imperial Guards from the Royal Capital Patrol! Surround the Thousand-strong Command of Wangjing for me! Invoke my father’s name!”

“Your Highness, please calm yourself. The matter hasn’t been investigated—”

“Investigate what? That bastard Han Jingchuan, wearing stealth gear and sneaking into the Golden Tower with a blade—was he here to wish me Happy New Year?!”

“Er...”

“I knew being outstanding would draw trouble! I’ve always kept a low profile, dirtied my own name to stay under the radar—and still they come after me...”

“...Huh?”

...

Inside the Golden Tower, things were pretty quiet now—probably because the Prince’s heir had shouted everyone into silence.

Xie Jinhuan knew exactly who he had killed. He’d gone all-in to finish the job quickly—because if he hesitated and they realized the man was Chilin Guard, things would’ve gotten tricky fast.

But now, of course, he couldn’t be too blunt. Furrowing his brow, he stepped toward the tower:

“Chilin Guard? No way. That guy was clearly a cultist from the Underworld God Cult. The others came bursting out from my room—”

Wei Lu and the others had seen the ghostly fog, the masked men in dark garb, and were quick to chime in:

“Exactly! Why would Chilin Guard be working with a demonic cult?”

“Don’t worry, Young Master Xie—we saw it all. We can testify that you were ambushed by cultists.”

“We all joined the fight! If those people were from the Chilin Guard, then they came dressed like cultists, wearing night gear and masks. Even if this was a mistake—it was a mistake they walked into.”

“Calling it a mistake is too generous. What, are we supposed to just roll over and die ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) if the Chilin Guard tries to assassinate us?”

...

In the midst of this heated debate, the group returned to the main hall.

All the guests had gathered along the outer edges, while the singing girls and musicians were white-faced with fear.

A gaping hole now marred the wall of the Golden Tower. Inside lay Han Jingchuan, dressed in black. He had crashed through several tables and now sprawled lifeless on the floor, his chest cavity pulped, his spine piercing out through torn flesh, and a bloody radius stained three feet of floor around him.

Thanks to his cultivation foundation, Han Jingchuan wasn’t completely dead yet. His mask had fallen, revealing a face gushing blood from nose and mouth, eyes already glazing over.

Zhao De had just been bouncing around carrying a plaque labeled “Upright Gentleman” when Han Jingchuan’s body nearly crushed him to death. Now, seething with rage, he stormed forward and shouted:

“Han Jingchuan! Tell me the truth—who sent you to assassinate this Prince?!”

But Han Jingchuan could no longer speak.

Yang Dabiao and the others formed a defensive wall around Zhao De, wary and on alert, but they knew in their hearts—no matter who ordered Han Jingchuan, it wasn’t likely he’d come to assassinate the prince.

After all, the heir to the Dan Prince was what you'd call low value, high risk—killing him would shake the whole court, but it wouldn’t accomplish much beyond giving the Dan Prince an excuse to swap out heirs.

Even the Dan Prince himself would probably feel a mix of relief and regret.

Still, regardless of how unlikely it was, the guards stayed firm. Several warriors closed in around Zhao De, allowing no one near.

Xie Jinhuan strode into the hall. Once he confirmed no innocents had been harmed, he knelt by Han Jingchuan’s side and briefly examined the injuries—center chest caved in, spine shattered. Even gods couldn’t save him now. He wouldn’t last a minute.

Satisfied that the man was doomed, Xie Jinhuan felt rather pleased.

But there were too many people around, so he didn’t say anything cruel. Instead, he gazed solemnly into Han Jingchuan’s eyes and asked:

“Commander Han, I am Xie Jinhuan. May I ask why you were hiding in my room just now?”

“If you were lying in ambush for the cultists and I accidentally hurt you, please say so.”

“I, Xie Jinhuan, take full responsibility for my actions. I would never shirk from an imperial inquiry...”

“Hhgh...”

The sound of his voice seemed to rouse Han Jingchuan. The lightless eyes regained a glimmer of fire. He stared at Xie Jinhuan with desperate hatred, trying to speak—but his pulverized lungs made even breathing a fantasy.

He had failed to kill Xie Jinhuan, ended up shielding him from another attempt, and then got played to death by the man. The rage in Han Jingchuan’s eyes was enough to tear flesh.

But that final surge of energy lasted only a second. His pupils dulled again. Breath ceased.

Xie Jinhuan continued to stare at him until every last ember of hate faded from his eyes. His expression was solemn, but the look in his own eyes was like a god stomping on a bug.

Only then did he look up and ask:

“Your Highness—what shall we do now?”

Everyone present had seen the hatred in Han Jingchuan’s eyes. The Dan Prince’s heir responded coldly:

“Dressed like that, sneaking into your room—and that’s supposed to be an ambush on the cultists?”

“He kills my friend today. Tomorrow will he kill me?”

“This is anarchy! Laifu! Prepare the carriage—I’m going to the palace to lodge a formal complaint!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Laifu hurried off to make the arrangements.

Xie Jinhuan knew Han Jingchuan had walked into this trap of his own accord. That meant no risk to himself—so he said nothing more and went off with the others to examine the bodies.

Just then, Lin Wanyi emerged quietly, carrying the Zhenglun Sword. She had stayed back earlier and now approached him in a low voice:

“Xie Jinhuan, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

He reached for the sword—but the beautiful Lin lady didn’t let go right away.

She had been brooding over the situation the whole time and finally couldn’t hold back. Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, she leaned closer with a hint of suspicion in her eyes:

“You gave me this sword earlier—does that mean... something?”

Linghu Qingmo, who was busy examining a corpse, twitched her ear and subtly straightened her back to eavesdrop.

Truth was, Xie Jinhuan had only handed her the sword as a smokescreen. But now that she asked, he replied calmly:

“Same as last time. I saw you didn’t have a weapon and gave it to you for protection.”

“I just had a bad feeling today. Since you’re close to me, I figured some evil cult might target you too. I wasn’t at ease.”

A very reasonable explanation.

Linghu Qingmo nodded to herself, thinking: So that’s why... But why didn’t he just say so outright? Was he afraid I’d get jealous?

Lin Wanyi, meanwhile, blushed. Having Xie Jinhuan show such concern made her bite her lip, unsure how to respond. She finally returned the sword and said softly:

“You don’t need to worry about me. I know a few defensive techniques. Just... be careful yourself.”

Seeing no one was paying attention, and with the mood just right, Xie Jinhuan reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, eyes full of meaning—as if one day apart felt like three years.

?

Lin Wanyi tensed up instantly. She grabbed his hand and glanced to the side before whispering:

“What are you doing? Miss Linghu is right over there. It’s late—I should head back now, and you—”

Xie Jinhuan chuckled and said:

“It’s too chaotic here. Go on ahead. I’ll come visit the Lin residence once I’m done.”

Visit the residence...

Better not use the front door, she thought. If my mother sees you, not even diving into the Luo River will wash it clean...

Lin Wanyi pressed her lips together, dared not say more, and gave a graceful bow like a noble lady before turning to leave.

Qinwen, who had been playing with Meiqiu, followed after her, still reluctant to leave.

“Coo~”

Meiqiu swayed politely in farewell...