txolops 91. Token
91. Token
The plaza was brightly lit, and the Alliance disciples were busily clearing the battlefield. The wounded were quickly carried away for treatment, the bodies of the fallen were carefully collected, and the enemy corpses were gathered together for further examination.
Lin Xuan stood amidst the carnage, the Ancient Void Sword already sheathed, yet the chilling sword intent emanating from him hadn't completely subsided. His gaze, calm as it swept over the black-clad corpses, deepened his suspicions. These attackers were highly trained, coordinated perfectly, and fearless—far beyond the capabilities of ordinary martial arts forces. Who sent them? What was their purpose? Was it merely to disrupt the alliance's celebration, or did they harbor a deeper scheme?
"Alliance Leader," the Grand Elder of the Seven Absolutes Sect approached, his face grave. A few drops of blood stained his long, snow-white beard, adding to his grim appearance. "The initial count of casualties is complete. Our side suffered 27 dead, 41 seriously wounded, and over 100 lightly wounded. The attacking enemy numbered 53 in total. Except for their leader, who was captured after being seriously wounded, the rest were all executed."
This number made Lin Xuan frown slightly. The alliance had an absolute numerical advantage and was well-rested (although they were ambushed, it was still on their own territory), yet they still paid such a price. This showed how strong the individual combat power of these black-clad attackers was, and how troublesome their near-mutual destruction fighting style was.
"Any clues about their origins?" Lin Xuan asked.
The elder shook his head: "We are searching. Apart from their uniform black clothes and standard weapons and crossbows, these people have no other markings. Their weapons are also quite ordinary, the kind commonly used in the military or by powerful forces, making it difficult to trace their origin."
At this moment, Zhao Kun strode over, carrying the blood-stained golden knife, his face filled with resentment and doubt: "Damn it, who are these bastards? They fight like mute people, but they are incredibly ruthless. This is not like a typical gangland feud."
"Search carefully, don't overlook any details," Lin Xuan ordered. "Especially the leader, wake him up, I want to interrogate him myself."
The order was given, and more disciples joined the search for the bodies. Torches were held closer, and people carefully turned the bodies over, examining every inch of their clothing, looking for any possible hidden clues.
The only sounds in the square were the rustling of corpses being turned and the crackling of torches; the atmosphere was oppressive and tense. Everyone understood that without finding the attackers' origins, the Alliance would remain on the defensive. Who knew when or how the next attack would come?
"Leader! We've found something here!" Suddenly, a disciple belonging to the Beggars' Sect shouted. He was squatting next to a particularly burly corpse dressed in black.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it. Lin Xuan, the First Elder, Zhao Kun, and the others immediately went over.
The Beggar Clan disciple held an object he had just taken from the corpse's inner pocket. It was a palm-sized token, reflecting a dark golden luster in the firelight.
The token has an ancient design, with intricate cloud patterns carved along the edges. At the center is a powerful and majestic character "卫" (Wei). Between the strokes of this character, there seems to be a faint phantom of a five-clawed golden dragon, which, though small, exudes an indescribable majesty and nobility.
"This is..." The Seven Absolutes Sect's Grand Elder's pupils constricted sharply, his face drained of color instantly, and his voice trembled almost imperceptibly. He almost held his breath as he took the token from the Beggar Clan disciple's hand, his fingertips even trembling slightly when they touched the cold metal.
He examined it carefully, turning it over and over, and the more he looked, the paler his face became. The leaders of the various factions around him also gathered around, and when they saw the design of the token and the unique character "卫" (Wei), they all gasped, their faces showing extreme shock and disbelief.
"Golden...Golden Dragon Inner Guard Order?!" The leader of the Diancang Sect exclaimed in shock, his voice sharp with horror.
"Royal Imperial Guards? How is this possible!" The Qingcheng Sect elder was also horrified, as if he had witnessed the most unbelievable thing.
"Whoosh—"
Like pouring a ladle of cold water into a scalding pan of oil, the entire plaza instantly erupted in chaos. The Alliance disciples, who had been quietly cleaning up the battlefield, all stopped what they were doing upon hearing the words "Royal Guards" and stared in horror.
Royal Inner Guard!
They were a unique entity existing between the imperial court and the martial arts world, directly loyal to the emperor, responsible for monitoring officials, gathering intelligence, and handling confidential matters that the royal family could not directly handle. They wielded immense power and moved with uncanny secrecy, a sword hanging over the heads of countless officials and martial arts forces.
Matters of the martial world should be settled within the martial world itself. This has been an unwritten rule for thousands of years. Although the imperial court is powerful, it usually does not directly and so brutally interfere in martial world disputes, let alone send its imperial guards to launch a disguised attack on a newly formed martial world alliance! This is simply breaking the tacit understanding that has been maintained for hundreds of years!
"Impossible! There must be a mistake!" Zhao Kun, the most straightforward of them all, was the first to retort. "Why would the imperial court attack us? Our alliance was only trying to uphold justice in the martial world and break the monopoly of powerful families; we didn't rebel!"
"Yes, the imperial court has no reason to target us!"
"Could this be a frame-up?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, their faces filled with astonishment and uncertainty. The appearance of the Imperial Guards had completely transformed the nature of the entire affair. This was no longer a simple feud between江湖 (jianghu, martial arts world) members or a conflict of interest; it involved the imperial court and the supreme imperial power!
Lin Xuan received the heavy token from the Grand Elder. It was cool to the touch, made of neither gold nor iron, yet exceptionally tough. The character "Wei" seemed to contain some strange power, faintly resonating with the true energy within his body. He carefully sensed the aura emanating from the token; besides the faint sense of majesty, there seemed to be an extremely subtle "emptiness" and deathly stillness, the same kind he had sensed from the attackers he had previously encountered.
"The token is real." Lin Xuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly drowned out all the noisy discussions.
The square fell silent instantly, and all eyes were on him.
Lin Xuan raised the token, his gaze sweeping over the panicked, angry, and uneasy faces: "The material, the craftsmanship, and especially this unique 'dragon aura' mark, cannot be imitated. This is indeed the token of the Imperial Guard."
He paused, then continued, "And it's not just this one piece."
Before he could finish speaking, another exclamation came from the other side.
"They're here too!"
"I have some too!"
Three or four more disciples found the same Golden Dragon Guard Token on different corpses of men in black!
The facts are clear and undeniable. It was the royal guards who attacked the alliance celebrations!
A chill ran through everyone, rising from the depths of their hearts and quickly spreading throughout their bodies. If a single token could be considered a frame-up, the appearance of so many at once could only prove one thing—these attackers were members of the internal security forces, or at least, they were acting under orders!
"Is the imperial court...is the imperial court going to target us fellow martial artists?" The leader of a small or medium-sized sect asked, his voice trembling, his face filled with fear. They could still fight back against powerful families, but the pressure was entirely different when facing the imperial guards who represented the state apparatus.
"Why? What did we do wrong?" someone asked indignantly.
"Is it because the new treaty has infringed upon the interests of certain individuals? Or is it because the existence of our alliance has threatened the imperial court?"
Panic began to creep in. Members of many minor sects exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with hesitation and fear. To oppose the imperial court was something they had never considered, and dared not even think of.
Lin Xuan took in everyone's reactions and knew that the people's hearts must not be scattered at this moment.
He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the entire room. His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a calming force: "Gentlemen, please calm down!"
"Even if they are royal guards, so what?" Lin Xuan's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable resolve. "Tonight, they attacked our alliance's celebration and murdered our brothers! No matter who they are or where they come from, since they have drawn their swords against us, they are our enemies!"
He raised the imperial guard token in his hand and declared loudly, "This token is not a death warrant to instill fear in us, but evidence pointing to the true culprit! It tells us who the enemy is!"
"So what if it's the imperial court? So what if it's the imperial power?" Lin Xuan's voice echoed through the night sky like the clash of metal and stone. "Heroes of the martial world live by their own rules, repaying kindness with kindness and avenging wrongs with avenging! Since they've chosen to tear off the mask and resort to such despicable means, why should our alliance fear a battle?"
"The Alliance Leader is right!" Zhao Kun was the first to raise his arm and shout, his face full of indignation. "To hell with the internal and external guards! Those who kill our people will pay the price!"
The Grand Elder of the Seven Absolutes Sect took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "That's right! Things have come to this point; fear is useless. The most urgent task is to find out the cause and discuss countermeasures!"
Lin Xuan's words and the attitudes of the core leaders temporarily stabilized the fluctuating morale. However, those cold, golden dragon inner guard tokens weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like boulders.
The intervention of the royal guards was like a huge, ominous cloud suddenly hanging over the newly formed alliance. The road ahead is destined to be filled with more bloodshed and unknown challenges.
Lin Xuan gripped the token tightly, his eyes sharp as knives. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dark night sky, looking towards the distant and mysterious capital city.
"Inner Guard...the Imperial Palace..." he murmured to himself, an unprecedented sense of solemnity spreading through him. Things were indeed more complicated than he had anticipated. Some vague fragments of memories from his past life seemed to begin to ripple because of the words "Imperial Guard."