DLERB -Chapter 30 Uncle, Do You Still Like My Lantern?

Moonlight flowed like water, spilling over the towering gate tower of Xianyang City.

A shadow stood merged with the darkness in one corner of the wall.

Xiang Zhuang had already been standing there for two hours.

His breathing was steady and long, like a lifeless stone.

His gaze was locked firmly onto the thirty-meter-tall flagpole below.

At the top of the pole, a human figure bound in iron chains swayed slightly in the night wind.

It was Chunyu Yue.

The old scholar who, during the day, had spoken passionately in Qilin Hall and been praised as the backbone of the Confucian school.

Now, he looked like a strip of dried meat hanging in the wind.

This was a trap.

An extremely obvious trap.

Xiang Zhuang’s eyes swept beneath the city gate.

A squad of Jinyiwei was patrolling back and forth.

Their footsteps were orderly, their hands tightly gripping their sword hilts, their eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

But their patrol route was too regular.

So regular that Xiang Zhuang had found three perfect blind spots within only fifteen minutes.

Too fake.

The Qin Empire’s most elite hounds, Ying Ziye’s claws and fangs, would never be this careless.

Xiang Zhuang looked toward Chunyu Yue beneath the flagpole.

Save him, or not?

His purpose for infiltrating Xianyang this time was only one thing—Ying Ziye.

Kill that eight-year-old regent, and Great Qin would once again fall into chaos. Only then would it be the perfect moment for the Xiang clan to rise in rebellion.

But now, that little monster had hidden himself away and instead hung this old man at the city gate.

This was an open scheme.

He knew Xiang Zhuang had come.

And he also knew Xiang Zhuang could not possibly ignore Chunyu Yue.

Chunyu Yue was a great Confucian scholar, the face of scholars throughout the realm.

He had publicly confronted Ying Ziye. Even in defeat, he had earned honor.

If Xiang Zhuang could rescue him atop the Xianyang city gate, right before the eyes of all the Jinyiwei—then the face of “Tyrant Qin” would be viciously slapped.

The surviving remnants of the six former states, those still hesitating and watching from the shadows, would witness the strength of the Xiang clan.

That carried even greater value than merely killing Ying Ziye.

Xiang Zhuang no longer hesitated.

Risk also meant reward.

He possessed absolute confidence in the sword in his hand.

He moved.

Not the slightest sound of wind followed him.

His body drifted down from the shadow of the towering wall like a weightless falling leaf.

The patrolling Jinyiwei seemed completely unaware.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Two muffled sounds so faint they were nearly inaudible.

The two Jinyiwei closest to the flagpole collapsed limply to the ground, each with a bloody hole between the brows.

But Xiang Zhuang’s frown deepened.

Too weak.

These two were not real Jinyiwei at all.

Just ordinary soldiers wearing Jinyiwei uniforms.

This trap ran even deeper than he had imagined.

He had no time to think further.

Like a ghost, he flashed beneath the flagpole in an instant.

Clang!

His sword left its sheath, carrying a chilling streak of sword light.

The iron chain, thicker than an arm, snapped instantly.

Chunyu Yue’s frail old body fell from midair.

Xiang Zhuang reached out and caught him over his shoulder.

He felt incredibly light in his grasp, barely clinging to life.

He had succeeded.

Just as that thought flashed through Xiang Zhuang’s mind—

a childish voice, soft and curious, suddenly drifted down from above his head.

“Uncle.”

“It’s so late already. Where are you taking this old grandpa?”

The voice was not loud, yet it exploded in Xiang Zhuang’s mind like thunder.

Every muscle in his body tightened instantly.

Carrying Chunyu Yue on his shoulder, he suddenly spun around and looked upward.

On top of the gate tower.

At the very highest point.

A tiny figure dressed in a black short jacket sat on the edge of the wall.

Two fair little legs dangled in the air, swinging back and forth.

In his left hand was an exquisite small white jade bowl.

In his right hand, he pinched a lotus seed and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed.

Moonlight illuminated that delicate, doll-like little face.

It was Ying Ziye!

Behind him, Qinglong stood silently like an iron tower.

Xiang Zhuang’s pupils shrank to pinpoints in an instant.

Without hesitation, he threw Chunyu Yue off his shoulder like a piece of trash.

Bang!

Chunyu Yue let out a painful groan before completely passing out.

Xiang Zhuang’s right hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Ying Ziye?”

His voice was hoarse and dangerous.

Up on the gate tower, Ying Ziye struggled to swallow the lotus seed in his mouth, then scooped up another spoonful of sweet soup and drank it.

He smacked his lips in satisfaction before replying.

“Oh? Uncle knows me?”

He grinned and waved the little spoon in his hand.

“That’s great.”

“I’ve been waiting for you for so long, I’m almost done eating my lotus seed soup.”

Xiang Zhuang slowly drew his sword half an inch from its sheath.

The blade scraping against the scabbard produced a grating sound that made one’s teeth ache.

“You were waiting for me?”

“Yep.”

Ying Ziye pointed downward at the unconscious Chunyu Yue with his spoon.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find the way, so I specially hung up a lantern for you.”

“Uncle, do you think this lantern is bright enough?”

The last trace of color drained from Xiang Zhuang’s face.

Humiliation!

This was naked humiliation!

He, the greatest swordsman of the Xiang clan, had been toyed with by an eight-year-old child!

“Die!”

Xiang Zhuang stopped wasting words.

With a furious roar, the bluestone beneath his feet shattered explosively.

His entire body shot upward like an arrow released from a bow!

The sword in his hand transformed beneath the moonlight into a silver venomous dragon, carrying a shrill screech that tore through the air as it stabbed toward the tiny figure atop the gate tower!

He was going to kill this little monster!

Use his blood to wash away his own shame!

On the other side of the gate tower, Li Si and the other civil officials saw this scene and were scared out of their wits.

“Your Highness, be careful!”

Yet Ying Ziye still sat there motionless.

He even had the leisure to scoop up another spoonful of lotus seed soup, preparing to put it into his mouth.

Looking at that sword light that had reached the peak of speed, a strange smile appeared on the little boy’s face.

The sword light arrived in an instant.

The razor-sharp tip of the sword was now less than three feet away from Ying Ziye’s forehead!

At that very moment—a black shadow, even faster than the sword light itself, silently appeared in front of Ying Ziye.