The Rise of History’s Most Powerful Empire

Chapter 84: Path

The assassins were giving everything they had to kill Zhong Yu, for their families, heritage and clan. But they would have to go through the hundreds of soldiers forming a tight ring around him.

An impossible feat, especially against an army trained, disciplined, equipped and focused only on defense. It would take a lot of time, time they did not have. Numbers here didn't help them.

The assassins were around 1,800 before, now 600 short after attacking his guards.

After casualties, there were but 1,000. They had no chance in breaking the 500 soldiers only focused on defense. They were just throwing their lives away.

One desperate attack too many caused a gap in the assassins' line, allowing the soldiers to spread chaos.

An hour later, an army of 3,000 arrived.

They left a cloud of dust behind, their movements scarring the wildlife.

Some of the assassins even shivered on the spot, looking for a way out of this hell.

The minds of the assassin were greatly disturbed, except for a few whose homes were ruined and their kin dead. They were still fighting to take down Zhong Yu before the army arrived.

As the assassins fled, only 800 remained, the servants still loyal to the clans, believing their fates were intertwined.

The clashes continued, but the defensive formation held firm like a mountain.

The army now joined with Zhong Yu's defenders, surrounding the assassins this time, leaving no escape.

A few officers rushed before Zhong Yu and kneeled in fear.

"Please forgive my late arrival, my king, and allow the rebels to place you in danger!"

"Rise, I'll deal with you after these assassins are finished. And just how utterly useless are you to let so many rebels roam Jiangling?"

Zhong Yu spoke in anger, his tone heavy.

There was one thing any emperor couldn't stand, losing control and leaving everything to chance. 

The fact it happened right under his nose, with so many people coming after him at his weakest left him with dread.

He only came out of it thanks to the system and having enough fortune.

I've let my guard down, allowed the victories to go to my head and forgot I am but a simple man anyone can kill.'

He reaffirmed his decision to go down the emperor's path of cultivation. The universe was teeming with words, but no matter which one picked, all were determined by power.

And the emperor's cultivation path gave him such power.

He also had a group with him at the center, loyal only to him. While such power was abstract, cutting it away with countless reasons, he would be far better than those loners.

Many tedious and trifling affairs could be delegated to his men, or share in his troubles.

It would save him tons of time and effort.

The reinforcements marked the end of the assassins, having lost the will to fight.

They were soon dealt with and those that escaped caught as well. 

He had no time to waste on these dogs, letting his men kill them while he went to Jiangling city.

In the rumbling carriage, Zhong Yu was contemplating his actions in Yi State.

Have I done something wrong?' It wasn't just Yi State's clans that wanted him dead, but also Jingzhou's clans, which he had yet to purge them of.

THis was bad news indeed. When the time came and the clans from Yang State, Jiao State and even Han Dynasty's joined to fight, he would face a behemoth, the core of the Great Han.

By his previous plan, going like this he would take a great deal of time while also ruining the Han population.

Taking it further, if he killed the 30 million people of this nation, he'd get 1 million fortune.

It sounded a lot but he'd need loyal soldiers to defend his lands and officials to govern it.

Crunching numbers,he'd have to dump 800,000 fortunes to earn a measly 200,000. He'd have to work himself to the bone in getting this nation yet barely get anything in return.

The other option was to compromise with the clans. Unify the Han people at full speed, making his influence spread throughout this Three Kingdoms world. 

And at the end of it all, he could just destroy it, squeezing it of the last fortune. A shame he'd have to lose a small world that would generate fortune income.

But the fortune resulting from killing it would give him a head start in his own world, or the next.

He wasn't losing out much at all, not with the universe being made up of countless worlds. Small worlds like Three Kingdoms world were a dime a dozen out there.