Chapter 922: Left Emissary
Editor: Henyee Translations

As his voice fell, countless figures emerged from the crowd, surrounding Tang Jinghong, launching arrows with their crossbows.

Meng Shengdong drew his sword, “Protect the general!”

Tang Jinghong’s personal guards quickly shielded him in the middle, blocking the arrows with their shields in an impenetrable formation, while hidden archers retaliated against the assassins.

In an instant, the scene was filled with flying arrows and a thick air of murderous intent.

Tang Jinghong, wielding a heavy bow, casually pulled an arrow from the quiver and fired at the masked man who had just given the order.

Anticipating that they would come for the divine ointment, Tang Jinghong was thoroughly prepared. He had even worried they might not show up. Now, it appeared the enemy had mobilized everyone they could. If he could annihilate them here, it would significantly weaken their forces.

The arrow flashed and struck the masked man’s face. He tried to dodge but was a step too late; the arrow sliced off the flesh of his face, leaving him in severe pain and covered in blood.

How could Tang Jinghong’s arrows be so powerful? They seemed like divine weapons.

Soon, a second arrow from Tang Jinghong flew towards the masked man, who again tried to dodge too late. This time, he lost an ear and fell from the tree in agony.

A righteous fighter quickly followed up, finishing off the masked man and then saluting Tang Jinghong before rejoining the fray.

As the assassin spoke, the citizens had scattered and fled, nearly all gone but not far away. They needed to witness the destruction of the divine ointment before they could leave.

The assassins were numerous and highly skilled, but the soldiers fought bravely. For a time, the battle was evenly matched.

More and more volunteers joined, aiding the soldiers in killing the assassins.

After killing the leader, Tang Jinghong shifted his aim slightly to the left, and fired another arrow…

One assassin, unable to react in time, was struck through the chest by the arrow. The arrow’s momentum didn’t stop there; it continued to kill a second and then a third assassin before finally embedding itself deep into a wall.

The assassins, witnessing this, trembled with fear. How could Tang Jinghong’s strength be so great as to shoot an arrow with such force?

Inspired by their general’s prowess, our soldiers fought with renewed vigor.

Tang Jinghong drew another arrow, aiming towards a denser group of assassins, his triple shot causing them to sweat profusely.

To die without even realizing it—what a terrifying thought!

Seeing this, some assassins considered retreating, but this was not a place they could come and go as they pleased.

Soldiers stationed at a distance moved in, trapping all the assassins between them and the front-line soldiers.

Together, the forces quickly slaughtered the disorganized assassins.

Tang Jinghong roared, “Leave none alive!”

His command spurred the soldiers to even fiercer, more valiant efforts. Before long, all the assassins were slain on the spot.

Tang Jinghong declared, “The operation continues!”

The crowd quickly regrouped around the pit. No one cared about the dead assassins, but the wounded soldiers were quickly brought to Tang Jinghong’s side, where military doctors were present.

The divine ointment and lime continued to be poured into the large pit, a process that lasted for half an hour.

A soldier reported to Tang Jinghong, “General, all is ready.”

Tang Jinghong looked towards the pit, “Bring in the water!”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier acted, opening a sluice nearby. Water from a pre-prepared reservoir flowed in, rushing into the pit.

The reaction of lime with water produces intense heat, incinerating the divine ointment thoroughly.

Only by this method could the substance be completely destroyed.

The water slowly covered the base of the pit, enveloping both the divine ointment and the lime. The lime began to emit heat, the water steaming and bubbling intensely hot.

Under the eager eyes of the citizens, the divine ointment was gradually destroyed…

The scene quieted down once more, everyone’s gaze fixed on the pit, relieved to finally see the end of the harmful substance.

This process lasted a day, and by evening, the divine ointment was completely gone. Light rain began to fall, as if the heavens too were blessing the people’s deliverance.

Having dealt with the divine ointment, the next step was to address those who sold it. All proprietors of opium dens and their associates were arrested. The proprietors were sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor, and the severity of sentences for associates varied based on their involvement.

Death was too easy; they should spend their lives atoning for their sins.

Such measures were greatly satisfying to the public.

Linzhang City was cleansed of the divine ointment, and the surrounding poppy fields were completely destroyed. The farmlands were returned to the villagers, and all drug production sites were demolished, gradually restoring order.

…

Inside a room.

The Left Emissary walked in, and instantly the atmosphere became oppressive. The people inside scarcely dared to breathe. “Linzhang City has been completely destroyed. What are your thoughts?”

The voice of the Left Emissary was calm but inexplicably sent chills down everyone’s spine, making them shiver.

Hong Feiyun stood up and bowed, “Left Emissary, I will personally take action to eliminate Tang Jinghong with all my efforts.”

The Left Emissary looked up at Hong Feiyun, “You indeed need to show some results. Lord Yun has been quite dissatisfied with your recent performance. If you fail again, you know the consequences.”

Hong Feiyun’s heart tightened, and he broke out in a cold sweat, “Understood, I will not disappoint Lord Yun.”

The Left Emissary did not respond to this commitment. Disappointment was not expressed in words but shown through actions. “What about the person you were sent to find? How is that going?”

Hong Feiyun bowed lower, his voice subdued, “There is still no news.”

The Left Emissary’s eyes turned cold, and everyone felt as if they were in the depths of winter, “How many days has it been, and still no news? Are you planning to have Lord Yun handle this personally?”

Hong Feiyun quickly replied, “No, I will find this person as soon as possible.”

The Left Emissary then turned to Wen Changyuan, who was responsible for finding new poppy cultivation sites, “The farmlands have been returned to the villagers. What’s your plan?”

Wen Changyuan stood and bowed, “I will immediately find new cultivation sites, places fertile yet hard to locate, to alleviate Lord Yun’s concerns.”

The Left Emissary spoke slowly, “The organization has lost many people recently. Mo Xiao, you need to recruit more to handle our affairs.”

Mo Xiao responded, “Yes, Left Emissary.”

The Left Emissary issued one final order, “Linzhang City is now completely under Tang Jinghong’s control. Withdraw all operations to the neighboring city. If there is another failure, you may as well pay with your lives.”

Several people responded resoundingly, “Yes, Left Emissary!”