usatvline Chapter 245 Assassination of Zhang Liang 7
Chapter 245 Assassination of Zhang Liang 7
At dawn, the sun had just risen, casting a soft light that illuminated the streets of Huaiyang. The flow of people leaving the city was relatively small at this time, but even so, the queue waiting to leave still moved slowly forward.
Standing in the queue, Zhang Liang appeared somewhat anxious. He kept glancing left and right, silently shouting to himself, "Hurry up! Can't you go any faster!" However, no matter how anxious he was, this silent cry did nothing to speed up the procession's advance. The soldiers responsible for inspection at the city gate continued to check people one by one in an orderly manner.
The inspection at the city gate focused on the identification documents carried by everyone. These documents were similar to identity cards, containing detailed information such as the holder's name, place of birth, age, and gender. After Zhang Liang brutally murdered that family of six, he quickly collected their documents and cleverly used the ages recorded on them to dress himself and his slaves in elaborate costumes, making it easier for them to impersonate others and pass through the checkpoint.
Meanwhile, Liu Sheng's situation was far from ideal. For several days, he had been diligently searching along the faint tire tracks, but to no avail. Frustrated, Liu Sheng changed tactics and began visiting the houses around Zhang Liang's residence. His efforts paid off; he finally found a seemingly abandoned courtyard. After a careful examination, it was clear that someone had once lived there, but it was now deserted. Liu Sheng also inquired with several neighbors about the owner of the courtyard, but unfortunately, none of them had ever seen the residents. This caused the glimmer of hope to vanish once again.
Left with no other choice, Liu Sheng couldn't think of a better solution and ultimately decided to adopt a passive strategy of waiting for the target to appear. He methodically instructed several of his men to each lead a group to the East, South, and North gates to ensure no potential location of the target was overlooked. After making these arrangements, Liu Sheng personally led a team straight to the West gate.
When they arrived at the West Gate at breakneck speed, it was already bustling with people, a constant stream of noise. Liu Sheng dismounted and, without even catching his breath, eagerly plunged into the throng, his eyes wide as he began to search meticulously.
However, time passed mercilessly, and every second seemed so long. Although Liu Sheng was completely focused, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, the result was very disappointing—he still couldn't find the slightest clue.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after a long wait, Zhang Liang finally arrived at the city gate. Calmly, he took out the prepared document from his robes and respectfully handed it to the guard at the gate. The guard took the document, first scrutinizing Zhang Liang from head to toe, before carefully examining its contents. After confirming there was nothing unusual, the guard waved for him to pass, and Zhang Liang was able to leave the city gate smoothly.
Just then, Liu Sheng, unwilling to give up, scanned the crowd queuing to leave the city once more. Suddenly, a strikingly tall figure came into his view. Judging from the back alone, it was a woman. However, compared to the others around her, this woman was remarkably tall and slender; even among the large queue, she stood out as one of the tallest people.
Recalling their departure from Xianyang, the princess had solemnly warned them: never let any suspicious detail slip by; she also mentioned that Zhang Liang was meticulous and cunning, and that he could easily escape if they weren't careful. These words echoed in Liu Sheng's ears like a warning bell. Now, as he turned his gaze to the woman again, a strange feeling welled up inside him.
Without a moment's hesitation or thought, Liu Sheng swiftly dashed forward like an arrow, charging into the dense crowd. This sudden action not only drew the attention of those around him, but even the guards who had been following him closely noticed something amiss. Their faces turned grave, and they quickly drew their gleaming longswords from their waists, following closely behind Zhang Liang with lightning speed.
As Liu Sheng and his guards rushed forward, the previously calm and orderly crowd instantly descended into chaos. People panicked, scattering in all directions like startled birds. In an instant, shouts and screams mingled, the entire scene a chaotic mess. Children wailed in terror, their cries seeming to pierce the sky; while adults yelled at the top of their lungs, "Help!" The cries of alarm rose and fell incessantly.
Zhang Liang, who had already reached the outskirts of the city, heard a commotion behind him and his heart tightened. He turned around abruptly, his eyes blazing, and immediately spotted Liu Sheng and his men rushing towards him frantically. Seeing this, Zhang Liang knew he was in trouble; he knew perfectly well that these people were after him. However, at this moment, he couldn't understand how he had managed to expose his presence.
But now that things had come to this, there was no other choice but to fight to the death for a glimmer of hope! So, with lightning speed, he snatched the horse from the person in front of him, nimbly mounted it, squeezed the horse's flanks with his legs, and galloped off without hesitation.
The chaotic and noisy scene left the soldiers guarding the gates of Huaiyang City momentarily bewildered. Before they could recover from this unexpected turn of events, a massive, dark mass of people surged towards the city gates like a tidal wave bursting its banks!
These panicked people, utterly terrified, had only one thought in their minds: to get out of the city and return home as quickly as possible. Only by returning home could they feel any peace of mind. So, like madmen, they rushed desperately toward the city gate.
Although Liu Sheng and his companions ran as fast as they could, the city gate was already teeming with people and vehicles, leaving almost no space to pass. Liu Sheng's hasty actions undoubtedly triggered an even larger commotion and chaos. The previously orderly crowd at the city gate instantly became disorderly, and the surging tide of people quickly broke through the defenses.
Liu Sheng, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the tall woman riding a magnificent horse, galloping away at breakneck speed. Seeing this, any lingering doubt in his mind instantly transformed into undeniable certainty. At this moment, Liu Sheng disregarded everything else. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly grabbed a man who was about to mount the horse and forcefully pulled him off. Then, with agile movements, he leaped onto his own horse, whipped it, and galloped after the woman.