Kingdom: The Black Moon Assassin

Boom!

With a massive roar, dust rose from the peak of a mountain as a stone gate opened and a tall, muscular figure emerged.

Under his feet, massive cracks spread out, emitting an aura as heavy as a mountain, which made his body appear even more formidable.

Without a single gesture or signal, the man simply stood there like a pillar that could support the heavens. He had naturally become the center of the martial world for many years, instantly suppressing the auras of all the soldiers within dozens of meters around him.

A massive aura, invisible to most yet perceptible to the assassins, swallowed the skies and enveloped the entire area, instantly turning the mood ominously heavy.

"Paying homage to the Great Martial God!"

A booming voice resounded across the sky and earth. The thousands of soldiers and captains surrounding the mountain dismounted from their horses and knelt almost simultaneously.

The fierce, bloodthirsty soldiers who saw human life as insignificant lowered their proud heads at that moment, displaying respectful and submissive expressions toward the man at the mountain's peak.

Since the news of the mission failure, resulting in the commander's death from fatal blows, Ri Boku had taken the reins to lead the clans of assassins, given the increased risk to the unification mission.

With the imminent allied attack of all the warring states against Qin, Ri Boku could not afford setbacks—aat least, not until his armies marched as one against Qin.

From the border towns to the furthest regions, all soldiers and martial artists, whether here or not, had to submit to this man whom many considered a madman.

Throughout the warring states, he was the true king of martial arts, a god hailed by many as the strongest man since he had slain Qin's great general, Aoki.

No matter where the soldiers were, they paid their respects to this man who spoke little and rarely appeared on the battlefield.

"What are you all doing?" A deep, resonant voice echoed in everyone's ears. At the peak, the man's robes billowed as he reached for an enormous glaive embedded in the ground.

"We have reports of a group of assassins causing havoc on the Zhao borders, confusing high command into believing it's Wei's doing to incite conflict between nations!"

With a chorus of booming voices, countless soldiers stood up.

From the eastern borders to the western reaches, Hou Ken's reputation as a man aiming to end the wars was well known.

No one was unaware of the martial god's intentions. He was the one destined to free them all and crush their enemies.

After decades of fame, Hou Ken had gathered numerous first-class followers under his banner, including hundreds of martial arts experts.

Moreover, as a general, he was highly familiar with the world's geography, and his faction had become one of the most formidable forces on the path to Qin.

As everyone was rising, a long howl suddenly shattered the silence. They looked up to see a massive black hawk descending from the clouds like an arrow, flying directly towards Hou Ken.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Hou Ken's eyes gleamed as he extended his arm, allowing the keen-eyed nighthawk to land on it.

With a flick of his arm, a fierce-looking soldier at general level stepped forward and tossed a large piece of fresh horse meat into the nighthawk's beak.

Hou Ken nodded, then took the letter from the hawk's leg.

"An anomaly that could extend the war..."

After reading its contents, Hou Ken crumpled the paper into a ball, a look of anticipation in his eyes. After waiting so long, he had finally received the news he wanted—hhe knew it was time to move.

"Prepare, take me to that place!"

Breaking the ball of paper in his hand, Hou Ken tossed it aside, then strode toward the direction where the assassin clans awaited.

Crack!

In an instant the crowd of soldiers, previously silent, erupted in a tsunami of cheers. They filled with excitement, eagerly awaiting the chance to finally eliminate the assassins sent by Wei—oor so high command wanted them to believe.

After such a long time, Hou Ken was finally going to take action once more.

Everyone knew that the leader, known as the king of assassins, would not make a move lightly. Something worthy of his action was undoubtedly something monumental.

"To end wars..."

A fierce gleam appeared in Hou Ken's eyes as he walked behind the soldiers, seemingly uninterested in riding a horse.

He was a solitary warrior, taking part in no wars for anyone for a long time; he only targeted key figures to end conflict.

His ideology was simple, but his methods were far from effective, and they would be until the day of his death.

At his level of strength, only one thing mattered to him: his personal "quest." Yet he was nothing more than a strong man.

Jun wanted to challenge him to a death match, a one-on-one duel. The desire to become the most powerful figure in the current world still echoed in his thoughts.

If he could complete the task of taking down the Martial God, he could establish a new understanding with himself. The status of the king of assassins, his authority, and the assassins under his control would surely take him to a higher level, a height he had never dared to imagine.

That's why he prepared for a frontal assault with Zhao's soldiers while sending the lesser ones to Wei's cities.

At that moment, the eyes of the two greatest warriors in these hills blazed with a fierce, murderous intent.

"Let's go!"

In an instant, Jun waved his hand, leading all the assassins through the sea of sand, charging towards the hills where the soldiers were gathering.

…

"We are the greatest warriors in the world, and we can fight in hand-to-hand combat without issue."

"They want to drive us from our lands, and we won't let them."

"We'll kill them."

"We are led by the king of assassins; they are nothing but peasants in warrior skins seeking the wishes of their failed king."

Jun's expression was calm. He had foreseen it all, and now that all the assassin tribes, except the women of the Shinyuu clan, were united, the time to strike had finally come.