Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Second Prince
The innkeeper suddenly curled the corner of his mouth into a sinister smile.
Then he tore away the human-skin mask from his face, revealing beneath it a delicate woman’s visage.
It was Murong Lanyue.
“Prince Li is indeed as sharp as they say,” Murong Lanyue said softly, the smile on her face growing colder by the moment. “I went to such lengths, yet I never imagined the prince would see through it at a glance.”
“How boring.”
“It’s not that I’m clever. It’s that you’re too foolish,” Li Yunjie sneered. “A mere innkeeper with hands so fine and delicate, they’re almost like a woman’s. Does that seem reasonable to you?”
Murong Lanyue suddenly looked bashful. “Are you truly praising how tender and lovely I am, Your Highness?”
Her coy, affected tone turned Su Qingmeng’s stomach. In an instant she drew her sword, and a scarlet sword aura sliced through the air at Murong Lanyue.
At the same time, a purple formation sprang into existence.
Sword aura and formation collided, sending dead leaves scattering everywhere.
In the muddy ground lay a cold corpse, starkly visible.
From its clothing, it seemed to be the true owner of this post station.
The air was thick with killing intent.
“Su Qingmeng.” Murong Lanyue sauntered forward with an alluring sway, taunting, “Your sword seems a little dull~”
“Enough nonsense!” Su Qingmeng’s eyes hardened, and scarlet inner force burst forth at once.
She shattered the wooden boards beneath her feet and leaped into the air, driving her blade straight at Murong Lanyue at astonishing speed.
At that same moment, a white light flared not far away.
“Watch out, Young Master!” Eleven suddenly sensed a fierce killing intent and drew the kitchen knife from his waist in one swift motion.
“Li Yunjie,” came a weathered male voice from above, “today will be your death day!”
As soon as the words fell, the white formation expanded violently several times over, then turned into countless tiny ice needles that attacked Li Yunjie and the others indiscriminately.
They flew as fast as arrows loosed from a bow.
Li Yunjie instantly moved to shield the already petrified Su Xiyan, raising his blade to block.
Meanwhile, under Li Yunjie’s astonished gaze, Eleven sprang high into the air!
With a single slash, he reduced the formation to dust.
Then, in another blink, it vanished without a trace.
“Damn!” Li Yunjie stared in utter disbelief. “You really weren’t lying to me!”
Before he could think further, fierce fighting behind him drew his attention.
He turned sharply and plunged into battle.
Attacked from both front and rear, the two of them fought through dozens of exchanges, yet Murong Lanyue handled it with effortless ease.
“Excellent skills, Your Highness!” Murong Lanyue withdrew a step and laughed. “In just a few months, you’ve gone from worthless trash to the sixth rank. Truly astonishing!”
“If you’re afraid, then kneel,” Li Yunjie said with a cold snort. “I might spare your miserable dog’s life!”
“Just you?” Murong Lanyue laughed disdainfully.
As her words fell, the three of them clashed once more.
“Su Qingmeng,” Murong Lanyue taunted, “why don’t you use your full strength yet?”
“Don’t listen to her!” Li Yunjie saw through her intent and thrust out a sword. “She’s provoking you!”
Murong Lanyue floated up lightly, twisting her body to evade their combined attack.
At the same time, she formed seals with both hands, and several formations surrounded them.
“Black Flame!”
Murong Lanyue shouted, and the formations immediately spewed black fire.
Su Qingmeng sensed danger and drew a deep breath. Blood-colored inner force flooded her eyes.
“Don’t!”
Li Yunjie tried to stop her, but it was already too late.
Scarlet inner force spread with terrifying speed, swallowing the formation in an instant.
Crack.
The formation shattered.
But Su Qingmeng, having overdrawn her power, coughed up a mouthful of blood as well.
From Murong Lanyue’s throat came a ghastly, icy sound. “The backlash from exhausted inner force isn’t pleasant, is it?”
As she spoke, killing intent rose in her eyes.
“I’ll send you two spouses to hell right now!”
Another violet light flashed, and in the next instant, a dense mass of vile energy surged forth.
Li Yunjie instantly moved to shield Su Qingmeng behind him, holding his broken sword across his chest as he struggled to withstand the attack.
“Why aren’t you making a move?”
“I can’t hold it much longer!”
Li Yunjie suddenly roared.
No sooner had he spoken than the sound of wind-breaking reached his ears.
A single point of cold gleam arrived first, and then a silver spear pierced through the formation, stabbing fiercely toward Murong Lanyue.
The one wielding that spear was a man clad in black-and-gold armor.
“It’s you?” Murong Lanyue’s expression changed abruptly, but she quickly regained her composure. “You think you can save them on your own?”
The man only smiled faintly, his confidence undiminished. “Who told you I’m alone?”
As he finished speaking, the thunder of iron hooves came from all directions.
In an instant, a mass of black-armored cavalry appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Murong Lanyue’s face darkened at once.
As the teleportation formation beneath her feet lit up, she cast an icy glance at Li Yunjie and said in a low voice, “You’re lucky today!”
With that, she vanished in an instant.
“Third rank...” the man murmured under his breath.
With the crisis resolved, Li Yunjie hurriedly helped Su Qingmeng up. “Are you all right?”
Su Qingmeng gave a slight nod.
Looking at the black-armored man before them, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Second Prince.”
So he was the second son of the Zhao family, Zhao Zhuo?
Li Yunjie lifted his gaze and studied the man before him with some surprise, then cupped his hands. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Thank you for saving us just now, Your Highness.”
“We’re all family. No need for such formalities,” Zhao Zhuo said, waving a hand. “I merely happened to pass by.”
Li Yunjie smiled in response and did not expose him.
Then something came to mind, and Li Yunjie’s brow furrowed as he looked around. “Where is Eleven?”
As soon as he spoke, Eleven came trotting over from nearby.
“Eleven!” Seeing him in torn clothes, Li Yunjie asked with concern, “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Eleven wiped his nose and grinned. “That old man’s worse off than I am.”
Only then did Li Yunjie let out a long breath.
After arranging for the Su sisters to rest, Li Yunjie instructed Eleven to keep watch over the two of them, then went with Zhao Zhuo into the woods to speak.
“From what Brother Li said earlier, it seems you already knew I was nearby,” Zhao Zhuo said first.
Li Yunjie replied in a deep voice, “Your Highness has been following us in secret ever since Jiangnan, haven’t you?”
Zhao Zhuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Brother Li really is different from before.”
“Please don’t mock me, Your Highness,” Li Yunjie said with a light laugh.
“Since you’ve already seen through it, then I won’t hide it any longer,” Zhao Zhuo said slowly. “The mission of the Crimson-Armored Guard on this trip is to escort you north.”
“Did Prime Minister Su tell you?” Li Yunjie asked tentatively.
“That’s right.” Zhao Zhuo nodded.
Seeing the Crimson-Armored Guard earlier, Li Yunjie had already guessed most of it.
It made sense, though it was also somewhat unexpected.
He had guessed that Su Ming would send people to protect him in secret.
After all, Jiangnan was far from Northern Lingtown, and the journey was fraught with danger.
For the sake of his two daughters, he ought to do so.
What Li Yunjie had not expected was that Su Ming would actually have the Second Prince personally lead troops.
At that thought, a flash of insight suddenly struck him.
The reason Zhao Zhuo had come was to escort him safely north to investigate the tax silver case.
If the truth of that case were exposed, the matter of the crown prince colluding with foreign enemies would be laid bare to the world, and deposing the crown prince would be inevitable.
With the Eastern Palace vacant, the second prince could take its place.
In other words, the one Su Ming was supporting was the second son.