Chapter 906: You Dare to Harm the Crown Prince?

He moved extremely fast, so fast that nobody had time to react to what he was doing.

A butcher-like man standing beside him flushed red-eyed, charged forward, and bore the short dagger on his shoulder.

The blade pierced his shoulder, and blood spattered onto the wheels of the golden carriage.

The butcher roared: "You dare wound the Crown Prince!"

The assassin tried to pull the dagger from his shoulder, but the butcher endured the pain and pressed down hard, refusing to let him withdraw it.

The nearest Imperial Guard shouted and drew their long blades, thrusting forward.

Several blood holes pierced the assassin's throat and ribs, and he fell face up.

The butcher slumped against the carriage wheel, clutching his shoulder, as two Imperial Guard prepared to dismount and help him up.

Another black shadow leapt down from the roof of the street-facing tea house.

Clad in gray-black attire, his face masked, he gripped a long sword and, using the momentum of his descent, dove straight toward the golden carriage.

Evidently he intended to pierce the canopy from above and pin the Crown Prince inside.

The Imperial Guard had been watching the roadside; when they turned back, they could only gasp in surprise.

When the first assassin appeared, Xiao Yuanhang had already shaken out his cloak, wrapping his daughter inside, and drawn a dagger from his waist with his right hand.

Seeing the assassin leap down, he flicked his wrist and the dagger flew from his hand.

A cold flash split the air, striking squarely at the masked man's throat.

The blade in his hand had not yet had time to pierce the carriage, merely scraping a shrill screech across the canopy.

The masked man rolled off the carriage roof and, before hitting the ground, was pinned to the earth by several Imperial Guard long blades.

Tuan Tuan heard the surrounding cries, slipped out of the cloak, and asked: "Father, is Third Elder Brother alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

"He's fine," Xiao Yuanhang shook his head: "Father is also unharmed; rest assured, both assassins have been eliminated."

Tuan Tuan clutched her father's collar, eyes fixed on Xiao Ze's upright back inside the carriage, and asked: "Father, who are they? Why do they want to kill Third Elder Brother?"

Xiao Yuanhang shook his head.

"Fall back! Fall back!" the Imperial Guard bellowed, swiftly encircling the golden carriage.

The townsfolk on either side of the road recoiled in terror; some were knocked to the ground, others clutched children and fled into alleys, their wails and footsteps blending into a din.

Just then, the butcher who had been slumped on the ground, clutching his shoulder, suddenly rose, drew a dagger from his waist, its blade flickering with a dark blue-purple light.

He sprang onto the carriage and silently thrust at Xiao Ze.

"Oh no!" Xiao Yuanhang paled, his own dagger already thrown; though the Imperial Guard surrounded the carriage, they all faced the crowd, backs to the carriage, and not one saw it.

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened sharply.

Without thinking, she shouted, her voice piercing enough to split the street: "Chop off his hand——!"

Crack—crack—!

A blinding bolt of lightning split the cloudless sky vertically, like a sword of light from heaven to earth, striking squarely the butcher on the carriage.

Immediately followed by a tremendous "Boom—".

The entire Jingcheng seemed to be gripped by a giant hand and shaken hard.

The tea house windows along the road shattered in unison, cracks in the street stones spewed fragments, and the nearest Imperial Guard were flung to the ground by the shockwave.

The butcher was engulfed by the lightning, turning into a black silhouette amidst the blinding white light.

He didn't even have time to utter a scream before rolling from the carriage onto the ground.

When the Imperial Guard scrambled to their feet and looked at him, they saw him lying on his back beside the carriage wheel, trembling all over, the hand gripping the dagger clenched into a charcoal-black fist.

One Imperial Guard kicked the fallen dagger aside, hoisted him up, and snarled: "You've got the guts of a bear and leopard!"

"Tuan Tuan!" Xiao Ze leapt from the carriage, sprinted to Xiao Yuanhang's horse, and asked: "Are you alright?"

Tuan Tuan panted heavily, herself not even grasping what she had just done.

She blinked, looked down at her hand, then up at Xiao Ze: "Third Elder Brother, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Xiao Ze seized her small hand, anxiously scanning her up and down, "How are you?"

"I..." Tuan Tuan lowered her gaze to herself, "I seem alright as well."

Xiao Ze's heart eased.

Xiao Yuanhang lowered his head and kissed his daughter's crown: "Good girl, well done."

The entire long street fell silent.

The townsfolk forgot to flee, everyone stared agape at the carriage and Xiao Ze.

The lightning just now killed the assassins, yet the Crown Prince's carriage suffered not a scratch!

Not knowing who first buckled at the knees and knelt, the townsfolk along the street followed suit one after another, and even all the Imperial Guard troops knelt down.

"That lightning just now struck down to save the Crown Prince!"

"Heaven blesses the Crown Prince!"

"Long live the Crown Prince, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Wave after wave of cheers echoed down the street.

"Thank you, Tuan Tuan," Xiao Ze extended his hands toward her: "Come, Third Elder Brother will hold you and ride together in the carriage."

Xiao Yuanhang hurriedly protested: "No! That is the Crown Prince's carriage; for Tuan Tuan to sit in it would violate propriety."

Xiao Ze shook his head: "If not for Tuan Tuan, I, the Crown Prince, would likely have perished just now; it's no problem."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuanhang no longer insisted: "Very well."

Xiao Ze lifted Tuan Tuan from the horse, she waved her little hand at her father, about to call "Father," but found she could not make a sound despite opening her mouth.

She tried again, still unable, instantly panicked and began pounding Xiao Ze's shoulders.

Xiao Ze halted his steps: "What's wrong, Tuan Tuan?"

Xiao Yuanhang sensed something amiss, dismounted, and walked toward his daughter.

At this moment, the Imperial Guard beside the golden palanquin burst into a startled cry.