Chapter 114: They ran out on the bill!

That person stood up pretending to settle the bill and leave, then swiftly drew a knife from the luggage under the table, turned, and slashed straight at Da Wang.

At the next table, several men dressed like merchants leapt up together and lunged at Ling Yin and Zhao Bao; their fighting style was to spare no expense, using their bodies to drag down the opponents' steps.

The knife-wielder's move was smooth as flowing clouds, as if practiced thousands of times. Wei Shen shouted to dodge, Da Wang instinctively looked back, and Wei Shen had already risen and lunged forward. The assassin's tablemates also lunged at him, drawing knives to push him back.

The blade hit his shoulder, and Da Wang, who had never experienced such a thing, finally reacted, sliding quickly off the stool; the assassin's knife struck the table with a loud thunk, sinking deep into the wood—one can imagine how much force he used, enough to break bone if it had hit a person.

He slid down to dodge, and the lazy little fat bird perched on his shoulder, pretending to be a fake bird, exclaimed, "How outrageous! You dare to slash him?!"

It swung its wing straight at the man's face, and one claw gouged out the assassin's eyeball. The shopkeeper hiding under the neighboring table shivered, saying, "My apologies—when he came in I wondered how he was carrying just a pigeon around, but now I see this is no pigeon; this bird is certainly no benevolent creature!"

The assassin let out a painful howl, but it was clear his target was definite; he didn't lose his mind over the little fat bird, instead using his other hand to brush aside Sky-Covering, drew his knife, and tried to stab Da Wang under the table—but in that instant Da Wang had already slipped out from the other side of the table.

The sole genuine customer in the hall finally reacted, letting out a sharp cry, scrambling out while shouting, "Someone's been killed!"

It was merely a sudden change; Ling Yin wasn't entangled by those dead warriors at all, sweeping them away with one sword—no survivors. As Da Wang emerged, he had already turned around, seeing that these two too would surely die, and he hurriedly shouted, "Leave a survivor!"

Too late!

Almost at the same moment, Wei Shen stabbed to death the assassin clinging to him; only the one who wanted to slash Da Wang remained. Ling Yin's sword had already struck his shoulder, and seeing the situation lost, he glanced at Da Wang, said nothing, and suddenly spat blood and collapsed.

In that glance lay only ruthlessness and unwillingness.

Wei Shen sidestepped to avoid his falling body, saw Da Wang still lively, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Who have you offended that assassins are sent after your life?"

Da Wang looked at him with a expression between tears and laughter; Wei Shen jumped in alarm, asking, "Did he hit you? Where?"

He came over to hold him and check his wound, but Da Wang watched his hand dripping blood, afraid to move, and said, "Cousin, if you're crippled I'll support you."

Wei Shen: "... Thank you, but don't curse me."

The knife-wielder's move was smooth as flowing clouds, as if practiced thousands of times. Wei Shen shouted to dodge, Da Wang instinctively looked back, and Wei Shen had already risen and lunged forward. The assassin's tablemates also lunged at him, drawing knives to push him back.

The table that had fled shouted about a murder, and the newly appointed Youzhou Guard finally got to act, quickly surrounding the Taste Sea Pavilion.

Da Wang looked at the corpses strewn on the floor, wanting to cry but unable to, and said, "My lord, this tavern just had so many deaths—won't it affect business?!"

Everyone's heartbeats hadn't settled, and the heavy atmosphere in the room was completely ruined by him.

Assassins had been dispatched to take his life, yet Da Wang was still thinking about his business, while Zhao Bao looked ready to faint.

The case was handed to the Inspector for investigation; after searching their clothes, the inner garments beneath the Great Jin outer robes were not of Jin style, and they carried poison in their mouths. Their fighting style of entangling Ling Yin with their bodies, regardless of death, together made it easy to guess they came from the steppes— which tribe didn't matter. The northern steppes are collectively called the enemy.

Da Wang had no such deep grudges in Great Jin; the elder and second brothers wouldn't now point their swords at him, and to others the You Prince was basically a nobody, not worth the trouble.

Wei Shen said, "Look, they slaughtered two thousand of our people and came back for revenge—just saying it's not that easy to get past."

Da Wang greatly admired their way of revenge, and also felt the reassurance of another boot landing. It seems the Northern Bearded chose to come covertly; before the city walls are finished, perhaps they won't come marching up to the gates?

Others don't know, but he himself is aware—His Highness most admires assassination; dying wouldn't be a problem!

His Highness's only threat is the city falling.

Da Wang turned and began to worry about his tavern, and moreover these people clearly were trying to dine and dash—these three tables hadn't paid a single bill!

"Investigate for His Highness! Find out how they slipped into Youzhou, whether there are accomplices outside! The city gates are now operating normally—how did these Northern Bearded without travel permits sneak in silently? Since there's no trade between us, they aren't just one group but nearly ten! You must give His Highness an answer!"

The newly appointed Colonel Wang of the Youzhou Guard hurriedly apologized, promising to get to the bottom of it.

Hearing of the incident, Hua Xiangrong diverted a crowd of onlookers, blocking the Taste Sea Pavilion completely.

Da Wang returned through the back gate, ordered the Inspector to carry the assassins out the front gate so the foolish commoners could see, and said the Northern Bearded not only openly march south to pillage, they also infiltrate to assassinate and ambush; we must stay vigilant against their inside‑outside cooperation, and report any suspicious persons to the Youzhou Guard at once.

Da Wang went out to see a newly opened shop, almost getting assassinated, and carried the little fat bird's wing back home, looking completely unfazed. There was no way—this creature had just gouged out someone's eyeball, and Da Wang wouldn't allow that claw to rest on his shoulder again.

But the front court soon found out as well.

After the Chancellor learned of it, he restrained him, not allowing Da Wang to go out freely until the matter was cleared up.

The Chancellor was right—not all of the Xianbei who mixed into Youzhou City came on assassination missions; the survivors soon learned the assassination had failed, and they couldn't leave either.

Leaving the city involved stricter checks than entering it.

Previously the Youzhou city walls still offered a slight hope of exiting without using the gates, but now forget that—plus the walls are still under construction, with laborers squatting on top, so the survivors can only hide and wait for an opportunity.

The next day after finishing his martial practice, Da Wang grabbed a bunch of bananas and went to visit his wounded cousin. He found his cousin "disabled but resolute," one hand also sparring with his wild horse—there was nothing to check on; he was sure to survive.

Da Wang turned back to his study, and the little fat bird, after being washed many times, sat listlessly on his desk.

Da Wang grabbed it, sniffed, checked its claws once more, then let it go.

"Sky-Covering is the bravest; now His Highness doesn't despise you—come over and continue serving as a paperweight~"

He had just spread out the paper when Sky-Covering dipped its freshly washed, fragrant paw into the inkstone and then stepped onto the white paper Da Wang wanted to practice writing on……

Holding it down well?

Then, head held high, it lifted its black, shiny paw, rinsed it in His Highness's special tea cup, and said, "I'll wash it myself too~"

Da Wang: ……

"Someone! Grab Sky-Covering, take it to the kitchen! His Highness wants to eat braised little fat bird!"

Zhao Bao, who personally guarded the door, stood immovable as a mountain; old, unable to endure turmoil, suffering from intermittent hearing loss.