Chapter 136: He Is the One!

The Cheng Family's womenfolk quickly shielded Yu'an.

Fortunately, winter clothes were thick and layered, and with several people huddled together, they really did block Small Dumpling in the corner completely from view.

The Thatched Hut — though called a thatched hut, it was now a small courtyard built of red brick and grey tiles, simple yet refined in its construction.

It was said that the founding emperor of Muyuan Kingdom — that is, the current old National Lord's father — had once gone out hunting and been caught in a heavy snowfall. In the icy wastes, with nowhere to shelter from the cold, the guards at his side dropped one after another, frozen stiff in the snow.

Stripping the clothes from those fallen guards, he barely managed to keep going, trudging down the Mountain.

Just as he was nearly frozen past endurance, he spotted a thatched cottage. He took shelter inside it and managed to hold on for several more days until his guards found him and brought him back.

After returning to the palace, his very first act was to order the thatched cottage rebuilt — not only into a small courtyard, but with a pavilion added outside as well.

Chen Ying cast a glance at the pavilion not far away.

Shang Xiaomin was already waiting there, with only six guards at his side, five of whom had their faces covered.

If they're going to mask themselves, why not mask all of them?

Chen Ying leapt down from his Horse.

He ordered most of the guards he'd brought to stay where they were and watch over the Horse Carriage.

He himself walked into the pavilion with five guards.

Shang Xiaomin picked up a cup of tea and set it before him.

Chen Ying merely glanced at it and did not drink.

"You said before that as long as I handed the Cheng Family's womenfolk over to you, you'd help me leave Beihuang City and return to the Capital."

Shang Xiaomin lowered his head and took a sip of tea without speaking. Instead, it was one of the masked guards at his side who spoke up.

"Lord Chen, don't be so hasty. You said it yourself just now — hand over the Cheng Family's womenfolk to us first."

Hearing that voice, Qingzhu turned her head and glanced at the man.

That voice...

Could he be—?

Hearing this, Chen Ying looked over, studying the guard.

For some reason, the cadence of this person's speech felt oddly familiar.

Let's test it once more.

Chen Ying pointed at the Horse Carriage behind him.

"The people you want are inside. Can we continue talking now?"

At his gesture, the guards by the Horse Carriage opened the carriage door so they could see the people within.

The masked guard who had spoken earlier spoke again.

"From this far away, in the dark, we can't even see clearly. How are we supposed to know whether those people are really the Cheng Family's womenfolk?"

Chen Ying glanced at him, his tone turning cold.

"Then what do you want?"

"Simple — bring the people over here first!"

Chen Ying ignored him and looked instead at Shang Xiaomin, who had remained seated drinking his tea. He let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with mockery.

"The Fifth Prince's guards certainly know their manners. It must be thanks to the Fifth Prince's daily tutelage — his guards read their master's mind so well they're practically tapeworms in his belly!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Shang Xiaomin flew into a rage. He slammed the table and stood up, jabbing a finger at Chen Ying with a furious roar.

"You—"

"Imperial Prince!"

The masked guard from before raised a hand to press down his arm, gave it two firm squeezes, and shot him a deep look.

"Business first."

Shang Xiaomin, in a tone far from pleasant, said to Chen Ying:

"What he means is what I mean!"

Even more suspicious.

Chen Ying's gaze shuttled back and forth between the two of them.

Looking at them like this, the build was also very similar.

He turned around as if nothing were amiss.

"Since the Fifth Prince has no wish to continue this conversation, I'll take my leave."

"Halt!"

The moment Shang Xiaomin shouted that, over a hundred guards lying in ambush around them rushed out and encircled the entire party.

The masked guard who had spoken earlier looked at him.

"Lord Chen, we haven't even finished talking — why the rush to leave?"

Seeing this, the guards Chen Ying had brought also drew their swords.

Seeing them move, the masked guards beside Shang Xiaomin furiously tightened their grip on their weapons as well.

Qingzhu lowered her eyes in thought.

No — if the Fifth Prince intended to hide his identity, why would he do something so likely to arouse suspicion?

The 'Shang Xiaomin' before them was certainly not the Fifth Prince — but neither was the masked man who had been speaking!

Then who was?

He studied the remaining masked guards, whether intentionally or not.

When his gaze fell on the hand of the guard standing diagonally behind, his pupils suddenly dilated for an instant.

That scar?

Found him!

Chen Ying swept a glance at the guards surrounding them.

"When talks fail, you resort to force. The Fifth Prince's style truly is an eye-opener."

"You don't think I came to your turf with only this handful of men, do you?"

Saying so, he gave a look to the guard beside him.

A Chen Family guard let fly a Whistle.

Soon, a clamor of hoofbeats mixed with footsteps drew near from afar, and a large contingent of men and Horse appeared before everyone.

"Dayin Dynasty border garrison troops?"

The masked man standing with 'Shang Xiaomin' said through gritted teeth.

"Chen Ying, you've truly gone mad!"

"You should know that if today's matter gets out, your Chen Family will never have a day of turning things around!"

Killing intent surfaced in Chen Ying's eyes.

"That assumes you can get out of here alive!"

He stretched out his hand and slashed it forward heavily.

"Kill them for me! That Fifth Prince is a fake—grab the one who spoke just now!"

Seeing their cover blown, the five masked men turned to run.

Qingzhu, quick of eye and hand, swung her Long Sword and slashed the real Shang Xiaomin's arm, then pointed at him and shouted.

"This one is the real Fifth Prince!"

Shang Xiaomin glared at her through clenched teeth.

Qingzhu is definitely a problem!

If I'd known today would come, I shouldn't have kept him around until now.

Taking advantage of the chaos, he mounted his Horse and fled toward Lucheng.

The agreed-upon time had long passed—why haven't those people shown up yet?!

A bunch of useless good-for-nothings who can't accomplish anything but ruin everything!

The intel sent back was wrong—that You Ke never broke with the Chen Family at all.

Qingye must have met with mishap, and as for Qingmu…

He must have failed too!

Inside the Horse Carriage, seeing him try to flee, Cheng Old Madam called out.

"Qiuyun, Qiuluo!"

"Yes!"

The two sisters answered, rose, and leapt down from the Horse Carriage.

They mounted their Horses and gave chase.

Just as they were about to catch up, the two masked guards protecting Shang Xiaomin's rear suddenly wheeled around, raised their blades, and charged at them.

Cheng Qiuyun blocked the two masked guards' blades with her sword, then turned and shouted to Qiuluo.

"I'll stay and hold them off—go after him, quick!"

Qiuluo nodded heavily.

"Got it!"

Seeing the two fail to stop her, the remaining two masked guards also gave up on fleeing. They leapt up, stomped hard on their Horse's head to borrow momentum, raised their blades high, and brought them down on Qiuluo's head.

Qiuluo hastily leapt from her Horse's back and dodged those two strikes.

"Third Miss, don't panic—we're here to help you!"

Cheng Feng and the others, who had just arrived in the nick of time, burst out from the withered-tree grove beside them.

Qiuluo nodded at them.

"Leave this to you—I'm going after Shang Xiaomin!"

Cheng Qiuluo leapt onto her Horse's back and yanked the reins hard.

"Giddyap!"

The two drew closer and closer. When they were about a dozen meters from Shang Xiaomin, he suddenly turned, flicked his hand, and a Dagger shot toward Qiuluo.

To be precise, it shot toward the Horse Qiuluo was riding.

The Dagger sank deep into the Horse's neck. The Horse, in pain, let out a scream, then crashed heavily to the ground.

Cheng Qiuluo clenched her teeth. This time she didn't keep chasing either—she simply took out a Gunther gun from her clothes.

Meanwhile, Shang Xiaomin ahead glanced back and saw her make that move, assuming she was using a Sleeve Arrow.

He immediately let out a snort of contempt.

A Sleeve Arrow's range is only a few dozen steps—as long as he sped up, she simply couldn't hit him!

He tightened the reins and kicked the Horse's flank hard.

"Giddyap!"

But the next instant, he heard only a tremendous bang—'Boom!'

Immediately after, he felt something enter through his back, piercing through his heart swiftly and violently.

He looked down and stared in disbelief at the bloody hole in his chest.

The moment he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"How… how could this be?"