Chapter 290: Xue Zhangming's Assistance

"Ah!!!"

The attendant guarding the side saw Gu Yanran collapse and immediately went to help, only to find that Gu Yanran was like a mollusk whose spine had been pulled out.

She had been ordered to bring the Poison Wine, so she naturally knew the Gu Family's plan and had watched with her own eyes as Chen Che drank that cup of poison, yet at this moment, Gu Yanran's state looked more like she had been poisoned.

Feeling uneasy, the female attendant subconsciously reached out to check Gu Yanran's breath; this check was critical, as she discovered that Gu Yanran had already ceased to breathe.

In terror and panic, the attendant screamed out directly: "Someone come quickly! The young lady has no breath! Someone come quickly!"

The beautiful attendant's cry directly drew the attention of everyone present; for a moment, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Gu Zhengying, Gu Yao, and Gu Zhangsheng were even more stunned on the spot, and the next second, they all rushed over at the same time.

"Daughter!"

Gu Zhengying let out a roar, forcefully pushed the attendant aside, picked up Gu Yanran, placed his fingers at her nostrils, and then gripped her wrist.

"Impossible! Impossible! Daughter, wake up! Don't scare me! Don't scare me!"

Gu Zhengying was panicked and at a loss, but no matter how he called out or shook her, Gu Yanran did not have the slightest reaction.

He knew the power of the Poison Wine better than anyone; Gu Yanran was already dead, yet he still could not accept such a fact.

Gu Zhangsheng and Gu Yao looked at each other, their faces full of astonishment; they had clearly both seen Chen Che drink the Poison Wine, so how could it be Gu Yanran who was poisoned now?

Could it be that Gu Yanran had taken the wrong one? Or had Gu Zhengying misremembered the location of the Poison Wine?

This was clearly impossible!

"I didn't expect Miss Gu to have such a low tolerance for alcohol; Mr. Gu, you had better take your daughter back to rest quickly."

Chen Che feigned ignorance, appearing as if nothing had happened.

Gu Zhengying suddenly looked up, glared viciously at Chen Che, and said word by word: "Scoundrel, I will make you pay with your life!"

Seeing this, Gu Yao shouted: "Men, take him down for me!"

Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger, who were disguised as attendants, tore off their attendant clothes and swarmed toward Chen Che from three directions.

"Hah!"

Su Xiao darted to Chen Che's side a step earlier and shouted angrily; Ice Spikes resembling a Crystal Lotus erupted from the ground. The solid ice was sharp and cold, and the temperature of the entire backyard dropped significantly. Many guests subconsciously hugged their bodies and exhaled puffs of mist.

Chen Che, Jiang Lan, and Su Xiao were surrounded within the ice cluster, while the three Protectors were blocked on the outside.

Ouyang Guilin immediately took a step forward and simultaneously winked at Ouyang Feng. The latter immediately tapped his earpiece twice, and in less than thirty seconds, fully armed soldiers flooded into the Gu Family's backyard and surrounded everyone.

Seeing this scene, the guests present were all in a state of panic, not yet clear about what exactly had happened.

"Young Master, I will go help now..."

Lin Su completely ignored the dense crowd of soldiers. She requested permission from Ma Zijun, but in reality, before she finished speaking, her body had already begun to move toward Chen Che's direction.

Ma Zijun grabbed her in time to stop her, withdrew his gaze from the Fang Family's grandfather and granddaughter, and said: "Don't panic. In this situation, you can't help; none of us can help."

"But..."

"I know you are worried about him, but you should trust him even more."

Lin Su suppressed the emotions in her heart and nodded, her gaze fixed on that calm and composed figure.

"Great-grandfather, Chen Che... what should we do?"

Fang Yuying was frightened by the scene before her. She had not expected that the banquet, which was fine just a second ago, would instantly turn into a military camp, and might even turn into a battlefield in the next second.

"Don't panic. Although I don't know how Chen Che managed it, since he dared to poison Gu Yanran to death, he must have a way to escape."

Fang Shaoyi glanced at Fang Yuying, "Observe the changes quietly."

Fang Yuying nodded and looked at Chen Che. She saw the pride and confidence in his expression, and recalling the heart-pounding moment just now, she had nearly thought Chen Che was about to die.

Sure enough, Great-grandfather was right; this man was far simpler than he appeared, and she really felt more and more interested in him.

"What is the Ouyang Family trying to do? Bringing so many people to attend a banquet, how extravagant."

Chen Che looked around, his gaze intentionally lingering on the three Protectors for a moment.

"Sharp-tongued!"

Ouyang Guilin snorted coldly, "Little brat, daring to kill a member of the Gu Family at the Gu Family's banquet, don't even think about leaving here alive today!"

The Huang Family father and son and the Ding Family father and son also gathered over, looked down, and discovered that Gu Yanran was truly dead.

"This kid really dared to do it!"

Huang Shili muttered in a low voice, looking at Chen Che with a face full of disbelief, then slowly frowned.

Ding Zhen curled his lips, his heart filled with mixed feelings. Compared to shock and hatred, he actually felt a hint of admiration for Chen Che, which was quite inappropriate.

"What is the Ouyang Patriarch saying? I haven't done anything! Besides, which eye of yours saw me harm Miss Gu?"

Chen Che spread his hands, looking innocent.

"Miss Gu collapsed right after drinking with you. If it wasn't you who did something, then who could it be?!"

Ouyang Guilin questioned in a deep voice.

"Ridiculous!"

Chen Che said: "The wine was brought by Miss Gu, and she was the one who took the initiative to toast me. What kind of trick could I have played? On the contrary, since you are so certain, Ouyang Patriarch, do you know some inside information?"

Ouyang Guilin was stunned, glanced at Gu Zhengying and Gu Zhangsheng, realized something, and for a moment did not know how to respond.

Gu Zhengying stood up at this moment, glared at Chen Che, and said viciously: "You don't need to engage in a war of words here. My daughter is dead; no matter what, I will kill you today!"

Seeing this, Ouyang Feng raised his hand to signal, and the fully armed soldiers immediately raised their guns and aimed them at the three of them.

"Fire—"

"Stop!"

Before Gu Zhengying's words could be finished, they were interrupted by an angry shout.

Xue Zhangming rushed over again, blocked the space between Chen Che and the Gu Family members, and said: "Eldest Young Master, there is something suspicious about today's events. Before investigating it clearly, do not be impulsive!"

"There is nothing to investigate!"

Gu Yao did not want to let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, "Chen Che killed my cousin, killed our Gu Family member; he must pay with his life today!"

"What are you three waiting for? Attack!"

Gu Zhangsheng gave the order immediately, and the three Protectors struck together, their True Qi surging forth, shattering all the Crystal Lotus ice sculptures created by Su Xiao.

"Bang... bang bang!"

Three gunshots pierced the night, directly interrupting the next wave of attacks from the three Protectors.

Everyone's gaze gathered on Xue Zhangming; he lowered his arm, which had been pointing his gun toward the sky, his face full of rage: "I am here today, let's see who dares to act recklessly!"

"Xue Zhangming, this is the Gu Family! Are you really going to go against the Gu Family for the sake of Chen Che?!"

Gu Zhengying grabbed Xue Zhangming by the collar; the pain of losing his daughter had driven him mad, and at this moment, he no longer cared about the disparity in status between himself and Xue Zhangming.

Xue Zhangming stared coldly at Gu Zhengying and said softly: "Whether your daughter was murdered or reaped what she sowed, you know better than I do. With so many people here, do you really think everyone is stupid enough not to see what is going on? They don't dare to speak now, but will they not dare to speak after they leave? Or are you saying the Gu Family intends to kill everyone who attended the banquet today to Seal their lips?"

"It is true that the Gu Family covers the sky with one hand in Jiangnan, but my Inspection Bureau is not restricted by your family. I have given face to Elder Gu, and all along, including tonight, I have been turning a blind eye, but if you insist on killing Chen Che, then I am sorry, but duty calls, and I must intervene."

Xue Zhangming pushed Gu Zhengying away, swept his gaze over the members of the Huang Family and Ding Family, and finally let his eyes rest on the face of Ouyang Guilin: "Patriarch Ouyang holds a position in the military; it is not wartime now, so why have so many soldiers been mobilized? And under whose orders?"

Ouyang Guilin's eyes shifted: "Naturally, there is a special mission, and due to confidentiality regulations, it is not convenient to disclose it."

Xue Zhangming nodded: "Fine, then I won't ask. But I would like Patriarch Ouyang to remember one thing: anything involving a Martial Artist, no matter who you are or where you hold a position, falls under the jurisdiction of my Inspection Bureau. Therefore, you have no right to dispose of Chen Che. Even if he were guilty of heinous crimes and needed to be executed on the spot, you would still need to request instructions from me in advance and obtain my consent. Do you understand?"

Ouyang Guilin frowned in displeasure, glanced at Gu Zhengying and Gu Zhangsheng, and asked in a low voice: "Does Xue Sijiang really intend to do this? This is the Gu Family, after all."

"Public opinion is to be feared, and duty is binding."

Xue Zhangming's gaze moved across the people from the Gu Family and its affiliated families, "I respect Elder Gu, but I also do not wish to die yet."

"Enough!"

As the situation reached a stalemate, a powerful voice rang out, and the crowd voluntarily cleared a path as Gu Yuanzong walked over slowly.