Chapter 142 The Assassin

The private room was deathly silent. He Ling slumped to the ground, her eyes filled with astonishment.

The cold, electronic alarm was still ringing sharply in her mind, making her panic.

What's going on? Shouldn't this person be captivated by her? This isn't what the system promised.

She lay on the ground, her mind a complete mess.

Just as she was pondering which remedy would elicit the emperor's pity, a hand was reached out in front of her.

Her hands were as smooth as jade, her nails were neatly trimmed, and they gleamed softly under the warm yellow light of the private room.

Are you alright?

The sound was clear, melodious, and very pleasant to hear.

He Ling subconsciously looked up, and the moment her eyes met his, she gasped for breath, her pupils dilating uncontrollably.

The glow of the lamplight seemed to favor the face before them, softly outlining its contours.

Her eyebrows resembled distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn waters, her nose was delicate and straight, and her lips were naturally red without any makeup.

She simply lowered her head slightly, looking at me with concern, a gentle smile playing on her lips, like a fairy descended to earth.

The system alerts that were frantically refreshing in He Ling's mind seemed to freeze for a moment.

So beautiful!

The overwhelming visual impact left He Ling in a state of confusion, and she even forgot to respond to the outstretched hand.

Jiang Huan looked at the woman staring blankly at her, and was also a little puzzled.

Maybe she has some vegetable stuck in her teeth.

After waiting a few more seconds and seeing that the other person did not react, Jiang Huan simply used a little force to help the person up.

"The ground is cold, get up quickly." Her voice remained gentle.

Huo Lin stood to the side, his eyes quickly darkening.

Is this woman a relative of Ayina? She's practically glued to her.

[Why do I have so many rivals? I have to guard against both men and women; it's simply impossible to defend against them all!]

No, I'm jealous! I'm going to trip and fall so she can help me up too!

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stand it anymore. Huo Lin immediately stepped forward and quickly grabbed Jiang Huan's hand back.

The force was somewhat sudden, carrying an irresistible strength.

"Someone, please ask this young lady to leave." His voice was icy, and his gaze toward He Ling was full of disdain and wariness.

[Jiang Huan is my wife; I will not allow anyone to take her away.]

[Won't she think I'm too fierce? But if I'm not fierce, that woman won't know fear.]

No, we can't stay here anymore; there are too many irrelevant people.

[We can't get along anymore. Perhaps we should return to the palace; at least then no one will bother us.]

Huo Lin looked up, too lazy to deal with the officials anymore.

"Please make yourselves at home. Wang Degui, prepare the carriage to return to the mansion."

“Yes, young master,” Wang Degui immediately bowed and replied.

Huo Lin said no more, and pulled Jiang Huan away, striding out with a somewhat hurried pace.

Jiang Huan stumbled slightly as he pulled her, her lips pouting slightly.

Slow down, you're like a stubborn ox.

He gets jealous and immediately drags people away; what a childish person.

However, thinking of Huo Lin's tense and fearful demeanor just now, Jiang Huan couldn't help but feel a sweet warmth in her heart.

Forget it, she won't argue with a child.

Even after leaving the restaurant, the crowds along the riverbank remained noisy.

The evening breeze brought a slight chill, but the spot where Huo Lin was gripping Jiang Huan's wrist was burning hot.

[They're out; those eyesores are finally gone.]

She just helped that woman up; she'll have to give her a good hand wash when they get back.

[If I leave the palace again next time, I must bring more guards to clear the area.]

Huo Lin walked along, making plans in his mind.

Just as they entered the quiet alley where the carriages were parked, something unexpected happened.

Several whooshing sounds rang out as countless hidden arrows shot in from both sides.

"Assassins! Protect the Emperor!" Wang Degui's shrill voice instantly shattered the deathly silence of the alley.

The guards reacted swiftly, drawing their swords.

The flash of blades was followed by the clanging and clashing of parries.

Huo Lin pulled Jiang Huan into his arms, using his back to form a protective barrier, while simultaneously spinning around and narrowly avoiding several cold arrows with her.

The alleyway descended into chaos.

The assassins were clearly well-prepared, numerous in number, and highly skilled.

The guards fought desperately, forming a tight human wall to firmly protect Huo Lin and Jiang Huan in the center.

With one hand tightly protecting Jiang Huan, Huo Lin reached into his waist with the other, and a soft sword flashed out like a serpent, accurately parrying an assassin who rushed forward.

He exuded a chilling and terrifying killing intent, and his swordplay was fierce.

The guards were all elites, and despite being outnumbered, they held their own and quickly stabilized the situation, intercepting most of the attacks from the outside.

One of the bodyguards even kicked an assassin who was trying to sneak up on Huo Lin from the side, sending him flying and crashing into the wall with a dull thud.

Just when the situation seemed to be completely under control, an unexpected event occurred on the field.

A muffled groan came from Huo Lin's left rear side. The bodyguard who had just kicked the assassin away and was supposed to be protecting Huo Lin's side and rear, inexplicably slipped, lost his balance, and stumbled forward.

A gap appeared in the protective circle in an instant, and a crossbow bolt with a tricky angle, coated with eerie green venom, seized the opportunity and suddenly shot out from the depths of the alley.

The timing and angle of this arrow were extremely vicious. Taking advantage of the tiny gap created by the lost position of the guard, it bypassed the chaotic battle and went straight for Jiang Huan's back.

The turn of events happened too quickly and too strangely. Even the fallen guard himself was stunned and bewildered, completely unable to understand how he could have slipped at such a crucial moment.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Wang Degui's shout changed tone.

Huo Lin's heart clenched instantly with a chill, all his thoughts vanished in that instant, leaving only his most primal instincts.

She must not be allowed to be hit by that arrow!

At the critical moment, Huo Lin did not hesitate at all and stepped in front of Jiang Huan to block her.

Pfft—

The dull thud of a sharp blade piercing flesh was clearly heard, drowning out all the noise.

Huo Lin's tall body trembled violently, his body tensed instinctively, and a muffled groan escaped from his tightly pursed lips.

The poisoned arrow, which was meant to pierce Jiang Huan's vest, instead pierced his body instead.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Degui's scream was hoarse and shattered, his eyes wide with rage.

Time seemed to stand still.

Jiang Huan turned around in shock and saw the arrow piercing Huo Lin's body.

Blood soaked his brocade robe, quickly spreading into a glaring red.

"Huo Lin!" she screamed, rushing towards him without hesitation, her voice filled with unprecedented terror and trembling.

When Huo Lin saw Jiang Huan rushing towards him, he instinctively wanted to reach out to protect her, but the intense pain made him hesitate for a moment.

He looked at Jiang Huan's face, which had turned deathly pale, and tried to force a comforting smile, but only a little blood foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Don't cry, I... am alright...

The unspoken words reached Jiang Huan's ears through her faint inner voice, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She caught Huo Lin's falling body, and the thick blood flowed onto her hands, staining them bright red.