Chapter 78 Don't be afraid, I'll always be here.

Halfway through the bathing Buddha ceremony, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the prince uttered an ambiguous statement and turned to leave, and no one dared to stop him.

Emperor Chunming's back was drenched in cold sweat as he stared intently at the Crown Prince's departing figure, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

The Empress and Prince Chen also heard the Crown Prince's words "harboring evil intentions." Could it be that Emperor Chunming had taken some action today, and the Crown Prince had discovered it?

The royal relatives below the altar were confused, but none of them dared to question Emperor Chunming to his face, nor did any of them dare to step forward and ask the Crown Prince to explain.

The Crown Prince's face was clearly sinister, and his eyes were bloodshot, much like the prelude to a headache. His gloomy and cold aura was chilling, and even Emperor Chunming's personal guards below the altar dared not interfere.

The officials below the altar looked at each other, discussing amongst themselves. Finally, the Empress spoke up to calm things down: "No noise is allowed in this sacred Buddhist place. The Crown Prince is unwell and will return to the palace first. The bathing Buddha ceremony will continue."

The crowd then fell silent.

The Empress looked at Emperor Chunming beside her and saw that he had a fierce expression and his face was almost distorted, as if he was suppressing his anger. She could only give a look to the abbot of Prajna Temple next to her and ask him to continue the next procedure.

Lu Qi, who was hiding in the shadows, was also unwilling to accept the change in the situation.

The fragrant soup contained enough poison to drive the prince mad and out of control, but something went wrong at some point, causing the Gu worms in his brain to become less sensitive and active than before.

On another occasion, the Crown Prince lost control of his emotions in front of the court officials. It was Lu Qi who secretly tampered with the incense burner used at the palace banquet, increasing the dosage of incense poison, causing the Crown Prince to suffer a headache on the spot and suddenly go into a frenzy, as if possessed by a demon.

However, his bodyguards were all highly skilled, and they failed to take his life that time. From then on, the Crown Prince became extremely wary of all kinds of spices, making it difficult to tamper with them again.

The Buddha's Birthday was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he never expected that although the Crown Prince's appearance was abnormal, he was far from being mad, tyrannical, or irrational.

Even though the dose of the incense poison was far greater than before, and he hadn't gone to the center of the altar, he shouldn't be so calm.

Could it be that the Gu worms have lost their effectiveness?

But his face was deathly pale, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, clearly indicating that he was suppressing pain. If the Gu worm had failed, his reaction should have been no different from that of an ordinary person.

Thinking of this, Lu Qi exchanged a glance with Emperor Chunming below the altar. He secretly gripped the hilt of his sword and summoned his subordinate to whisper a few instructions in his ear.

The Crown Prince is unwell. Even if the poisoning is not severe, his martial arts skills are not what they used to be. His words at the altar just now have made the imperial family and court officials suspicious of Emperor Chunming. We must not let him return to the Eastern Palace alive today. Otherwise, if the Crown Prince retaliates in the future and reveals Emperor Chunming's actions to the world, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Yun Kui was still waiting outside when she saw the Crown Prince emerge from the execution ground, his face pale. Panicked, she rushed forward, "Your Highness, what happened?"

Cao Yuanlu hurriedly said, "Your Highness's headache has flared up again. This servant has already sent someone to fetch Physician He. Please take good care of him on the way back to the palace."

Yun Kui immediately nodded and helped the prince into the carriage.

The prince's forehead veins were bulging, his eyes were bloodshot, and every nerve in his skull felt like it was being crushed by a blade. Every breath he took brought intense pain.

Yun Kui didn't know how to help him, so she could only hug him tightly, getting closer and closer to him, giving him all her warmth.

The prince kept his eyes tightly closed. After a long while, he calmed down, reached out and stroked her hair, his voice hoarse: "Don't worry, I'm fine."

He touched something damp with his fingertips and frowned again: "Why are you crying?"

Yun Kui tried to suppress her sobs, but seeing his pained and restrained expression, tears still streamed down her face. "I...I'm scared."

The crown prince raised an eyebrow: "Afraid I'll die?"

Yun Kui asked him, her voice choked with emotion, "Can you?"

The crown prince pondered for a moment and sighed, "Didn't you see your father today? Even if I'm not around in the future, he will do everything in his power to protect you and take care of you."

Yun Kui's eyes were red and she looked at him with confusion and helplessness. Her lips moved, but she couldn't make a sound. She felt as if her heart was being pressed down by a huge rock, so hard that it was bleeding.

The crown prince didn't hear what she was thinking, but at this moment he seemed to feel her suffocating, dull pain as if he were experiencing it himself.

Like a taut string that could snap at any moment, like a bloody gash being ripped open in the heart.

He sighed and pulled the person into his arms. "Don't be afraid, you won't die."

Yun Kui pushed his chest away, staring intently at him, "Your Highness, don't lie to me, I'll believe whatever you tell me..."

The prince said, "I was just trying to scare you. I've lived for over twenty years and never died before, so I won't let anyone take my life so easily now."

He smiled and said, "What, you've learned to care for your husband now?"

Yun Kui pressed her lips tightly together, her voice trembling: "Don't joke with me, I... I finally..."

After finally falling in love with someone so much and giving yourself completely to them, and being lonely for over a decade, you've finally found a safe haven to rely on.

They even disregard their family background and social standing, mustering the courage to fall in love with someone they have no chance with at all.

She climbed to the clouds, but her feet were on nothing. She could only stand firmly with the help of his strong arms. Apart from that, she had nothing.

So when she heard him say, "Even if I'm not here in the future," she felt as if she had been pushed into an abyss, losing all her support.

The crown prince wiped away her tears, held her tightly in his arms, and felt the trembling beneath his palms. He gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'll always be here. Now that I'm your husband, how could I easily abandon you?"

He wanted to eliminate the treacherous officials, restore order to the world, and rule the entire country. He also wanted to use his supreme power to create a safe and secure environment for her, so that she could stay safely under his wings and no longer be harmed by the storms of life.

Yun Kui wiped away her tears and nestled tightly in his arms.

The carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly stopped. Outside the carriage, the sound of rustling and orderly footsteps grew louder as they approached, quickly enveloping the entire carriage.

The crown prince's expression hardened slightly, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

Yun Kui was stunned for a moment, then sat back by the window. She carefully lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside. Before she could even stop sobbing, she was so frightened by the scene before her that she gasped.

"Your Highness, it's an assassin!"

Men dressed in black had surrounded the carriage.

The prince reached out to shield the person behind him, gripped the sword at his waist with his other hand, and listened intently to the sounds outside the carriage.

The Eastern Palace guards and secret guards quickly engaged the men in black in battle. The sounds of fighting and clashing weapons mingled outside the carriage, constantly assaulting the eardrums.

Suddenly, a silver light, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, pierced through the carriage curtain and rushed straight towards the prince's face!

Before Yun Kui could react, he had already shielded her and quickly dodged, the cold arrow embedding itself deeply into the car frame with a "thud".

Then several more arrows were fired simultaneously, but the prince deflected them all with his sword.

Yun Kui's heart was in her throat, and her back was covered in cold sweat. She could only curl up and hide behind the Crown Prince, trying her best not to cause him any trouble.

But the assassin was still not giving up. Seeing that the arrows could not harm him, he released grappling hooks that embedded themselves in the four corners of the carriage, intending to tear the carriage apart and force the prince to show himself.

Yun Kui could feel the vehicle shaking violently; the sounds of breaking wood and rubbing ropes were terrifying.

The Crown Prince said in a deep voice, "Hold on tight!"

Yun Kui felt a sudden tightening around her waist. The next moment, the roof of the carriage was forcibly ripped open with a sword. She closed her eyes tightly and felt herself being carried to a high place. Her feet were on the splinters of wood that had been thrown out of the carriage. A loud crash came from below, startling her. She looked down and saw the magnificent and spacious sandalwood carriage shattering into pieces, with wood flying everywhere and dust billowing in the air.

As soon as he stood firm on the ground, a row of black-clad assassins in front of him immediately concentrated their fire and swung their swords at the prince.

Just as Yun Kui was about to hide behind him, a magnificent red figure suddenly appeared and blocked their path with lightning speed. The Embroidered Spring Blade, carrying immense force, instantly killed the seven or eight assassins who had surrounded them.

Yun Kui stared blankly at everything before her.

How could he not recognize this outfit? Just now at the Prajna Temple, he was the only member of the Imperial Guard wearing a red robe, and now he's come to rescue her and His Highness...

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words at the execution ground and noticing his unusual expression, Sheng Yu immediately abandoned Emperor Chunming and his subordinates from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and followed him. Sure enough, someone was planning to assassinate him today.

He turned his head and glanced at Yun Kui, then noticed the girl's hand being held tightly by His Highness the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, please leave with your men first. I will handle things here."

Yun Kui's palms were cold, her whole body was trembling slightly, and her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move.

No sooner had Sheng Yu finished speaking than more than ten men in black surrounded and attacked.

Over the years, he served as a commander in the local area, supervising the training of his troops every day. He never neglected his own martial arts skills. In addition, he had been constantly assassinated and surrounded by dangers. Thanks to them, his skills were even more ruthless and vicious than when he was young.

Yun Kui and the Crown Prince were surrounded by the guards and protected in a relatively safe area. The black-clad assassins, due to Sheng Yu's arrival, quickly showed signs of weakness under the fierce and powerful offensive.

Just then, another man in black descended from the sky, brandishing a knife and charging straight at Sheng Yu.

Yun Kui recognized those sinister and chilling eyes; they belonged to the assassin leader she had encountered on the night of the Lantern Festival!

"Your Highness, it's him! The one who injured you in Shangyuan!"

The two quickly engaged in combat. One was as agile as a ghost, while the other, dressed in red, exuded an imposing aura. They were evenly matched, their skills on par.

Yun Kui could only see the cold light and shadow of swords before her eyes, sparks flying everywhere. Her heart pounded wildly, and she dared not look away for even a moment.

The man in black's moves were ruthless and deadly, but they were all neutralized by Sheng Yu's agile techniques. Gradually, amidst the clashing swords and shadows, blood began to splatter all over his body.

Yun Kui couldn't even see who was injured. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, and she was so nervous that she couldn't breathe.

Several other men in black also brandished their knives and rushed forward to fight back, but they were also driven back by Qin Ge and his men.

The black-clad leader, wounded in the arms and waist, gradually lost his strength. Sheng Yu gave him no chance to catch his breath, his attacks swift but not aimed at vital points, leaving countless wounds on his body. Finally, the knife sliced ​​across his cheek, directly knocking off the black square scarf he was wearing.

The assassin leader finally lost his composure, making frequent mistakes in his moves, and was subdued by Sheng Yu in a few moves.

Sheng Yu even considered dislocating his legs to prevent him from struggling and escaping, but considering the girl's presence, he didn't go all out. He simply held the knife to the man's neck and pressed him firmly to the ground.

The man, who always appeared in public wearing a mask or black veil, revealed his true face for the first time, surprising not only the Crown Prince and Sheng Yu, but also his men in black.

The man knelt on the ground, trembling, trying to cover his ugly and terrifying half of his face, but Sheng Yu still saw it.

Half of his face was pitted and scarred, a hideous ochre red, the marks of a fire. His right ear was almost burned flat.

Even so, based on the Crown Prince's previous reminder and the somewhat familiar features of the person in front of him, Sheng Yu spoke in a cold voice: "How have you been, General Feng?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Yu's pupils contracted sharply, and the veins on his forehead bulged from the struggle, making his face appear even more distorted and terrifying.

Seeing his extremely shocked reaction, Sheng Yu understood. Just as he was about to reply to the Crown Prince, his eyes glanced again at the hand that was tightly clasped with the Crown Prince's.

He had been hitting her for so long, yet the girl was just being led by the Crown Prince without letting go.

Men and women should not touch each other. Even if the crown prince wanted to protect her, there was no need for such formality.