Fu Zhun's face was turned to the side by the slap, and he was slightly taken aback.

Hearing Su An's words, he couldn't help but shake his head and give a bitter laugh, his voice tinged with grievance.

"Everything is predestined. Even if I leave today, thousands of Zhenbei Kings will rise up in the future. The people of the world will be the same whether I am here or not."

"I've lived so long, and this is the first time I've ever liked a woman so much. If I miss this opportunity, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Yes, from Fu Zhun's perspective, he just wanted to do what he loved, so what's wrong with that?

Su An stared at him with a complicated expression, pursing her lips and remaining silent.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a whooshing sound rang out.

Fu Zhun's ears twitched involuntarily, and he quickly turned his head to look at the source of the sound.

A gleaming arrow was hurtling toward Su An at breakneck speed. If she were to let it hit her, she would surely die.

Fu Zhun's pupils dilated slightly, and he almost instinctively lunged at Su An.

"careful!!"

Despite his quick reaction, the arrow still grazed his arm.

The clothes on his shoulders were torn by arrows, and the flesh underneath looked rather gruesome.

Fu Zhun couldn't help but grunt, then turned around, caught the arrow with his bare hands, and threw it back towards its source.

Then, with a thud, the person hidden in the shadows fell to the ground in front of them with an arrow stuck in their shoulder.

Su An hugged Fu Zhun tightly, her voice full of concern.

How are you?

Before he could answer, the dark figure in front of him stood up, broke the arrow off his shoulder, wiped the blood from his lips, and snorted coldly.

"As expected of the Prince of Zhenbei, his reaction is quick, but unfortunately he still fell for my trick."

Hearing this, Su An looked at the person who had come.

This person was none other than her mortal enemy, He Cheng.

She hadn't seen He Cheng for a long time and had almost forgotten about him. But it was strange, though, that He Cheng didn't seem to be by Chu Yi's side on the day Fu Zhun attacked the palace.

She thought he had become a stray dog ​​and would never show up again, but unexpectedly he actually followed her.

If they don't pay the dues today, won't they all lose their lives?

Just thinking about it sent chills down Su An's spine.

"How could a mere minor injury possibly harm me? I was lucky enough to let you escape that day. If you had known better and had lived a normal life in hiding, I might have considered sparing your life. But now you've come at the perfect time, and I'll take care of you then."

Ignoring the pain, Fu Zhun snorted coldly, drew his sword from his waist, and confronted He Cheng.

In the past, although He Cheng could not beat Fu Zhun, he could still last a dozen or so moves against him. But now, whether it was because of his injury or something else, he was defeated by Fu Zhun after only three moves.

Fu Zhun plunged a sword into his heart, then withdrew it without any mercy.

Blood gushed out immediately, and He Cheng knelt on the ground, his face pale, his eyes wide open, his face filled with pain.

Looking at the scene before him, Fu Zhun glanced at the sword in his hand, his brows furrowing.

For some reason, he felt that everything was going too smoothly, and something seemed off.

Just as he was struggling with his decision, He Cheng, who thought he was doomed, suddenly stood up and stumbled away.

Fu Zhun's eyes narrowed, and he subconsciously chased after him.

But he was too late; he watched helplessly as He Cheng jumped into the moat.

His blood quickly spread in the moat.

Before being completely submerged, He Cheng's eyes flashed with madness as he laughed loudly.

"Even if I am less skilled than you, so what if I die at your hands? I will sacrifice the people of the world for me. With so many people accompanying me on my journey to the underworld, it will all be worth it."

Under the bright moonlight, Fu Zhun looked closely and discovered that the river water, mixed with blood, had a slightly blackish tinge, and there was also some inexplicable mist on the surface.

His blood is poisonous!

Only then did Fu Zhun realize why He Cheng dared to show up again.

He is deliberately seeking death today, throwing himself into the trap, attempting to drag the entire population of the capital down with him.

But now, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't be able to stop the tragedy from happening.

After all, the moat is the lifeblood of the people. If the people are not allowed to use the water in the moat, it is tantamount to cutting off their livelihood. Not only will the people not listen to advice, but it will also cause panic.

Just as Fu Zhun stood there, pondering a solution, Su An caught up from behind.

Seeing this situation, she frowned and cursed through gritted teeth.

"I really underestimated this bastard. I thought he was just too stubborn, which is why he kept chasing me and trying to kill me. I never expected him to be so ruthless."

"No, we absolutely cannot let this poison continue to spread. We must create an antidote as soon as possible."

She bit her lower lip and muttered to herself.

Fu Zhun didn't speak, but he was also worried.

Su An was worried about the people in the city, so he planned to go back temporarily and leave after resolving the matter.

At the same time, a young man dressed in a crescent-white brocade robe sat in a chair, a smug smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. My current predicament is only temporary. Once the people are in great turmoil, Fu Zhun will be overwhelmed. At that time, Your Majesty can launch a full-scale attack, march straight to the capital, and we will surely succeed!"

Upon hearing this, the Northern Hu King glanced at the man with a smile and leisurely raised the wine cup in his hand.

"You can be so ruthless to your own people. Aren't you afraid that if this is exposed in the future, the people will resent you?"

"No poison, no manly man. When Fu Zhun besieged the city, did they ever help me? Since they were ruthless, they can't blame me for being unjust. Besides, I'm doing this for the sake of the Great Chu. Their deaths are worthwhile."

Chu Yi also raised his wine glass, raised an eyebrow, and brought it to his lips.

After watching Chu Yi finish his drink, the King of Beihu tilted his head back and drank his own wine. Then he slammed his wine cup on the table and laughed heartily.

"That's right. To consolidate the country, some people have to make sacrifices. It doesn't matter if a few die."

As he spoke, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Chu Yi and said with a smile.

"Then I would like to wish us a pleasant cooperation in advance."

Another round of toasts and drinks ensued.

After chatting for a long time, the sounds of string and wind instruments arose all around, and a Northern Hu dancer, dressed in light clothing, danced gracefully in front of them. Only then did the two men silently appreciate the dance.

However, as his gaze passed over these dancers, the Northern Hu King couldn't help but think of Su An.

If this plan succeeds, and the Prince of Zhenbei falls from power, wouldn't he be able to take the opportunity to kidnap Su An?

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of excitement and downed several glasses of wine before stopping.

After He Cheng's death, the people in the city drank water from the moat every day, and the toxins entered their bodies.