Chapter 20 Your Highness, your life has lost its value far too quickly. Choose to give it back…

Seeing Lu Wensheng join the battle, the masked assassin changed his stance and mercilessly slashed at Lu Wensheng instead.

Another arrow pierced the rain from the same direction, hurtling towards them.

Lu Wensheng: "Don't worry about me, I can protect myself."

Perhaps because of this added burden, Shen Hegui stopped torturing and killing the assassins and instead chose to kill them with a single sword strike.

A crimson fire shot into the sky, bursting open with a loud bang. It was set off by Shen Hegui when he had a spare moment.

Beside him, Lu Wensheng deftly dodged the blade thrusting towards her and scattered the last bit of sleeping potion in his palm.

The rain was too heavy, so the powder wasn't very effective, but it still posed some threat.

The tall assassin, two steps away, assumed Lu Wensheng still had medicine and swung his knife at him.

The arrows that had been aimed at Shen Hegui suddenly changed their target and were aimed at Lu Wensheng's head.

Arrows and knives came at the same time, but Lu Wensheng only noticed one of them.

She was concentrating, preparing to deal with the blade that was about to strike, when she found that Shen Hegui had grabbed her by the armpit, and the two of them were instantly switched positions.

The arrow pierced flesh with a sickening sound. Lu Wensheng didn't have time to see where Shen Hegui was injured. She instinctively raised her hand to meet the blade and minimize the damage.

When the thin, sharp longsword struck Lu Wensheng's arm, the tall assassin only had time to be surprised at how hard it was before the rebounding blade fragments pierced his skull.

Lu Wensheng felt a chill in his heart, suddenly remembering Shen Hegui's previous instructions: "If necessary, you can let the chicken peck at your hands and legs, but only your hands and legs, remember that?"

But in a battle amidst the clash of swords, how can one not go all out? If you try to block with your hands and feet, you'll most likely lose an arm or a leg. So what was Shen Hegui's purpose in saying that?

Lu Wensheng had no time to think it through, because Xiao Yuan's voice rushed into her mind, no longer childish, but extremely mechanical: [System malfunction, in emergency reboot...]

Lu Wensheng hurriedly took Xiao Yuan out of his sleeve and found that its shell had been split open with tiny cracks.

Xiao Yuan: [Rainwater seepage detected, causing further damage; emergency restart in progress...]

Lu Wensheng's hand trembled, and she almost dropped Xiao Yuan. She quickly put Xiao Yuan back into her sleeve.

Shen Hegui chopped off the arrow's tail that had pierced his shoulder and caught a glimpse of a tortoise's shadow.

Shen Hegui's voice was cold and unreadable, revealing neither joy nor anger: "It is indeed very loyal, just like its master. I thought it had run away on its own, but it turned out it found its way back."

Lu Wensheng attributed Shen Hegui's harsh words to her causing his injury, without giving it much thought.

Xiao Yuan's mechanical voice echoed repeatedly in Lu Wensheng's mind. It was a bit noisy, so she could only hypnotize herself that she couldn't hear it and tell herself that she absolutely couldn't be distracted.

Upon receiving the pre-arranged signal, Lin Shoubai led the Imperial Guards through the rain to provide support. The water on the ground was broken by their boots, making a sticky, crisp sound before splashing and scattering.

The water that gathered at the eaves rushed down and flowed into the ground, and the water droplets that gathered at the hem of the flying fish robe also formed a water line and flowed into the ground.

Soon, Shen Hegui and Lu Wensheng were escorted to the center by the Imperial Guards who had rushed over.

Lin Shoubai dropped a bombshell: "Your Highness, the Five Cities Garrison has collectively rebelled and is heading this way. Should we continue to capture Prince Su or abandon the plan to escort you back to the palace?"

Lin Shoubai's words instantly cleared Lu Wensheng's blocked train of thought. She had been wondering why Shen Hegui left the palace incognito without any guards. Not only that, but after fighting for so long, why hadn't any of the Imperial Guards hidden in the shadows appeared? And what about this increasingly remote alley and the sudden recruitment?

The King of Su's men are like the mantis, while Shen Hegui is like the cicada and the oriole. This makes sense. As for her, she was probably just an unfortunate passerby.

At this moment, Xiao Yuan's mechanical voice finally changed its words: [Reboot successful. Some damage detected, but it does not hinder system operation. The host has seven quarters of an hour to complete the side quest.]

Perhaps because of the water, Xiao Yuan's voice, after regaining its childlike quality, also had a slightly bubbly quality, which made Lu Wensheng feel uncomfortable all over.

To stop torturing her hearing, Lu Wensheng quickly replied, "I know, shut up."

After examining Lu Wensheng beside him and seeing that she was unharmed, Shen Hegui turned back to Lin Shoubai and said, "Capture Prince Su." The fish has already taken the bait; it would be a pity to let it go.

Lin Shoubai: "Yes."

Lin Shoubai's men were all skilled fighters capable of taking on a hundred men each, and with just a few words, they subdued hundreds of assassins in the surrounding area.

The narrow alleyway suddenly became extremely crowded.

Lu Wensheng's gaze swept over the assassin bound like a crab, and she subconsciously looked up at the roof ridge diagonally above her. She reminded him, "We missed the one who shot the sneak arrow!"

Anyone who dares to shoot her with a sneak attack, and then doesn't run away, shouldn't blame her for being sharp-eyed and ruthless. In life-or-death situations, she always holds a grudge, even against those of Prince Su.

Shen Hegui replied calmly, "No, that's a big fish I caught, waiting for him to come down from the roof himself!"

Lin Shoubai's voice trailed behind: "One team stays behind for on-the-spot interrogation. If they don't answer three questions, kill them without mercy. The rest of you, follow me out of the alley and surround and kill Shen Zhao with all your might!"

Lin Shoubai and Shen Hegui's words reached Lu Wensheng's ears one after the other, leaving him momentarily stunned.

The big fish is Shen Zhao? The arrow that was supposed to kill her was fired by Shen Zhao? And then her political enemy, Shen Hegui, blocked it with his body?! This is too surreal!

Shen Hegui raised his hand and patted Lu Wensheng on the shoulder, reminding him, "It's time to go, Lord Lu. The Imperial Guards are going to take care of Shen Zhao. Whether we live or die on the rest of the way depends on ourselves." After saying that, he walked towards another path, strolling leisurely, as if the rain did not exist at all.

Lu Wensheng's gaze passed over the dripping eyelashes and landed on Shen Hegui's blood-stained back. In a daze, Lu Wensheng thought he was seeing a madman.

The Five Cities Garrison has over a thousand men! Shen Hegui ordered the Imperial Guards to surround and kill Shen Zhao with all their might, while he himself carried her, this burden, alone with only a sword, and continued along the back path! Oh right, he's injured too. If she were a little more ambitious, could she stab him in the back and send this Crown Prince, who has always instilled fear in her, to his death?

The thought of a rebellious and petty person flashed through his mind, but was quickly dismissed by Lu Wensheng.

If both princes die, she will have successfully usurped the throne and become the world's biggest wage slave, spending the rest of her life sleeping later than a dog and waking up earlier than a rooster.

No! Absolutely not! Besides, if Shen Zhao dies, Shen Hegui can't die either. If he dies, who will she ask for missions from!

"Your Highness, wait for me!" Lu Wensheng hurriedly ran to catch up.

The invisible chasm that had previously appeared disappeared with the sound of Lu Wensheng's chasing footsteps.

Lu Wensheng asked, "Was the person who shot the arrow really Shen Zhao?" In her past memories, Shen Zhao had always taken care of her like a friendly older brother. He was not only cheerful and kind but also very easy to talk to, which was the complete opposite of Shen Hegui. So she was half-believing and half-doubting.

Shen Hegui did not stop walking, but deliberately slowed down to make it easier for Lu Wensheng to keep up: "Heh, of all the officials, I guess only you have always treated him like a good thing. A dog that bites never barks."

Lu Wensheng was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to refute. He could only mutter to himself, "Even a barking dog can bite. It all depends on whether you push the dog too far."

The raindrops were crushed by footsteps, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

The sudden downpour caused almost no pedestrians on the street, so when Lu Wensheng and Shen Hegui walked out of the alley and stood on the street, they looked like two small white poplars rooted in the desert, extremely conspicuous.

"The person is there!"

"Slay the traitor! A reward of one hundred gold pieces will be given to whoever takes his head!"

Lu Wensheng cursed the national treasure and then complained, "Your Highness, your life has depreciated too quickly. Inside was a thousand gold pieces and the promise of a noble title and high office, but in less than half an hour, it's only worth a hundred gold pieces."

Shen Hegui ignored Lu Wensheng. He flicked the water droplets off his soft sword, preparing to reap the rewards. The thought of the thrill of taking lives and the exhilarating sensation of blood being diluted and amplified by the rain filled him with a surge of immense pleasure. Wearing human skin for too long is truly unpleasant!

Lu Wensheng wiped the rain off his face and saw that half of Shen Hegui's shoulder was stained with blood. He disregarded the etiquette between ruler and subject, grabbed Shen Hegui's wrist, and pulled him into another alley.

The plan was suddenly disrupted, and a rare look of displeasure appeared on Shen Hegui's usually cool and aloof face.

Or should we just kill Lu Wensheng? Who told him to ruin the good thing he'd been looking forward to for so long? Rainy days are perfect for a bloodbath. Anyone who betrays him must die. Slaughter all the way from the streets to the Censorate, to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel... even massacre the capital. Let the Shen family's empire be destroyed today!

Rainwater seeped into his palm, reducing friction. Without further ado, Lu Wensheng simply embedded his five fingers into Shen Hegui's cool fingers and held them tightly.

Shen Hegui's skin is as smooth as an eel, and it's also incredibly cold, with no warmth at all. Could it be due to excessive blood loss?

As she ran, she glanced back and comforted him, "Your Highness, just hang in there a little longer. I'll take you somewhere where we can hide for the night. It's absolutely safe!" Thankfully, her lips didn't change color.

Shen Hegui shifted his gaze from their clasped hands to Lu Wensheng's face as he turned back. His appearance was truly stunning; he vaguely remembered that there were a few old fogies in the court who had a particular fondness for this kind of male beauty.

Humans seem to become more perverted and disgusting as they get older.

Shen Hegui's murderous intent shifted elsewhere.

"The traitor is over there!"

"Someone come quick!"

Lu Wensheng was trying her best to escape, while Shen Hegui behind her had long arms and legs. From behind, it looked like they were taking a stroll, making the scene extremely incongruous.

The soldiers from the Five Cities Garrison surrounded them from all directions. Lu Wensheng had no choice but to lead Shen Hegui toward the dog hole he remembered.

“Lu Wensheng, you don’t need to worry about me. They’re after me,” Shen Hegui reminded him.

She hadn't heard Shen Hegui call her by her full name in a long time. In the past, when he did, it was never a good thing, so Lu Wensheng instinctively shrank back.

"No way! If you die today, Yanjing will be in complete chaos." While fleeing for their lives, she had to say some nice things to Shen Hegui as a way of comforting him. "Besides, Prince Su has already turned his cold arrows on me. Even if I die today, I won't let you die." Please, God, don't take this seriously. She didn't want to die at all.

"If Prince Su returns, will you choose him or me?" Shen Hegui asked.