As the gust of wind subsided, more than a dozen dark figures on horseback appeared at the canyon exit. Jing Zhe turned around and saw that there were also more than a dozen people behind him.
Seeing more than twenty people on horseback who dared not approach, Jing Zhe laughed and said, "The Prince of Jin is really generous!"
The man in black was well-trained and did not reply after hearing this.
"What's wrong with being generous when dealing with President Jing?"
At this moment, a man in black behind him spoke up, and his voice was familiar enough to Jing Zhe; it was the middle-aged innkeeper from the previous inn!
"Shopkeeper, your acting is quite good!"
Jing Zhe scoffed, "But do you really think that you, with just a dozen or so of you, can kill us?"
Jing Zhe glanced at them and realized that the highest level among the twenty-odd black-clad assassins was only the peak of the fourth level, which was far inferior to the two of them who were at the sixth level.
Even a sneak attack might not work, let alone a face-to-face confrontation?
The middle-aged shopkeeper said coldly, "If we really wanted to kill people, we could have filled this canyon with archers. Even if Chief Jing is at the mid-stage of the sixth level, he would still be unable to escape death!"
It seems that the other party is fully aware of his level of skill, yet they still dare to appear here, which means they have a foolproof plan.
Pei Yunxi, standing next to him, felt a wave of fear: She had already said that she shouldn't have eaten the food he had prepared! But... he had eaten it himself too.
Jing Zhe pondered for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Is there poison in the food?"
"Hehe, President Jing is indeed clever, but he's a little late in coming to his senses!"
Upon hearing this, Jing Zhe did not show the fear the middle-aged shopkeeper had imagined. Instead, he smiled and said, "Shall we have Half-Moon Powder?"
Since they were sent by the Prince of Jin, the poison they used must have been the Half-Moon Powder, which the Prince of Jin trusted most.
"How...how did you know?"
The middle-aged shopkeeper was utterly shocked.
Jing Zhe didn't reply to him, and continued to laugh: "And I also know that if we don't eat your food, you probably won't show up today, and your people will continue to wait for us at the next post station until we eat, right? And you've already figured out that I won't go without eating at a post station on such a long journey from Jinxi to Liangzhou, right?"
"This...you..."
Not only the middle-aged shopkeeper, but even Pei Yunxi, who was beside Jing Zhe, felt it was unbelievable, because according to Jing Zhe, he clearly guessed that there was Half Moon Powder in the food, but he still ate it.
As a member of a sect, Pei Yunxi naturally knew that the poison of Half-Moon Powder was extraordinary. Although the four major sects were devoted to martial arts, they would also refine some pills in private. Kunlun Mirror had also tried to refine an antidote for Half-Moon Powder, but ultimately failed.
She had heard that, in order to ensure loyalty, the disciples of Tongtianque were all fed Half-Moon Powder, and so far no one had taken the antidote; they could only survive by taking the antidote periodically.
Although it is unknown whether this rumor is true or false, the terrifying power of Half-Moon Powder is evident!
She was even more confused as to why Jing Zhe ate the food even though he knew it was poisoned.
She looked at Jing Zhe with puzzlement in her eyes, but Jing Zhe gently patted her hand with a smile in his eyes.
At this point, the middle-aged shopkeeper continued to ask, "Since you knew there was Half-Moon Powder in the food, why did you still dare to eat it?"
"Because I'm afraid of trouble!"
Jing Zhe shrugged helplessly.
"..."
The middle-aged shopkeeper knew that Jing Zhe was showing off, but he thought Jing Zhe was a complete idiot!
If you're worried about the hassle, just take Banyue San (a traditional Chinese medicine).
Are you afraid of dying too slowly?
Sigh, if there were more idiots like this, their job as assassins would be so much easier!
"I don't want to run into you every time I go to the post station, and not even be able to eat properly. So I might as well grant your wish and lure you all out!"
"..."
Hearing Jing Zhe continue to show off, the middle-aged shopkeeper felt uncomfortable, but then he discovered the loopholes in his words.
If he had seen through the flaw from the beginning, why would he have gone to so much trouble to have him taste it and wait to see if he was poisoned?
This only proves that he's faking it now!
He sneered, "Heh, so what? In the end, you still ended up taking the Half-Moon Powder. So what if you're at the sixth level? Now you still have to listen to us obediently."
After the middle-aged shopkeeper finished speaking, a man in black walked over and whispered a few words in his ear, seemingly urging him on. The middle-aged shopkeeper nodded and said, "President Jing, we didn't come here to fight you, but to tell you that you've taken the Half-Month Powder, which only lasts for half a month. If you want to live..."
"Should we go and beg the Prince of Jin to do his bidding and retrieve the antidote?"
"That's not something we need to worry about."
The middle-aged shopkeeper shrugged and then looked coldly at Jing Zhe: "This mission is far too easy for us, we don't even need to lift a finger, but do you know why we still sent so many people? It's because we all want to see what kind of people killed those brothers who went to Jingzhou back then!"
Seeing that you're at the sixth level of the cultivation realm, I can only say their deaths weren't unjust. However, our feud is now established! We have a mission this time, so we won't hold it against you. But if we encounter you again, even if you're at the sixth level, we definitely won't let it go!
After hearing what he said, Jing Zhe quickly recalled and immediately made the connection to the identities of these people.
"You are the Dark Knights, aren't you?"
The middle-aged shopkeeper's gaze was sharp, and he did not reply.
"Those black-clad assassins you sent to Jingzhou back then were they also your Dark Knights, weren't they? It seems we really are destined to be enemies!"
Not long after Jing Zhe arrived in Jingzhou, he was invited by Su Moyan to a banquet at the East Palace. On his way back that night, he was stopped by a group of men in black wielding large knives. If Liu Jinghong hadn't arrived in time, he would have been dead long ago.
Later, I heard Liu Jinghong say that these people were very disciplined. When faced with the Jinghong Iron Cavalry, they would rather commit suicide than surrender. Their style was the same as that of the Dark Knights. Looking at their clothes and appearance, they were just like the Dark Knights.
The Dark Night Envoys were the most notorious assassin organization in Anguo, having assassinated many people, mostly near Jinxi. Emperor An once suspected that the Dark Night Envoys were related to Prince Jin, but due to a lack of evidence and the inability to find them, he had to give up.
Seeing the middle-aged shopkeeper remain silent with a cold gaze, Jing Zhe knew he had guessed correctly and laughed, "But you're wrong. I didn't kill your brothers!"
"..."
"They're such cowards! They were so scared when they saw me that they wet themselves and committed suicide. Dark Knights? They might as well be called suicide knights! And you, saying you'd never let me go next time you see me? Are you dreaming?"
Jing Zhe stared at them, his cold gaze sweeping over them: "Please get this straight, the current situation is that I will not let you leave here alive!"
"..."
————
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