Chapter 119 Mission Completed
Balin Baiyin stood before Hongzhao, looking down at the Crown Prince who stood very close. Normally, apart from the Emperor, almost no one would look at the Crown Prince with such eyes, but things were different on the grassland. Baiyin was indeed a man of principle; he remembered his father's words and was determined to bring honor to him and the Balin tribe, and he was determined to defeat the Crown Prince!
The two locked eyes, and Hongzhao could see the intense fighting spirit and unwavering conviction in his bloodshot eyes.
To outsiders, the two appeared to be locked in a fierce battle of wills, but objectively speaking, even though Hongzhao was slightly tilting his head back, he still firmly suppressed the imposing figure opposite him.
After all, those who have held high positions for a long time naturally exude an aura of authority that commands respect.
As the whistle blew, Balin Baiyin reacted swiftly and pounced forward. Every move he made showed no intention of probing. Every strike was full of force, aimed at Hongzhao's weak points, including his neck, face, ribs, and even intentionally or unintentionally targeting his lower body.
Hongzhao didn't pounce as fiercely as he did at first, so he inevitably appeared somewhat passive. As he dodged continuously, he stared wide-eyed in shock at the person opposite him.
You can never truly know a person's heart, even if they can only look at their face. You look like a dark-faced, honest and simple man, so how could your hands be so dirty?
Hongzhao, being involved in this process, could sense it, and bystanders could naturally understand it as well.
"This..." Several princes looked at the Khorchin prince at the front, who was frowning and silent, and clicked their tongues, wondering whether they should speak up to stop him. However, the competition had not specified which methods were prohibited. Thinking of this, they turned to look at the Balin prince at the back, who was looking excited.
There's no need to even think about it. That simple-minded, stubborn boy from the Balin tribe listens to his father the most, so it's certain that the Balin Prince has been secretly teaching him something. Now they all understand. Whether they win or lose this time, they've seen the true character of a tribal leader through this incident, and they'll see who else on the grasslands will be willing to associate with the Balin tribe in the future.
"Your Majesty, ever since the Crown Prince arrived at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, the Balin tribe has subtly shown disrespect. They were the ones who started the trouble in this competition. Hongzhao has been concerned for Your Majesty and hasn't pursued the matter much with them. But judging from this young master's demeanor today, I'm afraid..."
Yinzhen's face was very solemn, and his imposing aura made Su Peisheng silently light a candle for the two people below him. He then spoke in a gloomy voice with his fists clenched tightly: "Bahrain tribe, I think they have been living too peacefully these past few years, and they have become increasingly bold."
As he spoke, his gaze never left the grassland below. Hongzhao dodged a few times and finally retreated to the very edge of the grassland. If he went any further, he would be automatically forfeiting. Seeing this, Balin Baiyin intensified his already rapid offensive with even more powerful and sweeping attacks.
Seeing that there was no way to retreat, Hongzhao focused his gaze on Balin Baiyin's exposed neck, and with a twist of his ankle, he raised his hand to deflect Balin Baiyin's incoming fist. The next second, his powerful legs, clad in cloud-patterned black boots, slammed into the back of his neck with a gust of wind.
Balin Baiyin lay on the ground, completely bewildered, still unable to understand where the slender prince had gotten such strength.
There was an uproar outside the arena. After all, judging from the battle, the prince could be said to be retreating step by step in the first few moves, and he was just one step away from falling out of the arena. But who would have thought that the other party was just playing with him and conserving his strength!
He could easily knock down someone several times his size, leaving them unable to get up. How could he be forced into a retreat? It was more like he was toying with him.
"Idiot! Stand up!"
Everyone could see the difference in fighting power between the two men from just that one kick. Yet, the Prince of Balin refused to give up, calling out to his son, whose eyes were glazed over, with heartbreaking grief, "Get up! Fight!"
The ringing in Bairin Baiyin's ears lingered and wouldn't go away. Even lying on the ground, he felt dizzy and couldn't hear anything except his father's calls.
"Stand up...and fight back."
He propped himself up on his elbows, knowing full well the force of the kick that had come at him. He knew he couldn't win, but he couldn't fail to fulfill his father's instructions. His hands trembled as he reached for the bottom of his boots.
A flash of silver light streaked across the sky, landing squarely in Yinzhen's eyes. He could no longer maintain his feigned composure; his eyes blazing with fury, he disregarded all decorum and darted out from behind the yurt, running forward—"You'er, be careful! Protect the Emperor!" His voice was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. No one had expected there to be someone behind them. Hearing the voice, everyone involuntarily turned their heads to look. Even Hongzhao, upon hearing his father's voice, unconsciously tilted his head.
Bairin Bayin felt that this was the last chance God had given him.
He gripped a silver dagger, his eyes narrowed, and ran with all his might toward Hongzhao. Yellow-clad guards from all directions rushed toward the crown prince, but they were too fast. Balin Baiyin seemed to have made up his mind and did not hesitate for a moment, heading straight toward Hongzhao.
Yinzhen rushed over, and seeing the short blade getting closer and closer to his son, he shouted desperately to stop it. Only then did the princes and nobles realize that the person who came was actually the emperor. What was worse, the emperor was watching his crown prince being assassinated.
Hongzhao listened to the system's frantic alarm. To be honest, this was the first time he had faced such a direct assassination attempt without any strategy. He was still able to think because of his adrenaline.
His retreating maneuvers were incredibly skillful, but Balin Baiyin's eyes were fixed straight ahead, recklessly brandishing his knife and charging forward. His chaotic, unpredictable swings left Hongzhao completely bewildered. Just as he was about to call for help from the system, he caught a glimpse of a bright yellow figure darting closer.
"Father Emperor!" he shouted as if he had found a powerful backer. Yinzhen was already anxious at this moment, and hearing his son's call made him even more eager to skin the traitor alive!
He kicked Balin Baiyin squarely in the wrist of the knife-wielding man, and the guards who followed immediately pinned him to the ground.
Yinzhen took two steps forward, ignoring everyone else, and pulled Hongzhao in front of him, stroking his clothes and carefully examining him from head to toe.
Seeing that there wasn't a single scratch, his heart, which had been clenched with anxiety, finally relaxed a little. Regardless of how many people were present, he squatted down and hugged Hongzhao tightly in his arms, feeling the warmth of the person in his arms and the noticeably faster heartbeat in his chest after the ordeal.
"Beep—Task completed, reward issued."
Hongzhao buried his head in his father's shoulder, paused slightly, and tentatively turned on the mind-reading device.
The volume of the sound heard by mind-reading depends on the depth of the obsession in one's mind. Hongzhao couldn't help but cover his ears, which were numb from the vibration, and his eyes inexplicably became hot as he listened to his father's thoughts.
"Finally... finally, there was a time when his Yu'er wasn't hurt in front of him, and finally, there was a time when he personally rescued his Yu'er from danger."
Yinzhen sensed the change in his son's emotions and pulled him out. As expected, he saw that Hongzhao's eyes were slightly red. He knew that this time he had really frightened him. He patted Hongzhao's head to comfort him, and looked at Balin Baiyin, who was pressed on the ground, with a cold gaze as if he were looking at a dead object.
"I have specially issued an imperial edict that seeing the Crown Prince is as if I were present in person. This is tantamount to regicide and rebellion. Even a thousand deaths cannot atone for this sin. Is this the carefully prepared welcome you all made for me and the Crown Prince during the Mulan Autumn Hunt?"
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