Love Lock

Chapter 147 Prying Open His Mouth

"Watch out!" Hua Tianyou shouted in a low voice, his eyes flashing as he quickly scanned the surroundings.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than five men in black emerged from the shadows of the alley, their swords gleaming coldly in the moonlight, heading straight for the carriage.

The incident happened so suddenly that Hua Tianyou didn't even have time to draw his gun. His heart tightened, and the riding whip in his hand instantly transformed into a weapon.

He suddenly lashed out with his whip, the tip of which coiled like a snake towards the man in black at the front.

Caught off guard, the man in black had his wrist wrapped in the whip, and the blade veered off course, striking the wooden planks of the carriage with a dull thud.

"Ling'er! Aunt Li! Lie down!" Hua Tianyou shouted, and Aunt Li's (Zhao Ling'er) screamed from inside the carriage.

"what!"

"Ah! Brother Tianyou, what's wrong?"

Before Hua Tianyou could answer, another man in black swung his knife. He dodged to the side, the blade grazing his shoulder and sending a gust of cold wind through him.

Hua Tianyou lashed out with his whip, the tip striking the man in black hard across the face. The man screamed and staggered back several steps, clutching his face.

Just as Hua Tianyou was dealing with the two men in black, three other men in black attacked the other side of the carriage, their blades pointed directly at the carriage.

Hua Tianyou's heart sank. He was about to rush over when he was entangled by the man in black in front of him and could not break free.

He was extremely anxious, and he wielded his whip so fast that the men in black had to retreat repeatedly. However, the men outnumbered him and he was unable to break free.

With a loud "bang," the side of the carriage was cleaved open by a blade, revealing Zhao Ling'er and Li Sao, who were huddled together in fear inside.

Zhao Ling'er was pale, her eyes filled with terror, while Aunt Li protected her tightly, her voice trembling.

"You...what do you want to do?"

A man in black glanced inside the car and said coldly, "The King of Cangzhou isn't here; only his queen and an old woman are here. Retreat!"

Before the words were even finished, the men in black quickly retreated, clearly not intending to linger in the fight.

Although Hua Tianyou was still shaken by what he saw, he remained clear-headed.

The moment the man in black stepped back, he immediately threw away his riding whip, drew a pistol from his waist, pointed the muzzle at the rapidly retreating shadow in the darkness, and fired several shots haphazardly without even bothering to aim.

"Kata! Kata!"

A few faint gunshots rang out, bullets piercing the night sky, followed by two screams in the darkness, and then the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Hua Tianyou gripped his pistol tightly, his eyes fixed on the target in the darkness.

But the night was too dark, and he could only vaguely see two dark figures lying on the ground; the rest of the men in black had disappeared into the night.

"Brother Tianyou!"

Zhao Ling'er's voice was choked with sobs as she leaned out of the carriage, her eyes filled with terror and helplessness.

Hua Tianyou put away his pistol, walked quickly to the carriage, put his hand on Zhao Ling'er's shoulder, and said softly, "Ling'er, don't be afraid. It's alright now."

Zhao Ling'er was probably frightened, and she threw herself into Hua Tianyou's arms, tears streaming down her face.

"That was...that was so scary..."

Hua Tianyou gently patted her back and whispered to comfort her, "It's alright, it's alright. I'm here, no one can hurt you."

Sister Li also climbed out of the carriage, her face pale, clearly quite frightened.

She looked around and said in a trembling voice, "Tianyou, those men in black...who are they?"

Hua Tianyou shook his head, his brows furrowed: "I don't know, but their target is clearly Zhao Zun. Ling'er, has Zhao Zun offended anyone recently?"

Zhao Ling'er shook her head, her voice choked with emotion: "I don't know... I... I don't think so... My brother and sister-in-law have been very busy."

Hua Tianyou nodded, his gaze once again falling on the two dark figures in the darkness.

He released Zhao Ling'er and said softly, "Ling'er, you and Aunt Li wait here for me. I'll go take a look."

Zhao Ling'er gripped his sleeve tightly, her eyes filled with worry: "Brother Tianyou, be careful..."

Hua Tianyou smiled slightly and patted her hand: "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

He gripped his pistol tightly and cautiously approached the two dark figures.

Under the moonlight, two men in black lay on the ground, one groaning softly, the other already lifeless.

Hua Tianyou crouched down and checked the still-breathing man in black. He found that the man had been shot in the shoulder, and blood was seeping from the wound.

"Who sent you?" Hua Tianyou asked coldly.

The man in black gritted his teeth, remaining silent, his eyes filled with stubbornness.

Hua Tianyou sneered, reached out and pressed on the man's wound. The man in black groaned in pain, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Not going to talk?" Hua Tianyou's tone was icy. "Then don't blame me for being impolite."

The man in black remained silent. Hua Tianyou frowned, knowing he wouldn't get anything out of him, so he stood up and turned back to the carriage.

"How is it?" Aunt Li asked nervously.

Hua Tianyou shook his head: "One is dead, and the other is seriously injured. We won't be able to get anything out of them. Let's go home first and then make some plans."

Zhao Ling'er nodded and gripped Hua Tianyou's hand tightly, as if only in this way could she feel a sense of security.

The carriage canopy had been hacked to pieces by swords and knives, and it took Hua Tianyou a great deal of effort to lift the bodies of the two men in black onto the carriage.

Then, he led the horse with one hand and Zhao Ling'er with the other, accompanying them slowly towards the house.

"Someone is coming! Someone is coming quickly!"

When he returned to the house, Hua Tianyou shouted at the door. The butler and servants heard the noise and came out to greet him.

Upon seeing the wrecked carriage and the two men in black pulling it, the crowd erupted in a flurry of questions.

"Young Master Hua, what's going on?" the butler asked anxiously.

"Young Master Hua, are you all injured?"

"Oh dear! How did things get like this? Quickly, go tell the old lady!"

Hua Tianyou waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Don't ask so many questions yet. Carry these two people inside and find a doctor to treat the one who is still alive. Don't let him die."

The servants quickly complied, and hurriedly carried the man in black inside.

Zhao Ling'er still held Hua Tianyou's hand tightly, her face pale, clearly not yet recovered from the shock.

"Ling'er, it's alright, we're home." Hua Tianyou comforted her softly.

Zhao Ling'er nodded, but her hand remained firmly in her grasp.

At this moment, the old lady rushed out and saw the two holding hands tightly, a complicated look flashing in her eyes.

"Tianyou, Ling'er, are you alright?" the old lady asked with concern.

Hua Tianyou nodded: "Auntie, we're fine, we just encountered some trouble on the way."

The old lady glanced at the bloodstains on the carriage, then at Zhao Ling'er's pale face. Her heart sank, and she said urgently, "Let's go inside first. We can talk about it inside."

Hua Tianyou nodded, took Zhao Ling'er's hand, and followed the old lady into the house.

In the darkness of night, the solar-powered lights hanging throughout the house were warm and bright, as if shutting out the darkness and danger of the outside world.

However, Hua Tianyou was still shaken. Who exactly were those men in black? What kind of conspiracy was hidden behind them? He had to find out as soon as possible.

The servants carried the two men in black into the courtyard and threw them onto the open ground behind the screen wall.

Several more solar-powered lights were hung on the branches, illuminating the entire yard as bright as day.

The man in black, who was just groaning and moaning, is now clearly unconscious.

Two men in black lay motionless on the ground, their dark figures standing out starkly in the glaring light.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, making even breathing feel heavy.

The servants in the house were talking in hushed tones, their eyes filled with fear and unease.

The old lady stood under the eaves, her brows furrowed, her gaze fixed on the man in black on the ground, her voice low and trembling.

"Tianyou, what exactly happened?"

"When we came back, we passed through that alley next door. They suddenly jumped out and attacked us... Luckily, we escaped unharmed."

Hua Tianyou recounted what had happened that night, his voice filled with lingering fear.

Fortunately, he had learned some martial arts since childhood, which allowed him to hold off the attack for a while. If he had brought Zhao Ling'er and the others back tonight, who knows what the outcome would have been.

"Who exactly are these men in black? They don't look like highway robbers." The old lady frowned, feeling uneasy herself, but she gently patted Zhao Ling'er's back, silently comforting her.

Aunt Li stood to the side, her face pale, clearly still shaken from the shock.

She suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Madam, I... I heard one of the men in black say something. He said, 'The King of Cangzhou is not in the carriage. There is only his queen and an old maid inside.'"

Zhao Ling'er clung tightly to the old lady's arm, her face as pale as paper, and her voice trembled as she echoed, "Yes, Mother, I heard it too. They... they seem to be after my brother."

"That's right, they were indeed after Zhao Zun. When they found that Zhao Zun wasn't in the carriage, they immediately retreated."

"What? Zun'er?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady's face turned even paler. She swayed and almost fell, but Zhao Ling'er quickly caught her.

An indescribable worry and sorrow welled up in the old lady's heart. Why was her son, Zhao Zun, so unfortunate?
Zhao Zun has left the battlefield and is far removed from the vortex of power. He is now just an idle prince who goes out early and returns late every day, working on the mountainside. Why would anyone want to kill him?
"Zun'er...Zun'er, how could anyone want his life? Who did he offend?" the old lady murmured.

Hua Tianyou shook his head, his brows furrowed, his heart also filled with doubt.

He crouched down and carefully examined the two men in black. Their night clothes were identical, and their faces beneath the black veils were unfamiliar and cold.

Hua Tianyou pulled off their face masks and examined them closely, only to find that he did not recognize the two people.

He picked up their weapons and examined them closely, discovering that each sword and blade bore a symbol—it was the standard weapon of the imperial court.

"The imperial court's weapons?" Hua Tianyou murmured to himself, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

He raised his head, looked at the old lady, and said in a low voice, "Auntie, their weapons are standard issue weapons of the imperial court. It seems they are no ordinary people!"

Upon hearing this, the old lady's expression became even more solemn, her eyes filled with worry and anger.

"A man from the imperial court? How could this be... Zun'er has always been loyal, and he has already distanced himself from the court. Why would they want to kill him?"

Hua Tianyou shook his head, his heart also filled with doubt and unease. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.

He knew that the most important thing now was to find clues from the two men in black, otherwise Zhao Zun's situation would become even more dangerous.

He crouched down, patted the unconscious man in black on the cheek, and whispered, "Hey! Wake up! Wake up!"

However, the man in black remained motionless, only his faint breathing indicating he was still alive. The other man in black had been shot in the back of the head and was already dead.

Hua Tianyou was anxious; the only clue he had now was this still-alive man in black.

He needs to get him to talk as soon as possible and obtain some useful information.

"No, Auntie, we need to find a doctor right away. We must ensure he doesn't die before we get any answers from him."

Hua Tianyou raised his head and looked at the old lady, his eyes filled with urgency.

The old lady nodded and was about to instruct the servants to fetch a doctor when she suddenly remembered something and whispered, "Tianyou, don't rush. You...you check if there's any poison hidden in his gums."

Hua Tianyou was taken aback, then shook his head somewhat blankly: "I...I don't know how."

The old lady sighed, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.

Although she had never seen it with her own eyes, she could only try it out at this moment.

"Someone, hurry and urge the doctor on his behalf," the old lady ordered.

Then, with Zhao Ling'er's help, she walked shakily to the man in black.

Hua Tianyou quickly helped the man in black to sit up. The old lady took down a solar lamp, squatted down with difficulty, pried open the man in black's mouth with her hands, and then shone the solar lamp inside.

Under the light, a small, dark object was indeed hidden in the man's back molar.

"It really is poisonous!" the old lady exclaimed in a low voice, a hint of shock and worry flashing in her eyes.

She had someone bring her a small bamboo skewer, pressed down the man in black's head, and then used the skewer to probe into his mouth.

A moment later, the small black poison pill was pulled out and fell to the ground.

"They're actually assassins..."

The old lady's brows furrowed tightly, and her worry deepened.

Although she was mentally prepared, she still felt a chill run down her spine after personally confirming the identities of the two black-clad assassins.

Hua Tianyou watched the old lady's actions with great amazement and couldn't help but say, "Auntie, I didn't expect you to know how to do this."

The old lady gave a wry smile and shook her head.

"How would I know any of this? I only heard my old man mention it. Many of the nobles in the capital keep assassins to do dirty work for them. The assassins hide poison in their molars, and if they are exposed, they will bite the poison and commit suicide. I was just trying my luck."

Hua Tianyou nodded, looking at the man in black on the ground, feeling even more uneasy.

He knew that since these men in black were able to find out where Zhao Zun lived and sneak here to assassinate him, there must be a powerful force behind them.

If the origins of these men in black cannot be found, the Zhao family will never have peace.

"Auntie, what should we do now?" Hua Tianyou asked in a low voice, his voice tinged with anxiety.

The old lady was silent for a moment, then a resolute glint flashed in her eyes: "First, wait for the doctor to arrive and save his life. Then... we'll find a way to get him to talk. No matter what, we must find out who sent them."

Zhao Ling'er held the old lady's hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

"Mother, my brother... will he be alright?"

The old lady sighed, gently patted Zhao Ling'er's hand, and said nothing.

Why hasn't the doctor arrived yet?

Hua Tianyou glanced at Zhao Ling'er's tearful face and felt a pang of sympathy, but he couldn't do much to help her. He couldn't help but anxiously wring his hands.

He knew that with Zhao Zun gone, he was now the only man in the family who could speak up, and the only one Zhao Ling'er and the old lady could rely on.

He had no choice. For Zhao Zun's sake, for the sake of his family, he had to stand up no matter what and find the mastermind behind it all.

Although the poison in the assassin's mouth had been removed, he remained unconscious, his face as pale as paper, and his breathing so weak that it was almost imperceptible.

Time ticked by, but the doctor was nowhere to be seen, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.

Hua Tianyou suddenly remembered that when the soldiers were wounded in the military camp, Old He would always use the strong liquor that Han Lei taught them to brew to disinfect their wounds.

Although the strong liquor was pungent and irritating, its effects were surprisingly good.

He turned to the old lady and asked anxiously, "Auntie, do you have any strong liquor at home? I mean, the really strong kind, the kind that can be used for disinfection."

The old lady paused for a moment, clearly unfamiliar with the term "strong liquor".

She pondered for a moment and suddenly remembered that there were still a few jars of Zuixian wine that Tongfulou had given them when they left Qingshui County.

Although the wine wasn't extremely strong, it was still a rare and excellent brew.

"Would the Drunken Immortal Wine be alright?" the old lady asked.

Hua Tianyou nodded: "It should work, let's give it a try."

The old lady immediately ordered someone to fetch the Drunken Immortal Wine.

When the wine jar was brought over, Hua Tianyou took the jar and poured a bowl of wine.

He imitated Old He, poured the liquor into a bowl, then used a clean cloth dipped in the liquor to carefully wash the wounds of the assassin.

The alcohol seeped into the wound, and the assassin's body twitched slightly, but he still showed no signs of waking up.

Hua Tianyou's heart sank. He looked up at the old lady, his eyes filled with anxiety.

"Oh dear! If only Han Lei were here. She knows how to treat gunshot wounds and how to save this person's life."

The mention of Han Lei sent a jolt through Hua Tianyou. He suddenly realized that Zhao Zun and Han Lei might also be facing danger.

He stood up abruptly, his voice urgent: "No, Aunt, I have to go to the military camp right away. I need to send someone to deliver a message to Zhao Zun and the others, telling them to be extremely careful."

The old lady nodded, her expression equally grave. Although she didn't understand these matters of swords and intrigue, she knew the seriousness of the situation.

She looked at Hua Tianyou, her voice trembling slightly: "Okay, you go ahead. I'll keep watch here."

Hua Tianyou added, "Auntie, before I return, if the doctor comes, you must make sure he finds a way to keep this guy alive. He can't die, at least not now."

The old lady nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, I will."

Hua Tianyou turned to leave when suddenly the roar of an engine came from outside.

Immediately afterwards, the doorman rushed in, his face showing a hint of surprise.

"Madam, Madam, the Princess is back! The Princess is back!"

Come quickly and get a full-service package!