You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Those beggars were incredibly skilled and fast. Before the word "kill" had even fallen, they had already launched their attack, slitting the throats of more than a dozen guards with lightning speed.

Seeing the situation was dire, the old man in the gray robe shouted, "Madam, run!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he circulated his inner energy and struck forward with his palm!

Standing at a distance, Lu Zuo could clearly see that the old man was striking out a palm print formed from condensed true energy!

True Qi taking form?

This old man is a martial artist with innate abilities!

Li Chengan once said that innate martial artists can make invisible true energy manifest, which can take on various forms depending on the technique.

The power of true qi that can take form far surpasses the formless true qi of an acquired martial artist!

The reason for this is that true qi can only transform into a different form after it has been refined to a certain degree and solidified to a certain degree!

Bang!

As they pondered, a muffled thud rang out, and the old man's palm print of true energy landed squarely on the chest of the beggar who had been the first to attack the carriage.

"A congenital martial artist?"

The other party frowned, his body flew backward, gliding through the air like a kite for more than ten feet before landing on the ground.

Crack, crack, crack...

Immediately afterwards, she took more than ten steps back before stopping, her eyes instantly becoming serious as she stared intently at the gray-robed old man.

The ground beneath his feet was covered with cracked bluestone slabs, riddled with spiderweb-like fissures.

The sudden change terrified the surrounding people, who screamed and scattered in all directions.

More than a dozen black-clad guards quickly surrounded Lu Zuo, placing their hands on the hilts of their black-clad swords at their waists, observing their surroundings with heightened vigilance.

At the same time, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a tall, elegant woman in her thirties with fair skin jumped off the carriage, lifted her skirt, and ran towards Lu Zuo.

"Ha, what a brilliant way to deflect force."

On the battlefield, the gray-robed old man sneered, touched the ground with both feet, and flew forward, clapping his hands repeatedly, making the air explode with muffled 'bang bang' sounds!

One powerful palm strike after another attacked the beggars like a sudden storm!

These beggars were nearly as strong as the one who had attacked them earlier. Seeing the old man's fierce attacks, they all retreated and avoided him.

However, two beggars were unable to dodge in time. They exchanged glances, then channeled their inner energy, swung their palms, and met the old man's palm strike head-on!

Boom! Boom!

At the very moment the two sides clashed, two thunderous explosions erupted!

At the point where the three palms converged, waves of true energy transformed into fierce gales, spreading out in a ring!

The wind howled, stirring up dust, breaking up rocks, and sweeping in all directions!

But the crisp "bang" sounds echoed incessantly, and the shops on both sides of the street had all suffered, riddled with holes by the broken stones.

At this moment, the noblewoman also ran to Lu Zuo's vicinity. Upon seeing him, she was slightly taken aback, and then called out loudly, "Young Master Chen, I am Su Chenghua's wife, Yu Wanyin of the Yu Clan of Donghai."

"Help me!"

Su Chenghua?

Lu Zuo quickly searched his memory for the name.

He was from the Su family of Qiantang, a prominent family in the Southern Chen dynasty. He held the official position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and was skilled in flattery. He was one of Chen Shubao's lackeys.

However, he is also Li Cheng'an's adopted son.

It was through Li Chengan that he came into Chen Shubao's sight.

suddenly!

Two sharp gusts of wind shot towards us!

Lu Zuo looked up and saw that the old man had been entangled by the beggars, and the two surviving beggars were attacking Yu Wanyin from the left and right.

The opponent's aura was powerful and fierce. Before they even got close, a strong wind howled, making Lu Zuo's clothes flutter.

Clang!

One of the black-clad guards who was protecting Lu Zuo immediately turned cold and drew his long sword!

Almost at the very moment the sound of the sword being drawn rang out, his figure shot out, transforming into a streak of dark light, passing over Yu Wanyin's head and arriving in mid-air!

Immediately, he swung his arm, and dark true energy burst forth from the blade, drawing a dark circle that swept across the necks of the two beggars.

In an instant, their heads were severed, and crimson blood gushed from the cuts like a fountain.

Boom, boom, boom...

Several heavy thuds followed as the bodies and heads of the two men crashed to the ground.

The black-clad guard who had made the move returned to his original position. Before Lu Zuo could even see what happened, his long sword had already returned to its sheath.

That strong?

This one skill alone is enough to prove that his strength far surpasses that of the old man!

"This is a bit troublesome..."

Lu Zuo had originally planned that if he didn't have the strength to turn the tide before Li Cheng'an made his move, he would escape the palace and go into hiding in the martial world.

As for that deadly poison that's said to kill you at midnight, all we can do is try our best and leave the rest to fate.

If it can be solved, then it can be solved.

Unable to find a solution, he could only accept his fate...

But now, seeing the Black-Clad Guards' strength, he felt his chances of escaping the palace were extremely slim...

It should be noted that the Black-Clad Guards had been commanded by Li Cheng'an since the first two emperors of the Southern Chen Dynasty.

Everyone from top to bottom is his man!

How can I escape under their close surveillance?

"Madam, are you alright?"

At this moment, the old man in gray robes chased away the last beggar and hurriedly ran to Yu Wanyin, asking her in a respectful tone.

"Are you alright?"

"Thanks to Young Master Chen's help."

Upon hearing this, the gray-robed elder looked over, his expression immediately changing drastically: "Your Majesty...Young Master Chen?"

With the assassins dealt with, Lu Zuo planned to leave, but Yu Wanyin invited him to visit the Su residence.

Lu Zuo thought it would be good to learn more about Su Chenghua, so he got into the carriage with her.

……

A short while later, inside that luxurious carriage.

"Thanks to Your Majesty today, otherwise I would have surely fallen into the hands of the assassins."

Yu Wanyin sat opposite Lu Zuo and thanked him softly.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Lu Zuo waved his hand: "Minister Su is my right-hand man. How can I stand idly by while his wife is in trouble?"

That statement is pure deception.

Because Lu Zuo never even considered saving her...

Yu Wanyin's beautiful eyes lit up slightly, and a hint of excitement appeared on her face: "Does Your Majesty mean you have forgiven my husband?"

forgive?

Forgive what?

Li Chengan didn't tell me much about Su Chenghua...

Lu Zuo was completely confused, so he could only give a vague answer, going along with her words and dodging the question: "Whether I forgive you or not depends on your performance."

Performance?

Yu Wanyin's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "What is he doing...?"

Chen Shubao's debauchery and tyranny were already well-known during his time as crown prince.

and……

Every time he went to the Su residence, Yu Wanyin could sense that His Majesty's gaze towards her was somewhat strange.

However, since she had never done anything out of line, she didn't take it too seriously.

Now, he has demoted his superior, and he's saying these things to himself...

Could it be that he has finally lost his patience and is about to make a move on the wife of his subject?

Little did Lu Zuo know that his vague remark would be interpreted in a completely different way by her.

It turned into...

Madam, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your husband, would you?