Chapter 454: Secret Talk

Zuan jumped back in surprise. "Don't listen to your brother's nonsense! I'm your benefactor! Other people repay kindness by offering themselves, so why do you want to stab me with a sword?"

"You really are a scoundrel!" The young woman's pretty face flushed red. She reached down, tugged her belt, and with a soft clang and a flash of cold light, a flexible sword slid from its scabbard, thrusting straight at him.

Zuan grumbled inwardly, her waist was already slender enough; with a flexible sword tied to it, wasn't she afraid of accidentally cutting herself in half?

But despite his grumbling, he still vividly remembered how her shimmering sword had instantly killed a group of assassins. How could he dare to be careless? He frantically dodged sideways using the Sunflower Phantom steps, all the while wailing, "Old Man Sang, if you don't discipline her, I'm going to start cussing!"

Sang Hong's expression beside them was strange. He had intentionally watched the scene unfold, mainly because this fellow had been bullying Qian'er the whole way, and a little suffering would do him good.

However, seeing that Zuan was genuinely in danger, he lightly coughed. "Qian'er, stop!"

Hearing his words, the young woman instantly slid the flexible sword back into her belt and returned to his side.

Sang Hong nodded secretly; his daughter was indeed much more obedient than his son.

Zuan got back up, dusting off the dirt. "So, the young lady's beautiful name is Qian'er! It's much nicer than your brother's."

Sang Qian rolled her eyes. This fellow sure had a thick skin; 'Qian'er' was what her family called her, and he was just going along with it...

Sang Qian was furious. His name and his sister's sounded similar; how could one be pleasant and the other not, just because they were different genders?

Rage from Sang Qian +666!

Sang Hong was also a bit speechless, but he introduced Zuan to his daughter. "This is Zuan. He saved your father and your brother's lives earlier. You should have already heard the other information about him."

Sang Qian nodded. She had conducted a detailed intelligence investigation before coming and naturally knew about Zuan. However, what was the situation with him and her sister-in-law?

Of course, being meticulous by nature, she wouldn't foolishly ask now. Instead, she bowed to Zuan. "Thank you, young master. Please forgive any offense I may have caused just now."

"Not at all, not at all," Zuan chuckled, then looked at Sang Qian. "Learn from her. Your sister is much more polite than you."

Sang Qian was enraged. "Brat, are you deliberately looking for trouble?"

Rage from Sang Qian +798!

Sang Hong quickly interrupted them to prevent another argument. "By the way, Qian'er, why are you here?"

Sang Qian glanced at Zuan, then pulled her father and brother aside, lowering her voice. "When the fake ledger scandal erupted, the powerful nobles in the capital were outraged. Father, your impartiality in past years offended many people, and now many in the capital don't want to see you return alive. That's why I brought people to protect you."

Sang Qian listened, dumbfounded. He had to admire his father's foresight; he had anticipated this situation from the very beginning.

Sang Hong asked in a deep voice, "What about the Emperor's stance?"

Sang Qian shook her head. "The Emperor hasn't made any clear statement on this, which implies silent acquiescence. That's why those families are acting so unscrupulously. Poor Father, you've been loyal your entire life, willing to be an isolated minister for the Emperor, yet after offending so many powerful nobles, you're now treated as a disposable pawn. The Emperor is truly heartless."

"Watch your words!" Sang Hong's expression remained calm. "That is a necessary trait for an emperor. When your father made those choices back then, he was already aware of this, so there's no need to complain. Moreover, the Emperor's action is merely to give those angry nobles an explanation. As long as we can reach the capital safely, this ordeal will be over."

Sang Qian said, "But it won't be that easy. From what I know, several families intend to kill you. Like this ambush at the inn, if I hadn't infiltrated beforehand, you would have already..."

Sang Qian, standing by, asked in confusion, "But why did they send such a motley crew to kill us?"

Although these assassins were ruthless in their attacks, they weren't considered masters.

Sang Qian explained, "It's likely to avoid detection by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and others. After all, they can't bribe everyone. If a waiter in a dilapidated inn in a small town exhibited energy fluctuations, it would certainly arouse suspicion."

Sang Hong also added, "Qian'er, don't be so dismissive. Although these assassins weren't highly skilled, they were well-trained. If Zuan hadn't helped, and if your sister hadn't appeared in time, your father and I would be corpses right now."

Sang Qian merely uttered an indifferent "Oh," clearly annoyed that he seemed to consistently fall short compared to his sister in his father's eyes, and even Zuan.

Zuan, standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up. "Are you three whispering over there without considering my feelings?"

Sang Hong smiled slightly. "My apologies."

Zuan asked, "Let's skip the pleasantries. I'm just curious why there's been no movement from the guards outside all this time."

Sang Hong replied, "Those who wish to kill me likely have some connection with Prince Liang or Liu Yao. They've cooperated to create this opportunity for assassins to target us. Of course, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is difficult to bribe, so they were temporarily called away under false pretenses. They should be returning soon. Qian'er, leave quickly, or you won't be able to later."

Sang Qian nodded, her lips moving slightly, evidently conveying something to him telepathically. Then she said, "Father, take care. I will be protecting you from nearby throughout the journey." With that, she crashed through the window and vanished into the night.

Shortly after she left, Huang Huihong returned with his men. Seeing the chaotic scene and the bodies on the ground, his expression changed dramatically.

Prince Liang and Liu Yao also rushed over upon hearing the news, their faces showing surprise. "How could something like this happen? Where are the guards outside?"

Someone quickly finished their inspection and reported, "They're dead. They seem to have been poisoned, likely ambushed by tiny blow darts."

Huang Huihong's eyes narrowed. He looked coldly at Prince Liang. "Your Highness, this incident requires an explanation."

Among the dead were two of his Embroidered Uniform Guards. Just now, he and his subordinates had been temporarily reassigned under false pretenses, but he had been cautious and deliberately left two of his men behind. He had thought it would be fine since the Imperial Army was guarding outside, but he hadn't expected such an unforeseen event.

Prince Liang looked puzzled. "What explanation?"

"You just sent someone to call us away, claiming we needed to discuss military matters," Huang Huihong said gravely.

Prince Liang snorted. "Commander Huang, you should speak with a conscience. When did I send anyone to call you? I've been inspecting the area for security all this time; many people can attest to that. If something happened because you left your post without authorization, you can't pin the blame on me, can you?"

At this point, Liu Yao, who was standing nearby, played the peacemaker. "Oh, come on, we're all on the same side. No one wanted this to happen. The urgent priority now is to clear out any remaining culprits, not to quarrel among ourselves and give our enemies satisfaction while causing pain to our own."

Huang Huihong's sharp gaze swept across the room, but he couldn't find the person who had delivered the message. He presumed that person would never be seen again.

Although he knew the person was likely one of Prince Liang's subordinates, he had no evidence and could only silently swallow the insult.

Sang Hong witnessed all this, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Next, Huang Huihong personally led his men to take statements from a few individuals, asking for specific details about what had just happened.

No one withheld information, except for Sang Qian's presence.

After the others left, Sang Hong nodded to Zuan. "Thanks!"

Zuan smiled slightly. "I naturally have a great fondness for beautiful women, so I certainly don't want to see her pursued."

Sang Qian snorted. "Don't even think about my sister! Even if you have ideas, they're just wishful thinking. My sister is beautiful and resourceful; countless young masters in the capital, far better off than you, have pursued her, and she hasn't taken a liking to any of them."

Zuan's expression was a little strange. "Originally, I didn't have any intentions, but now that you mention it, you've piqued my interest. Wouldn't 'winning over' your sister give me a strong sense of conquest?"

"You!" Sang Qian was enraged.

Rage from Sang Qian +515!

Sang Hong, standing by, couldn't help but shake his head. These two were truly incompatible by nature.

However, he didn't care about their squabble. Instead, as Huang Huihong entered, he said, "Commander Huang, there are some things I'd like to discuss with you privately."