Faced with Shen Lingjun's questioning, Mr. Shen remained silent for a long time.
Perhaps recalling some past events, Mr. Shen was stunned for a moment. However, when he came to his senses, the trance on his face disappeared completely.
Instead, there is an abyss of unfathomable depth.
The breath is still cold.
"This matter has nothing to do with you!"
Shen Laochen sighed: "This time, it is the uncle who is sorry for you."
Shen Lingjun bit her lower lip tightly as she looked at the master she once respected and loved so much. As if realizing something, her voice trembled, "So, you must kill him today?!"
Mr. Shen's expression remained normal: "That's right!"
"Why?!"
Even though he already knew the answer, Shen Lingjun still couldn't help but ask.
The bitterness and difficulty in calming down in her heart, as well as the unacceptable deception, made her want to question the reason.
Why?!
Mr. Shen was silent, then spoke slowly: "I owe him a favor... If it weren't for him, I would be dead!"
"I must repay this favor!"
Mr. Shen's voice was still low, but extremely firm. Tonight, no one could change his mind.
Shen Lingjun's heart trembled. She heard the determination in her master's tone, just like the indifference when the mountain sect was disbanded.
Master uncle's determination will never change.
Shen Lingjun's face was pale, she bit her lips tightly and stared at Mr. Shen not far away.
"What if I don't let you kill him?"
Her words stunned almost everyone present.
Mr. Shen raised his eyes and looked at Shen Lingjun, his eyes slightly fixed: "Lingjun, what do you want to do?!"
Shen Lingjun gritted her teeth, her body trembled slightly, her eyes were extremely complicated, and her mind was a mess.
What does she want to do?
She doesn't know either.
If she had known half a month ago that her uncle wanted to kill Lin Jiangnian, she might have applauded.
But now...
She didn't know when it started, but the thoughts in her mind gradually changed drastically.
Maybe it was Lin Jiangnian's words that day that were like an epiphany, or maybe it was what the Kite Girl mentioned to her that night, which made Shen Lingjun completely doubt herself and question her previous cognition.
Perhaps Prince Lin is not as evil as she imagined?
Shen Lingjun didn't know.
Therefore, when she realized that her uncle wanted to kill Lin Jiangnian, she found it hard to accept and was even a little... panicked!
On the one hand, her mind was shaken, and before the truth was revealed, she no longer had the determination to kill Lin Jiangnian.
On the other hand, she was saddened and disappointed by her uncle's use and deception of her. In the past, her uncle taught her to be a person who can distinguish between love and hate and to fight for justice. But now, her uncle wanted to kill Lin Jiangnian indiscriminately for the sake of so-called human feelings.
She was stunned, in disbelief, and unable to accept...
To the extent that she wanted to stop her uncle from making further mistakes.
However, Mr. Shen said in a deep voice: "Lingjun, stop messing around!"
Shen Lingjun's delicate body trembled, her eyes slightly red, but she still took a few steps stubbornly, blocking Lin Jiangnian and Shen Lao, gritting her teeth: "I'm not messing around!"
"Uncle Master, you can't keep making mistakes..."
Mr. Shen looked at her, with some indescribable complex emotions flashing through his mind. Finally, his eyes gradually turned cold: "Lingjun, you can't stop me."
Shen Lingjun didn't say anything, still standing there, staring at her uncle stubbornly. Her red eyes showed her determination at the moment.
Seeing this, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly became cold.
At the same time, a sigh came from behind Shen Lingjun.
"Senior, your awareness is not even as clear as your nephew's."
Behind him, Lin Jiangnian looked at Shen Lingjun who was standing not far in front of him, feeling somewhat surprised.
He never expected that Miss Shen, who had always wanted to assassinate him since they met, and who always called him "bastard prince" and wanted to kill him as soon as possible, would suddenly stand up to help him at this time.
It was really unexpected!
If he hadn't seen the confrontation between the two of them with his own eyes, and it didn't seem fake, Lin Jiangnian would even have suspected that they were acting in a double act.
"I appreciate your kindness, but since you really can't stop your uncle, there's no need to risk your life!"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly.
Shen Lingjun was slightly startled, turned around and looked at Lin Jiangnian, with a look of guilt on her face, and seemed speechless facing Lin Jiangnian.
She had never expected that things would turn out like this, and all of this was inextricably linked to her.
"sorry……"
Shen Lingjun lowered her eyes, her red rims unable to conceal her emotions.
Lin Jiangnian looked at the Miss Shen in front of him in astonishment. Apologize?
Ms. Shen actually apologized to him?
"There's no need to apologize..."
At this point, Lin Jiangnian suddenly paused and narrowed his eyes: "If you really feel sorry for me, then do me a favor?"
Shen Lingjun looked up: "You say."
Lin Jiangnian waved at her. Shen Lingjun hesitated for a moment and walked slowly towards him.
"Help me get them out of here..."
Lin Jiangnian pointed at Xiao Zhu Qingqing and the others standing beside him. They had suffered heavy losses in resisting the assassination tonight. More than half of the prince's personal army had been lost, and they were now at the end of their strength. Even Lin Qingqing was seriously injured. If they stayed here, it would only increase the casualties.
Shen Lingjun was stunned, as if she hadn't realized what was going on: "Me?"
"If not you, who else could it be?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and said, "If you really feel sorry for me, then please help me!"
Shen Lingjun realized something and his expression changed slightly: "What about you?"
"What do you think?" Lin Jiangnian asked back.
Shen Lingjun's face immediately turned pale.
Lin Jiangnian turned her head to look at Zhiyuan beside her. Ever since Mr. Shen appeared, Zhiyuan's eyes had been on her. Her eyes were alert and sharp, and her whole body was tense, as if she was ready to attack at any time.
Lin Jiangnian gently held her hand and whispered, "Wait, you and them leave here first."
Zhiyuan turned her head suddenly, as if realizing Lin Jiangnian's purpose. She stared at him for a long time before speaking coldly, "I'm not leaving."
"You have to go!"
Lin Jiangnian said in a serious tone, "His target is me. Since he didn't kill Zheng Zhiming, he won't make things difficult for you. If you stay here, you will just die in vain..."
Even Zheng Zhiming lost!
Now, no one in this inn can be a match for Mr. Shen.
Staying here means waiting to die!
However, Zhiyuan said nothing, staring at Lin Jiangnian with a scorching gaze, her eyes showing a rare hint of stubbornness: "I won't leave!"
The tone of repetition was incomparably firm.
She had already seen through Lin Jiangnian's plan, but she was unwilling to leave.
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian sighed: "If you stay here, you will die with me."
Zhiyuan said nothing, but her expression showed her determination.
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian didn't try to persuade her anymore. He knew Zhiyuan's character, she was very stubborn.
A disobedient maid is best at not following her master's orders.
Lin Jiangnian first called Xiaozhu and the others over and gave them some instructions. Xiaozhu was also nervous and afraid, and was unwilling to leave. Only after being coerced and induced by Lin Jiangnian did she obey.
After giving orders to the others, Lin Jiangnian returned to Zhiyuan's side. Seeing that Zhiyuan was still looking at him coldly, Lin Jiangnian stepped forward and hugged her in his arms, chuckling softly, "Since you don't want to leave, then the two of us, master and servant, will stay here today and fight side by side. If we have to die, we die together, shall we?"
Zhiyuan's delicate body was stiff as usual, as if she was not used to being like this in public. Her face was slightly red, but when she heard Lin Jiangnian's words, her expression was slightly stunned.
The next second, I suddenly had a bad feeling.
Then, she suddenly felt dizzy. She raised her head suddenly, only to see Lin Jiangnian in her arms still looking at her with a smile on his face, his eyes seemed to be full of meaning.
At this moment, a trace of anger surged in Zhiyuan's heart, but then a feeling of powerlessness came over her whole body, her head was dizzy, and she fell into Lin Jiangnian's arms.
Fell into coma.
Seeing that the kite in his arms had stopped moving, Lin Jiangnian breathed a sigh of relief. Given the kite's vigilance, if she noticed any small movements, the plan would probably fail.
Fortunately, she didn't react.
It could also be that she didn't expect Lin Jiangnian to suddenly attack her.
Looking down at the fair and delicate face of the girl in his arms, Lin Jiangnian felt a little guilty, but his eyes were more determined.
He picked up the kite and walked in front of Shen Lingjun.
Shen Lingjun looked at Zhiyuan who had fainted in front of her, then looked at Lin Jiangnian and realized something.
"I've handed the kite to you. Take her away from here!"
Lin Jiangnian spoke, staring at her.
Shen Lingjun took the kite from Lin Jiangnian, looked down at the kite, then looked at Lin Jiangnian with an extremely complicated look in her eyes.
How could she not realize Lin Jiangnian's purpose?
He sent everyone away and prepared to face his uncle alone?
Thinking of this, Shen Lingjun's heart suddenly tightened for some reason. She bit her lip and said, "You, do you trust me so much?"
She doesn't understand.
Why did Lin Jiangnian trust her so much and hand over Zhiyuan and the others to her?
Doesn't he know that I have always wanted to kill him?
"I'm not the one who believes you!"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly and glanced at the kite in her arms, "It's her."
Shen Lingjun shuddered and looked down at the kite in her arms in disbelief.
Miss Kite, are you still willing to believe her?
"She told me that you are a good person, not a bad person, and that you can trust me. I didn't believe it before, but..."
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her one last time and said, "Since you just spoke up for me, I've decided to trust you this time!"
At this point, while Shen Lingjun was still in a trance, Lin Jiangnian's tone changed: "Take them away, leave here, and go to the capital!"
Shen Lingjun looked up at Lin Jiangnian's suddenly serious eyes, her heart trembled slightly, and some emotions surged in her heart. She gritted her teeth and nodded heavily: "Okay!"
…
Shen Lingjun left, taking Zhiyuan, Xiaozhu, Qingqing and the others with her.
In addition, the prince's personal troops inside and outside the inn also evacuated.
Mr. Shen turned a blind eye to this and did not stop it.
As he had said before, his only target for tonight was Lin Jiangnian.
As for the others, he was unwilling to cause any more killing.
The inn suddenly became deserted. The surroundings were filled with the wreckage of the war and the broken pieces that had not been cleaned up in time. The bloody smell filled the air, and the faint light from the sky slowly shone on the only two figures left in the inn.
After everyone left, Lin Jiangnian suddenly relaxed. He turned and walked to the inn counter and took out a few jars of liquor that had survived the disaster from behind the counter.
"Want a drink?"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head towards Mr. Shen.
Mr. Shen narrowed his eyes and said, "Alright!"
In the inn lobby, amidst the ruins, two people sat facing each other at a relatively intact table.
Several jars of wine were placed on the table, and the air was filled with the aroma of wine. This pleasant scene formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding chaos.
The two people at the table, like old friends who had known each other for a long time, toasted each other, and as the alcohol wore off, the atmosphere at the table gradually became more tense.
Elder Shen looked at Lin Jiangnian sitting at the table and sighed deeply: "If possible, I really don't want to kill you."
"oh?"
Lin Jiangnian seemed a little surprised and raised his eyebrows: "Why?"
"You are extraordinary!"
Mr. Shen's words were profound and difficult to fathom: "If you were still alive, the world would probably be much more lively."
"In that case, why do you insist on killing me?"
"I've been entrusted with this!"
"Who entrusted you with this?"
Mr. Shen didn't say anything.
Lin Jiang laughed young: "Even if you don't say it, this prince can guess it!"
"There are many people in this world who want to kill me, but not many who can actually do so. Counting them all together, there are only a few..."
As he spoke, Lin Jiangnian counted on his fingers: "The Third Prince in the capital counts as one, the Xu family in Xuzhou also counts as one, and that old eunuch in the palace seems to have some conflicts with my father. Of course, the eldest princess of the current dynasty might also want to kill this prince, and maybe even the emperor of the current dynasty..."
At this point, Lin Jiangnian suddenly sighed: "So, if you calculate it this way, it seems that there are quite a lot of people who want to kill this prince?"
Elder Shen's eyes were indifferent: "Who made you the Prince of Lin?"
"Yes, just because I am the prince of Lin Wang, everyone wants me dead."
Lin Jiangnian said angrily, "What a fucked up life!"
He came here inexplicably and became the Prince of Lin inexplicably. He walked on thin ice with great difficulty and deceived everyone's eyes and ears. He was about to become the real Prince of Lin, but he didn't have time to enjoy a few days of good life.
Assassination attacks come one after another, and now even his life is in danger!
Can you not fuck up?
Mr. Shen didn't say anything.
There didn't seem to be an atmosphere of life-and-death feud between the two of them.
From Yanzhou to Zhongzhou, the two had long been familiar with each other. If it weren't for today's incident, perhaps Lin Jiangnian would have considered recruiting Elder Shen to his side.
It’s just a pity…
After three rounds of drinking.
The sky outside the inn window was completely bright, and the morning light shone into the inn through the window and fell on the two of them.
Elder Shen slowly put down the wine glass in his hand: "Prince Lin, are you planning to give up resistance?"
"How do you say that?"
Elder Shen said, "You sent everyone around you away, free from worries, and left to face this old man alone. Are you planning to give up and wait for death?"
"What else?"
Lin Jiangnian shrugged his shoulders. "Even Zheng Zhiming is no match for you. It's useless for them to stay. Rather than die in vain, it's better to live so that you can avenge me in the future!"
Elder Shen looked at him for a moment and suddenly said, "Prince Lin is not someone who gives up so easily!"
Lin Jiang smiled young: "So you think, this prince will still resist?"
"With this little skill of mine, can I kill you?"
Elder Shen shook his head slightly: "Killing people doesn't necessarily require good martial arts skills. There are hundreds of ways to kill someone in the world, such as..."
Having said that, Mr. Shen glanced indifferently at the wine glass on the table.
"Prince Lin, did you poison the wine?"
silence.
After a moment, Lin Jiangnian sighed deeply: "I still can't hide it from Mr. Shen!"
He raised the wine glass in his hand: "However, this prince is a little curious..."
"The poison I used is called Huami Grass. It's extremely toxic, unique in the world, colorless and odorless, and difficult to detect..."
"How did Mr. Shen find out?"
Mr. Shen picked up the wine glass in his hand, his eyes calm: "I guessed it."
Lin Jiangnian's face was startled and he suddenly raised his eyes.
"Based on my understanding of you, how could Prince Lin give up so easily? I was just speculating, but I didn't expect that His Highness really poisoned you!"
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes: "But you've already drunk it, aren't you afraid?"
"Didn't Your Highness drink too?" Old Shen asked.
"Mr. Shen, do you want to die together with this prince?" Lin Jiangnian sneered.
Elder Shen sighed, "I'm an old man, I've already become indifferent to life and death!"
Lin Jiangnian laughed angrily: "Could it be that the favor you owe is worth repaying with your life?"
He really couldn't understand Mr. Shen's determination to kill him!
Elder Shen said calmly, "I have long been dead... The favor I owe you should be repaid now."
At this point, Mr. Shen's expression suddenly changed slightly, and it was obvious that the toxins in his body had begun to take effect.
He half-closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Puff!" A mouthful of blood spurted out.
The blood is black!
Elder Shen's expression changed slightly. He quickly pressed a few acupuncture points on his body, took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice, "What a powerful poison!"
"Of course, this poison is..."
Just as Lin Jiangnian was about to speak, he suddenly felt a sharp burning sensation in his chest. At the same time, he spat out a mouthful of black blood, his face turning slightly pale.
Seeing this scene, Lin Jiangnian's expression changed slightly and he smiled bitterly.
In order to trick Mr. Shen into taking the bait, Lin Jiangnian had to drink the wine poison as well.
Only in this way can we deceive Mr. Shen without any flaws.
He thought he could dissolve the poison with the help of Taigu Heart Method, but unexpectedly, he still underestimated the toxicity of Huami Grass!
No wonder Liu Su insisted on getting it from Ruyi Tower.
Or perhaps, Lin Jiangnian’s Tai Gu technique is not yet mature.
"It seems that Your Highness is going to die with me today!" Old Shen said slowly.
"That may not be the case!"
Lin Jiangnian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His head felt dizzy and he felt a little weak all over.
This toxin is indeed overbearing.
Fortunately, he has the antidote.
However, Mr. Shen, who was sitting opposite Lin Jiangnian, had already slowly stood up.
He was poisoned by the Huami grass, but with his strong internal strength, he was able to suppress the poison temporarily.
"I was indeed a little careless and fell into your Highness's trap. However, although this poison is strong, it cannot affect me for the time being."
"It's more than enough to send His Highness on his way!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the aura of Mr. Shen suddenly became stronger.
The air is filled with murderous intent!
He wasn't going to waste any more time!
It's dawn, and everything should be over!
"Bang!"
The table in front of the two of them shattered into pieces in an instant.
The powerful internal force surged and swept over, instantly knocking Lin Jiangnian, who was sitting at the table, away.
He fell heavily to the ground, unable to resist.
"puff!"
Another mouthful of blood spurted out, and Lin Jiangnian lay on the ground, his whole body weak and in pain, unable to muster any strength.
Facing this second-grade, or possibly even first-grade, expert, he had no power to resist.
Just wait for death!
Lin Jiangnian was not surprised by this result!
Not far away, Mr. Shen approached slowly. After taking two steps, his figure suddenly shook and his face turned slightly pale.
This poison was beyond his expectations. How could it take effect so quickly?
But, that’s enough!
For him, killing Lin Jiangnian only took a moment!
Lin Jiangnian fell to the corner, completely exhausted, his consciousness fading. He watched Elder Shen approaching slowly from a distance, his expression unfazed.
He had anticipated this situation and had prepared for the worst from the moment he sent Zhiyuan away.
The worst outcome is death here!
Just die!
However, as his consciousness gradually became blurred, Lin Jiangnian suddenly remembered something in his mind.
He recalled his last conversation with Lin Hengzhong a few months ago when he was still in the Prince Lin's Mansion.
"Jiang Nian, the journey to the capital this time is long and extremely dangerous. There may even be people who want to kill you at all costs." At the window of Ruyi Tower, Lin Hengzhong had his back to him, looking at the lake scenery outside the building. The light of the setting sun shone on him, adding a bit of heaviness.
"In that case, there's a high chance I'll die on the road?"
"That won't happen."
Lin Hengzhong turned around and looked at him. The setting sun shone on half of his face. His expression was extremely solemn and serious. "I will arrange for experts to secretly protect your safety along the way. At the critical moment, there will be another expert who can save you."
"What kind of master?"
"It can save your life at the critical moment!"
"Is he reliable? Is he one of us?"
"She may not be one of us, but she owes me a favor..."
"She won't take action unless it's absolutely necessary, but at the critical moment, she will definitely save your life!"
“…”
Before Lin Jiangnian fell into coma, he suddenly felt that the inn had become much colder. A cold wind blew over, and in his blurred vision, he vaguely saw a figure in white clothes flash by.
Mr. Shen, who was about to approach, seemed to realize something and suddenly turned his head.
"who?"
A cool wind blew through the inn, and a figure in white appeared in front of Mr. Shen's sight.
The white clothes are whiter than snow, and as cold as the snow in the cold winter.
She is tall and stunningly beautiful.
He held the sword in both hands, leaned against the wall, and looked at him expressionlessly.
Mr. Shen's pupils suddenly shrank: "It's you?!"
The aura of the other person surprised him slightly. As if realizing something, Mr. Shen glanced at the unconscious Lin Jiangnian on the ground and said, "You want to save him?!"
The figure in white looked indifferent: "No?"
Elder Shen said in a deep voice: "Someone wants his life, he must die!"
The figure in white said calmly, "I want him to live."
Mr. Shen gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "He must die!"
The figure in white glanced at him calmly: "Try?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sword was unsheathed and a cold light filled the sky.
After a while.
The inn was empty and silent.
"puff!"
Old Shen knelt on the ground, spat out a mouthful of black blood, turned his head, looked at his right arm that was cut off by a sword, and a trace of fear appeared in his pupils.
After a while, his pupils gradually dilated, an unprecedented look of relaxation appeared on his face, and he muttered to himself.
"As expected of a kendo genius... Every generation has its own talents, the young are truly formidable..."
…