“If you’re angry, take it out on me. What kind of man frightens a child?” Mu Xueshi glared at the Third Prince, his face full of contempt. In his opinion, the expression on the Third Prince’s face was enough to intimidate even him, let alone such a small child. Seeing Su Ying crying so pitifully in the Third Prince’s arms, Mu Xueshi felt deeply sorry for him.
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. The Third Prince cast Mu Xueshi a cold glance but said nothing, walking straight toward the door. Seeing that he was about to leave, Mu Xueshi hurriedly shouted, “At least release my acupoints first! I need to pee!”
Mu Xueshi’s voice echoed alone throughout the secluded, tranquil courtyard. One of the servants suddenly felt as though he had heard the most beautiful voice imaginable and could not resist turning his head to search for its source. The moment his attention wandered, a flash of light swept before his eyes. He caught only a glimpse of Su Ruhan’s black robes before plunging into endless darkness.
A deep sword wound marked his neck, yet not a single drop of blood escaped. The instant Su Ruhan swung his blade, a quick-witted guard had already stepped forward to catch the plainly dressed servant. The man had guarded the Third Prince’s courtyard for ten years, only to lose his life because of one distracted glance.
Two guards swiftly hoisted the dead servant onto their shoulders and carried him to the back mountain. The entire process took no longer than the exchange of a few sentences, and not the slightest sound was made. Not even a speck of dirt or blood stained the ground within the Third Prince’s courtyard. Su Ruhan had already vanished from the area and silently resumed following behind the Third Prince, as though nothing had happened.
The Second Prince wandered leisurely outside the Third Prince’s courtyard, a dark ink-colored folding fan in his hand, looking as relaxed as though he were admiring the scenery. Suddenly, two rows of figures flashed before his eyes. By the time the Second Prince focused his attention, the Third Prince had already arrived before him, holding his precious Su Ying in his arms.
Su Ying had stopped crying, but faint tear tracks still remained on his face, and his large eyes were badly swollen. Although Su Ying had slipped into the Third Prince’s courtyard before, he had never emerged looking so aggrieved, nor had the Third Prince ever personally brought him out.
The Third Prince did not return Su Ying to the Second Prince. Su Ying did not dare reach out to his father and could only stare at him longingly, his little mouth turned down.
A wickedly alluring smile curved the Second Prince’s lips as he said to the Third Prince with feigned courtesy, “Third Brother has personally escorted this unfilial son of mine outside. What an honor for me as his elder brother.”
The obvious mockery instantly tightened the atmosphere surrounding the two princes. The Third Prince’s face remained as cold as ice, while beneath the Second Prince’s soft laughter simmered a heart full of rage. He could tolerate anything else, but he could not endure seeing Su Ying treated this way. Although Su Ying often threw crying fits, it was rare for him to look this genuinely heartbroken.
“Third Brother, do not forget that this child still calls you Imperial Uncle…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the Second Prince snapped his folding fan shut and swiftly reached out to seize Su Ying. Unexpectedly, the Third Prince gave a cold laugh, grabbed Su Ying by the back of his clothes, and lifted him upside down into the air, leaving his two little feet kicking wildly above him.
This time, the Second Prince was clearly enraged. The smile on his face remained unchanged, but his eyes filled with a sinister gleam. He leaped into the air and landed behind the Third Prince. At the same moment, Guan Rong moved in front of him and riskily struck with his palm from less than two inches away, intending to divide the Third Prince’s attention. The Second Prince then drew his sword from behind and launched a surprise attack. His movements were as swift as a whirlwind—the blade itself could no longer be seen, only its flashing afterimages. Yet the Third Prince was even faster. While everyone watched tensely, he had already evaded both the sword and the palm strike, tossed Su Ying into the Second Prince’s arms, and returned to the inner chamber where he was secretly keeping Mu Xueshi.
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