Chapter Seventy-One: Ta Sun Encounters an Assassin

  In front of the mountain temple, Xiao Fan pointed at the air with his fingers, and a low shout came from his mouth. A strand of pitiful energy was emitted from between his fingers, pointing at a wooden stake one zhang away, where a rope knot was loosely tied.

  The rope knot did not react at all, and not a single thread moved.

  Xiao Fan was undaunted, focused his mind and concentrated his spirit, then pointed his fingers and manipulated his breath.

  "Reopen!"

  The rope knot still has no reaction.

  "Open again!"

  "Keep going!"

  "I'll try a different approach!" Xiao Fan's fingers were all cramped up, but the knot still didn't budge, looking very stubborn.

  Xiao Fan looked somewhat disheveled, rubbing his fingers as he stood for a while before finally flinging his sleeve and turning to leave, tossing out a very lofty phrase.

  "What's the point of being so stubborn? I won't learn anymore! It's really useless."

  Tai Xuan watched with a cold eye, seeing Xiao Fan give up so easily. He couldn't help but stamp his foot in distress: "Wretched disciple! You're giving up at the slightest setback? How will you become a great master then? This is the very skill that will save your life and get you out of trouble in the future!"

  "It's brains that save lives. If you're surrounded by thousands of soldiers and someone throws a kitchen knife at you, even a god can't catch it. What's the use of having great kung fu skills?"

  He opened his mouth too wide and his eyes were distracted. As if he was imagining a magnificent scene of thousands of troops throwing knives.

  "But your brain isn't necessarily very useful either!" Taixu replied sarcastically.

  Xiao Fan was unhappy, after all I am your apprentice, can't you just make me look a little useful? I've always relied on my brain to get by.

  "Master, I have a few questions for you. Let's compare and see who has a bad brain," Xiao Fan said with a mischievous smile.

  "Master Dao has lived for over a hundred years, what problem can stump me? Taixu's nose pointed to the sky and hummed. A strong flavor of relying on age and selling oldness hit him in the face."

  "Do you know the story of Chang'e flying to the moon? Tell me, why did that rabbit also follow her into the Moon Palace?"

  Tai Yu's face turned pale, and he stroked his beard thoughtfully: "This is indeed the case. That rabbit that followed her to the moon, what was it making a fuss about? What do you think?"

  "Because Mengwa is radish leg, haha"

  Tai Xulao's face turned black as coal:

  "Let me ask you another question, do you know that three gold characters together are called "Xin", three water characters together are called "Miao". Three wood characters together are called "Sen". I'm asking you, what are three ghost characters together called?"

  Tai Xū pointed with his hand and compared for a while, puzzled: "Three ghosts" have this word? Dao Ye, what's going on? Dao Ye didn't know, what did the three ghosts mean?.

  "Call for help"

  Tai's anger was so great that he pulled out a handful of his whiskers, and the pain made him gnash his teeth.

  "Master, which one of us has a bad brain?"

  Tai Xū this time very honestly pointed at his own nose: "I"

  Xiao Fan praised: "Master is indeed a straightforward gentleman" He's just a bit silly.

  The riverbank in the severe winter. There are few pedestrians on the street, and the cold wind blows across the street head. The shop's flag sign is blown to make a rustling sound, bringing up a few pieces of withered yellow leaves, looking very desolate.

  The New Year is approaching, and the shops on the streets, the peddlers, and the busy citizens seem to have vanished overnight, each hiding at home, joyfully gathering with their families, chatting about their lives. The New Year is a festival that people pay special attention to, and all the hustle and bustle throughout the year seems to be preparing for this day, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, condensing new hopes for the coming year. No worries about food and clothing, and if possible, saving some silver coins to buy a copper hairpin for his wife and a warm set of clothes for the children.

  Simple folk. Simple wishes of the people for thousands of years. The demands of the common people have always been very simple.

  Xiao Fan and Zhu Yunfen walked side by side on the streets of Jiangpu, with Tai Xu and Xiao Huamei following behind them.

  Zhu Yunfen did things with a bit of a spoiled rich kid's temperament. He was arbitrary and playful, saying he would go and then going, never giving notice, just like today, suddenly appearing at the temple gate with his personal guards, taking a look at Xiao Fan's residence where he lived with the gods, and then dragging Xiao Fan out to stroll around without asking for permission. If he didn't go, he would even throw a tantrum.

  It's hard to imagine that a 19-year-old man has become a father. He still looks like a young boy with his pouting mouth. Xiao Fan was charmed, and so were Tai Yu and Xiao Hua Mei. The three of them didn't say another word and immediately set out together. Accompanying the Crown Prince to stroll through this quiet street, as long as he doesn't show that disgusting expression, everything is fine.

  Xiao Fan was still very pleased, a crown prince who had a strong understanding of the people, this was indeed a good thing, compared to a certain Zhu family descendant 100 years later who did not step out of the palace gate for 20 or 30 years, it was much stronger, which showed that Zhu Yunfeng had the potential to be a good emperor.

  A dozen or so imperial guardsmen marched in front of and behind Zhu Yunwen, keeping a moderate distance, neither too close nor too far.

  Zhu Yunfen turned his head and took a look at Tai Xu. He was somewhat curious about this slovenly-looking Taoist priest.

  "Is Dao Chang Shao Fan's master? , Xiao"

  "Replying to Your Highness, I am indeed"

  Zhu Yunfen's eyes lit up: "Can that Taoist priest also teach me martial arts?"

  "Your Highness's body is worth a thousand pieces of gold. What you learn should be the art of defeating ten thousand enemies, why bother to abandon the essentials and pursue trivial skills? I dare not..."

  Zhu Yunfen's eyes suddenly dimmed, and he blinked a few times. Something crystal clear was flashing.

  Xiao Fan secretly rolled his eyes and continued to act cute, really can't stand this Ta Sun.

  "What else can the Taoist priest do besides kung fu?" Zhu Yunfen couldn't help but ask.

  With a casual stroke of his whiskers, which were as white and fluffy as a celestial being's, he said with satisfaction: "This humble Taoist priest still knows how to cast divination."

  "Master Dao, help me calculate my fortune, okay?"

  Tai Xuleng's eyes were as cold as electricity, and he quickly swept his gaze over Zhu Yunfan with a hint of disdain. In a deep, authoritative voice, he said: "Your Highness has the face of heaven and earth, I can see it at a glance, Your Highness has the appearance of an emperor."

  Xiao Fan covered Tai Xu's mouth with one hand.

  All he says is nonsense, others are already the crown prince, even fools know he will be the future emperor.

  "Your Highness, this commoner's master is not quite right in the head, don't mind him, Xiaofan will accompany you with a smile."

  Zhu Yunfen looked at the quiet street with great interest, most of the shops on the side of the street were closed. There were also very few pedestrians. Xiao Fan didn't understand what was so good about strolling around such a deserted street.

  Everyone walked around for a while, looking at the lanterns. Zhu Yunfen smiled and said, "It's almost New Year's, after New Year's it will be spring. On the 28th of the first month, there is an examination in the Ying Tian Fu, you have already obtained the qualification as a child student. That day, remember to go take the exam, I will send someone to pick you up." Xiao Fan's expression was bitter and he said, "If taking the imperial examination really depends on one's abilities, I'm definitely not going to make it, most likely your royal grandfather will kill me."

  This is what happens when you're in a difficult situation, the harm caused by being tyrannical. If you can't pass the imperial examination to become a xiucai, you'll be held accountable for your crimes. From ancient times to the present, there's never been such an unreasonable crime.

  Zhu Yunpo smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've already arranged everything for you. The chief examiner of the academy exam is Wu Daren, the educational official of Yingtian Prefecture. I've sent someone to inform him, so at that time, just sit in the examination room and I'll arrange for a great talent to help you with your paper. That great talent is really extraordinary - he was a jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu and was selected as a shengji scholar. He rose to the position of御史 and concurrently served as a Hanlin Academy waiting-for-appointment official, deeply favored by the emperor's grandfather. Several times, he praised him for having the talent to govern the world and bring peace to the nation. Such a great talent is helping you take this exam, it's really hard for him. Originally, he refused to agree, but later I used both soft and hard tactics, threatening and enticing him, and he finally had to give in to my face as the crown prince. At that time, he will change his appearance and use a pseudonym, sitting next to you in the examination room. You should treat him with courtesy."

  Xiao Fanqi said: "Who is this Miss Cai?"

  Zhu Yunfen smiled mysteriously and said, "It's not to be said, anyway, he'll help you with the exam, it's just a small matter. The scholar's success is absolutely guaranteed, haha. However, that person agreed, but his personality is straightforward, maybe he's unwilling in his heart, and now he's sulking, you mustn't offend him, remember this carefully. This concerns your life, if he helps you with the exam and speaks nonsense, causing you to fail the exam, the Emperor will really punish you."

  Xiao Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he remembered Zhu Yunfen's words firmly in his mind.

  Matters related to life and death are absolutely no joking matter. On the day of the exam, I treated him as if he were a god.

  Everyone was chatting and laughing, and before they knew it, they had walked to the county government office at the end of the street.

  Cao Yi led two catchers out, and saw Xiao Fan's group coming, with more than a dozen guards surrounding them. The procession was quite grand. Last time Zhu Fuqun used the full imperial prince's ceremonial instruments to run from the capital to Jiangpu, specifically to intimidate Xiao Fan. At that time, Cao Yi had seen him once when he knelt down to receive the imperial carriage, so he naturally knew that Xiao Fan was accompanying the Crown Prince now.

  Cao Yi straightened up, hastily lifted the hem of his official robe and knelt down, saying in a loud voice: "Your humble servant Jiang Pu County Cao Yi pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince, may the Crown Prince live for a thousand years!"

  Zhu Yunfen waved his hand casually and said: "Get up, I'm traveling incognito, no need for too much courtesy."

  Cao Yishun took advantage of the situation and stood up.

  Zhu Yunfen took a step forward and was about to exchange a few words with Cao Yi.

  The accident happened very suddenly.

  A row of wooden windows on the second floor of the wine shop across the street suddenly opened at the same time, and then a burst of mechanical sounds were heard. More than a dozen crossbow arrows shot out like lightning towards Zhu Yunfen.

  The crossbow bolt flew swiftly, heading straight for Zhu Yun's tomb, aiming at all the vital parts of his body. The arrowhead was gleaming with a faint blue light, obviously tempered with highly toxic poison!

  At this moment, Zhu Yunfan was still unaware, and he continued to walk towards Cao Yi with a smile. The guards scattered around the yard suddenly changed color, but it was too late to rescue him as things happened suddenly.

  In a moment of extreme danger, a gray shadow flashed by, and the large sleeves with greasy oil stains swept through the air, then retracted, and more than ten crossbow arrows that shot out suddenly disappeared without a trace.

  The guards just had time to shout: "Assassins! Protect the Emperor!"

  Then the imperial guards gathered around on horseback. They surrounded Zhu Yun's dead body, gazing tensely at the wooden building of the wine shop.

  Inside the circle surrounded by the guards, under Zhu Yunfen and Xiao Fan's astonished gaze, Tai Xulao chuckled to himself. His worn-out Daoist robe's wide sleeves relaxed. All that could be heard was the clear clattering sound of metal hitting the ground, as over a dozen crossbow bolts fell to the ground without exception. The blue glow on the arrowheads made Zhu Yunfen and Xiao Fan's faces change color, they looked up at each other, and cold sweat slowly trickled down their foreheads.

  On the quiet street, peace was suddenly gone, and a killing intent appeared!

  The wooden window of the tavern's attic was kicked to pieces. Amidst the splintered wood, dozens of figures clad in black, their faces covered with black cloth, jumped down one after another. As they landed, each person flipped over and found a steel knife emitting blue light in their hand. The black-clad assassins swiftly moved around Zhu Yunfen, their knife tips pointing at him at an angle, casting a series of blue-glowing knife shadows that trembled in the bleak cold wind, filling the air with a murderous atmosphere.

  Zhu Yunfen's face had turned as white as paper.