I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then discussed in detail the details of the trip to the northwest, including route arrangements, personnel deployment, etc. By the time the discussion was over, it was already late at night.

Yun Yun personally escorted Lin Chen and the others to the guest room to rest. Before leaving, she warned them, "Be careful tonight. I have assigned additional personnel to protect your safety."

Lin Chen nodded in thanks. After watching Yun Yun leave, he whispered to Zhang Xun, "You should arrange for a few people to take turns on duty tonight. Don't be careless."

"Yes." Zhang Xun took the order and left.

Lin Chen stood alone by the window, gazing at the moonlight, his mind racing. The gang leader's sudden attack on him must have been a hidden agenda. And tomorrow, he would depart for the northwest, a treacherous journey, with the Crown Prince's men leading the way. The challenges were endless, but they were exactly what he had been waiting for.

"Come on, no matter it's the gang boss or the prince, I, Lin Chen, am never afraid of any challenge." He whispered to himself, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

The next morning, Lin Chen and his group set off for the northwest of Qin State. Yun Yun personally saw them off outside the city gate and sent a team of elite guards to accompany them.

"Mr. Lin, be careful on your journey," Yun Yun warned.

Lin Chen nodded, "Don't worry, Princess. We will complete the mission and return safely."

The team set off in a mighty procession, their schedule tight. Lin Chen remained vigilant, fearing not only an ambush by the Crown Prince's men but also a possible pursuit by the Black Boss. Fortunately, the first two days of the journey were uneventful, with no unusual incidents.

On the evening of the third day, the team arrived at a small town. It was a small, border town, not very prosperous, but still bustling. Lin Chen ordered everyone to stay in different places, while he and Zhang Xun stayed in the town's largest inn.

"Mr. Lin, why do I feel like something is wrong in this town?" Zhang Xun whispered.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, "I feel the same way. It seems that everyone in the town is secretly observing us."

As soon as the two entered the lobby of the inn, they saw a man in black coming up to them.

"Gentlemen, are you Mr. Lin and Mr. Zhang from the capital?" the man asked respectfully.

Lin Chen looked at the other person warily, "Who are you?"

"I'm just an errand boy. My master would like to invite you two to his house for a chat."

"Who is your master?" Lin Chen asked coldly.

The man in black smiled mysteriously, "You'll know when you get there. The master said he knows a lot about the secrets of the northwest."

Lin Chen and Zhang Xun exchanged a glance and finally nodded, "Okay, then go meet your master."

The man in black led the two through several alleys and arrived at a mansion on the west side of town. Pushing the door open, they saw the courtyard ablaze with lights and dozens of guards standing on either side, maintaining a tight security.

After crossing the courtyard, the black-clad man led Lin Chen and the others into a spacious hall. Inside the hall, a middle-aged man sat at the main seat. He was tall and strong, with a resolute face and a pair of piercing tiger eyes.

"Mr. Lin, you have come from afar. I hope you can forgive me for not welcoming you in person." The middle-aged man stood up to greet him.

Lin Chen looked at the other person and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Li Hu. I'm a small businessman in this town. I've heard of Mr. Lin's great name, so I came here to pay him a visit." Li Hu said with a smile.

Lin Chen sneered in his heart. This Li Hu was obviously not a small businessman. Not only did he have a luxurious mansion and many guards, but his every move also revealed the aura of a superior.

"Brother Li, you are too polite. What can I do for you?" Lin Chen asked straight to the point.

Li Hu gestured for the two to take a seat and personally poured tea. "I heard that Master Lin is on this trip to explore the secrets of the northwest?"

Lin Chen was slightly stunned, then regained his composure, "Brother Li is well-informed."

"Haha, it's just gossip." Li Hu laughed. "To be honest, I've been doing business in the northwest for many years and am quite familiar with the terrain and conditions there. If Master Lin doesn't mind, I can provide some help."

Lin Chen took a sip of tea and asked calmly, "Brother Li, why are you so eager to help?"

Li Hu's smile faltered for a moment, then returned to normal. "To be honest, I have some business dealings with the Crown Prince. He once mentioned Master Lin, saying that you are incredibly talented and a rare talent. I admire talented people the most, so I'd like to make friends with you."

Lin Chen's heart was filled with alarm, but he didn't show it on his face. "I see, thank you so much for your kindness, Brother Li."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Li Hu finally revealed his true colors. "Master Lin, to be honest, the Crown Prince sent me to stop you from heading to the northwest. He said that either you voluntarily abandon this operation, or..."

"What else?" Lin Chen asked coldly.

"Otherwise I won't be polite." Li Hu's tone suddenly became cold.

Lin Chen chuckled, "Brother Li, do you think I'm afraid of these threats?"

Li Hu sighed, "I knew I couldn't persuade you. Well, then I'll have to use some extreme measures."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and suddenly, more than a dozen men in black rushed in from outside the door and surrounded Lin Chen and Zhang Xun.

"Li Hu, you dare to attack us here, aren't you afraid of the princess's wrath?" Zhang Xun shouted sternly.

Li Hu sneered, "The princess is far away in the capital, out of reach. Besides, I just asked Master Lin to stay for a few days, what's wrong with that?"

Lin Chen remained calm, "Brother Li, you are courting death."

"How shameless!" Li Hu shouted angrily, "Come here, arrest them!"

The men in black rushed forward, and Lin Chen and Zhang Xun quickly stood back to back, facing the attacks from all sides. Although the two were highly skilled in martial arts, they were outnumbered and soon fell into a passive position.

At this critical moment, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded outside the window. Li Hu's face changed drastically, "Oh no, there's an ambush!"

Before he could finish his words, the window shattered and a dozen men in black jumped in from outside. They were the guards Lin Chen had arranged in the dark. The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle, and the scene was chaotic for a while.

Lin Chen took advantage of the chaos and repelled the enemy in front of him with a palm, and rushed towards Li Hu. Li Hu saw this and calmly pulled out a long sword from under the seat and engaged Lin Chen in battle.

The two men exchanged fierce blows, and soon they had fought for dozens of rounds, with no clear winner. Li Hu's martial arts were indeed extraordinary, and Lin Chen was unable to do anything to him for a while.

"Mr. Lin is indeed worthy of his reputation, and his martial arts are very powerful." Li Hu praised while resisting.

Lin Chen didn't answer, concentrating on the fight. Suddenly, he changed direction, unexpectedly circling Li Hu's side, and struck him in the ribs. Li Hu hastily parried, being knocked back several steps, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"Good boy, you're quite capable." Li Hu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps and shouts could be heard outside, suggesting reinforcements were arriving. Li Hu's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Let's call it a day. We'll fight again another day!"