The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

Shen Zhizhi:? ? ?

She stared at his robe, which was covered in gold thread, her eyes filled with questions.

The gold thread technique is complex, and a single robe like this is worth more than ten taels of silver. How could he just throw it away like that?

"What a waste," she muttered softly.

Chu Tu wanted to continue his sarcasm, but when he looked up, he saw her expression of extreme pain, and he couldn't say a word.

Indeed, given how dilapidated her courtyard was, her life in the Prime Minister's residence must have been difficult.

Shen Zhizhi looked around, trying to find a gift to reciprocate, since her mission today was to let Chu Tu feel her overflowing maternal love and extremely considerate care.

In the original text, she was so focused on Zhang Jiali that she didn't pay any attention to what Chu Tu liked. She couldn't just give him a wood carving to get rid of him, could she?

After all, given Chu Tu's incredibly wealthy appearance, giving her those cheap street vendor items would undoubtedly be humiliating.

But if she wanted to buy something that would meet Chu Tu's standards, she wouldn't be able to buy it even if she sold herself.

"A magic talisman, a magic talisman, guaranteed to work, guaranteed to work, only one copper coin per talisman."

This shout drew Shen Zhizhi's attention.

A talisman?!

A copper coin?!

She walked excitedly toward the stall full of talismans, her face full of curiosity.

"Young lady, how about a talisman? Place it by your pillow for protection." The vendor smiled instantly upon seeing a customer and approached her.

Shen Zhizhi naturally didn't believe that a talisman with only a copper coin could be of any use, but sometimes the quality of a gift depends entirely on a silver tongue.

She reached into her pocket, casually pulled out a copper coin, placed it in front of the stall, took a talisman, and left.

"Third Prince, Third Prince!" she gasped as she ran to him, proudly waving the talisman in front of him.

Chu Tu was startled, lowering his gaze with some surprise as he stared at the talisman in her hand, frowning. "What are you doing? What is this?"

"It's a talisman, a very effective talisman, it wards off evil and ensures peace."

Shen Zhizhi looked up, her eyes filled with a smile.

"..."

Chu Tu stared at her speechlessly, then stretched out two fingers and pinched her.

Before Shen Zhizhi's smile could fade, Chu Tu stuck the talisman on her forehead.

Then, with his arms crossed and leaning forward, a sly smile played on his lips, he said, "What you said is quite right. Sticking it here will indeed ward off evil spirits."

Shen Zhizhi:? ? ?

Sometimes I feel like going crazy.

She puffed out her cheeks and ripped the talisman off her forehead. "Your Highness! This is a talisman! It's for protection! It's very effective!"

"I don't care."

As Chu Tu spoke, he strolled forward lazily.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, a sharp shout suddenly came from behind them.

"Chu Tu! Give me back my father's life!"

The sound of sharp blades piercing the air startled the surrounding crowd, who scattered in all directions, some hiding, some fleeing.

Chu Tu's eyes suddenly turned cold. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, spun around in the air, and landed steadily next to the stone lion.

He moved swiftly and smoothly, without being startled or affected in the slightest.

"Chu Tu! You are ruthless and poisoned my father. I will never let you get away with this. Today, I, Xiao Hang, will fight you to the death, even if it means my own death."

Shen Zhizhi turned around in shock, staring at the man in blue robes with an angry expression. Memories of him flooded her mind instantly.

Xiao Hang—a capable assistant in the story who helped Zhang Jiali usurp the throne; he was both a scholar and a warrior, and possessed great wisdom and resourcefulness.

Outside Nanliyuexing City, there is a small place called Jiangling County.

Xiao Guang, the magistrate of Jiangling County, was Xiao Hang's father.

A few days ago, Xiao Guang was unexpectedly poisoned and died in his study. By the time the maid found him in the morning, it was too late to save him.

Xiao Hang discovered the scattered powder at the scene and searched through all the martial arts practitioners before learning that the powder was 'Plum Blossom Poison'. In the entire Great Chu Kingdom, only the Third Prince Chu Tu knew how to develop such a poison.

In the original text, Xiao Hang was furious and took his sword to the street to assassinate someone.

Despite his high level of martial arts skills, he was no match for Chu Tu in close combat. Before he could even get close to Chu Tu, Chu Tu administered a bone-softening powder.

Chu Tu was not a good person to begin with, so how could he let go of the person who wanted to assassinate him?

He used deadly poison to cripple Xiao Hang's leg, then coldly sneered, "Ha, you want to avenge your father? I'll make sure you spend every lifetime with this crippled leg, crying out in vain, suffering endless pain and despair, filled with regret."

Xiao Hang was devastated, and just as he was about to take his own life, he encountered the benefactor of his life—

Zhang Jiali.

Upon learning of this, Zhang Jiali confidently assured him, "Young Master Xiao, please rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly for you, so that your father may rest in peace in the afterlife. If it truly is the Third Prince, even if it's a pit of fire to appeal to the Emperor, I will jump in."

Seeing Xiao Hang's dejected state, Zhang Jiali even used his connections to find a renowned doctor who could cure poisoning.

When people in the martial arts world discovered that the doctor Zhang Jiali had been searching for was the one who had helped him, they responded enthusiastically and he quickly cured Xiao Hang.

The truth eventually came out.

Although Xiao Guang was not harmed by Chu Tu, the feud between Chu Tu and Xiao Hang has now been completely established.

Shen Zhizhi gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, feeling both relieved and slightly fearful.

Damn it, thank goodness I went out with Chu Tu today, otherwise I would have missed this important plot point.

Chu Tu leaned against the stone lion, staring at Xiao Hang with a furrowed brow and a look of doubt in his eyes, as if wondering if he had ever seen this person before.

"Who are you?" After a long silence, Chu Tu lowered his gaze and raised an eyebrow to ask.

Xiao Hang stared at Chu Tu's nonchalant demeanor, his eyes turning red with anger. He trembled as he drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at Chu Tu.

"Stop pretending! Did you kill my father?!"

Chu Tu, who had been treated like a god since childhood, had never encountered anyone who dared to treat him like this before, and he was extremely dissatisfied.

He lazily lifted his eyelids. "Oh, so according to you, when I kill someone in the future, am I supposed to ask their name, dig a pit for them, and offer sacrifices to them from time to time?"

Chu Tu's lips curled into a faint smile, his peach blossom eyes held high, exuding arrogance and domineering arrogance.

"Am I the one who's gone mad, or are you?"

Shen Zhizhi, who was eating melon seeds on the side, was getting anxious to death.

This madman, even though he didn't poison me, he just won't explain, insisting on being a smart aleck and getting his momentary satisfaction.

"Chu Tu!"

Xiao Hang was so angry that his arms trembled, his eyes suddenly filled with bloodlust, and he moved with lightning speed, the tip of his sword pointing straight at Chu Tu.

[Warning! Warning! Villain Chu Tu is in danger. Please rescue him immediately.]

A sharp, piercing alarm sounded in my ears.

She knew it!

This damn task, it's happening again, isn't it?

The two clashed; one's sable fur fluttered in the wind, while the other's blue robes billowed in the breeze.

The next instant, a figure in apricot yellow rushed over just as Chu Tu was about to raise his wide sleeves, reaching out to protect him.

Blood Liao, hidden in the shadows, had his determined look in his eyes turn to ashes in an instant.

Gazing at the girl who had selflessly shielded him from the sword, he thought to himself:

Got it!

Xiao Hang's eyes widened in surprise. He sheathed his sword, lightly touched the ground with his toes, flipped in mid-air, and landed steadily on the ground.