My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

The group called themselves the "Holy Sun Cult" and would not say anything more than sending people to transport goods on the fifteenth of each month.

Seeing that the visitor seemed to hold a high position in the church, Zheng Zhiping tried to inquire about church affairs from him, but almost got killed.

From then on, he dutifully only prepared tribute items and offered them as tribute.

"The Holy Sun Church?"

The group looked at each other, wondering why they had never heard of such an organization.

He turned to look at Xie Yan, who came from the martial arts world and might have heard something about it.

Then you see the person on whom everyone has placed their hopes sticking out his tongue, holding the dagger up and down, trying to figure out where to start making a cut that won't be so easy to make.

Noticing everyone's gaze, Xie Yan stuck out her tongue: ...What?

A few people who wanted to find the answer from Xie Yan: Why does your painting style always seem so unique?

He withdrew his tongue, cleared his throat, and pondered for a moment, "Hmm... I think I've heard of it before, but I also think I haven't..."

Several people: ...Those of us who want to ask you are the fools.

Chu Ling chuckled softly.

Under the watchful eyes of the others, Xie Yan suddenly remembered something and revealed what he had learned from the second-in-command.

The second-in-command was then brought up.

Unlike Zheng Zhiping, this man possessed considerable skill and shrewdness. Sensing something was amiss, he immediately tried to escape, but unfortunately, he couldn't break free from Xie Yan's specially prepared sleeping potion.

When he was brought up, his face was contorted with rage, and he stared intently at Xie Yan.

After learning about the presence of an undercover agent, he sent people to keep a close watch on the movements of the prisoners.

According to reports from his men, people sneak out to scout the village every night. They don't get too close to alert the enemy, so they don't see who they are.

But Xie Yan was the one they saw most clearly and kept the closest eye on.

Because the first thing this person did every time he escaped was to take a shower, and after that, he would carry all sorts of things back to the room where he was being held: dry straw, blankets, clothes, fruit...

The people responsible for keeping watch couldn't help but start to wonder who the real bandits were.

But the fact that this person managed to administer a large amount of drugs without anyone noticing shows that he was not only extremely skilled, but also had already sensed that someone was watching him. His actions were merely a charade to mislead everyone.

The second-in-command secretly regretted his misjudgment. "Hmph! I won't say anything! Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Yan made a swift move, and in the blink of an eye, a dagger was drawn across the second-in-command's neck, leaving a bloody gash.

Although the second-in-command was startled by the sudden stab, he surprisingly gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Judging from his expression, Xie Yan had a vague idea. He squatted down in front of the second-in-command and tentatively asked, "Were you drugged?"

The second-in-command suddenly looked up at him, his eyes filled with disbelief, clearly confirming Xie Yan's guess.

"It seems this Holy Sun Cult doesn't really trust you believers?"

Xie Yan patted her knees and stood up. She exchanged a glance with Chu Ling. It seemed that the poison she had been given was not ordinary. Even with a piece of flesh cut off by the knife, she still refused to speak.

Chu Ling flicked his fan open, fanned himself twice slowly, and called out a name: "Tao Xian".

A slender figure walked out.

The figure was initially inconspicuous in the crowd, but as soon as she stepped out, the second-in-command's expression changed, and he roared in disbelief, "Qiu Wu Niang! You've betrayed us too?!"

The woman glanced at him unmoved, then reached up and peeled off her face, revealing a human skin mask.

The face beneath the mask was unadorned, the lips naturally red. Her expression was serene, exuding an air of refined elegance.

The second-in-command shut his mouth, realizing that the woman was probably the one his men had encountered.

Tao Xian handed the mask back to Xie Yan, then squatted down and placed her hand on the second-in-command's pulse.

A moment later, her brows furrowed and her expression changed slightly. Suddenly, without saying a word, she flipped the second-in-command over and slashed open the back of his clothes with a knife!

"Ah!" the second-in-command yelled, "You female hooligan! What do you think you're doing to me?!"

A stone was forcefully shoved into his mouth by Tao Xian.

Tao Xian quickly pressed several acupoints on the second-in-command's back with two fingers.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a small, wriggling lump slowly swelled up beneath the skin of the second-in-command's back.

It was as if something was crawling rapidly inside his body, and everyone who saw it gasped in shock.

"Sure enough."

Tao Xian swiftly and decisively knocked out the second-in-command with a single palm strike, clapped her hands, stood up, looked at everyone, and said, "This is not poison, it's a Gu."

Xuanfeng asked her, "Can't you solve it?"

Tao Xian thought about it seriously for a moment, then said regretfully, "I haven't learned it. But if you want me to solve it, I can try, though I might not be able to survive."

Xuanfeng: "Human or Gu?"

"people."

"...Then you should go and learn first before coming back."

The Holy Sun Cult has gone so far as to use poison to control its members and prevent the exposure of its secrets. What exactly do they want, going to such lengths?

Even after the second-in-command and all the bandits were taken away and imprisoned, and the matter seemed to have come to an end, no one looked any more relaxed.

"Have you heard enough?"

Xie Yan's voice was right next to him. Lu Zizhao suddenly opened his eyes and swung his knife.

"Is this the trick again?"

Xie Yan easily gripped the blade, and this time, with a force of two fingers, he snapped the sharp blade in two.

Chu Ling's gaze swept over them, his eyebrows slightly raised, and he asked, "Who is this?"

Xie Yan slowly dodged Lu Zizhao's swinging fist, then placed a hand on his forehead to stop him. "Sigh, just an ungrateful wretch."

Lu Zizhao was furious: "You're the one who never raised me!"

Xie Yan was a little surprised: "Didn't you ask me to be your father? Why don't kids these days keep their word?"

The boy's face turned bright red, and steam practically rose from his hair. Of course, not from embarrassment.

"You're talking nonsense! My request is clearly that you teach me martial arts!"

"That's it," Xie Yan flicked him on the forehead, knocking him to the ground. "As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for life. Good son, call him Dad."

Yu Bai had already told Chu Ling about Lu Zizhao's betrayal.

"...This kid is unusual. When he was with us, he always acted like he greatly admired the prince. You couldn't tell at all that he had such intentions."

Xuanfeng was speechless: "So you guys were fooled?"

Yu Bai clapped his hands indignantly, "I thought there weren't any bad people who liked the prince! Besides, that kid didn't lead the wrong way."

Looking at Xuanfeng's eyes, he muttered again, "Besides, these are people brought by Young Master Xie..."

Xuanfeng said with great distress: "We should be even more careful with the people Xie Yan brought!"

Yu Bai: ...What exactly did you go through?

After being tricked by Xie Yan, Lu Zizhao lay on the ground, exuding a faint sense of detachment.

He bit his lip, glared at Xie Yan, and said with his neck stiff, "I lost. Do whatever you want with me!"

Xie Yan: "What are you thinking? Of course you lost. Did you really think you could win? Don't daydream so much at such a young age."

Lu Zizhao: ...Let me die.