She was too beautiful, but her parents were merely from a collateral branch of the family and had no decision-making power at all.
They couldn’t protect Zhao Weinan’s purity, not even her freedom to choose whom to marry. They couldn’t even decide when to meet Zhao Weinan...
Zhao Weinan must have been under immense pressure in this family.
Drowning her sorrows in alcohol was her way of venting her extreme frustrations.
People have to find ways to vent, or they would drive themselves crazy.
Zhao Weinan wanted to drink more, but Lin Beichen picked her up without a word and took her for a walk by the lake to sober her up.
Of course, he used an elixir to help Zhao Weinan recover, but what did it matter how fast she recovered?
Zhao Weinan might clear her head, but her mood wouldn’t ease.
It’s said that healers can’t heal themselves.
But in reality, healers can’t easily heal others’ hearts either.
The boardwalk along Dragon Sleep River was very long, stretching several kilometers.
In the deep night, the boardwalk by the lake was almost deserted.
Lin Beichen walked ahead with the two women, while Mu followed in the darkness behind.
The lamps on the boardwalk lit the path ahead, and faint sounds came from the surrounding water.
Suddenly, Zhao Baiying shivered.
"How odd, I remember this is a popular date spot. Why is there no one here tonight?"
Zhao Baiying suspiciously looked around both sides of the path.
There was no one on the beach by the lake, nor in the small forest nearby.
Had all the young people of the Imperial Capital died out?
It was the prime age for hormones to be raging. How could there be no one here?
Zhao Baiying had been here before to gather material, and she couldn’t take a few steps without encountering a couple of wild lovers. Every night, the entire park would be filled with sounds that made her blush and her heart race.
Those lingering sounds that seemed both resentful and ghostly had almost scared Zhao Baiying to death back then.
Lin Beichen silently looked around, thinking of something.
"There’s not nobody around, it’s just not time for them to come out yet."
Lin Beichen said with a faint smile.
Zhao Baiying was puzzled, but then the lights on the boardwalk ahead suddenly went out.
A figure seemed to appear on the beach beside the boardwalk, the moonlight reflecting off a sleek, long blade in his hand.
"Mr. Lin, I’ve heard you are quite skilled. I would like to test myself against you."
Zhao Baiying looked at Lin Beichen in surprise.
"Your reputation is so great that even people come to challenge you?"
Lin Beichen looked at the person calmly and said plainly:
"I am famous, but he is not here to test himself against me."
The darkness shrouded the other person, making it impossible to see his face.
Nonetheless, Lin Beichen just scanned him and suddenly said:
"Single hand blade, broad left arm, your Zhao family’s knife technique really is distinctive. Clearly cultivating the left hand, yet the real killing intent is hidden in the right sleeve. Your right hand holds a poisoned sleeve arrow, doesn’t it? This is your Zhao Family’s Yin Yang Harmony Skill!
What’s your name? Let me guess!
When I went out this afternoon, there were two servants leading the way, deliberately taking a detour to observe me. The tall one was Zhao Xingman, the skinny one was Zhao Yizhen, so you must be Zhao Yizhen?"
The man in the shadows shuddered violently.
He stared at Lin Beichen dumbfounded, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Lin Beichen could determine his identity just by his shape, after only meeting him once.
This guy had such a good memory.
The lights came back on, illuminating Zhao Yizhen’s face.
He suddenly swung the long blade in his left hand, and the cold light slashed across the boardwalk, instantly breaking the wooden bridge behind.
"Mr. Lin, you are really clever. No wonder Master asked me to kill you."
Zhao Yizhen sighed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Beichen looked into the forest.
"Find Xingman and Zhao Suncheng, you are all killers, why bother with hiding?"
In the night, except for the soft breeze over the lake, there was no other sound.
It was as if everyone present had already arrived and there was no one else hiding.
However, Lin Beichen knew that besides the two he had just called out, there were several more assassins hidden in the thick forest.
"Lin Beichen, you are indeed extraordinary. Since we are all from distinguished families, you should understand our ways. Hand over the Ice Skin Jade Bone Pill and the pill formulas on you, and I can let you live!"
A voice filled with killing intent rang out from the dense forest.
This voice was very familiar, but it wasn’t anyone else—it was Liu Nuyan.
Liu Nuyan walked out of the forest, followed by six assassins.
Zhao Weinan and Zhao Baiying stared at them dumbstruck, obviously not expecting that the person who had come to Zhongcheng Hall with Lin Beichen was actually an assassin.
"Lin Beichen, isn’t he your friend?"
Zhao Baiying asked in terror.
Zhao Weinan tightly grasped Zhao Baiying’s hand. Though she was also very scared, she still forced herself to stay strong, "This is Zhao Family’s territory, you best not act recklessly, otherwise I will immediately call Zhao Wuxing. Since you are from the Zhao Family, you should know Zhao Wuxing’s power!"
The assassins sneered indifferently.
Liu Nuyan chuckled at her words.
"Zhao Weinan, your acting skills are not good. I advise you to stop pretending.
Your father is just a collateral disciple of the family; he barely made it into the Zhao Family and can’t even enter the ancestral hall.
Don’t even say if I kill you, even if I slaughter your whole family, Zhao Wuxing won’t trouble me; I am backed by the second young master, have you heard of him?"
Zhao Weinan’s face paled instantly.
Her biggest reliance was merely the Zhao name.
If someone exposed her, she was just a rabbit without fangs.
"Liu Nuyan, I have always said that if you follow orders, not only can I spare your life, but I will also give you many benefits."
Lin Beichen sighed softly.
He had given Liu Nuyan a chance, but unfortunately, Liu Nuyan hadn’t seized it.
He rarely showed mercy, and it was wasted the one time he did.
The ants who had died in the volcanic eruption in Japan would have wished to tear Liu Nuyan to pieces if they had known.
If Lin Beichen had been soft-hearted then, they would have seized the chance.
Liu Nuyan coldly stared at Lin Beichen, his gaze full of icy malice.
"Lin Beichen, your gravest mistake was to expose the fact that you carry precious treasures! Do you think with your importance in the Imperial Capital and your support from the upper echelons, you can be fearless?
Lin Beichen, you are still young, so before you die, let me explain: the upper echelons are not a monolith! Human hearts are inscrutable, how do you know everyone wants the country to be better?
If the country improves, not everyone benefits! If the country worsens, not everyone suffers! We all eat from the same bowl, someone eating less means someone else eats more. Do you get it?"
Liu Nuyan spoke with a smile, taking another look at Lin Beichen, his eyes filled with regret.
He had to admit, Lin Beichen was the most talented person he had ever met.
Coming from an ordinary background, yet surpassing all the noble geniuses.
In the past, this would have been impossible.
But this was Dragon Country, stern to foreign enemies but nurturing to its people.
Resources were limited; some stuck to their principles, while others refused to be satisfied.
Some saw ordinary people as a burden, while others thought they had given enough.
So, they wanted to kill Lin Beichen.
Tonight’s assassination of Lin Beichen was about more than just interests; it was a fight over ideology.
Lin Beichen silently observed Liu Nuyan, his eyes flashing with enigmatic light.
He didn’t know what expression to show.
But without a doubt, Liu Nuyan had to die tonight.
"Any last words?"
Lin Beichen asked calmly.
It was his final mercy.
As soon as he spoke, Zhao Yizhen dashed forward, his blade transforming into a flash of cold light, heading straight for Lin Beichen.
"Think about your own last words first!"
As Zhao Yizhen roared, Liu Nuyan’s men moved forward too.
The blades they held all had a strange tint to them.
Their blades were poisoned, enough to kill with a single cut.
Guns could trigger unwanted problems, so they only used blades tonight.
Zhao Baiying and Zhao Weinan turned pale with fear as they watched the crowd charge.
If Lin Beichen died, could they have any chances left?
Then, a pair of big hands rested on their shoulders, bringing them a bit of warmth.
"Don’t be afraid, I’m here."
Lin Beichen said with a faint smile.
In the next instant, Lin Beichen slightly raised the hand he had placed on Zhao Weinan’s shoulder and gently shook it.
"Mu, take care of them."
In the darkness, a figure like a giant stopped in front of Lin Beichen.
In front of him, Zhao Yizhen and the others were as small as monkeys.