After the eldest sister-in-law of a fishing family became a widow, her disabled younger brother-in-l

Chapter 170 Reversal

Then Song Yunming slowly took a step back, his tone turning cold, "Since Imperial Uncle insists on this, then don't blame your nephew for being rude."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Song Yunming's eyes sharpened, and he abruptly raised his hand, shouting, "Take him down!"

The guards immediately stepped forward with their swords drawn, the blades reflecting the cold moonlight, their killing intent instantly rising.

However, just as those people were about to approach, Xie Jinglan's eyes turned cold. Without moving an inch, he simply raised one hand and a sharp palm wind shot out.

Caught off guard, the lead guard was struck hard in the chest and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the temple gate with a dull thud. Blood gushed from his mouth, and the long sword in his hand fell to the ground.

Before anyone could react, Xie Jinglan reached out and grasped the sword, which landed steadily in his hand. Then, with a flick of his wrist, Song Yunming heard several screams before he could even see the sword's movement. The guards who had surrounded him all fell to the ground.

He looked closely and discovered that the fallen guards had all been killed by a single sword to the throat!

This scene made Song Yunming's face turn somewhat ugly, but now that the pretense of civility had been laid bare, there was no need for him to hide anything anymore.

No matter how skilled Song Jinglan is, it's impossible for him to deal with so many of his men all by himself!

"Attack him for me!"

Song Yunming gave the order in a deep voice, but the scene he had imagined—his men filing out and capturing Prince Jing—did not appear. Instead, there was only deathly silence.

This unusual scene made his heart skip a beat, and an ominous premonition immediately arose.

"What about people!"

Song Yunming raised his voice slightly. The few surviving guards under his command in the courtyard also looked around blankly, but they did not see even a single reinforcement.

Just then, Song Yunming's pupils suddenly contracted as he noticed that a stranger had appeared beside Xie Jinglan.

"Your Highness."

That person was Feng Ling. He gave Xie Jinglan a slight bow and said, "It's all been taken care of."

When Song Yunming saw this person suddenly appear, he felt a chill run down his spine. Logically speaking, his men should have already laid a tight net around Wanfu Temple, so how could they have let someone in?!

"When did the Second Prince become so careless in his actions?"

Xie Jinglan looked up at him, his tone unhurried, "You were so focused on capturing the so-called imperial criminals that you didn't even realize you were surrounded by villains? I saw those people surrounding Wanfu Temple with great force, and I guessed they were the Second Prince's enemies. You'll take care of them."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunming's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "You...!"

Before he could speak, Xie Jinglan said calmly, "Although I am recuperating here, I would like to do my part for the court. The Second Prince is my elder brother's most valued son. As an elder, I will naturally protect you. There is no need for thanks."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunming clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

He truly never expected that his men would be wiped out by Prince Jing's subordinates so quietly!

Now that the situation has reversed, it's nothing short of a pipe dream to try and take down Song Jinglan with just a handful of people around him!

"Second Prince, do you still need me to go back with you?"

Xie Jinglan toyed with the long sword in his hand, speaking calmly and casually.

This only made Song Yunming grit his teeth in hatred, but he could only force out an ugly smile. "I suppose my uncle would not harbor criminals. In my opinion... it's still unnecessary."

Seeing Song Yunming back down, Xie Jinglan's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery. Although this man had been pestering him for years, he was still his own brother's bloodline. If it weren't for a last resort, Xie Jinglan would have been too lazy to touch him.

"In that case, Your Highness, please return."

Xie Jinglan slowly walked forward, while Song Yunming felt an even greater sense of oppression and subconsciously took a half step back.

If he weren't powerless to reverse the situation, he would have truly wanted to kill this royal uncle on the spot!

"I am physically weak and need to rest."

Xie Jinglan feigned a cough, "There are no bad people in Wanfu Temple. Second Prince, you don't need to come here anymore. After all, it would be bad if this sacred Buddhist site were tainted with blood."

Song Yunming cursed inwardly and sneered repeatedly.

What nonsense about being sickly and weak! Just look at his skills just now. He sent that guard flying several feet away with a single palm strike. He was clearly full of energy, not sick at all!

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably would have been kept in the dark for a long time!

“What the Imperial Uncle says is true.”

Song Yunming forced a smile and tactfully cupped his hands in a slight bow, saying, "I apologize for my rudeness today."

However, just as the two were talking, Pei Jingchuan, who had just been hiding in the bushes, looked at the two of them and was taken aback.

He recognized Prince Ning, Song Yunming, and judging from the respectful look on Prince Ning's face, the masked man beside him must be Prince Jing.

Seeing that Prince Jing was wearing a mask, Pei Jingchuan felt a chill. However, looking at his figure, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"In that case, the Second Prince should descend the mountain as soon as possible."

Xie Jinglan made no attempt to hide his intention to get rid of them, saying, "Wanfu Temple is too small; I'm afraid it can't accommodate so many people."

Seeing that Xie Jinglan was willing to let him go, Song Yunming immediately felt relieved. However, Xie Jinglan's words had caused a great uproar in Pei Jingchuan's heart.

That familiar voice, coupled with that masked appearance... it's exactly the same as Xie Jinglan, the third young master of the Xie family!

This made Pei Jingchuan's scalp tingle, and he stared intently at the figure.

With his excellent memory, he was certain he was not mistaken. The voice and figure of the Prince Jing before him were almost identical to Xie Jinglan, whom he had seen that day. If Xie Jinglan was actually the Prince Jing in disguise, then it would explain why the Third Young Master Xie refused to remove his mask at the lantern festival that day!

Pei Jingchuan was so shocked that he forgot he was in danger and that he should continue to conceal his presence. This oversight made Xie Jinglan suddenly notice something unusual in the bushes beside him, and his sharp eyes immediately turned to it.

Someone is spying on us here!

Feng Ling moved quickly; almost instantly, he shot a crossbow bolt from his sleeve towards the bushes.

The sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out, and the sudden change caught Pei Jingchuan off guard, so he quickly dodged to the side.

Although he barely avoided the fatal blow, his right shoulder was still hit hard by the hidden arrow, causing him to groan.

The sudden pain turned his face pale and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Seeing that he had been discovered, Pei Jingchuan dared not linger there any longer.

How could a mere subject like him possibly know about the affairs of Prince Ning and Prince Jing? If he were caught red-handed, not only would his own life be in danger, but his entire family would likely face the same fate!

Upon realizing this, Pei Jingchuan hurriedly turned and fled, but in his panic, he exposed himself directly to Xie Jinglan.