The protagonist chased the villain, and Tiandao screamed in anger

The dim firelight illuminated the prison. The stone-paved floor was wet, and water marks had accumulated in the depressions and cracks between the bricks. Mixed in the water marks were some sticky blood.

The light of the flame, refracted through the water marks on the ground, revealing a person tied to the cross. The sound of scattered footsteps approached, and two jailers lifted a bucket of ice water together and poured it over his head.

The sudden biting cold woke up the man in black who had failed in his assassination attempt.

Cold water with frost, snow and ice kept flowing down his hair and along his forehead. He opened his eyes, shook off the excess water in his eyes, and gradually saw the surrounding environment clearly.

"Awake? That's great, the master wants to see you." Outside the iron gate of the prison, the consul, holding a long sword and a leather belt around his waist, poked his head out and signaled the two jailers to loosen the iron chains and drag the man out.

Lin Zhu's entire body was limp, and he couldn't even exert any strength. He was just dragged forward on the rough and muddy brick and stone road.

Following the footsteps of the consul in front, the jailer carried the prisoner and dragged him up the narrow stairs to the second underground floor of the private prison.

It was obviously cleaner here, with dry floors and charcoal everywhere, which was much better than the terrible environment on the lower floor.

The temperature was slightly warmer, but in winter, Lin Zhu, who was soaked all over, was still shivering from the cold.

He was forced to lower his head all the way, and when his vision was fixed, someone grabbed the hair on the back of his head tightly, which lifted his head up.

He endured the stinging pain on his scalp and looked up. The person sitting there seemed to be leisurely and contented, looking at the letters he had collected from the mill against the light.

The elegant appearance of the man in front of him was incompatible with the simple environment of the prison. The dark fox fur coat was draped loosely on his shoulders, and the inner garment was still a single layer that was not suitable for wearing in winter.

That face was particularly gorgeous against the firelight in the room. When Lin Zhu saw her profile, it seemed like yesterday for a moment...but the other person's gloomy eyes were not as eye-catching as her face. Instead, they made people's hair stand on end.

It has changed...really...everything has changed.

He couldn't suppress the trembling, and kept exerting force on his palms that were supporting the ground, trying to restrain this state of weakness, but he couldn't control it.

Lin Zhu wasn't sure if it was because he was too cold, or because his heart was causing his entire body to tremble.

...He was very cold.

The letter in his hand was held by someone and he reached forward. The paper was stained by the flames and started to burn. Under the bright yellow flames, the ashes gradually increased.

The core of the fire was a little hot, but the man holding the letter was not afraid. Instead, he watched with interest as the flame approached his fingertips little by little. When it was about to touch his skin, he let go.

The flame carried the last bit of letter paper and it lightly fell at Lin Zhu's feet.

The wide sleeves fluttered, and the long sword placed on the side was picked up by someone, and the clanging sound echoed in the room.

"...It's a good sword." The prince held the long sword horizontally in front of him, supported the sword, looked at the sharp blade, and sighed softly.

Lin Zhu, who was being held below, had no idea what the other party wanted to do, but it was nothing more than a plan to eradicate the pagans. Although he was not a member of the Qinghe Sect, he was the mastermind of the assassination, and he should be killed.

Unwilling to give up, he still has a grudge...

With a flip of his wrist, the tip of the sword tore through half of the black mask.

"Clap."

The hard mask fell to the ground, leaving only half of the hideous face exposed to everyone. Lin Zhu subconsciously lowered his head and covered his face with his hands, but was stopped and held down by the quick-eyed and quick-handed guards behind him to prevent him from using any other tricks.

The beam of light from the open flame hit the half of the face that was mottled and hideous after being burned, and it was like a real sight that made Lin Zhu feel uneasy. Even though he knew that his appearance was different now, he still tilted his head to avoid the gaze of the person above him and interrupted the other person's prying.

"Today on the long street, I was the one holding the bow and shooting the arrow. I was also the one who wanted your prince dead. I can kill you or chop you up..." Zuo was not afraid of death, as it was just a death.

Within sight, the man in the upper seat dropped the sword in his hand, raised his toes slightly, lifted his chin with the tip of his shoe, and his protesting words were stopped.

"Lord Jade, Rakshasa Ghost, the swordsman Half-faced, who has recently gained fame in the martial arts world, is indeed worthy of his reputation. But, how can a man from the martial arts world interfere in the affairs of the imperial court?"

The prince sat sideways, supporting his face with his arm. The contemptuous look on his face, like a teasing dog, irritated Lin Zhu. The hatred that was suppressed in his chest swept over him, forcing the corners of his eyes to turn red.

"People in the Jianghu also know the moral principles of the world. The Emperor is incompetent, the Crown Prince is tyrannical, and the princes are constantly quarreling. The people of Qi have witnessed it all."

"You persecute loyal people and kill people without justice. Are there any laws in this world? As noble as you are, have you ever cared about your ministers and generals? Have you ever remembered the people under your rule... If the court is useless, what's the harm in changing dynasties!" The bloody scar was revealed, and Lin Zhu almost lost his temper. Fortunately, he covered it up with words.

"You are a bold and unruly commoner who makes irresponsible remarks about the crown prince. You should be put to death!" Upon hearing this, the attendant beside the crown prince became serious, drew his sword, and shouted at him.

"Punish? I'm just a swordsman in white, without father or mother, wife or children. I'm afraid your trick of punishing my entire clan will be useless!" The sharp words hurt him, and the resentment that had been pent up for years burst out. He clenched his palms, unable to control the urge to get rid of the hatred right then and there.

Lin Zhu glanced at the guards beside him and saw that the man holding him down was a little lax. Although he was weak from the drugs he had taken, he was still so close...

He struggled suddenly and his arm touched the familiar sword. He immediately injured the guard to gain an opportunity to commit the crime. He stabbed the prince above with the sword, and the tip of the sword was against the other's neck.

If he were just an inch closer, he could kill the other person and avenge himself, but often things don't go as planned, and that inch is like a chasm that makes it impossible to move forward.

His arm was clamped by the opponent's attendant. Jiang Ya was as strong as an ox and was a servant who had followed the prince since childhood. Under the brute force, even if he was an excellent swordsman, he could not use it.

"Kneel down!" Consul Jiang Feng suppressed him from behind and kicked Lin Zhu in the knee.

He was stabbed to the ground, his kneecap hitting the hard bricks and stones, making a dull sound. His wrist was twisted and dislocated, and the long sword was thrown to the ground again. Lin Zhu was furious: "I will kill you! I will definitely kill you!"

However, the person sitting sideways on the chair did not have any of the emotions he had expected. In fact, he seemed to be bored and stretched out his hand to signal the people around him to remove their suppression of him.

When he was about to touch the sword, he threatened:

"If you stab me with this sword today, you will be fine, but unfortunately, your friends in the martial arts world will be implicated."

The fingertips that reached out paused slightly, and Lin Zhu froze, looking up and asking: "...What do you mean?"

The prince seemed to have heard a joke and suddenly laughed out loud. He stepped down from the chair, squatted in front of him, pinched his half-scarred jaw, and forced him to look to the side.

The sounds of rollers and chains vibrated, and half of the wooden partition wall was removed. Through the railings, Lin Zhu saw familiar faces one after another.

Their hands and feet were shackled, they stood in front of him with their mouths and noses bound, and their faces haggard, under the scolding and whipping of the jailers.

Feng Sanniang, Uncle Lin, these people who have done him a favor...

"They have never participated in this... Why did you arrest them... Prince... Have you forgotten that you..."

His words stopped abruptly, perhaps it was because they met again after a long separation, and the close distance always made him lose control for no reason, hatred and thoughts were intertwined, and complex emotions hit his mind, and he almost revealed something again.

Just as he stopped talking, Lin Zhu looked up and realized that time had changed and people's hearts were fickle... and he was no longer...

“Once a person has a weak spot, he is easy to control.” The prince lowered his eyes, with no light in his dark pupils.

The prince patted Lin Zhu's cheek, as if he was measuring the value of an item: "I heard that Banshalang is very good at swordsmanship. It just so happens that my mansion is short of a servant. Your value is not bad."

Feeling insulted, Lin Zhu stiffened his neck and refused to yield: "You are killing innocent people indiscriminately, which is not a benevolent leader. I will never serve you even if I die..."