novelraw Chapter 370
Chapter 370
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure truly emerged from the woods.
Tall and slender with delicate features, it was a shame the face was caked in thick white powder and smeared with bright red lip rouge. The ghastly white paired with the garish red was enough to give anyone goosebumps.
"Cousin Yun Lang, cousin Yun Miao, long time no see, I trust you've been well?"
The other party spoke with a sinister tone, even giving a little flourish with a delicate, upturned finger.
Chu Ruoyan asked with a horrified expression, "Is he really Prince Jin's heir, Yun Zihao?"
He looked more like a seductive ghost from the underworld, or a male courtesan from a southern-style pleasure house!
Yun Lang patted her shoulder. "Don't mind him. He's been like this for years, neither properly man nor woman." Then he raised an eyebrow at Yun Zihao. "What? With your four envoys dead or injured, shouldn't you, dear cousin, be busy collecting their bodies instead of coming here to stir up trouble?"
Yun Zihao let out a sharp laugh. "Heh, cousin, your way with words hasn't changed a bit. Still as detestable as ever!"
"The feeling is mutual. Seeing your ghostly appearance, I'll surely have nightmares again tonight," Yun Lang retorted, deliberately rubbing his temple as if pained.
A flash of anger crossed Yun Zihao's face, but he quickly suppressed it. "Yun Lang, I'm not here today to trade barbs. The Murong family is on the brink of collapse. Are you still going to be stubborn and refuse to cooperate with me?"
A cold smirk curled at the corner of Yun Lang's lips. "Cooperate? Shouldn't you first look at what you've done? Inciting Roumin to kill me, framing the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion for the assassination attempt on the Prince of Qin, and repeatedly targeting my sister. Do you really think cooperation is still possible?"
Yun Zihao frowned. "Those were all the Green Dragon Envoy acting on his own! I forgot, you probably know him better as Song Jia. But no matter, wasn't he already killed by Yan Zheng's sword? If that's not enough for you, I can deliver all his subordinates for you to slaughter to your heart's content."
Chu Ruoyan furrowed her brow. Yun Lang snorted with disdain. "No need. I'm not like you, twisted and finding pleasure in killing. Besides, even without us, you still managed to worm your way close to the dog emperor, didn't you?"
He was referring to the eunuch who tripped the Second Prince in the grand hall earlier that day.
That was Yun Zihao's man.
Without him, the Second Prince wouldn't have been gravely injured by the Emperor, and chaos wouldn't have naturally ensued.
Yun Zihao put on a wounded expression. "Ah, you saw through that too. What a pity, cousin. You already had the dog emperor's life in your grasp, yet you didn't kill him..."
"Kill him?" Yun Lang sounded as if he'd heard the biggest joke. "Kill him to draw all the blame onto me, so you, dear cousin, could fish in troubled waters?"
Yun Zihao sighed. "Ah, you've seen through me again. Cousin, oh cousin, if only you were my true brother. Wouldn't the world have been ours long ago?"
He finished speaking and melodramatically pressed a hand to his heart. The affected gesture made Chu Ruoyan feel nauseous. "Heir of Prince Jin, my second brother has no desire to contend for the throne. Why must you press him so relentlessly? In the past, it was a matter of fulfilling one's duty in one's position. But now we have broken with the imperial family and will no longer obstruct you. You may proceed as you wish."
Yun Zihao's gaze fell upon her. The feeling of being coldly, voyeuristically watched made her extremely uncomfortable. The next moment, Yun Lang stepped in front of her. "Didn't you hear my sister? She told you to get lost!"
Yun Zihao, however, didn't move. "Yun Lang, you are too weak. Your heart is too full of your little sister. It seems your elder cousin must help you..."
With a wave of his hand, several figures instantly surged from the woods.
Yun Lang lifted his chin. "You think these few can hurt me?"
He didn't even need to move. Shadow and Heiya simultaneously drew their swords. In the blink of an eye, those men fell.
"Twenty-eight... you killed two more than me again!"
Heiya complained, while Shadow lifted his head proudly.
Yun Zihao still showed no sign of panic, only gazing greedily at Shadow. "The world's number one assassin is indeed formidable. Sooner or later, you will be mine!"
Shadow was not one to indulge him. A flash of cold light, and his sword shot towards Yun Zihao.
However, when the blade tip was an inch from his throat, there was a loud clang!
Shadow was sent flying back by a tremendous force. With his skill, he actually staggered back three steps before steadying himself!
"Who is so powerful?!" Heiya exclaimed in shock. They saw a black-robed figure standing beside Yun Zihao, having appeared there as suddenly as a ghost.
His face was hidden by a hood.
Shadow frowned and lunged forward again, unleashing a flurry of thirty thrusts. Every single one was parried.
"So strong!"
Although Chu Ruoyan couldn't see clearly, she knew this black-robed man was the first opponent Shadow had ever encountered.
Yun Lang, however, stood as if struck by lightning, his entire body rigid.
"Stop!"
Before the next clash, he roared sharply, his peach-blossom eyes filled with crimson. "Yun Zihao, who is he?!"
Yun Zihao giggled. "Haven't you already guessed?"
"Second brother?" Chu Ruoyan turned back worriedly, only to see Yun Lang beginning to tremble all over.
The veins on his forehead bulged one by one. "I asked, who. Is. He?"
Yun Zihao reached out and pulled down the black-robed man's hood.
Beneath it was a face identical to Yun Lang's.
The only differences were the black hair, and those captivating peach-blossom eyes, which now stared ahead, dull, vacant, and lifeless.
Chu Ruoyan instantly covered her mouth. Heiya, Yin Shun, and the others gasped in surprise. "Eldest Young Master?!"
Yes, this black-robed man was the long-lost eldest young master, Yun Zhao.
Yun Lang's lips trembled, tears instantly rolling down his face. "You... you're alive?"
He thought he was dead. He had turned the whole world upside down searching, but couldn't find him. He never could!
Yun Zhao, however, remained silent, standing there dully.
Yun Zihao clapped his hands and laughed. "Look! What a touching display of brotherly affection! After such a long separation, you must have much to say, no? Yun Zhao, why don't you take him away?"
The black-robed man suddenly darted into the woods. Without a second thought, Yun Lang followed.
"Second brother!"
"Pavilion Master!"
The others called out urgently, but he seemed not to hear, not pausing in the slightest!
Chu Ruoyan immediately said, "Shopkeeper Du, Bai Xiucai, go after them quickly! Yun Zhao's condition isn't right. I'm afraid something might happen to second brother!"