Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

The nights at Guangxin Palace always seem a bit colder than elsewhere.

Li Yunrui leaned against the soft couch, toying with a gold hairpin in her hand, the sharp tip of which gleamed coldly in the candlelight.

She had just seen off Lin Gong, who knew nothing but killing.

Lin Gong is an idiot, that's Li Yunrui's assessment of him.

But sometimes, fools are more useful than smart people because fools have weaknesses and are prone to impulsiveness. Lin Gong's weakness was Lin Wan'er, the younger sister he cherished.

"That Fan Xian, being an illegitimate child is bad enough, but now the rumors are rampant, saying he acts erratically, frequents brothels, and might even... might even be a troublemaker." Li Yunrui had only shed a few tears and sighed a few times in front of Lin Gong, "If Wan'er marries such a person, how will she ever be able to hold her head high in the Lin family or in the royal family? As her mother, my heart is breaking..."

Even though he didn't explicitly say "go kill him," Lin Gong, that reckless man who was so eager to protect his sister, could no longer hide the murderous intent in his eyes.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will never allow anyone to tarnish Wan'er's reputation!"

Lin Gong left, carrying with him a bellyful of anger and the "resources" implied by Li Yunrui—a master from Northern Qi lurking in the capital, and the monster, Cheng Jushu, who was secretly transported into the city and imprisoned in an iron cage.

Li Yunrui watched Lin Gong's departing figure, a cruel yet stunning smile curving his lips.

"Fan Xian, since you are that woman's son, then die. To die in Niulan Street, to die at the hands of the Northern Qi people, would be a worthy death."

……

The next day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

The streets of Kyoto remain bustling and noisy, with vendors' cries echoing throughout the city.

Fan Xian was sitting in the carriage, chatting with Teng Zijing.

"Hey Lao Teng, your legs aren't quite up to par yet, why do you insist on coming out with me? Wouldn't it be better to go home and hug your wife and kids?" Fan Xian leaned against the carriage wall with a straw in his mouth, looking completely unserious.

Teng Zijing held the knife in his arms, his face bearing his usual wooden expression, but his eyes were gentle: "Young Master, the capital has been quite turbulent lately. Moreover, you saved my life, and you will help me find my wife and children. I, Teng Zijing, will never forget this kindness. It is my duty to protect you."

Fan Xian pursed his lips and muttered, "What favors or gratitude? We're friends, and friends don't talk about these things. Once this matter is settled, I'll buy you a piece of land in Danzhou. You can bring your wife and kids there, and we can be neighbors, basking in the sun every day. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Just as Teng Zijing was about to speak, the carriage suddenly shook violently, followed by a mournful neigh from the horses pulling it.

"Whoa—!"

Coachman Wang Qinian grabbed the reins in terror, nearly being thrown off.

"What's going on?" Fan Xian's eyes narrowed instantly, and his body tensed up instinctively.

Before he could even lift the carriage curtain, several sharp whooshing sounds suddenly rang out!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several crossbow bolts, crafted from fine steel, pierced directly through the thick carriage wall and embedded themselves deeply in the spot where Fan Xian had just leaned against. The arrow fletchings were still trembling violently, emitting a buzzing sound.

If Fan Xian had reacted even half a second slower, he would already be nailed to the car by now!

"Enemy attack! Young master, be careful!" Teng Zijing roared, his long sword instantly unsheathed, and he kicked open the car door, protecting Fan Xian as they rolled off the carriage.

The streets instantly descended into chaos as people screamed and scattered in all directions.

The once wide Niulan Street was now blocked at both ends by several horse-drawn carriages that had rushed out.

Two female assassins dressed in black, armed with crossbows, stood on a high rooftop, coldly locking their gazes on Fan Xian below. Meanwhile, in the very center of the street, a massive iron cage had been pushed out from somewhere.

"roar--!"

A roar like that of a wild beast came from the iron cage.

The sound was deafening, carrying a chilling brutality and bloodlust.

With the sound of breaking chains, the iron cage door was ripped open by a pair of large, hairy black hands. A giant, over two meters tall, with muscles bulging like a rock, slowly walked out.

His face was ugly and ferocious, his eyes were bloodshot, and saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth, like a demon crawling out of hell.

Cheng Jushu, an eighth-rank master from the Northern Qi Dynasty!

"What the hell is that thing? The Hulk?" Fan Xian looked at the enormous creature and couldn't help but swear, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He could sense that the monster's aura was extremely dangerous!

"Young master, run! I'll hold him off!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Teng Zijing brandished his long sword and resolutely stood in front of Fan Xian. Although his leg was still slightly lame, at this moment, his figure appeared incredibly tall.

"Stop my ass! Do you think you can stop this thing? Let's run!" Fan Xian grabbed Teng Zijing and tried to retreat.

However, Cheng Jushu did not give them a chance to escape.

Despite his enormous size, Cheng Jushu's speed was astonishing! He slammed his legs against the ground, shattering the bluestone slabs of the entire street, and charged forward like a cannonball, the force of the wind he generated stinging people's cheeks.

"Bang!"

Teng Zijing only had time to raise his knife to block before he felt an overwhelming force come crashing down on him.

The long sword, forged from fine steel, bent into a bizarre arc under Cheng Jushu's fist. Then, Teng Zijing was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Old Teng!" Fan Xian's eyes widened in fury.

……

At this very moment, on the top floor of a restaurant not far from Niulan Street.

Li Chengze, dressed in purple, sat languidly by the window, holding a cup of steaming tea in his hand.

His gaze pierced through the layers of rooftops, clearly taking in everything that was happening on Niulan Street.

"So this is Cheng Jushu? He really is a beast that only knows how to kill." Li Chengze took a sip of tea, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on a play. "He is incredibly strong and has thick skin. Although he is only an eighth-rank, this kind of pure physical strength is indeed a great weapon in narrow street battles."

Standing behind him was "Black and White Xuanjian," dressed in black with a cold and stern face. As a top-tier assassin of the Luo Wang organization, he concealed his aura extremely well, like a sharp sword sheathed.

"Your Highness, Teng Zijing is dying." Xuan Jian's voice was low and hoarse. "Although Fan Xian possesses domineering true qi, he lacks practical combat experience and also has to take care of Teng Zijing. If this continues, Teng Zijing will surely die."

Li Chengze put down his teacup and gently tapped his fingers on the window frame.

In the original course of his life, Teng Zijing was supposed to die here.

His death marked a pivotal turning point for Fan Xian, transforming him from a transmigrator who wanted to live a life of leisure and idleness into someone who desired to seize power in this world.

Teng Zijing's death ignited Fan Xian's hatred and made him see the cruelty of this world.

"Teng Zijing is a good person," Li Chengze suddenly said out of the blue.

He looked down at the man below who, despite having several broken ribs, was still struggling to get up and rushing forward again to grab Cheng Jushu's leg, trying to buy time for Fan Xian.

"In this dog-eat-dog world, there are too few people who are willing to die for the sake of so-called 'gratitude' and 'friendship.' So few... that I find it a pity."

A playful smile curved at the corners of Li Chengze's lips.

"Moreover, this level of understanding was enough for Fan Xian to realize that his desire to retreat was simply impossible."

"Xuan Jian".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Go." Li Chengze pointed to the bloody battlefield below. "Save Teng Zijing. Remember, don't kill Cheng Jushu; that big guy is still useful. You just need to... pull Teng Zijing back from the brink of death."

"Yes."

Before he finished speaking, Xuan Jian's figure had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only a gentle breeze stirring the window screen.

……

The scene on Niulan Street was extremely tragic.

"Young master... hurry..."

Teng Zijing's face was covered in blood, and his left arm was twisted in a strange way, clearly broken.

But he still clung tightly to Cheng Jushu's leg, shouting with the last of his strength.

Cheng Jushu let out an impatient roar, raised his large, fan-like hand high, and slammed it down on Teng Zijing's head with tremendous force!

If that punch lands, Teng Zijing's head will definitely explode like a watermelon!

"No--!!!"

Fan Xian, who was being held back by the female assassin not far away, saw this scene and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

His domineering true energy surged wildly within him. Ignoring the cold arrows behind him, he desperately tried to rush over, but the distance was too great, and he couldn't make it in time!

The shadow of death loomed over Teng Zijing.

He watched the fist getting closer and closer, his eyes showing no fear, only a trace of reluctance to leave his wife and children, and a sense of apology to Fan Xian.

Young master, in the next life, let's be neighbors again...

At this critical moment!

A sword aura, interwoven with black and white, seemed to fly in from beyond the sky, instantly tearing through the air!

"Clang!"

A deafening clang of metal clashing against metal made everyone around feel a sharp pain in their eardrums.

Cheng Jushu's deadly fist stopped abruptly just inches away from Teng Zijing's head!

Because two longswords exuding a chilling killing intent—one black and one white—were crossed and held against Cheng Jushu's wrist.

Although the blade was sharp, Cheng Jushu's skin was thick and his wrist was not severed. However, the terrifying impact caused his massive body to stagger backward several steps uncontrollably!

"Who?!"

Cheng Jushu let out an angry roar, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the person who suddenly appeared in front of Teng Zijing.

It was a man dressed in black, wielding two swords. His face was partially masked, obscuring his features, but his exposed eyes were a hundred times colder than the autumn wind.

Xuan Jian ignored Cheng Jushu's roar. He merely glanced at Teng Zijing, who was already half-conscious on the ground, and then flicked his wrist.

The black sword was as black as ink, and the white sword was as white as snow.

"roll."

It consists of only one word, yet it carries boundless domineering power.

The next moment, Xuan Jian flashed away, not lingering in the fight.

His mission was to save lives, not to kill.

The black sword in his hand drew a strange arc in the air, directly severing the clothes that Cheng Jushu was holding onto Teng Zijing. Then, a gentle force sent Teng Zijing to a safe place several feet away, where he landed right in Wang Qinian's arms.

After doing all this, Xuan Jian glanced at Fan Xian, who had already rushed over, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his whole body, like a black eagle, instantly rose into the air and disappeared into the complex surrounding buildings in a few leaps.

……

"Aaaaaah! I'm going to kill you!!"

Fan Xian had completely gone mad at this point.

Although Teng Zijing was rescued, the terrifying scene and the shocking injuries on his body completely ignited the long-suppressed anger in his heart.

His domineering true energy surged like boiling magma, his eyes bloodshot, as he recklessly charged towards Cheng Jushu.

Without Teng Zijing's restraint, and with Cheng Jushu's blood surging and his openings wide after being struck by Xuan Jian's attack, Fan Xian, in a state of rage, unleashed astonishing fighting power.

Using his petite frame and agile footwork, he moved around Cheng Jushu like a nimble monkey, each punch carrying domineering true energy, slamming into Cheng Jushu's joints and soft ribs.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Fan Xian's fists rained down like raindrops, and finally he seized an opening in Cheng Jushu's defenses, straddling his neck and using his inner energy to forcefully knock the arrogant giant to the ground!

The battle is over.

Cheng Jushu lay in a pool of blood. Although he was not dead, he was on the verge of death and had lost his fighting ability.

Seeing that things were going badly, the two female assassins had already committed suicide by poison.

Niulan Street returned to a deathly silence, with only Fan Xian's heavy breathing breaking the silence.

He was covered in blood, some from his enemies and some from his own. He staggered to Wang Qinian's side and looked at Teng Zijing, who was lying on the ground, his face as pale as paper.

"Old Teng..." Fan Xian's voice trembled.

Teng Zijing struggled to open his eyes, a weak smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "Young Master... I... I'm not dead..."

"He's not dead...it's good that he's not dead..." Fan Xian sat down on the ground with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

For a fleeting moment, he truly believed Teng Zijing was going to die. The fear of losing his dearest friend made him feel suffocated like never before.

He raised his head, looking in the direction where Xuan Jian had disappeared, then at the majestic palace and the bustling capital.

"Who is this person? Is he here to protect me, or is it Teng Zijing?"

Fan Xian muttered to himself, several possible candidates flashing through his mind, but in the end he couldn't figure out who had the power to make a move.

I felt as if I had stepped into an even bigger vortex.

Fan Xian clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his flesh.

He once thought that as long as he pretended to be stupid and acted as if he had no ambition, he could succeed.

He thought that as long as he withdrew, he could temporarily withdraw and develop in peace.

But today, reality slapped him hard in the face.

He had no chance to develop; someone wanted to kill him.

For this reason, they did not hesitate to use military-grade crossbows, release such monsters, and openly commit murders on the streets of Kyoto!

If it weren't for that mysterious person's intervention, Teng Zijing would be dead today!

She died saving him!

P.S.: I was deeply moved when I read the novel and watched the TV series about Teng Zijing, so I wanted to give him a peaceful ending. Of course, he won't interfere with the protagonist's affairs. Afterwards, he will return home to take care of his children and wife.