I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

Xiaomeng and the others, fearing the consequences, had no choice but to retreat slowly.

Only Xiao Jinghuan stood still, his eyes filled with uncertain emotions.

If Father Emperor were to truly die here today, then this throne…

Zhu Houcong took in Xiao Jinghuan's expression and his sneer inwardly deepened.

good very good!

After this is over, you'll see how I deal with you.

He felt the chill on his neck, but then he laughed out of character.

"Lin Chen, do you think you can threaten me like this?"

His tone carried a hint of mockery.

"What, Your Majesty, are you not afraid of death?" Lin Chen sneered.

Zhu Houcong shook his head.

"Since I dare to stand here, how could I be without protection?"

Lin Chen felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this, and suddenly sensed a sense of crisis coming from behind him.

He almost instinctively tried to dodge to the side, while simultaneously thrusting his folding fan towards Zhu Houcong's chest.

This strike is not intended to kill, but merely to intimidate.

clang!

The next second, Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Something doesn't feel right.

He looked at Zhu Houcong's chest and was completely dumbfounded.

The folding fan did indeed pierce Zhu Houcong's chest solidly, but it felt as if it had struck an impenetrable wall.

It didn't even break through the defenses!!

Lin Chen was momentarily at a loss for words.

Although he didn't use his full strength in this attack, even a ninth-rank expert would not be able to escape unscathed.

Zhu Houcong was not only unharmed, but he didn't even take a single step back.

"you…"

Before Lin Chen could finish speaking, he suddenly trembled.

Pfft!

A long sword emerged from his back, piercing his chest.

The one who made the move was an ordinary-looking Imperial Guard soldier who had been standing behind him the whole time.

At this moment, a cold smile appeared on the corner of the man's mouth, and he thrust his long sword forward again.

"Well!"

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Lin Chen's mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He, the dignified master of Langya Pavilion, was actually ambushed by an ordinary Imperial Guard.

"Surprised?"

Zhu Houcong stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Let me introduce you. You killed the original White Tiger, and he is the new White Tiger."

Lin Chen couldn't help but gasp.

Is White Tiger not a person, but a code name?

Are these grandmasters mass-produced?

Heresy, absolutely heresy!

Be sure to tell the temple messenger!

At this moment, Sima Shang, who was not far away, looked at the seriously injured Lin Chen and suddenly roared with his last bit of strength:

"Walk!"

At the same time, the internal energy within his body began to surge wildly.

This is an attempt to self-destruct one's dantian.

"Oh no, retreat quickly!"

Xia Jiang's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly told everyone to retreat.

boom!

Amidst the earth-shattering explosion, Sima Shang's body turned into a cloud of blood mist.

The violent true energy swept across an area of ​​several dozen feet.

When the smoke and dust cleared, all that remained was an ancient sword stuck in the ground.

Just as Sima Shang self-destructed, Lin Chen seized the opportunity and used the forbidden technique once again.

In an instant, his once beautiful face aged visibly.

The original white hair dried up instantly.

His once upright figure became hunched and hunched over, looking like a rice dumpling crawling out of an ancient tomb.

But in contrast, his growth rate was explosive.

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was knocked back by Sima Shang's self-destruction, Lin Chen transformed into a blur and rushed out of the encirclement at a speed that was almost instantaneous.

"Stop him."

Xiaomeng was the first to react and chased after Sima Shang.

The others hurriedly followed, but unfortunately they were all injured to varying degrees and couldn't keep up with the speed.

Chapter 180 Zhu Shou Makes a Move

Upon seeing Lin Chen flee, Xiao Jingyan and the others rushed toward Zhu Houcong.

"Father, are you alright?"

Xiao Jingyan's eyes were filled with genuine worry.

Yan Song and the others knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die; this servant failed in her duty to protect you."

Zhu Houcong remained calm and waved his hand gently.

"I am unharmed."

As he spoke, his gaze slowly shifted to Xiao Jinghuan, who was standing to the side, and he reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your Highness, you are truly my finest son!"

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Xiao Jinghuan's back. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Father...Father, I was just confused because I was worried."

His face was filled with fear, but his heart was filled with resentment.

Lin Chen is such a useless piece of trash!

With such a good opportunity, why not take the chance to kill Father Emperor!

Zhu Houcong took in the Crown Prince's expression, then suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I... am looking forward to your performance."

These words made Xiao Jinghuan freeze. Before he could react, Zhu Houcong had already ignored him.

He turned to face the soldiers who were fighting valiantly, his gaze deep and dignified.

He slowly raised his hand.

"Soldiers."

The scene fell silent instantly, and everyone held their breath, staring at Zhu Houcong.

"You fought bravely today, risking your lives to rid the demon; I am proud of you."

"All soldiers who participated in the battle will be rewarded according to their merits."

Zhu Houcong's gaze swept over the corpses scattered on the ground, and he said in a sorrowful voice, "You are all my subjects, and my heart aches!"

"I have said that the families of those who die in battle will be supported by the court for life, and the wounded will be granted 100 acres of land and exempted from taxes forever. The court is your eternal support."

These words resonated in the hearts of the soldiers, bringing tears to the eyes of the surviving ones.

"Yan Song, a man of exceptional talent!"

"Your servant is here."

The two immediately stepped forward and knelt down.

"You must personally tally the casualties and ensure their proper resettlement."

Zhu Houcong said sternly, "I will ensure that not a single martyr is disheartened!"

"Your servants (and other servants) obey the decree."

Yan Song and Zhuo Dingfeng kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly before turning and leaving.

At this moment, in the woods outside Jinling City, where only bare branches remained, a hunched figure, like an old man, was stumbling along.

It was Lin Chen, who had aged beyond recognition.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Lin Chen suddenly knelt down and vomited a mouthful of black blood.

If Xiaomeng had been at her peak and dared to chase after him alone, he would have surely beheaded her.

But by this moment, after fighting his way in and out of an army of 50,000 seven times, his physical strength was already exhausted.

Later, he fought Xiaomeng for hundreds of moves and even used forbidden techniques twice in a row.

The most fatal blow was the sword that pierced Baihu's chest.

Although Xiaomeng also had blood on her lips, she was in much better condition than Xiaomeng, who was on the verge of collapse.

Just as Lin Chen was about to give up, a middle-aged man dressed in coarse linen clothes emerged from behind the tree.

This person has an average appearance; he's the type you wouldn't notice if you threw him into a crowd.

He smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Sect Leader Lin, this is rather unfortunate!"

"Ahem...who are you?"

Lin Chenqiang took a deep breath, looked up at the newcomer, and quietly clenched his folding fan.

"My name is Zhu Shou, and I have come to rescue the Pavilion Master."

"Zhu Shou?"

Lin Chen looked at Zhu Shou with suspicion: "I don't think I know you at all!"

"Sect Leader Lin doesn't recognize me, but I know him inside and out."

Zhu Shou smiled.

"The Langya Pavilion was chosen by the Temple Envoy to oversee the number of Grandmasters in the five kingdoms of Great Liang, and Pavilion Master Lin has mastered one of the Temple's four great divine arts, the Dragon-Seeking Technique. Am I correct?"

Lin Chen trembled violently upon hearing this, staring intently at Zhu Shou.

How did you learn these secrets?

Zhu Shou smiled but did not answer.

Lin Chen forced himself to stand up and said, "You wouldn't be so kind for no reason, would you?"

Zhu Shou smiled slightly, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.

"That's natural. In exchange, I want the Dragon-Seeking Technique that you've been practicing."