Chapter 216 - 147: Pry Open His Mouth

"Watch out!" Hua Tianyou shouted in a low voice, his eyes sharp as lightning, swiftly scanning the surroundings.

As soon as he spoke, five black-clad attackers burst out from the shadows of the alley, their swords shining coldly in the moonlight, charging straight towards the wagon.

The sudden turn of events left Hua Tianyou no time to draw his gun. His heart tightened, and the whip in his hand instantly became a weapon.

He swung the whip fiercely, its tip coiling like a snake towards the frontmost attacker.

Caught off guard, the black-clad attacker had his wrist entangled by the whip, causing his blade to deflect and strike the wooden plank of the wagon with a dull thud.

"Ling’er! Ms Li! Duck down!" Hua Tianyou shouted, and the screams of Zhao Ling’er and Ms Li came from inside the wagon.

"Ah!"

"Ah! Tianyou, what’s wrong?"

Hua Tianyou had no time to respond as another attacker already swung his knife at him. He sidestepped quickly, the blade cutting past his shoulder, bringing a chill breeze.

Hua Tianyou retaliated with a backhanded whip, lashing the attacker’s face hard, causing him to cry out and retreat a few steps, clutching his face.

While Hua Tianyou dealt with two attackers, the other three were already attacking the other side of the wagon, their blades aimed directly at the carriage.

His heart sank as he attempted to rush over, but was entangled by the black-clad attacker in front of him, unable to break free.

Anxiety burning through him, he wielded the whip with unparalleled speed, forcing the attackers to retreat continually, though their numbers overwhelmed him briefly.

"Bang!" With a loud crash, the side of the wagon was split open by a blade, revealing Zhao Ling’er and Ms Li huddled together inside in terror.

Zhao Ling’er’s face was pale, her eyes filled with fear, and Ms Li clung to her protectively, her voice trembling.

"What... What do you want?"

One attacker glanced inside the wagon and said coldly, "The King of Cangzhou is not here, just his Princess Consort and an old servant. Retreat!"

Before the words settled, several attackers swiftly retreated, clearly unwilling to linger.

Watching them retreat, Hua Tianyou, though still shaken, remained clear-headed.

As the attackers pulled back, he instantly abandoned the whip, drew a gun from his waist, and fired several shots into the shadows, not bothering to aim.

"Click! Click!"

The faint sounds of gunfire reverberated, bullets slicing through the night sky, and two screams followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed in the darkness.

Gripping the gun tightly, Hua Tianyou squinted, attempting to find a target in the darkness.

But the night was too dense; he could only vaguely see two figures collapsed on the ground, while the rest had vanished into the night.

"Tianyou!"

Zhao Ling’er’s voice trembled with sobs; she peeked out of the wagon, her eyes full of fear and helplessness.

Hua Tianyou holstered his gun and quickly made his way to the wagon, holding Zhao Ling’er’s shoulder gently, "Ling’er, don’t be afraid. It’s over."

Overcome with fright, Zhao Ling’er threw herself into Hua Tianyou’s arms, tears flowing endlessly.

"Just now... it was so scary..."

Hua Tianyou patted her back gently, comforting in a low voice, "It’s okay, it’s okay, with me here, no one can harm you."

Ms Li also climbed out of the wagon, her face pale, evidently shaken.

She glanced around, speaking with a trembling voice, "Tianyou, those attackers... who are they?"

Hua Tianyou shook his head, his brow furrowed, "I don’t know, but they were clearly targeting Zhao Zun. Ling’er, has Zhao Zun offended anyone recently?"

Zhao Ling’er, her voice choked, shook her head, "I don’t know... I don’t think so... They’ve been very busy."

Hua Tianyou nodded, his gaze once more falling on the two figures in the darkness.

He released Zhao Ling’er, speaking softly, "Ling’er, you and Ms Li stay here, I’ll go take a look."

Zhao Ling’er clutched his sleeve tightly, eyes full of worry, "Tianyou, be careful..."

Hua Tianyou smiled faintly, patting her hand, "Don’t worry, I’ll be right back."

He gripped his gun and approached the two figures cautiously.

In the moonlight, two attackers lay on the ground; one groaning softly, the other silent.

Hua Tianyou squatted down, checking the attacker still breathing, finding a gunshot wound on his shoulder with blood seeping from it.

"Who sent you?" Hua Tianyou asked coldly.

The attacker bit his lips, refusing to speak, eyes stubborn.

With a cold laugh, Hua Tianyou pressed down on the wound, eliciting a groan of pain and cold sweat from the attacker’s forehead.

"Not talking?" Hua Tianyou’s voice turned icy, "Then don’t blame me for being ruthless."