Chapter 218 - 147: Pry Open His Mouth

"What? Zun?"

The old madam turned even paler upon hearing this. Her body swayed, almost toppling over, and Zhao Ling’er quickly supported her.

In her heart, the old madam felt an indescribable worry and sorrow. Why was her son Zhao Zun so plagued by misfortune?

Zhao Zun had already left the battlefield and distanced himself from the power struggles, now merely a leisure-loving prince working by the mountains, yet someone still wanted his life?

"Zun... Zun, why would someone want him dead? Who did he possibly offend?" the old madam murmured.

Hua Tianyou shook his head, furrowing his brows, just as puzzled.

He crouched down, closely inspecting the situation of the men in black. The outfits of the two men were identical, their faces under the masks unfamiliar and cold.

Hua Tianyou pulled down their face masks, examining them carefully but found he did not recognize these two people.

He picked up their weapons to inspect them closely, discovering a symbol engraved on the blades — the standard weapons of the court.

"Court’s weapons?" Hua Tianyou muttered under his breath, a foreboding sensation rising within him.

He lifted his head, looking at the old madam, his voice low: "Aunt, their weapons are court issue, they seem to be from a significant background!"

Upon hearing this, the old madam’s face grew even more serious, her eyes filled with worry and anger.

"People from the court? How could it be... Zun has always been loyal, and he’s already distanced himself from the court, so why would they want him dead?"

Hua Tianyou shook his head, similarly filled with doubt and unease. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

He knew the most important thing now was to find clues from these men in black, otherwise, Zhao Zun’s situation would grow more perilous.

He crouched down, gently patting the cheek of the unconscious man in black, softly calling, "Hey! Wake up! Wake up!"

However, the man in black remained motionless, only the faintest breath indicating he was alive. The other man had a wound at the back of his head, dead beyond doubt.

Hua Tianyou’s heart was anxious; the only clue now was this still-living man in black.

He must pry his mouth open quickly to glean some useful information.

"No, Aunt, we need to quickly find a doctor. We must ensure he stays alive until we extract information from him."

Hua Tianyou lifted his head, looking at the old madam, eyes full of urgency.

The old madam nodded and was about to order the servants to fetch a doctor when something occurred to her and she spoke softly, "Tianyou, don’t rush. Check... check if he has poison hidden in his teeth."

Hua Tianyou was taken aback, shaking his head in bewilderment, "I... I don’t know how."

The old madam sighed, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

Though she had never seen it with her own eyes, she could only hope for the best at this moment.

"Someone, hurry and urge the doctor." The old madam ordered.

Then, with Zhao Ling’er supporting her, she trembled as she approached the man in black.

Hua Tianyou hurriedly propped up the man in black to sit, and the old madam took a solar lamp down sluggishly squatting, using her hand to pry open his mouth, then shining the lamp inside.

In the light, there was indeed a small black object hidden in the man’s molars.

"Poison for sure!" the old madam exclaimed in a low voice, eyes flashing with shock and concern.

She had someone bring a small bamboo stick, pressed down the head of the man in black, and gently fished it out with the stick.

A moment later, the small black poison pill was extracted and fell to the ground.

"Truly a death warrior..."

The old madam’s brow tightened further, her eyes filled with more worry.

She had mentally prepared herself but felt a chill upon confirming personally the death warrior status of these men in black.

Watching the old madam’s actions, Hua Tianyou was amazed and couldn’t help but say, "Aunt, I never expected you to know this."

The old madam gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

"What do I know of such things? It’s only something your late uncle mentioned. Many of those nobles in the Capital City keep death warriors to do unsavory tasks. The death warriors hide poison in their molars, and if things go south, they bite down to end it. I was just trying my luck."

Hua Tianyou nodded, looking at the man in black on the ground, increasingly unsettled inside.

He understood that if these men in black could locate Zhao Zun and infiltrate to assassinate him, there must be a formidable force behind this.