After a long while, Lin Yuan finally came to his senses from the immense shock.
He looked at Lin Hanzhou, full of confidence and vigor, and felt a tangle of emotions.
There was relief, there was worry, and above all, a complexity he could hardly put into words.
He knew that his Eleventh Brother no longer needed his protection.
Lin Hanzhou was already a hidden dragon, soon to stir up the winds and clouds!
"Good... good... good!"
Lin Yuan said "good" three times. He took a deep breath and solemnly patted Lin Hanzhou on the shoulder.
"Since you've changed so much and made up your own mind, I, your elder brother, won't try to stop you."
"Just remember, whatever happens, be careful above all! Third Brother and Ninth Brother are no ordinary men."
Lin Hanzhou nodded firmly and said, "I understand, Seventh Brother. You take care, too."
With that, he didn't linger. He cupped his fist to Lin Yuan and turned to leave.
Before going, he didn't forget to take the guard's longsword with him.
He didn't take a carriage this time. Instead, he went straight to the post station, led out its fleetest black horse, and swung into the saddle.
Under the post station manager's astonished gaze, Lin Hanzhou rode toward the Capital.
Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of the post station, silently watching Lin Hanzhou's retreating figure disappear into the distance.
Only when horse and rider had dwindled to a tiny black speck and vanished at the end of the road to the Capital did he come back to himself.
Lin Yuan ordered his attendants in a grave voice, "Guards, seal off the post station. No one is to leave without permission."
"Yes, sir!"
After giving the order, Lin Yuan looked up at the sky, stained blood-red by the sunset, and murmured to himself, "Eleventh Brother, you've truly given your elder brother plenty to think about. Just how many secrets are you hiding?"
"A storm is brewing over the Capital tonight."
Night fell like a vast black cloth, slowly draping itself over the entire Capital.
Lin Hanzhou rode his swift horse and once again entered the familiar, imposing city.
There were clearly more guards at the city gate tonight. Torches blazed, making the cold metal on the soldiers' armor shine bright as snow.
They held long spears and watched with eyes sharp as eagles, checking everyone who tried to enter or leave.
But when Lin Hanzhou showed the dragon-emblazoned belt token marking him as a prince, they all looked at him with respect.
After repeatedly confirming the token was genuine, the commander at the head of the guards immediately let Lin Hanzhou through.
However, while the commander was inspecting the token, one of his trusted men had already slipped away from the group.
The man sprinted toward a certain part of the city, clearly to send word.
Lin Hanzhou naturally noticed, but he didn't care in the slightest.
He knew the situation in the Capital was tense, and there was no way to keep his return a secret.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince's residence was brightly lit, especially the study.
"Report! Your Highness, Eleventh Prince Lin Hanzhou has entered the city. He's riding alone toward the imperial palace."
The scout knelt on one knee and delivered the report at top speed.
"Oh? He actually dares to come back?"
The Third Prince, Lin Tai, had been wiping down a longsword. He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"Interesting. Looks like my younger brother's tired of living. A mere martial arts cripple actually thinks he can dream of the throne?"
Just then, one of Lin Tai's advisers stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"Your Highness, something seems amiss."
"According to the message from the city gate commander, Seventh Prince Lin Yuan didn't accompany him. And... they say Eleventh Prince carried himself quite differently from before when he returned to the city."
"His bearing? He's a cripple. Just putting on an act and playing tricks."
Lin Tai gave a disdainful snort, not taking it seriously at all.
"Does he think a ride in a carriage can turn him into a martial arts expert? Ridiculous."
"Send the order. Have Night Owl take care of him."
"Yes!"
The adviser bowed to acknowledge the order, a glint of coldness in his eyes.
Night Owl was a ninth-stage Houtian expert under the Third Prince, skilled in stealth and assassination.
Sending him after a crippled prince was like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken.
Elsewhere, at the Ninth Prince Lin Hao's residence, the atmosphere was much quieter.
Lin Hao sat before a half-finished chess game, as though he had been sitting there for hours.
When he heard that Lin Hanzhou had entered the city, he merely murmured, "Mm," without even lifting his eyelids.
"Your Highness, it seems the Third Prince has already sent Night Owl to intercept and kill the Eleventh Prince. Should we...?"
A black-clad subordinate quietly asked for instructions.
"No need. Third Brother is impatient by nature. Let him scout the way for us."
Lin Hao lifted his head from the chessboard. Wisdom and calculation gleamed in his gentle eyes.
"My Eleventh Brother has always struck me as rather strange."
"If he's truly helpless and dies at Night Owl's hands, that'll save us some trouble."
"But if he survives Night Owl... then things will get interesting."
Lin Hao paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
"Have those three Xiantian attendants come see me. I'm going to the imperial palace with them. I can't let Third Brother get there first."
"Understood!"
By now, the streets of the Capital were deserted. Every household had shut its doors and windows.
Even the pleasure houses and taverns, usually the liveliest places around, had put out their lights. The city lay utterly still.
Lin Hanzhou rode on, entirely unaffected by his surroundings.
He was heading straight for the imperial palace, the seat of the Great Sui's highest authority.
But just as he passed a dark alley, three gleaming throwing knives shot from the shadows, aimed straight at his vital points.
Lin Hanzhou remained calm, as though he had sensed them coming. He leaned slightly to one side in the saddle and easily dodged one of the knives.
As for the other two, he caught one in each hand and gripped them firmly.
Night Owl, watching from the shadows, gaped in shock.
He had thought Lin Hanzhou would surely die beneath his throwing knives. He never expected the other man to catch them so effortlessly.
Wait—this was what they called a martial arts wastrel?
Before Night Owl could recover from his shock, one of the throwing knives was already hurtling toward him.
Hearing it whistle through the air, Night Owl's pupils shrank. He hurriedly dodged.
"Bang!"
The knife missed and slammed into the flagstones, punching a hole in them.
Night Owl stared at the hole in the flagstones, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He was lucky to have dodged that strike thanks to his years of fighting experience. Otherwise, he would certainly have died on the spot.
He realized that Lin Hanzhou was no martial arts wastrel like the rumors claimed. He was a Xiantian expert who had kept his true strength hidden.
That throwing knife had been so powerful that it must have been infused with a Xiantian expert's true qi.
Once he understood this, Night Owl didn't hesitate for a second. He turned and ran.
As a ninth-stage Houtian expert, he knew all too well how powerful a Xiantian expert was.
Lin Hanzhou could kill him with a single move. Staying would be suicide.
Lin Hanzhou watched Night Owl flee and couldn't help sneering inwardly.
Running? That's certainly a good choice. But can you get away?
At once, Lin Hanzhou hurled the other throwing knife at the fleeing Night Owl.
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