Chapter 79: Everyone Was Acting
The one who had struck was, naturally, Zhou Cheng.
His hand was still poised in the act of throwing the cup.
From the flowerpot shattering to the assassins appearing, everything had happened in a flash of lightning.
In Zhou Cheng's eyes, it was like a film playing in slow motion, every frame crystal clear.
He saw the assassin disguised as a guard shake the flowerpot loose with true qi, saw the boulder crash through the roof, sending splinters flying, and saw the harmless-looking young eunuch pull a dagger from beneath a wine table and creep toward Emperor Qing.
He also saw the Crown Prince rush toward Emperor Qing with a look of tragic resolve, his eyes carrying a certain determination, as though he meant to take a sword for Emperor Qing.
Unfortunately, his foot happened to land on the wine cup that the fourth prince, Li Chengping, had flung away in fright. A dignified seventh-rank expert, he slipped like an ordinary man, unable to find his footing, his hands flailing in the air as he pitched toward the floor in a comical pose.
Too overblown!
So overblown it was unbearable to watch!
Emperor Qing, who had boldly declared earlier that he had never retreated in his life, also covered his face and stepped back.
Emperor Qing was acting, the Crown Prince was acting, and naturally, he had to act too.
Fan Xian knew he was no weakling in martial arts, and Emperor Qing naturally knew he had some martial accomplishments as well.
So he struck!
As though the lash could not reach so far and he had no time to save the emperor, he could only hastily throw his cup as an emergency measure.
He used little strength, roughly that of the seventh rank-just enough.