Chapter 45: I'm Just Protecting Myself

In the instant the window shattered, the Nineteenth Prince swiftly grabbed the middle-aged scholar and pulled him away from the broken area, preventing any potential hidden attacks.

This reaction was instinctual for the Nineteenth Prince. As the son of an ambitious noble like Prince Ning, he had experienced numerous similar incidents, making his reflexes far superior to those of an ordinary teacher.

“It’s you? How audacious!” The Nineteenth Prince’s expression darkened instantly upon seeing Chen Luo burst through the window. He never anticipated being so mistaken.

His initial suspicion in the courtyard proved correct; this individual harbored sinister intentions, daring even to ambush a prince. Clearly, Chen Luo was born with a rebellious nature. Once captured, such a person must face the severest punishment to teach these commoners about respect and hierarchy!

“Be cautious, Your Highness, there is something amiss with this man,” warned the middle-aged scholar before quickly retreating to a corner.

He did not attempt to flee, as Chen Luo’s display of strength during the window breach deterred him.

“Your Highness has yet to answer my question.” Chen Luo spoke with a smile, maintaining an unassuming demeanor.

“A mere lower-class peasant aspiring for the path of immortals? Who gave you the audacity?”

As they spoke, the Nineteenth Prince suddenly sprang into action.

His move carried a lethal intent; his fingers formed a claw, channeling inner qi into a concentrated burst, aiming directly at Chen Luo’s forehead. If this strike connected, it would undoubtedly split open Chen Luo’s head. No one could have anticipated that the Nineteenth Prince was actually a martial arts master. Judging by his aura, he seemed to have reached the Bone Tempering Realm.

Chen Luo raised his right hand, surging with inner qi. He focused the energy of the Black Tiger Fist into his palm and met the Nineteenth Prince’s claw head-on.

Boom!

A dull sound echoed as their forces collided fiercely. In the next instant, the image of a black tiger emerged behind Chen Luo, retaliating with even greater ferocity, sending the Nineteenth Prince’s power back towards him.

Overwhelmed, the Nineteenth Prince felt a bitter taste in his throat as he slammed hard against the wall, unable to suppress a cough and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Cough…cough…”

The Nineteenth Prince glanced past Chen Luo, looking towards the courtyard outside, seemingly waiting for something.

“Is the esteemed Prince hoping to create enough commotion to summon the old gentleman outside for rescue? I’m afraid you might be disappointed.” After defeating the Nineteenth Prince with a single punch, Chen Luo stepped forward, placed his foot on the prince’s chest, and said with a smile.

“You brought Old Jiang—ahh!!!” The Nineteenth Prince’s words were cut short as he let out a pig-like scream.

Having already taken action, Chen Luo held nothing back.

With his foot on the Nineteenth Prince’s chest, he bent down and with a series of cracking sounds, dislocated both arms and legs. This brutal scene caused the nearby middle-aged scholar to involuntarily shudder.

A ruthless man!

This fellow was undoubtedly a fearless and merciless individual, unafraid to confront even princely figures, disregarding any potential consequences or pursuit. Such people were incredibly difficult to deal with, as their sole focus on achieving their goal rendered everything else insignificant.

“It’s not much, really. Considering your age, I just thought it would be better for you to rest instead of standing in that tree.” After dislocating the limbs, Chen Luo dusted off his hands, responding amicably to the scholar’s unspoken question. Upon entering the courtyard earlier, he had intentionally knocked out all the guards. With strength nearing Zongshi level, none of them posed a significant challenge. The only trouble came from ‘Old Jiang,’ but Chen Luo found a way around him nonetheless.

Lacking strength, he relied on poisons.

Before “Old Jiang,” secretly guarding the Nineteenth Prince, could react, Chen Luo incapacitated him with toxins. His days of refining medicines were not wasted!

An unexpected ‘internship’ opportunity had presented itself swiftly.

“Brother, stay calm!” The middle-aged scholar nearby could no longer remain silent. He knew that if they continued to hide, the situation would spiral out of control. Setting aside the two ‘immortal treasures’ on the table, if the Nineteenth Prince were to die here, there was no way he himself could escape unscathed. One mustn’t overestimate Prince Ning’s moral boundaries; blaming others for his grievances was entirely within character.

“If you kill the Crown Prince, things will escalate drastically. Forget about obtaining your desired ‘immortal fate,’ just the imperial court’s warrant alone would be more than enough trouble.” As Chen Luo turned his gaze towards him, the scholar unconsciously felt nervous.

He was merely a scholar, never before having confronted such desperate individuals face-to-face. Yet despite his fear, he spoke up because he wanted to survive.

“Moreover, don’t you have family and siblings? Even if by sheer luck you manage to escape, what happens to them? Would you willingly watch them suffer the consequences for your actions?”

While the middle-aged scholar spoke, the subdued prince on the ground also calmed down, seemingly resigned to his fate and awaiting negotiations.

“Mr. Scholar, you speak wisely. In truth, I am merely curious by nature and wish to know the location of the White Immortal Cave. The main issue was that the prince became overly agitated earlier, leaving me with no choice but to defend myself. Surely, Mr. Scholar can understand this?” Chen Luo said earnestly, with one foot firmly pressed against the Nineteenth Prince’s chest.

Defend himself? The middle-aged scholar momentarily froze, instinctively glancing at the Nineteenth Prince lying on the floor with broken limbs, then back at Chen Luo, who remained unscathed. He dared not respond.

“The whereabouts of the White Immortal Cave is not a secret; you could simply ask anyone in the provincial capital,” the Nineteenth Prince rasped, his voice strained.

As he began speaking, Chen Luo suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

‘Incorrect air composition, there’s something wrong with the candle flame.’

His toxin-versed mind instantly provided the information. Quickly lifting his head, he noticed that at some point, the middle-aged scholar had covered his mouth and nose with a towel. Beneath Chen Luo’s foot, a sinister expression appeared on the Nineteenth Prince’s face.

“Dragon Heart Haitang! I won’t believe it can’t poison you to death!”

‘Seal your mouth and nose; expel the toxins into the blue energy zone.’

Before the Nineteenth Prince could fully revel in his triumph, the external mind in his head provided a solution.

To counter worldly poisons, one only needed a higher-level energy.

Within him, there was no shortage of such advanced energies.

“Gentleman, there’s a knife in the nearby cabinet. First, sever his tendons so he’ll suffer worse than…”

Before he could finish, Chen Luo, who had been immobilized by the poison, suddenly raised his hand. Clenching his fingers into a fist, the power of the Black Tiger Fist concentrated at a single point, striking downward with immense force. In that instant, a sickening ‘crack’ echoed as the Nineteenth Prince’s spine snapped instantly, crushing even his windpipe amidst gruesome carnage.

The once boastful Nineteenth Prince breathed his last on the spot.

With murder on his mind, Chen Luo glanced at the middle-aged scholar covering his nose nearby.

It was he who had administered the poison moments ago.

“Spare-”

Without wasting any words, Chen Luo swiftly struck the scholar’s forehead, causing blood and fragments to burst from the back of his head, splattering red and white across the wall.

Having dispatched both adversaries, Chen Luo quickly returned to the Nineteenth Prince’s corpse and placed his hand upon the deceased’s head.

“Can’t let it go to waste.”

He deliberately avoided striking the head earlier, remembering what the Nineteenth Prince had mentioned before.

The prince possessed exceptional aptitude!

‘Read contact with dead person’s brainwaves: Damage 2%, Read Now?’

The familiar message popped up, lifting Chen Luo’s spirits. The Nineteenth Prince’s brain was now the most complete one he had collected, making his restraint worthwhile.

“Read!”

Instantly, the familiar sensation surged through his palm and merged into his body.