Chapter 152
Chapter 152: Catching Them in the Act
Meanwhile, Hu Rui An had just awakened after taking the antidote. Suddenly, as if remembering something crucial, his face turned extremely grave.
He struggled immediately, attempting to sit up, and weakly yet anxiously said, “No! The young master and the others must be in danger. I must save them…”
By now, how could he not realize that the food and wine he consumed earlier were poisoned? Li Mu Sheng and the others had surely met the same fate, drugged and left unconscious, helpless.
Only Hu Rui An had the help of his cousin to regain consciousness, meaning Li Mu Sheng and the rest were likely as helpless as fish awaiting slaughter. Right now, he alone could save them.
Ruan Zhen Hui, who sat at his bedside, noticed Hu Rui An’s urgency and vaguely guessed what was wrong. She was about to speak when a sudden gust of fierce wind surged from outside, forcefully throwing open the door.
The wind swept wildly into the room, causing candle flames to flicker violently and curtains to billow endlessly.
“Zhen Hui, what exactly are you doing?”
A calm voice drifted from the courtyard, instantly causing Ruan Zhen Hui’s face to pale dramatically.
She turned her head to see Shen Lian Cheng, the Manor Lord of Deer Slaying Manor, slowly stepping into the room, wearing a long robe of black silk embroidered with dark cloud patterns.
Shen Lian Cheng’s expression was utterly calm, revealing no emotion as he observed the intimately close pair in the room.
Ruan Zhen Hui sprang to her feet, panic-stricken, and quickly explained, “Lian Cheng, please don’t misunderstand! It isn’t what you think.”
By now, Hu Rui An had regained some strength and forced himself upright, looking grimly at Shen Lian Cheng as he entered.
Shen Lian Cheng halted in the center of the room, his face still completely serene. Without even glancing at Ruan Zhen Hui, his gaze settled on Hu Rui An. “So, it was you.”
Clearly, he had already recognized Hu Rui An from his daytime disguise.
Shen Lian Cheng then narrowed his eyes slightly, calmly saying, “Hu Rui An, have you forgotten your promise from years ago? You vowed never again to set foot into Deer Slaying Manor nor to meet Zhen Hui in this life.”
Hearing these words, Hu Rui An’s expression shifted uneasily.
Ruan Zhen Hui, stunned, turned swiftly toward Hu Rui An and asked in shock, “When did you two meet before? Did you truly make such a promise?”
Hu Rui An remained silent for a moment, staring intently at Shen Lian Cheng before finally speaking, “Rest assured, I only came to see cousin one last time. I have no other desires.”
Upon hearing this, Ruan Zhen Hui froze, her face revealing disbelief. [How could Hu Rui An have made such a promise—and kept it hidden from me all these years?]
At that moment, Shen Lian Cheng chuckled lightly, then abruptly stepped forward toward the pair, stating indifferently, “You swore an oath then, agreeing to let me decide your fate should you ever break it. Taking your life now shouldn’t be unreasonable.”
As he spoke, a swirl of Qi gathered rapidly in Shen Lian Cheng’s palm, forming a Crimson Claw Shadow that he ruthlessly hurled toward Hu Rui An without warning.
Instantly, martial Qi filled the room, shattering the bedframe and curtains into countless fragments beneath the force of that claw.
Seeing this, Ruan Zhen Hui’s expression changed drastically, and she immediately channeled her martial Qi, striking upwards at the approaching claw shadow.
However, her martial strength was far inferior to Shen Lian Cheng’s. He simply glanced at her, and an invisible wave of Qi hurled her away toward the window.
“Mother!”
Shen An Ran cried out, leaping down from the rooftop without hesitation. Swiftly catching Ruan Zhen Hui’s falling body, he held her securely.
At this moment, Hu Rui An lay helplessly, his face darkening even further as the claw shadow descended.
The poison from the Drunken Immortal had not yet fully dissipated. Even if he wanted to mobilize his martial Qi, he simply couldn’t. Much less could he channel the Heavenly Union realm’s power to manipulate the surrounding Qi.
Hu Rui An knew that in his weakened state, facing Shen Lian Cheng—whose martial prowess matched his even at his peak—there was nothing he could do. His fate was entirely at Shen Lian Cheng’s mercy.
Yet, despite this hopelessness, Hu Rui An retained his pride, showing not a trace of pleading for mercy.
As that terrifying martial claw shadow edged closer and closer to Hu Rui An, Ruan Zhen Hui, watching from afar, shrieked in despair, “No!”
Holding Ruan Zhen Hui, Shen An Ran glanced up toward the room, almost certain that the strange man who shared such an unusual connection with his mother would not survive his father’s attack.
However, in the next instant, the powerful Crimson Claw Shadow suddenly and silently dissolved.
The overwhelming martial presence belonging to Shen Lian Cheng vanished simultaneously, plunging the turbulent room into sudden calm.
“How do you feel, Lord Hu? Was that thrilling enough for you?”
A teasing voice suddenly filled the room, and Li Mu Sheng appeared abruptly beside the bed where Hu Rui An lay. “Sneaking off to romance someone instead of taking care of important matters carries consequences.”
Everyone in the room stood stunned at this unexpected appearance.
Once they recovered from their shock, Shen An Ran and Ruan Zhen Hui stared in disbelief. Secretly, Ruan Zhen Hui sighed with relief, though her eyes remained full of confusion.
From what she just witnessed, it appeared that the young newcomer had somehow stopped Shen Lian Cheng’s attack. Yet his youth made her doubt such power could truly come from him.
At the same time, Shen Lian Cheng’s expression grew serious. He certainly remembered meeting Li Mu Sheng earlier that day.
By all rights, Li Mu Sheng should have been poisoned and captured by Jing Cheng Luo and the Alliance Under Heaven by now. Yet here he stood, perfectly unharmed, appearing quietly without Shen Lian Cheng sensing him at all. Moreover, he had somehow effortlessly deflected the attack.
Though Shen Lian Cheng hadn’t truly intended to kill Hu Rui An immediately, dissolving his strike with such ease was no small feat. Yet he sensed not a trace of martial Qi from Li Mu Sheng. This extraordinary young man seemed impossibly young for someone with such immense martial power.
“Young master… How did you come to be here?”
Hu Rui An was undoubtedly the most astonished. He had already resigned himself to death, deeply regretting falling prey to Shen Lian Cheng’s schemes.
Yet at that critical moment, Li Mu Sheng had appeared, intervening decisively to shield him from Shen Lian Cheng’s fatal strike.