Chapter 7: Traps

I am merely a killer, never questioning the reasons for taking a life!" Li Guan Shi stepped forward again, suddenly feeling that the child before him emanated a presence that made his own heart race, causing him to grip the knife in his hand tightly

"Who are you, and how did you come to be here?" As Zhao Cheng had just walked past the bamboo grove, he heard the intimidating shouts of the little yellow gatekeeper. Although they held little status in the inner courtyard, they were like deities to the servants in the outer courtyard, and their words were certainly not polite.

Ah?! Upon hearing Zhao Cheng's shout, Jianxi exclaimed in surprise and swung the wooden stick fiercely at Manager Li, shouting to the two young eunuchs, "Protect the prince!"

"Master Xi, as I passed by here and caught a whiff of the fragrance of the flowers in the garden, I couldn't help but come in to take a look. I didn't expect to intrude upon you, Master Xi!" Manager Li said, bowing and smiling.

Zhao Cheng nodded slightly, returned the wooden plaque to his embrace, and asked, "Jinxi, what did your family do before you entered the palace?"

Lord Wang! Upon witnessing the swift and fluid moment when Steward Li killed two individuals, he was utterly terrified, his face as pale as a sheet of paper. He looked at the other person in horror, his body trembling like a sieve. As he relaxed his waist, a foul odor spread through the air, yet he still did not flee, remaining in the narrow path, blocking Zhao Cheng's way.

I am from the government... That person seemed a bit nervous upon seeing the three individuals suddenly appear, stammering as he spoke

Hehe, that's great..." Li, the manager, raised his head and said with a smile. Although he was smiling, his laughter was filled with a chilling coldness, and a fierce glint shone in his eyes

"Hehe, you two share a deep bond; do not fight over it. I will send you both on your way!" Manager Li elegantly flicked the blood off his knife and, like a cat playing with a mouse, taunted.

"Taking money from others and helping them avert disaster, since you know nothing, then just die!" Zhao Cheng's voice suddenly turned exceptionally cold. The person behind him, Jianxi, seemed unable to withstand this pressure and collapsed to the ground, his eyes fixed on the prince. He could not understand why this child, who was much younger than himself, suddenly instilled such an overwhelming fear in him. This fear was not born from a difference in status, but rather a terror that penetrated to the marrow.

Oh, is the little man dead? Has the second master also arrived?" Manager Li asked, lowering his head.

A young guard wanted to call out, but he only felt a flash of white light before a spray of blood mist erupted. A salty, metallic taste surged into his mouth, and his head uncontrollably tilted to one side as his body fell straight down. Another young guard, witnessing his companion being killed, was so frightened that the club in his hand fell to the ground. He wanted to move but found himself unable to take a step, standing there in a daze as he watched a short knife plunge into his own chest. The excruciating pain rendered him voiceless, and he soon felt the blade twist, crushing his heart. The knife swiftly withdrew from his body, and he felt an overwhelming chill as he slumped softly to the ground. Another young guard, seeing his companion killed, was so frightened that the club in his hand fell to the ground. He wanted to move but found himself unable to take a step, standing there in a daze as he watched a short knife plunge into his own chest. The excruciating pain rendered him voiceless, and he soon felt the blade twist, crushing his heart. The knife swiftly withdrew from his body, and he felt an overwhelming chill as he slumped softly to the ground.

Do not be afraid, I am here! Zhao Cheng did not expect that at such a critical moment, this fellow, Ji Xi, could still think of him. A warmth spread in his heart as he took a step forward to stand in front of him

"Search him, does he have anything on him?" Zhao Chai said. Seeing that Xi was not particularly concerned about the dead man, he reached into the man's bosom and pulled out two strings of copper coins and a small, exquisitely crafted black wooden plaque. He wiped the blood off it and handed it to Zhao Chai

Hehe, to be honest with you, our family sells coffins and also collects unclaimed bodies for the government. Later, we suffered a great fire, which ruined our family. My father then sent me to the palace, " said Jianxi, shyly touching his head.

"Oh, Jianxi, you have killed the assassin this time; I must reward you well!" Zhao Cheng now understood why Jianxi was unafraid of death, and his own doubts were dispelled. It turned out that Jianxi had grown up in a den of the dead, having mastered the skills from a young age. He suddenly changed the subject and said.

A few people climbed to the mountainside, where there were two paths: one leading to the back mountain and the other to the mountain peak. By circumventing a patch of bamboo forest, they could reach the pavilion behind the mountain. Ji Xi directed two young attendants to quicken their pace, leaving Zhao Cheng behind.

Zhao Cheng heard the scolding and became more cautious, slowing his pace to hide in the bamboo forest and look outside. He saw a person of medium build, with a fair complexion, dressed in a short jacket and long trousers, but wearing a pair of silk shoes. The attire suggested he was a servant from the manor, yet Zhao Cheng found him somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him in the management office.

"Jianxi, run quickly, he wants to kill!" Although Zhao Cheng, who was hiding in the bamboo forest, was still several meters away from them, he could already sense the intense killing intent emanating from Manager Li. At this moment, if he turned and ran, he might escape disaster. However, Jianxi had accompanied him for such a long time, and he couldn't bear to see him lose his life, so he called out to warn him.

"Hehe, can you tell me why you want to kill me?" Zhao Cheng said with a smile, looking up at the God of Death who was a few steps away from him.

"Jianxi, get up! How can you be so useless? He was killed by me, what are you afraid of!" Seeing Jianxi's panicked expression, Zhao Cheng kicked him twice with his foot and said with amusement.

Manager Li, you are also an elder now. You know that Second Master is timid and afraid of meeting outsiders, so how can he casually come and go? Hurry up and leave! It is often said that one should not strike a smiling face. Since we interact daily, it would be inappropriate to make things difficult for him when he is happy, so I waved my hand to urge him to leave quickly

What do you want to do?" Manager Li suddenly changed his expression, startling Jianxi, who instinctively raised the wooden stick in his hand and shouted in a trembling voice

Aren't you afraid? Li Guan Shi enjoyed seeing the panic of those who were about to fall under his blade; at that moment, he felt like the ruler of this world. This feeling brought him immense pleasure. Seeing Zhao Cheng's calm demeanor made him furious, and he stepped forward and said.

Zhao Cheng pointed his gun at the silent Manager Li, slowly approaching him and reaching out to feel his neck. There was no pulse; the man was completely dead. Only then did he put away the gun. "Your Highness, Your Highness, for the sake of my long service to you, please do not eat me!" At that moment, a voice pleading for mercy suddenly came from behind him, sounding almost inhuman.

It is ... ... is, the little one is full of stinky meat, causing a bad stomach after eating! Seeing joy, it wanted to run, but its calves were cramping and lacked strength, struggling several times but fell down each time

"Manager Li, how can you come to the inner courtyard without prior notification? Are you not aware of the rules?" The young attendants of the inner courtyard, who do not recognize the managers of the estate, often interact with the happy ones, so they naturally know this third manager. They found his appearance and inappropriate attire peculiar and, with a sullen expression, expressed their dissatisfaction.

"Why would I eat you?" Zhao Cheng turned around in surprise to look at Jianxi, who was kneeling on the ground, sobbing and begging for mercy. "Why would I eat you, you bunch of stinking meat?" He suddenly realized that Jianxi had taken the last words of Manager Li seriously. Since he had been facing away from him, Jianxi had not seen him shoot Manager Li dead; he had only heard the gunshot and seen the rising smoke, truly believing that he had summoned lightning to strike someone down, thinking of him as a monster.

You truly are a malevolent spirit descending to the mortal realm... Suddenly, Manager Li recalled something, and his face, which had turned pale from rapid blood loss, was filled with terror

"Die!" Li Guan Shi was a seasoned assassin; he sensed the danger and without hesitation thrust the knife in his hand towards Zhao Cheng's neck.

Although Prince Zhao Cheng has not yet established his official residence, he has moved out of the palace and set up a household with personnel arranged according to the standards of a royal residence. According to the customs of the Song dynasty, members of the royal family are often assigned titles without being formally appointed to their positions. The positions of Chief Clerk, Military Advisor, and Consultative Officer are not regularly filled; instead, there is one person designated as Yi Shan, two as Wang You, and one as Clerk Military Advisor. These individuals are nominal figures with ranks, affiliated with the Royal Family Temple, and they only appear during significant events such as weddings or funerals. They merely receive salaries without managing any affairs, and Zhao Cheng has not seen them in over a year since leaving the palace. In reality, all matters within the residence, except for those in the inner court managed by palace-appointed eunuchs, are overseen by the stewards of the outer court. Currently, there are three stewards in the residence, who hold actual power and can rightly be referred to as house managers.

Is this brand from our residence? Zhao Cheng did not look at the copper coin, but held the small wooden plaque in his hand and examined it for a moment. It was adorned with peculiar symbols that resembled neither Tai Chi nor Bagua. He looked up and asked.

Ah... Ah? Second Master, you are not a monster?" Seeing Xi listen to Zhao Chai's words, she looked at the smiling prince with confusion. After a while, she finally calmed down and confirmed that it was still the prince she accompanied every day. Feeling wronged, she said: "Your Highness, you nearly scared me to death!"

With a bang, a cloud of smoke rose before him. Manager Li's body trembled, as if he had been struck hard in the chest by an iron spike. All his strength was instantly drained away, and the knife clattered to the ground. "A bolt from the blue, how could it hit me!" He staggered back two steps, leaning against a stone, looking in confusion at the wound on his chest, desperately trying to understand what had just happened. Clearly, he could have taken the child's life with a single stroke of his knife, yet he was suddenly struck by lightning. "A bolt from the blue, how could it hit me!" He staggered back two steps, leaning against a stone, looking in confusion at the wound on his chest, desperately trying to understand what had just happened. Clearly, he could have taken the child's life with a single stroke of his knife, yet he was suddenly struck by lightning.

"Indeed, Second Master is right behind you. Hurry and avoid him; do not collide with the Master!" Seeing Xi casually replied, his mind was still on that large python, wanting to dispatch Manager Li as soon as possible.

Manager Li, upon realizing that his intentions had been exposed by Zhao Cheng, remained unperturbed. He tilted his head to evade the joyful stick and had already acquired a short knife about one foot long in his hand. At that moment, the two young attendants also reacted, thrusting their sticks towards Manager Li. However, they only felt a flash before their eyes, and the target had vanished.

"Your heart has strayed!" This was the last sentence heard by Manager Li in the mortal realm. Accompanying the prince's words was a dull thud, and a bloom of blood blossomed once more on his chest. The arm that had just been raised fell limply down, and his wide-open eyes, filled with confusion and fear, slowly slid down the stone. Everything had come to an end

"Coward, get up quickly!" Zhao Cheng reprimanded with a stern face. Seeing Xi hurriedly stand up, he first walked over to the deceased Manager Li and kicked him twice, shouting, "If you want to kill us, you should kill yourself first. Come on, get up and kill me!" At this moment, he was fired up, kicking and cursing as he went.

You have not yet answered my question, so why should I tell you! Zhao Cheng hung his arms down, the gun in his hand already cocked, and he coldly looked at Manager Li, who remained calm as he spoke.

"Second Master, this is neither from the manor nor from the palace; what we use are all bronze and silver medals!" replied Jianxi immediately