"Strange, why didn't I hear any footsteps?"
"Is someone in the water?" Several voices of doubt arose, clearly the conversations of a few patrolling guards.
"Huh? Why is there an extra rock here? Hurry and move it!" A scolding voice rang out, and two guards stepped forward, preparing to move the large stone.
"This is bad!" Hearing the footsteps getting closer, Chu Chen cursed inwardly, his heart filled with anxiety, as he had no way to stop them.
Just then, a huge rock suddenly shattered, scattering countless fragments, startling the guards into crouching down.
Only after the debris stopped rolling did Chu Chen breathe a sigh of relief, but he still hid behind the rock, not daring to peek out.
Because he knew there were a large number of guards ambushing outside, and any carelessness would expose his tracks.
"Who's there? Stop hiding!" a guard shouted.
"Hmph, are you blind? Didn't you see me there!" Chu Chen deliberately let out an angry voice and walked out from behind the rock.
Then he pointed at the guards: "Open your dog eyes and see clearly, I'm one of the palace people!"
The group of guards was stunned, then respectfully bowed to Chu Chen, saying, "Greetings, Eunuch!"
Chu Chen nodded with satisfaction, thinking to himself, "So eunuchs have so much power!"
"Alright, you guys go about your business!" Chu Chen waved his hand, his tone commanding.
This made the guards slightly taken aback. They were all personal guards of Crown Prince Nangong Yi, accustomed to being arrogant, and had never been treated like this.
"Is this eunuch new?" the leading guard whispered to the others. The rest nodded, their eyes filled with amusement.
"Hmph, a newcomer dares to be so bossy? He'll cry later," another guard snorted coldly. While they feared the power of the imperial family,
they were not servants, so they wouldn't be as subservient as they were to eunuchs.
Seeing their reactions, Chu Chen understood something, a cold smile appearing on his lips. He thought, "It seems these people don't take me seriously."
Chu Chen's heart hardened, and he decided to teach these guys a lesson.
"Hey, you few, what did you just say? Did I hear correctly?" Chu Chen reprimanded with a stern face, his expression unpredictable.
"We said..." The guards were about to answer, but their words stopped abruptly.
"Swish!" A silver needle shot into their throats like lightning.
"Bang bang bang!" The guards clutched their necks and fell to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, dead.
"Sorry, I'm not used to people disobeying me, so I had to kill you."
Chu Chen chuckled, dragged them to a hidden spot, then covered his face with a black cloth, took out a fire starter from his Qiankun bag, lit the flame, and threw it into the well.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle..." Instantly, the well water boiled, bubbling and gurgling. Chu Chen gritted his teeth and leaped into the well.
The well was bottomless. After Chu Chen jumped in, he was completely submerged.
Chu Chen swam downwards with all his might and soon reached the bottom. His vision gradually widened, and finally, he broke the surface, gasping for air.
"This is..." Chu Chen's eyes widened as he looked around. He was at the bottom of a lake, with a huge vortex in the center.
He was floating on a rock at the edge of the vortex.
"This seems to be not far from the shore. Let's find a safe place first." Chu Chen glanced around and then swam along the lake shore.
Chu Chen swam for a long time before seeing the shadow of the shore, but it was still about a hundred meters away. He dared not land easily.
As Chu Chen hesitated, he suddenly sensed a commotion nearby.
"Someone's coming!" Chu Chen's eyebrows shot up, and he quickly submerged himself in the water, swimming towards the lake shore.
"Who is it?"
"It's you!" As Chu Chen surfaced, he bumped into two men swimming towards him. They were the two princes he had brushed past on the shore earlier!
"Third Brother, do you know this little eunuch?" one of them asked suspiciously, glancing at Chu Chen before continuing to swim forward.
"He's not a eunuch, he's Chu Chen! Hurry and pull him ashore," the other exclaimed in surprise. They had noticed Chu Chen long ago.
It was just that he was dressed as a eunuch and wearing night-blooming clothes, so they hadn't paid much attention.
"Oh, right, he is Chu Chen!"
"Catch him, don't let him escape!" Upon hearing this, the two men immediately accelerated, wanting to catch Chu Chen.
"Truly seeking death. Since that's the case, I'll send you to your demise." Chu Chen snorted coldly. He had already seen the shore, and he would be fine once he reached it.
"Hiss~" Chu Chen couldn't help but gasp, a sharp pain shooting through his body. He turned his head to look, and his body was covered in sharp steel nails.
Each one was at least five to six inches long, densely embedded in his skin, bleeding profusely.
Chu Chen pulled out the last steel nail. He looked down, his clothes stained red with blood, and his wounds were terrifying, even revealing the white bone.
"Damn bastards!" Chu Chen's eyes turned crimson, filled with hatred. He fiercely pulled out the remaining steel nails, then swam upwards with all his might. He had to heal his wounds quickly.
Otherwise, he would die of excessive blood loss.
As soon as Chu Chen reached the shore, he felt his body go weak and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, the nearby grass was soft, and he managed to get up.
"That was close, these bastards are crazy!" Chu Chen raised his arm and looked at it. His arm was already stained red with blood,
and it was still bleeding. His injuries were extremely severe.
He took out a pill, put it in his mouth, and then sat down cross-legged to recuperate. He had chosen to jump into the water to avoid trouble earlier, but he still fell into their trap.
After the time it took for half a cup of tea to brew, Chu Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. His wounds had finally stabilized and were healing at a visible rate.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Chu Chen sensed something and abruptly turned his head towards a tree, his gaze as sharp as swords.
Chu Chen knew he had encountered a tough opponent today, but he didn't retreat. He was injured all over, and if he fought the opponent, he would surely lose.
"It seems you are determined to oppose me," the young man said coldly. "Do you know? In the Northern Wilderness Kingdom, besides Father Emperor and Mother Consort, and myself.
You are the most arrogant and presumptuous. How dare you disobey my command, are you tired of living?"
"Heh heh, you don't need to worry about that. Enough nonsense, come on, let me see how much you've got."
Chu Chen stared coldly at the other party. He already had several spiritual artifacts on him. Although they were not offensive treasures, their defensive power was very strong, and they were enough to deal with this kind of trash.