The Martial Doctor

So, he abandoned his warhorse, let out a strange cry, and charged forward.

Seeing Blood Evil make a move, another Meridian Passage Realm expert in the team also took action. If they didn’t act soon, the Crown Prince’s guards would be overwhelmed by Blood Evil’s men.

Although Blood Evil’s men were not as powerful as Blood Evil himself, and their skills varied, their numbers were great. Plus, they had several leaders at the Blood Fusion Realm Perfection. A few of them teamed up to hold back another Meridian Passage Realm expert.

...

Shen Yidao squinted slightly. The Emperor had actually dispatched two Meridian Passage Realm experts to protect the Crown Prince on his journey. He wondered if there were more people lurking in the shadows.

They needed to force the Crown Prince into a desperate situation to find out.

If there really were Imperial City Department experts secretly following them, it would be troublesome today. So, even if he needed to take action, there was no rush.

He had plenty of patience. Even when his son and brother went missing, he hadn’t rushed to take revenge. Without such endurance, how could he have developed the Green Blade Sect to its current state?

The Crown Prince was traveling incognito, so he couldn’t bring too many people with him, giving Shen Yidao an opportunity.

If they could eliminate the Crown Prince for the Fifth Prince, the throne would be secure, and then he would earn great merit, and the Green Blade Sect would certainly achieve greater development.

Moreover, the world thought he was still in seclusion, striving to break through to the Heaven’s Edge Realm, when in fact he had already...

...

Facing up to a hundred Blood Evil Thieves, the Crown Prince’s guard had already lost five or six members in an instant, leaving seven or eight members to form a circle around the carriage of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Consort, protecting them within.

Everyone knew their protection wouldn’t last long unless the two Royal Meridian Realm experts defeated their opponents, or one of them could free themselves to assist.

Otherwise, they would have no choice but to fight to the death today.

"Blood Evil, do you have a death wish?" The royal enshrined fighting Blood Evil was extremely angry that he intercepted the Crown Prince’s carriage.

"Death wish? Heh heh, I’ll butcher you first, then we’ll see." Blood Evil let out a strange laugh, his palms wildly attacking towards the opponent.

In terms of skills, this royal enshrined was not inferior to Blood Evil, but Blood Evil lived a life of licking blood off knives, fighting and killing was second nature to him. His combat experience was rich, which was something the royal enshrined, accustomed to comfort, couldn’t compare to.

Moreover, an advantage in momentum gives an extra chance for victory.

This principle applies even at the Heaven’s Edge level, let alone the Meridian Passage Realm.

That’s why, in terms of momentum, the Royal Meridian Realm enshrined was already losing, even though Blood Evil hadn’t yet been able to defeat the opponent. Once all the guards around the Crown Prince were cleared, his defeat was inevitable.

At that moment, the choice to fight to the death or to survive would be his own to make.

A matter of a few breaths.

Two more guards of the Crown Prince were killed.

At this moment, only five guards remained beside the Crown Prince’s carriage, all injured. Facing the eighty Blood Evil Thieves pressing in, they could only cling to the Crown Prince’s carriage, preparing to fight to the death.

Meanwhile, another Royal Meridian Realm expert was being held back by four Blood Evil Thieves at Blood Fusion Realm Perfection. These four were adept at coordinated attacks, their blade skills sharp; they halted the opponent completely in their tracks.

This Royal Meridian Realm enshrined could not tear himself away to aid the guards beside the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince sat inside the carriage, having activated a defensive mechanism, which was the only way to delay the time he and the Crown Princess Consort could be "harmed."

Perhaps this could provide an opportunity.

That’s what he thought, but at this moment, no one knew about the crisis he faced here, so who would come to his rescue?

...

"Quick, quick..." Zhuo Qingfeng’s group, trailing far behind the Crown Prince’s carriage, heard the sounds of weapons clashing ahead.

He had a bad feeling, hastily ordering to increase their speed to rush forward.

Sprinting all the way, they finally saw the Crown Prince’s carriage surrounded by a crowd in the middle of the official road, and Zhuo Qingfeng was frightened out of his wits.

He immediately ordered the crossbows to be readied.

"Charge through, kill them all, leave no one alive!" Zhuo Qingfeng commanded, and dozens of elite men dashed in with a whistling rush.

Shen Yidao narrowed his eyes. Being an expert at the Heaven’s Edge level, he naturally sensed Zhuo Qingfeng’s group arriving.

He also recognized Zhuo Qingfeng, the strategist by Pei Jian, the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture.

It seemed Pei Jian had sent Zhuo Qingfeng to follow and protect the Crown Prince’s group. Shen Yidao immediately let out a long whistle to alert Blood Evil of enemies from behind.

It was Zhuo Qingfeng!

The Crown Prince’s two Meridian Passage Realm enshrined naturally recognized him. Pei Jian was on the Crown Prince’s side, so they had been paying attention to his strategist.

Zhuo Qingfeng bringing people here clearly showed that Pei Jian had long known the Crown Prince’s secret journey to Dongshan, but he had kept it under wraps until now.

And when the Crown Prince left Dongshan, he secretly ordered Zhuo Qingfeng to lead people to protect him, proving the Crown Prince’s choice of people.

Zhuo Qingfeng’s group were not jianghu people, but skilled soldiers. Although individually their skills might not match the Blood Evil Thieves, their collaborative combat power was much stronger.

First, they used crossbows to cover and kill from horseback, then dismounted, forming an "arrow" formation, directly breaking through the Blood Evil Thieves’ encirclement to reach the Crown Prince’s carriage.

Upon reaching the carriage, they quickly formed a Round Shield Array, securing the Crown Prince’s carriage, making it almost impossible for the Blood Evil Thieves to attack through.

Moreover, Zhuo Qingfeng was not just a strategist but also a Meridian Passage Realm expert. Although he was a Lower Grade Meridian Passage Realm, an additional expert of this level was enough to turn the entire situation around.

At that moment, Shen Yidao made his move!

If he didn’t take action now, once the Crown Prince escaped, there would be trouble. So, he had to act even if it was risky.

As long as he dealt with Blood Evil afterwards, he could cleanly extract himself. After all, he was still "in seclusion." As long as no one could connect him to this event, he would be safe.

Besides, with the Crown Prince dead, the Fifth Prince would automatically become the Crown Prince, and who knew how long the Emperor would live...

Shen Yidao harnessed the world’s energy, sending a punch across hundreds of meters toward the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort’s carriage. He had advanced to the Heaven’s Edge Realm about a month ago, and his skills were stabilized. He had kept it secret, not wanting the outside world to know.

Some secrets can only exert huge effects when unknown to outsiders.

Everyone was shocked senseless by this sight!

An expert of the Heaven’s Edge level made a move. Even if the Crown Prince’s carriage was specially modified, it likely couldn’t withstand a strike from a Tianjun.

Everyone was in despair.

Including the two Royal Meridian Realm enshrined and the just-arrived Zhuo Qingfeng. Breaking through to the Heaven’s Edge, that was a Tianjun-level.

At this level, an expert was essentially like a "god." Even a peak Meridian Passage Realm couldn’t be a match for a Tianjun.

The energy fist formed by the world was about to crash onto the Crown Prince’s carriage.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

A distant Buddhist chant suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth, as a monk in a gray robe suddenly appeared above the Crown Prince’s carriage, palms joined: "The monk is here, disperse!"

The energy fist not only stopped in front of the carriage but also dissipated instantly.

Shen Yidao was shocked. Upon seeing the monk’s face, he was terrified, cold sweat dripping down his spine, for he recognized the monk as Fahai from Shanglin Temple.

Why was he here?

Shen Yidao couldn’t comprehend it at all. Shanglin Temple never interfered in court politics, so in his plans, he hadn’t considered Fahai at all.

Fahai’s appearance meant the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince couldn’t succeed. If they clashed again, he feared being recognized, so without a second thought, Shen Yidao turned and left.

Of course, before leaving, he grabbed Blood Evil from the battlefield mid-air. Only Blood Evil knew his true identity, and the others were in the dark.

So, Blood Evil had to be taken away.

Fahai did not stop him. Although he had advanced to the Heaven’s Edge, his skills were still shallow. He couldn’t discern the adversary’s identity or combat power. Taking reckless action would not benefit him.

He only needed to keep the Crown Prince safe.