Liang Xiao readily agreed, and Chen Xinyue excitedly sent someone back to relay the news.
Watching Chen Xinyue return and hold one of Chen Shaoling's arms with Li Hongshu, everyone was filled with emotion.
This ill-fated romance had finally come to an end.
Fortunately, Li Hongshu and Chen Xinyue were as close as sisters. Their reunion after a long separation was not awkward but made them even more affectionate.
Li Hongshu had suffered a severe illness during her pregnancy. Mu Xueqin had saved half her life, and although she had recovered with great difficulty, she had lost the child and was unable to bear another.
This was a sad event she preferred not to recall, but to ensure Chen Xinyue could marry Chen Shaoling, she revealed it, stirring sighs of pity.
After everyone had eaten, they retired to rest, with only Yue Lian and Jian Qinwan staying by Liang Xiao's side.
"Why haven't you taken it off yet..." Jian Qinwan, held on Liang Xiao's lap, looked at him with a mournful gaze, her exquisitely beautiful face almost bleeding.
"I'm getting accustomed to the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets, cultivating a habit," a certain person habitually revealed his brazen face.
Cultivating a habit?
Jian Qinwan looked at the hand resting on her right thigh and chided, "Then just practice your grip, why are you pinching my leg..."
"Ouch, don't you usually pinch your husband's thigh often?" a certain person feigned grievance and did not forget to pinch Jian Qinwan's leg again.
Jian Qinwan was speechless, but she pinched Liang Xiao's thigh in retaliation.
This rogue was becoming more shameless, using the excuse of familiarizing himself with the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets to specifically pinch her!
"Couldn't you just pinch Yue Lian..."
Jian Qinwan finally could not bear the embarrassment and complained in a soft voice.
Yue Lian beside them blushed and mumbled, "Young Master, please don't pinch me. Pinch Sister Qinwan, you're used to it anyway..."
"See, Yue Lian is much more obedient than you, I can't even find an excuse to pinch her," Liang Xiao pouted.
"So you admit it, getting used to the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets is just an excuse!" Jian Qinwan finally seized the opportunity and huffed.
Liang Xiao's old face blushed, he gave a few tactical coughs, withdrew his lecherous hand, and looked at the freshly washed Flowing Cloud Gauntlets with great affection.
The several layers of chains hidden within the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets were White Dragon Gold, greatly increasing their resistance to blows.
The Celestial Silkworm Silk was also a special material. He had tested it earlier. Even with the Ephemeral Sword, unless he used all his strength to repeatedly slash and cut, he could only leave a slight scratch on it, and it was estimated that only a few threads could be severed.
It was a pity that Celestial Silkworm Silk was rare. These Celestial Silkworm Silks seemed to have been modified through some special craftsmanship, and their toughness was even more astonishing than ordinary native Celestial Silkworm Silk.
Only when the guards outside reported did Liang Xiao put Jian Qinwan down, hide his brazen face, restore his dignified demeanor, and rise to greet them.
Chen Yuanwai's third son, Lin Ming, arrived with a middle-aged man.
After exchanging pleasantries, Liang Xiao looked at the thin, smiling middle-aged man behind Lin Ming and asked, "Who is this?"
"This is my clansman, Lin Shulei, who is in charge of my safety!" Lin Ming quickly introduced.
Lin Shulei clasped his fists towards Liang Xiao with a respectful expression.
Liang Xiao merely smiled and nodded, signaling the guards to arrange seats for the four. He was, however, somewhat puzzled.
This Lin Shulei seemed to be repeatedly appraising himself and the two girls behind him. He was not as attentive as an ordinary guard, more like someone who had gotten the position through connections.
As a guard, such impolite observation was unusual.
Moreover, he and the third son were both wearing sabers at their waists. Previously, the third son had not worn a saber when he was near Chen Xinyue.
But if Chen Yuanwai and Lin Ming intended to harm him, why would they come to his side instead of having him go to the prefect's mansion first?
At this moment, Lin Shulei's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, swept over the swords at Liang Xiao's and Jian Qinwan's waists.
Jian Qinwan was sitting next to Liang Xiao.
"Marquis of Anguo!"
At this moment, Chen Shaoling walked down with Chen Xinyue, drawing everyone's attention.
Everyone turned to look at the two, and Liang Xiao and Jian Qinwan also turned their heads.
A fleeting opportunity!
Lin Shulei, who had been silent, instantly showed ferocity in his eyes. He reached into his embrace, drew out a gleaming three-inch dagger, stepped forward, and swiftly threw it!
"Danger!"
Chen Shaoling and Chen Xinyue were shocked and paled, unable to rescue in time!
Jian Qinwan had already turned back. Too late to draw her sword, she was about to rush in front of Liang Xiao to shield him.
Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao, who had been vigilant all along, turned around abruptly and caught the flying dagger.
Everyone quickly focused their gaze and discovered that the dagger was still dripping with black liquid, falling onto Liang Xiao's Flowing Cloud Gauntlets.
"You!" Chen Yuanwai exclaimed in shock, staring blankly at Lin Shulei.
His attack having failed, Lin Shulei was shocked but swiftly drew the saber at his waist, intending to take Chen Yuanwai hostage.
"Whoosh!"
Everyone heard a sound of air being split, followed by a "thud."
When they looked again, Lin Shulei's neck had been pierced by the dagger Liang Xiao had thrown back, creating a bloody hole. He instantly lost his ability to move and fell heavily to the ground, blood still gushing from his neck!
The sudden, unexpected turn of events left everyone stunned and pale.
Chen Yuanwai, pale with shock and anger, stammered, "What happened!"
Chen Xinyue's face was even more ashen.
The third son quickly shielded Chen Yuanwai away from Lin Ming, but he dared not approach Liang Xiao, fearing he would be accidentally killed.
Jian Qinwan breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Liang Xiao's Flowing Cloud Gauntlets, and gently caressed her own heaving chest.
This dagger seemed to be poisoned. Fortunately, her rogue had been wearing his Flowing Cloud Gauntlets all along when he was teasing her...
However, Jian Qinwan quickly regained her composure. She also believed that with his reaction speed, even without the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets, he could have drawn his Ephemeral Sword and deflected the dagger. She just didn't know if he could have stopped Lin Shulei from taking Chen Yuanwai hostage in time!
At this moment, Lin Ming's face was ashen. He knelt on the ground, trembling, and said, "Shulei..."
Lin Shulei had already breathed his last.
Liang Xiao frowned, drew the Ephemeral Sword from his waist, and said in a deep voice, "Prefect Lin, I have no enmity with you. What is the meaning of this?"
Lin Ming finally came to his senses and quickly kowtowed to Liang Xiao, "This subordinate had absolutely no idea what his situation was. Please calm your anger, Marquis of Anguo!"
"He is not your clansman?" Liang Xiao asked coldly.
Lin Ming replied, "He is indeed my clansman, but this subordinate never ordered him to assassinate the Marquis of Anguo. This..."
The third son regained his senses and angrily exclaimed, "No wonder he wanted me to wear a saber too, saying it was to protect the Master and the Prefect's safety on the road. So it was for assassination!!"
Chen Yuanwai was still shaken, but he quickly explained, "Marquis of Anguo, Prefect Lin initially had no idea you were coming to Chuzhou. And after I found him, he has been with me the entire time, never leaving my sight..."
Liang Xiao looked at Lin Shulei's corpse, with poisonous blood pooling on the ground. He did not allow anyone to take a cloth from the table to wipe the poison from his Flowing Cloud Gauntlets.
If not for the Flowing Cloud Gauntlets just now, he would have had time to draw his sword to block, but he might also have been splashed by the poisonous liquid.
This poisonous liquid was clearly highly corrosive!
"How did this Lin Shulei become your guard?" Liang Xiao asked.
He could tell that Lin Ming's and Chen Yuanwai's and the third son's reactions were not faked. Chen Yuanwai's and the third son's reactions were extremely genuine, clearly as caught off guard as they were.
Lin Ming seemed to recall something and said urgently, "He came to defect to this subordinate last year. He always spoke highly of the Grand Tutor and the Southern King to this subordinate..."