They surrounded Mo Yao, who fought with all his might, attempting a forceful breakthrough to escape before the drug took effect. These men were exceptionally skilled in lightness techniques, neither engaging in prolonged combat nor directly confronting him, but instead working in perfect coordination to trap him.
As time slipped away, even though Mo Yao had inhaled only a small amount of powder, he gradually began to feel dizzy and unsteady. He wanted to cut himself to use pain to maintain clarity, but these men watched his every move closely, giving him no opportunity to self-harm!
After a prolonged stalemate, Mo Yao slowly realized that the more he exerted himself in combat, the harder it became to stay conscious. When his movements slowed, the masked men surrounding him seized the chance to throw more knockout powder at him. After being drugged again, Mo Yao collapsed within just two breaths.
Meanwhile, Xiao Changyan confronted Shen Yungan directly. Xiao Changyan had intentionally sent Yu Xiang to deliver the message today, while the information Xiao Changgeng had given him actually indicated that Bu Shulin would arrive at this ferry today.
Bu Shulin would certainly notify Shen Yungan, allowing Xiao Changyan to delay Shen Yungan and prevent him from noticing Mo Yao's unusually late return.
Shen Yunnan had come secretly, and Mo Yao only took orders from Shen Yungan alone, so it was unlikely others would be alerted. Once Mo Yao was captured and put under soul control, he would naturally provide a plausible explanation.
Xiao Changyan had brought only a small number of men because this was a dock with civilians coming and going and merchant ships moored. They had come under the pretext of investigating water bandits and naturally couldn't start a fight here, especially since their target was the Shunan Prince Heir.
This area already bordered Shunan, and Bu Shulin wasn't a suspect—in fact, he held considerable influence in this region. Openly causing trouble for Bu Shulin was impossible.
Shen Twenty-Seven now appeared as Bu Shulin in Xiao Changyan's eyes. He swaggered onto the dock, even boldly announcing his identity to the shipping company manager. Dressed in mourning clothes, he led a group of plain-clothed strong men, making a grand spectacle.
"Worldly Son Bu." Xiao Changyan spotted Shen Twenty-Seven and also noticed Shen Yunnan beside him, casually disguised with a fake beard.
He could recognize the person at a glance but couldn't expose him outright and then call for arrest or execution. Because Bu Shulin had arrived here after surviving an assassination attempt, if Xiao Changyan made a move now, everyone would misunderstand his intentions—thinking he was using the Northwest Prince Heir as a pretext to actually target the Shunan Prince Heir.
Shen Yunnan's brazen display relied precisely on his long residence in the northwest where few knew him, combined with the current advantageous situation.
"Greetings, Prince Jing." Shen Twenty-Seven bowed. Having received personal training from Bu Shulin, Shen Twenty-Seven now captured about fifty percent of Bu Shulin's aura—only someone as closely acquainted with Bu Shulin as Shen Xihe would detect the difference.
"What brings Your Highness here?" Shen Twenty-Seven asked.
"We received reports of water bandits at the dock today and came to investigate. Unexpectedly, we encountered Worldly Son Bu." Xiao Changyan's gaze swept over the men Bu Shulin had brought, including Shen Yunnan. "When Worldly Son Bu left the capital, it seems you weren't accompanied by these men. I find them quite unfamiliar.""Your Highness may not be aware, but I was ambushed immediately upon leaving the capital. Most of my companions perished. Fortunately, they protected me with their lives, allowing me to escape to Maozhou." Shen Twenty-Seven spoke with sorrow and suppressed resentment. "These are all my uncles, who once followed my father in defending our homeland. After retiring from service, they settled here in seclusion. Knowing my journey was perilous, they insisted on escorting me back to Shudu."
After explaining everyone's background, Shen Twenty-Seven continued: "I dare not delay Your Highness in your duties, but I am anxious to attend the funeral. My father has passed away for over half a month, yet I remain unable to return. This delay in laying him to rest is truly unfilial."
"Seeing my home so near, my heart races with urgency to return. I beg Your Highness to understand and grant us swift passage."
With that, he signaled Jinshan to present a stack of travel permits to Xiao Changyan.
Xiao Changyan made no pretense of refusal, personally examining each document one by one. Finding no faults, he could only say: "Please wait a moment, Worldly Son Bu. This prince will have your vessels inspected immediately."
Xiao Changyan's men appeared to conduct their inspection with meticulous thoroughness and speed, moving in and out frequently, yet they still managed to delay the process for over half an hour before finally clearing the way.
Not long after the boats set sail, several young men disguised as passengers suddenly drew blades and charged directly at Shen Yungan and Shen Twenty-Seven.
These assailants possessed remarkable martial skills—their movements were swift, clean, and carried a bloodthirsty ferocity. Shen Yungan and his companions, long accustomed to military camps, immediately recognized them as Shadow Guards privately cultivated by Xiao Changyan!
After several exchanges, Shen Yungan made a startling discovery: these fighters seemed to have studied the Shen family's martial arts and were intimately familiar with their techniques!
He immediately signaled Shen Twenty-Seven, who quickly retreated to the rear and ceased fighting, lest his techniques reveal his identity!
At that moment, Zha Pu, who had been constantly guarding Shen Twenty-Seven, reported: "Official vessels are pursuing us."
Shen Yungan parried a long sword and looked into the distance. Even from afar, he could clearly see Xiao Changyan standing at the prow of the approaching ship.
Shen Yungan understood Xiao Changyan's motive for deliberately arranging this frontal confrontation. With such an incident occurring here and the attackers' origins unknown, Xiao Changyan, as the inspecting official, had the authority to detain both parties. While ostensibly he might be interrogating the assailants, they were actually his own men. His true intention was to use this pretext to take both Shen Yungan and Shen Twenty-Seven into custody!
"Young Master, you must go first!" Once Zha Pu and others had blocked the Shadow Guards, Shen Twenty-Seven darted to Shen Yungan's side and urged him, "I hold the status of Shunan Prince Heir. With so many witnesses watching, Jing Wang wouldn't dare truly harm me!"
This was a merchant vessel, with commoners and merchants observing everything!
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