My Brother's the Protagonist? Good Thing I Awakened My System!

Chapter 157  The Rat in the Shadows

Wang Zhiqing exhaled softly, relief evident in her posture, though her face still carried a faint blush from Feng Chen's earlier compliment. 
She quickly recomposed herself, her tone adopting a regal authority.
"The guards need a moment to rest and recover. Let's distribute the healing pills we brought."
Captain Hua nodded without hesitation, retrieving a small pouch filled with Rank-3 healing pills. 
With practiced efficiency, two of them began tending to the injured guards, handing each a pill and helping them stabilize their condition.
The guards, though battered and weary, showed visible improvement as the potent medicinal effects of the pills coursed through them.
Looking at how generously Wang Zhiqing gave Rank 3 pills, Feng Chen guessed that Wang Zhiqing was a good person and a very wealthy person.
Feng Chen observed silently, his arms crossed. Then he turned to Wang Zhiqing.
"Rest for a bit. I'll be back in a minute," he said flatly.
Wang Zhiqing tilted her head, her brows knitting together in confusion. 
"Where are you going?"
Feng Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint chill emanating from his demeanor. 
"There's a rat lurking in the shadows. Best if I handle him before we head back to the capital."
The Fifth Princess blinked, confused by his words.
( What could a mere rat do against someone like him? )
She didn't understand the analogy.
"Wait here. I'll return shortly." 
Feng Chen said again before disappearing in a gust of wind, his speed leaving the leaves rustling in his wake.
Wang Zhiqing stared at the spot he had just occupied, her lips pressing into a thoughtful line.
Captain Hua approached cautiously. 
"Your Highness, this benefactor… his strength is immeasurable."
"I know," Wang Zhiqing murmured, her gaze distant. 
She knew exactly where Captain Hua's mind was headed. 
Feng Chen's power, as overwhelming as it was, could become a critical asset in the battles to come. 
The throne wasn't just a matter of inheritance; it was a battlefield riddled with schemes, betrayals, and the constant need for powerful allies. 
Someone like Feng Chen could tip the scales dramatically in her favor.
Captain Hua hesitated for a moment, but then added, "If someone like him were to stand by your side, Your Highness, it could turn the tide of…"
Wang Zhiqing raised a hand, cutting her off gently but firmly.
"I know what you're thinking, Hua." 
Her voice was calm, but her tone carried a weight that silenced further discussion. 
"And while it's true that someone of his caliber could change everything… Do you think someone like him would support me who is furthest from the throne?"
Captain Hua frowned slightly, but she didn't argue. 
Minutes later, Feng Chen reappeared, his arrival as sudden as his departure. 
This time, he held a man dressed in a black hood, his hands bound by rope. 
The man thrashed futilely, his face pale with terror.
Feng Chen tossed the hooded figure to the ground without ceremony, a puff of dust rising.
"Caught the rat," he said, his tone indifferent.
The guards immediately drew their weapons, surrounding the man in a defensive formation. 
Captain Hua stepped forward, her halberd aimed at the intruder.
"Who is this, sir?" 
Captain Hua asked, her voice steady but wary.
Feng Chen dusted his hands casually. 
"Ask him yourself. He's been skulking around, likely the one responsible for luring that Scarlet Horned Direwolf here."
Wang Zhiqing and the others exchanged startled glances, the implications sinking in. 
This was no mere coincidence—they had been targeted.
Captain Hua's expression hardened as she glared at the hooded man. 
"Who are you? What's your purpose?"
The man glared defiantly at Feng Chen, his lips pressed tightly together.
"He won't talk easily," Feng Chen remarked dryly. 
"Typical assassin behavior."
Wang Zhiqing stepped forward, her expression cold and authoritative. 
"You were sent to kill me, weren't you?" 
Her voice carried the weight of her royal lineage.
The man remained silent.
Feng Chen crouched down, his gaze piercing. 
"I don't care who sent you or why. But if you value your life, you'll speak now." 
His qi flared slightly, a chilling pressure enveloping the area.
The assassin's resolve wavered, but he kept silent.
Feng Chen sighed, shaking his head. 
"Looks like you need a lesson."
What followed was a display none of them had expected. 
Feng Chen's strikes were deliberate, landing with pinpoint accuracy.
BANG! BANG!
Each blow elicited muffled cries of agony from the assassin, who writhed helplessly under the relentless barrage. 
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, their grips tightening on their weapons.
Wang Zhiqing's lips parted slightly in shock. 
Meanwhile, the guards couldn't help but pity the assassin, despite knowing he was an enemy.
( That man must be wishing for death right now… )
"I-I'll talk!" 
The assassin finally gasped, his voice hoarse.
BANG!
"Then talk," Feng Chen ordered coldly after giving out a last punch.
"I-I was following orders! It was the Second Prince!"
"What?!" 
Wang Zhiqing's voice trembled with shock. 
"Impossible!"
Wang Zhiqing said after the assassin told them the name of the person who hired him. 
Wang Zhiqing couldn't accept that her brother, the second prince, would have sent someone to kill her. 
"It's the truth! Please, spare me!"
Feng Chen raised a brow and delivered another sharp blow.
BANG!
"Do I look like a fool? Tell me who really sent you!"
"I-I swear! It's the Second Prince!"
BANG! BANG!
Feng Chen didn't even wait and continued with his lesson. 
It wasn't until the assassin lost consciousness that Feng Chen stopped. 
Wang Zhiqing, who was waiting for the lesson to end, finally asked. 
"Sir benefactor, do you mean that he is lying about my second brother hiring him?" 
Wang Zhiqing thought about what Feng Chen said and was convinced that what Feng Chen said was correct. 
How could she believe that her second brother had hired him? It must be a lie! 
"That, I don't know!" 
Feng Chen replied. 
"Huh? Then why did you say that he was lying and beat him up?" 
Wang Zhiqing was even more confused by Feng Chen's reply. 
She thought he must have found something for Feng Chen to suspect that the assassin was lying. 
"Seeing how easily this guy gave up and answered, I just assumed he was lying. This or he must really be scared of pain." 
Feng Chen answered. 
It was true though. A well-trained assassin would have never told them the real person who hired them.
Looking at how quickly he said the name, Feng Chen was sure that he would be asked to give that answer if captured. 
Well, even if that wasn't true and the assassin really told them the truth, Feng Chen felt that the assassin deserved such a beating. 
Wang Zhiqing and others were dumbfounded by Feng Chen's reasoning. 
You beat him up to answer and when he answered quickly, you beat him up again because he answered quickly? 
What kind of logic was this? 
Even they found the assassin to be pitiful.
"Anyway, let's wake him up and try to get an answer from him." 
SLAP!
Feng Chen crouched again, giving the unconscious assassin a slap that jolted him awake.
"Now, one more time. Who sent you?"
"It's the Second Prince!"
SLAP!
"Try again!"
…
The guards found themselves wincing with each slap, their earlier awe of Feng Chen turning into unease.
After several rounds, the man fell unconscious again.
Feng Chen dusted his hands and looked at Wang Zhiqing. 
"He's useless. Let's head to the capital. Maybe someone there can dig out the truth."
The guards and Wang Zhiqing exchanged glances, unsure whether to question his methods or thank him. 
Ultimately, they nodded silently, following his lead without a word of dissent.Nôv(el)B\\jnn