The long wedding procession stretched as far as the eye could see.
From a distance, An Jiu spotted Hua Rongtian atop a white horse—his imposing demeanor made him impossible to ignore.
As the celebratory music drew nearer, An Jiu rose on tiptoe for a better look.
The crowd buzzed with chatter, most marveling at the incredible fortune of Mei Shi’s daughter to be matched with a man like Hua Rongtian. Even as a second wife, with another woman standing between them in death, such a union would be the dream of any woman not born into the highest nobility…
The bridal sedan was now within thirty feet, but it was tightly sealed—not even a glimpse of the bride’s robes could be seen.
An Jiu didn’t use her mental strength, but her innate sensitivity to danger flared as a surge of killing intent rippled through the packed crowd. Her gaze swept over the throng, the surrounding noise fading into slow motion as the roiling malice stood out starkly. The clamoring masses seemed to fall silent, while those standing motionless, radiating bloodlust, became glaringly obvious in her vision.
The moment she sensed it, the killing intent erupted. Those who had been quietly observing suddenly leaped forward, drawing hidden weapons as they charged toward the bridal sedan!
The ambush was too sudden.
The excited crowd, slow to react, continued their lively chatter until the assailants stormed onto the imperial road. The horses reared in alarm, and only then did the onlookers realize something was wrong.
"Ah—"
Blood splattered the sky as screams tore through the air.
Chaos erupted instantly—blades flashed, horses shrieked, and the cacophony of screams, wails, and cries of agony melded into a single horrifying din. The crowd panicked, scrambling into nearby alleys for safety.
An Jiu was swept along in the crush, stumbling into a teahouse.
The owner, seeing the place packed, hastily ordered the doors shut.
Inside, the clamor was deafening, though a few bold men pressed against the windows to watch the scene outside. The teahouse keeper nearly wept at the sight of his window paper riddled with holes, shouting at them not to damage the property—but his voice was drowned out by the sobbing of women and children. No one paid him any mind.
An Jiu also leaned against the window to peer outside. Someone tried to shove her aside, assuming her small frame would be easy to move, but she stood rooted like a boulder. No matter how hard they pushed, she didn’t budge an inch.
Outside, the wedding procession had been shattered. The matchmaker lay dead in a pool of blood, and the bridal sedan was drenched in crimson.
Hua Rongtian stood before the sedan, sword in hand, his handsome face icy with fury. His eyes burned with hatred and resolve, every ounce of his dark emotions fueling his blade as he struck down foes without hesitation.
This was the scene An Jiu witnessed—but to others, Hua Rongtian was being overwhelmed by the onslaught of skilled attackers. As a scholar-official, he had never devoted much time to martial training, his internal energy barely reaching the fourth or fifth tier. That he had held out this long was already remarkable.
Suddenly, masked figures surged from the surroundings, clashing with the assailants.
An Jiu’s instincts told her these were from the Crane Control Army. Given their numbers, it seemed she wasn’t the only one assigned this mission. This chaos was the perfect cover for her to slip through unnoticed.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion—though too distant to affect the teahouse—still made the onlookers instinctively flinch back half a step.
Only An Jiu remained unmoving. She saw it clearly: someone had cleaved the bridal sedan apart with a single slash of their blade.
Hua Rongtian, battered and wounded, was surrounded by Hua Clan martial arts masters. As they fended off attackers, they urged him, "Young Master, run!"The scene was chaotic, the battle unpredictable. Hua Rongtian fought while retreating, but just as he stepped back twice, he suddenly saw the bride in her phoenix crown and red wedding dress. She had fallen onto the wreckage of the bridal sedan, her palm cut by wooden splinters, surrounded by the cold glint of weapons—her life hanging by a thread. Gritting his teeth, he fought his way toward her with all his might.
The guards also saw the situation and knew it was futile to dissuade him. What kind of man would he be if he couldn’t protect his own woman in such a moment? They charged forward with him.
Hua Rongtian scooped up the bride from the ground and snapped, “Aren’t you a Shadow Guard? Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
The bridal veil slipped off, revealing a tear-streaked face. The powder on her cheeks had been washed away by tears, leaving her looking disheveled and pitiful.
Hua Rongtian frowned in confusion.
An Jiu stared at the unfamiliar face of the bride, yet for some reason, it felt eerily familiar. Thick layers of powder obscured her age, but the fear and sorrow in her expression made An Jiu freeze.
The attackers began firing hidden arrows, putting Hua Rongtian and the bride in even greater peril.
An Jiu punched through the window paper and took out the archers with her arm-mounted crossbow.
Everyone inside the room stared at her in shock.
Ignoring them, An Jiu fired another arrow under their stunned gazes, piercing an arrow that had been speeding toward the bride.
The woman in the phoenix crown seemed to sense the shot and suddenly turned, searching frantically for the archer. But the chaos made it impossible to pinpoint the source beyond a general direction.
Just then, an arrow shot toward Hua Rongtian from an unknown direction.
The woman’s eyes widened, and she suddenly stepped in front of him.
An Jiu pressed her lips tightly together, her gaze locked onto the spinning arrowhead.
The woman stared at the approaching arrow, her expression briefly dazed. When it was just a few feet away, another arrow whistled through the air.
Clang! Sparks flew as the arrow meant for the bride was struck mid-flight, veering off course.
Fresh tears welled in the bride’s dry eyes.
The chaos didn’t last long. A large contingent of city guards arrived, and the attackers retreated at the first sign of them.
The Crane Control Army also withdrew.
In just the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the streets were littered with corpses, rivers of blood flowing between them.
The wedding procession had scattered—some fled, others dead—leaving the ten miles of red dowry stained crimson.
Hua Rongtian, still shaken, looked at the woman beside him with mixed emotions. She had been terrified, yet she dared to block an arrow for him! And wasn’t she supposed to be a shadow unit member replacing the deceased Mei Shi Niang in this marriage? Why did she seem completely untrained in martial arts?
All eyes in the teahouse were now fixed on An Jiu, making it impossible for her to stay.
She pushed the door open and stepped outside.
The street was lined with tightly shut doors, making her sudden appearance conspicuous. The soldiers tensed at first, but seeing only a frail-looking youth, they relaxed slightly.
An Jiu walked briskly along the street, her peripheral vision catching the bride looking her way, lips moving as she murmured two words.
An Jiu read her lips—and froze as if struck by lightning.
The guards around them immediately grew alert again.
Hua Rongtian followed the bride’s gaze. “Do you know that boy?”
The bride didn’t seem to hear him.
“My lord, we must return to the estate at once!” a blood-soaked guard urged.
Hua Rongtian nodded, lifting the dazed bride onto his horse before riding off.An Jiu watched them leave, her heart filled with both joy and doubt. Just moments ago, she had clearly seen the woman murmur two words—An Jiu.
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