Chарtеr 77: Zhu Yаn, Мaster of Disguisе
Тhe Emрress stoоd in thе сеntеr оf the cоlorful light beams, her dragon rоbе aрpеаring еvеn morе mаjеstiс аnd dazzling undеr the glow, symbоlizing thе prеsence оf a true drаgon.
Thе соlоrful рhоеnix ovеrhеad соntinuеd to сry оut, аnd the Emрrеss was bоth astonished аnd, more so, grаtifiеd.
"Нeаven's will, truly heаvеn's will."
Нer аuthоritаtivе vоiсe есhoеd through thе Western Вrightness Теmрle.
"It is hеаvеn's will thаt I inherit the thronе. Under my rule, the Greаt Zhou will surely еnjoy fаvorаblе weаther, national prosperity, and peace for the people."
The crowd of onlookers applauded and cheered at her words.
Nearby, Zhu Yan, who had been made up by Lu Chuichui, was also so astonished she could hardly control herself.
Having lived this long, this was the first time she had encountered such a peculiar event—it was truly unbelievable.
Blending into the crowd, Shen Du and the others were not far from her.
While everyone marveled at the wondrous sight before them, only Shen Du's gaze remained fixed intently on Zhu Yan.
This woman was truly beautiful when dressed up, but it also meant she would face greater danger.
He had never imagined that at this moment, he would find himself hoping the murderer wouldn't show up.
He must be going mad. If the murderer wasn't caught, he would lose his head.
Yet, seeing Zhu Yan dressed like this, he suddenly felt that death wasn't so terrifying after all...
Zhu Yan was completely immersed in the spectacle, even forgetting why she was there in the first place.
Just then, a figure draped in a black cloak, its face completely hidden, appeared not far from Zhu Yan.
Shen Du was lost in thought, while Zhu Yan and some of the Inner Guards lying in ambush were fully captivated by the spectacle.
The black-cloaked figure quickly approached Zhu Yan from behind, gave her shoulder a light tap, and then turned and left.
Zhu Yan paid no attention to this. With the crowd pressing in, she assumed it was just a bystander accidentally bumping into her.
But the next moment, she sensed something was off.
An unusual fragrance had begun to permeate the air at some point. It smelled familiar, as if she had encountered it somewhere before, but she couldn't quite recall where. It was captivating, making her feel an irresistible urge to follow the scent.
Zhu Yan sniffed hard, looking at the jostling crowd around her, certain the fragrance wasn't coming from any of them.
"What is this strange scent?" Zhu Yan muttered in confusion, then turned and followed the trail of the fragrance as it led her away from the crowd.
At this point, Zhu Yan hadn't yet realized she was losing control, simply drifting along with the scent.
She didn't snap out of it even after moving out of Shen Du's line of sight.
The fragrance was too alluring, as if it possessed some kind of magic that could seep into one's very soul, making it impossible to resist.
"What's going on?" Only after distancing herself from the crowd did Zhu Yan begin to sense something was wrong.
She wanted to turn back, but her feet no longer obeyed her, and the intense urgency she felt within shocked even herself.
"Can't anyone else smell such a wonderful fragrance?" Zhu Yan said reluctantly, inhaling deeply once more.
The scent seemed to be wafting from a distant alleyway.
By now, she had completely forgotten her duty. That peculiar fragrance seemed to have ensnared her very spirit, leaving her unable to break free.
The alley was just ahead, not far away. Zhu Yan slowly broke into a smile. She was already entranced, her expression growing vacant as she walked toward the alley, unable to resist its pull.Shen Du suddenly snapped awake, the previous daze feeling like a dream.
By the time he regained his senses, Zhu Yan’s figure had already vanished from his sight.
“Damn it!”
With a cold shout, Shen Du charged into the crowd, but even among the throngs of people, Zhu Yan was nowhere to be seen.
Jing Lin and Jiang Langxing also seemed to awaken as if from a dream, their minds hazy, completely unable to recall what had just happened.
“What happened just now?”
Jiang Langxing moved closer to Shen Du while asking Jing Lin.
Jing Lin was equally puzzled. “I don’t know either. It feels like we were drugged with something. I can’t shake the feeling that we missed something important.”
“Liu Niang is gone.” Lu Chuichui’s voice suddenly sounded beside the two of them, her tone urgent.
The two were shocked—no wonder the Great Pavilion Commander had suddenly lost control and rushed into the crowd.
Jiang Langxing grabbed her wrist and warned, “Stay close to me. Don’t get separated.”
By now, Jiang Langxing had realized the severity of the situation. The culprit was too cunning, adept at creating diversions.
Not only had they taken Zhu Yan, but what if they decided to target someone else on a whim?
He had to keep a close eye on Lu Chuichui.
Lu Chuichui hadn’t fully processed what was happening, allowing Jiang Langxing to pull her through the crowded masses.
“Great Pavilion Commander.” With great effort, Jing Lin, Jiang Langxing, and the others finally pushed their way to Shen Du’s side.
Shen Du’s face was now ashen, his entire body trembling—a clear sign he was furious to the extreme.
“What are you standing around for? Find her now!”
His cold shout sent a shiver through the brothers from the Inner Guard Bureau, who immediately scattered to search.
But the sea of people was vast and densely packed—how could finding one person be easy?
Shen Du was now filled with regret. He should never have agreed to let Zhu Yan act as bait.
Even if it cost him his life, he couldn’t let that woman suffer even the slightest harm.
The more anxious he became, the more chaotic everything seemed.
Shen Du had completely lost control, the crimson in his eyes like an enraged lion as he forcefully pushed through the crowded masses, searching for the figure that filled him with worry.
Before her eyes stretched a sea of flowers, leaving Zhu Yan utterly astonished. Having grown up in Chang’an, she had never known such breathtaking beauty existed here.
The fragrance wafted from this floral expanse, yet amidst such splendor, not a single soul was there to admire it—truly perplexing.
Unable to dwell on it further, Zhu Yan had completely lost her ability to think, wholly immersed in the sea of flowers.
She stepped forward, reaching out to touch the swaying blossoms.
“Zhu Yan!”
A shout, as if it had drained all of Shen Du’s strength.
Heaven rewards the diligent. Just as Zhu Yan approached the corner of an alley, Shen Du finally caught sight of her figure.
But that figure was no longer familiar—it had become utterly strange, her movements stiff, like a puppet controlled by strings.
With a cold shout, Shen Du prepared to rush forward, but his arm was suddenly grabbed by another person.
Just as he was about to erupt in anger, he saw that it was none other than Lai Luozhi.
“You?” Shen Du seemed to realize something, glaring furiously at Lai Luozhi. “I have no time to discuss anything with you now. Let go if you value your life.”
Shen Du issued the command, but the grip on his arm tightened even more."Has Lord Shen been overwhelmed by events?" Lai Luozhi's words carried hidden meaning, his expression profound. "You must not forget, that Lady Shen is Zhang Xingwei's person, kept by your side merely to monitor your actions. Why not seize this opportunity to eliminate a spy in your midst?"
Shen Du looked at Lai Luozhi, his deep eyes filled with ruthlessness.
So he had known Zhu Yan's identity all along—no wonder he had kept her until now. Truly an old fox.
At this moment, Shen Du had no mind to deal with this man. He merely snorted coldly, forcefully pushed away Lai Luozhi's hand, and sprinted toward where Zhu Yan had disappeared.
As if hearing the commotion, Jing Lin, Jiang Langxing, and others hurriedly pushed through the crowd.
After casting an unfriendly glance at Lai Luozhi, they followed Shen Du's trail.
Jiang Langxing had not gone far when Xu Xiangren caught up from behind.
"What happened?" Xu Xiangren asked anxiously.
Before Jiang Langxing could answer, Lu Chuichui, weeping like a rain-soaked pear blossom, cried out urgently, "Something terrible has happened! Zhu Yan used herself as bait and has already been taken by the murderer. She's sure to be in danger—you must go save her!"
Hearing this, Xu Xiangren grew frantic as well.
He looked at Jiang Langxing and commanded, "Take good care of Lord Lu. Leave Lady Shen's matter to me."
"Yes," Jiang Langxing quickly replied. "The murderer is cunning, Marshal. You must be extremely careful."
Xu Xiangren nodded, then hurried after Jing Lin and the others.
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