Deep into the night, the Ding Royal Palace was enveloped in silence. In the study, Ye Li leaned back in her chair under the lamplight and glanced at Feng Zhiyao sitting not far away. "Feng San, are you sure it's tonight?"
Feng Zhiyao leisurely waved his folding fan, his smile as warm as a spring breeze, yet his words sent chills down one's spine. "Princess, rest assured. The capital is only so big—if they don’t act tonight, they’ll miss their chance. Tonight, we’ll ensure the enemy’s blood dyes the entire Prince Ding's Estate red. Heh… Such a beautiful, mesmerizing color. The capital hasn’t seen such excitement in years." With all the unusual movements these past days, if the shadow guards of the Ding Royal Palace still couldn’t locate them, the world would truly think the Prince Ding's Estate’s shadow guards were useless.
Ye Li nodded. "That’s for the best. Then we’ll simply await their grand arrival."
Mo Hua looked at Ye Li’s composed and indifferent expression, his gaze somewhat complicated. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Should the Princess and Lord Xu retreat to a safer place for now? Among tonight’s intruders, there are bound to be top-tier experts. If anything unexpected were to happen..." Ye Li turned her head to glance at Xu Hongyan, who was calmly sipping tea nearby, and frowned slightly in concern. She knew her uncle’s temperament well—if she refused to leave, he would never go either. But right now, it was impossible for her to withdraw either...
Noticing her troubled expression, Xu Hongyan set down his teacup and said, "Focus on your own affairs. I’ll just sit here for a while and enjoy a few cups of tea." Understanding his meaning, Ye Li smiled faintly and nodded. "In that case, Li’er will accompany Uncle in a game of chess."
Xu Hongyan nodded, satisfied with his niece’s unshaken composure. To hold a position was to fulfill its duties. Since she had married into the Ding Royal Palace and become Princess Ding, Ye Li’s fate was now bound to Prince Ding’s. This destined her to a life far from peace and tranquility. Given that, both Xu Hongyan and the Xu family hoped Ye Li would grow as resilient as possible.
If she were like her mother—no matter how brilliant her talents—she would never survive in this world.
By midnight, the palace remained eerily quiet. Ye Li and Xu Hongyan had already played three rounds of chess—one win, one loss, and the current game seemed headed for a draw. The two were locked in such an intense battle that even Feng Zhiyao and the steward, who had been sitting idly by, couldn’t resist moving closer to watch. Feng Zhiyao occasionally chimed in with comments and suggestions, prompting Ye Li to turn her head and smile at him. "Third Master Feng, a true gentleman observes chess in silence."
Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose. "I was trying to help you." Ye Li rolled her eyes inwardly. You were disrupting my train of thought.
A faint sound echoed from the distance, causing Ye Li’s fingers to pause mid-move. Feng Zhiyao and the others tensed as well. Though Xu Hongyan hadn’t heard anything, he clearly noticed the shift in their expressions. With a faint smile, he set down his piece. "Let’s stop here for today. Your chess skills have improved greatly over the past year."
Ye Li smiled and placed her piece down. "It’s no trouble. We can finish this game. Mo Hua, go take a look outside."
Mo Hua nodded silently and turned to push the door open, stepping out.By the time they finished this game, the sounds of fighting outside had gradually drawn closer. Ye Li waved for Qingluan, who was waiting nearby, to put away the chessboard. She then rose and walked to the window, pushing it open to look outside. The courtyard remained tranquil under the pale moonlight, though many areas beyond the walls were now illuminated by flames. Ye Li lowered her gaze with a faint sigh and said, "Tell them to be careful—don’t ruin this centuries-old estate of Prince Ding's."
Head Steward Mo replied respectfully, "Rest assured, Your Highness. They were instructed earlier." Ye Li nodded and leaned against the windowsill with a faint smile. "Good. Then let’s see just who has come for us tonight. Let’s see how many in this kingdom of Chu wish to see the Ding Royal Palace destroyed."
The sounds of battle outside grew louder and nearer. Xu Hongyan stood by the window, gazing at the distant flames in the sky, and sighed. "It seems His Majesty truly intends to stand by and do nothing." Ye Li shook her head gently. "Uncle, His Majesty isn’t just standing by—he’s waiting to fish in troubled waters. How many of these attackers do you think came from the palace?"
The capital wasn’t that large. Over the past ten days, various factions had continuously provoked the Ding Royal Palace, resulting in the loss of over a hundred men. How many could still be hiding in the city now? If not for someone powerful providing them cover, how could so many skilled fighters have infiltrated the capital so easily? If they were truly this formidable, the emperors of other nations would surely lose sleep over it. Xu Hongyan was taken aback, but in the end, he could only let out a long sigh. "Why must His Majesty go this far…?"
When the first assassin scaled the walls of the main courtyard, Ye Li stood and walked outside. Her maids hurried after her, but she waved them off. "Stay inside." Qingluan insisted, "Normally, we’re of no help, and now even within the estate, you won’t let us accompany you. We feel utterly useless. Qingshuang and Qingxia don’t know martial arts—they can stay inside. Let Qingyu and me follow you." Seeing her determination, Ye Li frowned slightly but said nothing more before turning and stepping out of the study.
In the courtyard, Zhuo Jing and Feng Zhiyao approached. Seeing Ye Li emerge, Feng Zhiyao reported, "Several groups are heading for the ancestral hall—likely after the Cloud-Grasping Sword enshrined there. The rest are coming toward the main courtyard, though a few have gone toward the library."
Ye Li smiled faintly. "No matter their purpose, none shall leave alive."
"Understood!" Feng Zhiyao laughed heartily, cupped his hands in salute, and then swiftly vanished beyond the courtyard walls, his crimson robes carrying a trace of chilling bloodlust into the night.
Gradually, the sounds of combat converged outside the main courtyard. The guards of Prince Ding's Estate seemed to be struggling to hold their ground. Standing beneath the eaves, Ye Li couldn’t see the battle outside, but she could hear the clashing of steel and smell the thick scent of blood carried on the night wind.Suddenly, several dark figures swiftly breached the courtyard walls and leaped in, almost immediately spotting Ye Li standing under the eaves in her white robes. The shadows moved in unison toward Ye Li, their lightning-fast approach revealing they were no ordinary assassins but truly first-class experts. Ye Li remained motionless, as if the overwhelming killing intent before her didn’t exist at all. Just as the dark figures were about to reach her, Zhuo Jing, standing beside her, suddenly moved. With a flick of his wrist, a cold gleam shot from his sleeve straight toward the foremost figure. At the same time, from the shadows, several sharp arrows flew past, embedding themselves neatly into the ground in a perfectly straight line between the two sides—a white boundary warning the intruders to halt.
The lead black-clad figure stopped and glanced at the arrows on the ground before raising his left arm, where his sleeve had been slit open by a long gash.
"The guards of the Ding Royal Palace truly live up to their reputation," the black-clad man said darkly.
Ye Li smiled faintly. "You flatter us."
The black-clad man narrowed his sharp eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. "The Princess of the State?"
Ye Li nodded with a light smile. "Indeed. And how may I address you?"
The man snorted. "You need not know who I am. Just know that I am here to take your life." Unfazed by his threatening words, Ye Li arched a brow and chuckled. "Oh? As it happens, I’ve been curious about just how many people wish to take my life. Since you’ve come, why not stay a while?" With a wave of her hand, a red streak shot into the night sky with a piercing whistle, bursting into a massive crimson blossom. The eerie scarlet hue instantly painted the entire sky above the Ding Royal Palace, filling those who looked up with an inexplicable sense of foreboding. The black-clad man remained wary, refusing to glance at the sky and instead scanning his surroundings vigilantly. Something seemed to stir in the darkness, but with the clamor of battle outside, even someone with his profound inner energy couldn’t discern anything clearly.
On the wall, Feng Zhiyao, clad in red, effortlessly knocked an assassin aside and gazed admiringly at the sky. "Princess, what kind of flower is that? Quite beautiful. I think I’ll have a robe embroidered with it later."
Ye Li’s lips twitched slightly. "That’s the manjusaka—also known as the flower of the other shore. The sole scenery on the road to the underworld. Some call it the flower of death."
Feng Zhiyao stumbled, nearly falling off the wall. He forced a laugh. "The Princess has quite the sense of humor."
"Feng San, are you here to play around?" Mo Hua appeared atop the wall at some point, glaring coldly down at the figures in the courtyard.
"Hmph! How bold of you lowlifes to barge into the main courtyard of the Ding Royal Palace! Tired of living?" Zhang Qilan stood at the edge of the roof, clad in battle armor and gripping a long spear. His towering frame and battle-hardened aura exuded an intimidating presence, as if he could single-handedly dominate the scene.The black-clad men quickly realized they were surrounded by the elite forces of the Ding Royal Palace. Normally, they should have immediately seized Princess Ding as a hostage to escape, but seeing the Princess of the State standing calmly under the eaves with only two women and one man by her side, the leader hesitated. Was charging forward truly the right move? Could this be yet another trap?
"Princess Ding's schemes run deep. All these days of restraint were merely to lure us into your trap?" the black-clad leader stared at Ye Li.
Ye Li laughed brightly, "A mere trifle compared to your efforts. My lord had barely left the capital when you all began plotting and scheming. The moment he departed, you came one after another to bully a helpless woman like me. I believe I've been more than generous. You've had your fun these past days—now, why not witness the might of the Ding Royal Palace?" Outside the walls, the previously faltering guards of Prince Ding's Estate suddenly fought with renewed vigor, joined by countless reinforcements emerging from the darkness. The tide of battle outside seemed to turn in an instant. No longer did assassins attempt to scale the walls and breach the main courtyard; instead, they scrambled to flee. Yet the escape routes were now blocked by the elite shadow guards of the Ding Royal Palace, trapping them in a pincer attack that turned the estate into a scene of chaos.
Realizing they were trapped within the courtyard, the remaining black-clad men grew frantic. Several lunged toward Ye Li without a second thought, only to be intercepted effortlessly by Zhuo Jing and Qingluan at her side. On the high wall, Feng Zhiyao frowned as he assessed the situation below. Finding no need for his intervention, he turned his attention to the battle outside. Spotting several figures darting past, leaving behind a trail of fallen black-clad corpses, he couldn't help but marvel, "The Princess's methods are impeccable. If the Mo Family Army were all this skilled, unifying the realm and bringing peace to the land would be effortless." Standing beside him, Mo Hua followed his gaze, his expression darkening as he remained silent.
Ye Li watched silently as the charging black-clad men fell to a hail of arrows, then lifted her gaze to the remaining few. The leader chuckled darkly, "Well done, truly worthy of the Ding Royal Palace and the Black Cloud Cavalry. But... does the Princess truly believe this is all we've prepared?"
Stepping forward from under the eaves, Ye Li regarded the black-clad men calmly. "No matter how many preparations you've made, none of you will leave here alive today. You... must be the true leader of Night Kill, correct?"The black-clad man was taken aback for a moment but soon laughed, "It seems my men have told the Princess everything. Impressive! Since that's the case... let's settle this with our skills!" With that, he suddenly leaped towards Ye Li, even dodging two arrows shot from the shadows in the process. Zhuo Jing frowned and raised his hand to signal a halt to the arrows. Ye Li calmly watched the man's fierce approach, sidestepping slightly to avoid a slash from his blade. With a flick of her sleeve, a flash of silver light shot straight towards the wrist holding the weapon.
A hint of surprise flashed in the black-clad man's eyes as he twisted his broadsword, cutting off Ye Li's attack. She let out a soft hum, her dagger clashing against the broadsword before she swiftly released it, switching hands to thrust towards the man's left ribs. The dagger, crafted from elite cold iron by a master artisan under Mo Xiuyao's orders based on Ye Li's own design, was not only uniquely shaped but could slice through metal as if it were mud. Sparks flew as it collided with the broadsword, leaving a faint scar on the blade while the dagger remained unscathed, still gleaming coldly.
The black-clad man narrowly dodged Ye Li's strike, his gaze growing more dangerous. Initially, he hadn't taken the Princess of the State too seriously, as her inner energy was merely decent, far from that of a true master. Yet, in this brief exchange, she had nearly caught him off guard without relying on inner energy at all. If this woman had possessed profound inner energy, he wouldn't have dared to believe he could match her.
Ye Li had no intention of engaging in a prolonged fight either. Seizing the moment, she swiftly retreated to a safe distance and remarked coolly, "The leader of Night Kill... is nothing special after all. Take him down."
"Yes," Zhuo Jing nodded, making a few hand signals into the night.
Several figures silently emerged in the courtyard, engaging the black-clad man without a word. Their fighting style bore some resemblance to Ye Li's, and while none of them individually were a match for the man, their precision and ruthlessness were astonishing. Every slash, punch, or palm strike that landed on him inflicted significant damage. Their coordination was seamless, and with the aid of hidden archers, they subdued all the assassins in the courtyard in less than fifteen minutes, suffering only two minor injuries among themselves.
The leader of Night Kill was restrained with his acupoints sealed and bound in an unusual manner with ropes. Ye Li approached him with a faint smile, "I've heard the true identity of Night Kill's leader is shrouded in mystery—even the Pavilion of Heavenly Unity, reputed to have the most extensive intelligence network, doesn't know. It seems I can solve this riddle today?"
Zhuo Jing reached out and removed the black cloth covering the man's face, revealing the stern visage of a man in his forties. Ye Li regarded the stranger calmly, but Feng Zhiyao, who had been watching from the wall, suddenly tumbled down in shock, staring at the man and exclaiming, "Mu Qingcang!"
Author's Note:
Hehe... does anyone still remember who this is? Well, Feng has finally moved north. Unfortunately, he took a tumble on the train—what a tragic journey. Job hunting again is the worst~
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