Chapter 46 Part 1

The great fire spread, burning from outside the courtyard all the way to the clustered shadows of trees.

Leaves rustled in the wind. The blazing scene was very beautiful, resembling fiery butterflies beating their wings, drifting and fluttering through the forest.

The closer she drew to the Fourth Prince’s residence’s main courtyard, the more Chu Shao’s footsteps slowed.

Before arriving at the main courtyard, Chu Shao looked at the crape myrtle tree within the yard, then pulled up a black cloth to conceal her features.

Due to the fire, most of the servants from the Fourth Prince’s residence had been drawn away by the sudden disaster. In truth, Manager Wang was merely a decoy set out by Chu Shao. Her real target was the Fourth Prince.

But—

There was killing intent in the courtyard.

Chu Shao lowered her gaze, looking at the moonlight on the ground. In her daze, she almost thought it was a layer of white frost.

From the very first step she took into the main courtyard, she knew there were several experts’ auras hidden within the yard. And she could confirm that one of them was lurking in the shadows, watching her with an extremely dangerous gaze.

Chu Shao knew she probably couldn’t kill the Fourth Prince tonight.

Yet she still walked in, a smile on her lips.

Because she felt that the most dangerous expert lurking in the shadows was probably not one of the Fourth Prince’s people. So she was curious—for whom were the experts in this courtyard maintaining such tight security?

And so, under the watchful eyes of several experts within the Fourth Prince’s residence, Chu Shao strolled into the courtyard as casually as if walking through her own garden.

The concealed experts watching the black-clad intruder enter the main courtyard did not act rashly. They could faintly sense that perhaps this uninvited guest was also aware of their presence.

Thus, they turned their gazes toward the woman sitting high upon the roof eaves, awaiting her instructions for the next move.

The woman sat on the eaves, her robe tucked under her. Her expression was sparse and her eyes were black and bright, faint glimmers of faint light seeping into them.

She put down her sword and raised her knuckle, making a gesture.

Those lying in ambush within the courtyard instantly understood and decided to hold their positions and observe.

As if stepping into an uninhabited realm, Chu Shao very easily reached the window lattice. Through the gauze paper on the window, she peered inside.

The gauze paper pasted over it was very thick, allowing only a vague glimpse of two blurry figures. Although she couldn’t see their faces clearly, their voices made their identities abundantly clear.

That female voice was cool and detached: “What you did today was foolish.”

Immediately after, another male voice rang out: “Aunt, since you wanted your nephew to act foolish, naturally your nephew must obey Aunt and act the fool to the very end.”

The crimson silhouette within moved slowly, seemingly gazing at the other person.

After a moment, a cold laugh: “This Palace sees that you’re not obediently acting foolish but want to take the chance to retaliate against Prince Yan. You don’t dare touch him, so you targeted Chu Shao instead. This matter—was it not foolishly done?”

The Fourth Prince laughed: “Although your nephew knows that Third Brother, with both legs crippled, is no longer of any use to you… considering that Third Brother was raised by Aunt since childhood, even though he has provoked your nephew in every way, your nephew has never made a move against him.”

“But regarding the bride-snatching incident, Third Brother gave your nephew such great humiliation. Your nephew couldn’t swallow this grievance, and couldn’t vent spleen on Third Brother, so he could only target Chu Shao.”

Xiao Shuang said: “If trouble arises later because of this, what will you do then?”

The Fourth Prince spoke very lightly, as if stating a fact: “Aunt, Chu Shao is merely a princess of a fallen kingdom, and nothing more. Imperial Father granted this marriage only to appease the remnant populace. Now that she has married Third Brother, that can be considered doing one’s utmost to appease. As for whether she exists in the future… it is of no importance.”

Xiao Shuang said coolly: “Chu Shao’s existence was never important to begin with. But as a prince of a nation, you shouldn’t have used such despicable methods. This Palace has the intention to support you, yet you only add obstacles behind This Palace’s back… This Palace is very disappointed.”

“Aunt, your nephew truly knows his mistake.”

The slap marks on the Fourth Prince’s face still hadn’t faded. The smile he managed to pull out now wasn’t particularly pleasing to the eye, yet his tone carried a trace of deference: “Your nephew will no longer cause you trouble in the future. He shall obey Aunt in all things.”

Only then did Xiao Shuang’s expression improve slightly. She looked at the two vivid red handprints on the Fourth Prince’s face and frowned.

She summoned her personal palace maid, Zi Su, intending to have her find some ice for the Fourth Prince to apply.

Unexpectedly, Zi Su leaned close to Xiao Shuang’s ear and whispered a few words: “Your Highness, Deputy Commander Tang says someone has intruded and is currently in the courtyard. She has come to request your will.”

Xiao Shuang listened quietly, her face devoid of any expression, not even glancing at the window.

Zi Su, however, was secretly sweating on behalf of Tang Yu.

Although Deputy Commander Tang was Her Highness’s most trusted confidant, that person outside had probably been standing there for quite some time and had likely overheard the bulk of Her Highness’s conversation.

Just as Zi Su thought Deputy Commander Tang was about to suffer misfortune, Xiao Shuang suddenly laughed: “Since Tang Yu let that person enter, what need is there to come asking for This Palace’s will?”

“She knows what to do.”

In fact, from the moment Chu Shao stepped into the main courtyard, Tang Yu had no intention of letting her leave alive.

After all, she was Tang Yu.

Tang Yu was still young, yet she held multiple official titles in court—both the Deputy Commander of the Upper Third Rank and the Leader of the Phoenix Feather Guard. Within the borders of Great Qi, the number of people who could defeat her could be counted on one hand.

Now, Tang Yu looked at the figure standing within the courtyard, her gaze as cold and detached as if looking at a dead person.

Then she silently made a gesture to the Phoenix Feather Guard.

—Meaning: capture alive.

The Phoenix Feather Guard received the order. Swords left their sheaths, showing their sharp edges, as they soundlessly approached the spot where the black-clad person stood.

The black-clad person, having heard Xiao Shuang’s words, remained standing there without any reaction.

As if frozen in place.

And in the eyes of the Phoenix Feather Guard, the other party was merely a small thief with a slender frame, surely already panicked and scared stiff from stumbling upon the nobles’ secrets.

“Shing—”

One of the Phoenix Feather Guards drew his sword and placed the blade against the black-clad person’s neck. The feeling of looking down on the opponent was especially strong.

He thought to himself, it was just an ordinary thief. For Deputy Commander Tang to be so strictly on guard was overly timid, wasn’t it?

The black-clad person made no move. In the night, the Phoenix Feather Guard could only faintly make out the exposed, fair nape of the neck.

Elegant and slender. It appeared to be a woman.

“Who are you? What intentions do you harbor by sneaking into the Fourth Prince’s residence? Confess honestly!” The Phoenix Feather Guard barked sternly.

He squinted at that section of neck, finding it seeming exceptionally soft and white. The force in his hand unconsciously lessened somewhat.

However, after the Phoenix Feather Guard finished speaking, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest.

Lowering his head to look at his chest, he saw a dagger piercing through his heart. And that dagger was held in that delicate, graceful hand.

Immediately after, the dagger was withdrawn from his chest, and blood sprayed out.

He collapsed to the ground.

The other Phoenix Feather Guards displayed expressions of shock. Without needing to think, the swords in their hands were already thrust out without reservation.

Since the opponent could kill one of their number, if they did not unite to subdue her now, it would be tantamount to seeking their own deaths.

Indeed, their movements were fast. But the speed with which Chu Shao picked up the longsword was even faster. In almost a single instant, she had snatched up the longsword fallen from the Phoenix Feather Guard’s body from within the pool of blood.

“Clang—”

The sound of weapons clashing was especially grating.

Although Chu Shao’s face was covered, beneath the black cloth, the smile on her lips remained elegant and poised. While parrying the Phoenix Feather Guards’ blades, she was simultaneously savoring, with keen interest, the vibrations produced by the colliding weapons.

Very pleasant to hear, like the sound of something shattering.

From the moment she had stepped into the courtyard, Chu Shao had understood that if she only had to deal with those few experts, the difficulty shouldn’t be too great.

But if the person sitting on the eaves joined in, with her outnumbered, she was extremely likely to be defeated.

However, this did not prevent Chu Shao from still entering the courtyard. Because she knew she didn’t necessarily have to defeat everyone here.

She only needed to see who exactly the person protected by so many experts was, and then retreat unscathed.

Thinking of this, blood just happened to splash onto the back of Chu Shao’s hand. Although she felt pleasure from such warmth, the current situation wasn’t suitable for prolonged battle.

Chu Shao looked at the sword in her hand with regret.

This sword was indeed a good sword. It was only a pity that she wouldn’t possess such a fine sword anytime soon.

While exchanging blows, Chu Shao faintly sensed the person on the eaves making a move. Thus, she picked up that good sword she was loath to part with, deliberately lowered her voice, and said one sentence to the Phoenix Feather Guards with a smile.

“I’m very sorry, but you have seen my eyes.”

The Phoenix Feather Guards hadn’t yet grasped what meaning this sentence held when the black-clad person, retreating and parrying all the way, suddenly disarmed them all.

They never knew sword techniques could be so swift as to reach such a level.

In the next moment, Chu Shao wielded the sword and slit the Phoenix Feather Guards’ throats. The instant the blood sprayed, they finally understood the meaning of that sentence.

—I’m very sorry, because you have seen my eyes, so you can only die.

Only the dead can keep secrets.

Tang Yu’s expression was extremely ugly, as if coated in a layer of frost. She had indeed anticipated that this black-clad person was strong, but she hadn’t expected them to be this strong.

When she realized something was wrong and prepared to go down and exchange blows with the black-clad person, the intruder had already claimed the Phoenix Feather Guards’ lives within a mere instant.

Looking at the Phoenix Feather Guards fallen on the ground, Tang Yu drew her sword and thrust toward the black-clad person.

Unexpectedly, before she could even touch a corner of the other’s clothing, the opponent leaped up, completely ignored her sword strike, and used her toes to propel herself toward outside the courtyard—departing by treading upon the moonlight.

Tang Yu stared at the empty courtyard, almost freezing for an instant before cursing under her breath and giving chase.

But Chu Shao was simply running too fast. Tang Yu chased until she began doubting her life. And every time she was just about to grab a piece of the black-clad person’s clothing, she always fell just a little short.

She could only watch helplessly as the distance grew further and further, the other party slipping away right under her nose.

By the time Tang Yu was panting heavily and truly couldn’t keep up, she realized she had never even seen the other’s face, let alone captured this person alive to report back to the Eldest Princess Zhaoyang.

Tang Yu stopped in her tracks and shouted coldly toward Chu Shao’s departing back: “You’d best be able to run this fast for the rest of your life! Don’t let me lay eyes on you!”

The black silhouette in the distance paused briefly, seeming to laugh once.