Volume 1: Laughing at the Splendor Chapter 78: Linked Ring Assassination

  After Yuanyang left, there was a moment of silence in the Yuan Yangchi Pavilion.

  The Cold Imperial Concubine's face was extremely unpleasant, thinking that it was too easy for Yun Shangyue to leave today, and she didn't come over. She turned her head and said to the Empress, who had a thoughtful expression, in a sinister tone: "Empress sister, you should also teach this Miss Shangyue a good lesson. She really doesn't listen to advice, and has no semblance of being well-read or having good manners. Not only did she tarnish the reputation of the Yun King's Manor, but also your own reputation."

  "Cold sister, things that even the emperor doesn't manage, how can I manage? The empress put away her thoughts and looked at Cold Gui Fei, saying lightly: "Moreover, your nephew and niece aren't necessarily better than Yue Er? She's just a spoiled brat who doesn't listen to education, doesn't follow etiquette, but at least she doesn't do those kinds of evil things like bullying men, forcing good people to become prostitutes, and cruelly enjoying killing. In these years, Cold Xiao Wang Ye has done many evil things, the emperor turns a blind eye, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know. As for Cold Xiao Jun Zhu's fight with the second miss of Rong Wang Fu at the crown prince's residence a few days ago, it can't be considered as a knowledgeable and refined lady's behavior. She and Yue Er are just half a catty and eight taels, no different. You, as an aunt, can't manage your nephew and niece, how can I, the empress, manage to educate them?"

  The Cold Imperial Concubine's face stiffened, and she was left speechless.

  "I think Shallow Moon is quite lovely! She must have some merits, otherwise how could she gain the protection of both Jing Shi and Ran Xiao Wangye? Those two are among the top figures in our capital's aristocracy. Not just anyone can catch their eye." The Empress Ming finally spoke up after remaining silent for a while.

  "What's the advantage? She can't even recognize characters, doesn't understand anything, and only has a pretty face." The Cold Imperial Consort snorted, "Those two are also men of character, but they're just infatuated with her."

  The queen's face suddenly turned cold. In the past, even if Empress Leng said that Yun Shangyue was not good, she would not say it in front of her. She coldly said to Empress Leng: "Being able to have a good appearance is something one is born with. No matter how much makeup someone applies, they can't cover up their lack of beauty. Being able to captivate the entire city and even being famous throughout the land is also a skill."

  The Cold Imperial Concubine had always been most concerned about her appearance, and upon hearing this, she immediately became furious. "Imperial Sister-in-law, who are you referring to?"

  The queen smiled faintly, meeting the cold gaze of Consort Leng. "Sister Leng, I was naturally referring to my incompetent niece. Fortunately, she has a good face, or else she would be completely useless. Today, I see that her looks are even better than those of Miss Qin from the Prime Minister's residence! Sister Leng, what are you angry about? Could it be that you think I'm talking about you?"

  The Cold Imperial Concubine glared at the Empress, this was a veiled insult! Don't think she couldn't hear it.

  The queen continued in a light tone: "You're all at an age, the emperor has long passed the age of appreciating flowers, and this palace hasn't had any new additions for a long time. Cold sister doesn't need to be too concerned about her appearance either. As women get older, even if they were the most beautiful in their youth, twenty years later it's hard to look at them again. A woman's looks aren't that important anyway. I'm talking about Shallow Moon, why is Cold sister putting this on herself?"

  The Cold Imperial Concubine felt a surge of anger, but she was after all someone with some ability, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to sit in the position of the first of the four concubines. She suppressed her anger and smiled, saying: "What the Empress said is indeed very right. So Shallow Moon Miss has looks for nothing, it's all just a waste. Men are like that, they should be matched with women who have the same level of talent as them. As for why Jing Shizi treats Shallow Moon Miss differently now, it's probably because he thinks she's interesting to play with, just playing around."

  The queen's phoenix eyes also accumulated anger, suppressing it, the smile on her face became even more diluted. "How many women in the world are probably resentful of being treated as playthings by Jing Shizi? Even if they can get him to take a look at them, it's already a blessing. However, apart from Yuer, no one has been able to catch his eye. In that case, aren't those women who can't even get a glance from him not even worth being treated as playthings? Like the young lady of the Xiaojun King's manor."

  The Cold Imperial Concubine held her breath, her forehead throbbing with anger. If the woman sitting in front of her wasn't the Empress, she would have stormed out in a rage. For a moment, she couldn't find the words to retort, and could only glare at the Empress with hatred.

  "Although it's said that way, Cold Sister should still be careful with her words. After all, trouble often comes from the mouth. Jing Shizi only followed my father's instructions to discipline Shallow Moon a bit. Even if the Emperor didn't say anything, he wouldn't tolerate others making things up. You can make things up about Moon without any consequences, even in front of me, I won't hold it against you. But if what you just said reached Jing Shizi's ears, how do you think he would react?"

  The Cold Imperial Concubine's expression changed.

  "You also just heard the news coming from the upper study. The young master Wang is very protective of Yue'er, and if someone says something bad about her, he won't let it go, not to mention vicious rumors. Even the emperor can't do anything about that little demon king, of course, unless Cold Sister isn't afraid of Young Master Wang. If you provoke him and suffer the consequences, don't come crying to the emperor or me." The empress's back was straight as a pen, her words were dignified and stern, and she suppressed Cold Imperial Concubine with her aura.

  The Cold Imperial Concubine's body trembled slightly, knowing that she had angered the Empress today. Jing Shizi and Ran Xiao Wangye were indeed not to be trifled with, and she was indeed muddled-headed today. Forcing a smile, she said: "Sister is straightforward and impulsive, please don't blame her, Your Majesty. To put it bluntly, shallow moon Miss is still just a child, and sister is looking at the hardships of elder sister, can't bear to see her suffer, wants to advise elder sister to teach her a lesson or two, nothing more. However, what you said is right, we are both aunts, they have their grandfather and father alive, where do we get off being aunts and teaching them?"

  "It's fine as long as you understand!" The queen threw out a sentence indifferently.

  Although the Cold Imperial Concubine was furious, she had to suppress her anger. Because she was in the wrong, and in the harem, the Empress was still the most important one. For a moment, she couldn't find any words, intending to leave, when suddenly she glanced at Qin Taifei sitting beside the Empress without saying a word from start to finish, seemingly thinking about something. She immediately became angry again, smiled and said: "I just forgot, sister must have misspoken. It's not only Shallow Moon Miss who is treated differently by Jing Shi Zi, but there is also another person who is treated differently by Jing Shi Zi."

  "Oh? Why don't you tell me, sister." The empress saw that the Cold Imperial Concubine had glanced at the Qin Empress Dowager and also guessed a few things.

  "I just heard that today, Jing Shizi's lesson in the upper study room was on the theory of learning. Qin Miss's words were highly praised by Jing Shizi, who said that Qin Miss is a great talent and can be a national mother. He also said that Shallow Moon Miss is just a foolish and ignorant young lady, not even comparable to Qin Miss! Empress, with such words coming out, don't you think it's clear that Qin Miss has won Jing Shizi's favor?" The anger on Cold Imperial Concubine's face dissipated, replaced by a pleased smile, as if she was the one being praised. She looked at Qin Tai Fei and said, "Tai Fei Niang Niang, I truly envy you for having such a talented niece!"

  Empress Qin glanced at Noble Consort Leng, smiled slightly, and although she was nearly seventy years old, her facial features still showed that she had been a stunning beauty in her youth. Her gaze swept to the calm face of the Empress sitting beside her, and she slowly began to speak, "Yu Cong is indeed a talented and artistic child, few ladies in the capital can compare to her. It's only fitting that she received praise from Jing Shizong. However, the words of the Empress Dowager were still excessive."

  "Empress, you're not giving credit to Jing Shizi's insight. Who is Jing Shizi? He's the extraordinary talent of our Tian Sheng, and it's not an exaggeration to say he's the greatest talent under heaven. His words have always been revered as warnings to the world. If Jing Shizi says Miss Qin is worthy of being the empress, then his words must be true." The Cold Imperial Concubine glanced at the Empress from time to time, and seeing that the Empress remained calm, she smiled even more happily.

  "Whether or not one can become the empress dowager still requires good fortune, having talent is useless." Qin Tai Fei did not want to say more, stood up with some fatigue and said: "People get old, after all, are not useful. Sitting for such a long time makes me extremely tired. You young people sit down! I'll go back to the palace first."

  "Your Majesty is walking slowly!" The empress stood up and slightly curtsied.

  "See off the Grand Empress Dowager!" Mingfei and all the other consorts stood up and paid their respects to Qin Tai Fei.

  The Empress finally found a way to attack the Queen, but unexpectedly, Concubine Qin didn't give her face. The ancestral emperor's teachings have been passed down for hundreds of years, and it's time to end them. Besides, Yun Shangyue has such poor moral character, this master of the harem can't let the Yun Wangfu continue to dominate, not just the Leng family, but also another family. She didn't believe that Concubine Qin and Chancellor Qin didn't have that idea. Smiling, she said: "I haven't visited Concubine Qin's palace in a long time, I'll escort her back!"

  Empress Qin's footsteps paused for a moment, and she nodded, "Alright! Then let Cold Imperial Concubine take the trouble!"

  "It's not hard work, the Emperor is filial to you, and as a daughter-in-law, I should also be filial, shouldn't I? This little bit of effort is necessary." The Cold Imperial Concubine stepped forward and supported Qin Taifei's arm, smiling.

  "Yes, Your Majesty is filial, so my old wife can enjoy her later years in peace." The Empress Dowager Qin also smiled.

  The Cold Imperial Concubine turned her head to look at the Empress, feigning concern as she said: "Looking at the Empress's sister's complexion isn't too good, is it uncomfortable? Or should we hurry back to the palace and ask the imperial physician to take a look? You are the pillar of our sisters, if you fall ill, we will lose our mainstay."

  "Don't worry, Imperial Sister. I'm still in good health. You're the one who's been working hard and worrying every day, you should be more careful." The Empress's voice was still calm and collected. Seeing that Consort Leng wanted to speak again, she reminded her: "Since you've sent the Grand Dowager back to the palace, take good care of her. This step must also be taken carefully, or else if you trip and fall, the Emperor won't forgive you."

  The Cold Imperial Concubine suddenly came to her senses and didn't dare speak again. She carefully supported the Empress Dowager Qin down the steps.

  Watching the Cold Imperial Concubine and Qin Imperial Consort walk away, the Empress sat back down, waving her hand at everyone, "It's getting late, I suppose all of you sisters are tired from sitting. You can all go back now! This palace will sit for a while longer."

  "Yes!" Everyone stood up and bid farewell.

  Ming Fei didn't move, but looked at the Empress and said in a warm voice: "I'm not tired yet, I'll stay and keep you company for a while, sister."

  "All right!" The empress nodded and waved her hand at Sun Mama and the others, who understood and all retreated.

  "Sister, don't take Cold Imperial Concubine's words to heart. In my opinion, Shallow Moon Miss is a blessed person. It's said that 'a blessed person won't fall into an unblessed place.' Some things still depend on the Emperor's intentions, it's just that Jing Shi Zi spoke one sentence, but who knows what will happen in the end?" Ming Imperial Concubine fell silent for a moment, hesitated, and then advised the Empress with a gentle tone.

  "My sister thought I was worried about this?" The queen smiled faintly.

  "Could it be sister?" Mingfei was taken aback.

  The queen shook her head and gazed at the lotus flowers in the mandarin duck pond, no longer speaking.

  Ming Fei also followed the empress's gaze to look at the lotus flowers in the Yuanyang Pond, and saw a group of mandarin ducks playing around the lotus flowers. She smiled and said, "These mandarin ducks are quite lovely."

  "Queen, did you only see the lovely mandarin ducks? Didn't you see anything else?" The empress didn't look at Consort Ming and didn't wait for her to ask, directly saying: "This mandarin duck pond is like this imperial palace. The mandarin ducks in the pond are like us, every day playing and frolicking, just amusing ourselves. Who knows what kind of scenery lies outside the pond?"

  Ming Fei's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the Empress, her voice low, "Sister, what is the Emperor like? Is he like the lotus flower in this pond?"

  "Your Majesty? Hehe..." The empress raised an eyebrow, smiling and shaking her head, sighing: "The Emperor is like the moon occasionally reflected in this lotus pond. We can see it, but we cannot touch it. Until old age, that moon still cannot be grasped by us."

  Ming Fei's heart skipped a beat again, and she turned her eyes to scan the surroundings, only to find that except for the empress and her personal palace maids standing far away, there was no one else. Her face finally showed a hint of sadness. "Sister is right, this Swan Pool is like this imperial palace, the swans in the pool are like us, and the emperor is like the moon occasionally reflected in the pool. We spend our entire lives trapped here, while the person who traps us will also be unable to grasp it for a lifetime."

  "So, Ming sister, do you still think I would be heartbroken because Yue'er can't become the empress and there won't be any more women sent to the Yun Wang Fu? This is just a cage. Since the founding emperor's time, the Yun Wang Fu has produced a woman who was deeply loved by the founding emperor, and after a hundred years, several legitimate daughters of the Yun Wang Fu have been married off. Which emperor since then has had the same deep affection as the founding emperor? They are all just pretending to be loving but actually shallow. This position of empress, ending with me is not so bad." The empress said slowly. At this time, she was no longer the high and mighty empress who had just suppressed the cold and noble imperial concubine, but just a pitiful woman.

  The Empress sat silently, and at this moment, the Queen felt the same way. No matter how good the glory and wealth were, no matter how good the fine clothes and jade food were, no matter how good the silk and satin were, no matter how good the emerald and gold were, they were all just for show in this vast world. As beauty fades with age and imperial favor is no longer bestowed, after the Emperor's passing, they would either die or grow old and die within the palace walls. She sat here, gazing at the mandarin ducks in the pond, as if she had already seen through her entire life.

  "In that case, if Shallow Moon Miss doesn't enter the palace, she would truly be blessed." Empress Ming sighed after a long silence.

  "Yes! I'm actually envious of Rong'er, who doesn't know anything and isn't familiar with etiquette. Not being proficient in anything might even have its advantages, perhaps it could exempt her from being locked deep within the nine-layered palace gates. Previously, I always thought she was naughty and disobedient, unlearned and untalented, without the demeanor of a noble lady, which annoyed me. But now, suddenly, I don't think that way anymore. If only I had been like her back then, perhaps now I wouldn't be sitting here waiting to wither away in old age." The Empress said.

  "Sister, don't think like this anymore, if the Emperor finds out about you..." Mingfei whispered.

  "Your Majesty? Hmph!" The empress coldly sneered, turning her head to look at Consort Ming. "Ming, do you think you're happy? You've been favored for twenty years without decline, and how many people in the palace envy you. But do you feel happy?"

  Ming Fei lowered her eyelashes, remained silent for a moment, and then shook her head.

  "This is it! If even you don't feel happy, who else in the palace can be? This is a golden house, and we're just slowly waiting for our lives to be drained away." The empress withdrew her gaze, looking up at the sky. "I'm ruined, but I don't want any more women to be ruined in Rong Wang Fu. Back then, my aunt told me things that I didn't listen to, and I rushed headlong into this place. Originally, I thought Yue'er was the same, but now seeing her devoted love for Ye Tian, and that child's lack of enthusiasm for the position of empress, I feel there's still hope."

  "Sister, the ancestral teachings of our ancestors are not so easily abolished. In my opinion, the emperor's attitude towards Shallow Moon Miss is quite strange. I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Moreover, Shallow Moon Miss has received more attention now, with Jing Shizi and Ran Xiao Wangye protecting her, the emperor's thoughts must have changed greatly from before." Ming Fei said cautiously.

  "What's the big difference? The emperor only cares about imperial power." The empress seemed tired and unwilling to continue, stopping her words and smiling at Consort Ming: "Sister Ming still has hope, you have at least three daughters, while she has no sons or daughters."

  These words, once spoken, have an unspeakable desolation.

  Ming Fei's eyes stung, "As long as sister is here with me, and little sister is around for a day, then sister will not be left alone."

  The queen's complexion slightly warmed, and the sharp gaze of her eyes revealed a hint of softness, as she said with some guilt: "If it weren't for me back then, you wouldn't have been brought into the palace and trapped in this cage for twenty years."

  "Sister, don't say that anymore. It was my own will back then. I'll never forget the great kindness you showed in saving me. If it weren't for you, where would I be? Every day I live now is a stolen one, and I'm content with that." Princess Ming shook her head.

  "That year, I secretly snuck out of the palace to save you was the greatest fortune of my life. Marrying into the royal family was the greatest misfortune of my life. In this life, I have no other wishes, only hoping that in my lifetime, Yun Wang Fu will remain safe and sound. Then I will be content." The empress said quietly.

  "It's a pity that Yun Shizi doesn't like Qingyuan. If Qingyuan could marry into the Cloud King's palace, the Emperor would have doted on her even more... Alas, now that Qingyuan is ill to such an extent, she can no longer win Yun Shizi's heart..." Consort Ming said.

  "Miss Ming, how can you still not understand until now? Even if Qingyuan had married into the Cloud King's estate and obtained his heart, would the Cloud King's estate be safe? Why do I have no children? Why don't you have any children? Why doesn't Cold Imperial Concubine have any children? Why did the mothers of the fourth prince and the crown prince die early? Why was the family of the only intelligent seventh prince uprooted? Why hasn't the emperor promoted any imperial consorts in recent years? Why do those young princes have no one to rely on? Over the years, one thing after another, Miss Ming, how much have you heard, how much have you seen, and yet it's still not enough for you to understand? The emperor is heartless; familial relationships can be used by him at any time. He only wants a stable dynasty, imperial power concentrated in his own hands, he wants an heir with no personal attachments, swift and decisive, ruthless and merciless, uncontrollable by any external forces - this is what he wants."

  Ming Fei's face changed, and she was shocked to stand up suddenly, looking at the Empress in disbelief, "Sister..."

  The queen fell silent, averted her gaze and looked towards the Sacred Sun Temple. There was the man she had once deeply loved, later deeply hated, but now she was already numb to him.

  Ming Fei was shocked for a long time before slowly sitting down, and no longer speaking.

  "Qing Wan likes Mu Han, but I'm afraid that even if she likes him for another ten years, it will still be in vain. You'd better have a way to make her stop now, or else you'll ruin the child's happiness. Forced relationships are never sweet. What is happiness? We're all experienced people, you should understand. And Sixth Princess likes Jing Shi Zi, but I'm afraid that's also just a fantasy. If you don't want to create an irreparable situation, you should stop her in time too. And Seventh Princess's illness has always been a heart problem. Back then, she witnessed the assassination at Wen Bo Hou Fu with her own eyes and it was a miracle that she survived. Find an opportunity to invite Rong Feng to meet her, perhaps it will be a turning point for her to open up and wake up from her dream." The Empress added.

  "Sister said, I understand! These three daughters originally thought that just letting the sixth child would make me worry less, but unexpectedly she actually had a crush on Jing Shizi. Even if she is a princess, how can she be worthy of Jing Shizi? Even if the emperor has a mind to arrange a marriage, if Jing Shizi doesn't like it, then it's not going to happen." Mingfei nodded and paused for a moment before looking at the empress with concern and saying: "Sister, it seems that Miss Shangyue really wants to marry Rong Feng. What if the emperor agrees?"

  "That's even better. Although I haven't met Rong Yu yet, since he is a descendant of the Wen Bo Hou Fu, he must be quite good." The Empress smiled, "Yue Er has always been unpredictable since she was young, and she would often do things that surprise people. This time, Your Majesty probably didn't expect her to cause such a commotion either."

  "In the past, although Shallow Moon Miss was not on good terms with Qing Wan, she got along very well with Little Seventh. Every time she came to the palace, she would go visit Little Seventh and also come to my palace to sit for a while. Now I see that child as if she doesn't recognize me at all, she doesn't say a word when she sees me, and it's been a long time since she went to Little Seventh's place." Ming Fei smiled and said: "Could it be that sister has offended her, so she hates me together with you?"

  "It's probably that! Her temperament has always been strange, maybe she was really scared that day in the garden. Father wanted to use the Crown Prince to test the Emperor's thoughts, but instead made me the villain, that little girl hated me for over a month, now I've even gotten the green jade from the Emperor and still can't let her stay for another moment, it's truly extreme hatred towards me." The Empress said with a smile.

  "After all, she is still young and will eventually understand her sister's good intentions." Mingfei also said with a smile.

  "It doesn't matter if I don't understand. I will always remember what my sister-in-law entrusted me with." The empress glanced at the sky and stood up, saying to Consort Ming: "It's noon, let's go back!"

  Ming Fei nodded and stood up, the two of them walked out of the pavilion by the Swan Goose Pool, surrounded by a group of palace maids, eunuchs, and ladies-in-waiting, heading towards the inner palace.

  After the group of people left, Yun Shangyue emerged from behind a fake mountain and looked in the direction that the Empress and Ming Fei had gone. She furrowed her brow slightly. Originally, she was planning to leave as soon as possible, but thinking about not understanding some things made her unwilling, so she secretly turned back and hid behind the fake mountain again. What she was most proud of before was not how many subjects she had learned, how many academic certificates she had obtained, nor was it entering the National Security Bureau. What she was most proud of was that she had mastered this lip language. So, even if the distance was far, as long as she could see her opponent's face clearly, she would know exactly what they were saying.

  The queen and Mingfei were talking almost in this direction, so she heard almost everything.

  Yun Shallow Moon rubbed her forehead with her hand, digesting the information she had just heard in her mind. She lifted her feet and walked towards the palace gate. At this time, it was noon, and there were very few palace maids and eunuchs coming and going, nor did she meet any acquaintances, so she walked out of the palace gate very smoothly.

  The horse carriage of Rong Jing was indeed waiting for you at the entrance of the palace.

  Yun Shallow Moon walked to the front of the car, reached out and lifted the curtain, only to see Rong Jing sitting inside, holding a book in his hand, carefully savoring it. She scolded him, "Bookworm!"

  "It seems like you've gained quite a bit?" Yong Jing raised his head, his gaze falling on the brocade box in Yun Shangyue's hand.

  "Hmm, you're right. Indeed, there's something to gain!" Yun Shangyue got on the carriage, holding onto the carriage handle, and tossed the brocade box to Rong Jing, "You take care of it for me!"

  Her throwing action was in no way gentle, almost directly hitting Rong Jinghui.

  Rong Jing took over the brocade box, opened it and took a glance, then covered it again, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Keep it for me? Are you assured?"

  "What's there to worry about? You're rich, with money flowing out of your pockets, it's not like I'm going to embezzle this small amount of money." Yun Shangyue lay down directly in the car, thinking that eavesdropping was a very bitter task. She hardly dared to breathe, squatting in the gap between the two fake mountains, afraid of being discovered by Sun Nian's people not far away. Now her arms and legs all felt numb.

  "That's not necessarily true." Rong Jing said, but still put the brocade box into a compartment in his car. He turned around to see Yun Shang Yue rubbing her arm non-stop and asked softly, "Let me help you rub it?"

  "Thanks!" Yun Qian Yue didn't stand on ceremony either, and shifted her body closer to Rong Jing.

  "You're really not polite!" Rong Jing scolded. Putting down the book, her jade-like hand pressed on Yun Shangyue's shoulder, with a force that was neither light nor heavy.

  Yun Shallow Moon hummed comfortably, closed her eyes and enjoyed it. Thinking that this guy is really omnipotent! After a while, she asked softly, "What kind of person do you think my aunt is?"

  "What about you?" Rong Jing countered with a question instead of an answer.

  "It's just a poor woman!" Yun Qianyue sighed.

  Rong Jing didn't say another word, gazing at Yun Qian's melancholic face with a faint glimmer in his eyes.

  The horse carriage left the palace gate, Yun Qian Yue said no more, Rong Jing also said nothing, and the carriage was quiet.

  At this time it was noon, and the road was quiet with no noise, Yun Shang Yue was still thinking at first, but later fell asleep unknowingly in this quiet and comfortable atmosphere.

  Rong Jing saw that Yun Shang Yue was asleep, and slowly stopped his hand. His gaze quietly gazed at Yun Shang Yue's sleeping face for a moment, picked up the book, and continued reading. Just after reading two pages, his eyes suddenly sank, threw down the book, stretched out his hand to hold Yun Shang Yue in his arms, and jumped out of the carriage with her in an instant.

  Just then, Xuan Ge let out a loud shout and leapt into the air.

  At the same time, countless arrows shot towards the carriage, "hissing" sounds pierced through the curtains, but in an instant, the curtains were filled with dense and dense arrow rain.

  Yun Shallow Moon was sleeping soundly when she was suddenly awakened by a killing aura, her innate sensitivity to danger. As soon as she opened her eyes, Rong Jing pulled her down from the carriage and they both landed on the ground. Just then, arrows rained down with a whistling sound, and Rong Jing rolled around on the ground with Yun Shallow Moon, dodging the hail of arrows.

  At this time, Xuan Ge and Mo Li also fell beside Rong Jing and Yun Qian Yue, both drawing their swords to block the second wave of feathered arrows.

  The two of them finally caught their breath. Rong Jing pulled Yun Qian Yue to her feet, and after composing herself, she saw that the carriage was now turning a corner onto this quiet street, where dozens of black-clad, masked men were hiding on the rooftops on both sides of the street, each holding bows and arrows in their hands, with every pair of eyes gleaming with an icy, deadly aura. Their movements and techniques were uniform, swift, ruthless, and precise, clearly indicating that they were specially trained assassins.

  The hail of arrows was held off for a moment, and all were blocked by Xuan Ge and Mo Li. Rong Jing and Yun Shang Yue were safe and sound. The black-clothed men saw that the bows and arrows were no longer useful, and their leader let out a clear cry. Those black-clothed men instantly abandoned their bows and arrows and flew down.

  Xuan Ge and Mo Li exchanged a glance, Xuan Ge shielded Rong Jing, while Mo Li shielded Yun Qian Yue. The two of them spoke in unison, "Let's go!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, both of them leapt into the air at the same time.

  At this moment, behind the black-clothed man, there was another group of black-clothed men. A rain of arrows shot towards Xuan Ge and Mo Li who were flying in mid-air. The two were shocked, one hand protecting Rong Jing and Yun Shang Yue, while the other hand drew their swords to counterattack.

  Unfortunately, even if the two had higher martial arts skills, they would still be at a disadvantage when protecting two people from the dense arrow rain. If the black-clothed man were to discard his bow and draw his sword, it would be even more difficult for them to cope.

  Yun Qian Yue looked at the black-clad man and saw dozens more behind him, her heart sank. A hundred hidden guards, obviously deliberately waiting here with meticulous planning, someone wanted to put her and Rong Jing to death. She didn't mind spending such a large sum of blood money. Her face turned cold as she looked at Rong Jing, "What should we do?"

  Rong Jing didn't look at Yun Shallow Moon, stretched out his hand and put out a signal flare, the signal flare burst open in mid-air, dazzling and eye-catching. At the same time, those black-clothed men who had abandoned their bows and arrows arrived with swords and knives, directly piercing through the busy and flustered Xuan Ge and Mo Li towards Rong Jing and Yun Shallow Moon.

  Yun Qian Yue's eyes narrowed, and she reached up to pull out the only three hairpins on her head, throwing them out. The three hairpins hit the throats of the black-clothed men, and the nearest three black-clothed men fell to the ground dead.

  At the same time, a flying dart-like object flew out of Rong Jing's hand, and several people fell to the ground and died.

  In an instant, several black-clad men were killed, but this did not deter the assassins, who instead became even more ruthless and ferocious.

  Clouds shallow moon touched her hair and body, then empty nothingness, she couldn't help but resent herself for wearing only a few hairpins to be convenient. She looked at Rong Jing, seeing him shake his head, apparently also having nothing in hand. Suddenly angry, "Aren't you the one with divine calculations? How could you not have anticipated that someone would ambush and assassinate us here?"

  "This is broad daylight!" Rong Jing spat out a few words.

  Yun Shallow Moon was suddenly speechless. She thought about who had such a big nerve, now it's noon, and in broad daylight, someone actually dared to attempt to assassinate Rong Jing and her on the streets of the capital, even mobilizing 100 hidden guards. The first thing that came to mind was the Filial King, but she quickly denied this idea, as the Filial King was probably busy dealing with Leng Shao's hand, where did he have the time to come after her for revenge?

  But who exactly wanted to kill her and Rong Jing? She didn't have the memories of this body's owner, nor could she tell where these black-clad men came from by their movements, only knowing they were assassins. So, she really couldn't think of who would want to kill her. Thus, she stopped thinking about it, only hoping for Rong Jing's rescue to arrive soon.

  At this time, the black-clad men's swords and knives attacked from all sides, and Xuan Ge and Mo Li protected Rong Jing and Yun Shang Yue. In the blink of an eye, they were in a precarious situation. Xuan Ge was stabbed through the shoulder with one sword, Mo Li's arm was cut open, and several swords with cold light pierced through Xuan Ge and Mo Li towards Rong Jing and Yun Shang Yue's forehead.

  At the critical moment, a dozen or so black-clad men suddenly descended from the sky, without any signs of darkness, and even the wind seemed to disappear. They simultaneously drew their swords, instantly forming a circle that surrounded Xuan Ge, Mo Li, and the two people they were protecting, Rong Jing and Yun Shu Yue.

  As soon as help arrived, the murderous aura and pressure surrounding the four people suddenly dissipated.

  Yun Qian let out a breath, and saw that there were eighteen black-clothed men, who were obviously not from Xuan Ge or Mo Li. Their moves were fierce and swift, even more ruthless and accurate than the black-clothed men who had killed them earlier. In an instant, over ten black-clothed warriors fell to the ground dead.

  The group of black-clad men who were shooting arrows saw the situation, and their leader waved his hand, shouting softly. Like the first batch of black-clad men earlier, they also abandoned their bows and arrows and flew down. The two groups of over 100 black-clad men completely surrounded Rong Jing and Yun Shangyue, forming a killing formation. Clearly, they were determined to get them, and would not rest until they had killed them!

  Yun Qian's face turned gloomy as she gazed at those black-clad men, and after a moment, she turned her head to look at Rong Jing.

  Only to see the poetic and picturesque face still pale, even after having just gone through a life-and-death struggle. Now it is still bloody and stormy, but his white jade-like brocade robe was protected by Xuan Ge, not even a single blood stain was stained. Tall and slender, standing upright with an air of calmness and composure, looking at the killing in front of him.

  Yun Shallow Moon turned her head to look forward, although the scenery called only these eighteen people, but this hundred people can't get in at all. She narrowed her eyes, today these people are all dead soldiers, letting the tiger return to the mountain and leaving behind troubles is not her style. She didn't want to let any of them go. Turning her head to ask Rong Jing: "Do you have anyone else? Call some more!"

  "It's gone!" Yong Jing shook his head.

  "Do you know who these people are? Who wants to kill us?" Yun Qianyue asked again.

  "I don't know!" Rong Jing shook his head again.

  "I want these people to leave only one person behind for questioning, can you guarantee that your men will be able to kill all of them?" Yun Shangyue thought that although the eighteen people had exceptional martial arts skills, it would still be a bit troublesome if they were all killed.

  "The dead men won't be able to tell what happened. We might as well kill them all." said Rong Jingdao.

  "I know a hypnotic technique, maybe I can ask something out of it." Yun Shangyue heard Rong Jing say this, and she knew that these eighteen people could do it. She thought that since this man already knew many things about her, she didn't mind letting him know one more thing.

  Rong Jing turned his head and glanced at Yun Shangyue, his eyes didn't show any surprise, and he ordered the scene, "Set up the Nine Deaths One Life Formation, leave only one alive!"

  "Yes!" The eighteen people responded in unison, changing their positions and instantly forming the "Nine Deaths One Life" formation, surrounding the black-clothed man from all sides.

  Xuan Ge and Mo Li protected Rong Jing and Yun Qian Yue as they stepped out of the circle, at this time no one in black could get close to them.

  Yun Qianyue watched the scene, feeling that this nine-death-one-life formation was indeed extraordinary. No wonder Rong Jing was so confident. With these eighteen hidden guards, they were more powerful than a hundred men. Originally, one person could kill ten people; now with eighteen people working together, the atmosphere was incredibly strong.

  Xiang Ge and Mo Li protected Rong Jing and Yun Qian Yue as they stepped out of the circle, at this time no one in black could get close to them.

  "There is poison on the sword, you two immediately sit cross-legged and work to drive out the poison." Rong Jing said to Xuan Ge and Mo Li. As soon as he finished speaking, he threw a pill to each of them.

  The two immediately caught the pill and swallowed it, sat cross-legged, and quickly worked on it. They clearly knew in their hearts that this poison was overbearing, and if they didn't work on it immediately, they would barely be able to save their lives, and all their cultivation would be completely destroyed.

  Yun Shang was shocked by the words and turned her head again, only to see that indeed there were black bloodstains on Xuan Ge's shoulder and Mo Li's arm. Her already gloomy face became even darker. Who could have done such a cruel thing? Was it to kill Rong Jing alone or to kill her alone, or was it to kill both of them together? She narrowed her eyes.

  Nine deaths and one life formation was like a vast net covering the sky, enveloping the hundred black-clad dead soldiers so tightly that not even air could pass through. In the arena, more than half of the black-clad dead soldiers had already been killed by Rong Jing's eighteen hidden guards. The remaining black-clad dead soldiers were now showing signs of panic, seemingly using all their might to try and break out, but it was completely ineffective. Before they could even escape the encirclement, they were killed by the eighteen hidden guards.

  The air on this street is thick with the smell of blood.

  Yun Qian Yue looked back at the scene, her face dark and cold, with only a hint of indifference remaining. She didn't even blink her eyes. Although in her past life she had also been stained with blood, she had never seen such a bloody scene after her rebirth. Although she upheld goodness, she was not a saint, and her principle had always been that if people did not offend her, she would not offend them, but if they did, she would retaliate tenfold. Especially since the day she arrived in this world, when Ye Tian used his hidden dagger to threaten her neck, she understood a truth: in this world, being merciful and soft was equivalent to suicide. So, she didn't want to die, she could only kill others.

  She clearly knew that if it weren't for Rong Jing's eighteen hidden guards arriving just in time, she and Rong Jing would have gone to the underworld by now. How could they still be waiting here watching these people being killed? So even if all hundred of these hidden guards died here today, it was a death they deserved.

  The clouds are shallow and the moon is pale at this moment, with emotions on his face and in his heart almost indifferent and cold-blooded.

  Her gaze was fixed on Yun Shang Yue's face, her cold eyes gradually warming up.

  The two of them stood silently, the moon-white brocade and pale purple embroidered silk skirt standing side by side. Both of their faces were calm and indifferent, quietly standing amidst the sky filled with killing intent and bloodstained air, forming a unique scenery.

  About two incense sticks later, only one of the hundred black-clad assassins remained. That person was the leader of the hundred Hidden Guards and had been rendered useless by one of the eighteen Hidden Guards who brought him before Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue, lying on the ground like a lump of mud.

  Yun Qianyue looked at the hidden guard with a cold gaze and said to Rong Jing, "We're on a main street, let's find a place to interrogate him."

  Rong Jing nodded, just about to open his mouth to say good, when three white lights suddenly shot towards him and Yun Qianyue, as well as the hidden guard on the ground. The white light was silent and swift, like lightning, and in an instant it arrived near the three of them. His eyes darkened.

  Yun Qian Yue naturally also discovered it, her face sank, and now she was certain that the person behind her back wanted to kill her and Rong Jing together. The one who came was still a top-notch expert, with another killer behind the killer, what a vicious tactic!

  Just as the two of them changed their expressions, two of the three white lights suddenly shattered into four white lights at a distance of three feet from Rong Jing and Yun Shallow Moon, shooting towards the two.

  The shallow clouds and moon were shocked, I didn't expect that the hidden weapons in this world would be so exquisite to such an extent.

  Rong Jing's phoenix eyes also narrowed slightly.

  Those eighteen hidden guards had just brought the dead assassin leader to Yun Qianyue and Rong Jing's side, with one of them being closest to the two. The other seventeen hidden guards were a bit far away due to the intense battle earlier. Seeing the flying dart heading towards Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue, they all changed their expressions and flew towards the two, but they were too far away, and the dart was too fast, so they couldn't make it in time. The closest hidden guard quickly made a decision to protect Rong Jing.

  Before he even reached Yong Jing's side, he heard him order, "Save her!"

  Although she didn't say who it was, the guard immediately turned to Yun Qianyue and swung his palm with internal force to shock open the hidden weapons flying towards her.

  Yun Qian Yue didn't expect Rong Jing, this ruthless guy, to be so chivalrous. Just as she was about to praise him for being a real man, she saw him not dodging the hidden weapons on his body and instead stretching out his foot towards the disabled warrior, clearly intending to kick him away from rescue. Her face changed, and she furiously shouted: "Rong Jing, you're crazy!"

  Rong Jing was oblivious, his feet moving non-stop, and as he tilted his head to one side, the man was kicked away. He also dodged a hidden projectile, but another one aimed at his ribs was impossible to dodge.

  The cloud was shallow and the moon was visible, and that hidden projectile was about to shoot towards Rong Jing. Without thinking, she pushed away the hidden guard who was protecting her in front of her and stuck close to Rong Jing. In a critical moment, all that could be heard was a clear "hiss" sound, and the hidden projectile that was originally going to hit Rong Jing's ribs instead hit her arm. Her arm felt a piercing pain, and she stumbled, almost falling over.

  Rong Jing heard the sound and turned around, only to see Yun Qianyue standing there with a pale face, her arm pinned by a hidden weapon that had already sunk into her flesh, leaving only a tail dangling. His expression changed, and he stared at her blankly.

  Digression

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