"Kill!"
Shouts of killing rang out from all directions in the alley. Countless people surged toward Fan Xian, who was standing in the middle of the alley. The tide of people surged forward. It was like a large river running into an immovable rock. Water splashed in all directions. The sound of sharp blades slicing through flesh pierced into people's eardrums. Then, the four people at the very front fell down like four pieces of wood.
They clutched their throats and fell down. Fresh blood flowed endlessly from their hands.
A slender black dagger had appeared in Fan Xian's hand. There were a few drops of dark blood on the blade's lightless edge.
The deaths of a few people could not force back everyone's charge. The soldiers' charge did not even pause for a moment before they once again drowned out Fan Xian.
The black light flashed again. This time, Fan Xian sinisterly chose to strike downward. He no longer tried to kill with one strike or slice open the throats of the soldiers. Instead, he slashed a few times at the legs and abdomen of the people around him.
At the same time, several bloody wounds appeared on their bodies. The flesh that had been flipped open spurted out bright red blood. After a moment, the blood immediately turned black, and a faint fishy smell wafted out.
A number of particularly wretched cries rang out in the alley. The injured people would not die immediately. They were in incomparable pain from the poison on Fan Xian's black dagger. The rising and falling of the wretched cries finally brought the soldiers surrounding Fan Xian to their senses. It made the people holding long spears and sharp blades remember the legendary power and viciousness of Sir Fan junior.
The tide of people paused.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fan Xian charged toward the back of the alley like a wandering spirit. Like a shadow and wind, he moved close to the people's bodies. Occasionally, he stretched out a demonic palm and gently brushed it across their earlobes, fingers, armpits, and other weak spots.
Each brush left behind a wretched cry and an injured person who fell to the ground.
In this instant, Fan Xian chose a small trick. This was the best way to save energy and not use up zhenqi. The crowd was surging, and moving like this was the most suitable method. Every time he made a move, he no longer intended to make the soldiers beside him fall, but to make them cry out in pain and jump up, turning them into leaping trees to conceal the cunning beast he was. In the twilight, he fled towards the back of the encirclement.
Not far away, a general who was in charge of the search looked at the commotion, and a trace of coldness and fear flashed through his eyes.
He had never imagined that there would be someone in this world who could turn himself into a wandering soul, who could pass through the crowd of people who were chasing after him under the watchful eyes of the public, leaving behind a trail of blood, and taking away fresh lives. But this person seemed to be so casual, as if he was walking through a field of flowers without a single leaf touching him.
Fan Xian didn't even have a single wound on his body, and he had already killed and injured more than twenty people. Amidst the chaos of the encirclement, he had forcefully advanced a distance of thirty meters!
"Stop him!" The general looked at the commotion that was getting closer and closer. His pupils constricted and he roared in a hoarse voice, "Kill the traitors!"
The sound of a crossbow being nocked rang out. In such a noisy environment, it actually appeared very weak, but it was particularly terrifying.
In the crowd, Fan Xian, who was holding a dagger with three fingers and gently making intimate contact with the soldiers' muscles, heard the sound of the crossbow outside the encirclement. His right hand paused for a moment.
His ears accurately captured a familiar sound, so his heart tightened and caused his right hand to pause for a moment. It stabbed into the chest of a bailiff who was leaping toward him in fear and forgot to pull it out.
Jingdou strictly forbade the use of crossbows, except for the Overwatch Council, which had been specially permitted by edict. Hearing this sound, Fan Xian knew that the Eldest Princess had already mobilized the power of the army through the Qin family or the Ye family to sneak into Jingdou. He didn't have time to think about the problem of the 13 city gate guards. Instead, he unconsciously felt a chill. The extreme danger of the attack in the valley had left a deep impression on him.
This thought only lasted for a moment. In the next moment, his foot stomped down and landed heavily on the hard stone ground with a bang.
With just one foot, the square, hard stone slab split open in the middle. The corners of the slab rose up and headed toward the bodies of the soldiers leaping toward him.
When he moved through the encirclement, it appeared easy and casual. In reality, he was moving with unusual speed and powerful, precise control. That was why he needed such a powerful and tyrannical kick to stop his body that was moving at high speed.
The stone slab split open. In that instant, his body also changed from a fast speed to an unusual stillness.
The change between these two extreme states even made the air around him involuntarily make a tearing sound.
The surrounding soldiers that had been following him like a ripple did not keep up in this instant. Wretchedly, they fell forward, leaving an empty space three feet in front of Fan Xian's body.
Thud, thud, thud. The sound of breaking wind rang out. Dozens of sinister and terrifying crossbow bolts grew under Fan Xian's feet like crops. They narrowly missed his body.
His right hand continued to stab horizontally. The body of the bailiff hanging from the dagger was suddenly thrown forward by the sudden decrease in speed. His flesh sliced through the sharp black dagger. With a hiss, half of his body was sliced open. He fell heavily to the ground, splashing out countless amounts of blood.
The soldiers behind Fan Xian could not stop their feet and directly crashed into his suddenly still body.
He pulled back his elbow.
Two muffled sounds rang out, and two figures were sent flying into the sky, shattering into pieces in the dusk sky … drawing countless shocking arcs in the air.
Before the next round of crossbow bolts arrived, Fan Xian glanced at the general at the end of the alley from a distance. The tip of his foot pushed off the ground. Unexpectedly, he followed the two "broken shadows" he had sent flying and flew in the opposite direction toward the sky above the alley.
The general felt Fan Xian's icy gaze from a distance and couldn't help but shiver. Gritting his teeth, he said viciously, "Wolf Camp, go, don't let him escape."
In midair, the shattered pieces of bone and flesh fell to the ground with a clatter.
Immediately after, whooshing sounds broke through the air. A dozen aces flipped onto the eaves and chased after Fan Xian, who was running on the eaves of the commoners not far away. In a moment, the aces of the Jingdou government and the Ministry of Justice led most of their subordinates and followed the path on the ground in relentless pursuit.
… …
"I want him to die."
Inside Guangxin Palace in the Royal Palace, the Eldest Princess, who had returned to her layers of muslin curtains, said these words expressionlessly. The "him" in her words referred to Fan Xian, who was fighting guerrilla warfare with her in Jingdou. As long as Fan Xian did not die, it would be difficult for the Eldest Princess's expression to show a smile.
"There seems to be a problem in Chen Garden," the eunuch beside the Eldest Princess said in a low voice. The eunuch beside the Eldest Princess said in a low voice, "The most important thing is that there seems to be a problem with the information transmission from Dongshan Road. It's already been three days, and the last news was three days ago."
A strange flush suddenly flashed across Li Yunrui's cold and beautiful face. This flush was like the rosy clouds on the horizon. Blown by the night wind, it immediately disappeared, becoming the last smear of whiteness before night fell.
The corners of her lips twitched slightly. In a quiet voice, she said, "I only want Fan Xian to die. You don't have to worry about the Overwatch Council."
"Yes, Your Highness." The eunuch bowed respectfully and then raised his head. It was one of the Qing Emperor's trusted eunuchs, Eunuch Hou, who was on the same level as Eunuch Yao.
The Eldest Princess looked at Eunuch Hou's face with a slight smile and said, "You set that fire in the Eastern Palace very well. I want to see how well you set this last fire in Jingdou."
After the battle of Dong Mountain, no one knew if Eunuch Hong was dead or alive. Eunuch Yao must have already followed the Qing Emperor to heaven. In the present Royal Palace, the eunuch with the highest seniority, the most power, and the most trust of the empress dowager was Eunuch Hou. In the past, the Fan manor and Lady Liu had spent a great deal of money to win over Eunuch Hou. Who would have thought that all this money would be wasted? From the beginning, he had been the Eldest Princess's person.
The Qing Emperor and Fan Xian had long guessed who had set the fire in the Eastern Palace, but they had not thought of Eunuch Hou.
Eunuch Hou bowed respectfully and said, "I will ask the empress dowager to issue an edict. However, my words do not have much power. At most, the empress dowager can issue an edict to the Imperial Army to join the search …" He raised his head and carefully glanced at the Eldest Princess. "As you know, we have already used all the power we can. The Imperial Army also appeared in Yangcong Alley earlier, but they did not move at all. It is clear that the Great Prince has other intentions."
The Eldest Princess calmly said, "We cannot move the Imperial Army."
Eunuch Hou probingly said, "Although something major happened in Taiji Palace today and 40 officials have been thrown into prison, the empress dowager's intentions have not changed. Since it has already been confirmed that the Crown Prince will inherit the throne, do you think we can move the Great Prince's position? "
"You want me to talk to my mother?" The Eldest Princess said with slight mockery. "Don't make such plans. Presently, the Jingdou Garrison is in my hands. The 13 city gate guards are still wavering. The Qin and Ye family armies are only a few days away from the capital. If even the Commander of the Imperial Army is changed, how can my mother be at ease?"
"As long as Lady Ning is well-behaved in Hanguang Palace, the Imperial Army will belong to the Great Prince," the Eldest Princess coldly said. "Mother has to find some balance. Otherwise, is she not worried that I will destroy this Royal Palace in the future?"
Eunuch Hou's heart shivered and didn't say anything more.
"Fan Xian is sick," the Eldest Princess continued to smile slightly. "With me holding onto his illness, it is impossible for him to leave Jingdou. He can only endure in Jingdou. I want to see how he, an evil assassin, will continue to endure when those dozens of officials can't endure, the officials of Taichang Temple and the Ministry of Rites can't hold on, and the Crown Prince can rightfully ascend to the throne."
Eunuch Hou glanced at the Eldest Princess with respect. Carefully, he said, "It's a pity that when the empress dowager gave the edict, the concubine carrying Sir Fan junior's blood somehow escaped."
"Not escaped." The Eldest Princess narrowed her eyes slightly. Her long eyelashes blinked slightly. "Someone is protecting him. However, I am very curious whether or not that person, who has lost his master, can still protect himself."
"Your Highness's calculations are divine."
"There is nothing to calculate. You have to prepare. Perhaps in a few days, I will have to leave the Palace," the Eldest Princess said with a smile. No one knew why she had chosen to leave the Palace.
Eunuch Hou smiled fawningly and said, "Then, I will return to Hanguang Palace right now."
"Go," the Eldest Princess said. "Let mother's heart be more resolute."
"Yes."
Eunuch Hou obeyed and left. Passing through the deathly silent Palace, he heard the faint sounds of sorrow falling in his ears. He returned to Hanguang Palace and said a few words in front of the empress dowager. Looking at the empress dowager's grizzled hair, dispirited expression, and unbearable spirit, this eunuch sighed in his heart. He thought to himself that the empress dowager had once been a very powerful figure. Now, she could only wholeheartedly maintain the peace of the court and could not bring out much boldness. He had decided to follow the Eldest Princess many years ago. This was truly a wise choice.
In Guangxin Palace.
After Eunuch Hou left, the Eldest Princess lowered her eyelids slightly and quietly said something to her trusted aide. It seemed that she was going to send a message somewhere outside the Palace. A few words could be faintly heard. It should be related to the situation outside Jingdou.
Then she sat in silence and solitude for a while. She clapped her hands, and palace maids respectfully surrounded or guarded a man and a woman. They walked in from the back of Guangxin Palace and sat by her side.
The Eldest Princess revealed a slight smile and quietly said to the daughter beside her, whose brows did not resemble hers, "Chen 'er, mother has already found Fan Xian."
Lin Wan 'er lowered her head slightly and gently bit her lower lip. She was not shocked by these words. She didn't even raise her head.
The Eldest Princess furrowed her brows slightly. It was as if she felt a glimmer of anger at her daughter's emotional reaction. In a low voice, she said, "Fan Xian is a rat. If he truly cares about you, then naturally, he will come to the Palace."
Lin Wan 'er suddenly raised her head. Her usually unusually gentle and watery eyes were filled with coldness and indifference. She looked at her mother. It was as if there were two knives digging into her mother's heart. Word by word, she said, "You asked for me from Hanguang Palace. I had thought you still had some mother-daughter feelings. So, you used your own daughter as bait."
Lin Wan 'er's expression was calm as she said, "But, that's right. Uncle has said many times that you are a madman and cannot do things like normal people. Don't worry, I won't resent you."
She smiled gently and appeared very calm. "For a madman like you, resentment is an unnecessary emotion."
"Is that so?" Li Yunrui slowly closed her eyes. "I gave birth to you. Of course, you have no right to resent me. Sisi, that b * tch, isn't she living well outside? Why does the Fan manor only protect her and not you? If you want to resent someone, you should resent your husband and your in-laws. "
Lin Wan 'er's legs trembled slightly. "You've made a mistake. Perhaps no one thought you would act against your own daughter."
The sound of metal colliding came from under her legs. It was as if someone had shackled them.
…
…
Li Yunrui calmly said, "If Fan Xian died, everything would be easy."
"Is that so? Unfortunately, you will never be able to kill him. Since he was able to come back alive from Dong Mountain, he will certainly live on. "A confident glow rose to Lin Wan 'er's face.
The Eldest Princess furrowed her brows. "Some people's lives are not in their control. I have never worried about my good son-in-law. Even though he has lived so brilliantly these two years, I am still not worried. "
She glanced at her daughter and then at Da Bao, who was sitting by her daughter's side with his shoulders drawn back in fear and his mouth trembling unconsciously. A glimmer of disgust flashed through her eyes.
"I understand my son-in-law too well," Li Yunrui coldly said. "As long as you and Da Bao are here, other than death, what other way out does he have?"
"Oh, I didn't think that you would think An Zhi would be so sentimental." Lin Wan 'er gazed calmly into her mother's eyes. "I am his wife. I don't even hope that he would be stupid enough to give up his life because of your methods. I don't know where your confidence comes from."
"You don't understand. No one understands," the Eldest Princess calmly said. The Eldest Princess calmly said, "Perhaps Fan Xian is a hypocritical person to the bone, but for some of the people around him, on the contrary, he is extremely passionate."
She paused and then smiled. "I won't underestimate him. I will make preparations for him to truly turn things around. In a few days, he may have the opportunity to turn the Royal Palace upside down. Thus, I will take you and Da Bao out of the Palace and have him crawl into this bucket himself. "
Lin Wan 'er looked at her calmly. "Looks like you have already taken control of the 13 city gate guards. The Qin and Ye families' armies can enter the capital at any time."
The Eldest Princess was slightly startled before she smiled. "My daughter is indeed a little like me. You see things very accurately."
Lin Wan 'er slowly lowered her head. She knew that Fan Xian would certainly think of a way to enter deep into the heart of the Royal Palace and use the Great Prince's imperial army and his spies in the Palace to turn things around in one move. Unexpectedly, her mother did not care at all about the gains and losses of the Royal Palace. Instead, she had the idea of having all of the enemy forces fall deep into the Palace and then counterattack with a large number of soldiers.
"What exactly do you want?" Lin Wan 'er suddenly raised her head and said with a glimmer of mockery, "It makes no difference to you whether the Crown Prince or the Second Brother is the Emperor. However, what exactly do you want?"
"What do I want?" The Eldest Princess suddenly narrowed her eyes and stared at a certain wall in Guangxin Palace. After a moment of silence, she said, "I want everyone in the world to know that in this world, there are some women who can do extraordinary things without a man."
She turned her head to look at her daughter and quietly said, "Not having a man is nothing. After Fan Xian dies, you will still be a high and mighty princess, so there is no need to start grieving ahead of time."
"I don't know what I will be like after my man dies. Will I be unable to suppress my sorrow?"
Lin Wan 'er suddenly smiled and held her brother's soft left hand. She lowered her head and didn't even glance at her mother. "But, I know, mother, after you lose your man, you will truly go crazy. So, it is best if you keep these teachings for yourself."
"How dare you!" The Eldest Princess' beautiful face became icy. "What nonsense are you saying?"
"Isn't that so?" Lin Wan 'er said calmly and mockingly. "Uncle wanted to strangle you to death on that wall? Now that he has died because of you, do you feel both happy and wronged and want to scratch up your face? "
"I am not someone who doesn't know anything," Lin Wan 'er said mockingly. "It is just that I hate these things. So, mother, you are essentially a pitiful person who can't survive without a man. Why put on an act? "
…
…
After a moment of silence, the Eldest Princess suddenly opened her mouth and said coldly, "After all, you are my daughter. You didn't bring me any benefits. Just by angering me, do you think I would kill you?"
"However, I must admit that your words are very powerful." She suddenly sighed and gently caressed her daughter's slightly thin cheeks. "I haven't been with you for long enough, so I didn't realize that my dear daughter is actually such a powerful character."
Lin Wan 'er gazed calmly into her eyes. A moment later, she said, "I am a person without power, so I can only use words. Perhaps you will succeed, but it is impossible for you to make me admire you at all. "
She was very calm and proud with confidence. Her lips were pressed tightly together.
Suddenly, Da Bao quietly muttered beside her, "Sister, you're hurting my hand."
The Eldest Princess smiled and then quietly said, "Good daughter, don't be so angry. I will have Fan Xian die in front of you. When the time comes, you will be even angrier."
She gently patted Lin Wan 'er's icy face.
— — —
Fan Xian found that he had sunk into a sea of people's war. Even if 80 percent of the Jingdou people thought he had been wronged, there were still 20 percent who truly saw him as a heinous and unforgivable traitor who had assassinated the Emperor, colluded with foreign countries, and sold out the country.
There were too many people in Jingdou. Even if it was only 20 percent, it was enough to gather into a terrifying power.
Looking at the people beating gongs and drums and calling for bailiffs and soldiers to come and capture him, Fan Xian, who was running through the streets and alleys, smiled bitterly and couldn't help but want to curse. He wanted to take a loudspeaker and ask the people of the Qing Kingdom who had worshipped him as an immortal poet in the past.
If he really was a bastard, why did he come back to Jingdou?
Furthermore, he had not thought that although his Overwatch Council was closely watched by the internal court, the secret agents of the First Bureau would purposely create trouble to help him. Even so, after fleeing for so long, he still had not shaken off the Eldest Princess's pursuit.
The dozen or so experts from the military were really a headache. Even more troublesome were the bailiffs of the Jingdou government and the officials of the Ministry of Justice. These people hung around Jingdou all year round and had close relationships with the people. Under their relentless pursuit, it made it impossible for a warrior like Fan Xian to remain hidden for more than 15 minutes.
Fan Xian leaned against the wall of a courtyard and narrowed his eyes at the darkening night sky. He saw the bright moon on the horizon and couldn't help furrowing his brows. He began to curse the heavens and the Qing Kingdom's unusually good environmental protection work.
Under the clear moonlight, Fan Xian was faced with the largest number of people in Jingdou's history and the strictest search for an imperial criminal. He was confident that he would be able to disappear into the sea of residences.
The slight coolness of the courtyard seeped into his heart and lungs, calming his emotions slightly. It also made him cough. His injuries had not healed and he had forcefully mobilized the Tyrannical zhenqi. Even though his body was made of iron, he still felt a glimmer of fatigue.
The clamor of soldiers and horses came from the street not far away. There were shouts. It was probably another enthusiastic patriotic citizen pointing the direction Fan Xian had escaped in to the government.
If it was just escaping, Fan Xian had enough confidence that he could even fight guerrilla warfare in Jingdou with the Eldest Princess's side for half a month. He was confident that he wouldn't be caught. He could even slowly assassinate the important enemies one by one like a spring dream without a trace.
But … his wife and family were under house arrest in the palace. Outside the palace, he had some misgivings. He had to hurry and find a peaceful place to contact his own forces and obtain precious information. He had to follow the right path of evading and escaping.
At present, with the Eldest Princess's relentless pursuit, it was clear that it would not allow him to find a safe place to temporarily stay.
It wasn't that Fan Xian didn't have suspicions about the exposure of his whereabouts. However, the journey was dangerous and hurried. He had no time to consider these things.
The sounds of people outside grew closer and there was also the sound of horses. Fan Xian turned his head to glance at the corner of the alley. His left hand dug into the skin of the wall. Circulating his zhenqi, he dug out a few pieces of rock and flicked them toward the wall in the corner.
With a light pop, a few inconspicuous marks appeared on the wall in the corner. It seemed that someone had crawled over there.
Fan Xian's fingers curled. His entire body floated up like a large bird and flipped over the side of the wall.
He had already investigated clearly. Behind this wall was a decent manor. Looking at the furnishings, it seemed to be the family of an official. He decided to take a gamble and see if he could find someone he could trust. Even if he couldn't, he would try to hide.
Flipping over the wall, he walked past the fake mountains and flowing water. He went up to the second floor and entered a room filled with the scent of books. The sound of soldiers and horses outside the courtyard grew louder and louder. Fan Xian didn't have time to think. He turned around a bookshelf and a black dagger was pressed against a person's neck.
His luck was not that good. It was impossible for him to find someone he could trust in the vast sea of people in Jingdou. However, his luck was not that bad. He had thought that this was a study and the person inside was the owner of the house. He had not expected that under the black dagger was a delicate and pitiful girl.
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