"Ah!"
A woman's scream pierced through the dark night, filled with rage, despair, fear, and madness. Like a blood-stained knife, it cut the gloomy sky into pieces.
With a loud crash, an exquisite bronze mirror carved with eight layers of lotus was pushed to the ground in the luxurious room with heavy curtains and burning incense. The surface of the mirror shattered into pieces.
The shattered mirror reflected a beautiful face with beautiful eyebrows and a slender nose. However, there were two scars that were so deep that they could penetrate to the bone. They were ferociously carved on her creamy skin.
The beauty of the face and the ugliness of the scars intertwined, causing one to sigh at the impossibility of life.
A group of respectful maids surged forward like a tide, only to be forced to bow and retreat like a receding tide by the vicious eyes of the person in the mirror.
Pei Yuan leaned against the dressing table, trembling as she supported herself with one hand. She bit her lip desperately, but she couldn't stop her body from shaking like a sieve.
It's over … it's all over …
The beauty she was so proud of, the peerless beauty that dominated the Taiyuan royal family, was all gone in a flash of a saber that night.
From now on, she would become the laughing stock of the Taiyuan royal family. From now on, her royal sisters who were less beautiful than her and had always been secretly scorned by her would constantly comfort her with the most compassionate gazes and the most gentle words.
Thinking of that seemingly warm but actually cruel pity, she felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse and was about to go crazy!
"Get out! Get out, all of you! "
The room was soon empty. The curtains that had been lifted by the crowd quietly fell down.
The fluorescent light from the green jade lamp shone on the curtains, revealing a figure leaning against the dressing table and slowly collapsing to the ground, covering her face and sobbing softly.
The thin shoulders of the figure shook uncontrollably. Her sobs were low and intermittent, like a nightmare that could never be broken.
A cool night breeze blew in through the half-opened long window, leisurely lingering in the room. An extremely low murmur could be faintly heard in the wind.
It was light but sharp, like a sharpened steel wire or an icicle at the top of a thousand-year-old glacier. It carried with it a cold and inextinguishable hatred and murderous intent.
"If I knew who you are … I would kill you … I won't rest until you die …"
*****
That scream pierced through the silence of the entire Profound Yuan Villa. Everyone heard it, and they all had different reactions.
Qi Xunyi's gaze was deep. Schemes, situations, plans … all sorts of things were going through his mind, but there was no pity for his cousin's tragedy.
Zong Yue stood in front of the window with his hands clasped behind his back, facing the endless darkness. However, his gaze that looked into the void was not empty. It was as if he was looking at something solid, seeing some of the chilling fates of life hidden behind the midnight mist.
Hearing the scream, he slowly stretched out his hand and made a gesture of parting the mist.
The strange thing was that there was no pity in his eyes.
On a mountain peak in the distance, a man in a loose robe was leisurely leaning against a rock. He was fiddling with a strangely shaped mirror as he looked down at the Profound Yuan Villa.
On his knees, Lord Ingot, whose white fur fluttered in the wind, was squatting. He maintained the same direction as his master, staring at the darkness ahead.
Its gaze was very dignified, and its posture was very solemn. It had already accompanied its master for half an hour.
It actually didn't see anything.
Yuan Zhaoxu tilted his head and looked at his pretentious pet in disdain. Suddenly, he stood up.
Lord Ingot immediately rolled down, his four legs facing the sky, his belly pink.
He heard his master's smile. "So stupid."
Lord Ingot's claws were on the ground, ready to cry.
Unexpectedly, his master added, "I said, Qi Xunyi."
Lord Ingot's shattered glass heart immediately became whole again.
The sound of quick footsteps came from behind, like a gust of wind. The leaves rustled, and a woman's crisp voice rang out.
"Ah ha, that scream just now was really high. It's suitable for practicing high notes."
A black figure flashed as Meng Fuyao climbed up and pushed Yuan Zhaoxu away. She sat down on the ground, grimacing in pain as she rubbed her knees. "That guy was so strong. I used all my strength to escape. I didn't even feel my leg hit the tree. Ah, now that I'm resting, it hurts."
After a while, she asked, "Who's that guy? He's from the Pei family, and he seems to be very powerful."
Yuan Zhaoxu leaned against a rock and fed Ingot fruit, who had already forgotten the pain of being bullied. He opened his mouth wide in satisfaction, waiting for the food to flow into his mouth. Hearing her question, Yuan Zhaoxu smiled and gave an irrelevant answer. "You've been moaning for so long. Do you want me to personally massage your knees?" Ingot glared at her angrily as he slowed down the feeding process.
Meng Fuyao glared back at him in disdain, then at Yuan Zhaoxu. She sneered. "You'd better rub that guy's stomach. I don't think it can digest it. It'll be terrible if it dies from bloating."
Ingot immediately bared his teeth at her, but she ignored him this time. Yuan Zhaoxu smiled and wiped his hands with a towel. "The imperial family."
Meng Fuyao's eyes narrowed, and her tone deepened. "The imperial family?"
Yuan Zhaoxu's eyes glowed as he smiled. "Regretting it?"
Meng Fuyao raised her eyebrows and curled her lips. "I only regret that I didn't stab her that day."
Yuan Zhaoxu stared at the high-spirited Meng Fuyao, his eyes flickering. After a while, he smiled. "Do you know who you attacked just now?"
"Who?"
"Qi Xunyi, the third son of Emperor Taiyuan." Yuan Zhaoxu smiled mysteriously. "Young Master Yi, one of the Seven Young Masters of the Five Continents."
"Young Master Yi? 'A song of apricot blossoms moisten the misty rain, three thousand beauties dance among the stars.' That Young Master Yi who's known as the most talented, romantic, and absurd person in the world? "
Meng Fuyao was stunned. She recalled the sword light that lurked like a venomous snake and suddenly appeared like a storm.
Yuan Zhaoxu glanced at her. "It seems like I'm lucky that I didn't tell you his identity in advance. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to run at the Listening Pavilion."
"Nonsense." Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes. "Do I look like someone who can't run at the sight of beauty?"
Yuan Zhaoxu bent over and patted Ingot's head. "Lord Ingot, do you think she's the one?"
"Eeek!"
Ingot's tone sounded like he agreed.
Meng Fuyao was furious. "If I'm really a pervert, I'll be the first to pounce on you …" She stopped mid-sentence, realizing that she'd made a slip of the tongue.
Unfortunately, Yuan Zhaoxu had already heard her. He raised his eyebrows and looked over with a smile. "Hmm?"
Meng Fuyao jumped up and shouted, "Let's go!"
She ran down the mountain rock in a few steps, moving as fast as a rabbit. She could vaguely hear the man's low chuckle behind her.
"Of course, I wouldn't dare to ask."
*****
Just as Yuan Zhaoxu and Meng Fuyao had expected, things changed the next day.
By right, Qi Xunyi should have informed Lin Xuanyuan about the assassination attempt in the Mystic Essence Sword Sect, but he didn't. Instead, he stayed silent for the entire day. During that day, he sent out many people to investigate the matter and contacted some disciples. At night, he went to visit Lin Xuanyuan.
No one knew what the two of them discussed. They could only vaguely hear that Master Lin was furious, while Qi Xunyi only smiled and ordered that the Master of the Mystic Essence Sword Sect was suspected of colluding with the Yun Family and severely injuring Princess Pei Yuan. He was to be brought to the Swallow Capital for interrogation. The Mystic Essence Sword Sect was heavily guarded, and no disciple was allowed to step out of the sect until the suspicion was cleared.
The Mystic Essence Sword Sect was one of the top martial arts sects in the Taiyuan Kingdom, and many of its disciples were from rich and noble families. Qi Xunyi had not been investigated by the local authorities, nor had he requested an imperial edict, but he had acted on his own initiative to detain the entire sect. It was a pity that this prince had always done things in such a manner. The whole world knew that he was unrestrained and preposterous, so it would be strange if he did not do things out of line.
After detaining the Mystic Essence Sword Sect, Qi Xunyi went to visit the Wuji Nation's Grand Tutor. He apologized on behalf of the Taiyuan Imperial Court and ordered the Grand Tutor's immediate release.
Now, Meng Fuyao leisurely followed the Grand Tutor out of the Mystic Essence Sword Sect's territory.
"I still feel that something is strange." Finally, she whispered into Yuan Zhaoxu's ear, "Even though I wanted to frame him, I only wanted to confuse him and escape during the chaos. Qi Xunyi should know that there's something fishy about this matter and won't fall for it so easily. But now, it seems like he's determined to make a move on Lin Xuanyuan. Don't tell me that he's doing this because he's famous for being ridiculous. Just from our interaction that night, I can tell that his so-called ridiculous indulgence is most likely a cover."
"It's not good for a woman to be too stupid, but it's also not good for her to be too smart." Yuan Zhaoxu looked at her with a smile. "It'll be fine as long as she escapes. Why do you care so much?"
"Say it!" Meng Fuyao anxiously grabbed his reins and pretended to let the horse go.
"You know that the martial arts world forces from various countries participate in political struggles. The Mystic Essence Sword Sect has always been neutral, but in recent years, it has been moving closer to the Taiyuan Crown Prince. Qi Xunyi, the third prince, has always been at odds with the Crown Prince." Yuan Zhaoxu flicked his finger and took back control of the reins.
Meng Fuyao suddenly understood. "So that's why Qi Xunyi only needs an excuse. Even if it's full of loopholes, he can use it to make a move. No wonder you told me to use the martial arts of the Mystic Essence Sword Sect when I went to assassinate Lin Xuanyuan. Even if Lin Xuanyuan figured out that I was the assassin, he wouldn't be able to explain the whereabouts of his' dead disciple 'or how I died. Naturally, he wouldn't be able to explain himself."
Her gaze landed on Yuan Zhaoxu's hand as he retracted the reins. There was a lotus flower in his palm. It was slightly white and looked very lifelike. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's that on your palm? A birthmark? "
Yuan Zhaoxu's fingers paused. His sleeves fluttered and fell back down to cover his palm. "Probably," he said with a faint smile.
His expression was normal, but Meng Fuyao felt that he was a little unhappy. She knew that she had probably violated his taboo, so she smiled and said nothing more.
Lord Ingot poked his head out of Yuan Zhaoxu's robes and stared at the lotus with jealousy. He gritted his teeth and looked like he wanted to chew off the mark.
The group had arrived at a stream at the foot of Mount Mystic Essence. They stopped to rest and drink some water. Qi Xunyi's bodyguards were a step behind them and soon arrived as well. Qi Xunyi's carriage was bright and ostentatious, with beautiful handmaidens and manservants following behind. The four corners of the carriage jingled, and the fragrance of the carriage spread far and wide.
Soft music drifted out of the carriage. It was enchanting and soft, mixed with the laughter of a lady. The tone sounded familiar. While Fuyao was still thinking hard, she saw the rest of the Grand Tutor's subordinates looking at each other awkwardly.
After thinking for a long time, she recalled that it was one of the top ten erotic songs, "Playing with Purple Bamboo." Moreover, it was sung by the lowest of prostitutes in the lowest brothel to win the favor of their customers. Brothel girls with even a little business would not bother to sing it.
The carriage was supposed to be playing dignified and noble music, but instead, it was playing such obscene music that ordinary people would be too embarrassed to listen to in public. It was really out of tune.
The Grand Tutor's subordinates all revealed expressions of "this is ridiculous." Meng Fuyao looked on coldly from the side. She recalled the sinister man who was as vigilant as a leopard and whose sword skills were like a dragon last night.
It was better to stay away from people like Qi Xunyi. Meng Fuyao avoided him and found a place upstream to drink water. Suddenly, someone came over from behind and screamed, "Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
Meng Fuyao turned around and saw a few manservants, each carrying a jade basin, washcloth, and scented pancreas. One of them was holding a golden tray with an alum stone on it. It seemed like they were preparing to fetch water for Qi Xunyi to wash his face.
The Grand Tutor's subordinates all revealed expressions of "this is too extravagant."
Meng Fuyao looked at the spring water. It was clear and clean. This was a pollution-free ancient era, and the spring water could be drunk directly. Qi Xunyi had to use alum to wash his face. Wasn't that too much?
Seeing that she was standing still, a trace of anger flashed across the manservant's face. He reached out to push her. "Why are you standing here like an idiot? Don't pollute the water upstream! Go drink it downstream! "
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