Weilong Lane, Kyoto.
"Has the person returned?" The masked man sat in a chair, his exposed eyes clouded with ferocity.
Zhang Lang, whom Qin Xiaorong had mentioned, shook his head with a stern face, cursing in annoyance, "This place is likely no longer safe; we must evacuate as soon as possible."
The masked man slowly stood up, drawing the saber at his waist. "Take the carriages and horses, and clear away all traces."
"Understood!"
As the man nodded, he also pulled a short blade from his embrace.
"Master, Second Master, today..."
The maidservant came to inquire about their dinner as usual. Her words had barely left her lips when a cold glint flashed before her eyes, and her vision spun 180 degrees. She saw the flourishing Mu Yao flowers behind her.
How could this be?
The thought flashed through the maidservant's mind. It wasn't until the viscous blood gushed from her neck that the maidservant finally saw her own severed body.
She had no time to cry out, nor did she feel any pain before her body was separated from her head, dead beyond death.
"Ah~~"
A scream pierced the sky, followed by another agonizing cry.
Zhang Yi lunged forward, his hand swift as he brought down the short blade, piercing the heart fiercely. He then pressed a red gem inlaid on the blade's handle. As the gem was pressed, barbs resembling a mace sprang from both sides of the blade. These barbs hooked into the heart, and as he pulled the blade out, a fresh, red heart was brought along.
Slaughter was unfolding in the courtyard.
Maids, matrons, servants, not a soul was spared.
In the vast estate, apart from the masked man and Zhang Yi, only seven or eight others were engaged in the killing.
After finishing the people, Zhang Yi and the masked man ordered the others to pack what they needed to take and destroy any letters that could not be left behind.
"Jingle~"
However, at that moment, the mechanism they had set up outside the door chimed.
The masked man and Zhang Yi exchanged glances, their faces etched with solemnity. The masked man decisively commanded, "Sixi, burn the letters. The rest, enter the house to retrieve the bows."
"Clang clang!"
All the windows were flung open. Bows and arrows made of profound iron, bathed in moonlight, emitted a cold, ethereal blue glow.
Arrows coated with poison pointed directly at the main door. Just as they held their breath, ready to release the arrows, a sharp whistling wind suddenly swept past their ears.
"Swish~"
"Thump!"
The sharp arrows pierced the air and embedded themselves in the white wall of the house.
Then, the sound of wind howled.
A vast barrage of arrows sealed every corner of the courtyard, and they, coincidentally, had opened their windows.
"Ah!"
Screams were endless. The masked man roared with bloodshot eyes, "Close the windows and break out from the sides!"
For a moment, the sound of clashing weapons echoed in the courtyard.
The skirmish was swift in its arrival and swift in its passing. The masked man fought valiantly and broke through the encirclement, while the others all became亡魂 under the Xuan Guard's blades.
"This subordinate's service was inadequate. I beg the master for punishment."
Xuan Wu knelt, begging for forgiveness for letting a spy escape, and even more so for failing to capture any of them alive.
Compared to the spy they had apprehended before, the spies in this stronghold were clearly more troublesome. After interrogating them and discovering the specific stronghold, the Xuan Guard immediately moved to capture them. Yet, even so, they failed to glean any more useful information. He surveyed the entire courtyard. These individuals had silenced all the purchased maids, matrons, and even servants, and destroyed all important correspondence. Apart from some items they hadn't had time to take, they had left behind no useful information whatsoever.
"Go to the Hall of Punishment to receive your penalty."
Ji Jinmo's clear voice carried no emotion. His expression revealed neither joy nor anger, but the cold glint in the corners of his eyes flowed like frozen water droplets in the depths of winter, emanating a chill capable of freezing one's soul.
"This subordinate accepts the penalty."
...
"Sir, what about targeting the human traffickers?"
After Xuan Wu left to receive his punishment, Nan Shiying said, rubbing her chin.
Ji Jinmo glanced at her. Xuan Thirteen, who had disappeared earlier, returned dusty and handed a portrait to Ji Jinmo. "Sir, we've inquired. This is a likeness drawn based on the human trafficker's verbal description."
Nan Shiying: "..."
So, this gentleman had thought of it before her again?
Nan Shiying's heart suddenly felt a sense of defeat and competitive spirit. However, such emotions came and went quickly. After all, the greatest benefit of living longer was the ability to control one's emotions and maintain rationality at all times.
"Good. Disseminate the portrait. I want all information about this man."
"Yes!"
As Thirteen turned, he deliberately glanced at Nan Shiying.
He always felt that the way the Master and the Princess interacted was like dragons and phoenixes vying, a mix of love and mutual destruction.
Did the Master win this round?
Thirteen then quietly glanced at the Master again.
Seeing the unconcealed smile in the Master's eyes, Thirteen felt that the Princess had won after all.
...
The envoy from Dali suffered from diarrhea all day.
Bao Lan, leaning against the wall, felt somewhat depleted. Her small face was pale, and her eyes churned with furious emotion. She cursed furiously, "What kind of damned Lin Yuan Kingdom is this? Did you use spoiled food? You wretched scoundrels! Fortunately, my princess had a poor appetite today and didn't eat much. If you had harmed my princess's royal health, you would await the wrath of Dali!"
Listening to the curses of the Dali princess's maid, the people of Lin Yuan kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts, none of them responding. After all, most of them knew that the Dali envoy suffering this ordeal was merely the result of Young Master Wei's twisted sense of humor.
"Bao Lan, stop it. Do not speak without restraint!"
A reprimanding voice suddenly arose. Bao Lan pouted aggrievedly but obediently ceased her scolding.
"This maid of mine has been spoiled by me and is used to speaking carelessly. I hope everyone will pardon her."
The Dali princess's voice emanated from the house. Upon hearing it, everyone repeatedly said they dared not. Who knew if this Dali princess was truly apologetic or suppressing her anger? After all, she was a princess of a nation who had come to Lin Yuan for a political marriage, only to be disdained and have the Dali envoy suffer such a plight today. If she were a bit more willful, she would likely have caused chaos long ago. Yet, now, not a hint of her emotions could be discerned, making people unwilling to underestimate her.