"I'm not interested in men," she said, preparing to leave.
But the man reached out again, as if unwilling to let her go. Liu Liu's plain face turned cold, and her two slender, clean hands formed into a powerful palm wind, striking the man in gray like lightning.
The man in gray quickly withdrew his hand to dodge. He hadn't expected the thin, frail youth before him to possess such profound internal energy. He dared not underestimate her now and dealt with her with all his might. The two of them fought from the tea house stairs all the way to the long corridor outside.
Liu Liu was getting truly annoyed. With a flick of her jade hand, the jade belt at her waist transformed into a sharp sword in her grasp. It turned out that the silver-gray sash was a treasure, the Silver Jade Sword.
This jade sword was unlike the Long Ling at Dai Mei's waist; it was incredibly sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. The sword body radiated a brilliant light, flashing a dazzling, strong glare in the sunlight, causing the man in gray to squint.
It was in that instant that Liu Liu thrust her sword forward. The man in gray leaped and jumped onto the railing of the long corridor. Liu Liu's jade foot followed through the air, sweeping the man in gray into the lake with one kick. With a loud splash, the man struggled in the lake, bobbing and sinking, yet still shouting at Liu Liu.
"Young master, my name is Zhan Yun. May I know your name?"
Liu Liu flicked her soft sword, then re-tied it around her slender waist, as if she hadn't heard Zhan Yun's words. She led Dai Mei away from the Wang Yue Tea House.
Zhan Yun leaped out of the center of the lake, his eyes flashing with a stormy intensity, turning cold and alluring. "As expected, you live up to your reputation. We will meet again, Qi Ye."
Liu Liu first entered a simple residence next door to the Prime Minister's mansion. She had bought this residence at a very cheap price and, by opening a small door in the back courtyard, could directly access the Ting Feng Tower in the Prime Minister's mansion.
No one knew about her courtyard, except for the few people close to her.
In the Ting Feng Tower, Cui'er saw Liu Liu and anxiously said, "Your Highness, you're back. The Emperor has sent the eunuch Xiao Wanzi to fetch you back to the palace."
"Fetch me back to the palace?" Liu Liu paused, her eyes flashing with a cold, sharp light.
What trick was Feng Xie trying to pull now? She absolutely did not believe he would kindly send someone to fetch her back to the palace. He had abandoned her in the Hua Qing Palace, never inquiring about her. Or perhaps it was all for show to her parents; how hypocritical he was.
"I know," Liu Liu said calmly as she removed her makeup, resuming her feminine appearance. The blood-colored birthmark was particularly enchanting in the bronze mirror.
Xiao Wanzi was overjoyed when he saw Liu Liu, smiling brightly. He bowed to Liu Liu and said, "Your servant greets Your Highness. Is Your Highness in good health? The Emperor is worried about Your Highness's well-being and has ordered this servant to escort Your Highness back to the palace."
Liu Liu smiled faintly, noncommittal, and looked at her parents in the main hall. She bowed three times: "Father, Mother, since the Emperor has sent someone to fetch Liu'er, Liu'er will return to the palace. I will visit you again another day."
Madam Liu gazed at her daughter reluctantly, smiling gently. "Go, your mother and father are fine. Don't worry about us. Go to the palace. It is rare for the Emperor to think of Liu'er." Madam Liu knew that the Emperor was likely just putting on a show, but she could only say this. Prime Minister Liu, standing beside her, nodded with a smile: "Go."
The steward of the Liu mansion led a group of servants to escort Liu Liu to the magnificent Bi Hai carriage outside the main gate. "We respectfully send Your Highness back to the palace."
Cui'er helped Liu Liu into the brocade carriage, which was extremely luxurious. Liu Liu reclined on the seat and closed her eyes to rest. Xiao Anzi and Cui'er sat on either side of her, while Xiao Wanzi and the eunuch driving the carriage sat in front. The carriage began to move, leaving the Prime Minister's mansion.
After the carriage departed, a handsome figure in white stood motionless before the gate, staring at the receding carriage with a look of deep sadness in his eyes.
The carriage slowly made its way toward the imperial palace. Liu Liu kept her eyes tightly shut, unmoving. Suddenly, a heavy airflow swept through the air, followed by a killing intent. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, clear and disdainful.
Who wanted to kill her?
Her body remained still as a large number of black-clothed figures surged from all directions. The merchants on the street, seeing this scene, were terrified and fled, dropping their goods. In the blink of an eye, only their carriage remained, stopping forlornly in the middle of the thoroughfare.
The sky remained as blue as ever, the clouds as white, and a faint fragrance drifted in the air. Suddenly, a whirlwind kicked up, flowers danced in the wind, and a flash of sword light streaked directly towards her carriage. She remained motionless, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Suddenly, the carriage swayed, and two shadows flashed. Xiao Wanzi and the eunuch driving the carriage sprang into the air, engaging in a fierce battle with the many black-clothed assailants.
It turned out that the driver was a palace guard, and Xiao Wanzi was a eunuch with considerable martial arts skills. The Emperor's grand gesture of fetching her was merely to push her into the path of danger, using her as a whetstone.
She couldn't help but smile, a smile as cool as water on an autumn night. She lifted the curtain and looked outside. On the street, there were about a dozen black-clothed figures. Who were they?
Were they descendants of the former court, or had they been sent by someone in the palace? Or was this all a charade staged by the Emperor himself? Her fair, small hands clutched the curtain, her fingertips showing the pale white of fish roe, chillingly cold.
Xiao Wanzi and the guard were skilled fighters, but they were clearly no match for those assailants. She believed they must have reinforcements. She looked up at the sky; although the sun was in the sky, it felt so cold to her.
She slowly lowered the curtain and heard Xiao Wanzi cry out. The guards hidden in the shadows shouted and charged out. The dozen black-clothed figures immediately panicked. Panic invariably led to chaos.
Soon, the area outside the carriage became quiet. A strong smell of blood filled the air. Xiao Wanzi walked to the front of the carriage and said with a bow,
"Your servants deserve to die. Your Highness has been frightened."
Xiao Wanzi bowed in surprise. At such a moment, any other woman would have panicked long ago, but Your Highness had not made a sound from beginning to end. Had Your Highness been so frightened that she had fainted? That was why he tested her with a call.
Liu Liu understood Xiao Wanzi's intention and smiled coldly as she whispered, "Let's return to the palace. I'm tired."
"Yes, Your Highness." Xiao Wanzi realized that Your Highness was not greatly harmed, but her voice was very cold, devoid of any warmth, making him feel a shiver.
After killing the black-clothed assailants, the carriage smoothly entered the imperial palace. Xiao Wanzi escorted Liu Liu and her attendants to the entrance of the Hua Qing Palace. He helped Your Highness alight. The beaded curtain swayed, and Your Highness walked down from the carriage as if nothing had happened.
If there was anything to say about it, it was that her complexion had become even colder, and her eyes showed no hint of light, as tranquil as a still, unremarkable lake.
"Your servant takes his leave," Xiao Wanzi said, bowing. Liu Liu seemed not to hear him and walked into the Hua Qing Palace without looking back. Xiao Wanzi gave a wry smile. How had he offended Your Highness? They had just saved her. He turned and led his men to report to the Emperor.
Liu Liu walked into the Hua Qing Palace without a word. Her face was a little cold. The palace maids and eunuchs in the Hua Qing Palace dared not speak, serving tea with light steps and then retreating to the side to await her command.
She sat silently on the high seat, dressed in a plain white brocade gown, the set prepared by Nangong Yue. She was waiting, waiting for that detestable man, Feng Xie.
He must be smugly coming to laugh at her misfortune, but she would likely disappoint him. She smiled, her cold, desolate expression making the vast palace feel chilling. Those serving her knew that Your Highness was in a very bad mood, so they had to serve her with caution.