Night fell, and Xing Yuan and the others began their move.
"Assassin!" someone suddenly shouted from the crowd. Although the hidden guards attacked indiscriminately to avoid suspicion, their main focus was on Feng Liyan.
As surrounding guards arrived, the hidden guards seized the opportunity, grabbed food from the table, and threw it towards Feng Liyan. Ensuring he was hit, they quickly retreated.
The guards glanced at their master and, after receiving a nod, pursued the shadowy assassins.
Their plan was to first use the hidden guards left by Feng Liyu to either eliminate or distract most of the guards around Feng Liyan, leaving only those he had personally trained. Then, they would deliberately stain Feng Liyan's clothes, forcing him to change.
They had considered poisoning him directly, but every prince had individuals skilled in pharmacology around them, giving them no opportunity. Thus, they settled for a plan that would create a convenient chance for assassination.
After the hidden guards departed, not only Feng Liyan but also some people standing beside him were affected, and they all headed to the back courtyard to change.
Feng Liyu, having anticipated this, was naturally unaffected. He immediately joined in placating the emotions of the various noble families, thus earning favor and making it seem as though he had no involvement in the matter.
Feng Liyan was not lacking in vigilance. Even though he felt the outcome might be coincidental, he did not let his guard down. Therefore, even when changing, he did not allow his personal hidden guards to stray too far.
As a prince, even in the face of unexpected events, Feng Lipan quickly made arrangements, stabilized the emotions of the noble ladies, and reinforced the manor's security.
"That scared me to death. Fortunately, we were far away!" Wen Xingyi said from a distance, her heart still pounding as she watched the scene. It was the first time she felt her close friend's habit of staying away from crowds was incredibly wise. If anything were to happen, at least they would be safe!
Bai Qingyue nodded perfunctorily, but a hint of contemplation flickered in her eyes. Observing their actions, it seemed they were targeting the Second Prince. But why retreat so quickly after one strike? She shrugged it off. Whether the Second Prince lived or died had little bearing on her, and she saw no need to dwell on it.
Xing Yuan, confirming Feng Liyan had entered the room, began her operation. Her hands moved swiftly, using hidden weapons to eliminate the visible hidden guards. Fortunately, the location was somewhat secluded, and ordinary people wouldn't venture there, so no innocent bystanders were harmed.
Even though Xing Yuan deliberately moved quietly, the sound of someone falling from the rooftop still attracted attention.
Seeing the assassin dressed in black, everyone drew their weapons and surrounded Xing Yuan. Unfazed, Xing Yuan calmly returned her hidden weapons to their place and drew the sword from her waist.
As the sharp sword light flashed, Xing Yuan cut a bloody path through the crowd in a few swift movements. Her actions were precise; the necks of the hidden guards before her bore only a thin red line, with no other wounds.
The other hidden guards, witnessing this, looked at her with apprehension. Xing Yuan ignored their fear. Her time was limited, and she could not afford to delay. Thus, she directly broke into the room and charged towards Feng Liyan.
Hearing the commotion, Feng Liyan had already drawn his sword. However, seeing that his hidden guards had only managed to hold her off for such a short time, he was filled with frustration. Why did they all falter at such a crucial moment?
Feng Liyan's attack was a surprise. According to normal logic, one would assume that even if Feng Liyan knew martial arts, his skill would not be high. The original host had been tricked in a similar manner, injured by a surprise attack, and fighting alone, she naturally had no chance of success.
Xing Yuan was prepared. The moment Feng Liyan's sword lunged, she turned and dodged.
Her gaze, a mixture of amusement and coldness, fixed on him. Her voice, hoarse, said, "I never expected the legendary elegant Second Prince to be so lacking in grace, resorting to such petty tactics."
Feng Liyan let out a cold sneer. If he were to concern himself with grace now, he would be celebrating his memorial service next year. However, he hadn't expected his surprise attack to fail. But as long as he could keep this person here forever, who would know what he had done?
The next moment, Feng Liyan resumed his attack. Their weapons clashed, and the room's contents exploded.
The more they fought, the more grave Feng Liyan's expression became. He had intended to kill her on the spot, but he hadn't anticipated her martial arts to be so extraordinarily high. It seemed he could only stall for time and wait for reinforcements.
"Who sent you?"
Feng Liyan's movements suddenly shifted from offense to defense, a change Xing Yuan, engaged in combat with him, felt most acutely. She quickly understood his intention.
Xing Yuan's voice dripped with mockery as she said coldly, "Naturally, I was sent by someone who wants you dead! Your Highness, the Second Prince, don't you know how many enemies you've made?"
Xing Yuan's offensive tempo quickened. Her reputation as the "Peerless Sword" in the martial world was not only due to her excellent swordsmanship but also because anyone who drew a sword against her met a miserable fate.
As Xing Yuan's sword speed increased, Feng Liyan's previously relaxed expression grew serious. He defended with all his might, but inevitably, several sword marks appeared on his body.
Feng Liyan glared at the person before him with a sinister expression, vowing inwardly that if he captured this person, he would flay them alive!
Seizing the moment when Feng Liyan was fully focused on defense, Xing Yuan suddenly took two steps back. Before Feng Liyan could react, she knocked his sword from his hand, forced a black pill into his mouth, and used her internal energy to make him swallow it.
Feng Liyan froze and immediately retched. Though he didn't know what he had ingested, given that he was being attacked by someone who wanted him dead, the most likely substance was poison.
At this point, the hidden guards, who had been unable to intervene, finally reacted. They quickly stepped forward to protect their master, their faces grave as they looked at Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan watched their actions with cold eyes. Now that Feng Liyan had consumed the "Bone-Eroding Pill" she had painstakingly acquired, he was doomed to die once the medicine took effect.
"Are you all dead? What are you waiting for? Kill her for this prince!" Feng Liyan, unable to spit out the pill, shouted in exasperation at the stunned hidden guards.
The hidden guards, facing death without fear, charged at Xing Yuan with their weapons. Xing Yuan, in a good mood, didn't mind playing with them like mice, killing them one by one, while patiently waiting for the medicine to take effect on Feng Liyan.
Although the martial world rumored that the Bone-Eroding Pill had no antidote, she was unwilling to gamble even on a one-in-a-million chance. By the time Xing Yuan had killed all the surrounding hidden guards, Feng Liyan was already howling in agony, writhing on the ground.
Xing Yuan observed Feng Liyan's pained expression up close, and the resentment of the original host finally dissipated. Although she hadn't asked Xing Yuan to avenge her, having been so cruelly deceived and ultimately meeting a tragic end, how could she harbor no lingering resentment?