After finishing, she drew the soft sword from her waist and attacked swiftly.
The others followed suit, and more than a dozen gleaming swords were all aimed at Ximen Yao.
Yun Xiao, having heard the words of the man in black, frowned and pondered, "Ximen Yao, who is this person? Why does the Emperor value him so highly?"
Just as she was lost in thought, Ximen Yao swung his long sleeves, creating fierce winds and exuding powerful dominance. Yun Xiao was swept aside by the gust, landing steadily outside the circle.
Ximen Yao let out a wild laugh, full of arrogance. He flicked his jade flute and met the attack. More than a dozen men surrounded him, attacking from above, middle, and below in a dense net of energy.
Alas, this man was like the lord of specters. The night wind stirred his dark hair, making it fly like blooming cherry blossoms. His handsome face bore a chilling, resolute coldness, as if struck by frost, inspiring fear before delivering a killing blow.
His long flute swept outwards, unleashing a force like mountains collapsing. The more than ten men in black were struck by the surging wave of energy and forced back three steps, panting heavily. They then looked at the man in the center.
His brows were raised, his eyes held a cold sneer, and his lips curled with a bloodthirsty malevolence as he stared at them coldly.
The dozen men in black retreated another step in fear, their gazes involuntarily shifting to the woman behind Ximen Yao. Just now, Ximen Yao had first used his sleeves to sweep her aside and send her out of the circle. Did this indicate that this woman was a person of great importance to him?
As the thought arose, several of the leading men in black turned their bodies, and their swords lunged towards Yun Xiao.
Yun Xiao had been contemplating whether to make a move against Ximen Yao, as her intuition told her that Ximen Yao would surely be detrimental to the Yun Wang Manor.
Unexpectedly, she had become the target of the men in black, and anger flared within her. Her pupils rolled, and she stepped back three paces. With a flick of her hand, a gleaming silver weapon spun out.
In the cold night, it was like a blooming snow lotus, icy and piercing. The snow lotus merged with one's soul, spinning rapidly. It flew past the faces of several men in black, and wherever the silver blade passed, nothing survived.
The clothes of several men in black turned into fragments, and their arms were slashed by the blade's energy, blood seeping out. They felt no pain, but soon a dizzying sensation overwhelmed them.
One of them exclaimed, "Boss, the blade is poisoned."
Yun Xiao smiled sweetly, retracted her hand, and the blade spun back into her sleeve. With her arms crossed, she looked like an innocent and naive young girl watching a show, her large, limpid eyes blinking, her face devoid of any harm.
But the more she acted this way, the more it sent a chill down their spines. This was the true realm of killing without batting an eye.
Unexpectedly, they had suffered such a great loss tonight. The leader waved his hand, covering his bleeding, darkened arm, and forced himself to retreat. xxs壹贰
Even if they died, they could not die within the imperial palace, lest their master's whereabouts be revealed.
"Withdraw."
The dozen men in black, the uninjured ones skillfully supporting the injured, retreated in a flash. These men's martial arts were usually excellent, but they had suffered such a significant, unexpected defeat tonight, entirely because they had encountered opponents too formidable.
Seeing that the assassins had left and she had lost her advantageous opportunity, and given that Ximen Yao seemed to be an upright person who did not add insult to injury, Yun Xiao sighed.
Just moments ago, he had even helped her. Therefore, she had no reason to turn hostile immediately. Moreover, even if she did, she might not be able to defeat him.
Yun Xiao sighed, retreated, turned her body, and walked back along the route she had come.
Behind her, Ximen Yao stood quietly in the shimmering light, his gaze distant and long, still carrying a trace of unrestrained amusement. He gazed into the gradually receding figure.
"Is this the rumored fool? Truly surprising."
He chuckled twice in the darkness, the ripples of light playing mysteriously.
Yun Xiao was not entirely familiar with the route from Qingfeng Pavilion to Jinhua Palace, but she knew the general direction. Following her memory, she fumbled her way back. However, she had a natural sense of being directionally challenged, so a short distance took her a considerable amount of time before she finally returned to Jinhua Palace.
Stepping in and out of the palace, to avoid alerting the people within, she took a detour through the side gate at the back. To her surprise, she saw Wanwan, cupping her hands to warm them, guarding there. A warm current surged through her heart.
In this palace, she was not alone; she had Wanwan, who was like a sister to her, waiting for her to adorn her in fine clothes. Thinking this, her feet seemed to generate boundless strength as she walked towards her.
"Wanwan, why are you here?"
Wanwan stepped forward and took her hand. The moment she touched the chill on her fingertips, she couldn't help but draw her hand over and blow on it twice, softly complaining, "My Lady, why are you only returning now in the cold winter night? The sky is almost breaking. Are you frozen?"
As she spoke, she pulled her inside. With a clang, the back door was locked, and the two of them cautiously entered the side chamber, proceeding through the corridor to the inner chamber, a room filled with warmth.
Wanwan had lit a brazier in the inner chamber, making it as warm as spring.
Yun Xiao finally felt a sense of peace. She was safe now. Turning, she hugged Wanwan and said gratefully, "Wanwan, thank you. It's so good to have you."
"It's good that you know," Wanwan smiled and hugged her mistress. "However, someone informed me and told me to guard the side door at the back and wait for Your Ladyship."
"Who?"
Yun Xiao looked up in surprise. Who would know she was outside? Her mind immediately went to Murong Chong, the masked man. Could it be this fellow? She hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful, even instructing Wanwan to wait for her at the back.
"A fellow with a blank expression. He's probably one of Murong Chong's subordinates."
Wanwan recalled the person who had informed her. He was as cold as ice. It seemed like one had the kind of master one had a servant.
"Oh, that's thoughtful of him."
What kind of person was this man? He was as indifferent as the winter ice, always wearing a mask. She truly wanted to see what kind of astonishingly beautiful face he possessed. Just seeing the half of his face that was revealed was stunningly exquisite.
Furthermore, he wore white clothes every day, embroidered with various patterns, whether it was flowing water, half a lotus, or even gold thread outlining alluring peonies. Each detail highlighted his unique allure.
Yet, it was this person, as cold as ice, who had helped her time and again. Why did he intervene?
Yun Xiao would never believe she had the capital to captivate men. Her appearance was not enough to be a femme fatale. So, for what reason did he act?
After thinking left and right, she couldn't fathom the mystery. Murong Chong, what kind of predestined connection did they share?
Wanwan saw Yun Xiao staring blankly and quickly pulled her over to attend to her. While helping her wash, she chattered on and chided her.
"Mistress, hurry and wash and go to bed. What are you still thinking about? It's almost dawn, aren't you tired?"
After this last sentence, Yun Xiao couldn't help but yawn. Who said she wasn't tired? Her eyelids were almost sticking together, but because she had too many things on her mind, she didn't feel sleepy.