The night was deep and dark, the tall village trees lining the streets casting dappled shadows onto the road. Fallen leaves drifted down, scattering across the ground.
Suddenly, dark clouds descended from the sky, pressing down and surging forward. Everyone looked up to see assassins clad in black, leaping from all directions. They obscured the cold, alluring moonlight, and a heavy killing intent permeated the surroundings. In an instant, they landed around the imperial carriage, encircling a group of people.
Ri Ying and Yue Ying, along with more than a dozen guards, stepped back. They leaped from their horses, shoulder to shoulder, protecting the Emperor.
"Who are you?" Ri Ying asked coldly.
The leader of the black-clad figures let out a brazen, piercing laugh. When he had laughed enough, he abruptly stopped and slowly lifted his head.
He had silver-blue eyes, and the wind stirred his long hair, making it a silver screen that enveloped him. His face was ethereally beautiful, incredibly alluring, yet his blue pupils churned with relentless malice, tinged with a cruel, bloody intensity.
"Hua Wu You, you demon, you actually came to the capital," Ri Ying recognized the leader, his eyes darkening. It seemed they had encountered a formidable opponent tonight, and they needed to be extremely cautious.
Ri Ying's words reached the carriage. Liu Liu secretly marveled, never expecting Hua Wu You to also want to kill the Emperor. Just how many people had Feng Xie offended?
No, it must be that during the transition from the old dynasty to the new, many innocent people were unjustly killed, leading to such karmic retribution. They repeatedly tried to kill him, with one group replaced by another.
Liu Liu secretly glanced at Feng Xie. She saw his phoenix-like eyebrows slightly raised, his expression completely devoid of emotion. The name Hua Wu You clearly did not affect him. He slightly lowered his eyes, a hint of coldness, a suppressed killing intent, appearing at the corner of his lips.
Liu Liu lifted the curtain and looked out. Under the moonlight, silver chains danced. The man who was so extravagant and arrogant was none other than Hua Wu You.
He was too outrageous, killing people in broad daylight in the capital, right under the Emperor's nose, and so defiantly. She suspected Feng Xie would not let him off.
However, Liu Liu had witnessed Hua Wu You's martial prowess before. It was impossible for anyone outside to subdue him.
Liu Liu secretly wondered about Feng Xie's martial skills. As she looked up, Feng Xie's handsome face was almost touching hers. His warm breath carried a fragrance as he spoke menacingly.
"Are you doubting my capability?"
Liu Liu blinked, tilting her head back, and bumped against the carriage wall with a thud. Her face turned unsightly as she glared at him.
"What are you doing? Sit properly and focus on dealing with the assassins outside."
Feng Xie seemed unfazed by the provocative assassins outside, yet he could become enraged by Liu Liu's suspicion. The long lashes on his handsome face flickered slightly, and a sinister smile flashed at the corner of his lips.
He would let her know whether he could defeat the man named Hua Wu You. He suddenly retreated and sat back on the soft couch.
Liu Liu's expression was increasingly gloomy. Her dark eyes, illuminated by the night-shining pearls, shone brilliantly like top-grade jade, yet they carried a chilling aura. Her lips curved into a cold smile.
That arrogant and conceited fellow. Hua Wu You was definitely not a person of no ability. There were probably only a handful of people in the world who could defeat him.
The sounds of fighting drifted in from outside. The light of the silver chains flashed waves of silver light in the night, reflecting on the carriage curtains. Hasty cries of alarm occasionally reached them.
Feng Xie remained still, his profound eyes fixed on Liu Liu's lips. Twice he had kissed her, and she had not vomited. He never expected to feel something for such an ugly woman, when he was repulsed by beauties like Jin Jia Li and Lou Si Jing.
Moreover, just looking at her lips, he could imagine their softness and beauty. The atmosphere inside the carriage became thick due to Feng Xie's heated gaze. Liu Liu felt uneasy, swallowing hard. She didn't understand much about matters between men and women.
She was both shy and angry at the man's scorching gaze, but the man before her was the current Emperor. No matter how annoyed she was, she could do nothing.
As Liu Liu was in a daze, the faint cries of Ri Ying and Yue Ying reached her. Although very subtle, they were still clear. It seemed both of them were injured.
Before Liu Liu could think further, Feng Xie flashed out like a sharp, swift sword, forming a powerful vortex of light.
Liu Liu quickly lifted the heavy curtain. Under the moonlight, Feng Xie stood tall, his white robe fluttering, creating a stark contrast between black and white.
He moved rapidly within the light vortex. The black-clad figures who approached him, seeing him appear, did not dare to delay and swiftly attacked.
The vortex of light seemed to have elasticity. As a sword was thrust into it, there was no resistance. Feng Xie pulled his hands back, and the black-clad attacker was drawn into the light vortex. In an instant, his face turned pale, and he staggered back two steps, collapsing onto the ground, only able to gasp for breath.
My dear Liu Liu, I never expected Feng Xie's martial arts to be so profound. It seems he has truly reached a state of perfection. No wonder he fears nothing. The skill he is using now seems to be the rare Soul Absorbing Divine Art. It is said this art is unfathomable, capable of absorbing the opponent's inner strength for one's own use.
This would make his inner strength increasingly profound. Legend had it that this art disappeared three hundred years ago, so how could Feng Xie have mastered it? Liu Liu's heart relaxed.
Outside the carriage, Hua Wu You felt like he was facing a great enemy. Although he knew Feng Xie's martial arts were unfathomable, he did not expect him to possess the legendary Soul Absorbing Divine Art.
If he accidentally collided with his light vortex, he feared his inner strength would be completely lost. In the blink of an eye, the situation on the field had reversed.
More than half of the black-clad assassins were killed by the guards. The few remaining were somewhat panicked. Hua Wu You knew he wouldn't succeed in his assassination tonight.
But he couldn't return empty-handed. His eyes darted, and he met a pair of eyes within the carriage. He immediately flashed forward, reaching out and snatching Liu Liu away. His large hand choked her neck, and he coldly stared at Feng Xie.
"Retreat immediately, unless you don't want her life."
The moonlight was cold, but Liu Liu angrily looked up at Hua Wu You. Hua Wu You was looking up at Feng Xie, not at the woman in his hands. He knew how formidable an opponent he was facing now. It was his own recklessness, the price of underestimating his enemy. He had lost a large number of his subordinates and wasn't sure if he could retreat safely.
However, with the woman in his hands, he believed the dog Emperor Feng Xie wouldn't dare to act rashly.
But Hua Wu You forgot. Emperors have always been ruthless. A mere woman could hardly contend with his empire. Feng Xie's fierce gaze did not even blink, and a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Trading a great demon for a mere woman, it's only logical that I'm the one profiting. How about this, I'll act together with you!"
Although the cold night was chilling, it couldn't compare to the bone-chilling nature of this statement. Every drop of her blood turned cold. She hadn't expected this man to save her, but not to expect a marriage alliance.
Speaking it was one thing, and at least she was still his Empress, wasn't she? A bitter smile touched her lips. She felt so desolate. She hadn't expected anything anyway, so why be sad?
But she was truly sad. Why did her eyes seem to be tearing up? Didn't they say that if there's no love, one can't be hurt?
Liu Liu's somber eyes were colder and more desolate than the long night. When Feng Xie looked at them, his heart suddenly trembled, aching. Her gaze was so resolute, completely different from her previous softening. Had he pushed her further away?
But he hadn't said anything wrong, had he? If he had to choose now, he would undoubtedly choose his empire without hesitation. So why was his heart aching?