"You... you want to kill this princess?" Qiu Ling'er's eyes were filled with terror.
"Only the dead can keep secrets."
"You... you can't do this! This princess is the most honored princess of Mount Demonic Mountain. My father dotes on me the most. Aren't you afraid that when my father finds out, he'll gouge out your heart and drink your blood!" Qiu Ling'er threatened the person before her.
"Heh!" The person let out a cold laugh. "You were killed by Gu Qianying and the others. What does it have to do with me!"
"You... how dare you?" Qiu Ling'er stared at the person in disbelief.
The person held a dagger and lunged at Qiu Ling'er. Qiu Ling'er's limbs were bound, rendering her immobile, but her neck and above could move. She twisted her body and shook her head.
"No... no! You can't kill me..."
"Ah!" The tip of the dagger pierced Qiu Ling'er's shoulder. With her struggling, it did not pierce her heart. Her scream alerted others.
Inside the room where Gu Qianying and the others were staying, all the candles were lit at that moment.
"Who!" Meng Yi, who had lost an arm, was the first to emerge. Meng Yi and Jiao Long A Mu were responsible for protecting Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo. The two took turns guarding on the rooftop. Tonight, it was Meng Yi's turn to be on duty. He had only dozed off for a moment while sleeping on the rooftop when he discovered a suspicious person had entered the courtyard. As he flew down from the rooftop, he flicked his sleeve and hurled the sword in his hand at the dark figure. The long sword sliced through the dark figure's shoulder. The person, unable to finish off Qiu Ling'er, clutched their shoulder and turned, disappearing into the darkness. Meng Yi landed swiftly and pursued, but he found that the person in black seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
When Gu Qianying, Du Chun, and the others came out, they only saw Meng Yi standing before Qiu Ling'er, seemingly checking her injuries. Qiu Ling'er had already fainted from fright. The wound on her shoulder from the dagger was bleeding. Meng Yi didn't bother to tend to it.
"What happened?" Gu Qianying and the others walked over.
"Someone wanted to kill her." Meng Yi picked up his sword from the ground and then pointed the tip at Qiu Ling'er, who hung her head, appearing lifeless to others.
At this moment, Jiao Long A Mu, alerted by the commotion, also came out. Gu Qianying glanced at him, and he nodded, stepping forward to check Qiu Ling'er's nose with his hand.
"Master, she fainted. She's not dead." A dagger fell from Qiu Ling'er's feet. A Mu picked it up and walked over, handing it to Gu Qianying. "Master, here's a dagger." Gu Qianying took the bloody dagger in her hand and narrowed her eyes. She scanned everyone present. Du Chun was here, Jiao Long A Mu and Meng Yi had appeared. Nangong Li was absent, as were Luo Laya Ta. Lu Zhu and A Zi were also not present. Old Man Guo and Old Man Wu could be ruled out as suspects. These two old men had only recently arrived, and they were not the one.
"A Mu, I heard that the Southern Barbarian Princess was unwell yesterday. Tonight, this Princess Consort is also free. Let's go and see her." With that, Gu Qianying walked towards the room where Nangong Li and Luo Laya Ta were staying. A Mu and Meng Yi followed closely behind. Du Chun felt puzzled but said nothing.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Nangong Li, lying on the bed, turned his head to look at the empty, still-warm quilt beside him. He stared blankly for a long time. Where had that woman, Luo Laya Ta, gone in the middle of the night? As he was lost in thought, the windowpane suddenly opened, and a dark figure flipped in. As Nangong Li turned his head, the dark figure lunged into his arms in a few steps. The mask beneath the black cloak fell off. Nangong Li saw the true face of the person in his arms. His pupils widened. "Po..." Before he could finish speaking, a faint voice whispered in his ear, "Help me!" The shock had not yet left Nangong Li's face. He raised his hand, and the edge of his palm was covered in fresh blood. His pupils contracted. It was then that he realized the person in his arms was injured. There was movement outside the door. The person in Nangong Li's arms climbed onto the bed. Nangong Li intended to say something, but before the words could be spoken, the moment the door was opened, he hardened his heart, wiped his bloody palm on the inner lining of his sleeve, concealing the traces of blood on his hand. He then lay down with the person who had already slipped into the quilt in an intimate pose.
When Gu Qianying and the others burst in, they saw a couple entwined in the quilt. Jiao Long A Mu, Du Chun, and Meng Yi immediately turned away. After a moment, they left. Gu Qianying, however, did not turn away, her gaze fixed coldly on the couple in the quilt. Luo Laya Ta hid in Nangong Li's arms, her shoulders bare. As Gu Qianying looked over, Nangong Li hurriedly pulled the quilt up, covering Luo Laya Ta's smooth, fair shoulders and her face.
"Ninth Imperial Aunt, what are you doing?" Nangong Li's face showed anger.
"I heard that the Southern Barbarian Princess was unwell yesterday. This Princess Consort has come to visit." Her words were distant, even calling Luo Laya Ta by her name directly. The person hiding in Nangong Li's arms stiffened, her head still hidden.
"She's fine now." Nangong Li did not detect the change in Gu Qianying's attitude. At this moment, he just wanted the "outsiders" to leave quickly. His mind was filled with the bloody wound on Luo Laya Ta's shoulder. Gu Qianying's face was cold as she took a step forward. Nangong Li half-rose, his voice filled with rage. "Ninth Imperial Aunt, you don't mean to watch this Prince and my wife in a passionate embrace, do you?"
"If you can, that's fine too." Gu Qianying's cold eyes narrowed, pressing forward step by step.
"Ninth Imperial Aunt, you...!" Nangong Li was choked with anger.
"Gu Qianying! I call you Ninth Imperial Aunt only because you have become the Ninth Imperial Uncle's Princess Consort. As for you personally, even if you possess profound evil arts and exceptional abilities, this Prince has never feared you." Nangong Li looked up at Gu Qianying, meeting her gaze with no trace of fear in his eyes.
"What? Ninth Imperial Aunt, are you planning to fight this Prince today?" Nangong Li, who was usually jovial and never serious, seemed to have transformed. Everyone present could see that Nangong Li was protecting Luo Laya Ta.
"The night is deep and the wind is cold. Cover yourself with another quilt. Otherwise, someone who is injured might catch a fever at night." Her gaze, which had been on the quilt with slight bloodstains, retracted. Gu Qianying turned and left. Du Chun, Meng Yi, and Jiao Long A Mu had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Gu Qianying walked past them.
"How is it? Is it her?" Du Chun followed, asking. Gu Qianying remained silent. If she didn't want to say, Du Chun wouldn't press further. However, just as they were about to return to their rooms, Gu Qianying suddenly turned around and looked at Du Chun. "If someone goes against you, what should you do?"
"What? What did you say?" Du Chun seemed not to have heard Gu Qianying clearly and looked confused.
"It's nothing." Gu Qianying didn't want to say more.
"You all go and rest." She entered her room and closed the door. Turning to Jiao Long A Mu, who was standing outside the door with his sword, she commanded, "Watch Qiu Ling'er. Don't let her die."
"Yes." A Mu responded and turned to find a physician. Qiu Ling'er would bleed to death if not treated promptly. He felt it was unnecessary for his master and Physician Du to treat a wicked woman, despite their excellent medical skills.
Returning to her room, Gu Qianying saw Old Man Guo keeping vigil by the bed. Old Man Wu was transmitting internal energy to Nangong Mo. Wisps of white smoke were rising from Old Man Wu's head. He had his hands placed on Nangong Mo's back. At this moment, Nangong Mo's black hair had turned white.
"Nangong Mo, he... what is this..."