The mere thought of what happened last night sent a shiver of dread down An Xun's spine.
His head was still somewhat dizzy from being hung upside down all night.
An Xun furrowed his brow, trying to use his internal energy to snap the ropes binding him.
But...
Wait! Where was his internal energy?!
An Xun suddenly realized that he had absolutely no internal energy left within him.
With no time to ponder, An Xun glanced at the surroundings and the branch he was hanging from. He began to sway from side to side, causing the entire tree to tremble.
Soon, a cracking sound reached An Xun's ears.
Before long, the branch snapped under An Xun's efforts.
An Xun's bound hands fumbled behind his back, finding a dagger. He quickly cut himself free.
An Xun frowned, realizing he was now dozens of miles outside the capital.
A sense of unease washed over him, and An Xun hurried towards the city.
His master must be in trouble!
Qin Zhanhan was indeed in trouble.
He had barely managed to climb out of the pile of rubble when he looked up and found a crowd of onlookers standing before him, pointing and gawking.
Qin Zhanhan's eyes turned cold; he felt an urge to kill everyone present.
While the crowd continued to point and whisper, Qin Zhanhan quickly threw on his clothes, used his Qinggong to leap onto a rooftop, and vanished from sight after a few bounds.
Fortunately, his face was covered in dust, otherwise, someone would have recognized him by now.
Returning to the imperial palace in a disheveled state, Qin Zhanhan's face was contorted with rage. After changing his clothes, he spoke to the empty air in a cold tone, "Where is An Xun?"
A person in black suddenly emerged from a corner and knelt before Qin Zhanhan. With his head bowed and hands clasped in a fist, he respectfully replied, "Master, ever since An Xun went out with you yesterday, he has not yet returned."
Hearing this, Qin Zhanhan angrily flicked his sleeve, knocking an inkstone off the table. "Useless!"
As if struck by another thought, Qin Zhanhan's gaze darkened, and his tone turned icy, "Has Prince Yu gone to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager?"
"Replying to Master, not yet. It seems the Empress Dowager sent word to Prince Yu's residence, stating that it would be fine for Prince Yu and the Princess Consort to pay their respects this afternoon."
Upon hearing the words "Princess Consort," Qin Zhanhan involuntarily recalled the events of the previous night. His mood soured instantly, and he slammed his fist onto the table, his movement pulling at an old wound.
Qin Zhanhan: "... Damn it! This must be Qin Yu's doing! After all, this happened at his residence. I must kill that bastard Qin Yu!!"
Qin Zhanhan's gaze was heavy. He wanted to send his hidden guards to find the men who had done that to him yesterday and eliminate them all, but the words were difficult to utter. In the end, he could only order his guards to keep an eye on Prince Yu's residence and look for any suspicious individuals.
The hidden guards acknowledged the order and left.
Qin Zhanhan would likely never find the men who had done that to him last night. Because after they finished, they had zipped up their pants and fled the capital. Ming Li had also given them some silver, and they had promptly gone to a neighboring country.
Inside Prince Yu's residence.
The moment Qin Yu opened his eyes, a flicker of wariness flashed through his gaze.
He raised a hand to rub his somewhat sore neck, and Qin Yu felt an urge to kill Lan Yi.
Utterly audacious! To dare to knock him unconscious!