“That’s not necessarily true,” Xue Zi Ning said coldly.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Feng smiled and said, "Old man, this is the first time I've encountered such a tough assassin."
After several exchanges, Xue Zi Ning realized that Mr. Feng's martial arts skills were no less than hers.
Mr. Feng was also greatly surprised. This female assassin possessed extraordinary skills, far exceeding his imagination.
Suddenly, there was a voice from outside the door, "Mr. Feng, the Prince summons you."
"I know," Mr. Feng shouted back.
Xue Zi Ning's attacks became even more ruthless. Mr. Feng repeatedly dodged, "Do you have a grudge against the Prince of Beijiang?"
"What business is it of yours?" Xue Zi Ning replied coldly.
Mr. Feng's gaze narrowed as he looked at the woman before him. A bold idea surfaced in his mind, "You... you are..."
Xue Zi Ning's eyes turned cold, and she sneered, "Being too smart isn't always a good thing."
Mr. Feng was greatly shocked. He never imagined that the Empress would dare to come to the Prince of Beijiang's mansion alone. Was she crazy? If he so much as cried out, she would have no escape from the Prince of Beijiang's estate.
"Empress Changjiu, don't you think you're being too clever for your own good? Did you not consider that you might meet your end here?" Mr. Feng asked coldly.
"What is there to fear in death? I am not afraid to die, but before I die, I will also kill you. With you by the Prince of Beijiang's side, the world will surely fall into chaos." With that, Xue Zi Ning launched a series of deadly attacks.
Mr. Feng retreated repeatedly, frantically searching for cover. He wondered why, after such a prolonged fight, no one had come to his aid.
"Guards, assassin..." Mr. Feng seized an opportunity and called out in a strained voice.
However, the outside remained silent, so silent it was terrifying.
Xue Zi Ning paused slightly. When she arrived, she hadn't exactly cleared out everyone outside.
Mr. Feng lunged towards the door, only to see scattered corpses lying in the courtyard, a shocking sight.
Xue Zi Ning, who followed closely behind, saw this and sneered, "Heaven wishes to destroy you."
Mr. Feng turned pale with fright and retreated rapidly. The courtyard he resided in was the furthest from the Prince's mansion, deliberately arranged by the Prince of Beijiang for his protection.
No one would have ever imagined that one day, someone would kill all the guards. In such a situation, he would be utterly helpless.
Mr. Feng felt like crying but had no tears. With no way to retreat and Xue Zi Ning relentlessly pursuing him, Xue Zi Ning sneered, "Mr. Feng, you have nowhere left to run."
Mr. Feng's eyes glinted coldly. "Empress, even if you kill me, you cannot change the Prince of Beijiang's ambition to seize the throne. Why don't you let me go? I can help you."
"I, Xue Zi Ning, have no need for a strategist who betrays his master." With that, she leaped forward and lunged at Mr. Feng.
Mr. Feng retreated repeatedly, but still couldn't dodge. He was struck by the silver whip and thrown heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Xue Zi Ning's eyes turned cold, and she said coldly, "Die!"
Mr. Feng was terrified. He rolled on the ground, pulled something from his sleeve, and threw it far away. The sound of crackling could be heard. Xue Zi Ning sensed something was wrong; it must be a signal.
Soon, footsteps could be heard from outside, growing closer. With them so near, and unable to kill him personally, Xue Zi Ning felt a pang of regret. She should have killed him directly earlier.
Now, it was too late to kill him.
As people rushed in, Xue Zi Ning leaped onto the wall and said coldly, "Mr. Feng, until we meet again!"
Hearing this, Mr. Feng was almost furious. He had no desire to meet her again; he preferred never to see her again.
The Prince of Beijiang arrived in a hurry with his men. Seeing the bloodstain on Mr. Feng's lips, he was greatly surprised. "Mr. Feng, you..."
"The Empress was here and wanted to kill me," Mr. Feng said.
The Prince of Beijiang frowned and said coldly, "Xue Zi Ning is truly fearless, daring to attack within my mansion. Is Mr. Feng injured?"
"No serious injuries, but I likely won't recover anytime soon," Mr. Feng said.
"This is all my negligence. I thought placing Mr. Feng in a more secluded location would be better for his protection. Now it seems this idea was entirely wrong, and almost led to Mr. Feng's demise. Please, Mr. Feng, do not blame me."
"Your Highness is being too considerate. I know of your good intentions. The Empress's appearance here is somewhat peculiar. I don't believe it could be this simple."
The Prince of Beijiang nodded. "Rest assured, Mr. Feng. I will definitely dispatch more guards to ensure that what happened today does not occur again."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I will go and rest now," Mr. Feng said before walking towards his room.
The Prince of Beijiang watched Mr. Feng's retreating figure, his gaze turning cold.
He then turned to the guards and said coldly, "From now on, increase the number of patrols and ensure Mr. Feng's safety without interruption."
"Yes, Your Highness," the guards replied.
The Prince of Beijiang's expression turned grim. Allowing Mr. Feng to sustain internal injuries within the mansion would be a complete loss of face for him as the Prince of Beijiang.
However, Xue Zi Ning was indeed formidable, managing to find Mr. Feng's residence, which was beyond his expectations.
Xue Zi Ning emerged from the Prince of Beijiang's mansion and returned to Shen Yun Xiu's residence. Seeing her, Shen Yun Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty, you've finally returned."
After receiving the Empress's message, he had been incredibly anxious. For her to go to the Prince of Beijiang's mansion alone, no matter how skilled the Empress was, she couldn't possibly contend against so many of the Prince's guards.
Moreover, after that incident, the Prince of Beijiang had sealed off his mansion so tightly that not even a fly could easily get in.
Therefore, he had genuinely been worried for the Empress.
Fortunately, the Empress had returned.
"You followed me to the Prince of Beijiang's mansion?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Shen Yun Xiu paused, looking somewhat confused. "Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"
Xue Zi Ning frowned. "I went to assassinate Mr. Feng. He was protected by many guards sent by the Prince of Beijiang. While I was fighting Mr. Feng, those guards were already dealt with. I thought it was you..."
After all, she had only informed Shen Yun Xiu about her trip to the Prince of Beijiang's mansion.
Shen Yun Xiu smiled wryly upon hearing this. "Your Majesty, while I did want to go, I was afraid I might disrupt your plans and delayed my actions."
Xue Zi Ning was surprised. If it wasn't Shen Yun Xiu, then who had secretly helped her?
"Your Majesty, have you figured out who helped you?" Shen Yun Xiu asked.
Xue Zi Ning shook her head. "I can't think of anyone."
Shen Yun Xiu fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "Your Majesty, I might know who helped you."
"Who?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Shen Yun Xiu looked at her and said slowly, "If I had to say who could enter the Prince of Beijiang's mansion without a sound, I believe it would be none other than Young Master Yan."
Xue Zi Ning was taken aback. "You mean him?"
Shen Yun Xiu nodded. "Yes."
Xue Zi Ning frowned. In fact, for a moment, she had also thought of Yan Jin Chao. But would he really help her?