Mr. Li only flinched slightly when she approached, dodging her attack.
Xue Zining did not know that Mr. Li’s martial arts had become so profound; she could not fathom his true abilities.
However, she was no pushover. After several rounds of exchanges, both sustained minor injuries.
Xue Zining panted, Mr. Li’s skill was beyond her expectations. She even felt that his martial arts were superior to hers.
This was because he could have easily struck vulnerable points on her, but he had effortlessly avoided them.
“Mr. Li, your showing mercy will not earn my gratitude. Today, it’s either you die or I die,” Xue Zining was determined as she lunged at Mr. Li, resolved to kill him.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from not far away. Xue Zining’s gaze turned cold. She knew that if she couldn’t kill Mr. Li now, she might never get another chance.
With that thought, she concentrated all her strength and attacked Mr. Li.
According to her calculations, Mr. Li would at most sustain a minor injury, but more likely, emerge unscathed.
As her sword was about to pierce his chest, he remained utterly still. Xue Zining was startled. Her gaze involuntarily fell upon his clear, cold eyes, as radiant as stars but tinged with a hint of sorrow. Her heart skipped a beat. “You…”
Suddenly, Mr. Li drew his hand, grasped her wrist, and with a forceful twist, the sword plunged into his chest, blood gushing out instantly.
Xue Zining was shocked. She immediately released the sword and stumbled back a few steps, staring at him in disbelief. Just then, the footsteps grew closer, and a person rushed forward, arriving before Mr. Li and asking in alarm, “Mr. Li, are you alright?”
“I am fine,” Mr. Li said, standing up with Sun Hao’s support.
Sun Hao had other guards help Mr. Li, then turned to face Xue Zining, his voice cold, “Ning An, how dare you attempt to assassinate Mr. Li? If not for Prince Jing’s order for me to protect Mr. Li, he would likely have already died by your sword. What do you have to say for yourself now?”
Xue Zining froze. She knew that anything she said now might be a mistake, and her original intention was indeed to kill Mr. Li.
However, she absolutely could not admit it. Song Jiang and Hei Yin were still waiting for her rescue. If she were captured too, who would save them?
Seeing Xue Zining remain silent, Sun Hao gloated. He had long wished to see this Ning An suffer, but the current turn of events had come too quickly for him to fully believe.
“Since you have nothing to say, then await your audience with the Prince and speak to him face-to-face!” Sun Hao declared, gesturing with his hand. Two guards immediately stepped forward to apprehend Xue Zining.
“Wait a moment.” Just as the guards were about to seize Xue Zining, Mr. Li suddenly spoke.
Sun Hao quickly turned back and said respectfully, “Mr. Li, do you have further instructions?”
“The one who attacked me was not Guard Ning.”
Sun Hao was taken aback. “Mr. Li, you…”
Mr. Li pushed away the guards supporting him. The bleeding from his chest wound had been staunched. He stood up, his tall, slender figure observed by Sun Hao as he looked towards the person behind him.
Hearing this, Xue Zining frowned. She looked at Mr. Li, truthfully not understanding the meaning behind his words. It was clearly her who had tried to kill Mr. Li.
“An assassin attempted to attack me just now. It was Guard Ning who saved me,” Mr. Li stated slowly.
“Mr. Li, Guard Ning clearly wounded you,” Sun Hao interjected.
Mr. Li cast a cold glance at Sun Hao and said, “Are you suggesting I am harboring a murderer?”
Though his voice was cold and indifferent, Sun Hao perceived a hint of threat within it.
While he desperately wanted to see Ning An brought to justice, he also did not wish to offend Mr. Li. After all, Mr. Li was a favored subordinate of Prince Jing. He was merely a guard and could not contend with Mr. Li.
Sun Hao quickly bowed and said, “Mr. Li, you flatter me. Your subordinate has no such intention.”
“In that case, why have you not apologized to Guard Ning?”
Apologize? Sun Hao was stunned. This was…
Mr. Li said coldly, “What? You wrongly accused Guard Ning and do not need to apologize?”
Upon hearing this, Sun Hao quickly offered his apologies. “Mr. Li, you are right. Your subordinate will go and apologize to Guard Ning immediately.”
Saying this, Sun Hao, though unwilling, had no other choice. He could not afford to offend Mr. Li.
Sun Hao approached Xue Zining and bowed. “It was my mistake, I mistook Guard Ning for an assassin. I beg Guard Ning not to take offense!”
“But what if I do take offense?” Xue Zining said, crossing her arms and looking at Sun Hao.
Sun Hao gave an awkward laugh, inwardly wishing he could run this person through with his sword.
“Guard Ning has been wronged. Sun Hao, you must apologize to Guard Ning properly,” Mr. Li said softly.
Xue Zining raised her eyes and glanced at Mr. Li. At this moment, Mr. Li was also looking at her. The fleeting glance in his eyes was as brilliant as stars, exceedingly handsome.
She was somewhat surprised, not having realized that this Mr. Li possessed such handsome eyes.
“Guard Ning, what can I do to appease you? Tell me, and I will comply,” Sun Hao said, gritting his teeth, word by word.
“Never mind. You did not do it intentionally. Be more careful next time!” Xue Zining replied.
Such a casual dismissal caused Sun Hao to pause slightly. He had expected Ning An to seize this opportunity to cause trouble, as he had been targeting him for quite some time. The fact that he was let off so easily left him in disbelief.
In truth, Xue Zining genuinely wished to torment Sun Hao, but remembering that they would have to work together in the future, she decided to leave herself some leeway.
“Thank you, Guard Ning,” Sun Hao said. However, Sun Hao harbored deep resentment. Such humiliation made him vow to remember it well.
If Xue Zining knew that her leniency would sow such deep hatred in Sun Hao, she would regret her current soft-heartedness.
“Sun Hao, escort Mr. Li back to rest,” Xue Zining instructed.
Although Sun Hao was reluctant, with Mr. Li present and Xue Zining holding a higher rank, he had no choice but to comply.
“Yes, Guard Ning, rest assured,” Sun Hao said through gritted teeth.
Sun Hao led his men away to escort Mr. Li. As Mr. Li passed by her, he suddenly said, “When faced with a myriad of changes, remain steadfast.”
She paused, looking at Mr. Li, but only saw his retreating back.
What did he mean by those words?
She had no time to ponder further and hurried in the direction where her Imperial Brother had met with trouble.
Upon arriving at the location quickly, she found Hua Yunjin safe and sound.
“I apologize for causing Yun Huang distress. It was my oversight,” Prince Jing said with a slight bow to Hua Yunjin.
“Prince Jing need not be so formal. After all, one cannot prepare for every single eventuality,” Hua Yunjin replied calmly.