In the pitch-black ruins of a dilapidated temple,
a putrid scent permeated the surroundings.
Qian Le'er woke up, fumbling around her, only to touch sticky straw.
How did she end up here?
She suddenly remembered being rescued by two assassins, but halfway, for some unknown reason, they had knocked her unconscious.
And then, when she woke up again, she was here.
Why hadn't they taken her to see their master?
"Is anyone there?"
"Why have you placed me here? Didn't the master say she would help me win back the Prince's heart? I'm still awaiting the master's orders."
After she spoke, no one responded.
The silence around was terrifying.
Qian Le'er didn't think much of it at first, but now she was scared, "Where is everyone? Why did you abandon me here alone?"
Just then.
A noise suddenly came from outside the door.
Many people were approaching.
The sounds were chaotic.
"I heard there's a beauty here, and someone just slept with her! They say she's even prettier than the women in the brothels!"
"And she didn't even cost any silver!"
"She was sent here for free to be played with. We haven't begged for a few copper coins for food today, why not vent our frustration on this woman!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The door creaked open.
They held torches, and the dark, dilapidated temple was suddenly illuminated. Qian Le'er looked in astonishment at the group of beggars standing at the entrance.
Upon seeing Qian Le'er's beautiful face, the beggars greedily swallowed.
The sound of their swallowing was exceptionally loud.
Then, they walked towards Qian Le'er.
Qian Le'er, slow to react, suddenly snapped back to reality, "Don't come closer, don't come closer. Do you know who my master is?"
No one listened to her. The group of beggars pounced like hungry wolves.
Qian Le'er cried out, "My cousin, my cousin is a guard by the Night King's side. You are courting death!"
"Cousin, save me!"
"I was wrong!"
However, these cries and pleas were drowned out by other noises.
It lasted a long, long time.
A very, very long time.
When dawn broke,
the beggars, one by one, departed.
Qian Le'er stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then, a thought struck her. She had to find her cousin and get revenge...
She wanted revenge...
However.
Just as she stumbled towards the door,
two assassins in black clothes blocked her path.
Qian Le'er suddenly understood, her pale face lost all color. As if her soul had left her, she desperately questioned, "Why would you do this to me? I only made one mistake, and you destroyed me. Why, why? I can't understand."
"Mistakes must be punished. You will never leave this place. Those beggars will come every day until you die. Do you understand?" the assassin warned Qian Le'er bluntly.
Qian Le'er recoiled a step.
So, her cousin hadn't lied to her!
She was just a pawn. These people had used her, found her useless, and discarded her!
But instead of killing her, they chose to torment her in this manner!
They were too cruel!
With newfound clarity, Qian Le'er, ignoring the pain in her body, desperately tried to run out. But the two assassins, like an iron wall, blocked her!
Completely preventing her escape!
"Cousin, cousin, cousin, save me..."
Why?
Why hadn't she believed her cousin?
No, she didn't want to be trapped here, to be tormented by beggars every day!
The two assassins were somewhat puzzled. In the past, their master would simply kill those who failed to perform their duties. Why the change in method?
The smell in this dilapidated temple was truly awful.
...
The Imperial Palace.
Jiang Luoxi suddenly woke up.
She opened her eyes.
Reaching for her lower back, the silver needles had already been removed by Zuo Yan.
The needles hadn't changed color, and her pulse showed no issues. Zuo Yan had said not to worry too much.
However, Jiang Luoxi felt a disquieting unease, sensing something was wrong.
Last night, after returning to the palace, she was formulating a plan when she unexpectedly fell asleep!
This had never happened before.
She sat up.
Just as she was about to get out of bed,
she suddenly felt a momentary weakness in her legs, but she managed to stand up instantly.
She sat down and drank a few mouthfuls of cold tea, which significantly lessened her drowsiness.
"Now that Yun Shu and the Night King know these were my doing, they will surely seek revenge. I never imagined her planning so meticulously, only to have them uncover clues!"
Thinking back, it must have been because she had used a paralyzing technique on Old Master Qin that they became suspicious of her.
Coupled with Qian Le'er.
Useless for success, but capable of ruin. A country girl is indeed a waste!
She had ruined her plan!
As a result, her attempt to assassinate Old Master Qin not only failed to alienate Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu but also backfired!
The only man in this world she truly wanted to marry was likely beyond her reach. He must want to kill her now.
She couldn't just wait for death.
The Night King was terrifying.
The reason he hadn't stormed the palace today to kill her was likely because he still wanted to know her mastermind, and because she had left no evidence, they couldn't act directly against her. But given time, they would undoubtedly devise a foolproof plan.
She had to quickly find a way to cope!
Suddenly.
A flash of inspiration struck her.
Since she could no longer marry the Night King, why not take a risk?
She immediately instructed the palace attendants outside the door, "Prepare hot water for me. I wish to bathe, and afterward, accompany me to see the Emperor."
The palace attendants outside replied, "Yes."
...
The General's Estate.
Yun Shu was accompanying the three little ones in practicing calligraphy.
Occasionally, the sound of Yun Changfeng practicing swordplay could be heard from outside.
The three little ones dearly wished to go out and practice with their maternal grandfather, but their calligraphy was not yet finished.
So, they could only look pleadingly at Yun Shu.
Yun Shu, seeing their pathetic faces, relented, "Write five more good characters, and you can go out."
"Great!"
Five good characters could be written quickly. They had to finish as soon as possible!
They loved practicing swordplay with their maternal grandfather!
Because they had lost their paternal great-grandfather, they were now terrified of losing their maternal grandfather. They wanted to be with him whenever he had time.
Yun Shu looked at the three little ones before her, her gaze falling on Xiao Li.
Being able to hear others' thoughts and sounds from afar, for Xiao Li, it was uncertain whether it was a blessing or a curse. His mature demeanor at such a young age was likely due to this innate ability.
Sensing Yun Shu's gaze, Xiao Li smiled at her.
Yun Shu's heart softened.
Suddenly, a report came from the gatekeeper outside the door, "Miss! Someone has arrived from the palace, saying the Emperor is unwell and requests Miss to enter the palace immediately."
Upon hearing this, Yun Shu's eyes flickered.
Unwell?
The prescription she left behind during her last visit to the palace was sufficient to ensure Zhan Tianhong's health improved considerably. With daily medication and recuperation, his body should have no further issues. In the current situation, the imperial physicians at the palace could handle it.
Unlike before, Yun Shu was no longer as anxious to enter the palace, to see the young man who was compelled to bear the burden of the world.