The black-clad man's movements faltered at the unexpected turn of events, granting Feng Yinwan a chance to evade.
She had thrown the needle while he was caught off guard, and Feng Yinwan had precisely calculated its force. Even if he was skilled, escape would be difficult.
"Master!"
The black-clad man rushed over in a panic, but the needle was already closer to the man's forehead. The man was forced back several meters, retreating rapidly with his Qinggong.
Feng Yinwan smirked and was about to leave when a sharp sound suddenly reached her ears.
In the next instant, the silver needle grazed her cheek, embedding itself firmly in a tree.
Feng Yinwan's heart tightened, and she immediately stopped.
This was bad.
"You have some brains to dare sneak attack me."
The man appeared like a ghost, instantly standing before her. His long, narrow eyes regarded her with a half-smile, his voice deliberately lowered, deep and almost dangerously so.
"I'm quite curious, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"
His gaze was like that of a predator observing its prey.
Feng Yinwan's pretty face turned cold, and she uncomfortably averted her gaze. "I am the legitimate daughter of the General Who Guards the Nation, and the Crown Prince's appointed consort, Princess Mo."
"My husband, Ye Tinglan, is a renowned God of War in the court. If you dare to touch me, you will face dire consequences."
Ye Tinglan's name carried more weight than the General's mansion, so she hadn't hesitated to use it!
To her surprise, the man let out a disdainful snort, completely unfazed.
"Since you are Ye Tinglan's consort, naturally, I cannot let you go."
As he spoke, his eyes suddenly turned ferocious, and he unleashed a palm strike.
Feng Yinwan yelped and stumbled backward, only to be knocked to the ground by the palm wind. She instantly regretted her words.
Damn it, could this person be Ye Tinglan's enemy?
What terrible luck, I shouldn't have mentioned him!
The man pressed forward relentlessly. His path backward was blocked by the tree trunk and the black-clad men. Feng Yinwan gritted her teeth, but the palm wind from the man lifted her into the air, her neck instantly seized.
The man's hands were as hard as iron. With a slight squeeze, she would snap.
"To kill me, you sent so many people. You've truly gone to great lengths!"
"Kill you?"
The man chuckled enigmatically, offering no denial.
Feng Yinwan frowned, subtly reaching for the sleeping powder in her sleeve. But as soon as her fingers brushed the edge of the paper packet, the pressure on her neck tightened, forcing her to abandon the attempt.
"Who sent you?"
"You talk too much."
With that, a palm wind struck. Just as Feng Yinwan was about to close her eyes, a gust of wind whistled past her ear.
The man's wrist was violently kicked away before he could react. In a flash, Feng Yinwan felt a dizzying spin, and then a pair of warm, strong hands firmly clasped her waist.
At this moment, Ye Tinglan stood there, his long sword in hand, his dark hair gently flowing, clad in a black robe, appearing like a divine being descended from the heavens.
"Your Highness?"
Feng Yinwan steadied herself, truly surprised.
Why did he chase after her? Did he see the note she left?
Ye Tinglan heard her and his dark eyes flickered, casting a chilling glance at her.
Feng Yinwan was certain that his gaze was saying, "We'll settle this later!"
As if taken aback by Ye Tinglan's personal appearance, the man stopped, his eyes instantly turning ferociously sharp.
Ye Tinglan swung his long sword, pointing directly at the man.
"Who are you?"
Before the words were out, a black-clad figure launched a sneak attack from behind. Ye Tinglan's brow twitched, and his returning sword precisely blocked the blade.
Feng Yinwan's eyelids involuntarily twitched.
Damn, does this guy have eyes in the back of his head?
In that moment of distraction, a palm wind suddenly swept towards her. Feng Yinwan's heart tightened, and just as she was about to warn him, the large hand at her waist was withdrawn.
In an instant, they exchanged a palm strike. The powerful palm wind exploded, sending her flying back several meters and knocking out the attacking black-clad figure.
Could this be... gods fighting?
Feng Yinwan licked her lips, watching the two men locked in combat in the distance, then scrambled to her feet and decisively fled.
She had a premonition that falling into Ye Tinglan's hands would also lead to a bad end!
After a few exchanges, Ye Tinglan's brow furrowed, and a hint of bloodthirsty killing intent filled his eyes.
Just as he was about to make another move, a low whinnying sound came from the distance. He looked up to see a slender figure sneakily climbing onto his horse, clamping her knees against its flank, and galloping away without looking back.
Ye Tinglan's handsome face darkened, instantly erupting in fury.
Damn it, this woman, how dare she!
The man opposite him clearly noticed, and he coldly taunted, "It seems your consort has abandoned you."
Ye Tinglan's narrow eyes narrowed, exuding danger. "Why don't you think about how many of my moves you can withstand?"
With that, he landed another heavy palm strike in front of the man, whose expression changed, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.
"You are indeed strong."
Knowing he was outmatched, he quickly retracted his palm. Simultaneously, a hidden weapon shot out from his fingertips. Ye Tinglan waved his hand and caught it. When he looked up again, the man had already vanished.
His gaze swept over the hidden weapon, and Ye Tinglan's eyes darkened, his expression growing even colder.
"Wuxi Ge."
Feng Yinwan urged her horse forward, completely unaware of where she was heading, not daring to look back at the situation behind her.
When she reached a fork in the road, she decisively chose to turn right. However, after only a few steps, she was forced to stop.
This wasn't a road, it was a cliff!
Dejectedly, she retreated, only to see a tall, slender figure standing erect in the middle of the path. His long sword gleamed with a chilling white light under the moonlight, making him particularly conspicuous!
Feng Yinwan's eyelids twitched. Before she could stop, her horse stumbled and fell from a sword qi.
"Ai..."
With a jolt, she was thrown unceremoniously from the horse, landing on her knees. Precisely, she knelt right before Ye Tinglan's eyes.
If there were any cracks in the ground, Feng Yinwan wouldn't have minded disappearing into one.
"Your... Your Highness."
She forced herself to lift her head, her smile looking even worse than a cry.
"Seeing me, are you disappointed?"
Ye Tinglan twirled his long sword, its chilling white light now reflecting on her face.
Feng Yinwan shivered. In her kneeling posture, she might as well... kowtow!
Realizing what she had done, she froze. Before she could stand, she saw Ye Tinglan coldly curl his lips.
"It's not yet the New Year, and yet the consort performs such a grand ceremony. Have your legs gone weak from riding the horse just now?"
His tone was icy and sinister, sending shivers down Feng Yinwan's spine.
Having witnessed his earlier brutal beating of the black-clad men, Feng Yinwan immediately plastered on a fawning smile. "Your Highness misunderstands. This concubine is merely thanking you for your great kindness and for saving my life!"
She didn't know what being spineless was, but she called this "flexibility"!
Ye Tinglan cast her a chilling glance. "Is that so? The consort just now used my name to bluff and deceive. You didn't show any restraint at all."
Feng Yinwan froze.
Realizing he was referring to her using his name to intimidate the black-clad men, she coughed dryly.
"Cough... It's late. If Your Highness has nothing else, this concubine will... take my leave..."
As she spoke, she began to subtly shift to the side. However, after moving only a little, a sword was slanted into the ground before her.
The gleaming blade blocked her view, and a section of Feng Yinwan's hair was cleanly cut off.
Ye Tinglan spoke, his voice as cold and frigid as Xuanbing.
"Feng Yinwan, do you take me for a fool to be toyed with at your whim?"