Rising Phoenix

The Crown Prince immediately relaxed — it was commonly said that true martial experts often had eccentric personalities, and this man seemed to simply confirm those rumors. Already, the Crown Prince’s mind had moved past the initial alarm, and was now occupied with other concerns. This man’s mastery of Kong Fu was higher than those the Crown Prince had only managed to hire with great sums of money, if the Crown Prince could secure this man’s aid in his camp, how could it not help him greatly? These thoughts flashed through his mind, and the Crown Prince immediately called forth smilingly. “If this gentleman really were an assassin, would he come here without a single weapon? And just stand there calmly? No, do not worry.”

The Crown Prince’s words tumbled forth, and the Emperor spared him a calm glance before turning to Feng Zhiwei. “Have him withdraw.”

Feng Zhiwei sighed in relief and quickly obeyed. As she moved, the Emperor called out to Ning Yi. “You, leave as well.”

The Emperor addressed both Feng Zhiwei and the prince with the same tone, and perhaps in addressing Ning Yi his voice was even more indifferent. Although he surely saw how Ning Yi had shielded him, ready to sacrifice himself, the Emperor spoke as if he had seen nothing. Despite this treatment, Ning Yi still wore his usual face of calm, only bowing in acceptance.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince was already smiling and out and about. Taking the teaware from the attending eunuch, the Crown Prince moved to pour a new cup for the Emperor.

But just as the Crown Prince was rising from his seat, and Ning Yi was moving to withdraw, a sudden movement shocked everyone.

A shocking change suddenly occurred

Eunuch presenting the tea.

The tray holding up the teaware fit Imperial Court standards in every way, with the Golden Sand Crab Apple served on a small silver platter, the tea in fine porcelain enamel teaware, and a bright yellow silk cloth folded just so, covering the tray.

With the Emperor outside the Imperial Palace, and after the incident with Gu Nanyi, every guard was on high alert, and had already checked and checked again the tray and its contents, and even underneath the yellow silk cloth.

The Crown Prince personally went over to grasp the tea pot, beaming as he served the Emperor: “Your Majesty’s favorite Chang Feng Guapian…”

Before his words were fully out of his mouth, a glittering dazzle flashed before the Crown Prince’s eyes.

The flash was a cold white, like a bolt of lightning striking into the depths of the eyes, and the instance of great brightness switched to a long span of great darkness, and in that moment, the Crown Prince could see nothing.

The dazzling light leaped forth from the tray.

The Golden Sand Crab Apple flew in every direction, tossed through the air like so many scarlet drops of blood, and underneath it, a silvery white sword light springs forward.

A customized soft sword, folded into the shape of a plate and covered with the Golden Sand Crab Apple, calmly passing through under the watch of so many guards, cheating every eye.

The sword light flew through the air, and all the bodyguards could only watch as the blade veered straight for the Crown Prince and the Emperor, on a path to cut through the Crown Prince’s shoulder and pierce directly into the Emperor’s chest!

At such a short distance, and with a strike of such extreme speed, even the Great Immortals could not act in time to save them.

But suddenly, the assassin tossed his hand, the soft sword twisting through the air, passing the Crown Prince for a direct hit on the Emperor.

This little movement slowed the strike just enough for another party to intervene.

A moon white silk gown darted forward, silvery bamboo embroidery spinning through the air as the figure darted forward at break neck speed, as if throwing safety to the wind as he moved forward to guard the emperor.

“Chi”

The sharp, thin sword quietly pierced through flesh, but the accompanying spray of blood spread through the air like a dazzling brocade. It was only now that the tossed Crab Apples landed, falling against a white jade, golden threaded screen, coloring the fabric a hot red.

Red light flickered on the messy floor, a backdrop to the pale face of the man who had thrown himself in front of the Emperor. It was Ning Yi who had, at the crucial moment, taken the stab for himself.

The piercing air stilled as every figure came to a pause, but as soon as the failed attempt became clear, the dark figure of the assassin darted away — the assassin did not linger, turning instantly and fleeing. Ning Yi immediately moved forward to chase, unwilling to let this assailant escape, but right as the assassin reached the threshold of the door, he suddenly twisted around and flicked his hand, shooting a golden flash towards the Emperor!

The sudden attack caught everyone by surprise, and the wounded Ning Yi could not react in time. Just as the Emperor was about to meet his fate, a dark red figure silently darted in through the window, slapping out with a heavy, black sword, blocking the golden flash.

The mysterious man accompanying Xin Ziyan finally reached the scene, but seemed to fall some inches short, as the dazzling golden light continued forward, and pierced straight for the Emperor’s glabella. As his death neared, the Emperor closed his eyes in despair.

Suddenly, Gu Nanyi moved.

Despite all the hustle and uproar, Gu Nanyi had remained indifferently standing before Feng Zhiwei. The target of the assassination was an unrelated party, and Gu Nanyi seemed to believe that danger would only befall the area directly surrounding Feng Zhiwei, and thus refused to move a single step. But when the black robed man made his appearance, he finally lifted his hand.

As his hand rose, a thick wall of air rose from the ground with it, knocking the golden flash aside, causing it to ricochet into the dark robed man’s heavy sword. With a sharp, sliding grind and accompanying sparks of fire, the golden flash flew forward again, at an even faster speed, dashing back towards the assassin.

The assassin had already fled quite the distance, but the darting golden flash moved as if it had eyes, and although the assassin twisted and twirled in a panic, the golden flash still pierced through his arm, exiting his flesh with a string of blood and nailing itself on the lintel of the antechamber door.

The surrounding bodyguards finally reacted and pounced forward to give chase, but the assassin had incredible bodyweight techniques and flashed away. Not far behind him, a moon white figure pursued – the wounded Ning Yi still moving forward.

As he darted by Feng Zhiwei, some of his blood fell on Feng Zhiwei’s peach blossom placket. Feng Zhiwei looked down at the spreading red blood, and complex expressions pooled in the depths of her eyes.

Some of the bodyguards followed Ning Yi in pursuit, while more of them charged forward to surround the Emperor and the Crown Prince. The Emperor was still in shock, his face ghastly pale as he barely held himself upright, while the Crown Prince’s face as white as a sheet, trembling and afraid even surrounded by this iron wall. As his eyes fell on Gu Nanyi, it was as if he had found his savior, and he hurriedly waved his hand, “Mister! Here! Come here!”

Was he calling for Young Master Gu as if he were a dog!?

Feng Zhiwei cursed silently inside, and before Young Master Gu could react, she quickly moved forward, and since Gu Nanyi always followed her, he naturally moved forward as well. For better of for worse, it looked like he stepped forward at the Crown Prince’s call.

The Crown Prince glowed with happiness as Gu Nanyi stepped forward, and Feng Zhiwei smiled in return as she walked by him.

She swept past and stopped three steps away from the Emperor, and as Gu Nanyi followed, he naturally came to a stop in front of the Emperor.

The Tian Sheng Emperor watched everything silently, but his face relaxed slightly. The Crown Prince’s face, on the other hand, stiffened, and he smiled unhappily. “I was just about to ask Mr. Gu to protect Father Emperor. Mr. Gu is very thoughtful.”

Feng Zhiwei could only gently smile — Brother, it’s not that I am unwilling to give you face, but that there is no need to give face to someone doomed.

The area was secured, and the crowd gradually quieted down. After hearing the clashing and shouting from afar, and spotting the still flowing blood on the floor, their nervous hearts that had just accepted the situation with Gu Nanyi, jumped again, and the gravity of this second uproar sank in, and hearts began to race and palms to sweat.

This attempted assassination and enormous case of treason must lead to a bloody storm. When the dust settled, how many heads would lie on the ground? How many young lives would be buried?