“If you want to listen to music, this subordinate can have the Nine Heavens Holy Maidens play for you every single day.”
Hearing this, Ying Qingye slapped his forehead.
That’s right!
They were from the Illusion Music坊; musical arts were practically their specialty!
“Hmm! I suppose that’ll have to do for now!”
Meanwhile, at the Feng Residence!
“What did you say?”
“You offended the Fifth Young Master at the Drunken Moon Pavilion?”
Feng Quji glared at Feng Tong, who shrank back in fear, lowering his head and not daring to meet his father’s eyes.
“Kneel!”
Thud!
Feng Tong dropped to his knees instantly.
“I always tell you to keep a low profile and not throw your weight around.”
“Do you know what place Xianyang is? If you throw a single brick here, you’re bound to hit a dozen people of wealth and power.”
“And now look at you? You finally kicked a steel plate, didn’t you?”
Feng Quji was exasperated, wondering how he, the dignified Left Prime Minister of Great Qin, could have sired such a good-for-nothing.
“Well, how was I supposed to know he was the Fifth Young Master?!”
“He hardly ever shows his face in public. Who would have guessed he’s an imperial prince?”
Feng Tong muttered under his breath, looking thoroughly unrepentant.
“You still have the nerve to talk back?”
“Oh, stop it!”
“It was just a minor squabble. Besides, that Fifth Young Master isn’t Crown Prince Fusu.”
“He’s just an idle prince with no real power, a complete lightweight. As a Prime Minister, are you really afraid of him?”
“Can’t we just have Tong’er take some heavy gifts and go over to apologize in person?”
“Is there any need to make such a mountain out of a molehill?”
Seeing her son being scolded, Lady Feng quickly jumped in to defend him. A huge part of why Feng Tong was so arrogant in the first place was due to her endless spoiling.
“A woman’s perspective! What do you know?”
“What don’t I know? If you don’t know what to do, how do you expect to handle this?”
“Are you seriously going to side with an outsider over your own son?”
Lady Feng shot him a disdainful glare.
Feng Quji let out a helpless sigh. Regardless of anything else, Ying Qingye was still an imperial prince.
No matter whether he had powerful factions backing him behind the scenes, he was still Ying Zheng’s flesh and blood. If Ying Zheng decided to press the matter, the Feng family would be in a world of trouble they couldn’t possibly handle.
“Tell me, are you planning to side with outsiders or not?”
“When did I ever say I was siding with outsiders?” Feng Quji retorted helplessly.
“Then hurry up and help Tong’er sort this out.”
“Tong’er, tomorrow you will take some substantial gifts and go make a personal apology. Make sure your attitude is sincere, understand?”
Hearing this, Feng Tong sullenly nodded.
Xianyang Palace!
The moment Ying Zheng returned to the palace, he immediately summoned Dun Ruo.
“Dun Ruo greets Your Majesty!”
“Rise!”
“Dun Ruo, do you know why I summoned you here?”
Dun Ruo raised his head to glance at Ying Zheng, his eyes filled with absolute perplexity.
“This minister is dull-witted; I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me!”
“Did you know that by Qingye’s side, there has appeared an unidentified master—someone even Meng Yi wouldn’t dare claim he could easily defeat?”
Hearing this, a jolt of shock went through Dun Ruo’s heart. He was in command of the Black Ice台, and virtually nothing of any size happening within the city of Xianyang could escape his eyes.
Yet now, he was being told there was a powerful expert right by Ying Qingye’s side?
Meng Yi was an inner court official who practically accompanied Ying Zheng everywhere, and yet Meng Yi lacked the confidence to win against this person.
Could it be that His Majesty has already met them?
If that mysterious person harbored malicious intentions, wouldn’t that mean Ying Zheng—?
He didn’t dare think any further; the thought was terrifying. This was a massive failure on his part.
Just thinking about it made cold sweat break out across his back.
“This minister has failed in his duties! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!”
Dun Ruo hurriedly dropped to his knees to plead for mercy.
“You truly had no idea?”
“To think this little rascal actually managed to slip right past the eyes of the Black Ice Bureau!”
Ying Zheng furrowed his brows deeply.
“I give you three days to investigate and find out the origins of that person!”
“As you command, Your Majesty!”
“You may withdraw.”
“Understood!”
Dun Ruo bowed respectfully and backed out of the room.
Once outside the study, Dun Ruo let out a long sigh of relief, though deep puzzlement immediately washed over him.
How on earth did Ying Qingye manage to slip past the eyes of the Black Ice台?
He glanced back at Ying Zheng’s study, then turned and strode away in a hurry.
As night fell, a bright, clear moon hung high in the sky.
At the Prince’s Residence!
A dark figure cut through the distance, arriving at the outer wall of the residence in the blink of an eye. With a single leap, the intruder vaulted over the wall.
After glancing around, the figure crept stealthily toward Ying Qingye’s quarters.
“My friend, dropping by so late at night—to what do we owe the pleasure?”
At that moment, Ying Qingye’s voice rang out. The black-clad figure whirled around to see Ying Qingye standing not far away, flanked by ten breathtakingly gorgeous women. Their attire was striking, and their figures were exceptionally alluring.
However, the intruder had no time to admire the scenery; realizing he had been spotted, his first instinct was to bolt!
“In such a hurry? Leaving right after you arrive?”
“Won’t you stay for a cup of tea first?”
Ying Qingye said with a faint smile. With a gentle wave of the Empress’s hand, Xuanjing Tian loosed an arrow through the air.
Clang!
Using the short sword in his hand, the intruder barely deflected the lethal arrow and continued sprinting toward the exit.
Instantly, Fanyin Tian and Miaocheng Tian darted forward like lightning.
As two of the Nine Heavens Holy Maidens under the Empress’s direct command, they naturally wouldn’t let anyone escape so easily.
Seeing this, the intruder’s heart skipped a beat, and he accelerated frantically.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“After him!”
The two women transformed into streaks of starlight as they gave chase.
Though the intruder pushed himself to his absolute limits, their speed and power were simply too overwhelming. Within moments, he was intercepted and forced right back into the courtyard of the Prince’s Residence.
Realizing his escape route was completely cut off, the intruder tightened his grip on his short sword.
His eyes turned razor-sharp, and the blade began to radiate a bone-chilling frost. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to launch a desperate strike, only to be instantly blocked by the two maidens.
“Esteemed guest, won’t you surrender?” Ying Qingye asked calmly, watching the intruder from afar.
The intruder glanced back. By this time, Ying Qingye had already set up a table and started enjoying some pastries. Surrounded by beauties, he looked completely leisurely and at ease.
“Surrender?”
“There is no such word in my vocabulary!”
The intruder’s voice was low, brimming with self-assurance.
“Oh? You’re quite confident, are you?”
“Naturally. You didn’t really think a couple of women could block my path, did you?” The intruder narrowed his eyes.
“My friend, you really shouldn’t underestimate women. They are fully capable of unleashing unimaginable power.”
Ying Qingye maintained his breezy, unruffled expression.
“Hmph! Then let’s see you try!”
“Do you really take me for a pushover?”
Ying Qingye shook his head lightly. “Since you refuse to listen to reason, I’m afraid I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
“Give him a beating, girls!”
The moment the words fell, Fanyin Tian and Miaocheng Tian surged forward.
Moving with blinding speed, they trapped the intruder in a tight encirclement before he could react. Realizing too late that these seemingly delicate women possessed terrifying agility, the intruder was forced onto the defensive immediately.
The two maidens held nothing back. One unleashed fierce, devastating palm strikes while the other wielded a specialized umbrella weapon. Attacking and defending in perfect synchronization, their seamless teamwork left the intruder completely overwhelmed. Their exquisite martial arts techniques packed a formidable punch, denying him even the smallest opening to counterattack.
Within minutes, the intruder was covered in bruises and cuts.
Panic surged through him. I actually can’t beat these two women?!
He was an elite operative within his organization, yet he was utterly helpless against them. If these two were merely subordinates, wouldn’t the mysterious person they were trying to investigate be even more unfathomably powerful?
The more he thought about it, the more shaken he became.
Right as his concentration slipped, Miaocheng Tian delivered a swift, powerful kick straight to his chest. The force sent him crashing violently to the ground, a trail of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.