Wang Li pushed Liu Zhao away, his brow furrowed high. “I told you, people like that cannot be kept alive.”
With a dark expression in his eyes, Prince Ji waved his hand to issue an order. “All of you return. Leave this matter to the scholar to handle.”
The two men had lingered in the Prince Ji’s Estate for quite some time, arguing endlessly. Now that Prince Ji had given permission to leave, neither of them was willing to waste any more breath.
Inside the study, only Shu Fuyan and Prince Ji remained.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Prince Ji gazed over the grand map of mountains and seas spanning the entire situation, and probed, “Cai Yan deserves to die, that is true. As for Xiao Yi, does the scholar wish for him to live or die?”
Shu Fuyan fell silent, a few strands of hair veiling the cold light spilling from his eyes.
Amidst the quiet, the wind outside whistled fiercely.
Shu Fuyan closed his eyes and spoke insincerely, as if making a joke, “Everything is at Your Highness’s discretion.”
Prince Ji shifted slightly, deep in thought for a few seconds.
He turned around, fixing his sharp, hawk-like gaze on Shu Fuyan. It was a look of deep suspicion, as though he wanted to peel away the innermost thoughts hidden in the deepest recesses of Shu Fuyan’s heart, layer by layer, until it was entirely transparent.
“Cai Yan is in Xiao Yi’s hands,” Prince Ji said calmly. “The things we want, Xiao Yi will not hand over.”
First, the crown prince had used the roster of officials under Prince Ji’s command as a threat, and later, the crown prince’s incriminating evidence had been delivered right to their doorstep. Having experienced such a sudden reversal of fortune, how could Prince Ji possibly swallow this insult? He might as well seize what was in Cai Yan’s hands and give them a taste of their own medicine.
Hearing the name Xiao Yi, a dull ache pierced Shu Fuyan’s heart, and his fingertips grew slightly cold. “What does Your Highness mean by this?”
Prince Ji fixed his gaze, looking straight at Shu Fuyan. After a moment of silence, he said, “Lin Baiyi has arrived.”
“You want to kill Xiao Yi?” Shu Fuyan’s heart trembled, his pitch rising until his voice nearly broke. The pinky finger fitted with the jade ring lost all sensation, and the ugly scar seemed to suddenly burn hot.
With a haughty posture, Prince Ji pointed to the region of the capital marked on the map and spoke with a stern expression, “The person who wants to kill Xiao Yi has never been this prince.” Turning back, Prince Ji slowly spat out, “It is the crown prince.”
Shu Fuyan’s chest pounded violently, as if he had been pierced through countless times by a thick, sharp spear, bleeding continuously, suffering heart-wrenching pain.
A cold scoff escaped Prince Ji as he continued, “If the crown prince doesn’t make a move, Xiao Yi will definitely execute Cai Yan. If the evidence falls into Xiao Yi’s hands and he presents it to His Majesty, that would be best; it would save us the trouble. If he doesn’t, and instead hides the evidence to cover up for the crown prince, how is this prince supposed to swallow this bitter resentment?”
Clenching his fists, Shu Fuyan asked in a trembling voice, “Where are they?”
Prince Ji replied, “West City.”
Shu Fuyan exhaled a difficult breath. He raised his head, his gaze sharp and resolute. “Xiao Yi cannot die.”
With those words, Shu Fuyan slammed the door and rushed out.
Watching Shu Fuyan’s flustered and fleeing figure, the gloomy expression in Prince Ji’s eyes congealed into ice.
Xizhe was keeping watch at the main entrance of the Prince Ji’s Estate. Seeing Shu Fuyan burst out like a madman, Xizhe immediately gave chase.
“Where are you going?” Relying on his lightweight kung fu, Xizhe easily intercepted Shu Fuyan.
“Get lost!” Shu Fuyan roared.
Looking distressed, Xizhe grabbed his hands and shook them hard. “Calm down.”
With bloodshot eyes and temples pulsing, Shu Fuyan stared wildly. “Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down when he wants to kill Xiao Yi?”
Panic flashed across Xizhe’s face. “What?!”
Prince Ji wanted to kill Xiao Yi!
Caught between saving someone and obeying orders, Xizhe fell silent.
After struggling for a few seconds, for the sake of his close friend, he ultimately chose the former. “You want to save him? Count me in.” Xizhe hurriedly drew his long sword.
Being intercepted by Xizhe let the cold wind sober up Shu Fuyan’s urgency, clearing his mind completely.
Since he had no martial arts skills, going there would not only fail to save Xiao Yi, but would also become an extra burden.
Grabbing Xizhe’s arm, Shu Fuyan said every word with deliberate emphasis: “Xizhe, go to the outskirts! Go to Taozhu Village in the suburbs and bring Lin Xi’e here.”
Half-walking and half-pushing Xizhe, Shu Fuyan shoved the token used for requesting people directly into Xizhe’s hand.
Clutching the token, knowing he could not afford any mistakes, Xizhe said, “Scholar Shu, wait for me.”
With that, Xizhe deployed his lightweight kung fu and departed.
Shu Fuyan ran wildly all the way toward West City.
He cannot die.
Xiao Yi, I forbid you from dying.
Both avenues in West City had their intersections completely sealed off by soldiers. One of the pawnshops was surrounded, guarded heavily inside and out for four layers deep.
“Listen up, people inside! If you don’t come out now, we will burn the shop down!” After receiving a gesture from Xiao Yi, the brawny lieutenant held a torch high, preparing to ignite the building.
The people hiding inside remained unmoved and refused to make a sound.
With his back straight and shoulders squared, Xiao Yi stood out prominently among the soldiers, casually wiping his unblemished dark iron sword. His posture was upright, and his appearance was striking.
“Stubborn and unyielding. Bring out the heavy tortures,” the lieutenant scolded once more.
After waiting for a while, there was still no response.
Xiao Yi’s patience finally ran out. Raising his hand, he said coldly, “Set fire.”
Hesitation flickered across the lieutenant’s face. “General Xiao, but the things in his hands…”
Interrupting him, Xiao Yi said, “It doesn’t matter. If we want to find the documents, there are plenty of ways.”
Xiao Yi’s cold words drifted with the wind into the pawnshop. The people inside seemingly had not anticipated Xiao Yi’s ruthlessness he actually dared to set a fire.
After a brief moment of silence, thick black smoke began to billow from the front of the shop, rising high into the air accompanied by a pungent, choking odor.
With a rustling noise, a figure flashed out from the side door of the pawnshop.
With sharp eyes, the lieutenant raised his torch and shouted, “Catch him!”
Disciplined soldiers blocked the man’s path, subduing him in an instant.
Cai Yan’s arms were bound tightly with thick ropes, and his face was covered in dirt. The soldiers forcefully struck the back of his knees, forcing him to drop to his knees.
“General Xiao, I was wrong. I beg you to spare my life. Everything you want, I will give you.”
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Yi drew his long sword, pressing the unblemished, ice-cold blade tightly against Cai Yan’s neck.
“Tell me, what is it that I want?” Acting nonchalant, Xiao Yi didn’t take Cai Yan seriously at all.
With a terrified expression, Cai Yan raised both hands in a kowtow toward Xiao Yi. “The evidence of the crown prince forming cliques for private gain! I have it, I have it all!”
Using the tip of his sword, Xiao Yi lifted Cai Yan’s chin. As the freezing blade brushed against his skin, Cai Yan’s scalp tingled, and he didn’t dare to take a full breath.
“Where is the item?” Xiao Yi shifted the blade slightly, his thick brows furrowed in a deep frown. “Speak!”
Trembling all over, Cai Yan stammered, “It’s… it’s at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!”
Drunken Immortal Pavilion—the place where he had first met Shu Fuyan.
Xiao Yi’s pupils constricted slightly. Regarding Shu Fuyan, Xiao Yi sincerely hoped that he had nothing to do with this matter.
Rubbing the space between his brows, Xiao Yi withdrew his sword. “Take him away.”
It wasn’t until Cai Yan was being pressed down by the lieutenant that he realized the pawnshop hadn’t actually been set on fire at all; the black smoke was just straw burning to emit smoke it was all a diversion.
He had been tricked!
“If you want to take my man, you must at least ask my sword first.”
An arc flashed across the high sky, followed by a faint fragrance drifting from afar.
In the blink of an eye, a dashing man in white robes was standing atop the rooftop.
The white-robed man held a long sword, with a vibrant hibiscus flower tucked behind his ear.
With a frivolous gaze, Xiao Yi thought it vulgar a man wearing such a bright red flower for others to see was utterly frivolous.
“Who goes there?” Xiao Yi asked in a deep voice.
“To not even know me shows truly narrow horizons,” the man mocked. “South Lin and North Shu; peerless gentlemen.”
“I am Lin Baiyi—’Bai’ as in black and white, ‘Yi’ as in standing alone without support.”
Xiao Yi’s eyelids twitched. Subconsciously, he held no fondness for Lin Baiyi, instantly repulsed by such pretentious individuals.
“Cai Yan is a wanted criminal personally ordered for arrest by His Majesty. You wish to snatch a prisoner,” Xiao Yi said, pointing his long sword straight at Lin Baiyi, “you’ll have to leave your life behind.”
“Oh my, General Xiao has quite a big breath!” Lin Baiyi clapped his hands, completely unhurried. “I, Lin Baiyi, pride myself on having peerless swordsmanship. Today, let me see whether the sword in my hand is faster, or if you, Xiao Yi, are superior.”
With those words, the hibiscus flower fell.
In an instant, a streak of white dove down from above.
With his thick brows tightly knitted, Xiao Yi stepped back, raised his sword, and went forward to meet the combat.
Amidst flashing blades and flying swords, the clanging sound of weapons clashing rang out.
Swish.
Spring’s tender green leaves fluttered as Lin Baiyi’s figure brushed past Xiao Yi’s side, the wind howling by at high speed.
Thud… The sound of a body hitting the ground echoed, and the stench of blood began to spread.
“This!…”
Splattered with blood across his face, the lieutenant stared at his own hands in lingering fear.
Cai Yan was dead.
With just a single sword strike before anyone could even see how Lin Baiyi had made his move, Cai Yan’s life was gone.
“Lin Baiyi, you have a lot of nerve!” Furious, Xiao Yi issued a stern command. “Men, capture this person alive!”
Cai Yan was dead, but half of Lin Baiyi’s mission was complete. Since he couldn’t find the crown prince’s incriminating evidence, he could at least collect his payment.
Patting the blood droplets staining his shoulder, Lin Baiyi smiled confidently. “Mutually so. Didn’t General Xiao also take my person without asking my sword first?”
Although West City was completely sealed off, there were still those reckless enough to wander out unafraid of death.
Moving like a ghostly shadow, Lin Baiyi bounded and leaped back and forth across several rooftops.
Anyone unlucky enough to bump into Lin Baiyi was killed with a single slash to the throat before they could utter half a word.
“Dammit!” Xiao Yi cursed under his breath, stepping onto the stirrups to heave himself onto his horse’s back, pulling the reins tight to give chase to Lin Baiyi.
The lieutenant waved his hand. “Quickly follow!”
By this time, Shu Fuyan had rushed to West City.
Without a moment to rest, Shu Fuyan looked all around him—it was already a scene littered with bloodshed.
Seeing soldiers rushing in a particular direction, Shu Fuyan’s eyes moved quickly, and he grabbed one of the foot soldiers. “What happened? Where is General Xiao? Is he injured?”
Startled by Shu Fuyan’s bloodshot eyes, the soldier stammered, “General Xiao went to chase the assassin.”
Shocked, the last tight string snapping in Shu Fuyan’s mind broke completely.
It has come to this after all.
Clenching his fists, Shu Fuyan muttered, “Xiao Yi, wait for me.”
Shu Fuyan followed after the soldiers to pursue Xiao Yi.
Looking back, Lin Baiyi saw that Xiao Yi was hot on his heels and gaining ground, though fortunately, the rest of the clumsy soldiers had lost sight of him.
Biting his lip excitedly, Lin Baiyi stopped running.
His second task was about to begin.
“Xiao Yi, I want to fight you to the finish.”
Swiping his long sword horizontally, Lin Baiyi wore an arrogant expression.
Raising his chin in disdain, Xiao Yi sneered, “You think you’re worthy?”
Angrily shaking his sword blade while maintaining his arrogance, Lin Baiyi retorted, “In this world, no one’s sword is faster than mine. Unless…”
“You’re a dead man.”
With a cold and stern gaze, Xiao Yi looked Lin Baiyi up and down.
South Lin and North Shu; peerless gentlemen.
Even someone as brazen as this dared to be mentioned alongside Shu Fuyan as a “gentleman”? He was unworthy.
Lightly lifting his wrist, Xiao Yi drew his sword and leaped off his horse’s back.
Dropping his playful demeanor, Lin Baiyi closed his five fingers tightly around the hilt of his sword and charged forward to meet him.
Every move Xiao Yi made was fatal, filled with ruthlessness. Moreover, his footwork was bizarre, and his sword-drawing style extremely eccentric, leaving opponents unable to find any openings.
Having never seen such bizarre sword techniques, Lin Baiyi retreated step by step. Finding no opportunity to launch an attack, he was forced into pure defense.
“Where did you learn your sword techniques from? I’ve certainly never seen them before,” Lin Baiyi joked, his hair disheveled as he panted for breath.
Without a word, Xiao Yi flicked his wrist and soared into the air. A sweep of sword qi brushed past Lin Baiyi’s cheek, slicing off a few strands of dark hair as the vertical blade descended.
Stopping in place with a sideways turn, Lin Baiyi tilted his head and glanced out of the corner of his eye.
Abruptly, he smiled—an eerie, sinister smile. “There are very few people who dare to cut my hair. You, Xiao Yi, can count as one.”
Pressing his lips together, Xiao Yi replied with a provocative tone, “Is that so?”
A moment later, Lin Baiyi caught the scent of blood. The stinging sensation on his cheek arrived belatedly; touching his left cheek and looking down, he found his fingernails stained with blood.
“Xiao Yi! How dare you ruin my face!”
“I! Will! Send! You! To! Hell!”
In an instant, Lin Baiyi flew into a rage like a furious lion, his belly full of unreleased wrath.
brandishing his sword, Lin Baiyi leaped through the air to lunge at Xiao Yi, abandoning all form and driven entirely by raw, ferocious momentum in an attempt to deal a fatal blow.
Dodge after dodge, just as Xiao Yi prepared to capture Lin Baiyi in one fell swoop, a fierce and sharp arrow struck from behind.
With a flash of cold light, Lin Baiyi sidestepped, agilely dodging the incoming arrow strike.
Executing several consecutive rolls, Xiao Yi retreated behind a tree.
Lifting his eyes, he saw that the surrounding area had already been surrounded by men lurking in the shadows.
Besieged on all sides.
“It seems the people who want your life are far more numerous than I imagined,” Lin Baiyi said irritably.
Since Cai Yan was already dead, Lin Baiyi had no desire to get entangled further and intended to withdraw.
Spotting his intention to escape, Xiao Yi swept out with a long leg, grabbed the flowing robes of the immortal-looking Lin Baiyi, and yanked him down. “You’re not getting away.”
Lin Baiyi had never encountered such a stubborn mule like Xiao Yi. Even with his high martial arts skills, he couldn’t possibly resist hundreds or thousands of men.
Tugging at his clothes anxiously, Lin Baiyi snapped, “Let go of me! If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you.”
Curling the corners of his lips, Xiao Yi gripped his sword and deflected Lin Baiyi’s long blade.
With a clack, the long sword fell to the ground.
“You!” Lin Baiyi was consumed by rage.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
A torrential rain of arrows approached menacingly, causing the expressions of both men standing face-to-face to shift.
Retreating step by step with his long sword held defensively, Xiao Yi tried his best to block the incoming arrows.
Lin Baiyi had it no easier. He miserably picked up his sword and was forced back-to-back with Xiao Yi, joining forces to fend off the volley of arrows.
After a while, the arrows ceased, and the opposing side grew quiet.
Using his elbow to strike Xiao Yi deliberately, Lin Baiyi whispered, “Let’s make a deal. I’ll help you eliminate them, and as for Cai Yan’s matter, you’ll pretend you saw nothing.”
Showing utter disdain, Xiao Yi shot him a side-eye. Sounded nice coming from Lin Baiyi, but in broad daylight, how could he possibly cover up for Lin Baiyi?
“Save your own miserable life before you come talk terms with me.” Just as the words left his mouth, Xiao Yi leaped up the earthen slope ahead in three or two bounds, charging into the enemy camp all by himself.
“Hey! Are you really not afraid of death?!” Lin Baiyi shouted anxiously from behind.