Shen Lixue spoke at a moderate volume, loud enough for most people nearby to hear. The crowd turned their mocking and disdainful gazes toward Shen Yingxue. For her own selfish desires, she actually wanted to bring shame upon the entire Qingyan. She was utterly foolish and unreasonable!
Shen Yingxue lowered her head, her face flushed red. She hated Shen Lixue to death. That bitch had embarrassed her in public again!
"Clang!" The crisp sound drew everyone's attention back to the battlefield. In the dust-filled arena, the Southern Border Prince's longsword was knocked to the ground, and the silver light in Dongfang Heng's hand was rapidly piercing towards his neck.
Dongfang Heng is going to win!
Shen Lixue's tense mood instantly relaxed, and she was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw two thick snakes suddenly appear beside the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang. They opened their blood-spitting mouths, flicked their red tongues, and quickly bit at Dongfang Heng.
Dongfang Heng turned to avoid it, and his soft sword cut a long gash in the snake's body, but it seemed oblivious to the pain and continued to bite Dongfang Heng relentlessly.
"Crown Prince Qin, your sword has been knocked away, you've already lost. A real man should be able to accept defeat. What do you mean by not admitting defeat and letting a snake attack Prince An?" Lin Yan stood outside the circle and questioned angrily.
The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang followed the ferocious snake closely, and smiled coldly: "My sword is just one of my weapons. If it falls, I won't lose. This snake is one of my weapons. Whether I can win or not depends on Prince An's ability!"
This is utterly unreasonable! The dignified Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is resorting to any means necessary to win this competition!
The Qingyan ministers were furious, glaring at him, but the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang ignored them all. He was the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang; why should he care about the Qingyan ministers' attitude? Today, he only wanted one result: victory!
Dongfang Heng's soft sword moved swiftly like the wind, and with a few quick swings, the giant snake was instantly cut into several pieces. But the moment he cut the second snake, the first snake, which had been cut into several pieces, was restored.
Ministers, noblewomen, and young ladies ate in silence. What kind of snake was this? It was so ferocious and recovered so quickly. They couldn't kill it even if they tried to cut it!
Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes slightly. These snakes that automatically regenerate after being severed were described in modern books; the way to completely kill them was…
A flash of golden light appeared before her eyes, and Shen Lixue suddenly looked back. A small flower snake darted toward Dongfang Heng's exposed back. The snake's shape, appearance, and the flicking of its tongue all indicated that it was a highly venomous snake!
Shen Lixue took out two silver needles and shot them at the little flower snake. Just as the tiny snake's head was about to bite Dongfang Heng, it was pinned to the wall!
Shen Lixue glanced sideways in the direction the snake had come from. Qin Ruoyan, dressed in white, stood to the side, her wide sleeves billowing in the wind, revealing a pair of small, dark hands. It seemed she was holding a small black snake in her hands. The snake and her hands were similar in color, appearing and disappearing under her white sleeves.
Shen Lixue's eyes turned cold, and her slender figure instantly appeared in front of Qin Ruoyan, three gleaming silver needles pressed against her neck. She said angrily, "Try moving again!"
"It was just a joke, Miss Chen, why are you angry!" Qin Ruoyan's high-pitched voice was tinged with languor and coquettishness as she was about to throw the little snake in her hand again.
With a flick of her wrist, Shen Lixue swiftly pierced Qin Ruoyan's chest with a silver needle. It felt as if a sharp claw had appeared in her chest cavity, scratching and pinching her internal organs. The sharp pain made her face turn deathly pale instantly. She clutched her chest and squatted down, beads of sweat on her forehead instantly soaking her white veil. She was filled with resentment, wondering what this bitch had done to her that made her feel so bad.
Qin Ruoyan dared to ambush Dongfang Heng, so Shen Lixue naturally wanted to teach her a lesson. With a slight smile, Shen Lixue looked at the scene. Her cold gaze inadvertently caught sight of Dongfang Zhan looking at her. Shen Lixue pretended not to see him and looked away.
A dark cloud settled over Dongfang Zhan's gentle eyes, and in Shen Lixue's eyes and heart, she could only see Dongfang Heng.
"Prince An, be careful!" Lin Yan's exclamation suddenly rang out. Shen Lixue looked over and saw that the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang had picked up a long sword from the ground at some point. Taking advantage of Dongfang Heng's battle with the snake and his inability to pay attention to anything else, the tip of the sword was pointed directly at his exposed back.
The Southern Border Prince was fast, but Dongfang Heng was even faster. He swung his sword backhand to deflect the attack, and then unleashed a fierce palm strike at the giant snake's head. With a loud bang, the snake's head exploded instantly, and its thick, massive body collapsed like a rootless tree.
How could Dongfang Heng have actually killed his snake?
Shocked, the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang dodged the giant snake's body that was pressing down on him. A cold gust of wind blew past his side. He turned his head and met Dongfang Heng's cold face. His white robes fluttered in the wind, his long black hair danced in the air, and he was surrounded by a strong, cold killing aura. He was like a god of war, making people feel fear!
"Whoosh!" Before the Southern Border Crown Prince could react, the silver light in Dongfang Heng's hand had already been unleashed, drawing a scarlet line across his left shoulder. Blood instantly seeped out, staining a large area of his white clothes red.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The silver light danced up and down in mid-air under Dongfang Heng's control. No one could see how he made his moves. All people saw was that with each dance of the silver light, a new wound would appear on the Southern Border Crown Prince's body. His neck, chest, and abdomen were slashed with bloody marks, and the blood seeped out, a shocking sight.
Shen Minghui was secretly alarmed. Wasn't the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang on par with Prince An? How come he suddenly became so powerless? Could it be that Prince An's sword moves were so fast that the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang didn't have time to retaliate?
Dongfang Zhan was startled, his hand holding the wine cup trembling slightly. The Prince of An's moves were incredibly fast. Even he couldn't see how Dongfang Heng made his moves. It was not surprising that the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince would lose. However, his fierce moves were relentless. Was he trying to kill the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince?
Shen Lixue stared intently at the white-clad figure. The figure was graceful and upright, with an incomparably handsome face that exuded coldness and sharpness. The unfathomable dark eyes were filled with endless killing intent.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Dongfang Heng stopped swinging his sword, kicked the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince several meters away, slowly raised his soft sword, the tip pointing directly at the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince's heart, and the sharp light in his dark eyes was awe-inspiring.
A cold night wind swept by, and everyone shivered, their hearts tightening. Looking at the Southern Border Crown Prince, whose clothes were torn, whose face was covered in blood, and who was in a sorry state, they secretly shook their heads. It seemed that Prince An had no intention of letting him go.
Shen Minghui was extremely anxious. If Dongfang Heng killed the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang, Qingyan, then Southern Xinjiang would definitely be at war. This war was caused by his daughter, and he would definitely be dismissed from his post and severely punished. At best, he would be exiled to the border, and at worst, his entire family would be executed. He said, "Prince An, don't be impulsive. The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang has already lost. Please let him go!"
"The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is inferior in skill, yet he refuses to admit defeat and is unwilling to give up. He even launched a sneak attack. He deserves to die!" Shen Minghui's urgent reminder rang out. Dongfang Heng remained composed and unhurried, a hint of mockery flashing in his unfathomable eyes. He maintained his sword-raising posture, his sharp gaze sweeping over the ministers in the court. Suddenly, he moved.
Instead of wielding the soft sword in his hand, he kicked up the longsword that the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince had dropped. The sharp longsword, carrying a fierce killing intent, flew swiftly toward the Southern Xinjiang Crown Prince. The sharp blade pierced into his chest and emerged from his back, but it did not stop. Instead, it carried his tall body straight backward and crashed into the wall not far away. Blood instantly stained the front of his clothes.
Covered in blood, every part of him ached. The sharp pain in his chest brought the Southern Border Crown Prince back to his senses. He slowly lowered his head, looked at the long sword pinned to his body, and then slowly raised his head to look at Dongfang Heng. His sharp eyes blazed with rage, and he roared with his last strength: "Dongfang Heng!"
The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang's head drooped limply, the tough, sharp sword embedded in his heart like a tattered rag. The crowd exchanged glances, secretly alarmed. With the sword piercing him, there was no way he could survive. Prince An had truly intended to kill the Crown Prince Qin.
Amidst the billowing smoke, Dongfang Heng slowly emerged. His soft sword was already sheathed, but no one knew where he had placed it. Despite the fierce battle just now, his white robes were spotless. His face was cold, his expression slightly arrogant, his white robes fluttering, and his dark hair swaying gently. In the candlelight, he resembled a terrifying war god.
Everyone stared at Dongfang Heng, still in shock. They never imagined that Dongfang Heng had actually killed the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang!
Shen Minghui felt utterly hopeless. The Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang had died in his home because of his daughter. He was completely finished!
"Dongfang Heng, did you kill Crown Prince Qin?" Shen Lixue glanced at the tattered Crown Prince on the wall and quickly went to meet him.
Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue and smiled, "It depends on his fate. If he's lucky, he can be saved; if he's not so lucky..."
Shen Minghui's eyes lit up, and he instantly came to life: "Does Prince An mean that the Crown Prince of Southern Xinjiang is still alive?"
"He should still be breathing!" Dongfang Heng replied casually. He knew every move he made very well, and he knew even better about the injuries of the Southern Border Crown Prince. Even if the Southern Border Crown Prince were to be saved, he would be left with a hidden ailment!
"Someone, quickly prepare guest rooms, summon the royal physician, summon the imperial physician!" Shen Minghui hurriedly directed his servants to save the Southern Frontier Crown Prince. Many ministers also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that the Southern Frontier Crown Prince could be saved; there was no need for war between the two countries. Prince An was the Azure Flame War God; he still knew how to act...
Around him, people bustled about, coming and going. Many daughters of prominent families cast admiring glances at Dongfang Heng, but he ignored them all. His deep gaze remained fixed on Shen Lixue, and his large hand tentatively grasped her small one. Shen Lixue trembled slightly but didn't push him away. A gentle, beautiful smile curved Dongfang Heng's lips: "Lixue, I..."
A surge of blood welled up in his chest, and a metallic taste suddenly rose in his throat, interrupting him from speaking. He quickly covered his mouth with his jade-like fingers, but blood still seeped out uncontrollably from between his fingers.
"Dongfang Heng, you've had a relapse!" Shen Lixue exclaimed in surprise, lowering her voice and looking extremely anxious.
Dongfang Heng nodded, his face pale and bloodless. The fierce fight had aggravated his injured heart meridian.
"Hurry to the bamboo garden, I'll help you alleviate your symptoms!" Shen Lixue took Dongfang Heng's arm and half-supported him as they quickly walked towards the bamboo garden. Everyone knew that the two were engaged and had just experienced what had happened. Seeing the two so intimate, they assumed that they had a deep affection for each other and did not suspect anything. The two left the backyard smoothly and headed to the bamboo garden.