The man immediately tried to ingratiate himself, saying many things that disgusted Luo Zhiheng. Luo Zhiheng was both amused and exasperated. How could she, on a nighttime visit to the Bai family, witness such a melodramatic scene of lovers getting along? And had she become so famous that even the maids and servants knew her? Not wanting to waste any more time, Luo Zhiheng decided to leave quietly, but the maid's next words made her stop in her tracks.
"Miss and Young Master are arguing in their room right now. I only dared to sneak out to see you because I saw they were arguing so fiercely that they wouldn't notice me. You must treat me well."
"Oh? Aren't the young lady and the young master very close? How come they're arguing?"
"Who knows? It seems to be related to the Imperial Concubine's invitation. It's said that the Imperial Concubine invited all the heads of the Bai family, but not the eldest young lady. Ah, be gentle! Ah!!"
The woman's soft moans instantly turned into sharp screams, but only for a moment, because the man in front of her collapsed, slowly revealing a masked man. The man had already placed a cold dagger against her throat, and said in a hoarse voice, "Scream harder, the louder you scream, the faster the dagger will pierce your throat."
The maid, her face pale with fright, fell silent instantly, staring in terror at the person before her.
"If you don't want to die, answer my questions obediently. Otherwise, you'll end up like this man—killed with a single blow," Luo Zhiheng said in a deliberately low, sinister voice.
The maid was terrified, thinking the man was really dead, and hurriedly stammered, "I'll answer, I'll answer."
"Is the eldest young lady Bai Mingzhu? What did the Imperial Concubine invite the Bai family for? Why didn't she invite the eldest young lady?" Luo Zhiheng asked.
"It's Bai Mingzhu. The Imperial Concubine invited the Bai family to a banquet at the palace. I don't know the specifics, but it seems to be related to the eldest young master. The eldest young lady said she would go if the eldest young master took her to the palace, saying that the eldest young master is destined for that position. Now she's ungrateful and says the eldest young master will die a horrible death. It's because of her that the Imperial Concubine took a liking to the eldest young master... That's all I know." The maid was only saying what she had overheard.
Luo Zhiheng narrowed her eyes, sensing a hidden meaning within the jumbled words. She also felt a chill run down her spine.
Because she clearly gleaned a message from these words: the Imperial Concubine and the Bai family had an intricate connection!
"Is the Imperial Concubine you mentioned the Consort Mu Qingya from the Southern Dynasty's palace?" Luo Zhiheng finally confirmed.
"Yes, it's that one from the Mu Dynasty," the maid replied in terror.
Some things you'll never know if you don't look them up, but once you do, the truth can be so daunting.
Luo Zhiheng's mind was in complete chaos. Shock, astonishment, disbelief, and incomprehension were all mixed together, and she felt a chill run down her spine! She hadn't even figured out the reason for the Bai family's inexplicable assassination attempt when she received another piece of news: the Bai family and the Imperial Concubine knew each other and had a close relationship.
The Bai family should be currying favor with Mu Qingya's family, so why did they send someone to assassinate Mu Yunhe instead?
Luo Zhiheng gathered her scattered thoughts, grabbed the maid, and said, "Take me to your young lady's room. I warn you not to make a sound, or this dagger will pierce your throat." 17.
The maidservant hurriedly pulled up her trousers, her body limp as Luo Zhiheng dragged her along. When they arrived outside Bai Mingzhu's courtyard, Luo Zhiheng knocked the maidservant unconscious, hesitated for a moment, but did not kill her.
She scaled the wall and entered the courtyard, only to find it deserted; everyone had clearly been dismissed. She barely needed to search to know which room was Bai Mingzhu's. From that room came Bai Mingzhu's shrill roar: "Bai Mingyue, you heartless wretch! Don't you know your own worth? If it weren't for the treasure I accidentally obtained that caught the eye of the Imperial Concubine, who summoned you to the palace, do you think you could have won her favor? Now you want to go to the palace and become a dragon among men, and you think you can get rid of your older sister? Dream on!"
Zhizhi pointed to the old concubine. A helpless voice echoed in the room again: "Sister, you've really misunderstood. I won't forget your kindness. But you should also know that I have absolutely no connection with the Imperial Concubine, and this matter is still far from settled. How could I dare to negotiate with her? It was the Imperial Concubine who didn't invite you to the banquet, how can you blame me?"
"Bai Mingyue! You and I both know very well what the Imperial Concubine invited the Bai family to do this time. If it weren't for that matter, do you think our Bai family, with our status and position, would be qualified to be guests of honor at the Imperial Concubine's banquet? Our Bai family has been planning for so long, and you have been a dutiful son and grandson to the Imperial Concubine for so long, how come you have no right to speak in front of the Imperial Concubine? I think you just know that you are about to rise in status and be reborn, so you don't take your great benefactor, me, seriously, is that it? Oh, I know, you look down on me because you have someone you admire, but she is a married woman! Her husband is the most handsome man in the world, what are you, Bai Mingyue?" Bai Mingzhu's unreasonable voice was full of prejudice.
"Bai Mingzhu, watch your mouth! Don't think you can talk nonsense just because this is home, and don't always think you're superior. Not everyone is someone you can criticize!" Bai Mingyue suddenly changed her previous humble and helpless tone, and her voice became quite fierce.
Luo Zhiheng frowned as she listened. What kind of nonsense was this? What was going on between these two siblings? What was the relationship between the Bai family and the Imperial Concubine? What was that incident? What was the connection between Bai Mingyue's transformation and the Imperial Concubine? What was the Imperial Concubine's purpose in hosting this banquet? Could it be another trap?
Luo Zhiheng became even more wary of the Imperial Concubine. It was supposed to be a family banquet, but the Bai family was invited. Could the Bai family also be family?
"What? I hit a nerve, I talked about your sweetheart, and you're upset? I'm going to curse her! Luo Zhiheng is a slut! The biggest slut in the world! She deserves to be ridden by a thousand men and slept with by ten thousand! She can bewitch men's souls just by dancing, why doesn't she go to a brothel and become a prostitute?" Bai Mingzhu cursed wildly.
"Shut up!" Bai Mingyue suddenly roared, followed by a crisp sound, a "smack".
Luo Zhiheng's eyelids twitched violently, her eyes flashing with cold light!
Bai Mingzhu, you despicable woman! How dare you insult her!
"Bai Mingzhu, you despicable woman! You are not allowed to insult her! In my heart, she is the most sacred. You are despicable, don't use your filthy mouth to defile Luo Zhiheng!" Bai Mingyue completely tore off her refined facade and angrily cursed at her own sister.
For a moment, Luo Zhiheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her expression was strange.
"You actually hit me and cursed me for her sake? Bai Mingyue, have you lost your conscience?" Bai Mingzhu screamed wildly.
Bai Mingyue said coldly, "My conscience wasn't eaten by dogs, but rather completely worn away by my good sister's constant reminders of your kindness! Bai Mingzhu, if you continue to indulge in such behavior and show no remorse, then after I become a member of the royal family, you shouldn't expect to get the slightest benefit from me! Remember, on that day, the one who will be high and mighty is me, Bai Mingyue, and you, even the Bai family, will have to live according to my whims! Do you think I will allow you to continue to be so presumptuous?"
"How could you do this to me?" Bai Mingzhu seemed frightened, but even angrier.
Bai Mingyue said coldly and ruthlessly, "If you insult her, don't blame me for being impolite."
"You actually threatened me for Luo Zhiheng? Do you know she's already Mu Yunhe's wife? How could you be bewitched by Luo Zhiheng?" Bai Mingzhu screamed in disbelief.
"Mu Yunhe is of noble birth, but he is merely a minor prince of the Mu Dynasty. As long as I am successfully adopted by the Imperial Concubine, I will be qualified to contend for the throne. Although the Emperor has many children, many have also died over the years, especially the boys. Now, in this vast harem, there are only a few princes. As long as I inherit the Emperor's throne, then I will be qualified to have Luo Zhiheng." The ambition and madness revealed in Bai Mingyue's voice sent chills down Luo Zhiheng's spine as she listened outside the door.
What kind of feeling was that? To be so strangely and completely caught off guard, to overhear a shocking secret!
The Imperial Concubine actually wants a child outside the royal family to be her son?!
And this person actually fell in love with her, Luo Zhiheng?!
The most terrifying thing is that this man actually dared to try and take her away?!
As Luo Zhiheng listened to all this bizarre stuff, she felt only one thing: disgust! Utter disgust! It was as if she had been licked by a wolfhound with foul saliva, making her feel so nauseous she almost vomited!
"You're insane! You're absolutely insane!" Bai Mingzhu was utterly terrified by Bai Mingyue's madness.
"I'm insane! I fell in love with Luo Zhiheng the moment I first saw her. She's so dashing, so charming and passionate, and so talented. She's a goddess! No woman can compare to her, and no man is worthy of her! How could that sickly Mu Yunhe possibly have Luo Zhiheng? He'd better die right now so I don't have to go through all that trouble to get her. Now you know what I think of Luo Zhiheng, right? So I'm warning you, you're not allowed to have even the slightest thought of hurting her again, or I'll... kill you!" Bai Mingyue finished speaking without any humanity, then abruptly opened the door and left.
Luo Zhiheng, her face frosty, hid in the corner, her gaze towards Bai Mingyue's retreating figure filled with murderous intent and disgust. However, she didn't rashly rush out to kill Bai Mingyue. Now that she knew so many unspeakable secrets, she naturally wanted to devise a good plan to severely damage the Bai family on a large scale and completely eliminate Bai Mingyue!
The room was filled with sounds of things being smashed, crying, and cursing, with Luo Zhiheng's name appearing most frequently.
Luo Zhiheng's lips curled into a bloodthirsty sneer. How perfectly timed was her arrival tonight? She'd learned so many secrets, and now she could at least teach Bai Mingzhu a lesson.
Silently approaching the door, she found the room in complete disarray. Bai Mingzhu was smashing things and hurling insults, viciously calling Luo Zhiheng a wanton, promiscuous woman. A cold, bloodshot glint flashed in Luo Zhiheng's eyes. With ghostly steps, she appeared behind Bai Mingzhu and, before she could turn around, delivered a swift chop to the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious.
"Prostitute? Lowly? Slut? Tsk tsk, I didn't expect Miss Bai to be so eloquent, knowing these words. But I prefer to use actions, let Miss Bai personally experience the 'beautiful meaning' of these words, how about that?" Luo Zhiheng looked at Bai Mingzhu lying on the ground and smiled sinisterly.
She pulled out a dagger and swiftly slashed Bai Mingzhu's clothes, stripping her naked. Then she hoisted her up and left. Having made a huge haul today, she didn't hesitate and immediately decided to leave. She retraced her steps, but just as she was about to reach the backyard, a chorus of screams erupted from the quiet Bai family compound.
"Guards! Seize the assassin!"
Luo Zhiheng's pupils constricted. Oh no, we've been discovered!
Chapter 1 is here! There will be another update today. I'm trying my best to speed things up, and the plot is pushing the story to another climax. Don't lurk, everyone! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets!
Chapter 238: An Unexpected Lifesaving Grace! (Bonus chapter for 13,500 comments)
Updated: 2013-08-07 15:50:32 Word Count: 3401
Luo Zhiheng, carrying Bai Mingzhu, froze for a moment, then swiftly disappeared into a corner, her hand already touching the cane hidden beneath her clothes.
A large number of servants and guards suddenly rushed out from all directions. Luo Zhiheng's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes in an instant. She held her breath and prepared to attack.
To her astonishment, the group rushed past her hiding place and ran straight ahead. Torches illuminated the entire Bai family compound, and swords gleamed coldly as they whizzed past Luo Zhiheng. Just as the group was gone, the sounds of fighting suddenly erupted ahead.
It was a false alarm!
"Tsk tsk, it seems the Bai family has quite a few enemies. This is quite a spectacle." Luo Zhiheng sneered, not paying any attention to the commotion. She climbed a nearby tree, then forcefully lifted Bai Mingzhu against the wall. When Bai Mingzhu's body was two-thirds of the way across the wall, she suddenly released her, and Bai Mingzhu's body fell overboard with a thud.
A wall three or four meters high would only have made Bai Mingzhu fall even harder. Fortunately, the outside was soil, so she wouldn't have died from the fall.
Luo Zhiheng nimbly leaped onto the wall. Standing in the night, she still glanced back ahead. That spot was probably the center of the Bai family's territory, now engulfed in flames and a scene of carnage. The fact that so many people hadn't yet managed to control the situation showed how formidable the newcomers were.
Luo Zhiheng grabbed a tree branch and jumped off the wall. Because of the branch, she used it to fall more than a meter off the wall before letting go and jumping down. She landed lightly, picked up Bai Mingzhu, and ran quickly toward the alley where the horses were hidden.
The alleyway happened to pass by the back gate of the Bai family's house. Luo Zhiheng used a black belt to hang the naked Bai Mingzhu from the eaves of the back gate. Seeing Bai Mingzhu hanging there with her hands bound, Luo Zhiheng smiled wickedly.
You dare to insult me? Let's see who's really despicable!
Luo Zhiheng had shown mercy. If she had hung Bai Mingzhu's naked body on the city wall, even more people would have seen her, and Bai Mingzhu's reputation would have been ruined. Bai Mingzhu would have been completely destroyed. But Luo Zhiheng only hung her body on the back door of her house, a place with few people coming and going, mostly maids and servants. They wouldn't dare make a fuss seeing their young mistress like that, but rumors would surely spread. Then Bai Mingzhu could truly experience what it meant to be ridden by a thousand men and slept with by ten thousand.
Luo Zhiheng quickly left, and just as she took the reins of her horse, a long, cold, blood-stained blade was pressed against her neck. A hoarse, sinister voice came from behind her: "Mount up immediately!"
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run through her body for a moment, but she was only shocked for a moment before calming down. She didn't speak but obediently mounted her horse. Almost at the same time, someone sat behind her, one arm around her waist, while giving a cold command from behind: "Go into the deep mountains, hurry up!"
The man moved extremely fast. Luo Zhiheng estimated that she didn't have much chance of winning a counterattack, and she heard the sound of pursuit behind her. Obviously, this man had provoked someone he shouldn't have, and she didn't seem to be able to escape easily either. So she made a decisive move and spurred her horse to gallop at high speed.
"Halt!" came the angry roar of the pursuers from behind. Seeing the horses galloping faster and faster, someone yelled, "Fire arrows! Quickly fire arrows and kill them!"
Immediately behind her, the sound of cold, sharp arrows piercing the air rang out. Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine. She slightly lowered her body, but the man behind her seemed to be putting all his weight on her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Fortunately, the man wasn't idle; he was desperately trying to deflect the incoming arrows.
"Quickly, ride after them! Make sure you catch them, alive or dead!" came the voice from behind.
Luo Zhiheng was in a great hurry and rode her horse at top speed. She had studied the terrain for a good escape route before she came, otherwise she would have lost her life here today.
They raced through the night, and when they entered the depths of an unfamiliar forest, the man behind them commanded, "Stop."
Luo Zhiheng immediately pulled on the reins, and the horse stopped. The pursuers behind them did not catch up, which reassured Luo Zhiheng a lot.
"Here's a thousand taels of silver as a thank you for giving me a ride tonight," the man behind me suddenly said, handing me a silver note.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't surprised. Luo Zhiheng thought this person was some kind of vicious villain, but it seems that he was the one who entered the Bai family. The two of them do have something in common.
I'll take the silver notes I have; why not?
"Leave the horse with me, you can leave," the man said coldly.
"It's true what they say, 'He who takes a bribe is beholden to him.' The moment you pay, his words change completely." Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, hesitated for a moment, and finally deliberately lowered her voice to say, "What am I supposed to do if I give you the horse?"
The journey back was long, and she had to get back before noon, otherwise trouble was bound to break out at Mu Yunhe's place. She naturally didn't want to walk back alone through this desolate wilderness.
"That's your problem. If you don't want to be implicated, you'd better leave immediately." The man's voice was now filled with murderous intent.
Luo Zhiheng's brows furrowed, and just as she was about to strike in secret, the hand on her waist suddenly loosened, and to her astonishment, the man behind her fell from his horse. He lay motionless. 16605397
Luo Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "You're already like this, yet you still dare to threaten me. You deserve to die here."
Zhizhu's house was in the middle. She turned her horse around and rode away, but after riding less than two hundred meters, she turned back. She looked down at the man.
As darkness turned to light, Luo Zhiheng munched on wild berries she had picked from a nearby tree beside a babbling brook. A hoarse groan came from behind her. She turned around, glanced at him, and said with a forced smile, "Tsk! You're really lucky. You survived being stabbed more than a dozen times."
The man suddenly woke up, fully alert, his eyes fixed on Luo Zhiheng like a wolf. It was already dawn, and the black veil on Luo Zhiheng's face was now being used to wrap the man's wounds. So the man finally saw Luo Zhiheng's face clearly!
With just one glance, the man was struck dumb!
"How could it be you?" the man exclaimed in utter shock.
A murderous glint flashed in Luo Zhiheng's eyes. She raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "You know me?"
The man was stunned for a moment, then a look of astonishment and shock appeared on his pale face. He said blankly, "Damn it! How can this be so weird? It's you!"
Only the man himself knew that the two he was referring to were not one person, but a pair of twin sisters! The man before him was Zang Tianwu, whom Luo Ningshuang had painstakingly rescued and controlled with various means!
He had just seen Luo Zhiheng's face and mistook her for Luo Ningshuang, which was incredibly frustrating. He even thought he had been saved by Luo Ningshuang again. That was just too persistent. But the moment Luo Zhiheng spoke, he knew the woman before him was definitely Luo Zhiheng! Luo Ningshuang didn't know martial arts, nor did she possess that composure and calmness.
Although he was an assassin, he was a righteous man and disliked owing favors. However, he owed Luo Ningshuang a life-saving grace. But Luo Ningshuang was too terrifying, and he was restricted and constrained. Therefore, he did not easily say things like "I will repay you". So yesterday, he gave Luo Zhiheng a silver note.