"Nangong Xiao, could it be that you've gotten into some romantic entanglements outside, and that person, out of love turned to hate, came to the capital to deal with you..." Shen Lixue raised her eyes slightly, a half-smile on her face.
Nangong Xiao sat up straight again, slowly sipping his tea: "Your imagination is too vivid. This young master only loves courtesans. They're easy to meet, easy to part ways with, and easy to get rid of. Respectable women are too troublesome. This young master never bothers with them..."
After cleaning up the black blood, Shen Lixue brought over a basin of clean water to wash Dongfang Heng's wounds: "That person could accurately call out the three of our names, so it seems that he knows the three of us!"
“The three of us are all celebrities in the capital. It’s not surprising that others know us!” Nangong Xiao disagreed with Shen Lixue’s opinion: Dongfang Heng is the God of War of Azure Flame, Shen Lixue is the legitimate daughter who just returned to the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and Nangong Xiao is a well-known playboy who flaunts himself in front of people every day. The three of them are indeed the most famous in the past month.
"Nangong Xiao, what were you doing three months ago?" Shen Lixue suddenly remembered that the male and female Gu worms in his villa were planted three months ago.
“Three months ago.” Nangong Xiao frowned slightly, his pupils narrowing instantly: “The Emperor sent me to Qingzhou to suppress the wild beast plague!” He had left the villa, and of course he wouldn’t have noticed if others had tampered with things.
“A month ago, I successfully quelled the disaster and brought you back to the capital to report back!” Nangong Xiao’s eyes grew deeper and deeper. The poison in his body was administered after he returned to the capital, and he hadn’t even noticed it!
Nangong Xiao looked at Shen Lixue, a hint of coldness flashing in his charming eyes: "You're right, the person who wants to harm me is right beside me!"
Shen Lixue's eyes narrowed: "Do you have any doubts about the candidate?"
Nangong Xiao lowered his eyelids and remained silent, his expression shifting between light and shadow, which could be considered an admission of consent.
Knowing that Nangong Xiao was unwilling to discuss the matter further, Shen Lixue did not press the issue and quickly changed the subject: "Dongfang Hong led troops to patrol the city and should have arrived at the alley by now. Why didn't he come in to help?"
“There are nets on both sides of the alley, they are impenetrable, he can’t get in…” Dongfang Heng opened his eyes and answered softly.
"Then why didn't he kill the man in black who plays the flute?" The masked men in black all obey the flute player's commands. If he died, the attack would stop. Besides, that man was standing on the roof outside the net. If Dongfang Hong wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need to break into the net.
"The flute player's magic is extremely high; ordinary people can't kill him. As the crown prince, Dongfang Hong is very good at weighing the pros and cons and never does anything that is not beneficial to himself!" As he spoke, Dongfang Heng turned to look at Shen Lixue: "How did you injure the flute player?"
His fierce palm strike only numb the flute player's arm, without actually injuring him. Yet Shen Lixue managed to make him cough up blood and suffer serious injuries.
"I only pricked her chest with silver needles, and she was seriously injured!" After more than a dozen silver needles, the flute player was so badly injured that she had no ability to resist. Shen Lixue also felt very strange.
Nangong Xiao raised his eyebrows: "Perhaps you unintentionally hurt her weakness!"
As they talked and chatted, the poison on Dongfang Heng's shoulder was cured, and the wound was treated. Shen Lixue helped Dongfang Heng sit up and went to the kitchen to check the medicine.
Nangong Xiao glanced at Dongfang Heng slowly and deliberately, his tone slightly sour: "You used that self-inflicted injury trick quite well. You could have used your internal energy to force out the poison, but you made her use silver needles to apply medicine and change your clothes. You took such good care of her..."
Why was my reaction half a beat too slow, allowing Dongfang Heng to block it? If I were the one hit by the hidden weapon, Shen Lixue would be taking care of me now.
“Li Xue doesn’t like owing favors. I shielded her from a hidden weapon, and she cleansed my throat. We’re even!” Dongfang Heng replied calmly, glancing at Nangong Xiao: “Instead of being jealous, why don’t you investigate who poisoned you…”
"I was careless for a moment, which is why I was plotted against. Now, I am on high alert. If they want to harm me again, it won't be so easy!" Nangong Xiao's charming eyes flashed with coldness: "Dongfang Heng, you helped me, but I'm afraid that person hates you too. Be careful in the future!"
"Did you see where those three hidden weapons came from?" Dongfang Heng narrowed his eyes slightly. Today's events were not simple!
"Looking closely, it was shot from the flute player, but she's dead, how could she still attack? It must have been a hidden weapon shot by someone!" Nangong Xiao snapped his folding fan shut and strode outside: "I'm going to find Dongfang Hong, and together we'll wipe out the spies in Southern Xinjiang!"
When Shen Lixue carried the medicine bowl into the inner room, Dongfang Heng was sitting on the bed reading a book. The place where Nangong Xiao had sat was empty, and the tea in the cup on the table had long since gone cold...
"You're injured, don't stay up too late. Wait until you're healed before reading!" Shen Lixue took the book from Dongfang Heng's hand, handed him the medicine bowl, glanced at the empty seat, and said softly, "Nangong Xiao is gone!"
"Hmm!" The medicine in the bowl was neither too hot nor too cold, just right to drink. Dongfang Heng tilted his head back and drank it all, his gaze unfathomable: "I set up an ambush at Nangong Xiao's villa, just waiting for the real culprit to walk into the trap. I didn't expect the flute player to notice in advance and bring those two Gu practitioners to the alley..."
"Nangong Xiao's villa was heavily guarded, yet she still managed to run in and bring people out. Her abilities are extraordinary!" Thinking of the flute player directing nearly a hundred men in black to attack, Shen Lixue frowned: For a woman to possess such great abilities is truly remarkable.
"This further proves that she is one of our people and knows Nangong Xiao's every move perfectly!" Dongfang Heng's eyes narrowed again: "Nanjiang and Qingyan have always been at odds, so it's not surprising that they sent someone to sneak into the capital to cause trouble. However, they sent more than one person. There are also secret agents from Nanjiang hiding in other parts of the capital."
"Things are indeed complicated!" Shen Lixue shook her head and looked out the window. "It's late, I'll go back to the manor first. You should get some rest!"
As she spoke, Shen Lixue got up to leave, but Dongfang Heng grabbed her wrist tightly, his deep eyes flashing with an unusual seriousness: "Tonight is the full moon on the fifteenth, and the sorcerers of the Southern Frontier are at their most rampant. You'd better not wander around. Just rest in the palace!"
Through Dongfang Heng and Nangong Xiao, Shen Lixue gained some understanding of the Southern Frontier. Thinking about the blood mist filling the alley and the flute player's mysterious and unpredictable techniques, she did not object to Dongfang Heng's suggestion. As for the Prime Minister's residence, they had always been excluding her, and they wouldn't care whether she went back or not: "Then I'll go to the guest room to rest!"
"Don't go to the guest room, just sleep here!" Dongfang Heng reached out and pulled Shen Lixue to the bed, then put his arm around her waist and lay down.
“Prince An, men and women should keep to themselves!” Shen Lixue glared at Dongfang Heng. He was supposed to be from ancient times; didn’t he know that men and women shouldn’t touch each other? Just as she was about to break free, Dongfang Heng’s deep voice sounded above her: “The guards have already checked everything. My inner chamber is the safest place in the entire Holy Prince’s mansion!”
"What do you mean?" Shen Lixue was taken aback, stopped struggling, and looked puzzled. The Holy King's Mansion had many courtyards, but the patrolling guards were all the same. She hadn't seen anything special in his courtyard, so why did he say that other places were not safe?
Dongfang Heng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyes under his eyelids darted around as he said calmly, "If I hadn't been poisoned and injured, I wouldn't have stayed overnight at the Holy King's Mansion!"
Shen Lixue's eyes flickered slightly as she grasped the key point: "If you don't live in the Holy King's Mansion, where do you usually sleep?"
"Sleep in a secret place!" Dongfang Heng unconsciously tightened his grip on Chen Lixue's arm, and said gently with his eyes closed, "It's late, get some rest!"
"I haven't showered yet!" Shen Lixue struggled to get up. She had a habit of showering before bed, and after the intense fighting, she was sweating and felt a little uncomfortable.
Dongfang Heng lowered his head and sniffed lightly. Shen Lixue had just been brewing medicine, and her body was covered with a faint medicinal fragrance, mixed with her unique fragrance, which smelled very pleasant: "It's getting late, and you don't have any odor on you, so rest first. There's no need to take a bath!"
"Dongfang Heng, is this your home?" Shen Lixue looked up at Dongfang Heng. His handsome face, thick black eyebrows, and straight nose made him the undisputed number one handsome man in Qingyan. But why did she feel that he was always on guard? Even in the Holy King's Mansion, this guard was not relaxed.
"This is just a temporary resting place for me, not my home!" Dongfang Heng replied in a muffled voice, his breathing becoming more and more even, as if he were asleep. His peaceful sleeping face was so serene that one would not dare to desecrate it, but a layer of lingering sorrow permeated his brows.
What exactly is Dongfang Heng guarding against?
A firm touch came from under her neck. Shen Lixue turned around and saw that Dongfang Heng's left arm was being used as a pillow for her. Shen Lixue quickly sat up. Dongfang Heng's injured left shoulder was the one he was using to sleep.
"Dongfang Heng, lie on your right side and sleep!" Shen Lixue pushed Dongfang Heng forcefully, trying to make him lie flat on his back and then on his right side.
Unexpectedly, Dongfang Heng rolled over, changing from lying on his left side to lying on his right side. Naturally, Shen Lixue, who was being held tightly in his arms, also changed positions.
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue glared at Dongfang Heng, gritting her teeth. He was pretending to be asleep again!
"Li Xue, get some rest. There might be a good show tomorrow!" Dongfang Heng said with his eyes slightly closed and his expression cold.
"What good show?" Shen Lixue asked, puzzled. The flute player was already dead, and the masked men in black had been minced into pieces. What good show was there to watch?
Dongfang Heng opened his eyes, his obsidian-like pupils unfathomable: "The woman in black playing the flute is someone close to us. Tomorrow, check who's missing among the people we know; maybe we can confirm her identity!"