Chu Xiyin felt a gentle breeze brush past her ear, and she seemed to see a blue butterfly flash past her eyes.
By the time she came to her senses, the pale blue light had already disappeared into the earthen wall behind her.
Chu Xiyin studied the earthen wall for a long time. It was a blue butterfly dart with many openwork sections. This type of dart was small and easy to carry. Moreover, many small blue stones were embedded around the dart. The light that Chu Xiyin had just felt was probably emitted by these blue stones. These small stones could increase the weight of the dart, making it more stable in flight.
"Is this dart poisoned?" Chu Xiyin asked, pointing at the dart.
Once bitten by a snake, twice shy. Ever since she was hit by a poisoned dart, Chu Xiyin has been afraid of such hidden weapons.
"What do you think?" the woman in green asked with a smile.
Before, she was the one who could ask questions. Now, her life is in the hands of others, so where is her right to ask questions?
Chu Xiyin glanced at the woman in green, then at the darts on the earthen wall.
It was pulled out with a sudden, forceful yank.
The woman in green crossed her arms and watched Chu Xiyin's every move as if she were watching a show.
Chu Xiyin looked at the bright moon, closed her eyes, picked up the butterfly dart and slashed her right arm hard. Bright red blood slowly flowed from her fair skin and dripped onto the purple wedding dress on the ground.
It's better to bleed than to die!
“Take this dress to Consort Zheng and tell her I’m dead. Kidnap me and then demand a hundred taels of silver from the Fourth Prince. If you succeed, you’ll get a hundred and fifty taels. Even if you fail, you’ll still get fifty taels.” Chu Xiyin stared longingly at the woman in green, trying to make a deal with her in the tone of a merchant.
The woman in green looked at her with a smile but did not answer.
"With your martial arts skills, killing me would be easier than crushing an ant. Why not give it a try?" The bridal gown in Chu Xiyin's hand drooped to the ground, and her arm was still dripping blood.
She'd used her last trick! But the woman in green remained unmoved. For some reason, the woman's hearty smile suddenly seemed eerie to her.
She slowly turned her gaze to the round moon and sighed helplessly.
Is she really going to die here?
At this moment, she truly hoped that a chivalrous hero would appear out of nowhere, ready to help those in need, and shout into the alley, "Under the bright moonlight, how dare you indiscriminately kill the innocent! I, the lord, am here, and I will not tolerate your reckless behavior!"
Then, the woman in green fought him for thirty rounds. Defeated, she left dejectedly.
Then, she picked up her clothes from the ground, said thank you, and left happily.
Ideally, the old man would toss her several tens or hundreds of taels of silver, and she would kowtow again, saying, "Thank you, sir!"
Chu Xiyin pondered for a long time, wondering why the woman in green hadn't killed her yet; she was just looking at her and smiling.
"Are you planning to let me go?" Chu Xiyin asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.
The woman in green shook her head.
Chu Xiyin's heart skipped a beat. "Are you still going to kill me?"
The woman in green shook her head again.
Chu Xiyin was puzzled. If she was neither going to kill her nor let her leave, what exactly did she want to do?
"I've decided to take you somewhere!" Suddenly, the woman in green narrowed her eyes, a murderous glint appearing in them.
Under the moonlight, several figures flashed past the corner of the wall.
"Let her go!" a man shouted from behind the corner.
Chu Xiyin was startled, feeling that the voice was very familiar.
Chapter 36 The Green-Clad Assassin (Part 2)
"Mo Cong!" Chu Xiyin exclaimed in surprise.
The woman in green smiled and grasped Chu Xiyin's wrist, standing still, neither advancing nor retreating. A faint glow emanated from beneath her long fingernails—a deadly poison called Green Fluorescence. Similar to the Black Queen, this poison was also bloodthirsty, but unlike the Black Queen, it killed instantly, leaving the victim with little suffering. Assassins like her, constantly facing various unforeseen events, often resorted to this method of self-destruction when absolutely necessary.
Now, if the woman in green presses hard on Chu Xiyin's wrist, the poison powder will enter her body through her bloodstream, and she will die in less than three seconds without any pain.
Therefore, for an assassin like her, killing Chu Xiyin would indeed be easier than crushing an ant!
Mo Cong also noticed the fluorescent light flowing between the fingers of the woman in green.
"Quickly report to the Prince that the Princess Consort has been found!" Mo Cong whispered to a soldier beside him.
The soldier received the order and hurriedly withdrew.
"Green Butterfly," Mo Cong said.
Chu Xiyin felt the green-clad woman's hand tremble slightly as she held it. But her expression remained one of smiling.
Mo Cong continued, “The number one assassin of Mu’ai Kingdom! A confidante of the Third Princess Mu Jing. You are loyal to Mu Jing, but you don’t just obey her orders. As long as someone pays you, you will work for them at any time! You once assassinated the most beloved male lover of the Empress of Peony Kingdom and framed our country, successfully provoking war between the two countries. Afterwards, you poisoned Mu Fei’s son, who is also your country’s crown prince—Mu Wu, and framed our envoy, successfully provoking war again. A month ago, you infiltrated Ziling City, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate the Fourth Prince, hoping to provoke war between the two countries again. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and your plan was thwarted by the weak woman beside you who couldn’t even kill a chicken.”
A month ago, while tracking the assassin, Mo Cong reached the vicinity of the Purple Dragon Inn when the assassin suddenly vanished. He remembered the assassin had a butterfly tattoo on his neck. He then sent his men to search the area around the Purple Dragon Inn thoroughly. His men searched for a day and a night, reporting back that they hadn't found anyone with the butterfly tattoo. At that time, only one man, blushing and timidly, said that a woman was bathing inside the Purple Dragon Inn, and he dared not approach to search. Mo Cong laughed at his men, always assuming that someone who dared to assassinate in broad daylight couldn't be a woman, and therefore didn't pay much attention. It wasn't until the Fourth Prince pointed out that he had overlooked a crucial point that he recalled the assassin's petite figure, suggesting she might be a woman.
Afterwards, he ordered his men to thoroughly investigate all suspicious persons in Ziling City, including women!
Last time, when the Fourth Prince took Chu Xiyin on a tour of Ziling City, it was actually to lure out the assassins. That day, the woman in green hid in the shadows, thinking that no one could see her face clearly, but in reality, Mo Cong had already planted spies around her.
To avoid alerting the assassin and to thoroughly investigate his background, he and the Fourth Prince staged a play together. Of course, the most successful actor was Chu Xiyin, because she was completely unaware of the situation that day.
Mo Cong ordered someone to draw the appearance of the woman in green and secretly sent people to infiltrate the Twilight Kingdom to find out her background.
Chu Xiyin's wrist was already covered with a cold, damp ring of liquid. She glanced at the woman in green, who was still smiling.
"Is Guard Mo finished speaking?" Green Butterfly asked with a smile.
Mo Cong frowned slightly, observing Green Butterfly's hand movements warily.
"Guard Mo is indeed incredibly clever! But are you sure you've thoroughly investigated me?" Green Butterfly laughed heartily.
Green Butterfly's laughter sent a chill down Mo Cong's spine.
Do you know who sent me to assassinate the Fourth Princess?
Mo Cong remained silent.
"You call yourself a first-class guard? Don't you even know that?" Green Butterfly was clearly provoking him.
“Of course I know! It’s… Consort Zheng!” Mo Cong glanced at Chu Xiyin and lowered his head.
Chu Xiyin was startled. She knew that Consort Zheng had sent someone to assassinate her, but...
Does the Fourth Prince also know?
"The Fourth Prince is indeed a man of great things. He's even willing to let such a beautiful princess take such a risk." Green Butterfly smiled and glanced at Chu Xiyin.
He used her as bait, just to lure out Green Butterfly? She, or Chunhua, were nothing more than pawns in his game!
In his heart, there were only the people of Ziling City. No, perhaps he had always coveted the throne?
Led by the young soldier, the Fourth Prince, Xiyin, hurriedly arrived at the alley.
He looked much more haggard in just one hour.
Chu Xiyin did not respond to him.
There was a hint of sadness in his melancholy eyes.
The green butterfly released Chu Xiyin.
Chu Xiyin stood there, staring coldly at the Fourth Prince.
"Come here!" His tone was both commanding and pleading.
Chu Xiyin sneered, "The past? By what right? Who am I to you? Just a pawn. What do I care about your life and death? You can offer Chunhua to that tyrant, and you can offer me to the assassin. We are all just pawns to you! All those promises of eternal love are lies!"
“Xiyin…” he murmured her name. He couldn’t explain it, because he had indeed taken advantage of her.
"Take me away!" Chu Xiyin said, grabbing Green Butterfly's arm.
"Fourth Prince, did you hear that? It's not that I won't let the Princess go, but that she doesn't want to return to your embrace!" Green Butterfly said with her arms crossed and a smile.
A misty haze hung over the Fourth Prince's melancholy eyes. He loved her, but as long as the assassin remained, the people of Ziling City would never have a moment's peace.
The Fourth Prince's eyes flashed with murderous intent; this was the real him! Domineering, ruthless, and indifferent. Nothing in this world could hold him back.
Green Butterfly placed her hand calmly at her waist, ready to strike the Fourth Prince with a dart if he made the slightest move. And this dart was coated with a deadly poison.
Chu Xiyin stood in front of Green Butterfly, stared at the Fourth Prince, and said coldly, "If you still remember me as your wife, let us go immediately!"
Yes, nothing in this world can hold him back. Except for her!
The archers were ready and waiting for the Fourth Prince's order.
"Let them go!" The Fourth Prince waved his hand, turned around, and said coldly, "From today onwards, you are no longer my wife, Yichuan. From now on, your life or death is none of my business!"
If she were no longer the Fourth Prince's wife, then she would not have suffered so much for him.
Love is not for him. It will only bring endless pain to the people he loves.
A tear rolled down his cheek and landed on his purple wedding robe, slowly spreading...
Chu Xiyin stood there, stunned, her cheeks already wet with tears.
In that single day, she experienced the greatest joy in the world. And in that same single day, she also endured the most extreme pain.
He once again left her with a heartless back view!
"Aren't you leaving yet!" Green Butterfly shrugged.
Chapter 37: Escape from the Desert
Green Butterfly hired a carriage, intending to leave Ziling City with Chu Xiyin that very night. As they passed through the city gate, Green Butterfly tossed a few silver ingots to the guards. The guards accepted the silver and treated them like royalty, escorting them out of the city. Indeed, money makes things easier; this has been true throughout history.
After traveling a short distance outside the city gates, Chu Xiyin lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back at Ziling City bathed in moonlight. Under the cold moonlight, the imperial city seemed to exist within an ink-wash painting, tangible yet unattainable!
She doesn't belong here, but where does she belong? Humanity is like an insignificant speck of dust, rising with the wind and returning to the earth. She doesn't know where she can find a place to belong.
He didn't belong to her. She should have foreseen this ending from the very beginning!
A chilly night wind swept into the carriage, and Chu Xiyin couldn't help but shiver.