Eternal Night - Chapter 88
For the first time, Yongye carefully considered who he was and whether he should understand.
Yi Hong's words echoed in his ears again. She always only considered herself; she wasn't someone who cared about the world. But… Yong Ye let out a long breath, opened his eyes, his pupils sparkling, a faint smile playing on his lips. She wasn't Prince Duan; she couldn't impose her own way of thinking on him.
Even if she was unfilial, what was wrong with fulfilling her father's wish? She thought of her father, who loved to sing opera in her past life. She left home to make her way in the world, got into a car accident and went to jail, and never saw him again. A pang of sorrow gripped her heart. In this life, she didn't want any more friends, yet she already had family. And then there was Yue Po.
A gentle knife
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the rain finally stopped.
The water droplets falling from the eaves onto the lake made a dripping sound, which grew fainter and fainter until only a few scattered drops remained.
The night was silent and pitch black.
The faint sound of waves lapping against the sandbar could be heard from the water's surface.
The candles were extinguished in the eternal night, and we waited quietly.
Speed is of the essence in war. Yi Zhongtian should have finished making arrangements by now. This time of day is when people are most tired, making it easier to launch a surprise attack. Half an hour later, a rocket struck the wooden pillar with a "thud." Instantly, dozens of small boats emerged from the lake, their torches illuminating the surface, surrounding the sandbar where Yongye resided.
The rocket shot in like a meteor, and the small building was instantly engulfed in flames.
She covered her mouth and nose with a damp cloth and retreated to the corridor. Flames were raging from the arched gate not far away, and shouts of battle could be heard. Yongye turned back and sighed deeply. Not a single one would be spared. If she were Yi Zhongtian, she would have spared no one. Except for Yihong and Commandant Lin, who had left beforehand, the Leopard Cavalry would all perish here.
She could rush over and fight alongside them, risking her life. Yongye shook her head. Outnumbered, it was better to protect herself and plan for the future than to ignite their fighting spirit and die a heroic death.
She curled up in a dark corner of the corridor, forcing a bitter smile. That was just the kind of person she was; her heart was so hard that she would never be driven by passion. Lin Hong thought that her instruction not to charge forward to their deaths was protecting the Leopard Cavalry. He never imagined that she was actually ordering them to give up resistance and be slaughtered by Chen Bing.
The pine wood had been soaked in oil and then covered with a paintbrush, crackling as it burned.
A moment later, a dark figure rushed from the arched doorway into the small building. He had taken off his rain hat, and one could see that his thick eyebrows were furrowed, his black shirt was soaked, his beard was still dripping with water, and his usually sharp eyes were now filled with anxiety.
"Eternal Night! Where are you?"
Feng Yangxi searched for Yongye's figure up and down the stairs. She watched him from a corner not far away.
He really came. He stormed in from outside the inn, just to find her and protect her.
In the cold night, his voice made Yongye feel an urge to cry. Why did he come? Just because he promised to protect her? Didn't he know that the place was heavily guarded, didn't he know how dangerous Yi Zhongtian was? How could there be such a fool in this world?
Yongye looked at Feng Yangxi's figure and wanted to rush out and answer, but he closed his eyes and curled up in the corner.
Yi Zhongtian possessed the Rose and the Moon Soul, and he instructed her to hide and buy time.
She was the person Feng Yangxi wanted to kill; he threatened her life. Now, his concern would vanish completely once he learned the truth.
With a "crack," the beam snapped. It fell downwards, carried by the wind.
Yongye closed his eyes and thought that Feng Yangxi should leap up and leave this place.
Feng Yangxi searched the entire building, from top to bottom, but the sounds of battle cries echoed incessantly from inside and outside the arched gate. His soaked clothes had been dried by the heat, and he could feel the waves of heat rising up. Could she not be here? He shouted, sweeping aside a burning piece of wood with his foot, and thrust his longsword against the beam, leaping out of the building like a black crane.
The moment their figures were revealed, arrows flashed and flew towards them.
This was her perfect opportunity to kill him. Without Feng Yangxi, the world would be free of a major threat. Yongye opened her eyes, flipped her palm, and quietly held a silver willow-leaf throwing knife, an inch long and half a centimeter wide, in her hand. She looked up and saw that although Feng Yangxi was out of breath, he had already deflected the surrounding arrows and was about to break through the encirclement. She took a deep breath, and the throwing knife shot out like a meteor.
She saw the flying knife pierce Feng Yangxi's back, causing him to shudder. Another long arrow pierced his left shoulder, and he crashed to the ground in front of the building. He glanced back at where she was, but he couldn't see her. However, Yongye saw it all clearly: there was no anger in Feng Yangxi's eyes; he actually smiled, a smile that chilled Yongye to the bone.
Yi Zhongtian's voice echoed across the lake: "Release the arrows!"
"Yi Zhongtian!" Feng Yangxi gritted his teeth, staring at him. He swung his longsword, creating a circle of light that severed the incoming arrow. He roared, kicked up a massive beam, and hurled it into the lake, then retreated in a flash. Yi Zhongtian sneered and was already in front of him, striking Feng Yangxi in the chest with his palm.
Yongye saw blood spurt from Feng Yangxi's mouth, shooting towards Yi Zhongtian like an arrow, knowing he had used his last bit of inner strength for a fatal blow. The throwing knife was already in her hand; she could have seized the opportunity to kill him. Why hadn't she released it?
In the instant Yi Zhongtian dodged, Feng Yangxi took advantage of the situation to roll over and fall into the water.
The small building collapsed instantly, sparks flying everywhere. Yi Zhongtian also flipped over and left.
Yongye looked back at the archway, where flames were also raging. She knew that everyone there was only one way out: death.
She gave a cold laugh. Was she someone who could be bound? She'd be a fool to fall into Yi Zhongtian's hands. Yongye gently slid into the water, carefully breathing through a bamboo tube as she swam towards Prince Yan's lodgings.
Once the birthday banquet is over, Crown Prince Yan will return to Qi. She does not ask to leave with him, but she needs a safe place to hide.
Anguo also has spies in Chendu. However, Anguo is currently in the midst of internal strife, and Yongye dares not trust the safety of Anguo's spies. Since Youligu can roam the world freely, his spies cannot escape the eyes of those within the valley.
Yongye, now far away, peeked out and looked back; the firelight was still burning. Yi Zhongtian, dressed in a gray robe, stood atop the ruins of the small building. Yongye shuddered and then disappeared back into the water.
Prince Yan's lodging at the post station was similar in style to the small building where Yongye resided. Inside and outside the building stood numerous guards with their snow-white swords drawn, fully alert, watching the direction from which the firelight was rising.
Yongye did not enter the small building, but took advantage of the gap when the guards were out protecting Prince Yan to slip into the guards' room.
She took off the leather pouch from her waist, changed into a set of guard's clothes, added a beard, and simply disguised herself before slinging a sword over her shoulder and walking out.
Outside the post station, soldiers were stationed everywhere, and the area around the post station was cordoned off. Torches burned bright red, turning half the sky red.
When Yongye reached the door, he saw several Qi soldiers blocking the gate leading to Crown Prince Yan's courtyard. He stood silently, just like them.
Before long, she saw Envoy Chen Xie and Lord Qian, whom she had met during the peace talks, hurrying over. They said to the soldiers at the door, "The residence of Marquis Yong'an of Anguo was set on fire by assassins. We are here on the Emperor's orders to ask His Highness the Crown Prince not to panic."
Footsteps echoed on the corridor, and an official's voice could be heard: "The Crown Prince has been frightened and must return to Qi immediately. I apologize that he cannot stay any longer."
Yi Zhongtian slowly led his soldiers in and said coldly, "By order of the Emperor, His Highness Crown Prince Qi is returning to the country and must not be obstructed. However, to prevent assassins from infiltrating, please inform the Crown Prince, Lord Liu, that we may proceed after we have investigated the situation."
"Outrageous! The Crown Prince is of such high status; how can you investigate him as you please?"
Yi Zhongtian said calmly, "Lord Liu, there's no need to be angry. His Majesty is only thinking about the Crown Prince's safety."
Crown Prince Yan seemed genuinely terrified. When he emerged, his face was pale and his steps were unsteady. He pointed at the group of people in front of him and roared, "Investigate! Investigate! I will not allow assassins to infiltrate the ranks and attempt to assassinate me!"