Shen Lixue didn't say anything more. Her slender figure instantly appeared in front of the man in black, grabbed his arm, and lightly touched the ground with her feet, using her lightness skill to quickly fly away from the Duke of Mu's mansion.
Seeing that Shen Lixue and the black-cloaked figure had risen into the air and were about to escape, the guards hidden in the Mu State Duke's mansion hurriedly nocked their bows and fired black-feathered arrows at the two of them.
Shen Lixue smiled coldly, raised her slender hand, and her cyan whip moved so fast that it was impenetrable. The black feathered arrows that came close were all knocked to the ground.
With a flick of his sleeve, the man in the black cloak unleashed a powerful gust of wind, and the arrows, which had reached the two men, all fell to the ground once again.
The guards were shocked. They knew they couldn't let them leave. They nocked their arrows again and looked up, aiming the arrows at the spot where they had been before. But the sky was empty. There was no sign of Shen Lixue or the man in the black cloak.
Then look at Zi Mo, who is holding a long sword and swinging it back and forth among the guards. Every move is fierce and deadly, showing no mercy. With each move, a guard is injured or falls down.
The guards were furious and fought him with all their might, but they couldn't even touch a hair on his clothes.
Zi Mo swung his sword to knock aside a guard, then looked up at the sky. Shen Lixue, the cloaked figure, was gradually disappearing into the distance. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the Princess Consort had left safely, and he could leave now.
The guards continued to surge forward like a tide. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword moved with the speed of a dragon, swiftly slicing through the necks of the four or five guards at the front. Amidst the splatter of blood, he had already soared into the air, flying rapidly in the direction where Shen Lixue had left.
Just then, Mu Tao strode into the courtyard. Only the corpses of dozens of guards remained in the courtyard; there was no sign of the assassins. He was furious and roared, "What are you standing there for? Go after them! A bunch of useless good-for-nothings!"
"Yes!" the guards replied, drawing their longswords and quickly giving chase.
Mu Tao looked up at the sky, gritting his teeth. Assassins, men in black, one after another, what did they take his Duke Mu's mansion for? Coming and going as they pleased, causing chaos and leaving a mess, then patting their behinds and flying away. How despicable!
Once they are caught, they must be torn to pieces.
Shen Lixue, the culprit who caused chaos in the Duke Mu's mansion, had already left the mansion and was walking briskly in a secluded alley.
The man in black was severely injured and unable to use his light-footed skills. He staggered and walked very slowly. Shen Lixue supported him from the side, trying her best to adapt to his slow pace.
The man in the black cloak was male, and Shen Lixue was female. To prevent excessive intimacy, she had been supporting him with her arms, but he was too badly injured, and almost all of his weight was resting on Shen Lixue's arms. Her arms were numb from the pressure, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
He's so heavy! My arms are almost numb from the weight. When Dongfang Heng was seriously ill, she didn't feel this tired even when she carried him on her back.
"Cough cough cough!" Suddenly, the man in the black cloak stopped and coughed violently, covering his mouth with his hand. His body was trembling slightly from coughing.
"Are you alright?" Shen Lixue asked with concern, handing him a silk handkerchief. A drop of warm liquid landed on the back of his hand, and her gaze sharpened; his wound was still bleeding.
"It's alright!" The man took the handkerchief, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and asked in a deliberately aged, hoarse voice, "Why did you save me?"
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "You sneaked into the Duke Mu's mansion at night, so you must have a grudge against them. I also have a grudge against them. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so I'm saving you!"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend!" the cloaked man repeated, his gaze towards Shen Lixue filled with doubt and curiosity.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. This was a phrase modern people often used, but ancient people would need time to process it when they first heard it: "Where do you live? I'll take you home!"
The villa belonged to Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue. Since they came from Qingyan, they didn't want too many people to know about them or disturb them. The man was seriously injured, so it was best for him to go back to his own home to recuperate.
"I...have no home in Xiliang!" The man's low voice carried a hint of melancholy.
Shen Lixue smiled at him, but anger lingered deep in her eyes. Her clear voice carried a sharp edge: "There's a limit to jokes. You're a member of the Western Liang royal family. How could you not have a home? Prince Yan, just tell me which direction the Prince Yan's residence is, and I can send you home immediately."
The cloaked man suddenly looked up at Shen Lixue. He was wearing a cloak hood, so Shen Lixue couldn't see his expression, but she could feel the shock in his eyes: "How did you know I was the Prince of Yan?"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "During the fight just now, a small part of your cloak was lifted. Although it was only for a moment, I was able to see your face clearly by the light of the fire in the courtyard."
The guards were all besieging the Prince of Yan. The cloak was lifted only slightly and for a very short time, almost instantaneously. They didn't see the Prince of Yan's appearance, but Shen Lixue, standing on the rooftop with nothing to do, naturally saw it clearly.
The Prince of Yan sighed heavily: "I disguised myself so well, but even the most careful plans can have a flaw. Perhaps this is the will of Heaven!"
"Your Highness, let me escort you back to your residence. Which direction is your residence?" The dignified Prince Yan of Xiliang, high above all others, sneaking into the Duke of Mu's residence alone in the dead of night, and being severely injured by the guards—it all sounds very strange.
Everyone in the world has secrets. Since the Prince of Yan was unwilling to talk about them, Shen Lixue wisely refrained from asking. She sent him back to his residence to recover from his injuries first, and then investigated slowly.
"I am seriously injured and cannot return to the Prince of Yan's residence for the time being?" The Prince of Yan's voice was somewhat low, with a hint of pain in it, as if his wounds were throbbing sharply.
"Why?" Shen Lixue frowned in confusion. Usually, when people are injured, they recuperate at home. Why can't the Prince of Yan go back after being injured?
"It's a long story, I'll tell you slowly later. Where do you live?" The Prince of Yan's voice gradually became weak and feeble. Every word he spoke seemed to be gathered from all his strength, as if he might faint at any moment.
Shen Lixue frowned. Dongfang Heng would not allow outsiders to stay in the villa, and the Prince of Yan, being the Prince of Xiliang, had a special status, so he would be even less likely to let him stay: "Prince Yan, I'm afraid you can't stay where I live..."
"Li Xue, since Prince Yan is willing to stay at my humble abode, how can we refuse!" A familiar, indifferent voice rang out.
Shen Lixue was startled and turned her head to look. Dongfang Heng walked out of the dark night. His white clothes fluttered in the wind. He stood tall and elegant, with an extraordinary aura. His dark eyes looked at the Prince of Yan, as cold and unfathomable as the vast ocean.
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... Things take a turn for the better, the excitement continues tomorrow, la la la...
Chapter 182: The Truth Behind the Fall of the Holy King and Holy Queen
As dawn broke, Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, the Prince of Yan, and Zi Mo returned to the villa.
The Prince of Yan entered the guest room, took off his black cloak, and his white undergarment was almost entirely stained red with blood. Some of the wounds had turned a deep purple from the blood, which contrasted sharply with the crimson blood on most of his body, creating a shocking sight.
"How did he get so badly injured?" Shen Lixue frowned, quickly opened her medicine box, and looked for wound medicine. The fewer people who knew that the Prince of Yan was seriously injured, the better. If possible, she would avoid calling a doctor. Only Shen Lixue in the villa knew medicine, so she had no choice but to treat the Prince of Yan's injuries herself.
"When I infiltrated the Duke of Mu's mansion, I accidentally inhaled poisonous smoke, which dissipated most of my internal energy and made me somewhat delirious. That's why I was seriously injured by those guards!" He had been very careful after entering the mansion, but he still ended up being poisoned by the smoke.
"The Duke of Mu's mansion has set an ambush!" Dongfang Heng, who was sitting to the side, suddenly stopped drinking tea. The rising steam from the teacup obscured the expression in his eyes.
Shen Lixue carefully cleaned the Prince of Yan's wound with a cotton cloth soaked in medicine, her movements very light and gentle.
"Last time, we quietly moved a million taels of silver from someone else. The people of the Duke of Mu's mansion learned their lesson and, not wanting to be ridiculed again, set up an ambush in places where thieves might appear!"
The poisonous smoke is silent and, once released, can penetrate the human body, rendering the person powerless and killing them invisibly. It is far more powerful, more cunning, and more effective than ambushing guards.
The people of the Duke of Mu's mansion are indeed clever, but it's unclear who came up with the idea of releasing poisonous smoke.