Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 45

Yongye was anxious. Seeing that the search party was about to reach him, he flicked his finger, and ten feet away, a potted plant was knocked over with a loud crash. The sound of voices immediately surged in that direction.

Feng Yangxi remained motionless.

Yongye cursed under his breath, calculating that time was running out. He suddenly leaped up, not daring to look back, and his hidden weapons rained down behind him.

"You can't leave!" Feng Yangxi's cold voice rang out.

Encountering an even more sinister one

"You can't leave!" Feng Yangxi's cold voice rang out.

Yongye was terrified and unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons from his body.

Feng Yangxi snorted and swung his long sword. Yongye heard the clanging sound of hidden weapons being shredded and was so frightened that he didn't dare to turn his head. He threw whatever he had on him, not caring about accuracy or strength.

He thought bitterly, "How can Feng Yangxi be more clingy than a rose? I just can't shake her off!"

Two dark figures moved through the darkness. Feng Yangxi's lightness skill was inferior to Yongye's, but his internal strength was more abundant. Seeing Yongye in front of him, he could not catch him. Suddenly, he roared and swung his long sword like a bolt of lightning.

Yongye felt a powerful force surge towards him like a tide, as if he had been suddenly thrown into the air and then tossed to the bottom of the sea. He felt suffocated and his breath caught in his throat before he plummeted to the bottom.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Yangxi arrived beside him. He looked down at Yongye and sighed, "I have been looking for you for seven years."

Yongye coughed, trying to push himself up but unable to get up. Looking at Feng Yangxi, his eyes were filled with despair and fear. Who was this person? Even his prized lightness skill and hidden weapons couldn't harm him. Yongye felt utterly powerless against Feng Yangxi.

"Seven years! I've been searching for you for seven whole years, always one step behind. Every time I saw the flying knife and the letter, I wanted nothing more than to kill you with my sword!" Feng Yangxi stared sharply at him, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

This assassin had nearly ruined his years of cultivation, prompting him to traverse the land of Anguo for seven years. He seemed to be right beside him, yet slipped away like an eel just as he reached out.

Now, wounded by his own internal energy, he was powerless to resist. How could he not be satisfied! The cat had finally caught the cunning mouse, but swallowing him whole wasn't enough. Feng Yangxi didn't make a move, patiently watching Yongye lying on the ground. It turned out he was a short man, lean and wiry, agile and nimble. No wonder he could never catch him. His lightness skill was unmatched in the martial world, and his hidden weapons were cunning and vicious. At this moment, the eyes revealed behind the assassin's veil held only despair and loneliness.

Feng Yangxi had seen many kinds of eyes: despair, admiration, reverence, wariness, fear, and pain. But the loneliness in the eyes of the black-clad assassin before him still startled him. He was like the last leaf blown down by the autumn wind, fluttering alone in the wind. His body trembled slightly from his injuries, and he curled up into a ball.

It reminded him of himself, a lone wolf, wandering the world, unsure of what tomorrow would bring. If he hadn't broken his taboo, perhaps he wouldn't have necessarily killed him.

"I've always been curious about what you look like! I want to see your face." With that, he used his longsword to lift Yongye's veil.

Suddenly, a burst of silver rain erupted before his eyes, so powerful that Feng Yangxi could even hear the hissing sound of needles piercing the air, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Within these sounds, a flash of silver light, accompanied by a gust of wind, pressed directly towards his face. Feng Yangxi shouted and retreated hastily, his longsword drawing a circle of light, completely wiping away the silver rain. With a flick of his wrist, he caught the willow-leaf-shaped throwing knife between his fingers. He snorted, "This is the twenty-third throwing knife I've collected. In seven years, you've used this unique throwing knife to kill twenty-three people. Cunning! You thought I wouldn't be on guard? Now what do you have to say?"

Yongye, panting, seemed surprised that Feng Yangxi had managed to break through his final move, his despair deepening. He lowered his voice, letting out a hoarse, bitter laugh: "I'm just an assassin, a mercenary assassin. This is my livelihood. I've been defeated by you, what do I have to say?"

“Yes, I know you are an assassin, and an assassin from the Valley of Wandering Souls. My lifelong wish is to destroy the Valley of Wandering Souls, and I have no choice but to kill you. And incidentally, to avenge the good people who died at your hands!” Feng Yangxi said righteously.

“Since you know this, you should understand that killing these people is not my decision. Why don’t you go find the person in charge of Shangli Valley?” Yongye said angrily.

"I will search, but you must die too!" Feng Yangxi pointed his longsword at Yongye.

Looking up at him from the ground, Yongye felt that Feng Yangxi's righteous aura made him look like a king. In this dog-eat-dog world, the winner truly reigns supreme. Compared to Feng Yangxi, he, the son of a king, seemed so despicable. Yongye disliked this feeling intensely, and with a snort, he suddenly stood up straight, dusted himself off, and smiled: "I don't want to die, and I don't want you to die either. I'm leaving."

Feng Yangxi was taken aback, a strong sense of unease welling up inside him. How could his spirits have suddenly improved?

Yongye looked at him strangely, blinked, and his previously dull and despairing eyes suddenly brightened, shimmering with a pearly luster in the darkness. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Didn't you want to see what I look like? Come here!"

Sweeping away his dejection and helplessness, he stood there with an air of arrogance that seemed to look down upon the world. Feng Yangxi was shocked and enraged, knowing something was wrong. He took a step towards Yongye, but with just one step, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his dantian, his breath caught in his throat, and he collapsed. He glared at Yongye, his hand loosening its grip, the hand that had been holding the throwing knife now turning bluish-purple: "Despicable!"

Yongye chuckled softly, saying disdainfully, "It's only right that greedy people suffer a bit. A throwing knife costs ten taels of silver. Reporter, my master said that an assassin always has a last resort, and that resort is called 'despicable.' However, it's not too despicable; this poison won't kill you!" With that, he leaped away, disappearing in an instant.

Feng Yangxi was so angry that her eyes turned black. She glared at his back and roared, "I will definitely catch you!"

Yongye was calculating the time, his heart burning with anxiety. He had been locked in combat with Feng Yangxi for too long, and he felt a dull pain in his chest and abdomen. But if he didn't hurry, Prince You would return to his palace.

Yongye didn't believe the list Li Yannian presented. Showing it to Prince Duan wouldn't reveal anything, and would only expose his next move. Yongye couldn't let his father get involved in the assassination, nor could he allow Youli Valley to suspect him. He had no choice but to personally enter the Prince's residence and steal Prince You's list of confidants, verifying each name one by one.

According to Yongye's calculations, even if Prince Duan didn't understand his intentions, he would still invite Prince You to his residence for a chat. Guo Qiran was extremely important to Prince Duan, and Prince Duan couldn't allow Yongye to expose his identity. Therefore, it was only natural for Prince Duan to subtly remind Prince You and have him send someone to protect Guo Qiran. After all, Guo Qiran was still the Minister of War, and Prince You would never let go of such a good opportunity to win him over.

Upon seeing the experts from Prince You's mansion inside the Guo residence, and upon seeing Feng Yangxi appear at the study window, Yongye was completely certain that his plan had succeeded.

Yongye sneered. Feng Yangxi had found out about the news far too quickly. There was only one possibility: he had a secret connection with the seemingly gentle and harmless Prince You.

Yuli Valley puts on a show of supporting Prince You, but those he kills are not necessarily all obstacles to Prince You's cause. Yongye is eager to verify his deduction.

Over the years, he had been secretly observing Prince You and knew that he was a meticulous person. Tonight, before he left, he asked Prince Duan to invite Prince You to his residence, and he also used Guo Qiran to divert Feng Yangxi and the palace's best men. The palace was now empty, which was the perfect opportunity for him to make his move.

Yongye quickly sneaked into the Prince's mansion. Sensing its emptiness, he smiled and entered the study with practiced ease.

Just as they were about to open the secret room, they heard a lazy voice say, "What are you looking for? Just tell me."

Yongye's blood froze instantly. He slowly turned around, and Prince You leaned against the doorway, watching him with a smile.

He wore a royal blue python robe, with sachets, pouches, and jade pendants hanging from his waist, suggesting he had just returned from a banquet. His handsome face showed no surprise whatsoever.

The twenty-year-old Prince You exuded a scholarly air, with a gentle smile always playing on his lips. Before, Yongye found that smile increasingly fake, wishing she could punch it away; but tonight, looking at it, she felt a chill in her heart.

Why was he at the Prince's residence? Hadn't his father invited him over? Why did he seem to be waiting for him, as if he already knew he would come? Various thoughts raced through Yongye's mind, and he forced a hoarse laugh, "Your Highness, please turn on the lights. It's inconvenient to look for things in the dark."

“When the lights come on, people tend to adjust for a moment, which is enough time for you to escape.” Prince You was not fooled.

"Since it's inconvenient to look for anything, I'll take my leave." Yongye sighed and walked towards the door, intending to leave.

Prince You said casually, "You'd better not go out. If you do, I'm afraid you'll get hurt."

Yongye focused his attention and suddenly realized that the house was completely surrounded, with at least eighty powerful crossbows waiting for him outside. He hadn't noticed this when he entered; the archers had been in position in the short time Li Tianyou had been speaking, well-trained—Prince You governed his residence like an army. He stopped and casually pulled up a chair to sit down: "How can Your Highness entertain guests without tea?"

Prince You stood motionless at the door: "Drinking tea at night always keeps me from sleeping well; it's best to drink less. Are you wondering how I knew you were coming?"

Yongye nodded: "You're right, I always thought the prince wasn't that smart."

“I knew someone would try to kill Minister Guo tonight. Even Prince Duan couldn’t do anything about these assassins. But when I went to Prince Duan’s residence, I thought to myself, my residence is the most vulnerable tonight. If there are assassins trying to kill Minister Guo, will there be petty thieves breaking into the residence to steal things? I just thought about it and came back to check. I didn’t expect that there really would be.”