The black-clad guards, wielding longswords, swarmed forward. Dongfang Heng stood in front of Shen Lixue, leaving him no chance to strike. Severely injured, he had no chance of escape in front of so many experts. The flute player gave a sinister smile: "Shen Lixue, Dongfang Heng, don't be too happy yet. This is just the beginning!"
As the eerie sound echoed through most of the alley, the piper suddenly gritted his teeth, and his flute shattered into pieces that drifted in the air. In an instant, the piper's black body burst into a cloud of blood mist!
Shen Lixue frowned deeply. She actually self-destructed. The people of Southern Xinjiang are truly ruthless, ruthless to their enemies and ruthless to themselves!
Black rags fluttered in the air, leaving only a trail of blood. Dongfang Heng stood quietly, dressed in a spotless white robe, holding a silver longsword. Bathed in the soft moonlight, his expression was indifferent, refined, and noble.
All the masked men in black were dead, as was the flute player. A strong smell of blood filled the air. Shen Lixue frowned slightly: "Dongfang Heng, is it still possible to find out anything about them?" Although all the masked men in black were dead, there were still a few intact corpses. Let's examine the bodies and see if there are any useful clues.
Just as Dongfang Heng was about to speak, three silver lights suddenly rose from the spot where the flute player had exploded, shooting rapidly toward him, Shen Lixue, and Nangong Xiao. The silver lights were as fast as lightning, carrying a soft whooshing sound, and arrived in front of the three of them in the blink of an eye.
Shen Lixue also noticed, her snowy eyes narrowed slightly, and taking advantage of their unpreparedness, she launched a sneak attack. Such speed, such strange method, such insidious means. The person who orchestrated this was determined to kill the three of them here.
The guards were too far away to react when they saw the hidden weapon flying towards Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Nangong Xiao. They all changed their expressions and rushed to their aid, but the weapon was too fast and they were too far away to save them...
Dongfang Heng swung his palm, knocking down the hidden weapons that were aimed at Shen Lixue and Nangong Xiao. The hidden weapon that was aimed at him was already right in front of him!
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue exclaimed in shock. Without thinking, she lunged forward, but the hidden weapon was too fast. She couldn't save him in time and could only watch helplessly as it hurtled towards Dongfang Heng's chest...
At the critical moment, a folding fan appeared out of thin air, knocking away the hidden weapon aimed at Dongfang Heng. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Nangong Xiao's captivatingly handsome face: "You're awake!"
The poison he was afflicted with was administered by the piper. Once the piper died, the poison in his body disappeared automatically, and he regained consciousness.
"Yes, the battle here is fierce, yet I'm sleeping so hard my back and legs ache!" Nangong Xiao stretched his legs, glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, and although he was surprised, there was no surprise in his eyes, only a hint of evil and coldness: "They've really gone all out to control me, sending out so many people..."
"Ding!" A barely audible sound rang out, and a silver light suddenly shot up, heading straight for Shen Lixue. By the time everyone saw the silver light and tried to save her, it was already too late.
"Watch out!" Dongfang Heng's eyes darkened. He grabbed Shen Lixue's arm and instantly switched places with her. With a "whoosh!" sound, the hidden weapon pierced Dongfang Heng's shoulder, and blood instantly stained a large area of his clothes...
"Dongfang Heng!" Shen Lixue exclaimed, rushing forward. Seeing the blackish blood flowing out, her breath caught in her throat: "The hidden weapon is highly poisoned!"
With a few quick flips of her hand, Shen Lixue swiftly inserted the remaining three silver needles into three major acupoints on Dongfang Heng. Her gaze was solemn: "I've sealed your acupoints to prevent the poison from spreading. Quickly return to the Holy King's Mansion, and I'll help you detoxify!"
Dongfang Heng's face was pale, but he didn't say much and just nodded slightly.
Nangong Xiao looked at the blood and gore on the ground and his lips twitched: "You're leaving, who's going to clean this up?" The blood and gore on the ground can't be left until dawn.
Without turning his head, Dongfang Heng replied calmly, "The person who will handle this is both far away and right before my eyes!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a large number of guards suddenly poured into the narrow alley. They wore long swords, had cold faces, and stood respectfully on both sides of the alley. Seeing the bloodstains on the ground, even they, with their cold hearts, couldn't help but frown.
Dongfang Heng waved his hand, and the guards vanished instantly. His sharp gaze swept coldly over the armored guards without uttering a word. Directly in front, Crown Prince Dongfang Hong rode a fast horse, pushing aside the guards and walking straight over. Looking at the blood mist on the ground, he frowned slightly: "Prince An, what happened here?"
"Someone tried to assassinate us, but we dealt with it. Your Highness was patrolling the city and arrived a step too late!" Nangong Xiao casually waved his folding fan, his charming eyes gleaming with cold indifference.
"Your Highness, the people from the Southern Frontier have infiltrated the capital without a sound and even brazenly attempted to assassinate me and the Prince of Yun. It seems that the security in the capital needs to be strengthened!" Dongfang Heng's tone was cold, and his obsidian-like eyes were as deep as a pool, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Dongfang Hong was taken aback: "The people from Southern Xinjiang are hiding in the capital?" His sharp gaze passed through Dongfang Heng and looked at Gong Xiao and the others at the blood mist. His eyes narrowed slightly. Apart from the strange and unpredictable magic of Southern Xinjiang, there really was no one who could turn a corpse into blood mist.
Shen Lixue's cool gaze fell upon Dongfang Hong's swift horse, her long eyelashes glistening with moisture.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. It wasn't time for dew to fall yet. There was a mist in the alley earlier, and the mist only dissipated after the flute player died. Everything else was dry, and there was only water vapor on the horse's eyelashes and front leg hair. It seemed that Dongfang Hong had been there for a long time, watching the commotion from outside. "Your Highness, Prince An has been poisoned and needs immediate treatment. Can Your Highness allow him to pass?"
Under the moonlight, Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, had blood staining most of his sleeves, yet it did not diminish his elegance and nobility in the slightest. Shen Lixue, in a light blue dress, swayed gently in the hazy moonlight, creating an indescribably dreamlike beauty. Nangong Xiao, dressed in light sandalwood clothes, looked languid, idly fanning himself with a folding fan, his eyes radiating a cold and sinister charm that could not be ignored.
The three stood casually, but their arrangement exuded an invisible pressure, making people afraid to act rashly. These three were no ordinary people, having driven the Southern Frontier people to this desperate situation. Dongfang Hong's gaze darkened: "Someone, escort Prince An back to his residence!"
Shen Lixue, supporting Dongfang Heng's arm, walked quickly forward, while Nangong Xiao followed slowly behind. As he passed Dongfang Hong, his eyes flashed, and he stopped, gently patting Dongfang Hong's shoulder with his fan. A wicked glint flashed in his eyes: "Your Highness, I'm leaving this to you. You must investigate thoroughly, and thoroughly still. Turn the capital upside down, and find their remaining followers!"
Dongfang Hong's lips twitched slightly: "The bodies are all minced meat, what can you possibly find out? But, it seems there are still a few relatively intact corpses..."
After Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Nangong Xiao walked away, Dongfang Hong coldly gave the order: "Clear the alley and bring the intact body back to the Ministry of Justice for a thorough examination!"
Back at the Holy King's Mansion, Shen Lixue helped Dongfang Heng remove half of his outer robe, revealing his shoulder that had been hit by a hidden weapon. The weapon was almost completely embedded in his flesh and bone, with only the tail hanging out. Black blood flowed continuously from the wound.
Shen Lixue's cold eyes narrowed slightly: I didn't expect that ancient hidden weapons were so exquisite that they could bounce back after being knocked down.
With a silk handkerchief as a thin barrier, Shen Lixue pinched the tail pendant and suddenly pulled out the hidden weapon. Dongfang Heng's shoulders trembled, and he let out a muffled gasp.
"Are you alright?" Shen Lixue asked cautiously. The hidden weapon had injured her bone; it must be excruciatingly painful.
"It's nothing!" Dongfang Heng's indifferent voice was tinged with a hint of deepness, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Dongfang Heng, if it hurts, just cry out. No one will laugh at you!" Nangong Xiao waved his folding fan and slowly walked to the bedside, his charming eyes full of mockery.
"Nangong Xiao, stop gloating! If he hadn't gone to the alley to save you, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. And you, now your mind has been controlled, and you've become a mindless puppet!" Shen Lixue glared at Nangong Xiao, feeling indignant on behalf of Dongfang Heng.
"Alright, alright, I owe him a favor. Here!" Nangong Xiao took out a thick cotton handkerchief and handed it to Dongfang Heng: "Stop trying to be a hero, bite on this!"
Dongfang Heng glanced at Nangong Xiao, then turned his head away, ignoring him.
Shen Lixue waved her hand and pushed Nangong Xiao aside: "Don't make things worse, go stay over there!"
Dark blood covered most of his shoulder. Shen Lixue quickly poured antidote on the wound and used silver needles to slowly draw out the toxins. Dongfang Heng broke out in a cold sweat again. Shen Lixue tried to divert his attention by making conversation: "Was that flute player from the Southern Frontier?"
"Hmm, his magic is superb; he must hold a high position in the Southern Frontier!" Dongfang Heng replied casually, his expression languid, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were about to fall asleep.
"Is the Southern Frontier ruled by an empress?" Shen Lixue asked softly, cleaning up the black blood that had flowed out.
"No!" Dongfang Heng shook his head: "In every country, the emperor is a man and the empress is a woman. Why do you ask that?"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "That flute player was a woman. I thought women were the most respected people in the Southern Frontier..."
"What did you say? The piper is a woman?" Nangong Xiao choked on his tea, coughing repeatedly, his handsome face slightly flushed. "How did you know?"
Shen Lixue said casually, "When she tried to grab me, I slapped her, and that slap landed right on her chest..." The man's hard chest and the woman's soft breasts were completely different, and of course she could tell the difference.
Dongfang Heng remained silent, his eyes still half-closed in a lazy manner, a dark glint flashing in his dark pupils: Women in the Southern Frontier who understand magic are few and far between…