Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes narrowed slightly. Just an ordinary appearance?
"Heng, why are you suddenly interested in this Prince Yan?" Shen Lixue raised her eyes, looking at Dongfang Heng with a puzzled expression.
“He is the most esteemed prince of Xiliang, and he helped us. We were just curious!” Dongfang Heng smiled, his obsidian-like eyes unfathomable.
Shen Lixue nodded and didn't ask any further questions. Looking at the setting sun on the horizon, she felt happy. She leaned her head on Dongfang Heng's shoulder and said lazily, "I'm a little tired after a busy day. Let's go back and have dinner, then get a good night's rest. We'll come to take over the Mu State Duke's Mansion tomorrow!"
If we redecorate the Duke Mu's mansion, move in with great fanfare, remove the plaque above the main gate and replace it with a new one, letting everyone know that the Duke Mu's mansion has a new owner, the people in the Duke Mu's mansion will definitely be furious.
"Good!" Dongfang Heng's jade-like fingers gently stroked Shen Lixue's silky black hair, a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were like a deep pool, unfathomable, unpredictable, and mysterious. Was the Prince of Yan really that ordinary-looking?
At midnight, in the stillness of the night, the luminous pearls embedded in the walls cast a warm glow. The light blue curtains gently draped to the ground, concealing the ambiguous atmosphere on the bed. On the elegant, carved bed, a young couple slept in each other's arms, their breathing soft, the atmosphere warm and sweet.
Suddenly, the sleeping man opened his eyes. His pupils were as black as night. He looked at the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. He lightly kissed her forehead like a dragonfly skimming the water, carefully withdrew his arm, and quietly got out of bed.
He took off his bathrobe, grabbed his inner garment from the side, put on his outer garment, gently tucked the blanket around Shen Lixue to make sure she wouldn't get cold, then drew the curtains. With a leap, his slender body instantly flew out of the window and into the boundless darkness.
Bathed in the warm light of the luminous pearl, Shen Lixue, who was fast asleep, seemed to sense that someone was missing beside her. Her sleep became restless, her brows furrowed slightly, and she murmured, "Heng!"
Her slender arms reached out towards Dongfang Heng, but she only managed to hug empty air. Her hazy thoughts gradually cleared, and she slowly opened her eyes. The bed beside her was empty, but the warmth of his body was still there, and the distinctive pine scent of Dongfang Heng was still quite strong. He had only been gone a short while.
Shen Lixue was startled, then sat up, clutching the blanket. Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down her back, making her so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
"Heng!" she called softly, but only silence answered her.
Where did they go?
With a puzzled look in her heart, Shen Lixue threw off the covers and got out of bed. She casually put on an outer garment, lifted the curtain, and found the outer room to be pitch black. Dongfang Heng wasn't there dealing with the letters. She opened the window and looked into the study, which was also completely dark.
In the dead of night, if Heng is neither in the outer room nor in the study, where could he have gone?
"Zi Mo!" Shen Lixue called out to the void.
"What are your orders, Princess Consort?" Zi Mo, dressed in black, appeared outside the window.
"Where is Prince An?" Shen Lixue asked directly, without beating around the bush.
"Your Highness, the Prince has left the villa on business," Zi Mo replied softly, his tone respectful.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. Something that would make Dongfang Heng go out to handle in the middle of the night must be extraordinary: "Did he say what it was about? Where did he go?"
Zi Mo shook his head: "No, before the Prince left, he only instructed his subordinates to protect the Princess Consort well!"
Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes slightly. She and Dongfang Heng came to Xiliang because of Huasheng. Huasheng was related to Consort Shu. They set up a gambling game to trick Mu Tao into handing over the Mu State Duke's Mansion in order to deal with Consort Shu and find out the truth about Huasheng. Dongfang Heng went out in the middle of the night, which must have been to find evidence against Huasheng.
The Duke of Mu's Mansion! Hua Sheng has a close relationship with him, and the people and belongings in the mansion will be moved to another place tomorrow. The mansion will be very chaotic tonight, making it easy to take advantage of the situation: "Zi Mo, come with me to the Duke of Mu's Mansion." If nothing unexpected happens, Heng should also be there.
In the still of the night, the sound of horses' hooves was clear. Whether riding a horse or a carriage, there would be noise. The villa was not far from the Duke of Mu's mansion, so Shen Lixue and Zi Mo used their lightness skills to fly over there silently without disturbing anyone.
As they approached the Duke Mu's mansion, the sounds of fierce fighting and shouts of battle filled the air. Shen Lixue was startled and immediately quickened her pace. Had Heng been discovered infiltrating the Duke Mu's mansion? Last time, they stole a million taels of silver without being noticed. When did the Duke Mu's mansion become so heavily guarded?
She overcame numerous obstacles and landed on a rooftop not far from the Duke of Mu's mansion. Gazing down, she saw the mansion's courtyard brightly lit, with dozens of guards wielding gleaming swords, besieging a man in black. The man in black's moves were swift, sharp, and filled with intense killing intent. Despite their superior numbers and relentless attacks, the guards did not gain much advantage.
"Isn't Heng wearing white?" Dongfang Heng likes to wear white clothes, and his closet is full of white clothes. When he sneaks into other people's houses in the middle of the night, he also wears white clothes without any hesitation. The person being attacked by the guards is a man in black, and his figure does not look much like Dongfang Heng. Shen Lixue did not rush to rescue him.
"Your Highness, the Prince was indeed wearing white when he left!" Zi Mo landed behind Shen Lixue and answered respectfully, looking at the black figure in the battle circle. The figure was similar in build and height, but it was definitely not Prince An.
The man in black was not Dongfang Heng. Shen Lixue breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still very worried. The man in black was not him, and he was nowhere to be seen in the chaotic Mu Guogong Mansion. If he didn't come here, where could he have gone?
Suddenly, a guard took advantage of the man in black's inattention and stabbed him in the back with his sword. The man in black realized something was wrong and quickly dodged, avoiding the vital point, but was stabbed in the arm, and blood instantly soaked most of his sleeve.
Shen Lixue frowned. The man in black was skilled in martial arts, but his every move showed signs of fatigue and weakness. He must have been seriously injured to have failed to evade the guard's sneak attack...
"Princess Consort, that man in black is the cloaked figure from that night," Zi Mo suddenly spoke up from behind, reminding her in a deep voice.
"What? The man in black is the cloaked man?" Shen Lixue was shocked. She looked closely and saw that the man in black had let go of everything and used all his strength to unleash his martial arts. His wide cloak fluttered in the wind in the night, like a fierce flag, mysterious and unpredictable.
It really was that cloaked man. His martial arts skills were on par with Dongfang Heng's. How could he have been so badly injured by the guards?
“When the secret guards were monitoring the Duke Mu’s mansion, they discovered that he often appeared there at night. Sometimes he would observe from a distance, and sometimes he would sneak in quietly, as if he were looking for something.” Zi Mo expressed his doubts, then paused and added, “He is extremely skilled in martial arts and has excellent lightness skills. The secret guards tried to follow him several times, but he easily shook them off and couldn’t keep up with him at all.”
Shen Lixue smiled. Someone whose martial arts and agility rivaled Dongfang Heng's was naturally untraceable by the guards: "Does he come every night?"
Zi Mo nodded: "He comes almost every night!" The guards monitor the Duke of Mu's mansion and see him every night.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Judging from this kind of perseverance, he must have a deep-seated hatred for the Duke of Mu's mansion.
"Swoosh!" The cloaked man was caught off guard and was slashed by the guards again. Blood spilled out, and his attack speed was slower than before, but his fierce swordsmanship still injured several guards. A faint smell of blood permeated the air.
More and more guards surrounded him. He was seriously injured and exhausted. Escaping was not easy. He struggled to hold on, swinging his sword with all his might.
Shen Lixue watched the black figure, almost swallowed up by the guards, but he refused to yield or admit defeat. He brandished his longsword and fought fiercely, a faint smile on his lips. His courage in fighting bloody battles was commendable.
But he was alone and definitely couldn't withstand the relentless attacks from the Duke of Mu's mansion. He was physically weak and didn't even have the strength to escape. It was only a matter of time before he lost.
Suddenly, the hood of the black cloak was lifted by the wind, and in the bright firelight, Shen Lixue saw half of the man's face. Her cold eyes flashed with deep shock. How could it be him?
Just as another guard's sword was about to fall on him, Shen Lixue blinked, her gaze sharpened, and she waved her hand to put on a veil, covering her small face. In an instant, her slender figure leaped off the house, and her cyan whip drew a beautiful arc in the air before being fiercely lashed at the guards.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!" Caught off guard, the guards were caught off guard as the long blue whips danced wildly. Wherever they passed, the guards fell to the ground with cries of pain, their clothes torn with long marks and specks of blood.
The man in black felt less pressure and turned around to see Shen Lixue, dressed in a light purple robe and holding a long whip, descending from the sky. Her black hair fluttered and her clothes billowed, making her look like an elf in the dark night, with an unfathomable expression in her eyes.
"He has accomplices! Quick, kill them!" After a brief moment of shock, the guards reacted quickly, their eyes filled with rage. They roared and rushed towards Shen Lixue and the cloaked man.
Zi Mo also leaped down from the roof, his gaze as cold as ice. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword was drawn, and in a flash of silver light, he had already killed the guards who were running at the front: "Princess Consort, you go first, I will cover the rear!"
"Zi Mo, be careful!" Zi Mo was skilled in martial arts and could easily escape from the encirclement of these guards on his own.