Dongfang Heng reached out and pressed down on her shoulder, then swung his palm to knock away the arrows aimed at them: "The arrows are too dense. Without the cover of a large tree, you're doomed!"
"Ye Qianlong is being attacked by arrows..." Shen Lixue said anxiously.
"He can escape!" Dongfang Heng said, knocking away the arrows while looking at Ye Qianlong. His dark eyes were unfathomable. How could the most famous crown prince of Xiliang Kingdom be stumped by these arrows?
Suddenly, countless black arrows shot towards Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue. Dongfang Heng's eyes narrowed slightly. He grabbed Shen Lixue and flew into the air, quickly landing at the corner of a house. Looking at the tree, it was already riddled with arrows, the tips of which were deeply embedded in the trunk.
"Li Xue!" Ye Qianlong knocked down a few arrows and was about to go find Shen Li Xue while the arrows were still weak, but he found that the area behind the tree was empty and there was no one in sight.
"Li Xue, Li Xue!" After calling out several times without any response, Ye Qianlong grew anxious and frantically searched around. In the distance, a blue figure darting about caught his eye. Ye Qianlong's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly chased after it: "Li Xue, wait for me!"
Around the corner, arrows flew in volleys. After knocking them down, Shen Lixue saw Ye Qianlong in mid-air and called out urgently, "Ye Qianlong, where are you going?"
Ye Qianlong hurried forward, not hearing Shen Lixue's calls. The black figure gradually disappeared into the distance. Shen Lixue sighed heavily; she had just found him, but they had already separated again.
Ye Qianlong vanished, and the arrows ceased firing. The area in front of the Wan Hua Lou was deserted, not a soul in sight, only a scene of utter devastation. Dongfang Heng emerged from around the corner, his face cold and his gaze unfathomable as he stared in the direction the arrows had been fired: "The one who fired the hidden arrows was trying to kill Ye Qianlong!"
"Can we find out who it is?" Shen Lixue picked up a feathered arrow, which was ordinary and had no markings on it.
"They must be the same group of fake assassins from Xiangguo Temple!" A cold glint appeared in Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes: What was Ye Qianlong's purpose in coming to Qingyan? And why did those people want to assassinate him?
Small groups of pedestrians cautiously approached the Wanhua Tower, peering through the broken gates at the ruined building.
"The brothel, Wan Hua Lou, has been vandalized..."
"That's wonderful, this place that caused so much harm is finally destroyed..."
Perhaps Wan Hua Lou had done evil in the past, so its destruction was a great relief to the people. People gathered at the entrance, pointing and praising it!
The clatter of hooves and hurried footsteps rang out. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Lin Yan riding a fast horse, galloping towards her. Behind him ran dozens of armored guards: Lin Yan was in charge of supervising the nearby streets.
"Your Highness, Li Xue, what happened?" Lin Yan dismounted, tossed the reins to a soldier, and strode over, his handsome face filled with concern.
"The Crown Prince of Xiliang has smashed up the Wan Hua Lou!" Dongfang Heng replied calmly, his dark eyes unfathomable. "Send the order: the entire city is on high alert. Secretly send men to search for the Crown Prince of Xiliang, Ye Qianlong!"
"Yes!" Upon hearing of Ye Qianlong's heroic act, Lin Yan's lips twitched, and he quickly gave the order. Looking at Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue, he frowned. Why did he sense that the relationship between the Prince and Lixue was somewhat delicate, like two people deeply in love being thwarted by a third party…
Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue. Her delicate brows showed signs of fatigue, and her cool eyes held a hint of worry.
She was worried about Ye Qianlong.
Dongfang Heng's handsome, sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Li Xue, I'll escort you back to your residence!"
"Alright!" Shen Lixue nodded. Dongfang Heng's secret guards were even faster at finding people. However, those people first used fake secret guards to frame him, and then they shot arrows in the street. It shouldn't be as simple as just wanting to kill Ye Qianlong...
Ye Qianlong followed closely behind the woman in blue, quickly catching up with her. He landed swiftly and happily grabbed her arm: "Li Xue!"
The woman was startled and turned around abruptly. A strange face came into view. Ye Qianlong was taken aback, quickly pushed the woman away, and angrily asked, "Who are you?"
The man before her possessed exquisite features and unparalleled handsomeness, a rare beauty indeed. After a brief moment of fear, the woman felt a surge of admiration, a blush rising to her cheeks. She gracefully curtsied to Ye Qianlong, saying, "Greetings, young master, this humble woman is Yiyi..."
"Get lost!" With a wave of his hand, Ye Qianlong sent the young woman named Yiyi flying more than ten meters away, crashing heavily to the ground. She didn't cough up blood, but her whole body ached as if her bones had been shattered. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and as she looked on, the stunningly handsome man in black turned and left without a word...
Once outside the alley, Ye Qianlong wandered aimlessly, turning this way and that. Where was Li Xue again?
By sheer chance, they arrived at the former Ruyi Restaurant. From the luxurious carriage, a young woman in a rouge-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) gracefully stepped down, supported by her maid. A radiant smile graced her beautiful face: "Thank you for seeing me off. Please give my regards to the Duchess of Wen!"
"Miss Zhuang, please be careful!" came a greeting from inside the carriage, which then sped away.
The beautiful woman smiled slightly and limped towards the Ruyi Restaurant. Ye Qianlong's eyes turned cold, and he strode forward, angrily grabbing the woman's collar: "Where's Li Xue? Where is she?"
Ye Qianlong gripped her collar tightly, making Zhuang Kexin gasp for breath. Her eyes darted around in a panic as she coughed lightly, "Let go first! How did this guy get out here? Did no one notice?"
"Tell me quickly, where is Li Xue?" Ye Qianlong not only didn't let go, but gripped even tighter, a sharp glint flashing in his clear eyes: "I've been waiting here for many days, and I haven't seen Li Xue even once. Are you lying to me?"
"I...how could I dare lie to you!" Zhuang Kexin couldn't break free from Ye Qianlong's grasp, her eyes darting around rapidly: "Li Xue has something to do and has left the capital. She won't be back for a few days..."
Ye Qianlong was very handsome. Normally, Zhuang Kexin would have been in the mood to appreciate him, but in this life-or-death emergency, she was only concerned with surviving and had no time for that.
"You're lying!" Ye Qianlong's jade-like fingers moved instantly from her collar to Zhuang Kexin's slender neck, his clear eyes flashing with cold light: "Just now, I saw Li Xue, she's in the capital..."
The large, jade-like hand tightened its grip, the knuckles turning slightly white, the clear veins bulging. Zhuang Kexin's face turned bluish-purple, devoid of color, her chest heaving with unbearable tension. She wanted to beg for mercy, but couldn't utter a complete sentence: "I...I..."
"You still want to lie to me?" Ye Qianlong's clear gaze was as cold as an icy pool, and his large hand tightened again: They were all lying to him, all lying to him...
"No...no..." Zhuang Kexin struggled, but she couldn't shake off Ye Qianlong's hand. Her neck was tightly gripped, and she couldn't get any fresh air in. The air in her lungs was getting less and less, and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. The scenery in front of her became more and more blurred, and her consciousness was gradually fading away.
No, she can't die, she absolutely can't die! Zhuang Kexin, forcing out her last ounce of strength, quickly opened her eyes and spoke with difficulty, each word distinct: "If I die... you'll never see Shen Lixue again..."
Zhuang Kexin's voice was extremely soft; others could only see her lips moving, but couldn't hear anything. Ye Qianlong, however, heard it. His icy eyes slowly cleared, and he slammed Zhuang Kexin to the ground: "I want to see Li Xue within three days, or else..."
Ye Qianlong didn't say the second half of the sentence, but the light flashing in his eyes sent chills down one's spine, as if a cold air had entered the body, making one shiver from the inside out. Zhuang Kexin shivered and gasped for breath, her chest filled with the joy of surviving a disaster, but also with lingering fear.
This man is an ethereal immortal, untouched by worldly dust, yet also a ruthless and merciless Yama, a sword that eliminates formidable enemies. If used correctly, he will have no worries; but if he makes the slightest mistake, he will be digging his own grave!
Can I control him and make him completely obey my commands?
Walking back to the Prime Minister's residence, watching the crowds come and go, Shen Lixue thought to herself, "Those people who assassinated noble ladies and gentlemen at Xiangguo Temple, and then ambushed Ye Qianlong in front of Wanhua Tower—their martial arts are all extremely high, and they move without a trace. By the time they are noticed, they have already made their move. Who trained these powerful individuals? What is their true purpose? To instigate a war between Qingyan and Xiliang? Not necessarily..."
"Li Xue!" The familiar voice called out, and Shen Li Xue suddenly woke up. She looked up and saw that the Prime Minister's residence was right in front of her. She had returned home.
"Thank you for seeing me off, Your Highness!" Shen Lixue said with a smile, her eyes clear. As a prince, Dongfang Heng had many things to do, and she didn't want to take up his time, but he insisted on seeing her off, so she couldn't refuse.
"Go inside and rest!" Dongfang Heng said softly, his gaze towards Shen Lixue unfathomable.
"Alright!" Shen Lixue agreed, turned and walked into the Prime Minister's residence. The moment she stepped through the gate, Dongfang Heng called out behind her: "Lixue!"
"What is it?" Shen Lixue stopped and turned to look at Dongfang Heng, a hint of doubt flashing in her cold eyes.