Dongfang Heng looked down at Shen Lixue, who was fast asleep with her eyes slightly closed. Perhaps because she had been drinking, her face radiated a unique glow, like a magnificent snow lotus, glowing with a pure white light.
As the gentle warmth seeped in, the pain in Dongfang Heng's heart gradually disappeared, and his body returned to normal. He looked at Shen Lixue in surprise. What happened? How could Lixue suppress his illness?
Was the illness not flared up last night because Li Xue was in his arms?
To test his guess, Dongfang Heng moved away from Shen Lixue, and his heart indeed began to ache slightly. When he got closer to her, the pain in his heart quickly disappeared.
Dongfang Heng's jade-like fingers gently stroked Shen Lixue's soft hair, his sensual thin lips lightly touched her fragrant lips, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his sharp eyes. Lixue was his lucky star.
In a hazy state, Shen Lixue felt a slight headache, smelled the familiar scent of pine resin, and felt her waist being tightly held. She frowned, opened her eyes, and sure enough, saw Dongfang Heng's bronze chest. Looking up, she saw his handsome face, his eyes slightly closed, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his sleeping face peaceful and serene.
Shen Lixue looked at the sky outside. The sun was already setting in the west. She remembered that she got drunk at night, so it must be the afternoon of the next day now. She slowly sat up and gently tried to pry open Dongfang Heng's arm.
"You must return to the manor!" Dongfang Heng opened his eyes at some point, his dark pupils clearly reflecting her figure.
Shen Lixue nodded: "I've been away from the manor for two days and two nights, my godfather must be worried!"
"I'll take you back!" Dongfang Heng sat up, picked up his coat from the side, and put it on.
"You look a little pale. You should rest well in the manor. The Prince of Zhan's manor is not far away. I can go back by myself!" Shen Lixue stepped over Dongfang Heng and got out of bed. She went behind the screen to wash up and came out, having changed back into the light green Xiang dress that had been washed clean.
"You really don't need me to see you off!" Dongfang Heng stood in the center of the room, his jade-like fingers lightly covering his chest. His injury had healed, and with her by his side, he didn't feel any pain during this relapse.
"No need, you should get some rest!" Shen Lixue smiled gently, turned around and walked out of the room.
Dongfang Heng stood at the door, watching her walk away, and said coldly, "Zi Mo!"
"Yes!" Having followed Dongfang Heng for many years, Zi Mo understood his meaning and quickly followed to protect Shen Lixue.
The entrance to the Holy King's Mansion was deserted, with no carriages in sight. Just as Shen Lixue was about to ask where the carriages from the War King's Mansion had gone, Zi Mo drove up in a carriage: "Miss Shen, the Prince sent the carriages from the War King's Mansion back last night. Please take the Prince's carriage back!"
"Alright!" Shen Lixue just wanted to go back to the manor; she didn't care which carriage she rode in.
Dongfang Heng's carriage was furnished like a living room, complete with music, chess, books, and paintings for leisure. Shen Lixue carefully searched every hidden compartment, but still couldn't find the painting "After the Rain".
Liu Mei frowned slightly. Where exactly did that painting go?
Amidst her confusion, a gust of wind swept in, startling Shen Lixue. She threw back the curtain and jumped out. A powerful force struck the carriage, instantly shattering the sturdy structure into pieces, scattering fragments all over the ground…
Shen Lixue steadied herself, only to find herself standing in an empty alley, with four or five men in black standing in front of and behind her, blocking her way, their eyes flashing with a sharp and murderous aura.
"Who are you? Tell me now, and I might spare your lives!" Shen Lixue sneered. Another assassination attempt. They're really overestimating themselves.
"Shen Lixue, prepare to die!" A relatively petite man in black, with a hoarse voice, thrust his long sword fiercely at Shen Lixue.
Chapter 122: A Shocking Secret, the War King's Wrath
With a flick of her slender hand, Shen Lixue's cyan whip, like a streak of rainbow, drew a graceful arc in mid-air and lashed straight at the man in black.
"You're courting death!" the man in black shouted coldly, swinging his long sword to block the whip. His sharp eyes flashed with a chilling light, and his powerful internal energy struck Shen Lixue with lightning speed.
Shen Lixue smiled and raised her palm to meet the man in black. She was no longer afraid of anyone when it came to fighting with her inner strength. The moment their palms met, Shen Lixue felt a strong electric current strike her nerves from her palm. Her entire arm instantly became numb and painful, losing most of its sensation. Her body was also shaken and she took a step back.
The man in black staggered back three or four steps before coming to a stop, looking at Shen Lixue in shock: "You actually have such profound internal strength!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. There were very few people who had fought her and knew that she had no internal energy. She had already guessed seven or eight parts of the identity of the man in black in front of her: "If you act rashly without understanding your enemy, you will only end up dead!"
Shen Lixue's gaze turned cold, and she lashed out with her sharp whip at the man in black. The man in black steadied himself and, not to be outdone, swung his longsword at the whip. The two began to fight instantly. Two slender figures, one in black and one in water green, accompanied by the shadow of the cyan whip and the silver sword light, created a dazzling spectacle.
Shen Lixue's bodyguards appeared and engaged the men in black in battle. In an instant, the empty alley was filled with the sounds of fierce clashes of weapons.
The man in black was extremely skilled in martial arts, his moves were sharp and relentless, and he pressed forward step by step. Shen Lixue's moves were simple, but they were always effective. The two exchanged several moves in no time.
Shen Lixue was single-minded and her use of internal energy became more and more proficient, and her moves became more and more fierce. On the other hand, the man in black was preoccupied with his own thoughts, and his icy gaze kept looking at the pile of carriage fragments, as if he was searching for something. In the moment of distraction, a long whip lashed out and hit her arm hard, tearing the thin black sleeve and revealing a long bloodstain on her fair skin.
"Shen Lixue!" the woman in black roared, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury. She gathered all her inner strength into her longsword and swiftly swung it at Shen Lixue.
Shen Lixue knew something was wrong. Instead of taking the blow head-on, she lightly touched the ground with her feet and leaped away to dodge. The sharp sword strike grazed her clothes and hit the broken carriage hard. The fragments on the ground were sent flying again. The white jade zither, black and white chess pieces, writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone floated into the air and scattered all over the ground. A scroll rolled out of the ruins.
The man in black's eyes lit up, and he leaped to pick up the scroll!
Shen Lixue's eyes darkened, and she lashed out with her long whip at the man in black. Trying to snatch the scroll wouldn't be so easy.
The sharp green whip grazed the black-clad man's cheek, caught the scroll, and flung it into the sky.
Unaware of the trap, the man in black leaped up to chase the scroll, leaving his vital areas, such as his chest and back, unguarded.
Shen Lixue's gaze was cold and aloof, her lips slightly upturned. With a flick of her slender fingers, three silver needles flashed with silver light and shot swiftly toward the black-clad man's chest.
The silver light seeped into his skin, and a sharp pain shot through him. The man in black clutched his chest, his movements abruptly halting.
Shen Lixue flipped her wrist again, and the long whip rolled back into the scroll, gently falling into her hand. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, creating a hazy, indescribable beauty.
Zi Mo and four or five guards quickly gathered behind her, holding sharp longswords and staring intently at the man in black.
The man in black was startled. He looked around and saw that the men he had brought were lying haphazardly on the ground, bleeding profusely from their chests, necks, and abdomens. They were all dead, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
"Shen Lixue, you're ruthless!" The man in black glared at Shen Lixue hatefully, threw something down, and plumes of black smoke rose as he quickly flew away.
The smoke dissipated quickly, and the man in black was already on the distant horizon, his figure reduced to a tiny black dot.
Zi Mo's gaze sharpened. He couldn't let this fish escape. He lightly touched the ground with his feet, preparing to get up and give chase.
Shen Lixue raised her hand to stop him: "Don't pursue a desperate enemy!" She had already guessed the man's identity; dealing with him would be a piece of cake.
The sound of hurried footsteps rang out, and a large group of guards turned the corner and entered the alley. The leader was a man in armor, riding a fast horse, with a slightly youthful face. He was none other than the Fifth Prince, Dongfang Che.
Upon seeing Shen Lixue, Dongfang Che was taken aback. He dismounted and strode over to Shen Lixue, asking, "Princess Lixue, what happened?"