"I was shot with a few arrows, but my heart was not injured. I will recover after a period of rest!" Dongfang Xun smiled, his hand covering his injured chest. His gentle gaze passed through Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue and looked at Dongfang Zhan, who was five or six meters away.
“Prince Zhan!” His expression darkened slightly, and his magnetic voice carried a chilling undertone, no longer as gentle and soft as when he spoke to Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue.
Dongfang Zhan glanced at Dongfang Xun's feet and saw a shadow. It wasn't a ghost sighting during the day. Looking closer at Dongfang Xun, his handsome features, elegant demeanor, and striking eyebrows were unique to him and could not be imitated by anyone else.
He actually survived! He escaped with his life thanks to the three arrows fired in quick succession. He was incredibly lucky and had a lot of life. He felt a little uneasy, but he didn't want to lose face: "Congratulations, Prince Xun! You survived such a calamity. You are sure to have good fortune in the future!" His voice was weak, no longer as arrogant as before.
"I am alive, but Prince Zhan seems very unhappy!" A chill gradually crept into Dongfang Xun's gentle eyes.
Dongfang Zhan concealed the anger and coldness in his eyes, and smiled: "I almost cried tears of joy when I saw the Crown Prince alive." Happiness and joy pale in comparison to tears of joy.
"When I, Prince An, and Li Xue arrived at the foot of the mountain that day, the ground was covered with arrows. The guards were riddled with arrows. It is easy to imagine that the rain of arrows was extremely fierce. I wonder how Prince Xun managed to escape?"
Dongfang Zhan was very confident in his archery skills. Those he shot had no chance of survival. It was truly astonishing that Dongfang Xun was unharmed after being hit by his arrow. He wanted to know the answer, but he couldn't show it too obviously, so he pulled Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue along.
The two of them also wanted to know how Dongfang Xun had escaped, so they didn't dwell on it and looked at Dongfang Xun with suspicion.
"As the arrows flew, the guards surrounded me in the middle. In the chaos, a loyal guard swapped clothes with me!" He escaped death, while the guard was shot into a pincushion in his place.
Dongfang Zhan frowned slightly. No wonder he survived; he had used the "golden cicada shedding its shell" trick to escape the rain of arrows amidst the chaos.
"I was severely wounded and exhausted. After escaping the hail of arrows, I collapsed in a small valley and only regained consciousness after a day and a night..."
As Dongfang Xun spoke, his sharp gaze suddenly shot towards the hypocritical Dongfang Zhan: "This young master has seen the culprit who shot me!"
Dongfang Zhan felt a sudden thud, and his panicked heart jumped into his throat. His eyes were filled with uncertain emotions. Dongfang Zhan saw that he had shot him. How could this be?
My father hates fratricide the most. If he finds out what I have done, he will be furious and will not hesitate to lock me in prison. I will never be able to turn my life around. What should I do?
"Prince Zhan's eyes have been darting around. Could it be that he has done something wrong?" Shen Lixue's eyebrows curved into a smile, but her gaze toward Dongfang Zhan was as cold as ice.
"I act with integrity and would never do anything against my conscience. The reason your eyes are flickering is because I am injured and a little tired." Dongfang Zhan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, forcing a smile. His sharp gaze secretly swept over Dongfang Heng and Dongfang Xun. He could not allow his future and ambitions to be ruined by the two of them.
Dongfang Xun was seriously injured and not a threat, but Dongfang Heng was highly skilled in martial arts and extremely difficult to deal with. Under normal circumstances, he could still compete with him, but now that he was also seriously injured, he was definitely no match for him. There was no one in the manor whose martial arts were comparable to his, so killing the two of them to silence them would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
If they don't die, they'll go to the palace and complain to the Emperor, and my life will be over. What should I do? Should I use Prince Qin Junhao of the Southern Frontier?
From beginning to end, he only thought about killing Dongfang Xun and silencing Dongfang Heng, never about killing Shen Lixue, who also knew the truth.
"Brother, who exactly shot you?" Dongfang Heng asked Dongfang Xun, but his sharp gaze was fixed on Dongfang Zhan. The person he suspected was self-evident.
Everyone fell silent instantly, their hearts pounding with anxiety. All eyes were fixed on Dongfang Xun, awaiting his answer. Daring to shoot the heir of the Holy King's Mansion was an audacious crime punishable by death. He should be beheaded immediately upon capture.
Dongfang Zhan's large, wheat-colored hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves, his eyes deep and thoughtful, secretly preparing for a fight. No matter what, he couldn't let this matter reach his father's ears. If Dongfang Xun and Dongfang Heng knew the secret, they would die!
She glanced up at Dongfang Xun and was surprised to find him looking at her as well. Dongfang Xun's cold voice rang out: "I only saw a sapphire blue hem of that person's clothes, but I didn't see his face!"
Dongfang Zhan was taken aback, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly relaxed. He breathed a long sigh of relief. He had been worried for so long, but it turned out that Dongfang Xun hadn't seen him. Thinking back carefully, he realized that he had been hiding in the tree the whole time, with the dense branches and leaves completely obscuring him. It was impossible for Dongfang Xun to see his face.
“I remember that Prince Zhan’s clothes were almost always blue!” Royal blue, sky blue, azure, navy blue, every time Shen Lixue saw Dongfang Zhan, he was wearing blue brocade robes. Although the style and color might change, without exception, they were all blue. He had a special fondness for blue.
"I do like blue, but I am not the only one in Qingyan who wears blue clothes. To conclude that I am the murderer based solely on that blue hem is far too arbitrary!" Dongfang Zhan had no more scruples since he couldn't see Dongfang Xun's face. He spoke in a clear and unhurried voice, his lips curling into a slight, smug smile.
"The murderer is utterly depraved and will surely be caught and torn to pieces. My elder brother is seriously injured, so he should go to the manor to rest first. We can discuss this matter later!" Dongfang Heng glanced at Dongfang Zhan, his eyes flashing with a chilling coldness. Dongfang Zhan was cunning and treacherous, and dealing with him would not be a matter of a day or two; it required a long-term plan.
Dongfang Xun nodded, glanced coldly at Dongfang Zhan, and slowly walked into the Holy King's Mansion. His gentle voice carried on the wind: "Second brother, the day after tomorrow is September 16th. Although I am seriously injured, my life is not in danger. Your wedding with Li Xue can proceed as scheduled..."
Dongfang Heng suddenly stopped and turned to look at Dongfang Zhan: "My wedding with Li Xue can proceed as scheduled. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Prince Zhan!"
Dongfang Zhan's face instantly turned terribly gloomy. He clenched his fists and looked at the graceful, slender figure in the sunlight. His eyes flashed with cold light. Dongfang Xun was back. Dongfang Heng could finally marry Shen Lixue as he wished. Damn it, damn it!
A few meters away, a pedestrian suddenly realized: "Was that really Prince Xun just now?"
"Yes, yes, Prince Xun is not dead!"
"September 16th is the wedding day of Prince An and Princess Lixue..."
"Yes, yes, Prince Xun has returned safely, and the wedding will proceed as scheduled..."
The crowd gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves.
Dongfang Zhan was annoyed by what he heard, and flung the curtain down, saying, "Let's go back to the manor!"
The curtain, though made of cloth, slammed shut with a loud thud, showing just how angry he was. The coachman dared not utter a word, meekly agreeing before speeding the carriage toward the Prince Zhan's residence.
Although Dongfang Xun's injuries were severe, they were not fatal. The Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang carefully took his pulse, confirmed that he was out of danger, wrote a prescription, and had him decoct the medicine and take it.
After Dongfang Xun fell asleep, Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue returned to Fengsong Courtyard.
Closing the door to block out the view, Shen Lixue's cold eyes flashed as she interrogated Dongfang Heng: "Did you already know your elder brother wasn't dead?"
When Dongfang Xun appeared, Dongfang Heng was happy but not surprised, clearly knowing that he would return.
“That’s right!” Dongfang Heng nodded, taking a sip of his tea.
"When did you realize something was wrong?" On the day Dongfang Xun was murdered, Dongfang Heng cried bitterly. At that time, he certainly did not know that Dongfang Xun was still alive.
"After examining Su Lie's body, I found a flaw. It suddenly occurred to me that my elder brother also practiced martial arts, but he didn't like using a sword. The person wearing light blue clothes had calluses on the tiger's mouth of his right hand, which was caused by using a sword. The body is not my elder brother's!"
Upon suddenly seeing Dongfang Xun's corpse, Dongfang Heng was overcome with grief and didn't have time to notice these details. Only after calming down and thinking carefully did he discover the flaws.
Shen Lixue blinked: "So, you sent your secret guards to investigate at the foot of the mountain!" No wonder Zimo hasn't been seen these past few days; he was out rescuing someone.
"My elder brother is seriously injured and doesn't have the strength to return to the city. He's been recuperating near the small mountain valley!" The old prince is seriously ill, and Dongfang Heng has also suffered from heart disease. Dongfang Xun cares about the two of them and is very knowledgeable about herbs. He used local herbs from the mountains to treat his injuries; otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have made it this far.
"The safe return of Prince Xun will surely cause a sensation!" Dongfang Xun was unconscious in a small valley, and everyone thought he was dead, which led to the downfall of the Duke of Wen's mansion.
If Dongfang Heng had found him back then, and hadn't been so enraged as to seek revenge on Dongfang Zhan, Su Lie wouldn't have died, and the arrow-making workshop at Huoyin Mountain wouldn't have been discovered. That's what you call a twist of fate, and evil being punished!