Why did the Empress suddenly begin screaming? Because Feng Jiu’er had done something utterly mad — she had used a silver needle to pierce and mar the Empress’s face.

A sharp, stinging pain bloomed across her face, and she could faintly sense something warm trickling down — it had to be blood, it had to be blood!

Nanmen Rong was so terrified she let out a scream. Never in her life had she been thrown into such panic.

Nothing else frightened her — but to ruin her face! Heavens! Feng Jiu’er had actually ruined her exquisite, flower-like face!

She was terrified. This was the one thing she feared, and feared deeply. She truly was afraid!

The guards stood there wide-eyed and slack-jawed, watching helplessly as the Empress was humiliated and wounded, yet not one of them dared step forward to stop it.

The Empress was still in her hands. If they moved even slightly and sent Feng Jiu’er into a greater frenzy, causing her to kill the Empress outright, would they not all be guilty of a capital offense?

That guard with the long sword stood protectively before Feng Jiu’er and Empress Rong. No one could tell when he had put on the black cloth mask covering his face — all that was certain was that it made it completely impossible to make out his true appearance.

The Empress kept screaming and cursing at Feng Jiu’er, but every time she spat out another curse, Feng Jiu’er drove in another needle.

In the end, the Empress did not dare curse anymore. The Empress, so accustomed to her lofty position above all others, actually opened her mouth and began to beg Feng Jiu’er for mercy.

“Jiu’er, I beg you — for the sake of the many years Heng has known and been close to you — spare this consort, I beg you.”

For a woman, what matters most? Her face, of course — that face of hers.

Fortunately, what Feng Jiu’er held was a silver needle and not a knife. If it had been a knife, her face would likely be beyond any saving by now.

Even so, a silver needle was terrifying enough. Each thrust of the needle drew blood immediately, and there was no telling how many times her face had been pierced — by now it was probably riddled with wounds.

“Jiu’er, have mercy, spare this consort, spare this consort please.”

If not for so many guards watching, the Empress truly would have wept.

Even being killed outright would not have frightened her to this degree — but her face, her most precious face…

The masked guard standing before them felt a twinge of helplessness. Make an enemy of this girl, and the consequences were truly grim.

Even a Empress — she could still bring herself to act against her. In her eyes, people simply had no distinction of high or low, noble or base.

Empress Rong had done so much to her mother and to the Long family. That Jiu’er had not killed her outright to avenge them was already remarkable enough.

At the very least, Feng Jiu’er had not entirely lost her mind. She still understood that killing Nanmen Rong here and now would throw Bei Mu into chaos.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle had already received the imperial decree ordering him to lead troops on campaign — and that was precisely because an external threat had suddenly grown fierce.

If at this very moment Bei Mu also erupted in internal strife — beset by troubles both within and without — the ones who would suffer in the end would be none other than the countless common people.

Jiu’er. Always so kind, bearing the whole world in her heart.

“What happened here has probably already alarmed the Surveillance Bureau and the palace. If we do not leave now, the imperial army will arrive very soon.” He spoke in a hoarse voice to warn her.

Feng Jiu’er bit her lip, her heart full of reluctance.

She truly wanted nothing more than to drive one final needle through this wicked Nanmen Rong — but this woman, for now, could not be killed.

Kill her, and Bei Mu would descend into chaos!

Her fingers tightened. At last, she delivered a fierce slap across Nanmen Rong’s face, then took her as a hostage and began walking toward the edge of the execution ground.

The masked guard stayed at her back, guarding against any surprise attack.

Having been struck across the face in front of everyone, Nanmen Rong felt a desire to die.

But she must not die. She absolutely must not die!

The humiliation Feng Jiu’er had dealt her — she would repay it in full. She absolutely could not die!

The three of them moved swiftly toward the exit of the execution ground. But just as they stepped out, they looked up and saw a large contingent of soldiers rushing toward them.

The Imperial Guards had truly come!

Jiu’er and the masked guard exchanged a glance. Before they could even react, another group of riders suddenly burst in from outside. At their head was a figure with looks that were strikingly, unmistakably striking — the kind of beauty that belied her female form — none other than Zhan Luori.

“Take her and go!” Zhan Luori leapt from her horse in a single fluid motion and landed before the three of them in an instant.

The masked guard did not hesitate — with a single palm strike he sent Nanmen Rong flying, then seized Jiu’er by the wrist, tapped off the ground lightly, and swept over the heads of the crowd.

The Imperial Guards moved at once to give chase, only to be intercepted by the elite fighters Zhan Luori had brought with her.

Their opponent was the Seventh Princess. The guards wanted to push through, but they dared not hurt the princess herself. For a moment, a force of over a hundred men ground to a complete halt.

Nanmen Rong struggled up from the ground with great effort. After her guards helped unseal the pressure point Feng Jiu’er had struck, she fixed her furious gaze on Zhan Luori and shrieked: “Pursue and capture Feng Jiu’er immediately! Anyone who sides with Feng Jiu’er — kill them without mercy!”

Kill without mercy!

Right now, the Seventh Princess was plainly helping Feng Jiu’er escape — did that not make her one of Feng Jiu’er’s accomplices?

Was she truly to apply that kill-without-mercy order to the Seventh Princess? But she was, after all, a princess of the realm!

“This consort has ordered you to kill without mercy — do you hear me? Kill!”

Nanmen Rong was beside herself with fury. She snatched a sword from one of the guards and surged forward, intent on cutting Zhan Luori down.

The humiliation Feng Jiu’er had inflicted on her was a debt she could never repay in this lifetime. She had to vent now, at this very moment!

This wretched Seventh Princess — did she think that just because His Majesty had always been fond of her, she could act however she pleased in front of her?

She was nothing but a common princess. In the imperial family, a princess was worth nothing.

If not for the fact that she was a princess, did she think she could have lived to this day in peace?

And now, she actually dared to help Feng Jiu’er bully her! How could Nanmen Rong endure this?

With a swift whistle through the air, her sword thrust at Zhan Luori — fast as lightning!

Now that the Empress herself had struck, how could those below still hesitate? Blade tip after blade tip swung toward Zhan Luori.

A princess without power or influence was naturally no match for an Empress with troops at her command. Whose side to take, who to protect and who to cast aside — was that really so hard to read?

Over a hundred soldiers, in an instant, surrounded Zhan Luori and her dozen-odd companions. Sword light flashed and blades gleamed, ready to ignite at a single touch.

Yet no one had anticipated it — the Seventh Princess’s martial skill far surpassed what anyone had imagined.

A hundred elite guards, and not one of them could advance even half a step against her.

Nanmen Rong had not anticipated it either. This girl, with her masculine looks, turned out to be such a formidable fighter. Her Imperial Guard force was sent staggering in every direction, yet the girl had not so much as a thread of her clothing cut.

So she was a supreme martial artist all along. No wonder she had dared to be so disrespectful toward her.

Empress Rong gave a cold smile, then suddenly said in a low, measured voice: “If you want to watch your mother consort in the palace suffer unspeakable torment until she is dead, then by all means — keep fighting back.”

Two sentences, and Zhan Luori’s sword came to a stop.

Empress Rong seized the moment. With a swift, slashing motion, her blade swept across Zhan Luori’s arm. A searing sound, and the sword left a wound across Zhan Luori’s arm.

Crimson blood instantly dyed her white robe red.

Still not satisfied, Nanmen Rong leveled her sword once more — this time aimed directly at Zhan Luori’s heart.

The Empress truly wanted the Seventh Princess’s life!

But the Seventh Princess was wary of harm coming to her mother consort in the palace. At a moment like this, would she dare to fight back?

In the blink of an eye, the sword reached the Seventh Princess’s chest…