Jun Beiyue turned aside to dodge the tip of the whip and glanced ahead. He didn’t know who the black-clad figure who had just kidnapped Ziqing was, but he understood clearly that this black-clad figure’s ability far surpassed that of this purple-clad woman!
If he wasted even a moment more, there would be no catching up at all.
Yingzi had already slipped away deliberately; their only hope now rested on the city’s blockade.
But this woman—he would absolutely not let her get away!
“You are not yet qualified to speak that word ‘worthy’ to this prince,” Jun Beiyue said coldly. With Ziqing already taken, what did he have left to hold back for?
The moment the words left his mouth, he abruptly raised his hand. In an instant, the purple-clad woman’s mask shattered into pieces—had she not hastily stepped back, her entire face might well have shattered along with it!
With the mask broken, a face of unrivaled beauty was revealed. In that instant, even Situ Haonan found himself drawn in. Heavens, how could there exist a woman so beautiful in this world!
The onlookers all around, still not fully grasping what was happening, were likewise stunned at the sight of this woman’s face, none daring to blink, afraid to miss even a single glimpse!
And even Situ Xin’er, dull as she was, finally understood—this woman was no friend!
Only Jun Beiyue alone remained utterly unmoved by Yanzi’s beauty, his blood-red eyes holding nothing but fury and killing intent.
Yanzi was coldly beautiful, imperious and arrogant—compared to the vain, empty-headed women around her, she truly had the capital to be haughty. Yet before Jun Beiyue’s fury, even her arrogance was forced to yield several degrees!
Of course, she would never admit defeat—not even before the man she loved most.
She raised her chin, and her faint smile was all the more devastatingly beautiful. “Why wouldn’t I be qualified? Only I am truly worthy of you, Jun Beiyue!”
Jun Beiyue had no intention of wasting another word on this woman. He drew his sword, unleashing wind blade after wind blade at the purple-clad woman, the speed and precision of his attacks so overwhelming that she barely had time to retreat!
But just then, Old Woman Qiu suddenly threw himself in the way, taking every one of Jun Beiyue’s wind blades head-on, coughing up blood as he shouted, “Mistress, go!”
The moment the words left his mouth, the purple-clad woman kicked Old Woman Qiu viciously—unexpectedly sending him flying straight toward Jun Beiyue—before turning and fleeing!
A servant dies for her, and this is how she repays him—what a heartless, ungrateful woman!
Jun Beiyue split Old Woman Qiu’s body in two with a single stroke of sword qi and gave chase immediately. But unexpectedly, Situ Xin’er had already been lying in wait not far off, intending to intercept the purple-clad woman!
Situ Haonan immediately flew into a rage. “You wretched girl, get out of the way!”
Situ Xin’er, ever relying on her status as the daughter of the head of the martial world alliance, had never known her own limits, and did not take the purple-clad woman’s skill seriously at all. She thought that if she suddenly lent a hand, Brother Beiyue would surely look at her in a new light!
With this in mind, Situ Xin’er ignored Situ Haonan’s hoarse, furious shouting entirely, drawing her sword and charging swiftly at the purple-clad woman. “Yanzi, you liar!”
The corner of Yanzi’s lips curled into a cold smile—she knew her chance had come!
She let Situ Xin’er’s sword thrust straight at her without dodging at all, but at the very last critical instant, she suddenly seized her wrist and yanked her around, using her as a human shield!
At that very moment, Jun Beiyue’s wind blade was already about to strike, having paid Situ Xin’er no mind whatsoever—this purple-clad woman was his only lead to finding Ziqing, and perhaps even his only lead to curing her face!
He would absolutely not let her escape.
Yanzi was banking on his concern for Situ Xin’er—but in fact, this was precisely his opportunity. Jun Beiyue, far from holding back, instead channeled three-tenths more of his internal energy, a wind blade powerful enough to pierce through two people at once ready to be unleashed!
But at that very moment, Situ Haonan suddenly threw himself directly in front of Jun Beiyue, so close, so terribly close—just three steps away!
“No! She’s my own sister!”
Situ Haonan cried out in alarm, terrified for perhaps the first time in his life, terrified of Jun Beiyue—this man’s blood-red gaze told him that Situ Xin’er would certainly die.
In this world, aside from using Han Ziqing as leverage, what else could possibly be used to threaten this man?
Life and death could turn on a single instant; a duel between masters could reverse everything in the blink of an eye!
Just as Jun Beiyue hesitated, the purple-clad woman smiled, kicked Situ Xin’er away hard, and turned to flee!
Aside from Han Ziqing, only a brother’s life could be used so easily to threaten him!
She knew that since Situ Haonan had come out to block him, he would not step aside—either Jun Beiyue backed down, or Situ Haonan would die.
This was his only friend since childhood, a brother closer than family, a man who had given up his position as young master of the martial world to spend every day at his side, running himself ragged on his behalf.
How could he bring himself to strike him down?
“I’ll go investigate right away, I’ll go look for her right away. If I can’t find her, I… I…”
Situ Haonan didn’t know what to do either, panting heavily, pacing back and forth in agitation. In the end, he gave the unconscious Situ Xin’er a vicious kick and stormed off.
Yingzi had already dispersed everyone. The vast courtyard lay in complete disarray.
Jun Beiyue stood frozen, his mind blank except for the endless replay of Ziqing’s monstrous, terrifying face.
Where was Ziqing now? She who feared neither heaven nor earth—would she be afraid of her own face?
He had always known there were many people who coveted her; he had always been on guard, always calculating and planning ahead!
Yet he never expected that even with all his precautions, this time he would still fall into their trap!
“Master, that earlier information was deliberately leaked by that woman! She knew we’d been searching for her all along!” Yingzi said anxiously.
They had already gathered intelligence on the purple-clad woman and made their arrangements—but they never expected that she was no longer outside the capital, and had already entered the city long before!
The consort’s disfigurement was clearly her doing—she had deliberately arranged for the prince to see his consort’s hideous appearance!
“Search! Search the entire city! Don’t let so much as an ant slip out!” Jun Beiyue said coldly, his voice as if it had come from the depths of hell itself, chilling even Yingzi to the bone. Yingzi had originally meant to ask what should be done with the phoenix crown and wedding robes, but dared not ask now.
That night, New Year’s Eve, the lights at Prince Yao’s residence burned all through the night. The West Garden stood empty—even the most festive red could not stir up any joy. The East Garden, too, stood empty, the New Year’s Eve dinner untouched on the table, with only Hongyi keeping solitary watch over it.
That night, New Year’s Eve, the capital of Da Zhou was placed under citywide alert, rumors spreading wildly, soldiers stationed on every street!
And yet, in that most dangerous of places—right within the capital itself, in a secret chamber of that very inn—Yanzi calmly and unhurriedly applied medicine to Xuanyuan Lige’s wounds.
“Don’t look at me like that. Even if your eyes could kill, you haven’t the strength to resist anyway.”
“I want to see her!”
“She’s so hideous now—are you sure you want to see her?” Yanzi asked, smiling with obvious delight.
“What exactly have you done to her?” Xuanyuan Lige demanded furiously, gritting his teeth, nearly coughing up blood.
“There’s poison hidden within the scar on the side of her face. This poison, once it comes into contact with the scent of Yanzi’s rouge, will slowly spread across her entire face!” Yanzi said, laughing so hard she trembled like a flower in the wind. “Xuanyuan Lige, you’ve seen the side of her face before, haven’t you? You can surely imagine just how hideous she must look now. Take my advice—you’d best not see her at all.”