The stench of blood in the courtyard rushed straight into people’s nostrils from far away. Qing Zhuo had already sensed something was wrong. He took several steps forward to stand beside Ma San, his entire body frozen in place.

Something had happened! Qing Ying’s expression changed drastically. She exchanged a glance with Qing Tao, stepped forward herself, and then let out a solid cry of alarm.

This time even Qing Tao couldn’t hold Song Chuyi back. Song Chuyi practically took three steps as two to reach the courtyard entrance. Everywhere her gaze touched was bright red blood. Under that loquat tree in the courtyard, blood had pooled everywhere—green leaves, dark red blood, making one dizzy just looking at it.

Song Chuyi involuntarily took a step back, looking at the scene of chaos before her. For the first time, she felt uncontrollable fury rising within her. Then she was the first to step past Ma San, walking rapidly into the courtyard, crossing the bloodstained stone path. She walked faster and faster, until finally she was almost running into the corridor. With a click, she reached out to push the door.

Ma San and Qing Zhuo had already recovered from their shock. Together they rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right, blocking in front of her. “Your Highness, be careful…”

With a click, the door was pushed open. Inside the room lay four or five corpses in disarray.

Song Chuyi’s eyelids jumped violently. Her gaze first looked toward the wide-open window, then with trembling hands she checked Sun Zhaodi lying on the ground soaked in a pool of blood. Almost through gritted teeth, she said to Ma San, “Chase them! Once you have news, don’t come back…”

Ma San almost immediately understood Song Chuyi’s meaning. His fists clenched with a crackling sound, and with one leap he shot out through the window.

The dead weren’t just Sun Zhaodi, but also several others that Cui Shaoting had sent to Song Chuyi. They had followed Song Chuyi for so many years, walking through all kinds of storms together. Even in the most difficult times, at worst they had only nearly lost their lives—nearly.

But now, they had truly and completely lost their lives.

Qing Zhuo could almost see the hatred hidden in Song Chuyi’s blood-red eyes. He had never seen Song Chuyi’s violent aura so heavy before. Hesitating, he walked forward a step to stand beside Song Chuyi, wanting to say something, but Song Chuyi had already stood up with extremely quick movements, ordering Ma Wangkun and the others who had subsequently heard the news and rushed in from behind, “Leave!”

Leave?! Qing Zhuo didn’t react for a moment, but Ma Wangkun and the others reacted extremely quickly. They showed no hesitation toward Song Chuyi’s orders, immediately going down to make arrangements. They knew this surrounding area like the back of their hand. They knew very well in their hearts how to leave most silently and soundlessly. In no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had already finished packing up and retreated in an orderly fashion through the back door.

Song Chuyi, protected by Qing Ying, Qing Tao, and Qing Zhuo, also extremely quickly boarded the carriage from the side gate. Before leaving, she deliberately glanced at the neighboring house. She had escaped danger countless times relying on that neighboring house, but now…

Song Chuyi’s expression had become ugly to the extreme. Even Princess Rongcheng was startled when she saw her, instinctively taking several steps back. She still had blood on her.

“What happened?” After a moment, Princess Rongcheng finally reacted. “There were assassins?! Should I find—”

Song Chuyi’s expression regained composure, her eyes deep, her tone flat and cold to the extreme. “No need, no need to find anyone. Aunt, I need to see Uncle.”

Princess Rongcheng was somewhat astonished, but immediately agreed, instructing someone to go to the front to invite Ye Jingkuan.

When Ye Jingkuan saw Song Chuyi covered in blood, he was also shocked, but before he could ask, Song Chuyi had already first recounted the matter of the Great Immortal Huang Temple residence. Watching Ye Jingkuan’s brows furrow deeply, she continued, “By now, the people from the Five City Military Commissioner’s Office and Shuntian Prefecture should have already arrived. If I had left slowly and happened to be on the scene, then tomorrow the censors’ impeachments wouldn’t just be about the Crown Prince indulging the Earl of Changning’s household and Cui Shaoting’s excessive ambition for merit and glory, but also about the Crown Princess treating human life as grass, privately torturing and killing a Taoist master from Mount Longhu to repay a personal grudge.”

Qing Zhuo drew in a sharp breath. The shock from earlier had finally passed, and he stamped his foot viciously. “Who is this vicious!”

Setting such a poisonous scheme—killing Zheng Baihu to silence him, killing the close confidants around Song Chuyi, then escaping and reporting to the Five City Military Commissioner’s Office and Shuntian Prefecture.

On the surface, Zheng Baihu had no crimes whatsoever. If one insisted on finding one, it would only be that he had once said at the Celestial Master’s Mansion that Master Yuanhui’s prophecy was correct. Now he had died at Song Chuyi’s place, in Song Chuyi’s residence. If Song Chuyi had also been caught on the scene, of course she couldn’t escape involvement.

Ye Jingkuan also reacted, asking in a low voice, “Who was it?!”

Who killed Zheng Baihu to silence him? The news of Zheng Baihu coming to the capital had been suppressed extremely tightly. He himself had only learned of it the day Song Jue came, and he had only recently learned that the residence by the Great Immortal Huang Temple belonged to Song Chuyi.

Just how supernatural were Han Zhengqing’s powers? Who exactly was the person he had planted beside Zhou Weizhao?

“Who it is—there will be results soon.” Song Chuyi said through gritted teeth, the corner of her mouth pulling into an arc that barely qualified as a smile. She raised her eyes to look at Ye Jingkuan. “I trouble Uncle—the people from Shuntian Prefecture didn’t find me, and my people never carry anything that could prove their identities. No one can connect this to me. The people from Shuntian Prefecture probably won’t be able to investigate any leads. I still need to trouble Uncle to help me with something when the time comes…”

Ye Jingkuan understood Song Chuyi’s meaning. He sighed and nodded. “Rest assured, I will properly arrange their funeral affairs.”

“There’s one more thing. I trouble Uncle to send someone to tell my eldest brother, asking him to find a way to pass a message to me.”

Ye Jingkuan frowned, very puzzled. “This matter—it’s related to Han Zhengqing. What exactly does he want to do?”

“Like a cat playing with mice, toying with us in the palm of his hand, making us lose all reputation and standing.” Song Chuyi spoke very quickly, her tone still without much fluctuation. Her entire person was as if immersed in an ice cellar, her whole body radiating coldness. “Let him make his commotion. He won’t be making it much longer.”

Ye Jingkuan’s heart jumped with fright. Han Zhengqing was far away in the northwest, yet he could still have Yecha’s people even kill the defending general of Purple Thorn Pass. Purple Thorn Pass was tottering on the edge of collapse, yet he could still extend his hand into the capital and stir the capital’s situation into complete chaos.

Yet Song Chuyi said it wouldn’t be much longer. He stared with wide eyes, feeling this young girl wasn’t as trustworthy as before. “What do you mean ‘won’t be much longer’?”

Song Chuyi didn’t speak. After a long while, she finally said coldly, “His life—won’t be much longer.”

Back then, Han Zhi had nearly gotten Ma Wangkun killed, so she had made Han Zhi’s family destroyed and scattered.

Now Han Zhengqing wanted her life and the lives of her relatives, and had indeed truly killed her people. She would definitely make Han Zhengqing wish he were dead!

The room fell frighteningly quiet. Princess Rongcheng felt her teeth wanting to chatter as she listened. With difficulty, she finally suppressed it. After glancing at Song Chuyi, she finally reacted. “First go change your clothes…”

Otherwise, being covered in blood like this would likewise easily make people connect her to the murder case at the Great Immortal Huang Temple.