All night the north wind blew fierce. Snowflakes danced in pairs, first sparse then dense. Gradually the ground was covered with a layer of white.

Such weather was no longer suitable for camping outdoors. The guard captain sent people to find inhabitable households or ancestral halls and temples. The news they got back was—there were none.

“How is that possible?” The guard captain said irritably. “This isn’t some remote wilderness. It’s not far from Jianghuai either. How could there be no households?”

One guard hesitated before saying, “Sir, actually there originally were some. But I heard recently a tragic case occurred here—haunting. People from nearby villages have all moved away.” As he spoke, he pointed at a small village not far away, whispering a few sentences in the guard captain’s ear. That captain’s expression immediately changed.

“Since there’s a village nearby, let’s stay there.” The carriage curtain lifted—it was Feng Zhiwei speaking.

“Grand Consort…”

Feng Zhiwei had already dropped the curtain without allowing argument.

The guard captain gritted his teeth and waved his hand. The carriage procession headed in that direction. Before long they reached a small village. Finding several cleaner houses, they came to request Feng Zhiwei’s presence.

“Indeed desolate.” Feng Zhiwei descended from the carriage. Just as she was about to head toward the houses, her nose suddenly caught a whiff of a strange smell.

She stopped. Her gaze shifted. Suddenly she said, “We’re not staying. Let’s go.”

“Ah?” The guard captain was bewildered by her back-and-forth orders. Feng Zhiwei had already turned around and returned to the carriage.

The guard captain still stood dazed. Feng Zhiwei was already urging from the carriage, “Why aren’t we moving?”

The guards were helpless. Thinking nobles were truly difficult to serve, they could only gather the procession again and pass through the village. Feng Zhiwei continuously urged the procession to move quickly. However, the ground after snowfall was muddy, constantly trapping the carriage wheels. But Feng Zhiwei didn’t say to stop either. Everyone busied themselves sweating profusely. With difficulty traveling several li, Feng Zhiwei looked back at that village, sighing, “Looks like we can’t go far. There’s a grove nearby. Let’s rest in the carriages on the spot.”

The guards felt greatly relieved. They quickly drove carriages and horses toward the grove. After walking a few steps, suddenly from the distance came a “whoosh” sound. A cluster of golden fireworks shot into the sky. The fireworks illuminated several li around. Faintly at that small village they’d just stayed in, figures flashed, slaughter unceasing.

Where the fireworks lit, clearly reflected was a tall figure wielding a blade in chaos, then being cut down by countless swords and blades.

Like a silent shadow puppet show, yet revealing bloody, brutal killing.

Everyone stared blankly in that direction, all maintaining twisted-body postures, frozen motionless. Thinking if not for this cluster of fireworks lighting up, they wouldn’t know an assassination happened behind them. If not for the Grand Consort’s vigilance refusing to stay in the small village, probably now they too would be drawn into this slaughter.

At this moment, so close to the official road in an inland town, such brazen assassination occurring—this meant the opponents’ backing was extremely great. Getting involved in such matters—how could one survive?

The fireworks lit then extinguished. Everyone in darkness slowly turned their heads back. All felt cold sweat had instantly soaked through their undershirts.

“Grand Consort…” The guard captain called Feng Zhiwei once, both ashamed and grateful in a low voice. Feng Zhiwei waved her hand, stopping his words, saying, “We may not have escaped the opponents’ ambush perimeter.”

At these words everyone tensed again. The guard captain swallowed saliva, saying, “Looks like the side being ambushed also has considerable status. Those golden fireworks only princes and nobles can use. Nearby officials seeing those fireworks will rush to give aid…”

“Is that so?” Feng Zhiwei laughed coldly, her lowered gaze clear and cold. “Since someone dares ambush and attack here, would they fear local officials? You’ll see—no one will come.”

How would anyone come? If she hadn’t guessed wrong, this was where the Seventh Prince’s subordinates slaughtered villages. Since slaughtering villages locally to falsely claim military merit, they necessarily couldn’t hide it from local officials. When reporting merit, local officials must have received considerable benefits—truly grasshoppers on one rope. Now it was quite obvious the court envoy tried to investigate the case in the surroundings. Yet the Seventh Prince wanted to secretly kill them in the death village. Afterward, casually pin it on bandits, common people, or even the Qingyang Sect—settling everything once and for all. So not only would officials ignore it, perhaps officials even tipped them off.

Feng Zhiwei leaned against the carriage, quietly listening to distant shouts of killing. The chaotic north wind easily swept away and confused those dying calls. But she still discerned the ambushing force was substantial. The Seventh Prince must have invested heavily.

Earlier when entering the village, she’d smelled a faint medicinal scent. Not poison—more like some extremely cold medicinal material. Zong Chen once said some medicinal substances used as catalysts were more effective than poison for those with hidden ailments.

So she immediately withdrew, indicating to those ambushing in the darkness she didn’t want to wade into murky waters.

Apparently the grassland Grand Consort’s carriage markings made the opponents somewhat wary. So far they hadn’t moved.

The sounds of killing ahead gradually weakened.

Had those people already succeeded? Or…

Feng Zhiwei suddenly opened her eyes, brows lifting.

From another direction, quite a few highly skilled martial artists were rapidly approaching!

Were they going to clean up the small village battlefield? Or ultimately uneasy, coming to deal with her?

Feng Zhiwei sat steadily. Her hand extended from the carriage curtain, making a gesture toward the outside.

This gesture the court guards couldn’t understand. But her secret guards understood. They immediately moved silently, occupying various defensive positions, kneeling on one knee, hands reaching behind, gripping sword hilts exposed at their shoulders.

Though the court guards didn’t understand what they were doing, they vaguely knew something would happen. That captain with pale face waved his hand. A team of guards quickly crouched over in a cat-like posture, half-kneeling before the carriage, arrows nocked, eyes wide open vigilantly staring at the dense night.

“Whoosh whoosh.” A series of wind-bringing sounds swept past. The court guards only felt their eyes blur—on all sides already appeared countless masked people.

The guard captain swallowed saliva, standing up, calling out, “Who comes! Quickly announce yourselves! This is Huozhuo Grand Consort, Princess Shengying’s…”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Two commands simultaneously cut off the proper self-introduction. One came from the masked killers, one from Feng Zhiwei!

As the word “kill” left their lips, black shadows and gray shadows flashed continuously, penetrating chaotic snow like flying rain. In an instant they met in midair, fiercely colliding!

“Crack!”

The masked person drew their blade midair. Snow-bright blade light lit up like a startled rainbow, directly cleaving toward the opponent’s head!

“Thwack!”

The Xue Futu secret guard didn’t avoid the blade light, raising a knee midair! A muffled sound—the knee struck the opponent’s abdomen. A bloody hole exploded forth. In the spraying blood, the blade light’s momentum immediately weakened. The secret guard who’d crashed into the enemy’s embrace took it in hand, casually chopping, one spin!

Over ten fine heads flew up and fell. Midair rained down a blood shower!

One move—killing ten people!

Ferocious! Swift as a falcon! Decisive! Cold-blooded!

The blood rain’s stench fell on court guards’ heads. Each person stood frozen like clay sculptures and wooden carvings, not knowing to wipe. That scene just now in the blink of an eye was heart-stopping. When had they ever seen such a killing method? For a moment their hearts pounded, spirits dizzy, plunging straight into nightmares.

With a thud, a young guard raised his hand, wiping a face full of blood. Eyes rolling back, he fainted.

With several whooshing sounds, the Xue Futu secret guards landed. Casually kicking aside those heads, very satisfied as they lifted their knees.

In the darkness white light flashed—on their knees they actually all wore steel knee guards full of barbs. Wherever they struck, there would be a huge bloody hole!

Those masked people’s martial arts actually weren’t weak. They just lost due to underestimating the enemy, never imagining that in this unremarkable procession there would be such a group of killing gods.

Feng Zhiwei clutched the carriage curtain, also stunned. This batch of secret guards she wasn’t too familiar with. They were specially deployed by Zong Chen before departure. Zong Chen told her, unlike the previous batch of secret guards responsible for information gathering and concealing their forms, these were true Xue Futu iron guards. What they’d always learned was killing arts, what they did was blade-edge work—ferocity number one under heaven.

This was truly too… ferocious.

For a moment the grove was silent. Blood rain fell on thin snow—the ground a patch of faint red. Heads rolled everywhere like a Shura field. The opponents also seemed shocked by this absolute killing method. The remaining people instinctively retreated backward.

“Gentlemen.” In the silence, a woman’s gentle yet cool voice suddenly came from inside the carriage. “Tonight’s matter is a misunderstanding. You heavily wounded people. We merely defended ourselves. We’re passing through here, only seeking a peaceful night’s stay. We don’t plan to provoke trouble. After tonight, each goes their own way, no more entanglement. Why must we fight to the death, bitterly pressing?”

The masked people surrounding the grove showed shifting gazes. They understood Feng Zhiwei’s meaning. All revealed a bit of hesitation.

Feng Zhiwei’s gaze through the curtain fell on corpses on the ground. Among them, one corpse’s lifted clothing faintly revealed a brand on the skin—that was a death row prisoner’s mark. Another corpse had a worn spot on the scabbard. If she hadn’t guessed wrong, that blade was a military sword. What was ground away was the military marking.

Death row prisoners and military personnel acting simultaneously—meaning officials and army had both mixed into this assassination. The scale was far from small. Her own small guard force, relying on the earlier surprise, had shocked the opponents. To truly exhaust themselves here would only mean being wiped out together.

So she quickly made clear—I don’t know what happened. I won’t meddle in your vengeance. Rest assured.

The opponents clearly showed hesitation. Xue Futu’s move was too shocking. What shocked wasn’t martial skill, but that kind of resolute calm disregarding life. Fighting against such people, anyone would weigh their own life.

Then one who seemed to be the leader waved his hand. People surging silently in the darkness began slowly withdrawing backward.

Feng Zhiwei had just sighed in relief.

From the small village’s direction suddenly someone rushed over at great speed!

That person’s lightness skill was truly exceptional. On his back he seemed to be carrying another person, yet ran like a meteor chasing the moon, dazzling to watch. Behind him intermittently pursued a long string. Yet he could still run while hopping and cursing loudly, “I fuck your family’s eighteen generations of ancestors! I fuck your mom, your sister, your three-year-old girl! What kind of trash! Can’t play with real swords and clear guns, so you scheme against this old man! I spit, I spit spit spit!”

In the black night the broken gong voice drifted far. So hoarse and strenuous his voice cracked. As that person cursed, he saw this side. He seemed to have very good eyesight. At a glance he discerned the confrontational situation here. At this moment, a confrontation meant a savior. That person’s eyes lit up. Without another word he ran toward this side.

Feng Zhiwei inwardly cried out in alarm. Just wanting to say a few words to salvage the situation, those masked people had already tensed up again. Their retreating footsteps stopped. Among them someone said in a low voice, “It’s them—” The crowd immediately became restless. The leading masked person laughed coldly, “So you’re all in this together. Kill for me—”

Feng Zhiwei’s efforts ruined at the last moment. Furious in her heart, she also pointed at that fellow running over to ruin things, shouting loudly, “Kill for me—”

These two shouts also came as one. The masked people still stood dazed. Xue Futu already moved as one at one command. Like wind and thunder they swept toward that fellow.

That fellow saw Feng Zhiwei’s side actually moved first. Greatly shocked, he first cried out several times, cursing loudly, “You bunch of kicking-someone-when-they’re-down bastards…” Cursing halfway, the person on his back suddenly raised his head with effort. As if whispering a few sentences in his ear, that fellow immediately changed his tune. While nimbly dodging through Xue Futu’s blade light, he laughed heartily, saying, “Brother, so you rushed here to support us? Then let’s fake-fight for a bit. In the chaos, leave quickly, leave quickly!”

He seemed to pinch his voice, suppressing the sound, yet sent the voice into the opponents’ masked ears. The opponents hearing it no longer doubted. Coldly raising blades, in a muffled voice saying, “Kill them all!” A group of masked people immediately waved blades joining the battle. For a moment the three sides’ forces became entangled. Like boiling water—quite a chaotic battle.

“Crack!” Feng Zhiwei, furious with an iron-blue face, snapped the carriage window armrest.

Where did this bastard come from, single-mindedly dragging her into the water!

Especially that one on his back—very formidable. Half-dead, yet teaching just one sentence dragged her in.

Looking at the current situation, wanting to preserve neutrality was already utterly impossible. The opponents had even deployed military forces. This kill-at-all-costs trap—how to escape?

She was frowning in thought when suddenly the carriage shook heavily. Before her eyes went black—with a whoosh, fierce wind struck her face. Something was thrown into the carriage. In her shock she instinctively reached to draw her blade. Yet from the corner of her eye she glimpsed it seemed to be a person. She quickly withdrew her hand. That person landed with a thud on her knees.

Before she could look, with a whoosh the carriage curtain lifted, revealing a round face. Pitch black with both blood and ash, yet still smiling. In a hoarse voice saying, “Hey, make a deal. Take him away. I’ll help you deal with these bastards.”

Feng Zhiwei looked at this face, her heart shaking.

But that person didn’t see who she was. The carriage was dark. He still had to divide attention to face enemies. Not to mention not noticing her appearance—he hadn’t even looked at her carriage’s specifications. Single-mindedly only wanting his master to escape alive. After speaking, he immediately drew his blade. Heavily struck the carriage-pulling horse’s rear with one blow!

“Neigh—” The horse in extreme pain shrieked long, madly lunging forward. Feng Zhiwei’s body toppled. The curtain fell as the carriage shot out! Those startled horses instantly trampled several guards standing before the carriage, breaking their ribs. Rampaging, they charged out of the grove!

“Neigh—” Another long shriek. Xiao Bai, separately tethered at the procession’s rear, suddenly broke free from the reins, also chasing after.

The horses stampeded past with stunning momentum. People scattered to avoid. The carriage was dragged swaying east and west. The curtain was shaken flying backward. Within it Feng Zhiwei couldn’t steady her form. In her haste she lowered her head looking at the person on her knees. Her expression instantly changed.

Ning Yi!

Below the carriage, guards stumbled trying to chase, shouting loudly, “Grand Consort—Grand Consort—”

The one who clearly dragged people to help him fight yet insisted on saying he’d help others deal with enemies was naturally the treasured guard Ning Cheng. He was just happy to send away his master, fighting joyfully. Hearing this shout, he suddenly froze. In his haste he quickly turned back, asking, “Ah? What Grand Consort?”

The guard captain was beating his chest and stamping his feet, worried this mission would fail. Hearing this, he said irritably, “That’s the previous generation’s King Shunyi’s Grand Consort from Huozhuo, Princess Shengying!”

“Ah?!” Ning Cheng froze again, nearly getting chopped by an enemy blade. Dazedly dodging it, then coming to his senses, he cried out miserably and took off running.

“Oh my god—Master, I’ve harmed you—”

Ning Cheng crying and shouting, regretting sending the lamb into the tiger’s mouth, wanting to chase back his master. But he’d slapped the horse’s rear too viciously. The crazed carriage in an instant charged out of the grove into darkness, shadow lost.

Ning Cheng stood dazedly in place, biting his finger watching that bit of dust disappear at the horizon. In a trance he felt just now when the curtain dropped, he seemed to see a certain classic sallow face flash past behind the curtain, smiling at him meaningfully.

At the time dismissive. At this moment hair-raising.

Behind him several blades relentlessly chopped down. Ning Cheng’s fury erupted. Turning around was a venting angry roar, “You damn idiots, I’ll slaughter you—”

With a clanging sound, unlucky Ning Cheng remained in place killing people. The wildly running carriage in the darkness had already charged out several li.

The carriage jolted violently. On her knees Ning Yi remained unconscious, several times nearly rolling from her knees due to the jolting. After a moment’s hesitation, Feng Zhiwei extended her hand, encircling his waist.

Her palms were burning hot, her fingers ice cold. Yet his body seemed even colder than her fingers. When Feng Zhiwei touched it, she shivered.

When the carriage passed through a mountain hollow, Feng Zhiwei suddenly lifted the curtain to look. She felt the arrangement on that cliff seemed somewhat special.

As the carriage passed, on the cliff a patch of dense black trees swayed. Surprisingly in the upwind direction. Unknown if it was wind or her illusion.

However, the carriage still couldn’t be completely controlled, just charging past the mountain hollow continuing forward, leaving that doubt behind. By the time the carriage under Feng Zhiwei’s control gradually steadied, they’d already reached below a low mountain.

On all sides it was very quiet. Wind swept snowflakes leisurely dancing. The earlier close combat seemed far beyond a thousand li.

Feng Zhiwei lowered her head, quietly looking at the person on her knees.

On his body were no wounds or bloodstains. Only his complexion was pale. Between his brows and on his lips faintly surfaced light blue color. Exactly the same as his mother’s appearance in the abandoned palace that year. Feng Zhiwei saw at a glance—his old injury had relapsed.

So that strange medicinal smell pervading the small village was used to trigger his old injury. That substance must be extremely formidable—seemingly some kind of nearly extinct cold medicinal substance. This time to cover up great crimes, the Seventh Prince truly invested heavily.

But… who had trapped whom in a scheme? Feng Zhiwei thought of the abnormality she sensed passing the mountain hollow earlier. She laughed lightly.

However, though Ning Yi used himself as bait, drawing enemies to act, he seemingly also hadn’t anticipated Old Seven’s methods and determination. Such that medicinal substances triggered his old injury, nearly trapping himself as well.

Feng Zhiwei understood the joints within. Her gaze became slightly more somber. She took Ning Yi’s pulse, confirming he truly had an old injury relapse coming fiercely. Must be handled extremely early.

The person on her knees was quiet as if sleeping. Feng Zhiwei bent her face, gazing at him. Also a year unseen—he seemed to have thinned more. Beneath his lashes were shallow shadows, like a waxing crescent moon, serene and slightly cool.

His pulse gate was currently under her palm. His pulse strong and deep. Her internal force circled at her fingertips. Either traveling toward the dantian, or traveling toward the heart meridian.

The former was saving. The latter was killing.

The wind suddenly grew stronger, whistling fiercely. The carriage curtain was swept flapping wildly in chaos. With a “thwack,” from the overhead compartment storing miscellaneous items, suddenly a stack of letters fell, landing at her hand’s side.

With a whoosh the envelopes flew chaotically. She extended her hand to press them down. Her hand suddenly stopped.

On top, shockingly was a secret letter from Qi Shaojun and Hang Ming to her.

“…Prince Chu is sinister. Ultimately will be detrimental to the great enterprise. Please, Miss, for the sake of countless subordinates’ life and death survival, he must be killed.”

Feng Zhiwei’s gaze trembled.

Her ice-cold fingers pressing on his pulse gate slowly moved.