Facing the sharp blade, Ziqing abruptly performed a backward flip, shattering straight through the window as she went. The black-clad assassins immediately swarmed after her in pursuit, and at that very moment, Yingzi arrived with the full contingent of Shadow Guards, right on time!

“Your Highness, are you all right!”

“I’m fine, just rather astonished. I never imagined the esteemed Lord of Nangong City, the most venerated elder of the entire martial world, would resort to something as base as assassinating a woman — truly, truly…”

Ziqing paused deliberately, shooting a mocking glance at the white-haired old man, drawing out her words for effect, “Truly… quite an eye-opener!”

The moment these words left her lips, the old man’s expression cracked entirely, and he simply tore off the black cloth covering his face.

“Han Ziqing, if I don’t kill you tonight, I’m no longer worthy of the name Nangong! You dared to kill my two eldest sons — prepare to pay with your life!”

The Lord of Nangong City had fathered several daughters before finally having sons!

The eldest and second young lords of Nangong had been personally groomed by him from the very beginning — one refined in letters, one accomplished in martial arts, together the very picture of Nangong City’s future leadership!

And now, to think they had died so unjustly, so senselessly, at Han Ziqing’s hands — how could the Lord of Nangong City not be consumed with fury? How could he not race here through the night?

As long as Han Ziqing lived, this bitterness would never be swallowed down.

The moment the Lord of Nangong City revealed his true face, Ziqing smiled. “Nangong City couldn’t afford to lose against my husband, and now it seems your two sons couldn’t afford to lose against me either!”

“You! Silence!” The Lord of Nangong City choked with fury!

Ziqing was hardly one to obediently comply, nor was she one to fear him. Sharp-tongued as ever, she continued, “Lord of Nangong City, when two armies clash, the losing side is expected to surrender and seek peace. I was actually waiting for you to come surrender. Yet here you are, at your advanced age, resorting to sneaking about like a common thief, coming to assassinate me? So it turns out you don’t understand the rules at all! If you don’t understand the rules, what business do you have waging war in the first place? Aren’t the Xiongnu and Xijing troops embarrassed to be associated with you?”

Insulting someone — Ziqing was certainly not incapable of that.

The Lord of Nangong City nearly choked on his own fury. Never in his life had he imagined that at his age, he would be reduced to assassinating a woman, let alone being mocked so viciously for it!

Perhaps he now regretted ever getting involved in the affairs between the two nations. Perhaps he regretted not having killed Han Ziqing sooner!

He no longer cared about any of it. Without warning, he lunged forward. “Han Ziqing! This old man will kill you! The rules of Mobei were set by this old man, not by you! Even if you surrender today, you’ll still have to pay with your life!”

At the same moment, all the black-clad assassins drew their swords and attacked as well. The Shadow Guards moved to intercept, but Ziqing suddenly barked out sharply, “Wait!”

“You have no right to bargain with this old man. This old man will take your head to offer at the graves of my two dead sons!” The Lord of Nangong City, consumed with fury, swung his sword at Ziqing like a man possessed!

Fortunately, several Shadow Guards and Yingzi moved to intercept and hold him off, or else Ziqing would have been in grave danger!

And yet, even with several Shadow Guards combined with Ziqing herself, none of them could match the Lord of Nangong City!

Ziqing retreated some distance, and though she was retreating, she showed no signs of desperation at all. Her eyes sharp and cold, she called out furiously, “Lord of Nangong City, if you have the courage, face me in single combat! Otherwise, even if I die by your blade, I won’t acknowledge your victory — I’ll say you had no real courage at all!”

“What did you say!” At last, the Lord of Nangong City came to a halt!

This woman wanted to duel him one on one?

Surely he’d misheard!

Shouldn’t she be fleeing for her life? Did she have any idea who exactly the Lord of Nangong City was?

Did she think that just because her husband could fight him to a draw, she herself had earned the right to challenge him one on one?

What an absolutely absurd joke!

“Han Ziqing, what right do you have to fight this old man?” the Lord of Nangong City demanded.

“The right that comes from having killed both your sons!” Ziqing said, not only with confidence but with cold, aloof arrogance — unmistakably provoking him.

Hearing this, the Lord of Nangong City felt as though every organ in his body might explode with rage. “You!”

“That’s right, me. If you’ve got the courage, then fight me one on one! Life or death, no hard feelings, no complaints afterward!”

The Lord of Nangong City took several deep breaths, one after another, before finally regaining his composure, snarling furiously, “You wretched girl, if you’re so eager to die, this old man will grant your wish!”

“If this princess consort accidentally kills you, don’t go blaming me for bullying an old man when you reach the afterlife.” Ziqing still found the composure to joke!

“Silence! You don’t know your own limits — prepare to die!”

With that, the Lord of Nangong City abruptly launched himself into the air. Ziqing’s lips curved into a cold smile as she immediately shot upward after him.

Yingzi’s expression turned complicated, as though he’d suddenly realized something, a flicker of worry crossing his face.

Meanwhile, the several black-clad master fighters the Lord of Nangong City had brought with him wore expressions of open disdain, arms crossed, waiting to watch the show.

Even Jun Beiyue himself wouldn’t dare speak with such arrogance — this woman must be either a fool or a madwoman, thinking she was somehow above everyone else!

Killing the two young lords must have been some kind of ambush — face to face in open combat, either young lord could have crushed her with a single finger. And yet here she was, daring to challenge even the Lord of Nangong City himself!

This woman had to be the most brainless, most arrogantly deluded woman on the entire Longyuan continent!

Yingzi watched the sea of disdainful faces around him, let out a cold snort, and looked up, silently praying in his heart: Your Highness, please make us proud!

Up in the air, the moment Ziqing caught up, the Lord of Nangong City thrust his sword straight at her, sword-light blazing so fiercely that anyone who came near the blade’s edge — let alone the blade itself — would be wounded by its sheer intensity!

“Han Ziqing, this old man will send you to meet the King of Hell in a single strike!”

The Lord of Nangong City snarled coldly, unleashing his full force, his body moving as one with his sword, flying straight at Ziqing like a loosed arrow!

But to everyone’s astonishment, rather than dodging, Ziqing came to a complete stop, facing down the Lord of Nangong City and his blade without the slightest trace of fear!

A wild, reckless, cold smile curved at her lips. Her long hair whipped and flew wildly from the sheer force of the approaching blade’s aura, and soon her robes too were caught up, billowing violently in the wind!

The sword’s aura was closing in — in the next instant, it would be the blade itself!

And that blade’s tip was aimed straight at her heart!

Everyone below stared, transfixed, unable to look away. The black-clad assassins stood frozen — what exactly was this woman trying to do? Surely she wasn’t actually insane!

Didn’t this woman know she needed to dodge?

With a strike like that, given the Lord of Nangong City’s sheer power, it would surely pierce straight through her heart, from front to back!

Yingzi’s entire back was drenched in sweat. Watching the scene unfold in the air, his limbs went instantly weak, desperately wanting to rush forward and shield the princess consort — but his arms and legs simply wouldn’t obey him.

The sword’s aura seemed to swallow Ziqing whole, momentarily engulfing her figure entirely, and the blade’s point…

“Clang!”

The blade struck true, right at her heart — and yet it didn’t pierce through. Instead, the Lord of Nangong City’s own longsword rang out with a resounding clang, as if violently repelled!

What was happening?

The Lord of Nangong City was stunned, but it was already too late. Amid the sword’s blazing aura, her robes whipping wildly in the wind, Han Ziqing’s silent lips curved into a cold, wicked, reckless smile.

That smile alone was enough to topple kingdoms and captivate nations. That smile alone was enough to look down upon every hero in the realm with utter disdain.

Just as the Lord of Nangong City reeled in shock, she clamped one hand around the blade itself and, with a sudden surge of internal energy, forcefully shoved the blade clean away from her heart!

The sheer force of it far exceeded anything the Lord of Nangong City could have anticipated, sending him staggering back several steps!

And there — there, embedded on the sharp edge of his blade, was a small black sphere, resembling an iron ball of some kind.

What was this object? Was this the very thing that had blocked that fatal strike for Han Ziqing?

The Lord of Nangong City had no time to dwell on it further, immediately preparing to shake it loose…