The strategist felt that the young lord’s silence had never lasted so long—so long that even breathing seemed to grow difficult.

After what seemed an eternity, the young lord finally spoke. The strategist swallowed again, watching him without blinking, sweating with tension, because he knew that every word the young lord said next would determine the fate of the entire Wei household.

Xia Di gave a scornful laugh, looking at the guard who had come to relay Consort Yi’s message, his smile cold. “Since our Wei household’s founding generations ago, through a hundred years, we have never produced a traitor who betrayed his lord. Though I, Xia, am unworthy, I still abide by our ancestral teachings and dare not serve two masters at once. Now that the emperor is safe and sound, Her Highness Consort Yi and His Highness the Crown Prince are anxiously arraying troops, throwing the whole of Chang’an into turmoil—what exactly are you two playing at?”

As he spoke, his face carried a smile, but his eyes were utterly cold.

His words dripped with sarcasm, each one cutting like a blade, his stance unmistakable—he had no intention of joining Consort Yi and the Crown Prince, nor did he intend to leave them any face at all.

The strategist felt both relief and alarm hearing this—relieved that the young lord had chosen to stand firm at this critical moment, but alarmed that he had left no room for compromise. If they lost this battle, there would be no chance at all to turn things around.

Hearing Xia Di’s reply, Consort Yi gave a cold laugh and said to the guard beside her, “Go bring Derong and the others over.”

The man obeyed the order. After a moment, the two armies parted, and a carriage slowly rolled forward down the middle of the road. It stopped before Consort Yi’s carriage, and several people climbed down—first Duke Wei and Xia Lan, followed by Princess Derong and Feng Chuyue, supporting each other.

Duke Wei and his wife’s faces were ashen, their mouths pressed tight, their steps unsteady as they descended—who knew how long they had been confined in the carriage.

Feng Chuyue, her belly swollen with pregnancy, stood beside Princess Derong. Having never experienced such a scene before, she was instantly frightened, her limbs going weak. Hearing that Xia Di had arrived, she glanced desperately in his direction, but the distance was too great to make him out clearly. Her heart in turmoil, completely without composure, she looked on the verge of tears.

“General Xia,” the guard captain said with an oily smile, looking at Xia Di, “Her Highness Consort Yi, knowing you went to battle at Yumen Pass and haven’t returned home in months, understanding how dearly you must miss your parents, specially arranged for the duke and the princess to come greet you here. Also, Her Highness, knowing the Second Madam is due to give birth soon, thought to have her come along as well, so that you and your wife, having been apart so long, might soothe your longing for one another.”

The smile on Xia Di’s face faded little by little, his eyes turning as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well, fixed unwaveringly on Consort Yi’s carriage.

“This woman is truly ruthless and black-hearted,” Jiang Sanlang said, watching clearly, his brows rising in shock—though he’d already witnessed Consort Yi’s methods these past few days, he was still alarmed. “She must have anticipated that Xia Di wouldn’t be easy to control, fearing he wouldn’t submit obediently, so right from the start of the uprising she placed Duke Wei and Princess Derong under house arrest. If Xia Di had been willing to cooperate, this move wouldn’t have been necessary. But if he refuses to side with the Crown Prince, she’ll use his parents to force his compliance. Tch, I don’t know how this woman’s mind works, but in this short amount of time she’s arranged so much—her scheming rivals any man skilled in strategy. No wonder the emperor was fooled by her for twenty years.”

Lin Xiao frowned, studying the guards beside Duke Wei and Princess Derong for a moment. Seeing they wore none of the Garrison Commandant’s uniforms, and numbered no more than a dozen or so, he said, “Tell the crossbowmen to prepare. When we engage, have them shoot down the guards beside Duke Wei and the others, and rescue them amid the chaos.”

After saying this, he glanced at the unmoving Xia Di and gave a mocking laugh. Consort Yi had truly outsmarted herself—Xia Di, of all people, hated above all being controlled by others. If it had been anyone else, seeing their parents and family held hostage, they likely would have submitted obediently. But Xia Di had the temperament of one willing to be destroyed alongside his enemy rather than yield—he would sooner fight Consort Yi to the death than submit easily.

Consort Yi’s actions, far from drawing Xia Di to her side, had instead pushed him decisively away.

Lin Xiao glanced up at the sky, no longer worried that Xia Di might join Consort Yi, his expression growing more composed. He gave the order in a deep voice for his soldiers to prepare and engage at once.

But seeing Xia Di slow to respond, Consort Yi had Duke Wei pushed forward to stand before the army, in front of the carriage, and said to Xia Di with a smile, “General Xia, the duke was exiled to Shu for over a decade, and has only just returned to Chang’an, yet hasn’t enjoyed a few days of peace. Can you truly bear to let the duke meet a gruesome death just because you side with traitors?”

Xia Di clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. “You vicious, poisonous woman!”

Consort Yi’s expression did not change in the slightest. She merely looked at Xia Di and said gently, “You’re young and hot-blooded, prone to speaking rashly—I won’t hold it against you. As long as you recognize the situation clearly and help the Crown Prince kill Lin Xiao and his father, I will make you a solemn promise: I will ensure your Wei household enjoys prosperity for a lifetime.”

She paid no heed to the killing intent in Xia Di’s eyes, doing everything she could to threaten and entice him, and so failed to notice that a dense black mist had begun gathering and billowing on the horizon not far off.

The Chixiao Sword at Lin Xiao’s waist suddenly began trembling violently, as though facing a great enemy.

The black mist reached the space above Consort Yi’s group, then suddenly swooped down like a great eagle, plunging into the crowd. Soon, the most agonized screams could be heard, a thick stench of blood filling the air, heads and limbs flying everywhere.

The Crown Prince and Consort Yi, closest to it, stared in shock, horror dawning on their faces. “What is that thing?”

“Scatter at once,” Lin Xiao said, seeing clearly what it was, his heart sinking. He cracked his whip, striking it across Jiang Sanlang’s mount.

Jiang Sanlang’s horse, startled by the sudden lash, reared up before its rider could react, neighing wildly and bolting in a frenzy straight into the academy.

Having sent Jiang Sanlang back to the academy, Lin Xiao breathed a momentary sigh of relief, his gaze fixed tightly on the black shadow now wreaking havoc in the crowd. He drew Chixiao and called out to the soldiers beside him, “The great fiend has come! Everyone retreat as much as possible, fall back into the formation the Daoist has laid. This fiend’s malice is too great—do not risk your lives against it. Avoid it if you can.”

But Consort Yi and the Crown Prince were screaming, “You useless fools! Block that thing! Quickly, block it—ah—!”

Talismans and ritual implements had already flown half across the sky, all to no avail.

A massive black wave surged forward. Before Consort Yi’s group could dodge, amid screams of utter terror, they were snatched from the carriage into midair and flung into the academy grounds like discarded rags.

As the black shadow swept past overhead, Lin Xiao looked up and saw that the thing was entirely wrapped in black mist, its killing aura overwhelming—it was unmistakably Nüxiu, who had earlier fled from the academy.