Every formation has a way to break it. Mu Yunjin squinted for a long time, watching the bizarre movements of the Thousand Leaves assassins, but couldn’t discern their secret after quite some time.
She glanced at Chu Li, seeing his expression remained indifferent, his eyes unfocused. In this silent environment, he probably couldn’t see or hear.
Mu Yunjin found herself in a difficult situation.
Looking back at the path they had come from, she wondered what had detained the purple-armored guards, as they still hadn’t arrived.
Mu Yunjin felt dizzy from the movements of these people before her. She lashed out with her whip, sweeping it forward, but hit nothing but air.
Anger rose within her as she gritted her teeth.
Just as Mu Yunjin was looking ahead, before she could react, a long sword thrust toward her from behind. Mu Yunjin immediately dodged, but the sword still tore through her skirt.
As soon as she steadied herself, silver needles flew at her from one side. Mu Yunjin executed an aerial flip to avoid them.
In the time that followed, unexpected knives and swords flew at her from various directions. While Mu Yunjin silently marveled at the ingenuity of this formation, her killing intent reached a boiling point.
…
…
“There are four of them, moving up, down, left, and right. When the one moving up reaches the left position, they strike with a sword. When the one moving down reaches the right position, they release silver needles, and so on,” Chu Li explained plainly.
Mu Yunjin was startled at first, but after observing, she found that it was exactly as Chu Li had said. She couldn’t help but cast an admiring glance at him.
Then, following Chu Li’s explanation, Mu Yunjin observed the positioning of the four people. She drew the dagger from her sleeve and, in the next moment, moved backward, meeting an incoming sword with her dagger.
“Splat—” The sound of blood and flesh spattering.
Mu Yunjin’s face was sprayed with a streak of bright red blood. She looked down at the sword tip close to her throat and the dagger that had completely penetrated the assassin’s heart.
After viciously pulling out the dagger, the assassin fell to the ground, lifeless.
With one person suddenly dead in the four-person formation, their formation was thrown into disarray and broken. The three remaining assassins looked at each other in confusion, then decided to engage in direct combat.
Chu Qingzang felt a hint of fear in her heart. Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, she quietly retreated a few steps, all the while observing Chu Li, who stood motionless at Mu Yunjin’s side with his hands behind his back.
Seeing that Chu Li’s attention wasn’t on her, Chu Qingzang quickened her pace and fled the bamboo forest using her lightness skill.
Seeing Chu Qingzang escape, Mu Yunjin became anxious. She increased the force in her whip-wielding hand. At the same time, the techniques from the Xuanling True Scripture once again appeared in her mind.
Mu Yunjin glanced at Chu Li beside her, thinking that he probably couldn’t see her.
So she gritted her teeth, gathered her true energy in her palm, and with a wave of her hand, a tall bamboo stalk nearby was instantly split into three sections in mid-air. These sections seemed particularly sentient as they flew toward the three assassins.
Both ends of the bamboo pieces had been sharpened into points. As the bamboo approached, Mu Yunjin added another wave of true energy.
With her left hand, she used the first technique of the Xuanling True Scripture to control the bodies of the assassins who were trying to move. With her right hand, she manipulated the bamboo, curved her lips into a smile, and with a flick of her finger, sent them flying.
“Bang—”
“Ugh—”
The bamboo pierced through the abdomens of all three men, who fell to the ground silently.
Seeing all the assassins eliminated, Mu Yunjin took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her hands. She happily turned and linked her arm with Chu Li’s, “All done. Shall we go?”
Chu Li didn’t move. He took out the jade pendant from his sleeve, and white light illuminated the entire bamboo forest.
Seeing this, Mu Yunjin silently withdrew her hand, her gaze scanning around, her expression extremely unnatural.
Chu Li, seeing the state of the dead assassins, had a tense expression, his eyes gloomy. He looked at Mu Yunjin, his gaze probing.
Meeting Chu Li’s gaze, Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes guiltily, “Well, I’m not really…”
“Look out!”
From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the fallen assassins struggling to get up, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust, a cold light flashing in his palm. Then, as if using all his remaining strength, he leaped up with incredible speed, lunging directly toward Chu Li.
Mu Yunjin let out a cry of alarm. With no time to react otherwise, her mind went blank, and she threw herself in front of Chu Li, pushing him away and shielding him.
Another “splat” sound, as flesh was torn once more.
Mu Yunjin stepped back a few paces, clutching her arm where the dagger had cut her. Her face pale, she was preparing to counter-attack when Chu Li had already kicked the assassin away.
“Mu Yunjin, how are you?” Chu Li steadied Mu Yunjin, who was on the verge of collapsing. His eyes couldn’t hide his shock and astonishment as he stared at the blood continuously flowing from her arm, his gaze fixed on her, his entire being exuding murderous intent.
Mu Yunjin felt a burning pain from the wound, making her grip it tighter. When she caught sight of the black blood beginning to flow out, her eyes darkened, and she fainted.
Chu Li, of course, noticed the black blood. He lifted Mu Yunjin into his arms, his body trembling uncontrollably as he used his lightness skill to fly away from the bamboo forest.
This woman, this woman, was she crazy? How could she do something as dangerous as taking a blow for him? Chu Li’s face gradually turned deathly pale. The emotions he had suppressed deep in his heart for the past few days seemed to be on the verge of exploding!
Mu Yunjin, this Prince absolutely cannot let anything happen to you!
……
Before dawn, a dark atmosphere enveloped the entire Sixth Prince’s mansion.
In Mu Yunjin’s room at Liquan Pavilion.
A middle-aged female physician was carefully examining the wound on Mu Yunjin’s arm. Seeing the horrifying wound, she couldn’t help but close her eyes momentarily.
After collecting a small sample of blood, the physician gently sniffed it, then her expression drastically changed.
Chu Li had been standing by the bed the entire time, his gaze never leaving Mu Yunjin. Seeing her lips gradually turning black and purple, he impatiently shouted at the physician, “What poison is it?!”
The physician was startled. She looked at Chu Li and replied anxiously, “It’s a secret poison from the Eastern Lin Country—Poison Grass.”
At these words, everyone in the room froze.
“Poison Grass? The legendary poison that causes the entire body to gradually rot and softens the bones?” Ding Xian turned to the physician and asked.
The physician nodded.
“Your Highness, would Chu Qingzang have the antidote?” Ding Xian asked, seeing that Chu Li was on the verge of losing his sanity.
Unexpectedly, Chu Li said nothing and walked directly to one side, opening a hidden mechanism and entering.
Ding Xian’s expression changed at the sight.
Soon, Chu Li emerged carrying a brocade box. He walked to the bedside, slowly opened it, revealing a lustrous, pink medicinal pill.
“Your Highness, this is…” Ding Xian spoke anxiously, glancing at Mu Yunjin on the bed. Was His Highness going to use this precious pill to save the Princess’s life?
The physician, having followed Chu Li for many years, naturally knew what this pill was. She also spoke anxiously, “Your Highness, this pill is extremely precious, and there’s only one in the world. Why don’t we find a way to seek the antidote for the Poison Grass?”
“Get out.” Chu Li’s eyes were almost spitting fire.
He stepped forward, took the medicinal pill from the brocade box, and brought it to Mu Yunjin’s lips. Before he could feed it to her, Mu Yunjin on the bed moaned and coughed lightly.
“Mu Yunjin…” Chu Li lowered his voice, gazing at her silently.
Mu Yunjin was awakened by the pain in her arm. In her dream, she had felt as if hundreds of ants were gnawing at the flesh of her arm, giving her the urge to simply cut off her arm.
“It hurts so much…” Mu Yunjin frowned. She was no stranger to injuries, but this time, with the poison mixed in the wound, it gave her the feeling of preferring death over life for the first time.
Hearing her cry of pain, Chu Li’s heart ached. Her soft, weak tone gave him a feeling he couldn’t resist. He lowered his gaze and gently stroked her forehead.
“Take this.” Chu Li brought the pill to Mu Yunjin’s lips, speaking softly.
Before she could eat it, Mu Yunjin fainted again.
Ding Xian and the physician stood to one side, now deeply understanding in their hearts that His Highness had completely fallen for Third Miss Mu.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken out the life-saving medicinal pill.
This Third Miss Mu would likely be the biggest obstacle on His Highness’s path to achieving great things in the future.
Seeing Mu Yunjin faint again, Chu Li’s heart, which had calmed somewhat, sank once more. His eyes turned cold. He gently pried open Mu Yunjin’s mouth and inserted the pill.
After Mu Yunjin swallowed the pill, Chu Li gently lifted her head, tilting her body. Then, with a movement of Mu Yunjin’s throat, the pill was completely swallowed.
The physician and Ding Xian exchanged glances, then the physician smiled slightly, “The Divine Lotus Pill has been swallowed. The Princess will surely be fine. Your Highness, please ease your mind.”
“Leave.” Chu Li said coldly.
The physician and Ding Xian were startled, but said nothing more and tactfully left.
……
After the two left, Chu Li sat by the bed, his gaze never leaving Mu Yunjin, his eyes filled with deep thought.
The scene of her taking the blow for him almost replayed before his eyes. Thinking of how she hadn’t hesitated at that moment, his heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions. With a look of tenderness in his eyes, he gently caressed Mu Yunjin’s cheek.
“Splutter…”
A moment later, Mu Yunjin, lying on the soft couch, began to vomit large amounts of black blood. The black blood spilled from her lips, almost soaking through her pillow.
At the same time, the black blood from Mu Yunjin’s arm was also flowing out, filling the air with a strong smell of blood.
On the bed, Mu Yunjin felt as if she was truly dying. A sweet and metallic taste kept surging up from her chest, causing her to vomit blood uncomfortably. The burning pain in her arm was also unbearable.
“Damn it, I must… kill Chu Qingzang, that wretched woman…” Mu Yunjin mumbled as she struggled. With half-open eyes, after spitting out the last mouthful of black blood, the pain in her body gradually began to dissipate.
Seeing that she had stopped vomiting blood, and noticing that the bed was soiled, Chu Li bent down to pick up Mu Yunjin and carried her out of the room, heading to his room diagonally opposite.
The physician and Ding Xian, seeing Mu Yunjin covered in blood, were startled and followed.
In Chu Li’s room, a faint incense was burning.
Mu Yunjin had once again fallen into a low-consciousness sleep and didn’t know that she had been carried to Chu Li’s room by him.
After laying Mu Yunjin flat, Chu Li turned to look at the physician, his tone icy, “Apply medicine and bandage her.”
The physician nodded repeatedly.