After that, assassinations and harassment became almost routine, with most targets falling on Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo. The three Jing Hengbos couldn’t stop the assassins’ steps, only turning one target into three.

Gong Yin’s responses became increasingly bizarre. One evening he invited Cui Jie to dine in his carriage. Halfway through the meal, a sword pierced up from beneath the carriage, through the table, nearly slicing off Cui Jie’s nose.

Then Gong Yin used chopsticks to snap off the sword tip and shot that half-tip into the assassin’s forehead.

That night another batch of Gong Yin’s guards were wounded.

Another day, Jing Jun timidly requested to bathe. Gong Yin agreed, sending a large squad of guards to escort her to the riverside at the foot of the slope. Jing Hengbo also wanted to go but was angered by his cold remark: “Don’t go—the river water can’t wash off your three pounds of rouge.” She dragged him aside to “see clearly whether sister actually uses rouge or not.” The two stared at each other without reaching clarity when water splashed violently at the riverside. Jing Jun’s screams were deafening—she was under attack.

An assassin hidden underwater struck with a sword, cleaving waves straight for Jing Jun’s heart. If the guards hadn’t pulled her away quickly, the sickly beauty would have become two halves of a sickly corpse.

Afterward Jing Jun fell ill from shock for several days and never made any more requests. Jing Hengbo also glumly shut up. With crises everywhere and constant upheaval, no one had the mood for bickering anymore.

This day they entered Yan Bei territory. The scenery gradually opened up, and on the deep yellow horizon, green trees sheltered three or five households—from afar it looked like a village.

After traveling by day and resting by night, mostly in wilderness with few signs of human habitation, Gong Yin’s chief guard, the thin man called Meng Hu, took men to the village to replenish food supplies.

The convoy stopped far outside the village. Jing Hengbo gripped the cart rail, shifting her numb legs, very much wanting to get down for a stroll.

Her glances repeatedly flew toward Gong Yin. That man sat quietly under a tree on his ivory mat reading. In the daylight his eye color grew lighter, cool as highland skies.

Skies were always distant—flirtatious glances couldn’t reach them.

Jing Hengbo sighed, standing on the cart’s crossbar doing chest expansion exercises, breathing fresh air.

Her pure white arms rose and fell, creating curves of mountains and deep valleys—deep and tempting. The lively, fresh feminine fragrance spread as young guards passing back and forth hid their gazes under their armpits, stealing glances here and there.

Jing Hengbo acted oblivious, smiling even more cheerfully.

Not far away under the tree, Gong Yin seemed absorbed in his book, not turning a page for a long time.

Jing Hengbo glanced sideways, thinking: Could this page be filled with her lovely image? What would he do next? Would he drop his book and leave in propriety within three seconds? If he left, she could get down and take a walk. Yes, one, two, three…

Gong Yin set down his book.

Jing Hengbo’s lips curved upward.

“You’re upwind,” he finally spoke, his voice clear and cold.

“Huh?” Jing Hengbo felt this conversation seemed a bit off-track.

“You’re making me sick.” He pointed at her widely spread underarms and rose to move his mat.

Jing Hengbo’s arms were spread at ten-ten position, frozen and forgotten to be lowered.

Cui Jie was snickering. Jing Jun’s expression was strange. The guards’ faces showed sympathy.

Right State Preceptor spoke little but was famous for his cutting words—he’d once talked a clan leader to death.

This was nothing serious now.

Jing Hengbo bent down, weighing her high heels, considering nailing these ten-centimeter heels into his proud skull to see if it might change his olfactory system.

Before she could renovate Gong Yin’s olfactory system, she suddenly sniffed.

Fragrant!

Her eyes turned to see several young girls carrying baskets emerging from the village entrance, surrounding Meng Hu and others to sell food.

A clear, sweet fragrance drifted on the wind. Jing Hengbo’s eyes brightened.

She’d never smelled such aroma—she could only tell it was fried food. Recently they’d been traveling with nothing but dried rations, dried rations, dried rations. She felt like she was becoming a giant mobile dried ration.

Her stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. Jing Hengbo rubbed her belly and sighed helplessly.

No point begging—that otherworldly Gong Yin definitely wouldn’t agree to buying snacks.

Gong Yin suddenly put down his book.

Behind him came rumbling sounds. Without guessing he knew it was Jing Hengbo. Heaven knew where this woman got such appetite. The others were all worried sick and couldn’t eat, yet she had three meals plus a midnight snack daily. More amazingly, eating like this with little exercise, she hadn’t gained an ounce—still convex where she should be convex, concave where she should be concave…

He suddenly coughed, interrupting his thoughts.

He was slightly dazed.

In his memory, that person also had such exquisite curves but ate very little. He’d almost never seen her dining. The only time they ate together was that heart-stopping night…

The book rested on his knees, pages fluttering in the wind with rustling sounds. The thin pages cut his fingers with slight pain. After a while, a faint blood mark appeared.

Many times in life, in the most peaceful environments, one sensed the cold of conspiracy and killing intent—a blade flashing like lightning. No wound visible at the time, but long afterward, in quiet nights, blood still dripped at the lips.

Only oneself knew.

…

“Meng Hu.” The thought flashed and passed. He gestured to Meng Hu.

Meng Hu, who’d already bought things and was walking back, hesitated, then beckoned a snack-selling girl forward.

The guards watched her steps closely—clearly someone without martial arts.

There was a nearby market. Girls brought homemade snacks to sell early in the morning for pocket money—quite normal.

The basket contained fried locust flowers, a wild-flavored snack—spring’s unique gift.

The pale yellow locust flower cakes with hints of purple were quite attractive. Even Gong Yin stood up to personally examine them before ordering them bought.

Jing Hengbo had already pulled Cui Jie and Jing Jun over, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

When Gong Yin turned, he met her expectant gaze and those snow-white outstretched palms.

His gaze swept over her fingers. His lashes lowered as he handed them first to Jing Jun.

Jing Jun seemed startled, her face lighting up with joy, then seemingly remembering something, she looked alarmed.

But just in that instant.

The snack-selling girl suddenly hurled her basket at Jing Jun!

Purple locust flower cakes flew everywhere. From beneath the cakes came a buzzing sound as countless black insects emerged. One insect landed on Jing Jun’s sleeve—the double-layered silk immediately burned through.

Jing Jun screamed, covering her face and grabbing Jing Hengbo’s sleeve. However, Jing Hengbo’s sleeve slipped from her grasp as Meng Hu rushed forward, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally knocking down Jing Hengbo who was about to step forward to shield Jing Jun.

Gong Yin swept over, appearing to find Jing Hengbo in the way, and kicked her down before personally lunging toward Jing Jun, pulling her back urgently. Guards bravely charged forward, forming a human wall before him and Jing Jun.

Quite the “protecting the queen” posture.

Jing Hengbo rolled down the slope, along with Cui Jie who rolled ahead of her—any pursuit would hit Cui Jie first.

In the moment Jing Hengbo fell, she only saw a black insect pass over the human wall, grazing Jing Jun’s neck. On that snow-white neck immediately appeared a terrible black burn mark.

In that instant Jing Jun surprisingly didn’t cry or scream. Amid the heavy protection of the crowd, she turned back, gazing steadily at her with tears streaming down her face.

Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly, speaking without voice.

That gaze shook Jing Hengbo’s heart tremendously. Forgetting to control her fall, she crashed into a tree at the slope’s bottom with a bang.

Then another bang as Cui Jie crashed into her, knocking out her last bit of strength. Dizzy and seeing stars, she lay on the ground holding her head, hearing the fighting sounds above start intensely then quickly fade, while a faint bloody scent spread through the air.

After a while, footsteps approached—light, steady, with an unshakeable firmness unmoved by any weakness. Without reason, she knew it was Gong Yin.

Jing Hengbo lay motionless on the muddy ground, her head splitting with pain, arms wrapped around her head.

“This life is unbearable…” she muttered, “I want freedom…”

He crouched beside her, pausing as if listening to her breathing, then his hands supported her shoulders to pull her up.

Jing Hengbo suddenly fiercely grabbed his hands, using all her strength to swing hard and slam him to the ground!