Late at night, the Prince Ding’s mansion was shrouded in silence. In the study, Ye Li leaned back in her chair by the lamplight and looked at Feng Zhiyao sitting nearby. “Feng San, are you certain it’s tonight?”

Feng Zhiyao languidly waved his folding fan, his smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, yet his words sent chills down one’s spine. “The Princess Consort can rest assured. Beijing isn’t that big – if they don’t make their move tonight, they won’t get another chance. Tonight, we’ll make sure the enemy’s blood stains the entire Prince Ding’s mansion red. Hehe… it’s a beautifully mesmerizing color. Beijing hasn’t been this lively in many years.” With so many strange occurrences these past days, if Prince Ding’s secret guards couldn’t find them now, people would think them all useless.

Ye Li nodded, “That would be best. Then we should graciously await their grand arrival.”

Mo Hua looked at Ye Li’s composed and serene expression with complicated eyes, hesitating for a moment before saying: “Should the Princess Consort and Master Xu first retreat to a safer location? Among tonight’s intruders will be some supreme masters. If something unexpected happens…”

Ye Li turned to look at Xu Hongyan, who was calmly drinking tea to the side and frowned slightly with worry. She understood her uncle’s personality – if she didn’t leave, he absolutely wouldn’t go. But now she couldn’t leave… Seeing her troubled expression, Xu Hongyan set down his teacup and said: “Just do what you need to do. I’ll just sit here and have a couple of cups of tea.”

Understanding her uncle’s meaning, Ye Li nodded slightly and smiled, “In that case, let Li accompany uncle for a couple of games of Go.”

Xu Hongyan nodded, satisfied seeing his niece’s composed demeanor in the face of change. One in position must handle its affairs – since she had married into Prince Ding’s mansion and become the Princess Consort, Ye Li’s fate was tied together with Prince Ding’s. This also meant she could never live a peaceful and tranquil life. Given this, both Xu Hongyan and the Xu family hoped Ye Li would be as strong as possible. If she were like her mother, even with outstanding talent, it would be meaningless if she couldn’t survive in this world.

Until midnight, the mansion remained completely silent. Ye Li and Xu Hongyan had already played three games of Go, with one win and one loss each, this game looking to end in a draw. The two were locked in an intense battle, even drawing Feng Zhiyao and Steward Mo to gather around and observe. Feng Zhiyao would occasionally comment and offer advice, causing Ye Li to turn back with a smile, saying: “Master Feng San, a true gentleman watches Go in silence.” Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose, “This young master is trying to help you.” Ye Li silently rolled her eyes – you’re disrupting my concentration.

A very faint sound came from far away, and Ye Li’s hand holding the Go piece paused slightly. Feng Zhiyao and the others’ expressions also grew alert. Though Xu Hongyan hadn’t heard any movement, he noticed everyone’s change in expression. He set down his piece with a faint smile, saying: “Let’s stop here for today. Your Go skills have greatly improved this past year and more, Li.” Ye Li placed a piece with a smile, saying: “No matter, we can finish this game. Mo Hua, go take a look outside.” Mo Hua nodded silently and turned to push open the door and leave.

By the time they finished their game, the sounds of fighting outside had gradually drawn closer. Ye Li waved for Qing Luan who was attending at the side to put away the Go board, then walked to the window and pushed it open to look outside. The courtyard was still peacefully bathed in the faint moonlight, but many places outside the courtyard had lit up with firelight. Ye Li lowered her eyes and sighed softly, “Tell them to be careful not to destroy Prince Ding’s century-old mansion.” Steward Mo respectfully replied: “Rest assured, Princess Consort, they were instructed about this earlier.” Ye Li nodded and sat by the window, leaning against the window frame with a smile, “That’s good then. Let’s see exactly who has come tonight.” Let’s see just how many in this Great Chu empire wish to see Prince Ding’s mansion destroyed.

The fighting sounds outside grew closer and louder. Xu Hongyan stood by the window, looking at the firelight on the distant horizon, and sighed, saying: “It seems His Majesty truly intends to stand idly by.” Ye Li shook her head slightly and said softly: “Uncle, His Majesty doesn’t intend to stand idly by, but rather wants to fish in troubled waters. Guess how many of these people came from the palace?”

How big is Beijing? These past ten-plus days, forces from various sides had continuously provoked Prince Ding’s mansion, losing over a hundred men. How many could still be hiding in Beijing now? If there weren’t capable people assisting behind the scenes, how could so many masters infiltrate Beijing so easily? If they were truly that formidable, probably every country’s emperor would be unable to sleep at night. Xu Hongyan started, but in the end only let out a long sigh, “Why must His Majesty do this…”

When the first assassin crossed the main courtyard wall, Ye Li stood up again and walked outside. The several maids hurriedly followed, but Ye Li waved her hand saying: “Don’t come out.” Qing Luan said: “Usually we can’t help much, and now in the mansion Princess won’t let us follow – we servants all feel useless. Let Qing Shuang and Qing Xia who don’t know martial arts stay in the room, but let me and Qing Yu follow Princess.” Seeing her insistence, Ye Li frowned slightly but didn’t say more as she stepped out of the study.

In the courtyard, Zhuo Jing and Feng Zhiyao came forward to meet her. Seeing Ye Li emerge, Feng Zhiyao said: “Several groups headed for the ancestral hall, probably after the Lan Yun sword enshrined there. The others all came toward the main courtyard, though a few went toward the library.”

Ye Li smiled faintly and said: “Regardless of why they came, make sure none leave alive.”

“Yes!” Feng Zhiyao laughed heartily, cupped his hands to Ye Li, and flew off toward the outer courtyard, his red robes carrying a hint of cold bloodthirst in the bloody scene.

Gradually, the sounds of fighting all gathered outside the main courtyard, and Prince Ding’s guards seemed to be having trouble holding on. Standing under the eaves, though Ye Li couldn’t see the scene outside, she could hear the killing and smell the thick scent of blood carried by the night wind.

Suddenly, several black shadows quickly breached the outer courtyard wall and leaped in, almost immediately spotting Ye Li in her white robes standing under the eaves. The black shadows unanimously pounced toward Ye Li, their lightning-fast momentum revealing them to be not ordinary assassins, but truly first-rate masters. Ye Li didn’t move a hair, as if the surging killing intent before her didn’t exist. Just as the black shadows nearly reached her, Zhuo Jing suddenly moved beside her. He raised his hand, sending a cold glint flying from his sleeve toward only the person in front, while simultaneously, from the shadows, several sharp arrows shot out, embedding themselves in neat rows in the ground, drawing a white line between the two sides, warning the newcomers to stop.

The lead black-robed person halted, swept a glance at the arrows in the ground, and raised his left arm – the sleeve had a long tear.

“Prince Ding’s guards truly live up to their reputation,” the black-robed person said in a deep voice.

Ye Li smiled slightly, “You’re too kind.”

The black-robed person’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cold glint, “Princess Consort Ding?”

Ye Li nodded with a faint smile, “Indeed. And how should I address you?”

The black-robed person let out a light snort, “You need not know who I am, only that I’m here to take your life.”

Ye Li paid no mind to his threatening words, raising an eyebrow with a smile, “Oh? As it happens, this Princess also wants to know exactly how many people wish to take my life. Since you’ve come, you might as well stay.” With a raise of her hand, a red light shot into the night sky with a sharp whistle, blooming into an enormous red flower overhead. The eerily bewitching red instantly covered the entire sky above Prince Ding’s mansion, causing those who looked up to suddenly feel an ominous premonition. The black-robed person didn’t look at the night sky, instead vigilantly watching his surroundings. Something seemed to have changed in the darkness – he tried to listen carefully, but with the fighting outside, even with his profound inner power, he couldn’t make out what it was.

On the wall, Feng Zhiyao elegantly knocked away an assassin in his red robes, admiringly looking at the sky with a smile, “Princess, what flower is that? It’s quite beautiful. This young master wants to have a robe embroidered with such flowers.”

Ye Li’s mouth twitched slightly as she said flatly, “It’s the Red Spider Lily, also called the Flower of the Other Shore. The only scenery on the path to the Yellow Springs, also known as the Death Flower.”

Feng Zhiyao’s body stumbled, nearly falling off the wall. He gave a dry laugh, “The Princess surely jests.”

“Feng San, are you here to play?” Mo Hua appeared on the wall sometime unknown, coldly looking down at the people in the courtyard.

“Hmph, such audacious villains dare to intrude into Prince Ding’s main courtyard – truly tired of living!” Zhang Qilan stood in battle robes, holding a long spear at the corner of the eaves. Already imposing in stature and having forged a lifetime of killing intent on the battlefield, standing on the eaves now he somewhat embodied the spirit of sweeping across the six directions with sword drawn and horse-mounted.

The black-robed person quickly discovered he had fallen into the encirclement of Prince Ding’s mansion’s masters. Normally one should immediately grab the Princess Consort as hostage to seek escape, but seeing the Princess Consort standing leisurely under the eaves with just two women and one man, he suddenly hesitated. Was moving forward really right? Could it be another trap?

“Princess Consort has such deep schemes – all these days of endurance just to lure us into a trap?” the black-robed person stared at Ye Li.

Ye Li laughed clearly, “It’s nothing much. Compared to how all of you were busy plotting while my Prince hadn’t even left the capital. As soon as the Prince left, you came one after another to bully me, a weak woman – this Princess thinks I’ve been quite accommodating. These past days, you must have had your fill of fun. Now… why not see what Prince Ding’s mansion is capable of?” Outside the walls, the mansion’s guards who had seemed to be barely holding on suddenly became more valiant, and countless people emerged from the darkness to rejoin the fight. The situation outside seemed to reverse in an instant. No more assassins attempted to scale the high walls into the main courtyard – more tried to flee outward, but Prince Ding’s elite guards had also appeared at the exits, attacking from both sides and making the mansion even more lively.

Realizing they were trapped inside, the several black-robed people in the courtyard began to grow anxious. A few didn’t think it through and raised their weapons to charge at Ye Li, but Zhuo Jing and Qing Luan calmly met their attack. On the high wall, Feng Zhiyao frowned as he observed the situation in the courtyard, and finding no place requiring his intervention, turned back to watch the battle outside. Seeing several figures quickly flash past leaving only black-robed corpses behind, he couldn’t help but admire, “The Princess has such skill – if the Mo family troops all had such ability, how could the world not be unified and the four seas not be pacified?” Mo Hua stood beside him, following his gaze, his expression changing slightly as he remained silent.

Ye Li silently watched several charging black-robed men die in a hail of arrows, then looked up at the remaining few. The lead black-robed person gave a couple of sneering laughs, saying: “Good, worthy indeed of Prince Ding’s mansion, worthy of the Black Cloud Cavalry. However… does the Princess think we only have these preparations?”

Ye Li walked down from under the eaves, calmly looking at the black-robed person, “No matter how many preparations you have, I don’t intend to let any of you leave alive today. You must be Night Killers’ true leader?”

The black-robed person started, but quickly laughed again, “It seems my people have told the Princess everything. Well done! Since that’s the case… let’s see your true skill!” With that, the black-robed person suddenly flew toward Ye Li. He even managed to dodge two arrows shot from the shadows during this time. Zhuo Jing frowned slightly, raising his hand to signal a stop to the arrows. Ye Li calmly watched the black-robed person’s fierce approach, slightly shifting to dodge a blade while a flash of silver light flew from beneath her sleeve straight for the black-robed person’s wrist. The black-robed person’s eyes flashed with surprise as he turned his blade to break Ye Li’s attack. Ye Li gave a light snort, her dagger clashing with the large blade before swiftly switching hands to stab at the black-robed person’s left ribs. Ye Li’s dagger had been forged by an expert Mo Xiuyao found using cold iron essence according to her design – not only was its style unique, but it could cut through iron like mud. When it clashed with the large blade, sparks flew and it left a mark on the blade while remaining perfectly intact, still gleaming coldly.

The black-robed person quickly dodged Ye Li’s strike, his gaze growing more dangerous as he watched her. Originally he hadn’t thought much of this Princess Consort, as her inner power couldn’t even be called that of a master, only passable. But in this brief exchange, the Princess Consort who didn’t rely on inner power at all had nearly gotten the better of him. If this woman had profound inner power as well, the black-robed person wouldn’t dare think he could be her match.

Ye Li hadn’t planned to fight hard either, knowing when to stop as she quickly retreated to a safe distance. She looked calmly at the black-robed person with a smile, “Night Killers’ leader is nothing special after all. Take him.”

“Yes.” Zhuo Jing nodded, making several hand signals into the darkness.

Several figures silently appeared in the courtyard, wordlessly engaging the black-robed person. These people’s martial arts style was somewhat similar to Ye Li’s. Strictly speaking, they were far from being the black-robed person’s match, but their precise and quick attacks were breathtaking. Any blade palm or fist that landed on the black-robed person would certainly cause significant damage. But they coordinated perfectly with each other, and with the support of hidden archers, it took less than a quarter-hour to subdue all the assassins in the courtyard, with only two of them suffering minor injuries.

The lead Night Killers’ chief had his pressure points sealed and was bound in a peculiar way with ropes. Ye Li walked over with a faint smile, “I hear the Night Killers’ leader’s true identity is quite mysterious – even the Heaven One Pavilion, said to have the world’s best intelligence, doesn’t know. It seems this Princess can solve this puzzle today?”

Zhuo Jing reached out to remove the black cloth covering the person’s face, revealing a determined-looking face of about forty years. Ye Li calmly looked at the stranger before her, while Feng Zhiyao, who had been watching from the wall, truly fell off this time, staring at the black-robed person and crying out in shock: “Mu Qingcang!”