After stepping out of her home, Yunyi did not head to the Governor’s mansion but instead turned to go to the Fang household. Since the Fang and Wu families were neighbors, they might very well know Wu Laosan’s age.
Fang Datong was fifty-four this year and remembered that Wu Laosan was three or four years younger than him, but he had no clear memory of exactly which year he was born. After all, the Wu family had moved here later, so he could only roughly estimate based on age that Wu Laosan had already passed fifty.
The Fang couple, upon learning that Wu Laosan was also among those to be conscripted, were equally saddened. In fact, aside from sadness and weeping, there was nothing they could do.
When they were still two streets away from the Governor’s mansion, Yunyi glanced at the darkening sky and said: “It’s getting dark, Father. Please return home quickly and be careful on the road.”
Wu Laosan forced a smile: “Father is fine. I’ll return after escorting you into the Governor’s mansion.”
Yunyi understood his thoughts and said: “Trust your daughter—I will definitely find a way to prove you’re already fifty. Also…” She thought for a moment, then continued: “Keep an eye on the Feng family these next few days. On our way back just now, I saw Feng Cheng sneaking around watching us. Perhaps this matter has some connection to them.”
Wu Laosan immediately replied: “How could such a thing be related to them? I heard that Feng Cheng is also among those to be conscripted this time.”
“Regardless, keeping watch can’t be a bad thing.” Seeing her insistence, Wu Laosan nodded: “Alright, I’ll try to find out more.”
“It’s getting darker and darker. Please go back quickly. Tomorrow I’ll find another way to leave the mansion.” Under Yunyi’s insistence, Wu Laosan departed with reluctant steps, looking back repeatedly. After he disappeared from sight, Yunyi also headed toward the Governor’s mansion.
These days, because of the conscription of soldiers and laborers, the entire Honghua Prefecture was in a state of panic. The streets had long since emptied, with only lamplight visible through windows.
As she was about to pass through that street, a fierce wind suddenly appeared behind her head. Yunyi’s expression turned stern as she quickly crouched to avoid it. Almost at the same moment, a cold gleam swept past the top of her head, and a strand of hair drifted down!
Yunyi broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly turned to look back, only to see a dark figure standing just a few steps behind her.
Just now she had been entirely absorbed in thinking about Wu Laosan’s situation and hadn’t noticed anyone following her. Fortunately, she had avoided in time—otherwise, her life would already be forfeit.
While Yunyi was feeling the aftershock of fear, the person opposite was equally surprised. This person was none other than Feng Li, who had been sent by Li Jiancheng to secretly return to Honghua Prefecture to eliminate Yunyi. He had arrived in Honghua Prefecture in early February and, because Li Jiancheng had instructed him not to act within the mansion, had been waiting until today. That strike just now had been delivered with at least seventy percent of his strength and speed—ordinary people absolutely could not have avoided it, unless… the person had martial arts foundation!
Thinking of this, Feng Li’s heart sank. His grip on the knife handle tightened, and his expression became even more grave than before. He couldn’t understand how a village woman could possess martial arts skills!
“Who are you?!” To Yunyi’s sharp question, Feng Li responded with his sharp steel blade, each strike aimed at vital points.
While dodging, Yunyi frowned tightly, unable to understand why someone would want to assassinate her. Could it be… that the Li family had discovered her identity? No, if it were the Li family, they should capture her alive to interrogate her about accomplices rather than trying to kill her without asking any questions, and they certainly wouldn’t send just one person!
But aside from this, she could think of no other possibility. During their fight, she desperately tried to see the assassin’s appearance clearly, but the dim light and the person’s deliberate evasion prevented her from getting a clear look. Fortunately, there were no people on this street—otherwise, seeing such a scene would surely frighten them to death.
Feng Li, being able to serve as Li Jiancheng’s bodyguard, naturally possessed considerable martial arts skills. His steel blade was wielded with divine precision, leaving the weaponless Yunyi exhausted from defending. If not for her excellent lightness skills, she would already have fallen beneath his blade.
However, Yunyi was not having an easy time either. Constantly leaping and dodging consumed tremendous energy, and after just this short while, she was already breathing slightly heavily. This wouldn’t do—she had to quickly think of a solution, or once her stamina gave out, she would become a soul beneath his blade.
With this thought, Yunyi swiftly ran forward as if trying to escape. Seeing this, Feng Li immediately gave chase, but after running just a few steps, Yunyi suddenly stopped, then turned and extended her right hand toward Feng Li, crying out: “Watch the arrow!”
Feng Li instinctively thought a sleeve arrow was being shot at him. Not bothering to continue chasing Yunyi, he quickly dodged to one side. But after waiting a moment, he heard no sound of something cutting through air, nor did he see any sleeve arrow coming. Only then did he realize he had been tricked, but it was already too late.
“Don’t move!” Along with this voice, an ice-cold hand wrapped around his neck, with sharp fingernails pressing tightly against the pulsing blood vessel at his neck. One could imagine that with the slightest movement from him, those fingernails would pierce through that largest blood vessel in the human body, killing him instantly—even the gods couldn’t save him!
After subduing Feng Li, Yunyi took the steel blade from his hand and placed it against his neck instead, then slowly walked in front of him. Upon seeing his appearance clearly, Yunyi exclaimed: “It’s you?!”
She had always felt it wouldn’t be someone from the Li family, yet what she saw before her was indeed Li Jiancheng’s personal bodyguard. Moreover… she didn’t understand—hadn’t Feng Li already gone to Hedong with Li Jiancheng? How could he appear here again?
Feng Li’s eyes flashed as he attempted to seize the blade while Yunyi’s mind was distracted, but before he could make any move, Yunyi had already recovered her composure. She tightened her grip on the blade and said coldly: “If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t move recklessly!”
Seeing that she had seen through his intentions, Feng Li could only helplessly lower his hand and stare at her: “You’re not Wu Meixue. Who exactly are you?” He felt that Wu Meixue’s dodging martial arts just now seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen them.
Yunyi said coldly: “I am naturally Wu Meixue. But you—why would you appear here, and why do you want to kill me?!” As she spoke, her heart suddenly stirred, and she pressed further: “Did the Eldest Young Master send you?”
Feng Li didn’t answer her question, only saying: “No, you definitely aren’t Wu Meixue. I…” Halfway through his words, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he blurted out: “I remember now! Your techniques are the same as that assassin’s—you are the assassin!”
Damn, he had indeed seen through it. However… it didn’t matter anymore, because she had never planned to let Feng Li go. With this thought, Yunyi said coldly: “Ridiculous. Everyone knows I’ve grown up in Shuangqiao Village since childhood, and my father is Wu Laosan. How could I possibly be an assassin?”
Feng Li narrowed his eyes slightly: “I don’t know what method you used to deceive everyone, but I can be certain that you are undoubtedly the assassin! If I’m not mistaken, you remained in the mansion to await an opportunity to assassinate the Governor. Shen Yunyi, what tremendous audacity you have!”
Yunyi’s eyes flickered slightly as she shouted: “Speak! Why did the Eldest Young Master send you to kill me!”