Just as the dance reached its most captivating moment, Li Xuanba, who had been sitting in the pavilion, suddenly leaped up. At the same time, a cold gleam appeared in his palm as he thrust it toward Yunyi, seemingly intent on taking her life!

Li Shimin was shocked and alarmed. Without time for words, he hurriedly rose to intervene, but it was already too late. He could only shout sternly at Yunyi, “Dodge quickly!”

Yunyi never expected Li Xuanba to suddenly do such a thing. She hastily tried to dodge, but in her panic, she accidentally stepped on her skirt and fell to the ground. By the time she tried to avoid the attack again, it was too late!

“Xuanba, stop!” Faced with Li Shimin’s angry shout, Li Xuanba showed no intention of stopping. He continued with a cold expression, gripping the dagger as he thrust toward Yunyi, completely appearing as if he wanted to kill her!

Seeing her life hanging by a thread, Yunyi’s eyes sharpened. With her martial arts skills, avoiding Li Xuanba’s strike wouldn’t be difficult at all. Just as she was about to make her move, her heart suddenly stirred. The hand she had just begun to raise lowered again. She actually did nothing, watching helplessly as the cold gleam approached her. To onlookers, she seemed frightened senseless.

When the dagger was only an inch from Yunyi’s eyes, it suddenly stopped. The next moment, Li Shimin had already rushed over, snatched the dagger from Li Xuanba’s hand, and hurled it far away while shouting angrily, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

Li Xuanba didn’t speak, only stared at Yunyi, who had fallen to the ground, with a face full of doubt. Strange, hadn’t Feng Li said this woman was an assassin? Why did she show no reaction when she saw him thrust the dagger at her like that?

Over there, Li Shimin had already helped the pale-faced Yunyi up, asking anxiously, “How are you? Are you hurt?”

Yunyi stared at him blankly. The next moment, those frightened doe-like eyes were surrounded by mist. She clutched Li Shimin’s clothes with trembling voice, “Second… Second Young Master, did I… did I do something wrong? Why does the Third Young Master want to kill… me?”

Li Shimin stroked her stiff back comfortingly, “No, you did nothing wrong. Xuanba, he… he was just playing with you. It’s all right now!”

Yunyi nodded, but her eyes were still filled with lingering fear. She didn’t dare look at Li Xuanba, who was playing with the dagger in his hand, laughing, “Yes, I suddenly remembered the incident when that female assassin tried to kill Father. I had a sudden impulse, so I was just playing around. I didn’t expect to frighten you. I’m truly sorry.”

“All right, it’s fine now. I’ll have someone escort you back.” Under Li Shimin’s consolation, Yunyi released her grip on Li Shimin’s clothes and left with the maidservant.

After they left, Li Shimin’s expression darkened as he stared at Li Xuanba, “What exactly is going on with you? First you inexplicably ask Meixue to dance, then suddenly pull this stunt. Don’t tell me you really had a sudden impulse.”

Li Xuanba stared at the gleaming dagger in his hand and said slowly, “Second Brother, do you think… she’s really Wu Meixue?”

Li Shimin frowned, asking puzzledly, “Xuanba, what’s wrong with you today? Everything you say and do is strange. Is there something troubling you?”

Li Xuanba was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, “It’s nothing. I just feel that this past month of conscription has kept me frantically busy. Now that I finally have some free time, I’m looking for something to amuse myself with. But Second Brother, you’re so nervous about this dancing girl and have helped her several times. Could it be that you’ve really fallen for her? If Miss Zhangsun knew that Second Brother had given his heart to another woman, she would surely be heartbroken.”

Li Shimin’s expression stiffened, then he said coolly, “When did you become such a gossip?”

Li Xuanba sheathed his dagger and smiled, “If it were someone else, I wouldn’t bother to say anything. But Second Brother… don’t forget your engagement to Miss Zhangsun.” By the time he spoke the last sentence, the smile had vanished from his face.

“I naturally remember, and I clearly remember who I love.” After saying this, Li Shimin turned and left. Watching his retreating figure, Li Xuanba’s brows furrowed tightly. Feng Li couldn’t possibly be lying to him, but when that dagger thrust down earlier, Wu Meixue’s performance looked exactly like that of an ordinary woman. Was she… hiding too deeply, or was there something else to the story?

On the first day of the third month, Yunyi left the Governor’s residence with her waist token as usual, but instead of heading to her home on Changshi Lane, she went all the way out of the city gates. When she reached the empty village she had visited with Li Shimin before, she stopped and said coldly, “Come out.”

The surroundings were silent except for the rustling sound of warm wind through the leaves. Yunyi’s lips curved slightly as she said coolly, “Doesn’t the Third Young Master always pride himself on being upright and honorable? When did he become so secretive and sneaky?”

Following these words, Li Xuanba emerged from behind a section of ruined wall, staring coldly at Yunyi, “He wasn’t wrong. You really are that assassin!”

“He…” Yunyi’s expression changed as she said in shock, “Feng Cheng isn’t dead?”

Li Xuanba raised his eyebrows, “That’s right. Feng Cheng was blessed with great fortune and managed to survive.” Speaking with a trace of confusion, he asked, “Are you Wu Meixue or Shen Yunyi?”

Yunyi had already regained her composure and smiled, “I am whoever the Third Young Master says I am.”

Li Xuanba snorted heavily, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll surrender quietly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite!”

“Surrender quietly…” Yunyi repeated softly, then laughed charmingly, “I’d like to, but unfortunately… what I hate most in life are those four words!”

Before her words had finished, a dagger had already slipped into her palm. At the same time, she pushed off with her toes and shot toward Li Xuanba like a meteor. Facing the swiftly approaching dagger, Li Xuanba snorted lightly, “Petty tricks!”

Just as the dagger was about to reach him, he sidestepped to avoid it while raising his long-prepared right hand, striking heavily toward Yunyi’s shoulder. She had already anticipated this move and twisted her entire body in a strange posture, barely avoiding Li Xuanba’s punch by brushing past it.

Not only did Li Xuanba’s punch miss, but he also heard Yunyi’s mocking laughter, “After half a year without sparring, the Third Young Master’s martial arts seem to have deteriorated considerably. Could it be that you’ve been indulging in wine and women all this time, depleting your body?”

“Bastard!” Li Xuanba roared angrily, his fists creating gusts of wind as he continuously struck at Yunyi. She dodged while constantly speaking words to enrage Li Xuanba, making him furious and causing his punching speed to increase continuously.

Having fought Li Xuanba once before, Yunyi knew his martial arts were domineering and fierce, beyond what she could directly confront. So she dared not engage him head-on, instead circling and entangling while using words to provoke him, thereby exhausting his stamina and disturbing his mental state.

After fighting for a while, Li Xuanba also saw through Yunyi’s intention. Without making a sound, he quickly scanned the surroundings, then accelerated his techniques, forcing Yunyi to retreat step by step. She hurriedly glanced back and saw that where she was retreating to was a corner formed by walls. Once Li Xuanba forced her into this spot, she would have nowhere to hide and could only face him directly. In that case, the situation would be extremely unfavorable for her.