The reception hall fell silent.
Taking advantage of this moment, Cai Zhao quickly surveyed the enemies.
Nie Zhe, the most lavishly dressed man in the hall, was around 40 years old. His movements were still agile, but his energy seemed weak. Though likely handsome in his youth, his former charm was now buried under layers of fat.
Seated beside him was his wife, Li Ruxin.
Around 37 or 38, she had a fair complexion and fine, long eyebrows. While not as beautiful as Mu Qingyan’s mother Sun Ruoshui, she had an air of nobility that commanded respect. Next to her sat a sickly-looking boy of about ten, their features strikingly similar – likely Nie Zhe’s only son, Nie Sien.
Slightly apart from the family stood a middle-aged scholar who seemed out of place. About 30 years old, he had a lean face and a modest demeanor. More importantly, his sharp, powerful gaze and the aura of inner strength he exuded suggested considerable martial skill. This must be Yu Huiyin, whom Nie Zhe had mentioned, though Cai Zhao didn’t know his identity.
The hall also contained over a dozen guards and maids, along with three or five fierce-looking jianghu figures wearing animal skins and gold rings – likely the so-called Heavenly Dogs and Leopards.
After a moment of tense silence, surprisingly, it was Nie Zhe who broke it first.
He stared intently at Shangguan Haonan behind Cai Zhao, overjoyed: “Haonan, you’re… you’re not dead? I sent many people to inquire, all saying you were killed by bandits. These past days, thinking of you dead, my heart ached unbearably!”
His tone was sincere and earnest, mixing joy at reunion with a hint of sorrow.
Cai Zhao wanted to laugh but felt it would be disrespectful to the “manly man” behind her, so she held back.
Shangguan Haonan, initially full of righteous anger, now wilted under everyone’s gaze like a deflated frog. His face reddened as he shouted, “Nie, you old dog! You’ve bullied and humiliated me. I’ll never forgive you!”
Nie Zhe’s face showed hurt as he lamented, “Even at this critical moment, you’re so cold towards me. Have you forgotten all the kindness I’ve shown you?”
Shangguan Haonan roared, “Kindness my ass!”
Nie Zhe said sorrowfully, “My feelings for you were pure. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Believe your father!”
Cai Zhao couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter.
Yu Huiyin looked uncomfortable, his face full of embarrassment. Though young, Nie Sien was familiar with his father’s proclivities and looked as if he’d been slapped. Only Li Ruxin maintained her composure, softly comforting her son.
The others in the hall, even if they showed as many teeth as Cai Zhao in laughter, all revealed ambiguous, murky smiles.
Song Yuzhi glanced sideways, surprised to see Mu Qingyan not laughing at all, but instead wearing a grave, cautious expression.
Nie Zhe said calmly, “Ah since Haonan won’t listen to reason, I have no choice… Men, attack!” His tone changed abruptly for the last four words, becoming urgent and vicious as if he’d become a different person.
Two rows of guards quickly assembled, forming a dense formation like a wall of shields in front of Nie Zhe and the others. Each held an iron tube as thick as a bowl and half a foot long. With a series of clicking sounds as mechanisms were triggered, a shower of fine needles sprayed out from the tubes.
Nie Zhe had indeed considered the possibility of Mu Qingyan and others entering through his most secret passage, but he had also prepared for potential assassins sneaking into Jile Palace.
However, Mu Qingyan had anticipated this preparation.
“Open umbrellas!” he commanded sternly.
Many formidable characters had been deceived by Nie Zhe’s weak and cowardly appearance, ultimately underestimating him and failing.
Including himself.
Cai Zhao and the others immediately untied the long-handled Vajra umbrellas strapped to their backs and quickly opened them.
These were weapons Mu Qingyan had commissioned in advance. The handles and ribs were made of fine iron, while the canopy was woven from a mix of heavenly silkworm silk and gold thread, impervious to water, fire, and weapons. When opened, the umbrella was enormous and slightly elongated. By slightly bending their bodies, those behind it could avoid all the finely shot projectiles.
As the needles struck, Cai Zhao heard a sound like heavy rain hitting the umbrella, reminiscent of gnawing ants. It sent chills down her spine, accompanied by the tinkling of needles falling to the ground. However, the row of iron tubes was long and dense, and the poison needles shot out in swarms. If they wanted to approach Nie Zhe and the others, they would inevitably be caught in a difficult position.
Cai Zhao was not one to take abuse without retaliation. After the second round of needles, she seized an opportunity. The silver chain on her left wrist shot out, entangling the necks and arms of two guards, forcefully pulling them out of formation.
After several screams of agony, these two were turned into pincushions by the flying poison needles, writhing in pain on the ground before dying.
Mu Qingyan instantly understood Cai Zhao’s strategy. He tore down a nearby beaded curtain and flung it out like scattering flowers, causing cries of pain from the second row of guards still triggering their mechanisms. Cai Zhao seized this chance, her wrist flicking to drag more guards, piling up their bodies like a wall of human flesh.
Nie Zhe, of course, saw through this strategy. His face darkened as he shouted fiercely, “Change formation! Use the Bone-Corroding Heavenly Rain!”
The first row of guards shooting fine needles retreated, replaced by a second row. Each held a half-foot-long iron tube, though only as thick as a cup.
As the mechanisms triggered, a green-tinged black liquid sprayed out like fine rain, emitting a strong, foul odor.
Mu Qingyan’s expression changed. “Be careful, this liquid is extremely poisonous!”
Even without his warning, Cai Zhao and the others sensed the danger and quickly used their vajra umbrellas for complete protection.
The poison liquid dripped onto carved window frames, instantly creating tiny holes in the supposedly imperishable purple sandalwood. On the white jade floor tiles, it etched countless small black holes, a chilling sight. The effects on the corpses on the ground were even more horrifying – upon contact with flesh and blood, the poison’s corrosive power multiplied rapidly.
When Cai Zhao looked out from behind her umbrella again, the corpses had been reduced to bare bones, terrifying her. Even the iron wire of the umbrella canopy sizzled where the poison droplets touched, and she wondered how long it could hold out.
Upper Official Hao Nan’s face turned pale with fright. He shouted, “What is this thing? It’s so powerful!”
Mu Qingyan replied in a deep voice, “It’s ‘Bone-Eroding Sky Rain.’ Lu Shinan created it under Nie Hengcheng’s orders years ago. After his death, no one could find the formula. I thought this substance had been used up twenty years ago!”
Nie Zhe laughed smugly, tilting his head back. “Alas, the Mu family’s two hundred years of glory ends today. Their last descendants will be buried here. Hehe, hehe, hehehehe…” This was his carefully arranged love nest; if not necessary, he wouldn’t have used such a powerful weapon as the Bone-Eroding Sky Rain.
Immediately, the surrounding Tiankou leopards showered Nie Zhe with flattery, praising him to the skies.
Yu Huiyin’s face showed reluctance. “Fifth Brother, this isn’t right. Fourth Brother deeply regretted creating the ‘Bone-Eroding Sky Rain.’ I remember he asked Third Brother to destroy the remaining supply. Where did you get this from?”
Nie Zhe cursed, “Shut up! My business is none of your concern!”
Cai Zhao frowned as she looked at the blood-soaked floor, then at the wood and tiles corroded by the poison. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She glanced at the luxurious inner chamber behind her and shouted, “The carpet!” As she spoke, her lithe body swiftly leaped back into the inner chamber.
Mu Qingyan was the first to react. “Right, quickly lift the carpet in the inner room!”
Upper Official Hao Nan also understood, laughing loudly, “Women are indeed more attentive to detail!”
A thick, soft, snow-white fur carpet lay in the center of the inner chamber.
The four of them worked together, straining to lift the fur carpet. With a loud crash, all the tables, bowls, and cups on the carpet tumbled to the ground, scattering precious red and blue glass, agate, pearls, and jades everywhere.
They spread out the massive fur carpet like a giant flag, hiding their bodies behind it. Then, they swiftly pushed it towards the hall.
Nie Zhe, previously confused by their actions, now seemed to understand. He shrieked, “Quick, quick, stop them! Spray, spray!”
Following his cries, an increasingly dense spray of poison shot through the air. The white fur carpet was immediately riddled with black holes, but it wasn’t completely eroded. The thick fur greatly slowed the corrosion.
While the ‘Bone-Eroding Sky Rain’ was incredibly lethal to flesh and blood, instantly killing upon contact, it wasn’t as effective against inanimate objects like wood and stone—a fact Nie Zhe himself realized.
In the blink of an eye, the massive carpet, like a moving wall, was pushed to the front. Nie Zhe, protected by the Tiankou leopards, retreated repeatedly. Li Ruxin and her son also hid in a corner of the hall under the protection of their maids. Only Yu Huiyin was caught in a dilemma, neither wanting to help Nie Zhe nor feeling right about leaving.
With Upper Official Hao Nan’s roar, they pushed the huge carpet directly onto the guards still spraying poison, covering their faces. The other three took this opportunity to attack the guards’ poison canisters.
Mu Qingyan grabbed another handful of pearls from the curtain, Song Yuzhi pulled out a handful of gold-bladed silver-backed sleeve arrows from his waist pouch, and Cai Zhao, refusing to be extravagant, picked up some glass and agate shards from the inner chamber floor.
The three of them attacked with full force. The poison canisters of the seventeen guards burst open—some had their walls broken by pearls, others had their nozzles torn by sleeve arrows, or their mechanisms knocked off by gem shards.
As the poison leaked out through the cracks, the seventeen guards let out shrill screams. Unable to discard the canisters in time, they could only watch helplessly as their hands, contaminated with poison, slowly corroded to reveal white bone before spreading to their entire bodies.
Song Yuzhi, feeling a hint of pity, raised his hand and shot several sleeve arrows, giving these guards a quick end.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Nie Zhe immediately fled the guest hall with his lackeys, completely abandoning his wife and child.
Mu Qingyan spread his long sleeves and soared across the domed palace beams like an eagle, directly pursuing Nie Zhe.
Upper Official Hao Nan gave chase the fastest, feeling that if they couldn’t capture and kill Nie Zhe, his future would be bleak.
The floor was a mess of poison, blood, rotting corpses, and white bones with flesh hanging from them.
Cai Zhao clasped her hands together and silently recited a few lines of scripture. Song Yuzhi quietly waited beside her.
Soon, the sounds of fighting could be heard. Cai Zhao opened her eyes, drew her sword, and left.
Song Yuzhi followed.