Chapter 92
Though she found it amusing, You Xiang cooperated, stiffening her body. Her voice trembled, and her face turned pale as she stammered, “R-really? Get it off me, please!”
“Don’t move, Miss. Let me help you catch it,” the maidservant said timidly. But her expression betrayed her intent—she looked as if she wanted to tear You Xiang to pieces. With a flip of her hand, a silver needle appeared, and she raised it, ready to strike You Xiang’s acupoint.
Before the needle could touch her, something struck the maid’s wrist. She let out a small cry, her hand went numb, and the silver needle fell to the ground.
At that moment, You Xiang spun around, and with a flick of her sleeve, a fine powder scattered toward the maidservant.
The maid’s eyes widened in shock. She clutched her nose in panic and tried to flee, only to turn around and find Murong Qiufeng standing behind her. His gaze was cold, and he held a long sword in his hand. Facing him, her face turned pale, and panic flickered in her eyes.
Murong Qiufeng’s voice was icy as he asked, “Are you Zhao Xiru, or someone sent by her?”
The maid’s expression changed again. She suddenly blew a whistle, and several figures emerged from the shadows. One of them grabbed Zhao Xiru and attempted to escape, while the others engaged Murong Qiufeng and You Xiang, their weapons clashing noisily.
You Xiang smirked coldly. “With just a few small-time thugs, you think you can handle me? How naive!”
As soon as she spoke, the assailants’ faces twisted in pain. Their bodies convulsed, showing signs of poisoning.
Zhao Xiru, who had also begun to feel dizzy, glanced at Murong Qiufeng. His stern and distant expression made her heart ache slightly.
Suddenly, the situation changed again. More black-clad figures burst into the scene, tossing several small orbs to the ground.
The orbs exploded, releasing thick smoke that quickly enveloped the area.
You Xiang covered her nose and mouth, ready to chase after the fleeing figures. However, Murong Qiufeng grabbed her arm and, with a swift move, leaped onto the roof with her.
From above, they could see that the smoke had caused all the plants in the area to wither instantly. The earlier attackers lay on the ground, motionless—dead from the poison.
“It’s toxic smoke. Damn it,” You Xiang muttered, her expression dark. She hadn’t expected someone to use poison against her. “What nerve, playing tricks with poison in front of me. Truly overestimating themselves!”
Murong Qiufeng noticed the guards rushing over from all directions and quickly shouted, “Stay back! Everyone, retreat at least a hundred feet!”
The guards, startled to see the two of them standing on the roof, hesitated but obeyed the order. Even so, a few had already been poisoned.
“Can this poison be cured?” Murong Qiufeng asked.
“I’m the queen of poisons—this is nothing. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone die. But those earlier… well, they’re beyond saving. Damn it, this just tipped them off,” You Xiang grumbled, biting her lip in frustration.
Murong Qiufeng chuckled and patted her shoulder. “It’s not all bad. Stirring them up could work in our favor. It might force them to reveal their next move sooner.”
You Xiang’s expression softened slightly, though she still pouted unhappily. Nodding, she went down to detoxify the affected guards and clear the toxic smoke.
Murong Qiufeng frowned, his mind lingering on the black-clad attackers. There was something unusual about them, and those explosive orbs they used seemed familiar. He just couldn’t recall where he’d seen them before.
“Hey, my lord! I found something!” You Xiang, examining the corpses, suddenly called up to him.
Murong Qiufeng immediately jumped down to join her.
“Look at this. Two of them have this mark,” You Xiang said, pointing to the arm of one of the attackers.
Murong Qiufeng examined it closely. On the arm was a tattoo of a ferocious claw. “What is this?” he asked, his brows furrowing.
“Heh, this mark has quite the history, one His Highness should be familiar with,” You Xiang smirked, raising an eyebrow.
Murong Qiufeng frowned in confusion.
You Xiang leaned closer and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened in shock, a flicker of astonishment flashing through them before being replaced by a sharp, penetrating glare.
“So, it’s likely they’re involved,” Murong Qiufeng said grimly. His calm expression was laced with coldness, and anger simmered in his eyes.
You Xiang nodded. “The tattoo doesn’t lie. If they’re death warriors, betrayal of their original master is out of the question. So, there’s a high chance—if they’re not the masterminds, they’re at least accomplices.”
Murong Qiufeng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Suddenly, a guard burst into the courtyard. “Young Master! Something terrible has happened!”
“What is it?” Murong Qiufeng turned sharply, a sinking feeling welling up in his chest as he saw the guard’s panicked face.
The guard turned even paler when his eyes landed on the corpses in the courtyard. Trembling, he stammered, “The Madam’s sedan chair was attacked on the way to the temple. Everyone was killed, and the Madam… she’s missing.”
“What?” Murong Qiufeng’s face instantly drained of color. Beside him, You Xiang’s expression grew grim as well.
“Where? Take me there,” Murong Qiufeng commanded, gritting his teeth. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain calm, then strode forward with an icy expression.
The guard, visibly nervous, led the way hesitantly, his face alternating between green and white as he thought to himself, The Young Master always seemed so gentle, but now he’s exuding a sharp, commanding aura—just like the Prime Minister.
“Wait.” Murong Qiufeng suddenly stopped and turned to the guard, his gaze sharp. “You said everyone was killed. How do you know that?”
The guard froze, then quickly replied, “I received a note saying the Madam was in danger. I sent someone to investigate, and they confirmed the attack.”
“Oh? You’re one of the gate guards, correct? The Madam was ambushed halfway to the temple. After receiving the note, why didn’t you come straight to report it? Sending someone to investigate and returning here would’ve taken considerable time. And you, a mere gate guard, managed to command the estate guards? How exactly did that happen?” Murong Qiufeng’s eyes darkened as he scrutinized the guard.
Behind him, You Xiang’s expression changed. “This is bad!” she muttered before rushing back to the courtyard. Sure enough, the bodies had disappeared.
Under Murong Qiufeng’s relentless questioning, the guard’s face turned ashen. When he saw You Xiang return, he raised his hand to act, but Murong Qiufeng swiftly struck his acupoint, immobilizing him. Pulling a small black orb from the guard’s hand, Murong Qiufeng inspected it—it was another explosive fire orb.
You Xiang emerged from the courtyard with a grim expression. “Young Master, it was a diversion. The bodies are gone.”
Murong Qiufeng frowned, gripping the fire orb tightly before letting out a cold snort. He handed the orb to You Xiang and glanced at the pale-faced guard. “Well, we still have one alive. He’s all yours.”
You Xiang looked at Murong Qiufeng, momentarily startled by his cold demeanor. The resemblance to His Highness was uncanny, and it unsettled her. Could Murong Qiufeng have been influenced by the Prince?
A chill ran down her spine. The Prince was right—Murong Qiufeng isn’t a harmless rabbit. He’s a lion, slowly coming into his own. And that’s a good thing. A tiger and a lion—rulers of the wild.
Taking the fire orb, You Xiang grinned wickedly at the guard, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Perfect timing. I needed an outlet for my frustration. Since you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
Even though it was only a feint, Murong Qiufeng couldn’t shake a lingering unease.
