Chapter 70 Veiled in Mystery
As soon as Ji Lingxiu led Chen Chang'an through the gates of the mansion, a soldier blocked them with his halberd.
Her expression did not change. From her sleeve, she withdrew a jade token and handed it over.
"Take this to your general. He will come to see me." Her voice was cool and carried unquestionable authority.
The soldier stiffened at once, accepted the token, and hurried away.
Chen Chang'an, standing off to the side, idly examined the layout of the residence while chatting halfheartedly with Ji Lingxiu.
She, however, began to explain the pride of the Great Zhou—the Lingtian Army.
When speaking of them, a trace of pride lit her eyes and her voice grew solemn. "The Lingtian Army is the most elite cavalry of the Great Zhou. Each knight has at least Tongxuan Realm cultivation."
"Not only that," she continued, "when they charge, they form profound battle formations. Their qi interlocks, their spiritual power resonates, and they move as one body."
"Oh, sounds impressive?" Chen Chang'an looked uninterested.
A group of Tongxuan cultivators charging… wasn't that essentially just a bunch of Chen Xingcai rushing forward? How formidable could it be?
Would they rely on their cuteness to kill the enemy?
Chen Chang'an imagined the scene, and suddenly thought… maybe that wasn't impossible…
Seeing his dismissive look, Ji Lingxiu was about to argue further when—
Her breath abruptly caught.
"What is it?" Chen Chang'an turned, sensing something wrong. Ji Lingxiu's face had gone pale. Her body trembled, nails digging into her palm until threads of blood seeped out.
She gave no reply, eyes fixed ahead.
Footsteps approached.
A middle-aged man in a brocade robe strode forward. His face bore a smooth smile, but his eyes gleamed sly and foxlike.
When he reached them, he dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
—Liu Xu!
Ji Lingxiu's heart nearly stopped.
In her previous life, on the day of her death, it was this man who had come in Fu Yunlan's name to "receive" her. Yet when Lier betrayed her at the final moment, he had never once appeared!
At the time, she had not thought much of it. But looking back now, the more she thought, the more suspicious it became.
The memory surged—fear and hatred flooding her heart like a tide. Her nails almost pierced through her palms.
"Who are you?" She forced down her turmoil, her voice trembling so faintly even she barely noticed. "I asked to see Fu Yunlan. Tell him to come out!"
Liu Xu raised his head, a strange light flickering in his eyes before his smile returned. "Your Highness has traveled far and must be weary. Why not rest first? I am General Fu Yunlan's captain of guards. The general is away on important matters, but I have already sent word to him."
Chen Chang'an stood silently to the side, eyes moving back and forth between them.
The night wind stirred. The torchlight danced across Liu Xu's face, making his smile seem even more sinister.
The wind swept fallen leaves across the stone steps before the General's Residence, rustling softly.
"So it is General Liu…" Ji Lingxiu's gaze locked on his masklike smile, her fingers curling tight within her sleeve. She drew a deep breath, her voice turning cold. "General Liu, I have urgent matters and must see General Fu Yunlan immediately."
For an instant, Liu Xu's grin stiffened. Then he forced it wider, his tone even more deferential. "Your Highness, please forgive me. The general is truly occupied with military affairs and is not within the residence at this time…"
"Then where is he? I will find him myself."
"The general ordered that his whereabouts are not to be revealed to anyone. In the Lingtian Army, orders are iron law. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness. I have arranged the finest chamber. You may rest here for now, and when the general returns, he will come to see you at once."
"Is that so?" Ji Lingxiu gave a cold laugh, her gaze cutting across Liu Xu's face like a blade. "Then this princess will not remain in the General's Residence. With my relationship to him, I must avoid suspicion. Since he is absent, I will lodge in the city for now. When he returns, I will visit again."
Ji Lingxiu turned and left, her sleeve stirring a sharp gust of wind. Chen Chang'an merely raised a brow and followed at an unhurried pace, dutifully playing the part of a silent guard.
Liu Xu did not stop them. He only watched as their figures disappeared into the distance. The smile faded from his face, leaving behind a glint of malice in his eyes.
…
Once they had walked some distance from the General's Residence, Ji Lingxiu finally slowed her steps.
Her fingertips were still trembling. The composure she had forced moments ago had nearly drained all her strength.
"That Liu fellow…" Chen Chang'an finally spoke, his tone as casual as if discussing supper. "You've got a grudge with him?"
Ji Lingxiu closed her eyes briefly. "I don't know…"
Her voice was so faint it was nearly inaudible, filled with confusion.
Reborn into this life, and yet nothing seemed to have changed. Everything was still slipping beyond her control.
The night wind swept through, lanterns along the street swaying, their shadows pulling long across the ground.
Chen Chang'an rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, where to now?"
"First, we find a place to stay," Ji Lingxiu said, taking a deep breath, determination flashing in her eyes. "I must meet Fu Yunlan… I have a feeling Liu Xu's obstruction itself is already a signal."
Chen Chang'an chuckled lightly and did not ask further.
The two stepped side by side into Fengwu City's deep night. Behind them, several black figures followed quietly.
Ji Lingxiu, weighed down with worry, seemed unaware.
Chen Chang'an noticed—but didn't care.
By the time they returned to the city's center, night was heavy. Lanterns along the streets went dark one by one, leaving only scattered points of light.
They settled into an inn called Cloud Perch, taking two adjoining upper rooms.
The inn boy led them eagerly, candlelight flickering, while Ji Lingxiu's brows remained tightly furrowed.
"Get some rest," Chen Chang'an leaned on the doorframe, speaking lazily. "Whatever it is, deal with it tomorrow."
Ji Lingxiu nodded, though the vigilance in her eyes did not fade.
It wasn't until Chen Chang'an's door closed with a thud that she suddenly realized—he hadn't even been surprised to learn she was a princess?
…
At midnight, silence lay over the world.
Chen Chang'an lay on his bed, hands pillowing his head, resting with eyes closed. Then his ears twitched—faint footsteps above the roof, so subtle that without his sharpened senses, he would never have noticed.
"Tch, so they really came," he muttered, lips curling into a cold smile.
At nearly the same moment, in the next room, Ji Lingxiu's eyes snapped open. Her hand already rested on the short sword by her pillow.
—Assassins!
In the blink of an eye, several shadows burst through the window. Blades gleamed coldly as they struck toward the bed.
Ji Lingxiu's figure flashed. Her short sword sang free of its sheath, slicing through an assassin's throat. Blood sprayed, staining the gauze canopy crimson.
Meanwhile, Chen Chang'an's door was kicked open. Three masked men stormed in with blades raised.
He stretched lazily, then his body blurred like a ghost. One palm slammed into a man's chest—sending him crashing out through the window like a broken kite.
"Waking me in the middle of the night isn't very polite," Chen Chang'an said lightly, though his eyes glinted with coldness.
The assassins, startled by the two's ferocity, faltered. Ji Lingxiu seized the chance—her sword gleamed like a rainbow, and another fell dead.
The remaining ones exchanged glances, then flung down smoke bombs. Cloaked in the billowing haze, they fled in panic.
Chen Chang'an waved his sleeve, dispersing the smoke, but made no move to pursue.
"Not chasing them?" Ji Lingxiu frowned.
"Chase for what?" Chen Chang'an shrugged. "Even if we catch them, nothing useful will come of it. Why waste the effort?"
Ji Lingxiu fell silent, her gaze fixed on the corpses at her feet, her expression growing heavier.
—The situation was far more complicated than she had imagined.
Liu Xu's obstruction. The assassins' attack. All of it pointed to one thing—
The depths of Fengwu City, or perhaps of the Lingtian Army, ran far deeper than she had expected.
…
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