The woman stood there, tall and calm. Her so-called bodyguard stood beside her, matching her in dramatic color palette. Looking equally mysterious and equally irritating. Neither of them bothered with masks. No effort to hide their faces. Bold? Or just stupid? Hard to tell at this point.
He stared at the woman, the fake princess, the walking headache, the one whose real name he still didn't know.
Had she guessed this was the escape route? Had she been waiting for him? That would make her annoyingly clever. Or incredibly lucky. He didn't know which was worse.
She didn't look surprised at all. In fact, she looked like she'd just spotted an old friend at the market. She strolled forward, hands behind her back.
His guards tensed, blades ready to leap forward.
Shu Mingye raised one hand.
Immediately, the weapons lowered. Obedient. Efficient. But the killing intent didn't disappear, it just politely stepped behind a curtain and waited.
He narrowed his eyes. This night was getting too interesting. And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a very, very bad one.
The fake princess stood at the front, smile sweet as honey and just as suspicious.
"Let's make a deal," she said.
Shu Mingye blinked.
No hidden blade, no sudden attack, no poison needle flying at his throat. Just... a deal? He didn't know whether to be relieved or very, very alarmed.
"What kind of deal?" he asked slowly, half-expecting her to suddenly throw a knife on his face. At this point, nothing would surprise him.
"Help me smuggle something out," she said. "And I'll help your people escape. Quietly."
Quietly? With seven assassins, a half-dead prince, and the imperial palace on full lockdown?
He raised an eyebrow. "What thing?"
She shrugged, still smiling. "Just a thing. I only need one person. The strongest one to do it."
Now that was even more suspicious. One person? What was she planning? He squinted at her.
"Do you really know the way out?" he asked.
"Of course," she said with a confidence that was either real or borrowed from a much smarter person. "Deal or no deal?"
His brain screamed Trap! but his curiosity screamed Fun!
This was risky. No, this was stupid. He didn't even know her real name. She could be an assassin, or a con artist, or someone who just liked causing trouble for fun. Which, come to think of it, matched everything she'd done so far.
"Why should I trust you?" he asked.
"You shouldn't," she replied cheerfully. "This is merely a deal based on benefit."
He stared at her.
Then, before his brain could throw itself in front of the decision, his mouth said, "Fine."
He immediately regretted it.
This was definitely the stupidest thing he'd done in his entire life. Maybe in several lives, depending on how reincarnation worked. But it was too late now. The words were out. The deal was sealed. And, naturally, the universe immediately punished him for it.
Footsteps echoed from behind them.
Heavy, armored, way-too-purposeful footsteps.
Shu Mingye didn't even have time to swear before a squad of imperial guards stormed. Leading them was a particularly loud one with his chest puffed out and sword already halfway raised, clearly ready to shout something inspiring, dramatic, or deeply annoying.
Shu Mingye did not care.
He moved first.
In a blur of movement, he shot forward. One clean slash—sharp, smooth, and swift—and the lead guard's head rolled away dramatically. Blood splashed over the ground.
His own guards immediately joined in, blades flashing. The moment blades clashed, the peaceful west side of the palace exploded into chaos.
Spiritual energy howled through the air—sharp, wild, and untamed. It cracked against stone path and tore through the courtyard trees, which absolutely didn't deserve this level of violence.
Shu Mingye's guards moved like shadows—fast, coordinated, and far too eager for blood. One of them summoned a thick, thorny vine from the ground. It lashed out with a loud snap, wrapped around two imperial guards, and flung them through a decorative lantern post.
Another imperial guard roared and slammed his palm into the dirt. The ground shuddered before sharp stone spikes shot upward in jagged lines. One of them nearly skewered He Yuying.
He Yuying side-stepped it with a bored look. "Not bad," he commented. "Should've brought snacks."
Linyue, still standing calmly in her original spot with her hands behind her back, replied, "I brought poison."
He Yuying gave her a deeply wounded look. "That's not a snack."
"Depends on the target," she said with a smile.
The elegant walkway, once polished and lined with fragrant flowers, now smelled of smoke, blood, and panic.
In the center of it all, Shu Mingye moved like a storm. He didn't use his fire spiritual energy—it was too flashy, too recognizable. Instead, he let his sword do the talking.
A gust of wind energy slammed toward him—razor sharp and loud enough to scream. He dodged sideways just in time. His robes fluttered behind him, but not a single strand of hair was out of place. The wind cultivator who attacked him was already preparing the next strike, hands swirling as the air twisted into slicing ribbons.
Too slow.
Shu Mingye was already there.
He struck the man's arm first—quick, brutal, and precise—then followed through with a clean slash across the neck. The wind energy unraveled instantly, fading into nothing. The imperial guard dropped without a sound.
More guards rushed in from the far end. Someone tried to trap them with chains made of earth spiritual energy, glowing vines that slithered across the ground.
He Yuying sighed, then stepped forward lazily. He drew his sword, which shimmered with fire spiritual energy. With one swing, the glowing chains, which had been slithering around the ground like glowing worms, shattered into sparkling dust.
"I really was hoping for snacks," he muttered, clearly offended by the lack of hospitality.
"I told you," Linyue said calmly from behind him, "I brought poison."
"You can't eat poison," he replied flatly.
"Of course you can."
"It's not even edible."
Linyue tilted her head thoughtfully. "Something that can be eaten doesn't have to be edible." She paused. Then added in a casual voice, "Like Sister Meiyu's cooking."
He Yuying's eyes widened in absolute horror. "You're right," he said quickly. "Forget I said anything."
While they were having this deeply important philosophical debate about food, the actual battlefield had already cleaned itself up.
Shu Mingye's men moved like professionals—scary, efficient, deeply committed. Fire spiritual energy was summoned to burn away blood trails. Wind cultivators stirred up controlled breezes, sweeping ashes and scent trails far into the night sky. One guy even summoned mist to make the place feel extra dramatic. Probably unnecessary, but it looked cool.
The bodies? Already dealt with.
Some were gently shoved into bushes. Others were respectfully floated into the pond. The koi fish inside were now the proud owners of a five-course protein buffet. They didn't ask for it, but they weren't complaining either.
Linyue took one last look at the scene, utterly unfazed. "Well," she thought, "not my pond."
Then her eyes landed on Shu Mingye. He was already watching her, blood-splattered and still annoyingly calm.
"Follow me," she said simply.
And without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel.
He Yuying looked between the cleaned-up battlefield and the path she'd taken. Then shrugged. "Well. Guess it's kidnapping o'clock."
Shu Mingye squinted at her back and followed in silence, each step quiet but ready. They didn't have much time before another wave of stomping imperial boots came crashing through the palace. At least she understood that, judging by the way she walked. Fast. Light. Sharp, focused steps that said, "I've definitely done this before and possibly robbed a palace or two."
Her so-called guard followed her silently.
Shu Mingye wasn't sure what bothered him more. How suspicious everything looked, or how she made it all feel normal.
He hadn't missed how she'd just stood there during the fight, watching him slicing and chopping people casually. And then, she started bickering about snacks and poison while his men were still mopping up blood. Not once did she flinch. Not a single step back.
She wasn't the real princess. That much was obvious. But still, wasn't any normal person supposed to scream? Panic? Call the guards? Pretend to faint?
Apparently not.
Shu Mingye didn't have time to solve the mystery. The path twisted again—back to the ancestral hall. Again? Was this place cursed? Or was it just her favorite meeting spot for extremely illegal activities?
She turned to them and said simply, "Wait here."
Then she slipped inside, closing the door behind her. No explanation. No warning. Just shut the door and left them standing outside.