Escape and Convergence
At the residence of the High Priestess, the night was unnaturally quiet.
Two female assassins approached the chamber where Xiao Xing was bound, his body slumped against a wooden pillar.
"Madame ordered that he be well fed and watched closely," one of them said coldly. "Do not make any mistakes."
"Don't worry," the other replied.
They stepped closer to inspect him.
Suddenly, the first assassin frowned.
"…Something's wrong."
She placed her fingers on Xiao Xing's neck.
"Shit! He's not breathing!"
Panic flashed across their faces. They rushed forward and untied him in haste.
As one of them checked his pulse again, Xiao Xing's eyes snapped open.
In a flash, he twisted his body, locking his legs around the assassin's neck. With a sharp turn, her neck snapped. She collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Before the second assassin could react, Xiao Xing flipped backward, landing firmly on his feet.
"Kill him!" she screamed, charging forward with a dagger.
Xiao Xing dodged her first strike and caught her wrist. Instantly, she hooked her left leg behind his, attempting a surprise kick. But Xiao Xing had already read her movement. He leaped lightly, evading the attack, and landed smoothly.
With a swift blow to her neck and a brutal strike to her chest, she crashed to the ground, unconscious.
Xiao Xing wasted no time. He seized a sword from the wall and rushed outside.
What greeted him was a sea of assassins.
Without hesitation, he charged.
Steel clashed against steel as Xiao Xing fought through them, his movements sharp and ruthless. Though injuries from earlier battles weighed on him, his will burned hotter than pain.
At the Imperial Villa
"Please… spare our children. Please!"
The Empress collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
Bai Li stood frozen, his eyes burning red as he watched her humiliation. His grip tightened around his sword until his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, an assassin burst into the hall.
"Madame! Qu Xiao Xing—Qu Xiao Xing has escaped!"
The room fell silent.
"What?!" Nae Yi and Bai Li exclaimed at the same time.
Their eyes met — hatred and shock colliding — and without another word, both turned and rushed out.
The Emperor hurried to the Empress's side, helping her to her feet.
"Summon the Magistrate Commander," he ordered grimly.
"Gather the troops and follow the High Priestess closely. Do not let yourselves be discovered."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
At a secluded courtyard
The High Priestess regrouped with her remaining assassins.
"What happened?" she demanded coldly.
"Madame… please kill us," one of them cried. "He was too skilled for us."
Her eyes darkened.
"Summon Giyeok."
"She is out of reach," another replied. "She is currently in Li Dynasty."
"What?!" Nae Yi hissed.
Another assassin rushed forward, kneeling.
"Madame! Qu Xiao Xing has escaped to Bunei Garden."
"Bunei Garden?"
A slow, wicked smile crept across her face. "The Prince's garden…"
She lifted her gaze toward the heavens.
"Heaven cannot abandon me. My will is Heaven's will."
"Gather the assassins," she commanded.
"Yes, Madame!"
Unnoticed, imperial soldiers who had overheard the exchange slipped away toward the garden.
From a higher vantage point, Bai Li watched silently. The moment he heard the name Bunei Garden, he vanished like the wind.
BUNEI GARDEN
Xiao Xing staggered into the garden, blood staining his clothes. His sword slipped from his grasp, clattering onto the stone path as his strength finally failed him.
He collapsed to the ground.
Breathing heavily, he uprooted a nearby leaf, crushed it between his fingers, and pressed the juice onto a deep wound on his arm.
Footsteps approached.
Xiao Xing's eyes sharpened. He slowly picked up his unsheathed sword, forcing himself into a defensive stance.
"Who are you?" a calm voice asked.
Xiao Xing looked up.
Standing before him was a young man clad in fine robes, his posture noble, his gaze steady.
"I… where am I?" Xiao Xing asked weakly. "And who are you?"
The young man narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I asked first," he said.
"Who are you?"
The moonlight bathed both of them — two faces strikingly alike — as destiny finally brought the twin princes face to face.