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The night shattered into chaos.
The once peaceful silence of the Great Empire of Tianzhou was now filled with the sharp echoes of hurried footsteps, rustling leaves, and angry shouts cutting through the cold midnight air.
Above the palace-
The moon hung full and bright.
Silver light poured over the rooftops, over the stone pathways, over the blooming imperial gardens where shadows raced between trees like restless ghosts.
And among those shadows-
Two figures moved.
Fast.
Relentless.
Deadly.
"Stop right there!"
The voice of General Liang Fengxiao thundered through the garden.
But the figure ahead of him never slowed.
Instead, Mo Qingren leapt over a low stone railing with fluid ease, his dark robes disappearing briefly beneath the silver glow of the moonlight.
Liang Fengxiao gritted his teeth.
Fast.
Too fast.
The assassin moved like flowing water-smooth, precise, impossible to predict.
The general pushed himself harder, boots slamming against the stone pathway as he pursued him through the imperial garden.
Branches snapped beneath hurried movement.
Flower petals scattered violently into the air.
Their breaths came sharp and uneven against the cold night.
"Guards!" Liang Fengxiao shouted without slowing. "Seal the eastern exits! No one leaves the palace grounds!"
His voice echoed loudly across the imperial grounds.
Somewhere in the distance, soldiers answered.
"Yes, General!"
Mo Qingren clicked his tongue softly beneath his mask.
Annoying.
The palace was waking up.
Lanterns began lighting one after another in the distance, illuminating corridors and pathways with hurried urgency.
Still-
Qingren did not panic.
His eyes remained calm beneath the black mask covering the lower half of his face.
He glanced behind him briefly.
The general was still there.
Close.
Closer than expected.
Liang Fengxiao narrowed the distance rapidly, his expression hardened with focus.
"You won't escape," he growled.
Mo Qingren gave no answer.
Instead, he suddenly grabbed a loose wooden bucket left near a gardener's station and kicked it backward.
CRASH!
Water exploded across the pathway.
Liang Fengxiao reacted instantly, jumping aside before regaining balance almost immediately.
"You bastard!"
But Qingren was already moving again.
The chase continued deeper into the garden.
The imperial garden looked entirely different at night.
By day, it was peaceful-a place of elegance and quiet beauty.
Now-
It had become a battlefield.
Cherry blossom trees swayed violently as the two men rushed past them. Moonlight filtered through fluttering pink petals, casting shifting shadows across their faces.
Liang Fengxiao's breathing grew heavier.
Sweat dampened the strands of dark hair sticking against his forehead, yet his movements remained powerful and sharp.
He refused to lose sight of the intruder.
Especially after what he saw inside the princess's chambers.
The image of Princess Xiao Lihua trembling helplessly beneath that assassin's grip ignited anger deep inside him.
His jaw clenched.
"If you touched the princess again, I swear I'll break every bone in your body!"
For the first time-
Mo Qingren laughed quietly.
Low.
Cold.
Almost mocking.
"You talk too much, General."
His voice startled Liang Fengxiao slightly.
Smooth.
Calm.
Unexpectedly young.
Qingren suddenly grabbed a decorative lantern hanging from a wooden post and threw it behind him.
The lantern shattered against the ground-
Flames bursting briefly across the stone path.
Liang Fengxiao skidded to avoid the fire before lunging forward again.
The assassin moved swiftly toward the deeper side of the garden where large flower beds and curved pathways twisted between stone statues and ponds.
But this time-
Liang Fengxiao was ready.
The general suddenly grabbed a long bamboo pole resting near the garden pavilion.
With a sharp grunt-
He hurled it forward.
FAST.
The pole slammed directly into Qingren's legs.
THUD!
Mo Qingren lost balance.
His body stumbled violently before crashing into the flower beds below.
Cherry blossoms and crushed flowers scattered everywhere.
Liang Fengxiao immediately tackled him before the assassin could recover.
The two men slammed into the ground heavily.
"Got you!"
Liang Fengxiao pinned Qingren down forcefully, one knee pressing against his waist while gripping both of his wrists tightly above his head.
Mo Qingren struggled instantly.
Fast.
Violent.
But Liang Fengxiao's strength was overwhelming.
The general breathed heavily, chest rising and falling rapidly as moonlight illuminated his sharp features.
"Who sent you?" he demanded.
No answer.
Qingren only glared at him silently beneath the mask.
Liang Fengxiao scoffed.
"Still pretending to be mysterious?"
He tightened his grip harder.
"You infiltrated the imperial palace, threatened the princess, and nearly killed her."
His voice darkened.
"You really think I'll let you leave?"
Mo Qingren suddenly twisted beneath him sharply, attempting to break free.
But Liang Fengxiao slammed him back into the crushed flowers.
"Stay down."
The assassin let out a quiet grunt.
Liang Fengxiao smirked slightly despite his heavy breathing.
"Not so untouchable now, are you?"
His hand suddenly reached toward the assassin's mask.
Mo Qingren's eyes widened slightly for the first time.
He immediately tried to pull away.
But his wrists remained pinned.
Liang Fengxiao noticed the reaction.
And grinned.
"Ah..."
"So you do care."
The general leaned closer, breathing uneven from the chase.
"Let's see who's hiding behind all this."
Mo Qingren struggled harder now, movements becoming more desperate.
But Liang Fengxiao was stronger in this position.
With one sharp motion-
SWISH.
The mask came off.
And then-
Everything stopped.
The wind softened.
Cherry blossom petals drifted slowly through the air beneath the silver moonlight.
Liang Fengxiao's proud expression froze completely.
His fingers still held the black mask loosely.
But his gaze-
His gaze was fixed entirely on the man beneath him.
Beautiful.
That was the first thought that struck him.
Not dangerous.
Not assassin.
Beautiful.
Mo Qingren's features were sharp yet elegant, his pale skin glowing beneath the moonlight while strands of dark hair framed his face like ink against snow.
But it was his eyes-
Cold silver-gray eyes staring directly back at him without fear-
That completely stunned Liang Fengxiao.
For a brief moment-
The entire world seemed to slow.
Even the sounds of the palace faded away.
Liang Fengxiao forgot to breathe.
"...You..."
His voice faltered unexpectedly.
He stared.
Speechless.
The assassin beneath him did not look like a monster.
He looked almost unreal.
Mo Qingren narrowed his eyes slightly.
And in that single moment of hesitation-
He moved.
BAM!
His fist slammed directly into Liang Fengxiao's face.
The general grunted loudly as pain exploded across his nose.
Warm blood immediately trickled down.
Mo Qingren shoved him away hard before rolling backward and standing up quickly.
Liang Fengxiao remained frozen briefly on the ground, one hand covering his bleeding nose.
Still staring.
Still stunned.
Mo Qingren took several steps backward, chest rising slightly from exertion.
His silver-gray eyes met Liang Fengxiao's once more.
Cold.
Unreadable.
Then-
He turned.
And disappeared into the shadows of the garden.
"General!"
The palace guards finally arrived, rushing toward the scene with drawn weapons.
But they were too late.
Far too late.
Liang Fengxiao slowly lowered his hand from his nose, blood staining his fingers while the black mask remained tightly held in his other hand.
One of the guards hurried forward.
"General, are you injured?!"
But Liang Fengxiao barely heard him.
His eyes remained fixed toward the darkness where the assassin vanished.
His heartbeat still strangely uneven.
And in his mind-
He could still see that face beneath the moonlight.
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(End of Chapter 15)