By this time, it was already broad daylight.

Although Shen Jiao had woken up, the image of the wounded, bloodstained sword-wielding youth from her dream remained vivid in her mind.

The tyrant stands against the light beside the bed.

Ji Yan bent down, his expression somber, and wiped away the tears that had somehow slipped down her cheeks.

His skin was still sickly pale, perhaps from not sleeping all night, and the corners of his eyes were listlessly red.

His all-black robe rippled in the warm breeze by the window, and his body exuded an overwhelming chill, like a dark, oppressive cloud.

The clusters of blooming golden roses on her dress were made even more alluring.

Shen Jiao lay on the bed with her eyes open, her mind blank, staring blankly at Ji Yan.

His features were more defined than when he was a teenager in my dream, and he looked more devilishly cold and unhappy.

Their circumstances are worlds apart, like heaven and earth.

Even if Shen Jiao was reluctant to admit it, she might have actually dreamt of the tyrant's past by some twist of fate.

so?

How could a prince, born into such a noble family in Rome, have such a past?

Could this be the reason why the tyrant is so eager to die?

"Why aren't you talking? Having a nightmare?" Ji Yan wiped away her tears, her tone cold and irritable.

He couldn't understand why someone would be so frightened by a nightmare.

Since Shen Jiao can sleep soundly until she naturally wakes up next to someone like him without any problems, why would she be afraid of nightmares?

As everyone knows, he is far more terrifying than any nightmare.

The frizzy hamster didn't sleep well that night, tossing and turning, breathing rapidly, with beads of sweat soaking its wispy hair.

The tyrant was having trouble sleeping; he wondered what Shen Jiao was dreaming about that made him so distressed.

She couldn't sleep well, and neither could he.

So Ji Yan simply stayed by Shen Jiao's bedside and watched him all night.

Shen Jiao looked at the tyrant, nodded, and then shook her head.

I nodded because the things in the dream were indeed terrifying.

But what troubled her wasn't the brutality and bloodshed, but rather...

Even in her dreams, or even as a hypothetical scenario, she tried her best, but ultimately failed to save him even once.

The reason for shaking his head is that the boy in his dream is him.

Even though it was a chance to meet him again from his thorny, decaying past, she wanted to call it a blessing.

She couldn't be cruel, so she selfishly asked Ji Yan to show her the dissection she had completed once again.

The mountain moon shines far away, making it hard to know what's on my mind.

She swallowed her joys and sorrows, unwilling to call the dream of him a nightmare she couldn't avoid.

This is just...

Her own barren and powerless thoughts belonged to her alone.

...

In her dream, Shen Jiao saw that the culprits who made the birdcages were the children of several elders.

As a result, many things became clear.

Elder Qingzhu didn't care about the fate of Yunwu Sword Pavilion, he still insisted on this face-changing act, ostensibly to avenge Hu Rourou.

In reality, he used it as a pretext for benevolence and morality, while his true intention was to avenge his dead son.

The tyrant killed the precious children of several elders.

Considering that they were no match for Ji Yan back then, the elders had no choice but to lie low for many years, only to find that they were now even less able to defeat him.

So, why not go all the way and simply transfer the hatred to this pushover?

Shen Jiao felt increasingly uneasy after thinking about it. Being tricked for no reason would make anyone feel uncomfortable.

If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault; if a son makes a mistake, the father must pay for it.

And so, on a dark and stormy night...

Shen Jiao woke up Gu An from his sleep, and the two of them went to put burlap sacks on each other.

"Friend, how many did you bring?" Shen Jiao asked, squatting in the corner. She was covered in black clothes, only revealing a pair of bright and clear eyes.

Gu An, in a display of extravagance, pulled out a bundle of sacks from behind him. "As many as you want, there's plenty."

Direct freedom in a sack.

Now, Shen Jiao was relieved.

Shen Jiao can now use her internal energy freely, and she and Gu An moved silently through the Elders' Pavilion.

At the same time, Qingfeng opened the window and saw two carefree and bouncy figures not far away, and his expression turned serious.

He raised his voice, "Master, there's an assassin!"

The Azure Sword Saint was still leisurely sipping his tea. "What assassin? You don't even recognize your junior aunt?"

Qingfeng: Two pitch-black blobs, who can tell who is who?

Qinglang Sword Saint: "That figure is obviously that of a young girl, but her movement and agility are comparable to mine. Apart from your junior aunt, who else has this level of skill?"

That's certainly true. People in the martial arts world admire strength, and Qingfeng is no exception.

Shen Jiao not only became famous in one battle, but also completely defeated his own junior apprentice.

Qingfeng asked again, "Why is Junior Sister not resting at night? What is she doing at the Elders' Pavilion?"

The Azure Sword Saint thought for a moment and said, "Let's take a walk."

Qingfeng: "Taking a walk on the rooftop?"

"What do you know?" The Sword Saint of Qinglang took another sip of tea with a satisfied smile. "Don't try to guess what's on a young lady's mind. Go, give the disciples on patrol tonight a break. Let them all go to sleep."

Qingfeng felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

He went to give the night patrol disciples a day off.

...

Without any night patrolling disciples getting in the way, Shen Jiao and Gu An easily slipped the sack over their heads.

Gu An used his hearing to pinpoint the location: "There's someone going to the outhouse alone about five meters to the left front."

"Understood." Shen Jiao picked up the sack and leaped up.

As the toilet elder pulled down his pants, he pondered how to arouse the dancer's desire to assassinate the tyrant.

Suddenly everything went black, and before I could react, I was beaten up.

The Toilet Elder: "!!!"

Gu An: "There's someone sleeping and snoring by the window on the first floor."

"Understood." Shen Jiao reacted quickly, grabbing the sack and rushing off.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!