She was soaking wet, her hair disheveled, yet she stood with her sword in hand, exuding an aura of overwhelming power.

How could you—

His voice choked in his throat, and the whole world seemed to stand still at that moment.

Until Shen Jintang's pupils suddenly dilated, and a heart-wrenching scream pierced through the rain:

"Watch out on the left!"

The warning arrived simultaneously with the dull thud of a blade piercing flesh.

Gu Zhixing felt a chill on his left shoulder, followed by excruciating pain. Warm blood gushed out, spreading a glaring red in the rain.

He staggered backward, his boots slipping in the bloody mud.

The longsword clattered into the ground, carving a jagged ravine along the cliff edge, sending boulders tumbling down into the abyss.

"I don't understand what Your Highness is doing." Shen Jintang turned to look at the Crown Prince, stepping slowly forward through the mud. With each step, more blood seeped into her plain white skirt, like a withered lotus blooming in filth.

Her fingertips gripped the sword hilt tightly, her knuckles turning white, but her voice was terrifyingly steady: "If the Princess finds out that you led your personal guards to besiege the Crown Prince, she will not let it go."

Through the rain, the prince, clad in a python robe and jade belt, strolled leisurely out of the encirclement of his guards. The mutton-fat jade pendant at his waist gleamed warmly in the rain, a stark contrast to the chilling murderous intent in his eyes.

“Shen Siyan, you are mistaken.” He raised his hand and pointed, the gold thread embroidery on his sleeve flashing in the lightning. “Today, I am wiping out the fierce bandits entrenched in the mountains.” His gaze swept over Gu Zhixing, who was covered in blood, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips. “What prince is this?”

Gu Zhixing suddenly coughed violently, and blood oozed from between his fingers.

He stared intently at Shen Jintang, his bloodshot eyes churning with a multitude of emotions—anger, despair, and, more profoundly, fear.

“Go…” His voice was hoarse beyond recognition, like sandpaper rubbing against rusty iron, “You shouldn’t have…”

Shen Jintang not only did not retreat, but instead took a step forward.

The sword tip drew a resolute arc across the muddy ground, and rainwater flowed down the cold blade in a silver stream.

"I'm determined to come."

The Crown Prince suddenly clapped his hands and chuckled, his fingertips slowly stroking the jade pendant: "I never knew that Lord Siyan was such a..." He deliberately dragged out his words, "...a person of great loyalty and righteousness."

This statement is ironic, implying that Shen Jintang is only interested in profit.