Chapter 102 "Cheng Ning!"
The night was overcast, obscuring all light, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.
A half-extinguished lamp burned in Cui Yao's bedroom. He sat casually, leaning against a chair, his eyes slightly closed, his clean, jade-like face devoid of any expression.
"Pfft—"
Cui Yao suddenly raised her eyes, a cold glint flashing in her pale eyes.
The sound was already incredibly soft, but Cui Yao still noticed something amiss in an instant. She quickly scanned the area and saw a small hole at the bottom of the back window paper. Immediately afterward, a thin reed tube was inserted.
There are wisps of smoke rising from the ground.
The smoke was so thin that without staring at it, one might mistake it for an illusion.
Yes, an assassin?
Cui Yao thought.
Despite the extremely dangerous situation, he felt no fear whatsoever; instead, he smiled slightly.
Instinct reacted before the mind; he tilted his head back slightly, his stiff spine gradually warming up, little by little, a violent excitement surged up.
Yes, the tyranny that he tried so hard to suppress when facing Ji Chengnin, the tyranny that he could so kindly and gently persuade when Ji Chengnin went to the Crown Prince, was raging wildly in his heart.
He imagined grabbing the young marquis's wrist as if it were a sword, locking him firmly in his grasp, and easily prying open Ji Chengnin's legs, who was never on guard against him, to see the mixture of shock, anger, and astonishment on his face.
Then she whispered in his ear, "You're not allowed to go."
You are not allowed to go.
Because I'm unhappy.
Is Zhou Yu so important to you that you would go see him despite being tired from a busy day at work?
What is so good about Zhou Yu that makes you have no doubt about him?
What if he's lying to you? What if he has ulterior motives and wants to take advantage of you—hiss!
Cui Yao abruptly snapped out of her delusional fantasies. Her once crystal-clear eyes were now bloodshot, making her look exceptionally ferocious.
The hilt of the soft sword was pressed firmly against the web of his hand, its solid and cold touch seeming to truly imprison the young general, whose integrity was cold and unyielding.
Cui Yao raised her lips, forming a bloodthirsty arc.
The person waiting at the window was extremely patient, holding their breath and waiting outside. Suddenly, they heard a loud "bang" from inside, as if something had hit the ground.
The dim candlelight tilted and was completely extinguished by the candlestick.
The group, all dressed in black, gleamed with excitement upon hearing the voice and whispered, "Make your move!"
With a swift movement, he silently opened the window and leaped inside.
Instead of a unconscious, limp, and lifeless General Ji, they were greeted by a sharp sword—a fierce sword light suddenly expanded before their eyes!
The sword light fell like rain, but it was not light when it landed on me; instead, it was as cold and chilling as autumn rain.
But in just a moment, the chill turned into warmth.
"puff--"
Blood gushed out wildly.
The sword, sharp enough to cut through iron yet incredibly flexible, pierced the neck. The wielder ruthlessly wrapped it around the neck, and with a "crunch," the head was completely severed, rolling to the ground.
The corpse, its eyes wide open in death, still held a hint of fear.
How could this be? So fast!
It was so fast that you couldn't even see when it was made!
The remaining two gasped.
At that moment, a strong wind rose, causing the dark clouds to dance wildly, and a sliver of moonlight suddenly descended.
The light fell on the person's face through the half-open window.
It was so clean and beautiful, with gentle eyes and brows that they were slightly lowered, giving off a sense of pity, like a statue carved from white jade.
But then, as blood splattered across his face, he suddenly looked up. Those seemingly emotionless eyes were not the ruthless ones they had imagined, but rather, they were overflowing with murderous intent and... excitement.
The newcomer then realized something was wrong; the information was incorrect, and the person in the room was not Ji Chengning at all.
Their companion's head rolled to their feet, and the two men's eyes widened in horror. This guy is insane!
The wind howled, creating a cacophony all around, like the wailing of ghosts.
Before they knew it, the backs of their necks were covered in cold sweat.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his knife and slashed!
However, the figure vanished as if by magic the next second.
His eyes darted around frantically, almost bleeding, and before he could even turn his head, he slashed fiercely behind him.
There was nothing there.
Before he could even relax, a heart-wrenching scream came from beside him, "Ah!"
The soft sword pierced the back of the neck.
He only saw a bloody object fly out and crash heavily to the ground.
His eyes were bloodshot.
That was... that was actually a neck bone!
Suddenly, the ghostly shadow appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Whoosh—"
The longsword suddenly jammed the soft sword. He was overjoyed, and a ferocious look appeared on his face. He was about to draw his sword and slash at the sword.
But the soft sword seemed to be alive, coiling around the blade like a snake. The swordsman looked tall and frail, but in reality, his eyes widened in horror, and his strength was far greater than he had imagined.
Closer and closer, closer and closer... Pfft!
The soft sword was instantly withdrawn and plunged deep into his heart.
In an instant, all his senses vanished.
With his mouth full of blood, he used his last bit of strength to grab the whistle from his neck, bring it to his lips, and blow it with all his might.
"Waaaaah!!"
The piercing whistle, mixed with the sound of the wind, sounded particularly terrifying.
Cui Yao's expression changed drastically.
A flash of sword light, and a hand slammed to the ground.
After that, there was no more sound from the room.
You can't even hear him breathing.
He seemed to be pierced by the silence, as if waking from a dream, to find the room filled with the stench of blood, thick blood flowing down to his feet.
He took a deep, soft breath.
Only then did I realize that my face seemed to be covered in blood.
Warm blood flowed down his jawline, trickling over his collarbone, almost forming two small pools of blood.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently.
Cui Yao's pupils suddenly contracted, and were immediately filled with fear and helplessness.
Because he saw—
The door was shaking.
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely in that instant. He clearly saw the door shake violently, and then, unable to bear the weight, it crashed to both sides with a bang.
The moonlight poured in, covering the sky and the earth.
The moonlight fell upon the young general, clear and bright, almost without impurities. Like frost and snow, it entered Ji Chengnin's eyes, which were also as cold and clear as frost at this moment.
And he, shrouded in gloom, no, he… thick blood soaked his open collar, spreading rapidly around him like a festering window; he was the gloom itself.
Three gruesome corpses lay at his feet, the stench of blood so thick it was nauseating.
boom!
Ji Chengnin abruptly stopped his movement as he was about to rush in.
It wasn't because of the corpses on the ground, but because, by the moonlight, the person inside the room was half-red, standing like a god of death, with blood still dripping from the soft sword in his hand, and his clothes, which were always tightly wrapped, now had the collar wide open, and his Adam's apple was bobbing rapidly.
Blood is flowing.
At this moment, drop by drop, it was flowing down her sharp, unfeminine neck.
His clothes were already soaked through, outlining extremely cold and distinct lines.
Cui Yao's expression changed.
He followed Ji Chengnin's gaze, and the nine-tenths of his feigned fear vanished, replaced by a genuine sense of regret and helplessness.
"Clang!"
The soft sword fell to the ground.
Cui Yao took half a step forward, but suddenly saw that her hands were covered in blood, so she pressed her hands down hard.
"Your Highness, I... I can undo it..."
The terrifying dream he thought he had long forgotten flooded his mind in an instant: the assassin chasing him unhurriedly under the moonlight, teasingly caressing him, and then, the feeling of a sword against his neck, chilling him to the bone.
Ji Chengning was struck dumb.
"Explain what?"
Ji Chengning heard himself speak dryly.
He heard his own footsteps, "tap tap tap," steady and calm, as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, a deafening roar filled the air, almost annihilating everything.
He only had eyes for Cui Yao.
Reflected in his pure black eyes was Cui Yao's panicked retreat, as if he were the most innocent and helpless one.
fraud.
Ji Chengning thought.
He couldn't tolerate Cui Yao still pretending even after things had come to this. He felt a mix of worry, fear, regret, anger, and sadness that even he himself didn't want to admit. Ji Chengning actually laughed.
Her lips curved into a smile, and in the next instant, her stunningly beautiful face magnified in Cui Yao's eyes. His breath caught in his throat, and all he could see were those bright eyes, burning like raging flames.
And he was being burned by this raging fire.
Crackle, crackle.
He seemed to hear the sound of flames igniting skin.
Even though it was an illusion, the pain surging on my skin felt as real as if it were there.
One hand pinched Cui Yao's chin.
He felt his heart stop beating.
Ji Chengning used to say things like "men and women should not touch each other," but given his current appearance, he certainly couldn't say them.
Too close.
Cui Yao was so close that she could even see the tips of Ji Chengning's trembling eyelashes.
The stench of blood lingered between the two.
The body lay sprawled, its eyes wide with terror.
Even though it was all his own doing, he was now filled with endless fear.
His Adam's apple bobbed wildly. For the first time in his life, Cui Yao felt utterly helpless. He wanted to avoid Ji Chengning's hand, but he was also afraid that this would be the last time in his life that Ji Chengning would take the initiative to be close to him.
It's like standing atop a bottomless abyss, caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Your Highness."
His voice was unusually hoarse, “I’m dirty, I’m dirty.”
The Crown Prince loves cleanliness the most, so how could he let the Crown Prince see him like this, and even more so, he shouldn't let the Crown Prince touch him.
The dirty, sticky crimson liquid soaked Ji Chengnin's fingers as he moved.
The stark contrast between white and red exploded in Cui Yao's eyes.
His fingers moved, leaving bloodstains as they traced Cui Yao's face.
Until it hovers over the lips.
The damp, salty heat assaulted my senses.
His pale, dry lips murmured, but no sound came out.
His body was taut like a fully drawn bowstring.
He is waiting.
He stared intently at Ji Chengnin, his eyes trembling.
We await the young marquis's decision.
The next moment, the smell of blood disappeared from his lips.
Before her heart could be overwhelmed by immense fear, Ji Chengnin leaned closer, "Meimei?"
The clear and pleasant sound vibrates in the eardrums.
Cui Yao was stunned, like a drowning person desperately grabbing the last piece of driftwood. He nodded subconsciously, "Yes..."
Immediately, he fell silent.
No, no, he said the wrong thing!
He saw Ji Chengnin's pupils constrict, but the turbulent emotions surging in his eyes were definitely not joy.
In an instant, all the information converged into a line in Ji Chengnin's mind.
He was a soldier who knew his current situation very well. He was a highly skilled martial artist who appeared and disappeared like a ghost. He suspected so many people and secretly investigated so many people, but he never thought that this person was the cousin he kept calling out!
He's stupid; he can't tell whether the person in front of him is a man or a woman.
So, what exactly did Cui Yao perceive in the intimacy, whispering, and tender affection shown to Zhong Mei?
Do you find him ridiculous?
Is it really that stupid of him to not be able to tell that the beautiful ghost who appears in his dreams every night is the same person as his "cousin" whom he spends every day with?
"Cheng Ning!"
Seeing his frantic change in expression, Cui Yao could no longer restrain herself. She reached out to grab his wrist and told him it wasn't what he thought, that she had no intention of teasing him, and that she was being sincere...
Ji Chengning suddenly stepped back.
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