Chapter 2 I never kill women.
Jiang Fushi felt a chill in her heart.
What an arrogant tone! If an ordinary person knew that she was the daughter of an emperor, they would be filled with fear and trepidation.
Even if they don't immediately kneel down and beg for mercy, they will certainly look bewildered and at a loss for what to do.
This person, however, is completely different.
He was either a desperate outlaw with no scruples, or he had something to rely on and didn't even care about the royal family.
Cold Blade?
Is it his nickname? Or his name?
Considering what just happened, the former is more likely.
A swordsman in the martial arts world who is being hunted down.
You won't gain anything by going head-to-head with someone whose hands are covered in blood.
Jiang Fushi coughed weakly twice, her curled eyelashes trembling slightly. The royal majesty she had just displayed receded like the tide, as if she were about to faint at any moment.
Behind the mask, Zhan Xiao's gaze sharpened, and he became wary of her sudden change.
In a flash, Jiang Fushi seized the moment of his hesitation, raised her hand hidden in her sleeve, and swiftly threw the prepared mind-control powder at the man's face!
But she never expected that the man in front of her was the most feared assassin in the martial arts world.
The instant the powder was released, Zhan Xiao reacted so fast that he was just a blur. With a nimble spin, he not only scattered most of the powder but also created a gust of wind that swept the remaining powder back towards Jiang Fushi.
Caught off guard, Jiang Fushi was choked by the powder she had just sprinkled, and her eyes widened in fright.
Oh no!
She, she, she was poisoned, and she poisoned herself!
"you!"
Before she could even utter a complete sentence, Jiang Fushi felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground, her consciousness rapidly fading.
Zhan Xiao's eyes narrowed, and he subconsciously stepped forward to check, only to hear the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from afar, accompanied by the anxious shouts of the guards: "Your Highness, Princess Yuhe, where are you!"
This place is not safe to stay any longer. Without hesitation, Zhan Xiao, like a bird returning to its nest, silently disappeared into the depths of the dense forest in two leaps and bounds.
However, not long after he had sped away, an unusual heat suddenly rose from his dantian, and his internal energy circulation experienced a rare stagnation.
Immediately afterwards, a gloomy aura seemed to appear out of thin air, rushing straight into the depths of the meridians.
He was startled and abruptly stopped. He found a secluded corner, sat down cross-legged, and hurriedly mobilized all his internal energy to try to suppress the sudden and strange poison.
Although he reacted quickly and immediately held his breath and retreated.
However, even when the powder exploded, a tiny wisp still managed to penetrate the meridians through the gaps in breathing.
With his current level of martial arts skill, he should be immune to all poisons, and ordinary poisons should not be able to get close to him.
What kind of poison is this? How could it have affected him so badly?
Princess……
How could a princess living deep within the palace carry such potent poison on her person?
After adjusting his breathing for an unknown period of time, Zhan Xiao finally managed to forcefully suppress the strange poison.
Fortunately, his internal strength was far beyond that of ordinary people; if it were someone else, they would probably have already been poisoned to the point of collapse.
Just as he was about to continue his journey as planned, he suddenly felt a lightness around his neck and looked down.
The gold-inlaid jeweled rhombus-shaped mirror that I had carried with me for many years had disappeared.
This was made for him by his three adoptive mothers before they passed away.
At the time, the foster mothers even joked that the mirror would be given to their future daughter-in-law as a family heirloom.
Now, many years after his adoptive mother's death, this small mirror is his only connection to the past, a treasure more important than his life.
Without hesitation, Zhan Xiao immediately turned around and sped back the way he came.
But the forest was deep and the fog was thick, and there was no trace of the small mirror. Even the princess who had just collapsed from poisoning was nowhere to be seen.
When Jiang Fushi woke up, the night outside the window was dark, and a lonely crescent moon hung in the sky.
The maid Zisu was bending over to wet a towel.
"Cough cough..."
The slight noise made Zisu turn around quickly, and when she found that the princess was awake, she excitedly exclaimed, "Your Highness!"
She quickly stepped forward and gently placed a warm towel on Jiang Fushi's forehead, then carefully tucked her in. She then ran out the door and shouted, "Your Highness is awake!"
A moment later, a series of hurried but deliberately soft footsteps came from outside the door.
The beaded curtain was suddenly lifted, revealing a bright face that was filled with worry.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, you're finally awake!"
The visitor was none other than Lou Bingling, the daughter of the Grand Commandant.
She rushed to the bedside, disregarding all etiquette, and sat on the edge of the bed, grasping Jiang Fushi's slightly cool hand.
Before she could speak, Lou Bingling's tears flowed, and she choked out, "Your Highness, are you still feeling unwell? Zisu has already gone to fetch the imperial physician. The attack has also been reported to the Prefect of the Capital and the Patrol Battalion, and they are already investigating."
Jiang Fushi covered her head, completely bewildered, and looked at her blankly: "Bingling, what are you talking about? What happened to me? Attacked? Who was attacked?"
"Your Highness..." Lou Bingling's sobs stopped upon hearing this, her face drained of color, and she grabbed her hand in disbelief.
"What's wrong with you? Don't scare me. Don't you remember? You were attacked on your way back to the capital. When Liu Zi found you, you were already unconscious. You've been unconscious for half the night now, and it's midnight."
"Ah..." Jiang Fushi exclaimed. She tried hard to recall, but all that responded was a headache. Her memory of the attack was completely blank.
She has amnesia?
How could this happen? What on earth happened?
The imperial physician arrived, carefully took Jiang Fushi's pulse, and examined her pupils and tongue, his brows furrowing more and more deeply.
He knelt down and replied, his tone filled with confusion and fear: "Your Highness's pulse is erratic with a strange sluggishness, which seems to be a sign of poisoning... Moreover, this poison is cunning, depleting one's qi and blood, and damaging one's mind, which is why Your Highness is weak and has lost your memory. However, this old minister is not knowledgeable enough to identify what kind of poison it is. Its nature is unpredictable, please forgive my incompetence!"
The atmosphere in the hall became tense. Lou Bingling was even more anxious and didn't know what to do upon hearing this.
Jiang Fushi leaned against the headboard, listening to the imperial physician's words, her mind filled with doubts.
Poisoning? She herself is a master of poisons, who could give her a poison that even the imperial physicians couldn't identify?
She extended her right hand, gently placing three fingers on the pulse point of her left wrist, holding her breath and concentrating to carefully examine the unusual yet somewhat familiar pulse.
At first, she, like the imperial physician, felt that this poison was strange and extraordinary.
But gradually, an unbelievable sense of familiarity rose from the bottom of my heart, the unique sluggish rhythm in the pulse, the subtle way it eroded my mind...
It was clearly a mind-controlling drug she had personally concocted!
She...she was poisoned by herself!
What on earth is going on?!
The imperial physician wrote out a prescription and handed it to Zisu, instructing her: "Prepare the medicine according to this prescription, boil it down to one bowl with three bowls of water, and take it once in the morning and once in the evening to stabilize His Highness's qi and blood."
Jiang Fushi knew that this medicine could only alleviate the symptoms, not cure the root cause, and it could not restore her memory.
She has to rely on herself to completely detoxify.
Zisu busied herself preparing the medicine.
Jiang Fushi asked, "Where is Qingdai?"
"Your Highness." Zisu's voice immediately lowered, her face filled with worry and lingering fear.
"Qingdai and her accompanying guards were being treated by the imperial physicians in a side hall. His Majesty was furious when he learned of this and ordered the Imperial Hospital to do everything in its power to treat them and to find out the origins of the thieves. The imperial physicians said that they were all injured by the sword energy, which damaged their internal organs. Fortunately, no one died, but they all need to rest for a period of time."
Jiang Fushi nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
"Your Highness, do you still remember who Bingling is?" Lou Bingling's voice brought Jiang Fushi back to her senses.
"Of course I remember."
Jiang Fushi pressed her temples and smiled reassuringly, "It's alright, don't worry. I've thought about it carefully, and it's just that I can't remember the ones from the last few days. It's nothing to worry about."
Lou Bingling sighed deeply, her brows furrowed with worry: "Your Highness has had a truly difficult time these past few years. When you fell into the water at the Qiulan Gathering, I immediately suspected that it was Yu Yao's doing. I never imagined that after escaping that calamity, there would be another deadly move. Fortunately, Heaven has eyes and has protected Your Highness so that you are safe and sound this time as well."
The Sheng Kingdom has only two princesses.
Princess Jiang Ruoyun, born to the Empress, was given the title Yuyao. She was one year older than Jiang Fushi and was deeply loved and held a prestigious position from a young age.
Jiang Fushi's mother was a commoner woman whom the emperor met during his personal military campaign.
Later, as the war intensified and the army moved away, the two were separated in the turmoil.
Jiang Fushi was thus forced to live outside the palace from a young age and grew up in the marketplace with great difficulty.
Until six years ago, Grand Commandant Lou Jingzhi, Lou Bingling's father, accidentally learned of a clue that might be related to the princess's bloodline.
Despite opposition from others, he privately advised the emperor, citing their past camaraderie, to point out the disadvantages of the imperial daughter being stranded among the common people and the benefits of finding her bloodline. This ultimately led to the secret investigation and confirmation of her identity.
Because of this connection, after Jiang Fushi returned to the palace, she naturally became close to Lou Bingling, and they became intimate confidantes who could talk about anything.
However, life after returning to the palace was not smooth sailing.
Jiang Fushi's return undoubtedly shattered Princess Yuyao's unique and favored status, and the open and covert exclusion and embarrassment never ceased.
Two years ago, Jiang Fushi suddenly fell seriously ill, and the imperial physicians were all helpless.
In reality, she was secretly poisoned.
He saved his life only by suppressing the poison with his own medical skills.
After that, she took this as an excuse to claim illness and recuperate, and moved out of the palace in order to get away from the center of the storm.
Even now, Jiang Fushi is content to live a secluded life in this princess's residence.
Jiang Fushi squeezed Lou Bingling's hand, her fingertips slightly cool but with a reassuring strength: "You've had a hard night keeping watch here. Go and get some rest. I'm fine, don't worry."
"Alright, Your Highness, please rest well. I'll stay at your residence tonight. Please call me immediately if you need anything."
Lou Bingling walked out, turning back every few steps.
The candlelight crackled once more in the hall, and silence returned.
The gentle smile on Jiang Fushi's face faded like the tide, replaced by a cold and calm demeanor.
The mind-control powder was something she always carried for self-defense. Could it be that she encountered a critical situation that she couldn't overcome and accidentally fell victim to it while using it?
After much thought, this seems to be the only possibility.
Who exactly did she encounter?
Just as she was about to lie down and rest, a small, palm-sized mirror with a warm, ivory-like luster lay quietly on her bedside table.
What's this?
Jiang Fushi held the mirror in her hand, examining it from all angles. Her fingertips traced the intricate and elaborate inlaid patterns on the back of the mirror, which was set with three pure-colored rubies, sapphires, and pearls.
Just then, Zisu walked in carrying the medicinal soup.
"Where did this come from?" Jiang Fushi asked, holding up the small mirror.
Zisu glanced at it and said, "It was brought by Commander Liu. He said it was found near you at the scene of Your Highness's attack. It must be an ornament that you accidentally dropped."
Jiang Fushi was somewhat confused.
Is this hers? She knew her belongings inside and out, but had no recollection of this small mirror.
It was so exquisite that it seemed like an ordinary item, but when had I ever owned such a thing?
She tried her best to recall, but she couldn't retrieve any related fragments from her blank memory.
Could it have been a gift from my father during the Autumn Gathering?
Although she was not favored, she would still receive a token of respect and favor as usual, and this was perhaps one of them.
The alley was dark and deep. The cold wind swirled withered leaves on the bluestone slabs, making a rustling sound.
A tall, slender figure in purple knocked on the door of the Worry-Free Tavern.
Zhan Xiao, sword in hand, nimbly made his way through the hidden door to the back courtyard of the tavern. The tavern owner, Yun Niang, was already waiting.
"Long time no see, Hanren," Yunniang said first.
Yunniang was over thirty, but she was still beautiful and charming. Her well-maintained eyes showed no fine lines, but her calm and serene eyes revealed a level of experience and shrewdness that did not match her appearance. There was a nonchalant smile in her eyes.
No one who meets her would know that she is actually the core contact person of an assassin organization, in charge of countless shady deals and secrets.
Worry-Free Tavern is located in the most bustling downtown area of Beijing.
On the surface, it was just an ordinary restaurant with a thriving business and a constant stream of customers. The manager, Yunniang, was shrewd and adept at making friends with high-ranking officials and dignitaries and finding out gossip about the capital.
No one could have imagined that beneath this bustling noise lay a treacherous network of assassins that struck fear into the hearts of all.
Zhan Xiao stood coldly, his figure as upright and silent as a lone pine tree, showing no reaction to the polite greeting in her words.
Yunniang knew his temperament well, so she wasn't annoyed. She simply poured herself a cup of wine, leaned back in her chair, and continued, "Your mission this time is Princess Yuhe."
A sliver of cold moonlight silently drifted across the window frame, like a sharp, thin blade, slicing obliquely into the dimness of the room, clearly illuminating Yunniang's smiling lips, but unable to reveal even a trace of emotion beneath the man's mask.
Zhan Xiao's voice was icy: "I never kill women."
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