"Then guess what I should be called: the Ghost Who Died at the Burning, or... the Ghost Under the Knife?" She stared intently at Zhao Tingxuan, approaching him step by step, and giggled: "Brother Xuan, do you remember the scene of corpses strewn all over the General's Mansion?"
Do you remember how I struggled and screamed amidst the raging flames?
"Do you remember how horribly I screamed when Yue Lingwei stabbed me with a cold sword?"
Her calm, monotone voice uttered each word with a chilling intensity, even more so than the frost of winter.
Zhao Tingxuan stumbled backward, screaming almost in tears: "No...this has nothing to do with me, it was all Yue Lingwei's idea!"
"I remember you once said that if you ever betrayed me, you would rip out your own heart as compensation." Feng Jin sneered, swiftly swinging the sword at Zhao Tingxuan's chest. "Now I'm going to ask you for your heart!"
Zhao Tingxuan pleaded in a tearful voice, "Qianqian...Qianqian...please, please give me another chance. I promise I'll treat you well for the rest of my life and never leave you..."
"Zhao Tingxuan, you betrayed me first, and colluded with Yue Lingwei from the inside to cause the death of our entire Yu family. Now you deserve to die!" Feng Jin suddenly interrupted him, raised the cold sword that was gleaming with a cold light without hesitation, and swung it with great force. The blade struck Zhao Tingxuan's heart. There was a "thud" sound, blood splattered everywhere, and screams of pain filled the air!
With his last ounce of strength, Zhao Tingxuan roared furiously, "Yu Qianqian, do you think you can act with impunity just because Mu Beichen is backing you up? I am now the Regent's man. If you dare to kill me, one day you will die a hundred times worse than me!"
"What did you say?" Startled, she rushed over and shook Zhao Tingxuan vigorously, urgently shouting, "Zhao Tingxuan, explain yourself clearly!"
However, Zhao Tingxuan was already lifeless, and no matter how she called out to him, she received no response.
Feng Jin stood frozen in place for a long time, all her thoughts pouring out in an instant: the assassin from last night, and the man in black who rescued her from the inferno at the General's Mansion—their figures and voices were identical. If all of this wasn't a coincidence, then the person who had been manipulating her from behind the scenes, luring her step by step into the trap, could only be one person…
Her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground. The unbearable fragments of memories in her mind instantly coalesced, tearing at the scars deep within her soul. The pain was so intense that she could hardly breathe, and she wished she could kill him immediately!
Mu Beichen, Chu Mingxi, why did you lie to me? Why...?
Before she knew it, the long night had passed, and the light of dawn illuminated the sky. When Feng Jin woke up, she felt a splitting headache. She slowly got up, leaning on the bed, and found that the surroundings were unfamiliar. It was a very old house, filled with books, ink paintings, and blue and white porcelain...
"This is..." Just then, she heard someone knocking on the door. She immediately fell silent and hurriedly went to see what was going on. It was a servant boy.
"Our master requests that you come to the main hall to discuss some matters, young lady. Please come with me." The servant said, and then led the way for her.
"Who is your master?" Feng Jin asked the servant as she walked. Before long, the servant escorted her to the main hall and then withdrew.
In the main hall, there was an elderly man in his fifties with graying temples and a kind and gentle face. He stared at the astonished Feng Jin, and seemed to be a little excited himself.
"Little Qianqian, it really is you!" When the old man saw her coming, he simply got up from his seat and staggered toward her.
"Who...who are you?" Feng Jin looked at the emotionally distraught old man and felt a wave of confusion wash over her.
"I'm actually a bit confused." The old man shook his head and smiled. "Actually, I was your father's subordinate for many years, and also his sworn brother—Pei Hua. I was even there when you were born!"
Feng Jin scratched his head in confusion, "Grandpa, I'm sorry, I really can't remember."
“Ah! No wonder you don’t remember. The last time I saw you, you were just a little kid of three or five years old.” At this point, Pei Hua suddenly paused, then immediately took a black sword from his body and handed it to her. “By the way, this is the Shadowless Sword that your father has been keeping for you. He said… he only hoped that you would be an ordinary woman and stay away from those dangerous things involving fighting and killing.”
“This is my sword, my Shadowless Sword…” Feng Jin stared at the familiar patterns on the sword, her emotions instantly spiraling out of control. She collapsed to her knees, crying out in a trembling voice, “Father…”
Feng Jin stared at the Shadowless Sword, her vision blurred, and tears quickly blurred her bright black pupils. Her emotions, a mixture of feelings, remained unsettled for a long time.
"Child, get up quickly." Pei Hua helped her up by the arms, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and his emotions gradually calmed down: "Sit down first, and we'll talk slowly."
Feng Jin took the sword from Pei Hua's hand and immediately turned her thoughts, "Uncle Pei, how did you find me?"
"It's a long story..." Pei Hua stroked his long, white beard and looked at her solemnly, saying, "I remember that day, the court and the common people were all talking about how Prince Jing was personally raising funds for disaster relief. Especially since I felt that the Princess Jing described by people looked somewhat like General Yu's daughter, I sent people to keep an eye on the vicinity of Prince Jing's residence. Until yesterday, when I discovered that you went to Zhao Tingxuan's house with Prince Jing, I became even more certain that my initial judgment was correct."
Feng Jin cast an admiring glance at Pei Hua and chuckled, "So, Uncle Pei had already foreseen all of this. You truly are a seasoned and valiant general; nothing escapes your eyes."
“You’re such a stubborn child. To avenge your father, you actually impersonated the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s mansion and married Prince Jing… Luckily, no one discovered when you killed Zhao Tingxuan, otherwise, it would have caused another bloodbath soon…” Pei Hua’s expression suddenly changed, and he suddenly fell silent, swallowing the words he hadn’t finished saying.
She stared at the man's unusual expression, as if she had realized something important, and immediately asked, "Uncle Pei, do you know the cause of my father's death back then?"
"Never mind, you'll find out sooner or later." Pei Hua sighed, looking up. "Your father followed the late emperor from the very beginning of his rise to power, conquering dozens of cities with his exceptional martial arts skills. After the establishment of the Northern You Kingdom, your father became the number one meritorious official, and all the civil and military officials held him in awe. It was precisely because he held a large army and had the support of the officials that he formed an opposing relationship with the ambitious regent."
But your father was always honest and kind, disdaining scheming. The Regent secretly colluded with treacherous officials to submit a memorial, falsely accusing your father of abusing his power, which led to the extermination of the Yu family. Zhao Tingxuan was merely a pawn used by the Regent to bear the blame.
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