Chapter 67 He Enters My Dream with a Thousand Lamps (Part 3) First published on Jinjiang Literature City…
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
The sound of arrows piercing the air was like a swarm of locusts passing by, and a dense barrage of arrows flew out from the dense forests on both sides of the mountain!
"Knock knock knock!"
The dull thuds of arrows piercing the carriage walls continued, causing the carriage to shake violently. The horses pulling the carriage were startled and let out shrill neighs.
"Ambush! Form ranks!" Pei Hong's roar mingled with the sharp sound of weapons being drawn.
In the instant the rain of arrows struck, Chu Huaili had already lowered his body, holding Ye Yixiang tightly beneath him. His eyes flashed with a cold light, showing no panic, only icy killing intent.
These assassins, whose timing was so precise—launching their attack just as the rescuers were off guard and the terrain was at its most unfavorable—were no ordinary bandits.
The rain of arrows subsided slightly, clearly the first round of suppression.
Immediately afterwards, dozens of dark figures emerged from the forest like ghosts, rushing straight at the carriage! These people were dressed in black and masked, their attacks were ruthless and decisive, their moves were concise and sharp, each strike aimed at vital points, and their teamwork was impeccable; they were clearly well-trained assassins.
"Protect His Majesty and the Empress!" the Xuanjia Guards roared as they charged forward, their swords flashing and clashing instantly. The stench of blood quickly filled the air.
An assassin, wielding a heavy longsword, slashed fiercely at the carriage!
"Crack—Boom!"
The roof of the car was cleaved open by this single blow, leaving a huge gash!
Amidst the flying sawdust, moonlight and the flickering torchlight shone through.
Chu Huaili, holding Ye Yixiang, leaped lightly and swiftly out of the swaying carriage the instant the roof cracked, landing in the protective circle quickly formed by the guards.
He pushed Ye Yixiang toward the two guards who were protecting her, then drew his sword from his waist, its blade flashing like lightning, and met the oncoming assassin.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Pei Hong shouted urgently, parrying an attacker with his sword.
The battle was fierce. These assassins were highly skilled in martial arts and seemed to have a good understanding of Chu Huaili's guards and their fighting style, launching cunning and ruthless attacks. Although the Xuanjia Guards were elite, they were constantly falling due to the surprise attack and their numerical disadvantage.
To make matters worse, the sound of machinery came from the woods again!
"Take cover! There are still crossbow bolts!"
The second volley of arrows was denser than the first, and it included crossbow bolts with greater force, raining down from above!
"Pfft—!"
"Ugh—!"
Screams rang out one after another, and several more guards fell to the ground, wounded and killed.
"Are you trying to rebel?!" Pei Hong swung his sword, slashing down several stray arrows. His eyes turned bloodshot with rage as he roared.
From within the dense forest, a deliberately lowered but still smug voice rang out: "His Majesty has been bewitched by a sorceress, unable to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and has disregarded the fate of the nation! We are acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the sorceress who has bewitched the emperor and cleanse the court of corrupt officials!"
"Insolence!" Chu Huaili pierced the throat of an approaching assassin with his sword, his eyes practically solidifying with killing intent upon hearing this. "Purge the court of corrupt officials? What a huge accusation!"
In the midst of the chaos, no one noticed that a cold arrow, shot from an extremely tricky angle, silently flew out from the treetops diagonally above.
The arrow cuts through the wind and arrives in an instant!
Ye Yixiang could see nothing but the sounds of shouting and screaming all around her. She was filled with anxiety, unaware that danger was imminent.
"Arao!" Chu Huaili caught a glimpse of that cold glint out of the corner of his eye, and his heart clenched instantly! In a flash, he turned around and pounced on Ye Yixiang, rolling to the side with her in his arms!
"Whoosh—!"
The cold arrow grazed past Ye Yixiang's temples and pierced deeply into the tree trunk behind where they had just stood with a "thud," its fletching still trembling.
Chu Huaili tumbled to the ground with Ye Yixiang in his arms, getting covered in dust and grass clippings. Ye Yixiang was still in shock, but he held her tightly in his embrace.
“Your eyes…” Chu Huaili looked at her blank and unfocused eyes, which showed no reaction to the danger that was so close at hand, and instantly understood something.
His heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, a dull pain spreading throughout. She had been holding on all this time, and only now did he truly realize that she was blind!
"I'm fine." Ye Yixiang seemed to notice his stiffness and subconsciously grabbed his shirt, her voice trembling slightly.
Chu Huaili pursed his lips, helped her up, and handed her over to the guards who had surrounded them again. The coldness in his eyes was now as thick as ink. He stood up, sword in hand, no longer holding back. His swordplay suddenly became fierce and unparalleled, like a tiger unleashed from its cage. Wherever he passed, blood splattered.
The imperial guards, being seasoned veterans, gradually regained their composure after the initial panic. With Chu Huaili personally leading the charge, their momentum was unstoppable. Although the assassins were fierce, their offensive gradually weakened after losing more than half of their men.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the last assassin was cut down by Pei Hong with a single stroke. The forest clearing was temporarily restored to silence, leaving only the heavy smell of blood and the groans of the wounded.
Of the dozens of elite Xuanjia guards brought by Chu Huaili, less than half were still standing, and all of them were wounded. Pei Hong was also hit by an arrow in the shoulder, but he gritted his teeth, broke the arrow shaft, and hastily bandaged himself.
Two severely wounded assassins were left alive, their jaws dislocated, stuffed with rags, and tightly bound.
“Your Majesty,” Pei Hong reported, clutching his shoulder wound with a grim expression, “these men are all suicide soldiers who attempted to kill themselves upon capture. We questioned them briefly, but they are very stubborn and we are afraid we won’t be able to get any information out of them anytime soon.”
Chu Huaili wiped the blood off his sword and sheathed it. He glanced at Ye Yixiang, who was being closely protected by his guards. Her face was pale, and her empty eyes were anxiously "looking" around. She was clearly quite shocked by the sudden battle.
"Save their lives first, bring them back to the palace, and have the Ministry of Justice interrogate them thoroughly," Chu Huaili said coldly. He needed to know who dared to commit such a heinous act before his position was secure, even under the guise of "purging the court of corrupt officials."
Ye Yixiang was helped to sit down on a relatively clean rock. She couldn't see, but her hearing became exceptionally sharp. The panting around her, the suppressed groans of pain, and the thick, pungent smell of blood all made her heart tighten.
“Your Majesty,” she suddenly spoke, her voice hoarse with nervousness, “you have been away from the palace… for several days now?”
Chu Huaili walked to her side, squatted down, and held her cold hand: "Five days." He looked into her lifeless eyes, his heart aching. He gently stroked her eyelids with his other hand, his movements extremely tender. "Arao, don't be afraid. I will find the best medicine to heal your eyes, just like... just like before."
Ye Yixiang, however, grabbed his hand that was touching her eyes with considerable force.
“His Majesty has been away from the palace for only five days, and these assassins dared to ambush him here with such precision, even uttering the arrogant words ‘cleansing the court of corrupt officials’…” Her voice was low and urgent, filled with lingering fear and clear worry, “I fear… someone is taking advantage of His Majesty’s absence from the palace, leaving the palace without a master, to falsely convey His Majesty’s will, or… to have other schemes!”
Her words caused both Chu Huaili and Pei Hong's expressions to change.
Indeed, this assassination attempt was too suspicious and timely. It didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment thing, but rather like it was premeditated, and might even be related to their operation to rescue Ye Yixiang.
"Tap tap tap... tap tap tap..."
A rapid, almost frantic sound of hooves came galloping from the direction they had come from, growing louder as they approached!
"Be on guard!" Pei Hong shouted immediately, and the remaining guards quickly raised their weapons, protecting Chu Huaili and Ye Yixiang in the center.
A magnificent, jet-black horse galloped towards them, carrying a person slumped on its back, seemingly about to collapse. As it drew nearer, the horse, exhausted, buckled at its hind legs and neighed pitifully before crashing to the ground. The person on its back was also thrown heavily onto the ground.
Under the torchlight, everyone could see the face of the newcomer, who was covered in blood!
He was still young, his face bearing the innocence of a boy, yet now it was covered in blood and filled with deep anxiety. He struggled to lift his head, his unfocused gaze barely managing to focus on Chu Huaili. His lips moved, and with his last strength, he screamed:
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...Do not return...to the Imperial City...Prince Ke...Prince Ke...he..."
His voice trailed off abruptly. His outstretched hand fell limply to his side, his eyes wide open, staring in Chu Huaili's direction. He was already dead.
King Ke?
Chu Huaili abruptly stood up, staring at Wuleci's still terrified and unwilling corpse, his face instantly turning terrifyingly grim. Pei Hong and the others also gasped in shock.
King Ke!
Her heart sank little by little.
The imperial city... has probably undergone a tremendous change.
*
The night was as dark as ink, heavily pressing down on the imperial city.
The solemn Xuanzheng Hall, which was usually quiet and dignified, was now brightly lit. Outside the hall, armored soldiers stood in rows, their armor and weapons reflecting a cold light in the firelight, none of which were the colors of the imperial guards on duty.
Inside the main hall, on the nine-dragon lacquered throne, Chu Xi wore a black robe with dark gold dragon patterns, without a crown or tassels. His black hair was simply tied up with a golden crown, with a few strands falling in front of his forehead.
He leaned back comfortably in the large dragon throne, one hand supporting his chin, his fingertips casually tapping the smooth armrest.
On that handsome, almost otherworldly face, the expression was calm, even carrying a hint of lazy smile. Only his peach blossom eyes, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, were unfathomable, like a bottomless, icy pool.
A guard in black stepped forward silently and bowed, presenting a secret report.
Chu Xi took the note, unfolded it, and glanced at it. His thin lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly before he casually tossed the note onto the imperial desk beside him. The words "drowned" and "not found" were faintly visible on the note.
His gaze fell on the center of the main hall.
There was a person kneeling there.
He was around fifty or sixty years old, with graying temples and his scarlet official robe was torn in many places and stained with blood and dust, clearly indicating that he had been severely tortured.
But his back remained straight, his head held high, and although his face was covered with whip marks and bruises, his eyes shone brightly as he glared at Chu Xi on the dragon throne without any fear.
"Lord Sun," Chu Xi began, his voice low and languid, "the news that just arrived says His Majesty fell into the water while pursuing a wanted criminal, and to this day... there is no trace of him, and he is feared to have met with misfortune. I wonder what your opinion is on this, Lord Sun?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Yu spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, then burst into a loud, hissing laugh that echoed through the empty hall, filled with grief, indignation, and mockery: "Hahaha! I've seen people play this trick since I was a toddler!"
"His Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune and divine protection. How could he be easily schemed against by villains? You think you can fool the world and secure this stolen position with a piece of scrap paper you dug out of some gutter? Dream on!"
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