It's hard to tell who's friend and who's foe.
Just then, a loud, cold snort reached A Qiu's ears.
However, Shangguan Yuqi, wearing a "White Tiger" mask, suddenly shifted her position and seized the spot where A Qiu was about to fall, spreading her arms like a white crane spreading its wings to meet A Qiu's falling momentum.
Seeing Shangguan Yuqi make a move, A Qiu immediately felt relieved. He then flipped over and leaped onto Shangguan Yuqi's shoulder, assuming a "crane dance" posture.
Shangguan Yuqi, however, did not remain idle. With each step, she subtly turned Aqiu toward Fan Liancheng, then with a shake of her shoulder, she sent her flying.
They actually deliberately avoided the person named "Vermilion Bird".
At the same time, A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi both heard a woman's cold voice say, "If I wanted to destroy 'Yan Shi Ning,' I could simply not participate. Why would I oppose you at this moment?"
That was none other than Madam Pei, Mu Huaying's voice.
Beneath their masks, Xiao Chang'an and Fan Liancheng trembled slightly, and A Qiu knew they had also heard those words.
After a slight hesitation, Shangguan Yuqi automatically stepped aside, making room for the Vermilion Bird among the Four Spirits.
Knowing that Mu Huaying was right, A Qiu leaped off Fan Liancheng's back again, landing lightly on Mu Huaying's shoulder, and whispered, "Excuse me."
Mu Huaying stood up, her eyes behind the mask sharp but expressionless, and said coldly, "If it weren't for Yu'er's plea, I wouldn't have come here."
A Qiuwan never expected that Pei Yu, at this critical juncture when her father was seriously injured, military power was being handed over, and a formidable enemy was entering the capital, would still be thinking about the "Yan Shi Ning" competition and strive for complete success. For a moment, her mind was filled with countless thoughts, and she didn't know what to feel.
She knew that Pei Yu and her mother were the murderers of her father and husband, but now she needed to use Mu Huaying's body to gain a foothold and rise to prominence.
At that moment, Fan Liancheng shifted his position and sealed off the northern position.
With her blocking and deflecting, no one in the Seven Drums Formation could advance any further north.
That's the direction of Li Chongyu's seat.
Shangguan Yuqi also paused for a moment, then turned around and stood in the western position.
That's the easiest position to attack and kill, besides the north.
Xiao Chang'an, however, watched coldly from the sidelines without making any move.
A Qiu suddenly understood why Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, turned pale the moment she recognized "Vermilion Bird".
Because of her close friendship with Mu Huaying since childhood, Consort Chen must have recognized her sworn sister when Mu Huaying did those eleven somersaults.
Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang. Mu Huaying, who was not originally a performer, happened to appear in this performance of "Yan Shi Ning" at this time. With Consort Chen's intelligence and insight, it was not difficult for her to figure out her purpose immediately.
Mu Huaying weaved through the formation, circling around, and sneered, "Miss Shangguan, General Xiao Fan, you are both guards of the Great Yan Flying Phoenix Guard, yet you protect an outsider like this, disregarding the mortal enmity of my Dongguang Marquis?"
A Qiu thought it was hard to blame Shangguan Yuqi and Fan Liancheng. Pei Yuanli's fate was uncertain, and the situation was already chaotic. Li Chongyu had already made his stance clear: he was willing to ally with the Southern Dynasty for the sake of peace. If something happened to him now, it would only add fuel to the fire. First of all, the three thousand Shuofang soldiers in the city would never sit idly by and would fight to the death.
With the overwhelming strength of the Jianzhang Army in the capital, a mere three thousand Shuofang soldiers were certainly not a threat. But even if these three thousand men, along with a Marquis from Guannei who came to pay homage and show submission, were all executed in the capital, is that what a dynasty with a heart for peace and benevolence should do?
Mu Huaying's cold laughter continued, "Don't worry. I will not make a move until the 'Yan Shi Ning' is finished. This is Yu'er's entrustment. I cannot let 'Yan Shi Ning' be an unfinished piece, otherwise I will be a sinner against the Great Yan for all eternity."
A Qiu felt a little relieved, knowing that Mu Huaying's words made sense. "Yan Shi Ning" was a song to pray for peace and prosperity in the world, and it was also the first large-scale bell and drum music composed in this dynasty. If it were to end before it was finished, it would be a bad omen for a dynasty.
Although Mu Huaying was determined to avenge her husband, she still considered the reputation and fate of Dayan because of her daughter's request. This was also her loyalty to Dayan and Xie Lang as the previous generation of Feifeng.
A Qiu sighed inwardly, but had no choice but to concentrate and quickly think of how to deal with Mu Huaying's sudden assassination attempt.
"The zither and flute are mournful, the wine and dance are weary, but the heart is generous and the spirit is strong. The wine is sweet, the music is clear, may all of you be drunk and then sober. Drunk and then sober, we are in harmony, and all around us are happy and say it is skillful."
At this moment, the atmosphere in the arena had reached its peak due to the Four Spirit Warriors' aerial throws and catches, as well as A-Qiu's various extremely dangerous leaps and retreats in response to the sound of the bells and drums.
Cui Luzhu and Zhang E stood on the drumhead, and as the music reached its climax, they spun and tossed the frisbees with both hands. The gold and silver inlaid sun and moon discs spun and traversed the air in brilliant arcs, a spectacle never before witnessed by anyone in the hall.
"The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments may not be heard, but one can still dance lightly on this plate. Lightness on the left and right is just right, and together we can enjoy happiness and live a long life."
Amidst the harmonious sounds of orchestral music and bells during the "Yanshi Ning" prayer for eternal good fortune, a deadly threat lurks, ready to erupt at any moment.
A Qiu completed his final leap, landing on the drumhead from behind the Four Spirits, his sleeves trailing behind him as he listened intently to the drumbeats.
She knew that when the last drumbeat ended, it would be the moment for Mu Huaying to go into battle and kill.
For both public and private reasons, she had to find a way to stop this infamous, ruthless "Demon King with Fair Hands".
"Life is long, so make friends; may you live a long and healthy life."
The drumbeats gradually slowed and subsided, while the bell tolls also faded into the background. The dense, beaded sounds of the sheng and se (traditional Chinese stringed instruments) in front of the hall also gradually dissipated, becoming the backdrop for the retreat of this grand musical and dance spectacle.
As Chenghua ordered An Daoling to strike the final, clear chime of the bell behind the bell tower, Mu Huaying, who was standing in the Seven Drums and Two Plates formation, suddenly moved.
She suddenly parted her palms and, with the speed of lightning, pounced towards Li Chongyu's seat.
This unexpected turn of events occurred in an instant. While everyone in the hall was still immersed in the beautiful, magnificent, and exhilarating music of bells and drums, no one expected that an assassin would suddenly emerge from among the dancers and musicians.
No one would have imagined that the person who launched this desperate attack on the emperor was none other than Mu Huaying, a former member of the Imperial Guard.
The entire audience was shocked. Immediately, someone pushed over their seat, shattering cups, plates, and bowls all over the floor, spilling wine everywhere. What was supposed to be an elegant banquet instantly turned into a ruthless killing ground.
Before Xie Lang could recognize the assassin wearing the Vermilion Bird mask, Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, cried out in alarm, "No!"
It's unclear whether she was telling Mu Huaying not to hurt Li Chongyu, or telling the other guards not to hurt Mu Huaying.
However, she herself, as the former leader of the Flying Phoenix Sect, and not far away, seemed to be frozen in place, not moving an inch.
Zhao Lingying, the Imperial Censor, was standing not far away. She was in a similar situation.
She had stood up early on to keep an eye on things, but like Li Lanxiu, she crossed her arms and watched Mu Huaying rush away with a complicated expression, but did not make a move.
He neither stopped Mu Huaying nor protected Li Chongyu.
Having been keeping a close eye on Mu Huaying's movements, Shangguan Yuqi and Fan Liancheng, who were already poised to attack, came from the left and right, one after the other.
At this moment, A Qiu could no longer hide his strength. He leaped out and, with astonishing speed, passed Mu Huaying and blocked Li Chongyu's path.
At this moment, she had no weapons and was only bare-handed, which greatly reduced her lethality, but she couldn't care less.
She was originally a dancer performing for the emperor; if she were to bring weapons hidden on her person into the palace, that would be considered suspicious. Moreover, with so many people watching, her aerial somersaults and leaps would easily expose her, so she truly didn't bring any weapons for self-defense today.
Li Chongyu's martial arts skills are inferior to Mu Huaying's. If Mu Huaying were to rush in front of him, he would most likely be no match for her famous "fair hands." As for A Qiu, as an assassin, he is skilled in close combat. Even if it comes to fighting with fists and feet, he is confident that he should not lose to Mu Huaying.
But what she didn't expect was Mu Huaying's desperate fighting tactics.
She didn't flinch at all, taking a palm strike each from Shangguan Yuqi and Fan Liancheng, her momentum undiminished, rushing straight towards Li Chongyu's seat like a hawk.
But at that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through A Qiu's mind:
At this moment, she absolutely cannot use her signature "Spirit Ape Thrust Technique".
With so many eyes watching, if she reveals any suspicious origins, although no one has time to investigate at the moment, someone will definitely dig deeper afterward and deduce her identity and background from the origins of her martial arts.
Not to mention that Mu Huaying on the other side is a master of criminal investigation and was once the Grand Commandant of the Dayan Court.
In the grand hall, before the emperor, if even the slightest trace of her past as an assassin is revealed, all her efforts since entering the palace will vanish.
Gu Yi, and even everyone who had ever crossed paths with her, such as Sun Neiren and Zhang Exu, would be implicated.
In fact, having been in the palace for so long, she had almost forgotten her identity as an assassin.
But now that she was unarmed and unable to use the sword techniques Gu Yi had taught her, she suddenly realized that her signature move was still the "Spirit Ape Thrust Technique," which was deadly in every way—finger, palm, knee, and kick, and could strike with deadly intent at any moment.
But with Mu Huaying's "fair hands," there was no room for hesitation.
As A Qiu paused for a moment, a snow-white, jade-like hand emerged from the densely woven Qiankun sleeve and slammed heavily onto her right chest.
Caught off guard, A Qiu fell backward, but was caught by Li Chongyu from behind. A sudden gust of wind swept in, but Li Chongyu used his other palm to flip the entire table over and send it hurtling towards Mu Huaying.
But this only slightly hindered Mu Huaying's momentum. The table shattered into pieces in an instant, and Mu Huaying's pair of slender hands, as white as snow and infused with innate true energy, shot out like ghosts, arriving in a flash. For a moment, Li Chongyu felt as if the entire space was under Mu Huaying's overwhelming palm shadows, with no way to avoid it.
Even at this moment, disregarding his own safety, he used both palms to push A Qiu and the Princess who was serving at the side of the table to the side, shouting, "Go quickly!"
At that moment, a voice rang in A Qiu's ears, softly shouting, "Wind and Thunder Slash!"
A Qiu awoke as if from a dream, immediately recalling the Wind and Thunder Palm Technique that Chu Yuanyi, one of the Four Constellations of Tianji, had demonstrated to her at Qiwu Palace. She also remembered Gu Yi telling her that she had been taught by Chu Yuanyi when she was young, which was why she could use it so easily later on.
Seeing Mu Huaying's delicate hand transform into thousands of palm shadows, descending directly upon her head, A Qiu's hands moved in a haphazard manner, her posture suddenly changing to the graceful beauty of an orchid, yet concealing the power of wind and thunder. Her palms split into yin and yang, seemingly merging into an image, yet resembling an invisible bag, instantly absorbing all of Mu Huaying's attacks.
She was originally a dancer, but she deliberately changed the appearance of the Wind and Thunder Palm by using the "flower-picking palm" gesture from her dance, so that people could not recognize it as Chu Yuanyi's unique skill at first glance.
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