Please be lenient
As Hulü Guang leaned against her chest, A Qiu's heart leaped into her throat.
For no other reason than this, this was her last chance, and also the most dangerous assassination attempt she had ever made since her debut.
If they fail, both she and Shangguan Yuqi will perish here.
Losing one's integrity is a minor matter, but for both the chief "Jing Ke" of Lanling and the Grand Master of Music, a successor of the Junior Master, it is a great disgrace. Moreover, since Hulü Guang has gained this advantage, he will naturally try to use this incident to attack and humiliate the Southern Dynasty court.
She tried her best to keep her breathing steady, and silently raised her elbow, ready to strike.
At this moment, cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she had no time to care whether Huli Guang was still on guard. This was her last chance.
The last vestiges of her strength and will were rapidly fading away.
Just as A Qiu's left elbow was about to strike the "Shanzhong" acupoint in Hulü Guang's chest, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps came from several feet away at the door.
Ah Qiu paused for a moment upon hearing the footsteps:
Because the footsteps sounded extremely familiar.
She didn't know many people in the palace, but most martial arts masters, such as An Daoling and Shangguan Yuqi, didn't have distinctive footwork when they walked, and they would even deliberately hide their tracks when carrying out missions. Therefore, it wasn't so easy for her to remember the characteristics of each person's gait.
Only a martial arts master, without deliberately concealing their abilities, would clearly display such a majestic and powerful gait, making it possible for her to remember the rhythm of their steps.
Hulü Guang frowned in displeasure, and the hand that had been supporting A Qiu's waist was released without being noticed.
He had just instructed his subordinates: "Do not come here to disturb us. Even the most important matters can wait until later." How could these people be so oblivious to the situation?
It wasn't that he was impatient or couldn't wait a moment longer, but rather that he knew this opportunity, if missed now, would be unlikely to come again. Even now, although the situation seemed entirely under his control, he dared not take A-Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi away from here. Because once they left Bifu Pavilion, anything could happen.
Let alone leaving Bifu Pavilion, even if they linger here for a moment longer, the opportunity may be lost. Because a junior master's disciple and a top lady of the Southern Dynasty are willing to attend this gathering, Hulü Guang can naturally imagine how many eyes are watching this place, both openly and secretly.
Therefore, Hulü Guang was extremely displeased that his subordinates had come to disturb him so abruptly and wasted his time.
However, he was very well-mannered and only stared at the door, wondering what important matter could be more important than acquiring these two famous flowers, which would cause the sixteen riders of Yanyun to come and report so rashly.
As the footsteps approached the door, A-Qiu suddenly realized who it was.
At this point, even Hulü Guang realized something was amiss. His subordinates, always cautious and prudent, would never have entered so boldly and arrogantly.
But it was already too late.
A dashing young man's voice rang out from outside the door: "Young Master Yu Zhe Lie Changkong greets Your Highness. If the two young ladies inside were to lose even a single hair, Your Highness's fate would likely be no different from that of your esteemed subordinate."
Next, three heads were thrown in through the window. At a glance, it was clear that they were the remaining three of the four members of the Yan Yun Eight Riders who had just left.
In fact, A Qiu already knew that the visitor was Lie Changkong a moment earlier, and secretly thought it was a close call, and was also grateful that he arrived in time.
Because only Lie Changkong, whom she had initially hidden in Gu Yi's room, left an impression with the sound of his long, sweeping footsteps as he entered, and only recognized him after several subsequent encounters. Therefore, she had a particularly deep impression of his gait.
Huli Guang was already pale with shock, never imagining that his subordinates had been wiped out in just a few breaths. He shouted in a hoarse voice, "Where is Night Owl? Did he manage to escape?"
Lie Changkong said calmly, "He shouldn't be able to escape far, as I have arrangements made outside the pavilion. Your Highness should worry about yourself first."
A Qiu then realized that Lie Changkong had misunderstood: he thought everyone cared about the lives of their subordinates, but he didn't know that Huli Guang's question was because Ye Xiao knew that his master was here, yet dared to flee without fighting to the death, hence the question.
Of the eight men Hulü Guang brought to this place, four died at the hands of A Qiu, three were killed by Lie Changkong, and the fate of one remains unknown. Hulü Guang suffered heavy losses in this battle, and he certainly will not surrender so easily.
Upon realizing this, A Qiu moved swiftly, her right elbow striking Hulü Guang directly in the chest from behind her ribs. Hulü Guang's only hope of escaping was to take A Qiu hostage. A Qiu had no choice but to strike first.
She was weak and powerless at the moment, and the force of this attack was less than two or three tenths of her usual strength, but it was still the result of her giving it her all.
Upon hearing Lie Changkong's name, Huli Guang was shocked. His first instinct, just as A Qiu had predicted, was to capture her. However, he was a moment too late. He had not expected that A Qiu would still have the strength to fight back after being drugged with such a large amount of drugs. He was hit hard in the chest, his breath caught in his throat, and he staggered back a step. The hand he was about to reach out could only cover his chest, and he groaned in pain.
A Qiu heard a muffled groan behind her, and then her body lost the support of Huli Guang, swaying precariously.
She couldn't see Hulü Guang's movements behind her, but she could guess that after being hit by her elbow, he would definitely gather his energy and prepare to counterattack. If she wasn't poisoned, she would definitely turn around and kill him now, or if she was less poisoned, she would definitely try to escape from his presence.
However, after exerting all her strength, she felt breathless, dizzy, and weak in the legs, unable to move her body even an inch.
Knowing that Hulü Guang was trying to retaliate, he was unable to make any further response.
A calm, utterly composed male voice rang out from inside the room, saying, "If Your Highness moves even slightly again, I'll cut off one of your fingers, how about that?"
Even A-Qiu was startled awake instantly and couldn't help but look in the direction from which the sound came.
But opposite Shangguan Yuqi, who was slumped over the table, sat a man with his face covered by a bamboo hat. It was unclear when he had entered silently.
The figure of this person was the same one she had seen beside the peony flower when she was standing guard at the door and looking down.
But upon hearing his voice, A Qiu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, feeling even more relieved than when she heard that Lie Changkong had arrived.
All because this voice belonged to the Divine Lord Liyang, whom they had seen several times in the palace.
She didn't have time to figure out why Lord Liyang happened to be there, but just hearing his voice made her feel incredibly at ease, and her whole body relaxed.
Huli Guang, in pain and anger, intended to strike and seriously injure A Qiu. He had already reached behind her with one hand, but was startled by the sudden voice and intimidated by the indifferent and oppressive tone in the words. He could no longer bring himself to strike.
What shocked him most at this moment was that there was such a master in the Southern Dynasty who was able to enter this place silently under his strict guard and surveillance, and sit opposite him so easily.
It is easy to imagine how easy it would be for the Southern Dynasty to deal with him if it really wanted to.
His mind raced, and he immediately withdrew his hand, took three steps back, raised his hands in a harmless gesture, and said humbly, "Senior, you misunderstand. I only wanted to help Lord Sile."
As expected, A Qiu lost his balance and was about to fall backward.
Huli Guang felt a blur before his eyes, and A Qiu's figure had vanished. He couldn't see the person's movements clearly, only that the other party had instantly brought A Qiu back to his seat.
Liyang Shenjun possessed an extremely clear and cold aura, mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees. When Aqiu leaned against him, her mind instantly cleared and her consciousness became exceptionally sharp.
But this only made his mind clear; his body's blood vessels were still affected by the drug, and he couldn't move on his own. He was still weak all over and felt powerless.
She knew that today's events were no small matter. If she went out with Shangguan Yuqi now and it was later discovered that she had been drugged, even ten mouths wouldn't be enough to prove her innocence. She herself came from a martial arts background and didn't care much about gossip. But Shangguan Yuqi was the head of the century-old, reputable Shangguan family, with a strong family legacy. If troublemakers spread rumors about her, that was something she definitely didn't want to see.
Lord Liyang flicked his palm, revealing a tinderbox. Wherever the flame touched, wisps of smoke rose from the table, and fragrant mist drifted outwards.
It turned out that he had replaced all the incense in the stove at some point.
The fragrance, to A Qiu, was seven or eight parts similar to the one emanating from him—fresh, pure, and with a texture as cold and clear as snow. She felt the fragrance travel through her meridians to her internal organs, and wherever it went, the stagnation and soreness in her meridians immediately improved, as if she had undergone a transformation of her tendons and marrow.
Looking at Shangguan Yuqi across from her, she did the same. In a few breaths, she looked up and her gaze towards her had returned to its usual clear and bright state.
Seeing that the situation was very bad, Huli Guang had already thought of several things and forced a smile, saying, "Today's matter was because I was too infatuated with Miss Shangguan and was a little too hasty, so I acted rashly. I beg this senior to be lenient and forgive the two ladies."
He must have known that his words were a ridiculous attempt to downplay the seriousness of the matter. In the prestigious Bifu Pavilion, a place for banquets of famous scholars and nobles, to drug the Southern Dynasty's top lady and the successor of the Junior Tutor, using the excuse of "being a little hasty and acting carelessly" would not even fool a child.
Lord Liyang said in a soothing tone, "Whether based on your past actions or your actions today, you deserve to die ten times over."
Although his tone was gentle, the chilling intent remained undiminished. Hulü Guang dared not relax his guard for a moment, quickly calculating in his mind what way he could survive. He tentatively asked, "I wonder what kind of expert you are, senior? I still have some influence in my country. Only if you are like this will you be willing to make an exception."
He was quick to seize the opportunity, first trying to figure out Liyang Shenjun's methods so he could offer conditions for survival.
But before he could finish speaking, Lord Liyang waved his hand rudely to interrupt him, saying calmly, "I am but a country bumpkin who happened to be a guest here. I took action to punish you because I could not stand your behavior. How to deal with you is a matter for the court, and it is up to Chief Minister Shangguan and Grand Master of Music to decide."
Hearing this, Hulü Guang felt even more alarmed: he had originally thought the other party was from the Southern Dynasty court, but it turned out to be a reclusive figure from the martial arts world. If the common people of Jianzhang were also full of hidden talents, then his goal in coming to the Southern Dynasty would be greatly diminished.
After saying those two sentences, Lie Changkong outside the door fell silent, clearly waiting for instructions from the person inside.
The atmosphere inside was heavy, like a thick haze. Hulü Guang dared not utter a sound, knowing that his life or death hung in the balance with just a single word.
Based on the strength shown by the Southern Dynasty at this moment, of the eight riders from Yanyun he brought, seven were dead and one escaped, leaving him all alone here: A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi have recovered their mobility, and A Qiu alone could take his life, not to mention the person sitting motionless in the chair, and outside the door, Lie Changkong has completely taken control of the situation in Bifu Pavilion.
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