Chapter 5

"Enough, do not delay any longer. His Majesty must continue the journey!"

The aged voice broke the silence. As if a seal had been lifted, the crushing pressure the young Daoist had exerted upon her vanished instantly.

"Yes!"

The assassin's corpse was quickly dragged away. There was no time to clean the pool of blood left on the ground, but these were mere trifles that the Emperor had no mind to address. Having just awakened from the shock of the assassination attempt, he remained unsettled and fearful of further incidents, hurriedly boarding his carriage.

The motorcade set off, the rumbling of wheels shaking the ground, accompanied by the neighing of the Imperial Guard's horses as they moved from near to far.

Many people, desperate to survive, followed behind the motorcade. They knew the imperial party was headed for the Daming Palace. Some of the shrewder ones took shortcuts, running toward the Daming Palace in hopes of catching the final group of the retinue and securing a chance at survival.

This assassination was like a firework—it left a mark in the hearts of many, yet it was faint, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

Xie Chang'an remained motionless for a long time, until Xiao Zheng came scrambling over, looking for her.

"Sister, Sister Xie!"

Xiao Zheng’s hands were trembling violently and felt ice-cold as she grabbed Xie Chang'an's arm, her grip soft and weak. She could barely stand and had to lean half her weight against Xie Chang'an.

"That terrified me to death! Thank goodness you didn't strike, otherwise... otherwise..."

Xie Chang'an slowly straightened her body, cold sweat having already soaked her heavy robes. A moment ago, she, too, had thought she was certain to die.

***

"Master, why did you stop me just now? There was clearly something strange about that palace maid!"

At the same time, inside the carriage, the indignant young Daoist questioned his master.

The old Daoist, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, suddenly turned deathly pale and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Master!"

"A Black Dragon—it was no illusion," the old Daoist said, opening his eyes slowly.

"The assassin used his life soul as the marrow to forge the divine form of a Black Dragon. That strike just now was a trade of life for life—the ultimate technique of the Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Pond. His blow was originally aimed at His Majesty; I blocked it, and thus, my time is also running short."

The young Daoist's face changed drastically. "How could it come to this!"

He had truly believed his master had intercepted the Black Dragon with ease, not realizing that was merely a story the old Daoist had told to steady the troops.

The old Daoist sighed: "Never underestimate the cultivators of this world. You might think the Ten Thousand Plum Blossom Pond is a minor sect, but a minor sect that has stood until today naturally possesses its own unique skills. While that palace maid had something strange about her, she was but a minor nuisance, incapable of stirring great waves. The situation is critical now; we must escort His Majesty out of the capital. We must not create further complications. Who is to say there aren't powerful masters at An Lushan's side?"

"Master..."

The old Daoist swallowed another mouthful of blood, his complexion turning from white to a sickly green.

"In the past, the Li family prioritized Taoism above all. Despite various setbacks, the current Emperor has honored our Nanyue Cave Heaven as supreme, appointing my master as the Imperial Preceptor. My disciples and I have used this power of national faith, and in the name of the Emperor, have gathered many rare treasures, greatly aiding our cultivation. I thought our sect would only grow more prosperous, but who could have expected that it would end today... If I am gone, the safety of His Majesty's journey depends on you. Remember! Only while His Majesty remains, can the glory and prosperity our sect enjoys in the mortal realm be sustained. Put His Majesty's safety above all else; do not lose sight of the roots for the sake of trivialities, and avoid causing unnecessary waves!"

Inside the imperial carriage, the Emperor was holding the Imperial Concubine's hand, trying to calm his nerves through conversation. Suddenly, the carriage stopped abruptly. Before he could flare up, he heard someone speaking outside.

"Your Majesty, the Immortal Xu has passed away and ascended to the heavens!"

The Emperor’s body jolted, his face turning pale with grief.

He gripped the Imperial Concubine’s delicate hand so tightly that she let out a cry of pain.

***

Xie Chang'an and the others left behind in the Taiji Palace naturally knew nothing of the old Daoist's fate. She had no heart to concern herself with the Emperor's journey anymore.

Xie Chang'an understood clearly: even if she chased after them and mixed into the crowd, she could no longer kill the Emperor.

The Emperor was protected by a master, an immortal who practiced the Dao, just like her master, Wang Ting.

The scraps of power she had managed to cultivate, how could they contend with a true cultivator?

She had already drawn their attention; to strike again would be a thousand times more difficult. Moreover, she did not know when, or if, the imperial party would ever return.

In this weather, the pool of blood left by the assassin had not been cleaned, quickly attracting a swarm of flies. The stench was pungent, yet to some, it evoked a sense of sorrow—the grief of the rabbit dying and the fox mourning.

Xie Chang'an thought to herself that the assassin had met a fate similar to her own. She should have been the one to die. Now, she didn't even know the man's name, nor could she bury his remains.

Before she could dwell on it, Xiao Zheng pulled her away, and the two took refuge in the room where Xiao Zheng worked.

The Taiji Palace was now leaderless. Palace servants were everywhere, desperately seeking their own way out. The place was in chaos, a scene of desolation; no one would care where they went.

Xiao Zheng said, "Sister Xie, I see the palace gates are unguarded. People are coming and going, and the guards don't care anymore. Why don't we run too?"

"Where to?" Xie Chang'an raised her head.

"I still have a home in the city, and my brothers are there. I can go to them. I've sent a lot of money home over the years; they won't refuse to take me in. Sister Xie, just come with me."

Seeing that Xie Chang'an remained silent, she urged, "I heard the rebels have already taken Tong Pass. They will reach Chang'an in two days at most. Once the Emperor is gone and the rebels arrive, they will surely loot and vent their anger on the palace. It’s no longer safe here!"

The outside might not be safe either. The entire city of Chang'an would be perilous.

Xie Chang'an sighed but kept these thoughts to herself.

Even if they left the city, there was nowhere to go outside. Xiao Zheng’s home was in the capital; how far could she really go?

Since Xiao Zheng had given up her chance to leave the capital with the imperial motorcade for her sake, Xie Chang'an could not let her go alone.

"Alright, I will go with you."

The vast Taiji Palace, with its soaring eaves and ornate corners, was no longer the stern, orderly place it once was.

Many people shared Xiao Zheng’s idea, packing their valuables to leave. Others, who had left home long ago and had nowhere to return to, chose to stay. The air was thick with the chaos of war. With the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the high-ranking officials all gone, the remaining low-ranking concubines and unpopular princes and princesses could not hold the situation together. Even commoners and laborers had slipped in to fish in troubled waters.

After dawn, there was no sun. A gloomy sky looked down upon the turmoil of the human world.

Xiao Zheng and Xie Chang'an packed their belongings. Xie Chang'an mainly brought A'xia, who was clever enough not to have run far and was caught easily. Xiao Zheng had saved many rewards over the years; her bundle was twice as heavy as Xie Chang'an’s. She wanted to take it all, but Xie Chang'an stopped her.

Sure enough, even though they tried to keep a low profile, as they approached the palace gate, the two young women attracted malicious gazes.

Several ruffians who had clearly slipped in from outside first glued their eyes to Xiao Zheng’s bundle, and after reluctantly shifting their gaze, they landed on the two women's faces, revealing covetous expressions.

"Are the two little ladies trying to leave the palace? Do you have family outside? If you don't know the way, I can lead you!"

The leader laughed as he spoke. Seeing Xie Chang'an’s extraordinary beauty, he reached out to grab her hand first.

These ruffians guarded this gate, specifically picking on soft targets. They had already robbed many lone palace maids and eunuchs. At that moment, a delicate-looking palace maid was being cornered and molested by them, crying out in vain.

Xiao Zheng already regretted it. She regretted not inquiring clearly before leaving; for the sake of a shortcut, she had chosen this gate.

She suppressed her fear and grabbed Xie Chang'an’s arm, trying to pull her back toward the gate, but it was too late. The ruffians had cut off their retreat, surrounding them from front and back. They were now the prey.

The ruffian youth, accustomed to such panic, exchanged knowing glances. They were no longer satisfied with just robbing goods, and even displayed a more arrogant, lewd demeanor, wanting to separate the two and take them away.

"Let us go," Xie Chang'an said.

Her voice was interpreted as a trembling attempt at calm, provoking a burst of joyous laughter.

"In such a rush to leave the palace? No family coming to pick you up? It doesn't matter. Call us 'Brother,' and from now on, we'll all be your good brothers!"

"Hahaha, exactly! This little lady is beautiful; surely she isn't married yet. She must be bored in the palace. Why wait for another day? Let us be your husbands starting today!"

"With so many of us, I wonder if she can handle it?"

The words became increasingly unbearable. Xiao Zheng was anxious and angry, unable to stop herself from stepping forward to push them away.

But Xie Chang'an was faster. A bamboo dagger slid from her sleeve, and she gripped it tight—

The ruffian youth who had grabbed her hand let out a shrill scream and quickly let go, stumbling backward. His hand had been broken, hanging at a distorted angle.

Xie Chang'an did not stop. There were six of them surrounding them. After the first one she wounded cried out, the others moved to attack, but she was faster, stabbing the next one!

It was her first time hurting someone and seeing blood; her hand trembled slightly, but her heart was cold and hard.

***

How did that old Daoist move across space just now?

Xie Chang'an recalled the memory in her chaotic mind, and she began to mimic it involuntarily.

Surging spiritual energy flowed through her meridians, like a tree drawing vitality from every branch and leaf, gathering it into one point.

The men were startled at first, retreating while screaming in pain, but then a savage, resentful rage surged within them.

This palace maid dared to resist?!

They had robbed so many people; this was the first one who dared to fight back!

One man reached out to snatch the bamboo dagger, but in the next instant, Xie Chang'an’s figure vanished before his eyes.

In a fleeting moment, four or five afterimages flashed within his vision; he could not tell which one was the real Xie Chang'an!

"Eh?"

"Ah?!!"

"Ah————"

Several ruffians fell to the ground, one after another, their bodies covered in wounds of varying depth.

The most severely injured one had his abdomen sliced open, his intestines faintly visible.

The killing intent that Xie Chang'an had been forced to suppress after failing to assassinate the Emperor was completely reawakened by them.

The ruffian youths had not yet realized what kind of person they had provoked.

Compared to Xie Chang'an, who dared to risk her life even when facing the Emperor, they were merely small-time villains driven by greed and lust.

Someone tried to pounce from behind, but she seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. With a flick of her sleeve, the bamboo dagger flew out and pinned the man's foot firmly to the ground.

Blood splattered, and the man fell, screaming. His companions were all stunned; none of them expected that this soft, weak-looking palace maid would be so ready to spill blood once she moved.

"Y-you, don't come any closer! Immortal Sister, we were wrong, we'll never do it again!"

Sun Wu finally realized that they had walked the night path too often and met a ghost. They had misjudged a vicious, skin-wearing demon for a weak and defenseless girl!

Xie Chang'an pulled Xiao Zheng behind her and frowned, staring at her bamboo dagger pinned in Sun Wu’s foot.

She had spent an entire winter whittling that dagger, originally intending to use it to kill the Emperor. Now, it had been used on a few petty thugs. The bamboo had soaked in blood, and it could not be cleaned; it was completely ruined.

Sun Wu felt a chill under her gaze, thinking she was going to chop off his foot, and began to plead for mercy in a frantic, endless stream of apologies.

"Let her go too."

Xie Chang'an pointed to the palace maid who had been cornered by two other ruffians earlier.

In truth, there was no need for her command; the two ruffians had long been watching in a daze. Upon hearing this, they hastily pushed the maid toward her.

The young maid wept and bowed to Xie Chang'an.

"Thank you, Sister..."

Xie Chang'an gave a small grunt and tilted her chin slightly. "Get out of here quickly."

Then she asked the ruffians, "Are you still going to rob and block people?"

"We wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!"

"How could we dare!"

"Sister, spare our lives!"

Xie Chang'an naturally received such desperate responses.

Seeing her scanning the surroundings, the ruffians subconsciously felt phantom pain in their limbs and hastily retreated several more steps, looking at this reaper with fear and caution.