Chapter 093: Bring Them Back Alive!

"Retreat!" At this sharp command, the gang of mountain bandits dropped their broken swords in unison and scrambled away, tumbling and crawling in their haste.

Jin'er spun gracefully, her long sword flicking a discarded blade from the ground toward one of the men, who fell instantly. In rapid succession, more than a dozen broken blades flew through the air; in the blink of an eye, the group of burly men lay motionless on the ground.

Glancing down at her Feihua sword, which hadn't a single drop of blood on it, Jin'er expressionlessly returned it to its scabbard.

*If others do not offend me, I shall not offend them; if they do offend me, I shall return it tenfold!* From this day forth, this would be her motto as she traveled the world.

She turned back, intending to board her carriage and continue the journey, only to discover that the cowardly driver had long since fled. Looking at the distant, blurred silhouette of the carriage, Jin'er couldn't help but roll her eyes, too lazy to give chase.

Forget it. The next town shouldn't be too far; she might as well walk for a while.

Thus, Jin'er began to travel on foot. However, after walking for the better part of the day without clearing the forest, she was just beginning to feel frustrated when the sound of galloping horses approached from behind.

Curious, Jin'er turned to look. Amidst a cloud of yellow dust, several heroic-looking men rode toward her on matching black steeds. Except for the man in the lead, who wore a black robe, the others were clad in dark, functional riding gear.

As the party drew near, Jin'er suddenly felt that the man in front looked familiar.

She squinted, recognizing him only when they were nearly upon her, and shouted, "Nangong Che!" Before the words had fully left her lips, the group had already thundered past, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

Jin'er turned her head to avoid the grit. Just as she was feeling annoyed, the group suddenly reined in their horses and came to a halt.

Coughing twice, Jin'er walked up to them. Seeing the men staring at her with cold, icy gazes, she found it strange—Nangong Che, too, seemed odd.

"What? Don't you recognize me? It's me, Jin'er. Two years ago, you gave me a ride to Junzhou City." Seeing Nangong Che eyeing her with a cold, probing expression, Jin'er raised an eyebrow.

What a failure—did he really not remember her?

Wait, that wasn't right. When Nangong Che had first met her, he had been full of surprise, even saying she resembled an old friend. Even if her appearance had changed slightly, the general impression should have remained. He shouldn't be looking at her like this now.

Just then, Jin'er realized that she wasn't the only one who had changed. While she was certain the man before her was indeed Nangong Che, the feeling he gave her was completely different.

The Nangong Che she had known was just as regal, but he had been gentle and fond of smiling; his handsome, thin lips were always naturally curled upward, making him feel inexplicably approachable.

The man before her, however, was icy, arrogant, and seemed to hold everyone at a distance—he even resembled Liu Ye a little.

Could something have happened to him to cause such a drastic change in temperament over these two years?

Jin'er shook her head, casting aside her wild thoughts. She reached out a hand toward him and raised a brow. "Give me a lift for a bit. I'll get off at the next settlement."

The stern, imposing man on horseback stared fixedly at the naturally beautiful woman below for a long moment. Finally, he reached down, took her small hand, and pulled her up; Jin'er seated herself sideways on the horse in front of him.

"Thanks." Before she could finish, he didn't even look at her, simply flicking the reins and galloping forward.

Because of the sudden speed, an unprepared Jin'er tumbled into his chest.

After a soft gasp, she quickly grabbed his lapels and carefully adjusted her posture.

The horse beneath them was incredibly fast, clearly a fine steed. However, the more Jin'er thought about it, the stranger it felt.

The scene of this reunion felt bizarre no matter how she looked at it. Even if he hadn't remembered her, he should at least have said something, right? He was truly nothing like the Nangong Che in her memories; she preferred the version of him from before.

After traveling for less than an hour, the group arrived at a small town and stopped outside an inn.

Jin'er lightly pushed off the horse's back and landed gracefully. But before she could turn around and speak, the cold, handsome man flicked his reins again and galloped away, his men following close behind.

"Hey! Hey!" Jin'er called out instinctively, but the party was already a long distance away, showing no signs of stopping.

"Strange, am I cursed?" Muttering to herself, Jin'er curled her lip and, deciding not to dwell on it, headed straight into the inn.

After resting for the night, Jin'er rented another carriage the next morning to continue her journey. This time, at least, the trip was peaceful.

Ten days later, Jin'er stood before the gates of the Fire Kingdom's imperial palace. Looking at the stiff, upright guards, she pulled a large silver ingot from her robes and walked up with a smile.

"Halt! This is the imperial palace—no unauthorized entry!" Before she could even reach them, one of the guards stepped forward to drive her away.

"Big brother, I am a friend of your Second Prince. I have business with him; could you please pass on a message?" With that, Jin'er pressed the heavy silver into his hand.

The guard raised an eyebrow and glanced at the object in his palm, but his expression remained cold. He gave a contemptuous laugh and shouted, "Go on, get out of here! You've got some nerve, trying to impersonate a friend of the Second Prince? I'll spare you today since you're smart enough to offer a bribe, but get lost!"

"Hey—" Jin'er wanted to explain, but the guard glared at her, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade.

Jin'er rolled her eyes, turned around, and walked away, feeling deeply unsatisfied.

***

Dammit! He took her silver but didn't help her—what a lack of professional ethics!

Fine. It seemed she would have to break into the palace at night after all.

That night, under a clear, starry sky, Jin'er, dressed in black night-traveling gear, moved silently and quickly across the rooftops of the sprawling palace, where patrols of elite guards were visible everywhere.

After cautiously navigating the better part of the palace, Jin'er realized she needed to find someone to ask for directions; otherwise, she would spend the whole night wandering in circles.

Seeing a young eunuch carrying a palace lantern approaching, Jin'er checked that the area was clear, then rushed out as he drew near, covering his mouth and dragging him into a dark corner.

The eunuch's eyes widened in terror, and he let out muffled sounds. However, they were far enough from the nearest patrol that his voice couldn't attract any attention.

"If you dare make a sound, I will kill you!" Jin'er threatened in a low voice, pressing her dagger against his throat.

The young eunuch trembled violently and nodded repeatedly.

Jin'er slowly loosened her grip and whispered, "Where is the Second Prince's palace? Speak!"

"It's... it's straight ahead, turn right and you'll see it," the eunuch stammered. The next second, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck and lost consciousness.

Jin'er extinguished his lantern and carefully followed the route he had described.

After dodging another patrol, she spotted the palace ahead. With a light, swallow-like leap, she reached the inner courtyard.

It was nearly midnight, and except for a few dim lanterns, the rooms were pitch black.

She stuck to the shadows and soon found herself outside the main bedchamber. Just as she prepared to call out, two agile figures suddenly lunged at her from the darkness.

"Audacious assassin!" A sharp shout rang out, and Jin'er felt two murderous auras closing in. Without time to think, she drew her sword to meet them.

The clash of steel rang out, sounding unnaturally sharp in the silent night. Guards from the front and back courtyards began rushing toward the sound.

"Stop fighting, I'm not an assassin!" Jin'er defended herself while fending off the two men. "I'm here to see the Second Prince!"

Before she could finish, the bedchamber door creaked open. Jin'er pushed the two men back and looked toward the entrance.

To her surprise, the person who appeared was not Mo Yan, though his attire and bearing suggested he was indeed the master of this palace. What was going on? Was the information her master gave her wrong?

Just then, the arriving guards surrounded her.

"What a beauty!" The man who stepped out, dressed in pale yellow inner robes and radiating an air of nobility, exclaimed in delight as his eyes met Jin'er's.

Jin'er frowned, looking from him to the surrounding guards, her grip on her sword tightening as she prepared to break through.

"Miss, what brings you to see this Prince in the middle of the night? Let's talk this over; I've always been one to cherish beauty." The man looked her up and down with a lustful, lecherous gaze.

"Are you the Second Prince?" Jin'er asked, frowning.

The man paused, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Could it be that you admire my younger brother's peerless grace and have come here in the middle of the night to throw yourself into his arms?"

"Pah! What are you talking about?!" Jin'er retorted, annoyed.

"How dare you!" A shout came from the side.

The man laughed instead of getting angry, raising a hand to signal them to stand down.

"Spicy! I like it. Though I admit my younger brother’s looks are a fraction better than mine, if you follow me, the Crown Prince, you shall have endless glory and wealth. How about it? It was love at first sight for me." Mo Fan lifted his chin, deliberately emphasizing the title "Crown Prince."

Looking at his arrogant expression, Jin'er wanted to tell him that he couldn't compare to Mo Yan at all. If Mo Yan always gave off a sense of romantic charm, this man—with his average looks and lecherous eyes—could only be described as vulgar.

But that wasn't the point right now.

"I want to see Mo Yan. Please, Your Highness, grant me this." Jin'er mentioned Mo Yan's name to show she was well-acquainted with him and to confirm whether Mo Yan was truly the Second Prince.

Seemingly realizing she had no interest in him—and even saw a flash of disdain in her eyes—Mo Fan grew irritated. He narrowed his eyes and waved his hand. The guards, who had been waiting, raised their swords in unison and charged at her...

"Take her alive!"

Jin'er gritted her teeth, her sword meeting their blades in a flurry of sparks. Broken steel littered the ground. However, the palace guards were no ordinary soldiers, and their numbers were overwhelming. Combined with the two men in black, who were extremely difficult to handle, Jin'er struggled to find an opening to escape.

As more guards swarmed in, Jin'er grew anxious.

***

In her haste, she grew careless, and a blade slashed her shoulder, sending blood spraying into the air.

"Ugh!" With a muffled groan, Jin'er gritted her teeth, spun around, and slit the attacker's throat. Yet, for every man who fell, more surged forward. She could only continue to fight back.

After another fierce struggle, a kick sent her sprawling to the ground. Before she could rise, countless swords were leveled at her neck.

"I am a friend of the Second Prince! Let me see him!" Jin'er glared at Mo Fan and shouted.

The man ignored her, simply ordering his men to bind her and lock her in a room.

"Let me go! I'm Mo Yan's friend! Let me see him! You bastard!" Watching the so-called Crown Prince turn to leave with a smug expression, Jin'er couldn't help but curse.

Mo Fan paused, raised an eyebrow, and walked back to her. He reached out and gripped her chin firmly, hooking his lip into a smirk. "Truly bold. I like it. Little beauty, I'm going to make you mine! Hahahaha!"

With that, he laughed wildly and swept out of the room.

"Hey! Hey!! Come back!! You bastard!!!" Jin'er was desperate and furious, but bound like a rice dumpling, she couldn't move.

"Sss!" In her struggle, the rope dug into her shoulder wound, and she gasped in pain.

Dammit! So much for "cherishing beauty"—what kind of twisted cherishing was this?!

Just as she was feeling frustrated, someone entered the room. Jin'er looked up to see one of the two masters from earlier, accompanied by two palace maids carrying supplies to dress her wound.

Hmph! At least they had a shred of conscience.

However, as soon as she thought this, the man in black produced a heavy set of iron chains.

"Hey—" Before she could speak, the man had already struck her mute and immobilization points, then cut her ropes with a single, swift, and precise strike.

Next, under Jin'er's murderous gaze, he expressionlessly shackled her hands and feet, locking a long chain to her ankle shackle and fixing the other end to a nearby pillar.

Once finished, he signaled the maids to dress her wound while he stepped outside to stand guard.

Jin'er panted with rage; now, she couldn't even grit her teeth and could only express her anger through her breathing. The two maids, however, seemed entirely indifferent to her emotions, focusing only on their work without even glancing at her.

Finally, Jin'er closed her eyes in utter frustration, slowly calming her agitated temper.

Fine. She would take it one step at a time. She didn't believe this rotten Crown Prince could keep her locked up forever. Hmph! Just wait and see!

The next morning, at the Haoyue Palace, Mo Yan was having breakfast when the eunuch, Liu Gonggong, approached to report softly, "Your Highness, a young eunuch from the Imperial Medical Bureau is outside and requests an audience on a matter of urgency."

"The Imperial Medical Bureau? Urgency?" Mo Yan frowned, puzzled. "Let him in."

Liu Gonggong signaled the maids, and the young eunuch came scurrying in, bowing low.

"Your Highness..." the eunuch said respectfully, glancing around with a hesitant, stammering expression.

Mo Yan raised an eyebrow, confused by his cautious demeanor. Ultimately, he waved his hand, signaling everyone else to withdraw.

When they were alone, the eunuch suddenly knelt with a thud and whispered tremulously, "Please, Your Highness, forgive this servant for his audacity."

Mo Yan frowned. "What has happened? Stand up and speak." What business could a lowly medical eunuch have with him?

The eunuch stood and moved closer, lowering his voice. "Your Highness, this servant, Fusheng, works in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Last night, while returning from delivering medicine to the Emperor, I encountered an assassin."

At the word "assassin," Mo Yan was startled. But he soon recovered, asking suspiciously, "If you encountered an assassin, you should report it to the Commander of the Imperial Guard. Why come to tell me specifically? And I have heard no reports of an assassin last night."

"Actually, this servant initially thought it would be enough if Your Highness was safe. But the assassin was targeting Your Highness, so after much thought, I decided to inform you so that you might be on guard."

"Targeting me?" Mo Yan raised an eyebrow, deeply perplexed.

He had never fought for power, and for the past two years, he had stayed within the Haoyue Palace, barely stepping outside. Who would want to harm him?

"Your Highness may not know, but last night that assassin threatened this servant, demanding to know the location of the Second Prince's residence. Consort Rong once saved my life, a kindness I have never forgotten. Fearing Your Highness might be in danger, I panicked and pointed to the wrong place. I never expected that... I would point to the Crown Prince's palace." Fusheng looked fearful as he spoke.

Hearing this, Mo Yan finally understood the strange occurrences. *Heh, quite a clever fellow—he actually redirected the trouble to the Crown Prince's palace.*

Hearing the mention of his mother, Mo Yan felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to this young eunuch. It was rare, so many years after her passing, to find someone who still remembered her kindness. [End of today's update]