The First Jasmine - Chapter 125
Chapter 125 - Luring the Enemy into the Trap
Late at night, the Prince of Ding's Mansion was wrapped in profound silence. In the study, Ye Li leaned against her seat under the lamplight and turned her head to look at Feng Zhiyao, who sat not far away. "Feng San, are you certain it's tonight?"
Feng Zhiyao leisurely waved his folding fan, smiling with a warmth as gentle as a spring breeze, yet the words he uttered sent an involuntary chill through those who heard them. "Her Ladyship can rest easy. The capital is only this big a patch of land; if they don't make their move tonight, they won't have another chance. Tonight, we shall surely let the enemy's blood dye the entire Prince of Ding's Mansion red. Hehe... That is a color so beautiful it is mesmerizing. It has been many, many years since the capital last saw such lively excitement." With so many successive abnormal movements over these past few days, if the shadow guards of the Prince of Ding's Mansion still couldn't locate them, it would truly make everyone in the world think that the estate's shadow guards were completely useless.
Ye Li nodded. "That would be best. Then we had best await their grand arrival."
Mo Hua looked at Ye Li, whose expression was calm and composed, with a somewhat complex gaze. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Would Her Ladyship and Lord Xu prefer to head to a secure location to avoid the trouble? Among those coming tonight, there is no shortage of peerless martial arts experts. Just in case some accident occurs..." Ye Li turned her gaze toward Xu Hongyan, who was sitting to the side sipping tea with complete composure, and furrowed her brows in mild worry. She understood her uncle's stubborn temperament well; if she herself refused to leave, he would absolutely refuse to budge either. But asking her to leave right now was equally out of the question... Noting the troubled expression in her eyes, Xu Hongyan set down his teacup and said, "Just attend to your own affairs. It is quite enough for me to sit here for a while and enjoy a couple of cups of tea." Understanding her uncle's intent, Ye Li nodded gently with a smile. "Since that is the case, Li'er shall accompany you, Uncle, for a couple of rounds of chess."
Xu Hongyan nodded, looking with satisfaction at his niece's unruffled demeanor in the face of sudden crisis. He who occupies a position must shoulder its responsibilities; ever since she married into the Prince of Ding's Mansion and became the Princess, Ye Li's fate had been bound together with the Prince. This destined that her life could never be one of quiet and tranquil peace. Since that was the case, neither Xu Hongyan nor the Xu family wished for anything more than for Ye Li to grow as strong as possible.
If she were like her mother—no matter how boundless her talent and literary grace—failing to survive in a world like this would ultimately be in vain.
Until midnight, the interior of the mansion remained entirely silent. Ye Li and Xu Hongyan had already played three games of chess—one win, one loss, and this current game was on the verge of ending in a draw. The two of them were locked in such a fierce battle of wits that even Feng Zhiyao and Steward Mo, who were sitting nearby, couldn't help but lean in to watch the match. From time to time, Feng Zhiyao even chimed in with comments and tactical suggestions. Ye Li turned her head to look at him with a faint smile and said, "Third Young Master Feng, a true gentleman observes a chess game in silence." Feng Zhiyao rubbed his nose and muttered, "This young master is only trying to help you out." Ye Li silently rolled her eyes: You're only disrupting my train of thought.
From the distance came the sound of a faint, subtle movement. Ye Li's hand holding the chess piece paused slightly. The expressions of Feng Zhiyao and the others also turned stern. Although Xu Hongyan hadn't heard any distinct sounds, he clearly perceived the sudden shift in everyone's expressions. With a faint smile, he set down his chess piece and said, "Let's end the game here for today. Over this past year, Li'er's chess skills have truly improved by leaps and bounds." Ye Li smiled as she dropped her final stone, saying, "It's no trouble; there's no harm in finishing this game first. Mo Hua, go outside and take a look." Mo Hua nodded in silence, turned, and pushed the door open to step out.
By the time they finished their game, the sounds of fighting outside had gradually drawn closer. Ye Li waved her hand to signal the attending maid Qingluan to pack up the chess set, then stood up, walked over to the window, pushed it open, and looked out. The courtyard remained peacefully blanketed in a faint moonlight, though torches had been lit at numerous spots outside the courtyard perimeter. Lowering her gaze, Ye Li sighed softly, "Tell them to be careful and not to destroy this century-old ancestral estate of the Prince of Ding." Steward Mo said respectfully, "Her Ladyship may rest assured; instructions to that effect were already given beforehand." Ye Li nodded, sitting by the window with her back resting against the lattice frame as she smiled faintly, "Splendid. Let us see just what manner of people have decided to come tonight." Let us see how many individuals in this Great Chu realm, in this entire world, truly desired to drive the Prince of Ding's Mansion to its doom.
The sounds of fighting outside the courtyard grew closer and increasingly clamorous. Xu Hongyan stood leaning against the window frame, gazing at the fiery glow lighting up the distant horizon, and sighed. "It seems the Emperor truly intends to sit back and watch from the sidelines." Ye Li shook her head slightly, her voice soft. "Uncle, the Emperor isn't just planning to watch from the sidelines—he is trying to fish in troubled waters. How many of these people do you suppose came straight from the palace?"
How large was the capital, after all? Over these past dozen or days, the continuous daily provocations by various factions against the Prince of Ding's Mansion had cost them well over a hundred lives. Just how many individuals could still remain hidden within the capital? If not for influential figures behind the scenes providing convenience and cover, how could so many martial arts experts have easily infiltrated the capital? If they truly possessed such terrifying capabilities, the emperors of all the neighboring nations would surely find themselves unable to sleep at night. Xu Hongyan started, ultimately letting out a long, heavy sigh. "Why must the Emperor go to such lengths..."
As the very first assassin vaulted over the outer wall of the principal courtyard, Ye Li stood back up and walked outward. The maidservants by her side quickly moved to follow, but Ye Li waved a hand, saying, "You don't need to come out." Qingluan protested, "Normally we're unable to help much, and now that we're inside the estate Her Ladyship still won't let us tag along; all of us slave girls feel completely useless. Qingshuang and Qingxia lack martial arts and should stay in the room, but allow Qingyu and me to accompany Your Ladyship." Seeing her persistence, Ye Li furrowed her brows slightly, though she said nothing further as she turned and stepped out of the study.
In the courtyard, Zhuojing and Feng Zhiyao stepped forward to meet them. Seeing Ye Li emerge, Feng Zhiyao reported, "Several factions have headed toward the ancestral hall—they're likely after the Lanyun Sword enshrined there. Everyone else has headed straight for the principal courtyard, though a few broke off toward the library pavilion."
Ye Li smiled indifferently. "No matter what brought them here, leave every last one of them. Not a single person is to leave this place alive."
"Understood!" Feng Zhiyao laughed heartily, cupped his fists toward Ye Li, and leaped away toward the outer courtyard. A flash of crimson robes cut through the blood-stained backdrop, carrying a faint, chilling aura of slaughter.
Gradually, the sounds of combat concentrated heavily around the perimeter of the main courtyard. The guards of the Prince of Ding's Mansion appeared to be struggling to hold their ground. Standing beneath the eaves, although Ye Li could not see the actual scene outside, she could hear the fierce clashes of battle and smell the heavy, pungent stench of blood carried on the night breeze.
Suddenly, several shadowy figures rapidly broke through the perimeter wall of the courtyard and vaulted inside, their eyes locking almost instantly upon Ye Li, who stood dressed in pristine white beneath the eaves. The figures charged toward her as one, their lightning-fast approach signaling immediately that they were no ordinary assassins, but top-tier martial artists of the highest caliber. Ye Li didn't bat an eye, as if the surging murderous intent rushing toward her simply did not exist. The very instant the shadowy figures closed the distance, Zhuojing—standing right beside her—suddenly moved. With a flick of his wrist, a streak of cold light flashed from his sleeve, sweeping directly toward the foremost attacker. Simultaneously, from the shadowed recesses, a volley of piercing feathered arrows whizzed through the air, embedding themselves neatly in the ground in a straight, perfectly aligned row with exact force and trajectory, drawing a stark white boundary line between the two sides and warning the intruders to halt.
The leading assassin came to a dead stop, glanced down at the arrows on the ground, and raised his left arm. The sleeve of his left garment had been sliced open by a long, clean tear.
"The guards of the Prince of Ding's Mansion truly live up to their legendary reputation," the assassin said in a deep voice.
Ye Li curved her lips into a smile. "You flatter us, Your Excellency."
The assassin's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of cold light surfacing within them. "The Princess of Ding?"
Ye Li nodded and smiled faintly. "Indeed. And how might I address Your Excellency?"
The assassin let out a light cold scoff. "You needn't know who I am. You only need to know that I am the person who has come to take your life." Ye Li remained unfazed by his veiled threat, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "Oh? That is precisely fortunate, as this Princess also wishes to see just how many people desire to claim my life. Since Your Excellency has come, you might as well all stay here together." With a flick of her hand, a streak of red radiance accompanied by a sharp, whistling sound shot straight up into the night sky, blooming overhead into a massive crimson flower. The eerie, bewitching red instantly flooded the entire sky above the Prince of Ding's Mansion, filling the hearts of all who looked up with a sudden, ominous foreboding. The assassin ignored the night sky, keeping his gaze intensely locked on the surroundings instead. It seemed as though something more had multiplied within the darkness. The assassin strained his ears, wanting to listen closely, but with the chaotic sounds of battle raging all around, even someone with inner energy as profound as his could pick up nothing distinct.
atop the high wall, Feng Zhiyao fluttered in his crimson robes, casually batted away an assassin, and glanced up at the sky with an admiring smile. "Your Ladyship, what kind of flower is this? It's remarkably pretty. This young master must have a robe made with this exact blossom embroidered on it later."
The corner of Ye Li's mouth twitched involuntarily as she replied indifferently, "That is Manjushahua, also known as the Equinox Flower. It is the only scenery along the Road to the Yellow Springs, also referred to as the Flower of Death."
Feng Zhiyao's body stiffened, nearly causing him to tumble right off the wall. He chuckled awkwardly, "Her Ladyship certainly knows how to joke."
"Feng San, are you here to play games?" Mo Hua appeared atop the wall at some point, gazing down coldly and aloofly at the people in the courtyard from his vantage point.
"Hmph, audacious scoundrels actually daring to break into the main courtyard of the Prince of Ding's Mansion—you truly have tired of living!" Zhang Qilan stood clad in battle armor, gripping a long spear as he anchored himself at the corner of the roof eaves. Naturally robust and battle-hardened from a lifetime of military campaigns, he radiated a ferocious aura of martial dominance. Standing upon the roof, he cut an imposing figure reminiscent of a lone general holding off an entire army.
The assassin leader quickly realized that he and his men had fallen squarely into an encirclement of the Prince of Ding's Mansion's elite martial artists. Under normal circumstances, he should have immediately rushed forward to seize the Princess as a hostage to force a breakthrough. Yet, watching the Princess stand leisurely beneath the eaves accompanied by only two maids and one guard, a sudden hesitation gripped him. Was moving forward truly the correct choice? Could this be yet another trap?
"The Princess of Ding possesses truly deep scheming capabilities. All those days of forbearance were merely meant to lure the likes of us into a trap?" the assassin glared at Ye Li and demanded.
Ye Li laughed crisply. "A minor trick. Compared to you gentlemen, my husband hadn't even left the capital yet before you were all busy conspiring and calculating against us. The moment the Prince departed, you came wave after wave to bully a frail woman like me; I feel I've already been more than reasonable. You've surely had your fill of fun these past few days—now... why not see what the Prince of Ding's Mansion is truly capable of?" Beyond the courtyard walls, the guards of the Prince of Ding's Mansion—who had previously appeared on the verge of collapsing—suddenly seemed re-energized and vastly more ferocious. Countless fresh figures surged into the fray from the darkness, and the external situation seemed to reverse in the blink of an eye. No further assassins attempted to scale the high walls to break into the principal courtyard; instead, most were desperately trying to flee outward. However, the exit routes were similarly guarded by elite shadow guards of the Prince of Ding's Mansion. Caught in a pincer attack, the chaos around the estate intensified exponentially.
Realizing they were completely boxed in, the remaining assassins in the courtyard grew panicked. Several of them acted on impulse, raising their weapons to charge directly toward Ye Li. Zhuojing and Qingluan calmly stepped forward to meet them. Atop the high wall, Feng Zhiyao frowned as he surveyed the courtyard battle, noting that no intervention was needed from him. He turned his gaze back outward to observe the external combat zone, watching as several figures flashed rapidly past a certain spot, leaving behind a trail of black-clad corpses. He couldn't help praising, "Her Ladyship has formidable methods. If the Mo Army possessed such martial prowess, why worry about the realm failing to achieve peace and stability?" Standing beside him, Mo Hua followed his line of sight, his expression shifting slightly as he remained silent.
Ye Li watched quietly as several charging assassins were cut down in a hail of arrows, then lifted her gaze to the remaining few. The leading assassin let out a dry, raspy chuckle. "Very well! As expected of the Prince of Ding's Mansion, as expected of the Black Cloud Cavalry. However... does Her Ladyship truly think this is all the preparation we made?"
Ye Li leisurely strolled down from the eaves, looking calmly at the assassin. "No matter how many preparations you made, I never intended to let any of you leave here alive today. Your Excellency should be the true leader of Night Kill, am I right?"
The assassin started, but quickly broke into a laugh. "It seems my subordinate truly told Her Ladyship everything. Impressive methods! In that case... let us settle this with real skill!" With that, the assassin suddenly launched himself into the air, hurtling straight toward Ye Li while even managing to evade two arrows fired from the shadows. Zhuojing frowned and raised a hand to signal the archers to cease fire. Ye Li looked calmly at the incoming onslaught, sliding slightly to the side to dodge a blade strike. Her sleeves fluttered as a flash of silver light hugged the blade, aiming directly for the assassin's wrist. A flicker of surprise crossed the assassin's eyes; he twisted his saber to deflect Ye Li's offensive. Ye Li let out a soft huff, parried the saber with her dagger, and seamlessly switched the blade to her other hand mid-motion, thrusting straight toward the assassin's left ribs. The dagger had been custom-forged for her by Mo Xiunyao through a master craftsman using cold iron essence based on her own blueprints; not only was its design unique, but it could cut through iron as though it were mud. The moment it clashed with the broadsword, a shower of sparks flew, yet the dagger remained completely unscathed and continued to radiate a chilling gleam.
Evasion of Ye Li's counterattack was swift, but the look in the assassin's eyes grew infinitely more dangerous. Initially, he hadn't placed much importance on the Princess of Ding because her inner energy could barely be classified as that of an expert—at best, it was merely decent. Yet in this brief exchange, the Princess—relying entirely on technique rather than profound inner energy—had nearly caught him off guard. If this woman also possessed profound inner energy, the assassin dared not imagine whether he could even survive as her match.
Ye Li had no intention of engaging in a protracted test of strength with him; taking advantage of the opening, she smoothly retreated out of the danger zone. Looking indifferently at the assassin, she smiled, "The leader of Night Kill turns out to be nothing special after all. Take him down."
"Understood." Zhuojing nodded, flashing a series of hand signals into the twilight.
Several shadowy figures quietly materialized inside the courtyard, engaging the assassin leader without uttering a word. Their combat styles bore a strong resemblance to Ye Li's own; strictly speaking, each of them individually fell far short of matching the assassin leader, but their coordination and absolute precision were staggering. Every single strike—whether a slash, a palm blow, or a kick—landed precisely where it would inflict maximum damage. Combined with their seamless teamwork and the support of hidden expert archers, it took less than a quarter of an hour to subdue every single assassin in the courtyard, with only two of their own sustaining minor injuries.
The captured leader of Night Kill had his acupoints sealed and was bound up in a peculiar, inescapable rope technique. Ye Li walked over and said calmly, "I heard the true identity of the Night Kill leader was extremely mysterious, unknown even to the Tianyi Pavilion, which boasts the most comprehensive intelligence network in the world. It seems today I shall be the one to unravel this mystery."
Zhuojing reached out and tore away the black face mask, revealing the stern, hardened visage of a man in his forties. Ye Li stared calmly at the stranger before her, but Feng Zhiyao—who had been watching intently from the atop the wall—actually tumbled down from his perch, pointing at the captive assassin in sheer disbelief as he shrieked, "Mu Qingcang!"