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The swift assassination by the men in black quickly proved effective. While other black-clad figures engaged the guards rushing to provide assistance, one of them broke through the encirclement and crouched down in front of Mei Shuang's carriage, moving with the agility of a wildcat. As he passed each carriage, he paused to listen intently for just a few seconds before swiftly moving on, until he reached the carriage where Mei Shuang was seated.
Listening carefully, he quickly made a sound, producing a sharp yet faint bird-like call three times. Then, he pulled out a slender tube, inserting its pointed end into the carriage and blowing cautiously.
A thin mist rapidly filled the inside of the carriage. Mei Shuang felt her mind go blank in an instant, followed by a gradual blurring of consciousness.
This is bad!
With her last ounce of awareness, she held her breath, trembling as she grabbed the water nearby. She took a big gulp and then desperately spat it out, cursing in her mind, Damn Zhao Prince, where are you?!
Upon hearing the familiar signal of success, several men in black ceased their fighting and quickly regrouped to fend off the increasing number of guards while concentrating towards the source of the signal.
However, when they arrived at the spot where the signal had been emitted, they found no trace of the black-clad figure. Shocked, they exchanged glances and then emitted the same signal again, but there was no response.
Realizing that something was amiss, they quickly decided to retreat after exchanging knowing looks.
At that moment, the earlier black-clad figure lay bound within Mei Shuang's carriage, gagged with cloth. Hearing the familiar signal from outside, he struggled desperately but could not make a sound.
As the men in black withdrew, calm returned outside. Some guards pursued the assassins while others remained to assess casualties.
In the night, torches were lit one after another, illuminating the area in front of the carriage as bright as day.
Nangong Nuo stood before the carriage with arms crossed, exuding an air of arrogance.
The captured black-clad man was dragged out from the carriage and thrown harshly at Nangong Nuo's feet.
He groaned softly as he struggled to sit up and glared fiercely at Nangong Nuo.
The torches flickered in the cold wind, casting shadows that highlighted Nangong Nuo's piercing gaze. When Nangong Nuo turned his attention to the black-clad man, it was evident that he flinched slightly under that intense stare.
Meanwhile, the dazed Mei Shuang was helped out of the carriage by her maid. As the cold wind blew, her muddled mind became much clearer. After a bout of dry heaving, she finally regained her senses.
The Black-Clad Assassin, who had been struggling on the ground, saw Mei Shuang emerge unscathed and immediately widened his eyes in disbelief, staring at her.
"How does it feel? Did you miscalculate?" Nangong Nuo smirked, his tone icy.
The Black-Clad Assassin's gaze darkened, but he stubbornly met Nangong Nuo's eyes, pressing his lips tightly together in a righteous manner.
"This is only thirty miles from the capital. You dare to be so arrogant and ruthless; you must have some ulterior motive," Nangong Nuo said coldly while staring at the assassin. "If you confess today, I might spare your life; otherwise, you and your Accomplices will go to hell together..."
The guards quickly stepped forward to remove the rag from the Black-Clad Assassin's mouth. The assassin, who had initially planned to remain silent, trembled slightly upon hearing "Accomplices," yet still refused to speak.
"Alright then, tough guy! Look who this is!" Nangong Nuo gestured slightly.
Soon, amidst the pushing and shoving of the guards, another similarly slender Black-Clad Assassin was shoved forward.
The kneeling assassin turned in shock. When he saw the bound figure of his comrade being pushed over with several bleeding wounds, his eyes widened in horror, and tears filled his large eyes as he moved his lips.
The pushed assassin looked pale and coldly shook his head while gazing at the kneeling assassin. He glanced towards Mei Shuang and quickly whispered a few words. Due to his severe injuries, blood began to ooze from his lips after just a few sentences, and he finally collapsed to his knees, as if on the brink of death.
Unable to hold back any longer, tears streamed down the kneeling assassin's face. He bit down hard on his lower lip and nodded vigorously before raising his gaze towards Nangong Nuo, rage evident in his eyes—his glare was enough to kill.
Nangong Nuo glanced at him before ordering for the nearly dying assassin to be taken away. Only then did he leisurely say a single sentence.
This one sentence shocked the kneeling assassin; she looked at Nangong Nuo in disbelief, her chest rising and falling rapidly. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "You actually know Eastern Language?"
Nangong Nuo sneered, "A mere Eastern Kingdom is just a tiny place across the sea from my Great Qin's border. How dare you covet my Great Qin? Truly deserving of death!"
The man in black was taken aback and gave a self-deprecating smile. "The Eastern Kingdom and your Great Qin Empire have not been on good terms. I thought few people from the Central Plains understood our Eastern Language..."
He then shook his head, his tone filled with indignation. "That's not the case at all!"
"Then why did you act so ruthlessly?"
The man in black gritted his teeth and turned his gaze toward Mei Shuang, speaking in broken Chinese, "Naturally—it's for her!"
When everyone's attention shifted to Mei Shuang, who had been quietly standing aside, she felt a chill run down her spine and was momentarily stunned.
In fact, the conversation between the two men in black had been very low, and she hadn't heard it clearly. However, she understood Nangong Nuo's words, especially the phrase "for her," which left her confused and anxious.
Had she offended someone so severely that they traveled from afar to seek revenge?
Nangong Nuo's heart sank as he coldly said, "She has lived in seclusion since childhood and has never stepped outside. How could she have enmity with you?"
The man in black lowered his head, pondering for a moment. When he raised his eyes again, he stated firmly in Eastern Language, "We only hope that she can help us!"
"......"
Nangong Nuo was stunned; this was completely contrary to his earlier speculation.
Mei Shuang was even more horrified—what? These ruthless assassins were not here to kill her?!
---
Late at night, Yuelai Inn.
Due to a previous report, the inn was bustling with activity as it prepared to welcome guests.
The waitstaff were busy serving hot wine, dishes, and feeding horses, all aware that important guests had arrived. They worked diligently, fearing any oversight in their service.
Nangong Nuo sat in the main room, facing Mei Shuang, leisurely sipping his fine wine. The brutal and bloody scene that had just unfolded seemed to have no effect on his appetite.
After experiencing such a horrifying and unbelievable night, Mei Shuang looked at the table full of delicacies but felt no desire to eat. She rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought as she stared at the flickering candlelight.
After a moment of contemplation, she finally asked, "What do you plan to do with the assassin?"
"Kill her!" Nangong Nuo replied lazily, his lips barely moving.
"But she—after all, she is a woman..." Seeing Nangong Nuo's decisiveness made Mei Shuang feel he was somewhat cruel.
When the assassin was pushed toward the carriage, her black veil accidentally fell off, revealing long black hair. It was then that Mei Shuang realized this assassin from the Eastern Kingdom was actually a woman, which explained her petite stature.
Noticing Mei Shuang's sympathy, Nangong Nuo scoffed, "The kindness of women! You seem to have forgotten the pain after healing. She acted ruthlessly; if I hadn't arrived in time, you would be waiting for me to collect your corpse..."
Recalling the situation at that time made Mei Shuang feel a lingering fear. "But she insisted she had her reasons..."
"You believe a thief's words?" Nangong Nuo finished his drink. "It's just that her story is too far-fetched. They came here to kill you. You, a young lady confined in the Cold Palace as the Deposed Empress Mei Shuang, they traveled thousands of miles to seek help from you. Don't you think that's absurd?"
Though he said this, what Nangong Nuo truly thought was different.
He was not unfamiliar with this female assassin; in fact, he knew her quite well. Being a very cautious person, he was always wary of women who approached him intentionally. He had already figured out this female assassin's background and found nothing amiss. Firstly, it wasn't unusual to encounter foreigners in such situations; secondly, he believed this female assassin wanted to eliminate Mei Shuang merely out of jealousy. His affection for Mei Shuang was well-known; however, he had just recently kicked this assassin away...
"Indeed..." Remembering how that woman had fallen silent after expressing her hope for assistance, Mei Shuang also found it hard to comprehend.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. She picked up her chopsticks and just as she reached out, the sight of a plate of bright red pig's blood tofu instantly reminded her of the fierce battle from that evening. She instinctively turned her head to the side, nearly gagging.
Nangong Nuo nonchalantly picked up a piece of blood tofu and stuffed it into her mouth, laughing, "You are just timid, can't stand the sight of blood..."
Mei Shuang suppressed her nausea and replied unhappily, "I'm not slaughtering pigs, so why do I have to see blood?"
"Heh heh, this journey is nothing like the deep palace. They say the world is dangerous; there are many places where you will see blood. You have to get used to it..."
"..." Mei Shuang was speechless.
She couldn't eat anymore, so she simply put down her chopsticks and changed the subject. "Where did you go during that fight?"
"Naturally, I went after the assassin..." Nangong Nuo casually picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and placed it on Mei Shuang's plate. "Try this specialty dish from the inn; it's your favorite..."
"I was wondering why I didn't see you. There were so many assassins at that time; I was worried I wouldn't be able to handle it and was scared to death..."
Recalling the danger from that moment, Mei Shuang pouted unconsciously, her inadvertently spoiled expression making Nangong Nuo's heart flutter.
"A few mere assassins? With so many guards around, they could easily be dealt with. There's a saying: capture the leader to catch the bandits. If I hadn't caught their leader, would they have confessed? — What? Worried about my safety?"
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