Chapter 461 Stirrings of Love

Chapter 461: Heartstrings Stirred

Yet all those assassins couldn't even take down one woman—Ji Yuntang.

Not only that, the arrows they'd shot into the manor with flaming tips had all gone out for no apparent reason.

Forget people—the fire hadn't even singed a single tree.

Linchuan still couldn't wrap his head around it.

And why had the patrol officers and the Dingyuan General's estate suddenly shown up to help?

One thing after another—it was way too convenient!

In just half an hour, out of five hundred black-clad assassins, most were dead or wounded, leaving fewer than fifty standing.

Linchuan knew that if this kept up, every last man he'd brought would end up dead here.

At that point, he'd have no way to answer to Luo Jingshen!

With that, he barked, "Everyone, fall back!"

But Pei Zhiyi wasn't about to let them leave that easily.

Since coming back from the battlefield to the capital, it'd been ages since she'd wielded a weapon.

Now that she finally had a chance to cut loose, she was damn well going to enjoy it.

"Soldiers, attack! Don't let these bastards get away!"

Pei Zhiyi twirled her red-tasseled spear, her pale yellow figure darting around as light and nimble as a swallow. With every move, her jet-black hair whipped through the air like something out of a painting.

The sight left Luo Sinian completely stunned!

He'd crossed swords with Pei Zhiyi once before—her swordplay had been good, but nothing like this.

Now it was obvious she'd been holding back on him back then.

A strange feeling stirred in Luo Sinian's chest. He stared at Pei Zhiyi, completely unable to tear his eyes away.

Pei Zhiyi, though, didn't notice any of it. She was fighting with growing intensity, like she was back in her element.

Just then, Pei Zhiyi realized all the assassins seemed to be taking orders from one guy.

"Just who the hell are you?!" Her eyes locked onto Linchuan, and in a flash, she charged at him, aiming straight for the mask on his face.

"Zhiyi, keep him alive!" Ji Yuntang shouted.

By the time Linchuan reacted, it was already too late. He knew he was screwed.

He was Luo Jingshen's personal bodyguard—Ji Yuntang and Luo Sinian had seen him out in public before.

If they saw his face, they'd definitely recognize him.

And if that dragged Luo Jingshen into it, everything would be over!

Seeing the danger, Linchuan raised his arm to block, but the spear drove straight into it.

Just as Pei Zhiyi was about to press her advantage and rip off Linchuan's mask—

A seven-star dart came flying in from nowhere, knocking Pei Zhiyi's spear off target.

Then, a black-clad figure suddenly leaped into the air and lunged at her. With a sweep of his inner energy, he forced Pei Zhiyi back, away from Linchuan.

In the next instant, he grabbed Linchuan with one hand and, in the blink of an eye, whisked him out of the manor.

Pei Zhiyi wanted to chase after them, but Luo Sinian grabbed her arm and held her back.

"Don't bother chasing—that's a specially trained shadow guard. They come and go without a trace; you'll never catch him."

Pei Zhiyi slammed her spear hard against the ground, fuming, "We lost so many of our men—are we just gonna let him get away?"

Luo Sinian figured his moment to shine had finally arrived. He quickly said to Pei Zhiyi, "No worries—I just had my men take a few prisoners."

"Keeping them works just as well. As long as we can make them talk, we'll find out who they are."

Luo Sinian spoke with confidence, but when he turned around, he realized he'd jinxed himself!

All four prisoners had taken poison and dropped dead at the exact same moment!

Luo Sinian: "..."

Luo Sinian: "?!!!"

His embarrassment was written all over his face, and Ji Yuntang quickly stepped in to save him.

"This isn't Prince Chen's fault. The assassins today are all death warriors—they had poison hidden in their mouths from the start. The moment a mission fails, they kill themselves."

From this, you could see just how cautious Luo Jingshen really was.

To kill them, he was willing to sacrifice this many men.

Now the Prince Ye Manor was stacked with piles of bodies.

Luo Sinian had his men clean up and load all the bodies onto carts.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuntang asked Pei Zhiyi, "By the way, Zhiyi, I never asked—how'd you end up here?"

Pei Zhiyi replied, "When I came out of the tavern today, I saw Prince Chen leading a big group this way. I figured the manor was in that direction, and I thought something might've happened to you, Tangtang—so I tagged along!"

Ji Yuntang felt a warmth in her chest—so Pei Zhiyi had come because she was worried about her.

She asked, "And these soldiers?"

Pei Zhiyi smiled. "Have you forgotten? What does my brother do for a living?"

Ji Yuntang thought for a moment, then it clicked.

"Is your brother Deputy General Pei Yuanfeng?"

Pei Zhiyi nodded. "Exactly—Pei Yuanfeng is my brother. These soldiers are all borrowed from him—a hundred men."

"And this red-tasseled spear was a gift from my brother too."

Pei Zhiyi took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the shaft and tip of the spear, cleaning off the bloodstains.

"Originally, the one who should have gone to the battlefield with Father to lead troops was my brother. But he gave up that path to fulfill my dream, staying in the capital to guard the entire Dingyuan General's mansion."

"If he had gone to the battlefield, with his abilities, he would definitely be a young general by now!"

Ji Yuntang smiled upon hearing this. "Zhi Yi, Deputy General Pei is accomplished at such a young age, and he will surely make great achievements in the future."

"The red-tasseled spear he gave you suits you well."

Pei Zhiyi's lips curled into a smile. "Alright, enough about that. What do you plan to do next?"

Ji Yuntang narrowed her eyes, remaining calm and composed. "With such a major incident at Prince Ye's residence, I, as the Princess, believe it's necessary for the Emperor to know. Tomorrow, I will go to the palace with Prince Chen."

Pei Zhiyi said, "That's fine. I won't go tomorrow. If you need any help, just send someone to the Dingyuan General's mansion to find me."

Ji Yuntang felt a warm surge in her heart and hugged Pei Zhiyi. "Zhi Yi, thank you."

"No need to thank me. We're good friends."

After seeing Pei Zhiyi off, Luo Sinian stared at her retreating figure, unable to tear his gaze away for a while.

Ji Yuntang glanced at him with a teasing, half-smile. "Still staring? She's long gone!"

Luo Sinian finally came back to his senses, a hint of awkwardness on his face.

Then Ji Yuntang added, "If you like her, just go for it. Do you need my help?"

Luo Sinian blushed and stammered, "N-no... no need... I'll go handle my duties."

With that, he rushed off.

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