"You've lived to see today, haven't you?"
Ji Jinmo lightly adjusted his sleeve, tilted his head, and his casually spoken words made everyone present gasp sharply.
The Imperial Guards, their helmets obscuring their faces, dared not tremble in their grip on their sharp blades, wishing they could lop off their own ears on the spot.
The palace maids and eunuchs kneeling in the hall buried their heads in their armpits out of sheer terror.
This day's chaos was unlikely to end well.
What if... what if...
They dared not think further. Immense fear enveloped everyone. Ji Hong's face turned slightly pale, his veins bulging as if about to burst at any moment. The hypocrisy of his usual calm shattered, Ji Hong felt nothing but unconcealed, almost naked, killing intent.
He could not suppress the hatred in his heart. As the ruler of a nation, to be humiliated in such a manner! If his father had not died so young, how could he have ended up in such a predicament?
"I will kill you!"
Ji Hong snatched the long saber from an Imperial Guard and lunged at Ji Jinmo.
"Your Majesty!"
"Protect His Majesty!"
It was ludicrous. Although Ji Hong was the one wielding the weapon and committing the attack, the Imperial Guards still cried out to protect His Majesty.
Ji Jinmo retreated, effortlessly dodging Ji Hong's attack. He raised his hand, his sleeve fluttering as it wrapped around the saber. With a casual flick, the saber flew from his grasp, embedding itself with a "clang" into a roof beam.
The next moment, he surged forward, and amidst the encircling Imperial Guards, he seized Ji Hong by the neck.
"Your Majesty!"
Everything happened in a flash. The Imperial Guards hadn't even reacted before Ji Hong's life was in Ji Jinmo's hands.
"Imperial Son!"
The Empress Dowager cried out in alarm.
Ji Jinmo tightened his grip. Ji Hong's face instantly turned red, his bulging eyes filling with blood. His gaping mouth emitted "heh~heh~" gasping sounds, the veins in his temples throbbing violently, as if he were about to suffocate and his brain might burst.
"Let go of my son, let go!"
The Empress Dowager, as if driven mad, lunged forward but was firmly held back by the Imperial Guards. Her still beautiful face contorted in a mask of sheer distortion: "Ji Jinmo, if you dare to harm a single hair on my son's head, I will make Nan Shiying pay dearly!!"
"Finally admitting it?"
Ji Jinmo slowly raised his eyelids. His slightly reddened eyelids made him appear utterly wicked and sinister. The corners of his mouth curled into a handsome arc. The deeper his smile, the more intense the murderous aura radiating from him.
"I will give you a quarter of an hour. If I do not see the Princess Consort within that time, then Ji Hong will have no need to see tomorrow's sun!"
This was... regicide!?
The moment Ji Jinmo's words fell, it was like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's ears, leaving them ringing and dizzy.
"Gulp!"
The Imperial Guards, facing this immense terror directly, swallowed hard, trying to quell the fear and panic churning within them.
"You traitorous scoundrel, traitorous scoundrel!"
Ji Jinmo did not respond, but merely tightened his grip again. Ji Hong's complexion shifted from red to a deep purple. His pupils trembled violently. Due to lack of oxygen, his irises rolled upwards, his bulging eyeballs threatening to detach from their sockets.
"Don't, I..."
At this moment, a cold glint flashed. A sudden black figure, like the Grim Reaper harvesting lives in the night, appeared abruptly and disappeared just as suddenly. When it reappeared, it was already close to Ji Jinmo, a saber slashing towards Ji Jinmo's arm.
Ji Jinmo instantly released Ji Hong's neck and, in the moment he dodged the incoming attack, grabbed Ji Hong's collar and yanked him forward.
The attack missed. The black figure renewed its fierce assault. It grabbed Ji Hong's clothes, and using the momentary pause, stepped forward, its arm thrust between Ji Jinmo and Ji Hong. It swung its saber at Ji Jinmo while simultaneously shaking its arm, pushing Ji Hong towards the Imperial Guards behind.
Ji Jinmo dodged sideways, the long saber slicing past his sleeve. He pressed his finger down, pinning the blade, and with a gentle flick, the blade instantly shattered. He then swung his sleeve, the fabric wrapping around the broken saber fragments. With a powerful sweep, the fragments transformed into a relentless barrage, like a hundred flying flowers, flying towards the sudden black figure and Ji Hong and his companions.
The black figure immediately retreated, but Ji Jinmo pressed forward.
He transformed his hand into a blade, striking at the black figure's vital point. The black figure blocked with its backhand, revealing a flaw, and was kicked in the chest by Ji Jinmo. The hood covering the black figure's head fell, revealing a face with a black mask. Blood trickled from its lips. As it was kicked backward, it grabbed a corner of its cloak, shrouding the incoming fragments within it.
Seizing the opportunity, Ji Jinmo snatched a long saber from an Imperial Guard and, as if no one were there, pushed into the Imperial Guard formation. He was like a hungry wolf that had entered a flock of sheep. The Imperial Guards could not resist and retreated consecutively. As one fell, their heavy armor instead became a hindrance to their advance, crashing into another. One after another, they fell. The number of Imperial Guards blocking Ji Hong grew smaller. At this moment, the commander of the Imperial Guard rushed in, gasping for breath, and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Princess Consort seeks an audience!"
The saber, about to be swung down, stopped mid-air, gleaming with cold light. Ji Jinmo abruptly turned his head, looking towards the leader of the Imperial Guard.
The Empress Dowager pulled Ji Hong behind her and anxiously shouted at the commander of the Imperial Guard, "Quickly, invite the Princess Consort in!"
The commander responded with a hurried "Yes" and turned to fetch her.
Ji Jinmo lowered his hand and retreated a few steps. The fallen Imperial Guards, with the support of their comrades, quickly stood up and once again guarded Ji Hong. The black figure that had suddenly appeared, its body cloaked, now stood behind the Imperial Guards, its presence completely concealed. If not for the stark color difference between its black silhouette and the surrounding armor, it would have truly been overlooked.
The hall fell silent, only the heavy breaths of everyone present forming a continuous chain.
Never had anyone present wished so fervently to see Nan Shiying. If she was safe and sound, then everyone present would be safe.
During the agonizing wait, the kneeling palace maids craned their necks expectantly towards the entrance. The oppressive atmosphere and the grim environment tormented their hearts, filling them with unease.
Everyone's hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled completely as they saw a vibrant figure.
Nan Shiying stepped into the hall, surveyed the scene, taking it all in. Finally, her gaze landed on the man holding a long saber, his face etched with a murderous intensity.
For some reason, she suddenly let out a laugh.
Nan Shiying's sudden laughter caused the hearts of everyone who had just relaxed to become tense once more, their minds racing: Is this formidable lady going to stir up trouble again?