A figure leaped in from outside.
It was Hong Chou.
Hong Chou stared at the bamboo basket in Ye Qingying’s hand and laughed, "The number one assassin of Beiming, is this the life you want? To be an ordinary fisherman?"
Ye Qingying remained silent, his expression growing colder towards Hong Chou.
Hong Chou chuckled again, "Do you think hiding here will make His Majesty unable to find you? Have you forgotten, you carry the蛊 she placed on you."
"You!" Ye Qingying’s palm tightened, and the bamboo basket in his hand was almost crushed!
He had been tricked by Yu Linglong!
He had trusted Yu Linglong so much, never expecting that to control him, she would actually place a 蛊 on him!
"You see, the aura of this 蛊 on you always leaves traces for us. Finding you isn't difficult. How can you escape?"
"Moreover, if this 蛊 isn't suppressed by His Majesty's medicine, it will act up again before long. You’ll be in unbearable pain. Where can you possibly go?"
"What exactly do you want?"
Ye Qingying’s expression was blank.
Xiao Yao was in the room not far away. If they spoke here, she could be alerted at any moment.
"His Majesty has changed her mind. She wants you to cripple Feng Yexuan's martial arts," Hong Chou said.
Ye Qingying wanted to laugh, his face filled with sarcasm, "You know very well I can't do it. I'm no match for Prince Xuan."
"There is someone who can do it." Hong Chou curled her lips, smiling gleefully. "You should know that during the two days you were away, people from Prince Xuan's mansion were looking for her everywhere."
Ye Qingying certainly knew.
Outside, there were Xuan Wangye's men everywhere.
If Xiao Yao hadn't been skilled in the so-called art of disguise, they might not have been able to conceal themselves.
The current Ye Qingying was not wearing a mask.
Xiao Yao had used some sort of cosmetic, fussing over his face. Now, Ye Qingying looked like a fisherman in his forties or fifties.
Aside from his tall and slender build, when he deliberately concealed his aura and walked with a slight stoop, there was truly no trace of Jian Wuying on him.
This was why Hong Chou, at first glance, had looked down on his identity as a fisherman.
There was no hint of an assassin about him anymore.
As for Xiao Yao herself, she had disguised herself as a boy and was remarkably convincing.
"I can't do this, and she can't do it either," Ye Qingying said coldly.
"Whether she can do it is not for you to say, but our Empress knows that only she can get close to Prince Xuan."
Hong Chou stepped back, moving closer to the window.
"Jian Wuying, don't think about killing me and then escaping. As long as the 蛊 is still within you, you can never escape."
Ye Qingying’s clenched fist slowly relaxed.
He had indeed considered killing her to silence her and then taking Xiao Yao away.
He hadn't expected this woman’s gaze to be so sharp, seeing through him at a glance.
"It seems you are still unwilling to serve Her Majesty the Empress..."
"She is not the Empress at all, she is..."
"Jian Wuying, you truly seem to have forgotten your own identity!"
Hong Chou's expression darkened, and she suddenly took out a short flute and began to play.
This was the first time Ye Qingying had heard such a flute melody.
The moment the flute sounded, he felt his entire body jolt, and then, pain instantly spread throughout him.
It felt as if countless poisonous insects were gnawing at him, not just his flesh and blood, but also his internal organs.
Pain!
In an instant, blood trickled down from his nose, the speed of it terrifyingly rapid!
"His Majesty knew you would be disobedient, so this flute was tailor-made for you!"
Hong Chou laughed as she continued to play the flute.
"Jian Wuying, this is the consequence of your disobedience. You can now savor the taste of ten thousand insects gnawing at your bones!"
Ye Qingying struggled to endure.
But in the end, he couldn't help but buckle at the knees, falling to the ground with a thud.
The agony of ten thousand insects gnawing at his bones was soul-shattering.
He was in so much pain he wished he could strike his own head with a palm!
But he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.
Just then, footsteps were suddenly heard from outside.
Xiao Yao called out, "Master!"