The night grew deeper. The October weather was indeed very cold. In the garden, the flowers and plants were withered, only the late chrysanthemums bloomed brilliantly. Adorned with dewdrops, they appeared even more moist and elegant.
Xiuxiu couldn't help but rub her hands together. Yun Xiao stopped and looked back.
The girl was so cold that her teeth chattered, her lips were dark, and white mist bloomed across her small face, making her appear somewhat hazy.
"You're cold, shall we go back?" She was also a little cold, her hands and feet icy.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiuxiu grinned happily and turned to walk back.
Suddenly, dark clouds obscured the bright moon, and the world plunged into darkness, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of their face. A chilling cold permeated the air, instilling an involuntary sense of panic.
A killing intent, hidden in the darkness, surged out. Although Yun Xiao didn't know any powerful martial arts, she was a master of Sanda in modern times, and her senses of her surroundings were more acute than ordinary people.
Thus, at this moment, she focused her entire being, her brow furrowed, and she spoke with icy sternness.
"Who's there? What are you sneaking around for? Since you're here, why not reveal yourself?"
As soon as her words fell, Xiuxiu, who was walking ahead, was startled and immediately turned back, reaching out to grab Yun Xiao's hand. "Your Majesty?"
A breeze wafted by, carrying a faint fragrance. Xiuxiu's body softened and slumped to the ground. At this moment, the dark clouds parted, the bright moon shone, and its pure radiance spread everywhere.
A tall, elegant figure, like a bamboo, stood before her...
It was a man. Just standing there quietly exuded a rampant killing aura, and the air was thick with the scent of blood and slaughter.
He wore a deep purple robe with gold trim, overlaid with a white long robe patterned with sea waves, which accentuated his slender figure, making him appear even more upright. His hair, as black as ink, shimmered with a soft glow in the moonlight, like the finest silk, tied with a jade hairpin of verdant green.
It cascaded down his shoulders, and he stood facing the wind, elegant and graceful.
His features were obscured by a silver butterfly mask, covering the upper half of his face, revealing only his proud nose, firm and cold. His thin lips formed a beautiful curve, slightly upturned in a sneer.
This smile did not reach his eyes, chilling to the bone, and as thin as ice.
His eyes, deep as a bottomless pool, held unfathomable currents, profound and chilling. He stared at her coldly, as if millennium-old ice had enveloped her entirely. Yun Xiao couldn't help but shiver and take a step back, pointing at him.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into Jinhua Palace at night?"
Although she felt uneasy in her heart, her demeanor showed no sign of it. On the contrary, she was equally cold.
The man remained silent. His figure shifted, swift as the wind, a blink of an eye, life and death determined. A long, cold hand clamped onto her neck, and his magnetic, deep voice rang out.
"A dead person doesn't need to know too much."
Yun Xiao's expression turned cold. This man was truly direct. What deep hatred did he have for her to want to kill her upon meeting? She was a fool; who could she have offended?
Could it be because of the Yun King's Estate and the Emperor? A fleeting glint of sharpness flashed in her eyes. What a clever scheme! To eliminate her, causing enmity between the imperial family and the Yun King's Estate. However, she couldn't just wait to die. The corner of her lips curved into a smile.
"I don't care who you are! But someone who wears a mask and does such dishonorable deeds must be a scoundrel, someone who brings shame to their ancestors, someone who wouldn't spare even a fool."
In the darkness, Yun Xiao cursed him brazenly. She was gambling, gambling on her luck. Although this man was as cold as ice, beyond the killing aura surrounding him, there was a sense of transcendence.
Such a person was likely not deeply wicked. He probably had a deep-seated hatred for the imperial family or the Yun King's Estate, which was why he targeted her. She wondered if she could scold him into reason.
However, as soon as her words fell, the force on her neck intensified. She immediately felt difficulty breathing and glared fiercely at the man, cursing him a thousand times in her heart, wishing him ill fortune, vowing that she would not let him go even as a ghost.
"Good, very good," the man's charming voice sounded. He abruptly released his hand. As soon as Yun Xiao got a chance to breathe, she gasped deeply and forcefully.
Air was truly wonderful. Being alive was truly good! Rubbing her neck, she looked up, her lips curling as she spoke provocatively.
"If you want to kill me, then do it. Hurry up."
In fact, she knew she had escaped a catastrophe. Since this man had let her go, he certainly wouldn't make a second move.
The masked man remained silent. His dark, deep eyes fixed on her, probing, confused, as if something had gone wrong. After a long moment, he spoke coldly.
"Are you that fool?"
It seemed he had investigated Yun Xiao and knew she was a fool. Knowing she was a fool, yet still wanting to kill her, showed the depth of hatred in his heart.
"So what if I'm a fool? Someone who doesn't spare even a fool is worse than a beast. What a waste that my parents gave birth to me once. If I meet our ancestors in the afterlife, will I still have any face?"
Yun Xiao shouted. This man was not someone who was irredeemably bad. On the contrary, his demeanor was elegant and refined.
Although he was so cold that no one could approach him, he hadn't tried to kill her just now, indicating that there was still a soft spot in his heart.
The reason she cursed him was simply to make him clearer-headed. Some things, once done, would be etched into one's bloodline forever, leaving an indelible mark.
Even regret would be of no avail. Perhaps he harbored immense hatred or a sworn enmity, but he could have chosen other means instead of killing a fool.
"You?"
The man's eyes turned blood red. His dark hair spread out in the air, fluttering.
Finally, even his white robe billowed, and a powerful aura enveloped him. He stared at Yun Xiao ominously, as if he would kill her in the next moment.
But he didn't. His elegant jawline formed a beautiful arc. With a flick of his robe, he actually drifted away, leaving behind a cold sentence.
"Good, very good. I remember you. My name is Mu Rong Chong."
Mu Rong Chong? Yun Xiao blinked her eyes, gazing speechlessly at the clear night sky.
This man could move freely in the imperial palace. Seeing his exquisite martial arts skills, he was likely a top master in the martial arts world.
And the way he floated and darted just now, was that the legendary Qinggong? It was truly formidable, Yun Xiao marveled.
However, next time they met, she wouldn't let him be so arrogant; she would surely retaliate.
Yun Xiao smiled faintly. Remembering something, she lowered her head to look at Xiuxiu on the ground. She seemed to have been knocked unconscious by this Mu Rong Chong.
"Xiuxiu, Xiuxiu?"
Yun Xiao reached out and pinched her face. Xiuxiu quickly woke up, rubbing her face in pain, and mumbled, "Your Majesty, you pinched me again?"
"Let's go back."
Yun Xiao stood up and looked up at the night sky again before walking back. Xiuxiu, swaying unsteadily, got up behind her. Remembering what had just happened, she couldn't help but ask nervously.