Chapter 1055: Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Chapter 1055: Chapter 1055: Don’t Let Your Guard Down

The master next to him nodded slightly and advised, "Be careful, don’t be complacent. Recently, the Saint Heir has strengthened the vigilance in the palace, and any suspicious spots cannot be overlooked."

The man nodded, cautiously drew the short sword from his waist, and carefully walked towards the direction where the sound came from the bushes.

His steps were extremely light, trying to suppress the sound of each step, fearing to alarm any potential threat. Ye Qingchen lurked in the shadows, watching every move of the master closely and holding his breath, striving to hide his presence to the weakest degree.

As the master approached, Ye Qingchen’s body slightly tensed, ready to strike at any moment.

He knew that as long as the opponent was close enough, he could instantly subdue him without alerting anyone else.

The master soon arrived at the bushes, slightly bent down, and used his short sword to part the leaves in an attempt to find the source of the sound.

However, there was nothing behind the bushes, except for a few leaves slightly trembling from being struck by pebbles. The master’s brows furrowed tighter as he subtly sensed something amiss.

At that moment, Ye Qingchen silently darted out from his hiding spot, like a predator ready to pounce, swiftly and precisely lunging at the master.

Meanwhile, the other two masters at the gate still stood in place, completely unaware that their comrade was about to fall into peril.

The master was about to turn back when he suddenly felt a shadow enveloping from behind.

His reaction was swift, instinctively wanting to turn to face the enemy, but it was too late. Ye Qingchen’s hand grabbed his shoulder like an iron clamp, and another hand struck swiftly, directly hitting the back of his neck.

The master felt intense pain at the back of his neck, his vision went dark, and he instantly lost consciousness, his body helplessly collapsing forward.

Ye Qingchen quickly dragged him into the bushes, ensuring no sound was made.

The remaining masters were unaware of the encroaching danger; they continued whispering among themselves, completely ignoring what had just happened. Ye Qingchen returned quietly to his original spot, ready to seize the next opportunity, a more meticulous plan already forming in his mind.

The two masters left standing at the gate lingered for a while, initially detecting nothing amiss, lazily standing guard at the spot. As time ticked by, the first to speak slightly furrowed his brows, starting to feel some misgivings.

"Why hasn’t the second one checked the commotion and come back yet?" he muttered irritably to himself, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. Although he knew the second one was always cautious, this seemed a bit too much.

The other person, smaller in stature, casually grumbled, "The second one always dawdles. On such a dark night, maybe he can’t find his way back. I’d say it might’ve just been a wild cat causing some noise, and that could hold him up for this long."

While his words carried a teasing tone, there was a hint of disdain, clearly not taking the recent noise seriously.

After all, Jiang Qi’s palace was always heavily guarded, aside from a few top-ranked masters, no one could easily sneak in.

Listening to his companion, the leader’s nerves, originally relaxed, began to tense. He scratched his head, an inexplicable unease rising within him. This unease seemed to appear without reason but made him increasingly feel that things were not as simple as they seemed.

"The second one might dawdle but doesn’t take this long," the leader mused to himself, his brows furrowing tighter. He knew the second one’s character well—cautious but never delaying without cause. At such times, their duty was to ensure the palace’s safety; if anything went awry, none of them could afford it.

"Perhaps," a shadow crossed the leader’s mind, "that noise wasn’t accidental at all."

Thinking of this, the leader couldn’t help but scan his surroundings again, attempting to catch any abnormalities from the darkness. Though everything still seemed calm, this calmness made him feel even more unsettled.

"I’m going to check it out," the leader finally decided, speaking out. His voice no longer carried the same casualness as before but was instead tinged with some seriousness. Clearly, he had realized that the situation before them was more complex than initially thought.

The leader slowly walked into the darkness, his steps cautious, his eyes occasionally surveying the surroundings.

The silence around was untouched except for the occasional rustle underfoot.

As he delved further into the darkness, the unease within him grew stronger and stronger.

Finally, behind a sturdy tree, he found the second one collapsed on the ground.

The second one lay on his back, his breathing weak—it was clear he’d been ambushed.

Seeing this scene, the leader suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, his hand involuntarily grasping the weapon at his waist, a layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Who could it be?" The leader was filled with alertness, swiftly scanning the area, his sharp eyes like eagle eyes searching for potential foes. At this moment, the darkness was no longer merely night but seemed like a deep abyss hiding danger.

Every nerve in his body was stretched to the limit, as though an intense battle could erupt at any moment.

Just as he was about to awaken the second one, suddenly a cold laughter came from behind—a sound deep and icy, like the chill of midnight, carrying a threatening killing intent. The leader’s heart trembled, turning quickly.

Behind him, without him noticing, Ye Qingchen had silently appeared.

Ye Qingchen’s eyes were sharp and cold, a mocking smile hung from his lips. His hands posted behind him, exuding a powerful pressure.

"Do you want to fight me, or pass out yourself?" Ye Qingchen’s voice was deep and merciless, piercing straight at the leader’s nerves like a sharp sword.

His tone left no room for dissent, as if any slight revolt from the opponent would receive an immediate, fatal blow.

A flash of anger passed through the leader’s eyes, realizing the person before him was the one who ambushed the second.

Being threatened like this greatly wounded his pride, igniting his anger in a blaze of rationale.

"Who do you think you are, daring to rampage here!" The leader shouted angrily, swiftly drawing the long knife from his waist, flames of fury burning in his eyes.

His voice was deep and filled with intimidation, seemingly trying to overpower Ye Qingchen with such momentum.

"You think you are anything, daring to rampage here! Today, I’m going to show you what it means to seek your doom!" The leader grew increasingly furious, his anger finding a vent and exploding instantly.

His eyes flared wide, rage boiling within, seemingly about to erupt at any moment.

He gripped the long knife tightly, the blade flashing coldly, ready to slash towards Ye Qingchen the next second.