Chapter 242: The Woman in Red (2)

The Sage's remnant soul said nothing, though he did roll his eyes.

The battle below continued for some time.

“I suggest you leave now. The hidden third rank assassin seems to have made her move. And it appears to be that leading courtesan named Chu Jingyi.”

The star courtesan of Phoenix Roost Pavilion, Chu Jingyi, is actually an assassin? Xu Yuan froze. After a moment, however, the surprise faded. There were plenty of treasures and skills in this world capable of concealing one’s cultivation.

From the look of things, this assassination had not been a coincidence at all. Those men in embroidered robes had most likely come after receiving information from Chu Jingyi.

The moment he reached that conclusion, Xu Yuan did not hesitate.

He called out loudly, “Junqing, since you already have everything under control, I won’t interfere any further. I’ll see you again in the Imperial Capital!”

Without waiting for Li Junqing to answer, Xu Yuan sprinted toward a fourth floor window, fully prepared to leap off the cliff and make his escape.

Unfortunately, accidents always moved faster than plans.

Just as Xu Yuan reached the windowsill, the ceiling behind him collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Wood splinters and chunks of masonry burst through the air.

Xu Yuan glanced back and saw two figures amid the flying debris. By borrowing a sliver of the Sage's remnant soul’s power, he managed to see the scene behind him clearly.

With the Sage's remnant soul reinforcing his vision, time seemed to freeze for an instant.

One of the two figures was familiar.

Xu Yuan had seen her just before coming downstairs, the leading courtesan of Phoenix Roost Pavilion, Chu Jingyi, whom Young Master Wang had been flirting with earlier.

The other was a stranger. He had a soft, almost feminine face and appeared to be a man, or more precisely, a eunuch.

The instant Xu Yuan saw them, he understood. That little bastard had another palace attendant hidden at his side. Damn it. That Li fellow was confident of victory from the very beginning, yet still put on an entire performance for my benefit.

Of the two figures crashing through the ceiling, one was above and one below.

Chu Jingyi, beautiful enough to topple kingdoms, had clearly been caught by surprise. The cold-faced eunuch had one foot planted on her as the force of their fall smashed through floor after floor, sending them plummeting straight down.

At last, they reached the bottom.

With a deafening boom, they struck the main hall and blasted out a pit nearly seven feet deep.

Standing beside the hole they had left behind, Xu Yuan looked down and sighed. Well, these assassins are truly useless.

Below, Chu Jingyi lay pinned to the ground. The eunuch had driven two short blades through the pipa bones on either side of her shoulders, nailing her in place.

Some strange fluctuation of source qi surged through the blades, constantly disrupting her attempts to gather her own power.

She had been ambushed. Between two Grandmasters skilled in concealment, the battle had been decided in a single instant.

At the same time, the zither music echoing through Phoenix Roost Pavilion softened into a slow and soothing melody.

Watching the scene below, Xu Yuan grumbled inwardly, “Old Luo, what kind of job did you do? Li Junqing had another expert like this following him, and you never even noticed?”

The Sage's remnant soul sounded thoroughly innocent. “You were the one who told me not to expose myself. I did not dare extend my soul power outside at all.”

“If he suddenly attacked me, would you react in time?” Xu Yuan asked.

The Sage's remnant soul answered as though it were only natural, sounding exceptionally dependable. “Of course. The moment he made a move, his source qi would fluctuate. At a third rank cultivator’s speed, this old man could still react in time.”

Xu Yuan said nothing more. He turned around, swung one leg over the windowsill, and prepared to leap off the cliff and flee.

Just then, Li Junqing’s smiling voice drifted up from below. “Brother, the matter has already been settled. Why are you in such a hurry to run?”

Xu Yuan froze. Without exposing the Sage's remnant soul, there was no chance he could escape from two Grandmasters.

Helpless, he returned to the railing and met Li Junqing’s smiling gaze below. He cupped his hands. “Your Highness planned everything flawlessly. To think you had already seen through Chu Jingyi and realized she was someone else’s spy.”

Xu Yuan vaulted over the railing. With several quick shifts and pushes against the surrounding walls, he descended back into the main hall.

The place was now a complete wreck.

The instant Chu Jingyi was subdued, the fourth rank Body Integration assassins scattered in every direction like startled birds, each fleeing for his life.

Their mission had failed. Now they had to preserve their lives and carry the news back.

The newly revealed eunuch Grandmaster pursued them, while Eunuch Hou returned to Li Junqing’s side and stood silently behind him.

The music in the hall gradually approached its final notes.

“You flatter me. I did not see through her beforehand.” Li Junqing looked at Xu Yuan and chuckled. Then his eyes turned cold, and his tone shifted. “But for these Eastern Isles pirates to have infiltrated my Bureau of Entertainment… It seems someone has grown tired of keeping his head.”

“Eastern Isles pirates?” Xu Yuan’s expression turned strange. He glanced sideways at Chu Jingyi, still pinned inside the crater by the two short blades. “Why were they trying to assassinate Your Highness?”

Li Junqing walked over, slung an arm around Xu Yuan’s shoulders, and said with a grin, “Come now, Zhou Chen, there is no need to be so distant. I preferred it when you called me little brother or simply Junqing.”

Xu Yuan fell silent.

“As for why they wanted me dead, I merely borrowed a modest sum of money in their Daimyo’s name. But never mind that for now. Let us go take a look at our little thief from the Eastern Isles.”

With his arm still around Xu Yuan, Li Junqing led him to the edge of the crater. He released Xu Yuan, crouched down, and brushed the back of his hand across the woman’s pale cheek. Then he glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Zhou Chen, now I finally have the time to properly break in this spirited mare. Interested in joining me?”

Chu Jingyi lay on the ground, blood spilling from the corner of her red lips. She stared at the two wastrels beside her for a moment, then closed her eyes and refused to speak.

Xu Yuan coughed lightly and cupped his hands. “Ahem. I have no particular taste for such things. Since Your Highness is now safe, I shall take my leave.”

Li Junqing did not stop him. He merely rose and smiled. “After surviving an assassination together, you and I can be considered brothers who have faced life and death. This kindness is something your little brother will not forget—”

Halfway through his sentence, the music within the pavilion shifted, becoming as clear and tranquil as flowing water.

Hearing the change, Li Junqing shook his head. “To think the musician in Phoenix Roost Pavilion is still playing. She must be deaf. Her skill is exceptional, though. I truly would like to take her back with me…”

He turned toward the source of the music. Then his narrow eyes widened slightly.

Xu Yuan noticed and followed his gaze. Beside a table at the edge of the devastated hall sat a woman dressed in red.

A crimson veil concealed her face. Her long, flawless legs rested casually atop the table, while an ancient pipa rested in her arms. Her sleeves drifted around her, untouched by the dust and wreckage.

Her jade-like fingers plucked the strings. The celestial music that had echoed through the pavilion all this time had been flowing from those slender fingertips.

At the sight of her, Xu Yuan instinctively glanced at the dazed Li Junqing, only to discover that the brat was already looking at him.

Almost simultaneously, both men began edging backward.

“Heh. It seems Young Master Wang has quite a few enemies.”

“Brother, you jest. I do not know her.”

“Since when does an assassin need your acquaintance?”

The Third Prince fell silent.

As they spoke, the woman in red slowly rose to her feet.

Then, she slowly drew a sword.