Chapter 300: The Time of Peril for the Su Family (Part 14)

Chapter 300: The Time of Peril for the Su Family (Part 14)

Outside the Yuchen Hall.

The flames flickered.

Torches illuminated the figure of the black-clad assassin, who was surrounded by the Imperial Guard.

On the palace steps, Emperor Yu stood with one hand behind his back, his imperial gaze fixed on the black-clad assassin. Though a black veil concealed her face, her figure revealed that she was a woman, a female assassin.

This realization darkened Emperor Yu's expression instantly.

He ordered the Imperial Guard to take the female assassin alive.

"I would like to see who you really are."

In truth, even without seeing her, Emperor Yu had already concluded in his heart that the assassin was Su Rao, or at the very least, an accomplice of hers.

In an instant, the Imperial Guard swarmed forward.

The night wind blew, and the flames rustled.

Spears were thrust toward the surrounded female assassin.

Bang…

Clang…

The sound of weapons clashing.

In no time, the spears tore through the female assassin's night clothes, injuring her skin, but the assassin's sword also wounded the Imperial guards who rushed in.

Blood immediately seeped out, and a smell of blood spread from the front of Yuchen Hall, staining the stone slabs of the palace steps. The blood seeped into the cracks of the slabs, outlining blood-red streaks.

"You are as good as dead tonight," the assassin said with intense killing intent, her sword dancing gracefully. Despite being seriously injured, she charged straight toward Emperor Yu. The guards blocking her fell one by one, foaming at the mouth, and convulsing to their deaths.

It was a handful of poisonous powder from the female assassin's hand that caused their deaths.

Such methods were indeed vicious.

No matter how many Imperial guards there were, they could not withstand the poisonous powder. In an instant, they all fell, their bodies strewn beneath the palace steps.

The sharp sword qi cut through the night sky, causing robes to flutter. The long sword rushed toward Emperor Yu, brimming with killing intent.

"Only if you die will my family find peace..."

The sharp sword point aimed directly at Emperor Yu's heart.

"Emperor, be careful."

Seeing this, Emperor Yu's expression changed, and he quickly stepped back.

Chief Administrator Yun, even more flustered, shouted loudly, taking two steps at once to stand in front of Emperor Yu, fearlessly shielding him.

Just as the long sword was about to pierce Chief Administrator Yun's heart, a water droplet flew across the air from afar.

The water droplet collided with the long sword, instantly breaking the sharp sword point and numbing the female assassin's hand holding the sword.

Clang…

The long sword fell to the ground, and the female assassin was pushed back by the force of the water droplet.

Yun Ji's figure descended gracefully onto the lower palace steps.

Looking at the female assassin through the blindfold over his eyes, Yun Ji's panicked heart settled.

It wasn't Rao Rao…

From afar, Yun Ji had already recognized that the assassin was not Su Rao, but he wasn't entirely sure, so he held back, only forcing the assassin to retreat without injuring her.

"Xiaoji, step back..."

The female assassin, having been forced back and failing to kill Emperor Yu in one strike, threw another handful of poisonous powder. Seeing this, the old General Su, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, quickly pulled Yun Ji away and simultaneously unleashed a palm strike.

The poisonous powder was dispersed by the force, and the female assassin was pushed back again.

Pfft…

This time, a mouthful of blood dripped from beneath the veil.

Old General Su's strike was far less gentle than Yun Ji's.

At the same time, another group of Imperial guards surrounded the female assassin, but they dared not approach easily.

……

Meanwhile.

In the Cold Palace, the similarly black-clad and veiled Su Rao climbed out of a dry well.

The secret passage's exit was located in this Cold Palace, near the palace prison.

The Cold Palace, where abandoned concubines were imprisoned throughout the dynasties, was always desolate and lonely. The secret passage here was extremely hidden and difficult to detect.

"Who… are you?"

Before Su Rao could even look around, a voice suddenly came from behind her. Immediately following that, the young eunuch guarding the Cold Palace was about to shout that there was an accomplice of the assassin.

Su Rao was quick to act. As the young eunuch was about to shout, she moved swiftly and threw a hidden weapon, instantly killing the eunuch on the spot.

"Seeing me, it's just your bad luck."

With a cold and indifferent tone, Su Rao walked over and looked at the lifeless body of the eunuch, her face showing no emotion.

There was no emotional fluctuation from having killed an innocent person.

In her peach blossom eyes, there was only a deep, impenetrable darkness, a heart cold and devoid of emotion.

Glancing at the eunuch, seeing the palace clothes on his body, Su Rao had a thought and directly stripped the eunuch of his clothes, then used some powder to destroy the body and erase any traces.

Throughout all of this, Su Rao felt no guilt.

After changing into the eunuch’s clothes, Su Rao picked up the lantern that had fallen to the ground, lit the extinguished candle, and left the Cold Palace, heading towards the palace prison.

As she walked, she didn’t see a single soul, which made her cautious.

Why is it so quiet?

When she reached the fork road outside the palace prison, she saw that there were only two guards from the Imperial Guard outside the prison gate, and no one else. Su Rao felt even more that something was off.

The imperial prison should be heavily guarded, how could there only be two people watching over it?

Thinking of Yi Su, who had escaped from the Cloud Palace…

Could it be that they were trying to lure her into a trap, waiting for her to show up?

Walking right into the net.

This thought crossed her mind in an instant.

Just as Su Rao was about to hide her tracks, an Imperial Guard strode forward and, along with his shout, came the following:

"Imperial decree from the Emperor: all Imperial Guards are to head to the Imperial Garden and dig three feet deep if necessary to catch the two assassins."

The female assassin who had attempted to assassinate Emperor Yu had been surrounded but was then rescued by another assassin, and they had now escaped to the Imperial Garden.

The Imperial Garden was vast, connecting to all four directions, north, south, east, and west. Catching the two assassins in the Imperial Garden would not be an easy task.

Not to mention that the assassins were highly skilled in martial arts.

Moreover, half of the Imperial Guards were still at the Su family’s residence, leaving the palace with half the usual number of guards, making it even more difficult.

And since the Imperial Army was guarding the imperial city, after the hour of Hai, without an imperial decree, the Imperial Army could not enter the palace. By the time the Imperial Army could be summoned, the two assassins might have already escaped the palace.

Thus, Emperor Yu ordered all the Imperial Guards in the palace to mobilize immediately, determined to capture the assassins.

Someone had tried to assassinate him in his own palace and was familiar with the layout, easily evading the Imperial Guards and escaping to the Imperial Garden. Emperor Yu could hardly think of anyone else besides Su Rao, the former dynasty’s princess.

"You, come here."

The Imperial Guard who had just delivered Emperor Yu’s decree spotted Su Rao holding a lantern. The light from the lantern had exposed her position.

"You, guard the prison. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible," the Imperial Guard ordered directly, making Su Rao guard the prison. Then, he led the other Imperial Guards, spears in hand, towards the Imperial Garden.

One…

Two…

Three…

Besides the two Imperial Guards guarding the prison gate, at least ten more Imperial Guards emerged from the prison, all donned in armor and carrying spears.

Only now did Su Rao understand. The reason it had been so quiet was because the patrolling Imperial Guards had all gone to catch the assassins.

It seemed that she was not the only one who wanted to kill that executioner...