Chapter 015

Chapter 015

'What bad luck, running into this again.'

This familiar, rebellious tone was something Kangxi had heard for three years.

Without pausing, he walked straight past, already planning to have someone investigate who that person was.

Why did they suddenly appear in such a guise? Was this the reason the female ghost had not appeared for a long time?

Having already descended the stairs, Kangxi's gaze shifted slightly, returning to the two people he had just passed. He saw the young man who had smiled faintly earlier now smiling gently at the maid beside him. His flirtatious, peach-blossom eyes and demeanor made him seem like a flirtatious young master.

Meanwhile, downstairs, a crowd had gathered around the beauty who was selling herself to pay for her father's funeral. Despite efforts to clear the path, there wasn't much room to move. Everyone was watching the spectacle, curious to see which wealthy young master would step forward to buy this delicate beauty.

Previously, many had wanted to take the beauty under their wing, but she had insisted on selling her art, not her body. Now that she was willing, it was unclear who would be the one to cherish her.

As Kangxi and his entourage passed by, someone who clearly recognized him as someone of importance called out, "Young master, why not stop? Such a beauty in distress—why not lend a hand? A match made in heaven, it would be a wonderful story."

The speaker was clearly trying to stir up trouble, and soon others in the crowd joined in. Kangxi's expression turned cold, but he remained silent. His attendant stepped forward, shielding Kangxi, and spoke sternly, "Step aside."

At this moment, the beauty holding the pipa noticed the commotion. She gracefully approached, kneeling gently nearby.

With tears in her sorrowful eyes, she looked up at Kangxi. Tears rolled down her fair cheeks, giving her a fragile, delicate look. She tilted her slender neck slightly and pleaded in a voice as melodious as a nightingale's, "Please, young master, have pity on this humble servant. I am willing to offer myself in return for your kindness."

The men around her were captivated, wishing they could be the heroes to save the beauty and have her offer herself to them.

"Young master, please agree!"

"Yes, yes!"

....

Kangxi's guards were already on edge, sensing something amiss. In such a chaotic situation, with so many people around, it was easy for something unexpected to happen. Kangxi, too, felt the tension. The beauty before him was of no consequence; his expression and breathing remained steady. "Let's go," he said coldly.

Kangxi's indifferent attitude made the beauty seem on the verge of tears. She wiped her eyes and said, "Young master, you are so... heartless!" Her tone suddenly shifted, and her eyes turned sharp. Without warning, she drew a sword from her pipa and thrust it toward Kangxi.

The guard immediately stepped forward to block the incoming sword, engaging the woman in combat. The beauty, who had seemed so delicate and pitiful moments ago, now had a fierce, murderous look in her eyes. Her movements were quick and lethal.

If it had just been her, the guard could have handled it. But her actions were a signal. The assassins hidden among the crowd now revealed themselves, drawing hidden blades and leaping into the air, all targeting Kangxi, who stood out prominently in the crowd.

The sudden turn of events left the crowd stunned, and panic quickly set in. With swords and knives flying, everyone feared they might get hurt.

Kangxi's entourage was scattered by the chaotic crowd. "Protect His Majesty!" Liang Jiugong shouted in a high-pitched voice. These were assassins!

The hidden guards rushed out to protect the emperor, but the panicked crowd unintentionally slowed them down.

The sudden chaos frightened Yun Xiu, who turned pale and grabbed Su Yi's hand, trembling. "Young... young master! Let's run!" she urged, trying to pull Su Yi away from the danger.

"Wait," Su Yi said calmly. "Everyone is running around down there. If we go down now, we'll likely get trampled. It's safer to stay here. Those people aren't targeting us; they won't bother with us."

After all, the assassins were after Kangxi. Their target was downstairs, so they wouldn't have time to deal with others. Going down would only risk getting caught in the crossfire or being knocked over by the panicked crowd.

If the assassins succeeded, they might come upstairs to eliminate witnesses, but Kangxi wouldn't die. The assassins would either be killed or flee in disarray, leaving no time to worry about Su Yi and Yun Xiu.

So, staying upstairs was the safest option.

Yun Xiu was already searching the room for a place to hide. Seeing that her mistress was still sitting calmly and drinking tea, she anxiously said, "Miss, we should hide! Over here!" She opened a cabinet, ready to pull Su Yi inside.

"What about you, Yun Xiu?" The cabinet could only fit one person; two wouldn't work.

"I'll find another place to hide."

Su Yi shook her head and gently pushed the girl into the cabinet. When the girl tried to come out, Su Yi spoke in a soft but firm tone, "Stay put and stay quiet. I'll hide in another room." She gently stroked Yun Xiu's head before closing the cabinet door.

She then strolled to a nearby empty room, found a similar cabinet, climbed in, leaned back, and shut the door.

Her ears picked up the commotion of the fight below—the shouts of "Protect the Emperor" were louder than the actual fighting.

Though Kangxi's entourage had been momentarily blocked by the crowd, it also hindered the assassins' movements. Soon, both sides clashed.

Kangxi was shielded in the center by his guards. To reach him, one would have to break through this protective circle, and the female assassin who had first struck was already down.

Seeing they were outmatched, the assassins tried to retreat, but they were tightly surrounded by the arriving guards, caught from both sides.

It was clear this was a premeditated trap.

Realizing this, the assassins tried to bite into poison to kill themselves, but the guards swiftly dislocated their jaws, subduing them.

"We failed in our duty to protect Your Majesty in time. Please punish us," they knelt before Kangxi, seeking forgiveness.

They had been delayed by the sudden crowd and couldn't regroup immediately, a failure in duty. Fortunately, the Emperor was unharmed, or it would have cost them their heads.

"The situation was sudden. Rise," Kangxi said, showing no intention to punish them. The assassins had chosen a time with heavy foot traffic, and the response had been relatively swift.

Kangxi glanced at the subdued assassins on the ground and ordered, "Do whatever it takes to make them talk."

Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Search this place for any suspicious individuals."

"Yes, Your Majesty," someone responded immediately, and the guards began combing the teahouse, half remaining vigilant to prevent any sudden attacks from hidden enemies.

Earlier, everyone had fled, and there might still be remaining threats, especially upstairs where the rooms needed a thorough search.

Yun Xiu was already on edge, and the sound of footsteps upstairs made her tremble even more. The noise instantly caught the attention of the guards searching the room. One guard quickly opened the cabinet door as another drew his sword, aiming it inside to thwart any sudden moves.

"Ah!" Yun Xiu couldn't help but scream, closing her eyes and covering her head, too scared to look.

"Who are you, and why are you hiding here?!" the guard demanded, his sword still raised. The previous female assassin had also seemed harmless at first.

Yun Xiu shakily opened her eyes and saw the guard's uniform, not the attire of a killer. She relaxed slightly, "I... I'm a maid from the Niohuru family, accompanying our young lady to the teahouse. I was scared and hid."

Then she remembered, "Ah, where is my young lady?!" She eagerly tried to step out but was sharply halted by the guard's command, "Stay where you are!" His eyes stayed sharp and watchful.

At that moment, someone from the next room shouted, "There's someone unconscious here!"