Chapter 8 Sword Dance “What is your name?”

Chapter 8: Sword Dance "What is your name?"

Her attire was simple today, her long black hair styled in a cross bun, with strands framing her ears, and the rest cascading down her back. She wore minimal, understated jewelry, with only an ebony hairpin as the main adornment, accented with a few silver hairpins to secure her hairstyle, simple and elegant. She wore a mist-blue wide-sleeved cotton blouse with a moon-white half-sleeve over it, paired with a plain white embroidered light gauze skirt with hidden patterns. Walking under the soft glow of the night and candlelight, against the backdrop of the dark mountains behind her, she looked like a goddess from ancient tales, emerging from the forest.

"Princess Shun'an presents a dance to honor the alliance between our nations!" the Master of Ceremonies announced loudly.

Hearing this, Jiang Congyan was even more convinced that the Princess of Chu and Noble Consort Zhao had conspired beforehand.

The expressions of the attendees turned odd, and they instinctively exchanged glances with their colleagues.

This was indeed peculiar. The two princesses performing music at the Tai Chi Hall was already unusual, and now arranging for a royal noblewoman to dance—wasn’t this likening royal blood to that of entertainers? Had the Zhao family truly lost all sense of dignity?

Jiang Congyan had no choice; backing out now would only enrage the Emperor of Liang.

Her mind raced. After a courteous bow, she lifted her head and said, "My talents are modest, unworthy of such an esteemed event, but I offer a sword dance to wish Liang eternal prosperity."

She wasn’t lying; she genuinely didn’t know how to dance. In her past life, plagued by heart disease, she never had the chance to learn dance. In this life, her health was equally frail, and her elders forbade her from such pursuits. Besides, noblewomen weren’t expected to dance, so she had no opportunity to learn.

At around ten, seeing her siblings practice martial arts, she longed to join but couldn’t due to her health. She could only mimic a few moves, playfully sparring with them like children. It was meant to be a skill for combat, but the Zhang family, young and old, doted on her excessively, and her siblings humored her.

"Granted," the Emperor of Liang nodded.

Jiang Congyan glanced around and spotted an Imperial Guard nearby, a sword at his waist. She stepped forward, "May I borrow your sword?"

The guard naturally agreed, unbuckling his sword belt and presenting it with both hands.

Jiang Congyan extended her right hand to grasp the golden bronze hilt, her slender fingers tightening as she mustered the strength to draw the sword. "Clang!" The blade and scabbard produced a metallic ring.

Taking small steps back to the center, Jiang Congyan held the sword with her right arm raised diagonally to her forehead, the tip pointing downward, her left hand forming two fingers lightly pressing on the blade. She turned her cheek, the smooth metal blade reflecting her dark eyes in the flickering firelight, cold as stars.

The wide sleeves hanging in the air were lifted by the night wind like rolling clouds and waves, forming a stark contrast with the slender and cold figure of the lady. Jiang Congyan had not yet begun to dance, but just the starting pose already had a captivating allure.

Tuo Baxiao unconsciously straightened his body, leaning forward, his green pupils already burning with two astonishing flames, his palms gradually clenching into fists.

Jiang Congyan closed her eyes, recalling the few sword moves she had learned before. After a moment, she reopened her eyes, and her feet and arms began to move.

Lifting her knee to thrust the sword, turning her body to slash upward, the plain white skirt fluttered like a blooming pure white lotus under the deep blue night sky.

Having not practiced for a long time, the iron sword was heavy, and her strength was lacking. Jiang Congyan's movements carried a hint of stiffness and unfamiliarity, but heaven was always unfair. Those who could be called peerless beauties, apart from their beautiful features, possessed a charm and grace that ordinary people lacked. Even standing still, they exuded an aura that attracted countless gazes.

And Jiang Congyan could indeed be called peerless. Those imperfect movements, when performed by her, were breathtakingly beautiful, as if shrouded in a veil of moonlight, standing alone, ethereal like the goddess in poetry.

Everyone was immersed in this dreamlike fairy-like posture when suddenly, several piercing sounds broke the silence, arrows raining down like meteors.

An arrow pierced through Jiang Congyan's sleeve and embedded itself in the ground, the fletching vibrating incessantly. She staggered but managed to steady herself, hearing the continuous "whoosh" and "thud" sounds as arrows with cold glints flew past her side.

If she hadn't just changed her movement, this arrow would have already pierced her lungs.

Jiang Congyan suddenly realized the situation was wrong. There was no time for fear or to investigate what was happening. She paused for only a moment, then decisively raised her sword and cut off the pinned sleeve.

Gaining freedom, in just a moment, screams began to echo from the banquet platform.

The guards shouted repeatedly, "Assassins!" "Protect the Emperor!" They drew their swords and stood in front of the Emperor of Liang, while the ministers and nobles were in chaos. Many braziers were knocked over, igniting the nearby tables and curtains, flames rising everywhere.

Standing in the center at this moment was completely a target. She saw many black-clad assassins emerging from the shadows, heading straight to kill the Emperor of Liang and Tuo Baxiao. Jiang Congyan immediately disregarded everything, holding her sword and running towards the area where the noblewomen were.

She hoped the assassins' targets were only those two men and they had no energy to deal with the noblewomen.

The noblewomen's banquet was in the neighboring palace, less than a hundred steps away. Hearing the sounds of fighting and killing from the royal tent, they were in a state of panic and chaos. Jiang Congyan ran back to join Ruo Lan and Si Zi, feeling slightly more at ease.

"My lady!" "My lady, are you all right?"

The women were in a state of panic. Jiang Congyan quietly led Ruo Lan and Si Zi to the garden outside the hall, but to her dismay, some of the assassins, having failed to assassinate the Emperor of Liang and Tuo Baxiao, turned their attention to slaughtering the women!

Jiang Congyan sensed danger and quickly fled towards the hall's exit, while the others wailed and scrambled in panic.

The assassins were still advancing!

When the Sixth Princess heard of the assassins' intrusion, she instinctively searched for her elder sister, Jiang Congyan. Upon spotting her, she immediately lifted her skirt and stumbled after her.

Although Jiang Congyan was a delicate woman with no fighting strength, for some reason, the Sixth Princess felt an irresistible urge to follow her, like a lost child searching for her mother, finding safety only by her side.

However, in the dim light, she failed to notice the obstacle at her feet and tripped, falling to the ground.

A black-clad assassin noticed this and strode over, raising his weapon to deliver a blow, but midway, he was abruptly shoved aside. His curved blade landed perilously close to the Sixth Princess's ear, startling her wide-eyed and stopping her heart.

She felt as though she had narrowly escaped death.

Si Zi rushed from the side and grappled with the assassin. Despite being young and female, she had trained in martial arts from a young age in Liangzhou, demonstrating agility and considerable skill.

She grappled with the assassin, preventing him from rising, while he countered her moves. Ruo Lan grabbed a knife and moved forward to assist, but the fight was too swift, and fearing she might injure the wrong person, she hesitated.

But Jiang Congyan's luck appeared to have been exhausted by that earlier arrow. More assassins spotted her and charged directly at her.

The women's banquet was unguarded, as all the Imperial Guards and imperial soldiers had been summoned to the Emperor of Liang's side. Now, the vast palace was devoid of anyone to halt the assassins.

The second assassin was astonishingly swift, reaching Jiang Congyan in a flash. Just as he was about to claim her as his next victim, a force seized his waist.

The Sixth Princess, who had just risen from the ground, clung tightly to his waist from behind, shouting, "Elder sister, run!"

The assassin forcefully elbowed to break free, and the Sixth Princess felt as if her internal organs were shattered from the blow. Yet, this fragile girl summoned unprecedented courage.

The assassin shook his body fiercely, finally breaking free from the grip. As he looked up, a cold light flashed before his eyes, and the next moment, a sword pierced his heart.

The prop used for the performance had now become a deadly weapon.

His gaze froze, and he slowly looked down at the sword embedded in his chest. His dying expression was one of disbelief. He never imagined he would die at the hands of a delicate noblewoman.

As the assassin fell, blood gushed out, splattering Jiang Congyan's white dress with red, her jade-like face dotted with blood.

Jiang Congyan had seen many dead bodies, having witnessed a bloody massacre just over half a month ago, but this was the first time she had killed someone herself.

She couldn't describe her feelings; her whole body was numb, her hands trembling violently.

Before she could react, the assassin fighting with Si Zi, seeing his companion killed by a woman, suddenly unleashed tremendous strength, pushing Si Zi back and snatching the curved knife from Ruo Lan's hand, charging at Jiang Congyan.

He raised the silver curved knife high, resembling a cold, bone-chilling crescent moon in the dark night, exuding a deathly chill as it descended towards her head.

Jiang Congyan instinctively raised her sword to block, but it was too late. At the critical moment, an arrow with immense force struck the curved knife, producing a sharp "clang" that nearly pierced her eardrums. Jiang Congyan involuntarily stumbled back but was suddenly caught by a strong arm around her waist, pulling her into an unfamiliar and unusually tall embrace.

The long sword fell to the ground, and a gust of wind brushed her tender cheek.

Tuo Baxiao, unmatched in bravery, and his fierce warriors, having dodged the initial barrage of arrows, found the assassins no match for them in close combat.

After cutting down several assassins and breaking through, he remembered the direction Jiang Congyan had gone and followed to find her. What he saw next was a scene he would never forget.

Under the dark sky, amidst the chaos outside the palace, the delicate lady steadily raised her sword and resolutely plunged it into the assassin's heart. The spurting blood painted red plum blossoms on her white dress, creating a tragic yet stunning image of beauty.

This breathtaking scene before him stirred his heart a hundred times more than the moment in front of the carriage that day. With a "crack," the blurred figure in his mind shattered, and another image grew clearer and clearer.

This is the kind of woman he wants to marry!

Such a woman is indeed a match for him, worthy of his unparalleled bravery!

After saving Jiang Congyan, Tuo Baxiao held her with one hand and wielded his sword with the other to deal with the assassins.

His strength was immense, like a force of nature, and his reactions were swift with ruthless moves. The assassin quickly fell to his blade, and his subordinates arrived shortly after to kill the remaining assassins.

The danger was over in an instant.

Jiang Congyan slowly raised her head from his chest, saw the man's jawline, and recognized him as the Prince of Mobei.

She pressed her palm slightly, but whether he didn't feel it or didn't care, the hand around her waist remained motionless, with great strength, more like lifting her than holding her.

Though her life was safe, the situation still left her uneasy.

Jiang Congyan didn't know if Tuo Baxiao had intentionally saved her or if it was a coincidence, but the man's extremely intimate posture made her somewhat uneasy. Had Noble Consort Zhao's scheme actually worked?

With no other choice, Jiang Congyan stayed in that position, raised her eyes, and gazed at him with heartfelt gratitude, "Thank you, Prince of Mobei, for saving my life."

After gasping cold air in her escape and the tension of the fight, her voice still carried a hint of hoarseness, but to Tuo Baxiao's ears, it was more pleasing than all the music of the night.

He didn't pay attention to Jiang Congyan's thanks, but instead lowered his head, staring at her face with his uniquely deep green eyes, a peculiar glint in his eyes, and he asked:

"What is your name?"

As the night wind picked up, Jiang Congyan's tangled hair stuck to her pale cheek. The blood that had splattered earlier coagulated and flowed down from her brow, blurring her vision. The crimson before her eyes suddenly made her feel dizzy.