Chapter 221: Sudden Change

Chapter 221: A Sudden Change

Cheng Ge snapped his gaze from the fallen Dahuang to the now-silent Star Frost on his wrist.

Star Frost looked up at him, its crimson vertical pupils seeming to reflect a hint of relief.

A chill raced up Cheng Ge's spine, far more biting than the wind and snow howling outside the door.

This official inn... this bowl of soup... something's definitely wrong!

Seated at the round table, Cheng Ge drummed his fingers absently on the surface, his eyes fixed darkly on the flickering candle flame.

The fire in the brazier crackled occasionally, making half his face flicker in light and shadow.

The target was clear—they were after him.

But no one could have foreseen that he had a gluttonous dog by his side.

Nor that the poison would work so quickly on the dog, allowing him to instantly see through this deadly trap.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and made a casual gesture in the air.

A shadowy figure descended from the rafters like a bat melting into the shadows, landing on one knee—it was the shadow guard Ling Feng.

“What are your orders, Master?” Ling Feng’s voice was extremely low, with his usual cold solemnity.

Cheng Ge beckoned him with a finger.

Ling Feng understood and immediately leaned closer.

Cheng Ge bent close, almost pressing his lips to Ling Feng’s ear, and whispered rapidly in a whisper so faint only the two of them could hear: “Go and...”

His warm breath brushed Ling Feng's ear. Ling Feng listened expressionlessly, nodding almost imperceptibly to show understanding.

However, when Cheng Ge finished and prepared to sit back, Ling Feng did not immediately leave as usual.

He stood still, his body seeming to stiffen for a moment, then took an abrupt half-step back before lifting his eyes to Cheng Ge.

A faint crack appeared in his usually impassive expression.

He seemed to hesitate, but finally, under Cheng Ge’s puzzled gaze, he spoke stiffly.

His voice remained low, but with an indescribable awkwardness:

“Master... my hearing is fine. Next time... just speak at a normal volume. There's really no need to be that close.”

Cheng Ge: “............”

He was stunned for a moment, then almost laughed in annoyance.

“Tch,” he said, rolling his eyes at Ling Feng in a low voice.

“Where’s your sense of secrecy? What if there’s an enemy spy planted in this room, listening in? Walls have ears, got it?!”

As soon as he spoke, the only other person awake in the room, Lü Rou, abruptly looked up.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Cheng Ge.

She pointed shakily at herself, mouthing silently: Me? Are you insinuating me, Master?

Cheng Ge: “...”

Ling Feng: “...”

An awkward, stifling silence filled the air. The corner of Ling Feng’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

He immediately cupped his fists and said rapidly: “Understood! I’m on it!”

Before the words died out, he had already slipped to the window as if fleeing, moving so fast he left a blur.

Cheng Ge stared at the spot where Ling Feng had vanished, opened his mouth, then closed it silently, then turned stiffly.

“Uh... haha... Sister Lvrou, let me explain!”

...

The night was late. The inn was plunged into a deathly silence, broken only by the occasional howling wind outside the window and the sporadic crackle of the brazier.

Two black figures, almost merging with the shadows, crept silently like ghosts to the door of Cheng Ge’s room.

Faint candlelight seeped through the crack in the door, barely revealing their blurred silhouettes.

Outside the door, the two guards originally on duty were slumped against the wall, heads drooping, breathing deep and even—clearly in a deep sleep.

One of the black-clad men reached out and gently pushed one of the guards.

The guard’s body went limp, collapsing to the ground, unresponsive. The other was pushed down as well.

The leading black-clad man turned and signaled to his companion behind him.

Understanding, the companion immediately took out a long, thin iron pick from inside his shirt, skillfully inserted it into the door crack, and carefully lifted it upward.

A very faint *click* was heard—the latch inside clicked open.

The black-clad man holding the pick gently pushed the door open. The wooden door let out an almost inaudible creak, but in the silent night, it stood out especially.

Holding their breath, the two listened for a moment, confirming that there was only one person breathing steady and deep inside the room.

Then they slipped in like shadows, quietly closing the door behind them.

Inside the room, the candle flame on the stand flickered, casting shifting shadows of the furniture—long and short, bright and dim.

Cheng Ge lay sideways on the bed, his back to the door, covered with a brocade quilt, apparently sleeping soundly.

The leading black-clad man scanned the room, finally fixing his gaze on the defenseless figure on the bed.

A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He took out a slender leather pouch from inside his shirt and pulled out a silver needle—thinner than a cow's hair, glinting with a blue sheen in the candlelight.

He gestured to his companion to guard the door, then crouched low, tiptoeing step by step toward the bed.

His movements were as light as a civet cat, silent, barely breathing.

The poisoned needle rose slowly, aimed at the exposed neck of the person under the quilt.

Just as the poisoned tip was about to touch skin—

Suddenly, everything changed!

Cheng Ge, who should have been fast asleep, snapped his eyes open! There was no trace of drowsiness in his gaze—only icy clarity and a fierce, murderous intent!

The hand he had hidden beneath the quilt was already gripping a coldly gleaming short blade, and his body sprang up abruptly like a cheetah poised to spring!

The quilt was flung into the air, billowing like a dark cloud toward the black-clad man holding the needle, momentarily blocking his view.

In that lightning-fast disruption, Cheng Ge’s blade traced a cold, lethal arc, slashing precisely toward the black-clad man’s wrist holding the needle!

“Squelch!” The sound of steel slicing through flesh was dull yet distinct.

“Ah–!” The black-clad man let out a bloodcurdling scream, his wrist nearly severed at the joint, hanging by only a shred of skin, as blood gushed out like a fountain!

The silver needle, along with his half-severed hand, drooped uselessly and fell to the floor with a hollow clatter.

Cheng Ge’s movements did not pause for an instant. Having landed his strike, his other hand shot out like a vise, seizing the black-clad man’s throat with lightning speed.

In that same moment, he choked off any subsequent screams or cries for help, crushing any further screams in his throat.

The sheer force sent the man crashing backward, slamming heavily against the wall with a loud bang, shaking loose a shower of plaster dust.

All of this happened in the span of a single breath—so fast it was suffocating.

The other black-clad man, standing guard at the door, hadn’t even recovered from the shock of his companion suddenly being countered.

In the blink of an eye, an even faster black shadow descended from the rafters like a ghost.