“Give the sword to you?”
Chu Shao looked directly into Xiao Jin’s eyes, with a smile on her lips. “Why?”
It was only at this moment that Chu Shao realized that she could still hear Xiao Jin’s heartbeat. The rhythm was extremely regular, like the beat of an urgent drum.
At first, such a heartbeat made her feel insincere, but now, looking at Xiao Jin’s forced calm eyes, she suddenly found it very interesting.
She even wanted to reach out and place her hand on Xiao Jin’s heart, curious whether this area would beat even more wildly because of her proximity.
Xiao Jin didn’t find it interesting at all. On the contrary, her mind was full of shock and doubt.
Since the female lead’s martial arts were so high that she could instantly kill dozens of masters, why didn’t she just secretly escape on the way?
She found it ridiculous and even had a speculation: perhaps Chu Shao felt that it was all the same wherever she went, so she simply didn’t bother to run away.
Although Xiao Jin didn’t understand Chu Shao’s peculiar way of thinking, the only thing she knew was that if she couldn’t give this person a convincing answer, she would probably be finished here today.
Fortunately, she had already figured out how to answer before she spoke.
Chu Shao looked directly into Xiao Jin’s eyes, making her feel even more pressure.
But she was always good at lying with her eyes open. Even facing Chu Shao’s gaze, she tried to shift her focus to the mole on the other’s face and said calmly, “In less than the time it takes to burn incense, the Shenji Camp’s cavalry will arrive at Fuhua Street.”
This was the dawn of Xiao Jin’s hard-fought battle with Chu Shao. As long as she could hold on for a few more minutes, she would win.
After hearing this, Chu Shao smiled, but still did not put down her sword. “I understand all that, so what?”
Chu Shao believed that her sword was faster than the Shenji Camp’s cavalry, but seeing Xiao Jin’s nonsense, she felt truly delighted.
Xiao Jin now was a very interesting person, more interesting than many people, so she wanted to tease her a bit more.
In the distance, dust was flying, and the faint sound of galloping horses could be heard.
Xiao Jin was overjoyed in her heart, but her face remained unchanged as she continued, “So…”
Then she reached out and gently covered Chu Shao’s sword-holding hand with her palm. Her skin was covered in blood, cool and slippery, as if she had touched a barren swamp.
Xiao Jin was well aware that approaching a cold-blooded killer like her was very dangerous. But even more dangerous was that this madman was smiling and staring at her.
However, Xiao Jin had trained her psychological endurance.
The closer she was to the brink of life and death, the more calm she became. She could even feel Chu Shao’s hand trembling.
So she was sure that she was looking forward to her reply.
Xiao Jin lowered her head and leaned close to Chu Shao’s ear, whispering, “So these people could only have been killed by the prince. Not you, the princess.”
With that, she pried open Chu Shao’s fingers that were gripping the sword handle and took the bloody sword.
For a moment, Chu Shao was stunned, letting Xiao Jin take the sword from her hand.
The meaning of her words was clear: Xiao Jin had just wiped away the blood to remove evidence of her killing. Taking the sword away now was also meant to cover up the fact that she had martial arts skills.
These actions were indeed what accomplices should do.
Chu Shao was just a little confused. She had only been with Xiao Jin for a day and there was no reason for her to help her to such an extent.
But if it was to stay alive, she believed it.
The surviving guards stood still, staring dumbfoundedly at Chu Shao and Xiao Jin, as if they were in a daze.
As soldiers of the Shenji Camp, being attacked and failing to protect their lord was a grave crime that would make them feel like dying a thousand times over.
But when they saw the princess holding an ordinary sword and easily disposing of all the assassins, the shock in their hearts was indescribable.
“Is this the princess from the fallen kingdom that the prince married? She’s like a reincarnated Valkyrie!”
The guards were completely unaware, but Xiao Jin was even more confused.
Chu Shao’s character had completely fallen apart and was irreparable. She still couldn’t figure out why Chu Shao’s strength had skyrocketed and her personality had drastically changed.
Even in a rebirth story, the female lead wasn’t this powerful in the final showdown.
Xiao Jin fell into deep self-doubt: “Was the version I read back then a pirated copy?”
Before she could fully understand what went wrong, the coachman drove the carriage back with a hundred cavalrymen from the Divine Machinist Corps, beaming with joy.
Xiao Jin’s heart remained unmoved, and she even felt a hint of laughter.
Chu Shao had already finished the fight alone, so now they had come to support her. They were probably only here to collect the dead bodies.
This was not the ending she had ever expected.
The coachman, full of a sense of duty, led the cavalry to Fuqu Street and was about to report. But as soon as they got off the carriage, they found dead bodies all over the ground.
He looked at Xiao Jin, who was holding a sword, and then at Chu Shao, who was standing beside her with a smiling and friendly expression.
For a moment, his throat felt dry, and he didn’t know what to say.
“All these people… were killed by the prince?”
Although the coachman knew that Xiao Jin had practiced martial arts with the crown prince since childhood and was proficient in archery and riding, he still didn’t expect the prince, who had lost his legs and suffered from a serious illness, to be so heroic.
In fact, his heroism was somewhat unexpected.
At this moment, Xiao Jin was forced to hold the bloody long sword, feeling very desolate inside. However, she had to maintain the arrogant demeanor of the King of Yan on the surface and glanced at the cavalrymen: “You’re here.”
“…”
The cavalrymen looked at Xiao Jin, who was sitting in a wheelchair, and felt that although the prince had lost her legs, her inherent arrogance had not changed at all.
They had rushed to Fuqu Street at the fastest speed, but had still arrived too late. They had no choice but to bow and apologize, saying, “We are late and are willing to accept punishment!”
After the series of recent changes, Xiao Jin’s heart had become somewhat fragile. The sudden sound of hundreds of people had shaken her, and she couldn’t catch her breath, coughing up blood again while frowning.
As she coughed and thought, she wondered if these people were trying to assassinate her because they were afraid she hadn’t died yet.
The cavalry looked at the former commander, who had become so weak, and sighed in their hearts. They even suspected that they didn’t know who had collected all the bodies in this area.
However, Xiao Jin would not give them any chance to doubt her. After coughing, she put down her silk handkerchief and slowly said, “Although I have already dealt with the assassins, since you are here, please help me collect the bodies.”
Hearing Xiao Jin’s words, the guards of the palace stood on the side, their eyelids twitching incessantly.
Under Xiao Jin’s half-lazy, half-threatening gaze, they dared not make a sound.
Unless they were crazy, they would not expose Xiao Jin’s lie at this moment and openly slap her face.
The cavalry was also stunned. They were all elite soldiers of the Shenji Battalion with excellent combat capabilities. The Prince of Yan had summoned them just to clear the bodies?
Although they knew that the Prince of Yan was always arrogant and domineering, this was too childish. If the Imperial Censorate was informed, who knows how long they would be criticized.
Xiao Jin couldn’t be bothered to explain too much to the cavalry, she just said to them, “These assassins had planned for a long time to assassinate me. So you just need to take the bodies to the Dali Temple. I want to see what the Dali Temple officials can find out.”
In fact, she didn’t expect the Dali Temple to find out anything. After all, in the original work, the Dali Temple officials were also supporters of the Crown Prince.
She currently did not know who was behind this assassination attempt, but the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince were the most likely suspects.
Earlier in the study, she did not agree with the male lead’s opinion and instead contradicted him. Perhaps this has offended the male lead, so it is highly possible that he sent assassins to test her.
As for the Fourth Prince, although he is naive and foolish, he at least has a grudge against her for stealing his bride. A cornered dog will also jump over a wall; it is not impossible for him to try to assassinate her in a fit of anger.
However, the most suspicious point is that these assassins do not seem to want her life.
In this regard, the Crown Prince seems to be more suspicious.
After all, the original owner of the body was a supporter of the male lead. This assassination was probably just a warning to her and not meant to completely eliminate her.
So, Xiao Jin sent the body to the Dali Temple, which is a return gift to the Crown Prince, and also a way to test if the mastermind behind the assassination is the male lead.
But before the test…
Xiao Jin looked at the cavalry preparing to carry the body and stopped their actions in time: “Wait! Before you take it away, search their bodies for anything they might have on them.”
These Shenji Camp cavalry are not familiar with the usual procedures.
For large-scale activities like assassinations, the assassins will always leave some token or leverage on their bodies for the protagonist to discover.
Although Xiao Jin is not the protagonist, she is just an unimportant cannon fodder standing next to the female lead, so she feels that she can at least bask in the protagonist’s aura to some extent.
Don’t ask, she is familiar with the routine of online novels and can recite it backwards.
Although the cavalry were unwilling, they could not disobey Xiao Jin’s orders, so they had to put down the body and search them.
As Xiao Jin expected, after the search, a cavalryman found a token on the assassin’s body.
He held the token, wiped off the bloodstains with his sleeve, and respectfully presented it to Xiao Jin.
“Your Highness, I found this token on this person.”
At the same time, he was in awe of Xiao Jin, admiring her incredible insight and ability to foresee events.
Xiao Jin felt uneasy under the adoring gaze of the cavalryman, thinking to herself that these were just common knowledge points found in online novels, and there was nothing to worship.
Still, she pretended to be serious and nodded, taking the token.
She examined it closely, but could not discern any clues.
The token was made of bronze and engraved with a purple flower on the front. It seemed to have some age, with several scratches and marks from wear and tear.
This item must be a very important token, since even though the bronze had aged into ancient bronze, the owner of the token had not replaced it.
However, from the appearance alone, there was nothing suspicious about it.
Xiao Jin then took the token and sniffed it. She couldn’t smell anything strange when she lightly sniffed it, but as she got closer, she could smell not only the scent of blood but also a very pungent odor that made her feel suffocated.
After sniffing it for a moment, she frowned and decisively wrapped the token in a silk handkerchief, planning to study it slowly when she returned home.
Chu Shao stood beside the wheelchair, watching as Xiao Jin wrapped the token in a handkerchief with a slight hint of disdain.
Although she knew Xiao Jin was infamous as the “Ghost Reaper,” seeing her delicate and graceful behavior, she didn’t seem as hateful as the rumors suggested.
On the contrary, this little girl’s behavior was so skilled and natural that it was somewhat cute.
At this thought, Chu Shao’s smile gradually faded.
What does “cute” mean?
The so-called cuteness is naturally a praise for someone who can be deeply loved. But she neither loves nor wants to love anyone, so why does she think Xiao Jin is cute?
Chu Shao felt it was a bit absurd, but as she thought of the faint peppermint scent on Xiao Jin’s body, her mood became pleasant again.
With a soft smile still on her lips, she decided to find a way to preserve the fragrance before the bet ended.
Certainly, Chu Shao had initially wanted Xiao Jin to become a cold corpse lying obediently in a coffin.
But now, as she looked at the vibrant Xiao Jin, she suddenly changed her mind.
She now wanted Xiao Jin’s body to retain its warmth even after death. That kind of temperature should be very comfortable. Hot like a flame, desperate like a heartbeat, warm like lips.
Just thinking about it, Chu Shao’s hands were trembling a little. She was sure that she would indulge in this kind of pleasure.
On the other hand, after putting away the token, Xiao Jin also felt that there was something fishy about this. So she ordered the cavalry to bring one of the corpses back to the mansion.
After stealing the body and the token, she imitated the tone of the boss and casually admonished the cavalry and guards: “You are all people I trust. But if anyone dares to breathe a word about today’s affairs, I will make them experience the methods of the Yan Mansion.”
As for what methods the original owner had, she didn’t know, and could only let these poor employees imagine it themselves.
After doing all this, Xiao Jin looked down at the three corpses at her feet, remaining silent for a long time.
She had no relationship with these guards. One of them was still very young and in her era, would probably still be in school.
She had just told them not to risk their lives for her, but in the end, they still didn’t listen to her.
Xiao Jin didn’t know what kind of person the original owner was, but she could vaguely feel that these guards were willing to give their lives for her.
But the original owner has long been dead, and they were wronged in the end.
After looking at them for a long time, Xiao Jin finally looked away and said calmly to the guards, “Buy some good coffins and send them back to their hometowns for a decent burial.”
“Yes!”
Xiao Jin couldn’t help but sigh. The future tasks may become increasingly difficult.
But when she looked up and saw Chu Shao’s arm, she felt that she was thinking too much. The difficult part was not the future, but every passing moment.
Because Chu Shao’s wound not only stained with blood but also… turning black.
Oh no.
The sword was poisoned.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: -_-
TO BE CONTINUE…
Comment