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Chapter 48: Gone Mad

Every night, the guards of the Yu family would patrol the surroundings at regular intervals. Today, they found a pile of crumpled oil paper used for wrapping pancakes in the corner of a nearby street.

Finding it suspicious, the guards immediately reported it to Lord Yu Huanchen.

“Somebody has been watching here day and night. The target is likely me.”

Lord Yu Huanchen touched the oil paper, flicked away the crumbs of dough from his fingertips, and said, “Search the surroundings carefully.”

The guards obeyed, and within the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, they had results. Seven or eight yards away, hidden among miscellaneous items at the end of an alley, there were two or three drops of blood.

“The blood is still fresh, not more than half an hour old.”

The guard reported, “However, there are no signs of a fight in the vicinity, and no wounded or corpses are seen.”

Lord Yu Huanchen furrowed his heroic brows. Did the person escape, or were they thoroughly cleaned up? Was it someone from the Eastern Palace or the Eunuch faction? Regardless of which faction the assailant belonged to, it was evident that the intruder meant harm…

Thinking of his wife and younger sister who happily set out in a carriage, Lord Yu Huanchen’s face changed.

“Not good.”

He suddenly stood up, striding quickly, “Prepare the horses!”

…

The sun had not yet completely set, but stepping outside brought a wave of heat. Su Guan took Yu Lingxi to the Ice Pavilion to sit for a while, enjoying two bowls of yangmei ice drink and guava compote. As the sun rolled down the roof and the evening breeze rose, they returned home in a carriage.

On the table in the carriage, a bronze ice mirror emitted a trace of cool air, freezing a newly made grape yogurt.

Ning Yin often bought grapes that were quite sour; he ate them without changing his expression. Yu Lingxi, however, found them too sour. Coincidentally, the grape yogurt at the Ice Pavilion was in season, with a sweet and milky fragrance, much tastier than what she bought. Su Guan picked up a portion to bring back for her husband to try.

“Sui Sui, do you think this ice jade looks better with the fresh green tassels or the indigo blue ones?”

Su Guan held up several tassel styles, looking somewhat hesitant.

Yu Lingxi closed the ice mirror with his slender hand, took two tassels, and compared them. “Fresh green is refreshing, but as a military commander, older brother prefers the stability of indigo blue.”

Before the words fell, the carriage driver abruptly halted the carriage with a “whoosh.” The carriage jerked to a sudden stop.

Yu Lingxi and Su Guan bumped into each other, both making a light grunt.

“Young Madam, Miss.”

“Madam, Miss,” Qingxiao said outside the carriage, “There’s been a carriage accident ahead, blocking the way. I’ve ordered someone to clear the scene. Please wait a moment, Madam and Miss.”

Yu Lingxi lifted the carriage curtain and looked ahead.

About ten feet away, a cart selling melons collided with an ox cart full of soybeans. Melons and beans scattered in various colors, attracting a group of children and beggars to scramble for them, creating chaos.

The Yu family’s carriage was stuck on a stone bridge connecting Xuanping Street and Yongning Street. The bridge was narrow, making it difficult for the carriage and horses to turn around. On the canal bank below the bridge, willow branches swayed like smoke.

A servant from the Xue residence wiped the sweat from his jaw, looked around, and said, “Young Master, the bridge is blocked. Shall we take another route?”

Xue Cen sat upright, his clear and elegant face showing no signs of impatience. He looked towards the Yu family carriage stuck on the bridge. The servant knew that his master’s eccentricity had recurred and couldn’t help but sigh heavily. He leaned against the carriage, waiting for the road to clear, fanning himself with his sleeve.

The setting sun cast a golden light on the water of the Yongning Canal.

An unidentified bird flew over the water, perching on the willow tree by the bridge.

Seeing Yu Lingxi continuously gazing at the melon vendor and the ox cart owner arguing at the bridgehead, Su Guan comforted, “Don’t worry, the bridge will clear soon. It won’t delay our return to the mansion.”

Yu Lingxi’s eyes were bathed in the warm light of the setting sun, incredibly charming as she thoughtfully said, “I’m not worried about that.”

She just found it a bit strange.

A cart of melons and a cart of beans weren’t significant cargo, so why would they need five or six strong men to transport them?

As they argued at the bridgehead, it seemed they weren’t bothered by the melons and beans scattered on the ground. Instead, their eyes kept glancing in the direction of the Yu family carriage. Moreover, in such hot weather, ordinary laborers would roll up their sleeves and loosen their clothes, but these people were dressed quite tightly…

In an instant, Yu Lingxi had a very ominous intuition.

She dropped the carriage curtain and shouted, “Qingxiao, quickly! Get off the bridge!”

But it was too late. An arrow pierced through the carriage curtain, buzzing as it landed at Yu Lingxi’s feet.

Using arrows as signals, the melon farmers and laborers who had pretended to argue a moment ago all revealed a murderous intent. They pulled out hidden blades from under the cart, first cutting down the two guards in front, then rushing towards the carriage!

Qingxiao immediately drew his sword, shouting, “Protect the Miss and Madam!”

The sturdy carriage walls were destroyed by eight-clawed copper hooks, and wooden fragments splintered instantly. Yu Lingxi and Su Guan were exposed in front of the assailants. The crowd witnessing everything scattered in shock. Those who could run, ran for their lives, while others hurried to report to the authorities.

Ten yards away on the bank, the servant from the Xue family shivered with fear. Trembling, he said, “Yo-Young Master, there’s an assassination attempt… Young Master?!”

The carriage was empty. Where was Xue Erlang?

…

For Ning Yin from his past life, assassination attempts were a common occurrence. Even the carriage he rode in was specially modified. With a press of a mechanism, the carriage’s surroundings would be fortified with copper walls and iron barriers, leaving only a narrow slit for air—a defense capable of withstanding any covert attacks with blades and swords.

Back then, Yu Lingxi often muttered that the carriages of the Regent’s Palace were like coffins.

Now, how she longed for Ning Yin’s invincible “coffin.”

Seeing two women in the carriage instead of Lord Yu Huanchen, the assailants were somewhat surprised but had no time to consider much. The arrow was on the string, and only killing would silence witnesses.

As the sound of the arrow cutting through the air reached them, Yu Lingxi instinctively reached out to protect the stunned Su Guan, pressing her down on the carriage floor.

Immediately, a piercing pain shot through her left arm, and fresh blood gushed out, staining the smoke-colored silk cloak.

“Sui Sui!”

Su Guan beneath her widened her eyes, frightened tears welling up. “You’re hurt!”

“The arrow just grazed me. I’m fine.”

Yu Lingxi signaled Su Guan not to move. Her beautiful almond eyes remained clean and composed, and she endured the pain, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, sister-in-law.”

Su Guan was the happiness that eluded her brother in her past life and was finally fulfilled in this life. Yu Lingxi would not allow anyone to harm her.

“Take Miss and Madam and go!”

Qingxiao desperately held back the continuously surging assassins, shouting at the carriage driver. As the carriage driver picked up the reins, the horse was startled by the arrow and reared up with a neigh. The carriage shaft broke, and everything inside the carriage was forcefully thrown out.

Su Guan, protected by Yu Lingxi, rolled off the carriage and was quickly pulled up by the remaining guards of the Yu family.

However, with an injured arm, Yu Lingxi couldn’t climb or hold on. She was forcefully thrown out of the carriage and fell straight towards the canal under the bridge.

“Sui Sui!”

“Younger sister!”

In that moment, as if frozen in time, Xue Cen, amidst the dispersing crowd, moved against the current like a fish, desperately reaching out towards the falling Yu Lingxi.

But it was too far, too far.

He could only watch helplessly as Yu Lingxi, like a butterfly with broken wings, disappeared into the splashing water. Xue Cen paused for a moment, then, regardless of everything, rushed towards the canal embankment but was promptly held back by a servant who had arrived in time.

“Young Master, you can’t!”

The servant used all his strength, fearing that Xue Cen might endanger his life by falling into the lake. He shouted, “You can’t swim, have you forgotten?!”

“Let go!”

Xue Cen, a refined and gentle aristocrat, somehow found the strength. He pushed the servant away and jumped into the canal.

Closing his eyes, enduring the fear of water, he stiffly moved his legs, wading through the chest-deep water towards the direction where Yu Lingxi had fallen.

“Young Master… Young Master, open your eyes and look!”

The servant also jumped down, grabbing Xue Cen’s white sleeve, “No need for you to go. Someone has already rescued Miss Yu Lingxi!”

Xue Cen opened his eyes and saw that the black-clad youth had appeared out of nowhere, jumped off the bridge, and pulled Yu Lingxi out. He appeared so timely and acted so decisively.

In the lingering light of the setting sun, the drenched Yu Lingxi clung to the young man’s shoulder in an extremely trusting posture, like a pair of mandarin ducks enduring storms and bloodshed.

Xue Cen, pale-faced, stood stiffly in the water. The rippling water lifted his precious white silk robe, creating a dispersing mist-like effect. He had known his second sister for ten years, but it seemed that he was forever a step too late.

“Young Master?” The servant supported him cautiously.

Xue Cen moved his lips, hoarsely saying, “Let’s go.”

He turned laboriously, supported himself on the embankment, and then suddenly slipped back into the water. With empty hands and weak strength, in a brief moment, he didn’t even have the energy to climb ashore.

For some reason, the hidden archers behind the roof suddenly ceased their ambush. Then, the lifeless bodies of three crossbowmen rolled down from behind the roof, crashing heavily on the ground, without a sound.

Ning Yin carried Yu Lingxi ashore and gently laid her against a willow tree.

“Wei Qi.”

Yu Lingxi’s clear and wet muslin dress clung to her body, becoming even more translucent, revealing a delicate color like condensed snow.

Despite her disheveled appearance, the gaze she cast toward him was filled with a smiling expression, as if she was unafraid of blades and rain, brimming with a gentle trust. Dripping water from his lower jaw, Ning Yin stared at her sparkling eyes for a long time. Then, he untied his outer robe and draped it over her.

“Why didn’t you float on the water?”

His voice was low and gentle, a prelude to his hidden anger.

“I-I forgot…”

Yu Lingxi clutched the wooden box tightly in her hands, containing the jade she had chosen for Ning Yin. When the horse was startled, many things were thrown out, and without any support, she instinctively grabbed this box with ink-black jade.

“And the grape yogurt…”

Thinking of the overturned bronze ice mirror, regret filled her tone.

Her arm was numb and unresponsive. The wooden box slipped from her hand and rolled on the ground.

Wanting to pick it up, Yu Lingxi felt a sudden dizziness and tumbled forward. Ning Yin caught her in time. Frowning, he pulled off the cloak that obstructed her left arm, revealing the bleeding wound.

The color of the blood was wrong, tinged with purple and red.

“How did you get injured?” Ning Yin’s voice suddenly became hoarse.

“Grazed by an arrow…”

Before Yu Lingxi could finish her sentence, Ning Yin tore open the thin fabric on her arm, tying a strip of cloth around her upper arm to stop the blood flow. 

Then he bent down, pressing his pale lips against her wound. 

Her wound felt scorching hot, making Ning Yin’s lips seem ice-cold in contrast. Not pausing too long to dwell on it, a sudden intense pain brought her thoughts back. Ning Yin forcefully sucked, spitting out a mouthful of purple-red blood.

Yu Lingxi, breathing rapidly, guessed from Ning Yin’s excessively cold complexion that the assassin’s arrow must have been poisoned.  Ning Yin didn’t give up; he continued with the second mouthful, then the third…

The poisoned blood sprayed onto the black jade materials spilled from the wooden box, creating a mysterious and beautiful red hue.

Yu Lingxi remembered in her past life, after she died, Ning Yin wiped out the Zhao family. Facing the ancient jade her uncle held with trembling hands, he simply chuckled lightly, “I heard that jade nourished by human blood is truly a rare treasure.”

It turns out it was true.

“Jade nourished by human blood is indeed beautiful.”

Surprisingly, Yu Lingxi still had the mood to make jokes, raising her finger to gently wipe away the blood splatter at the corner of his eye. Her hand trembled too much, and the bloodstain, the size of a red bean, became dirtier as she wiped.

She gave up altogether, resting her forehead on Ning Yin’s shoulder, asking softly, “Wei Qi, am I going to die?”

Ning Yin’s half-lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, then he looked up.

Against the shimmering ripples, his lips, stained with deep purple blood, and his eyes, like this piece of jade, dark, cold, and revealing a mysterious shade of red. Yu Lingxi had no strength left to see what those things churning in his eyes were.

Numbness spread along her arm, disturbing her senses.

“Ning Yin, I have never asked you for anything…”

The evening breeze gently brushed by; her eyelashes quivered, soft and intermittent as if extremely thirsty, she said, “If I die, can you not… hide me in a secret room? I’m afraid of the dark.”

“Hush, be quiet.”

Ning Yin suddenly pressed his finger against her lips.

His lip touched her ear, persistent yet gentle, “Miss won’t die. No one can make you die.”

Yu Lingxi, who disliked bloodiness, hadn’t seen him kill anyone for a long time.

But…

“Close your eyes.”

Ning Yin covered Yu Lingxi’s eyes with his hand and said slowly, “I’ll clear the way.”

Yu Lingxi’s feather-like eyelashes lightly fluttered in his palm, then she obediently nodded, “Okay.”

Ning Yin tucked her wet hair behind her ear, stood up, and walked towards the flashes of blades and shadows on the bridge. Quietly, Yu Lingxi opened her eyes. In her blurred vision, she saw the assassins’ corpses falling down the bridge like a blossoming dumpling, plunging into the water.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

People like Ning Yin, the more out of control, the calmer their faces became.

He saved the assassin with the poisoned crossbow for last, lifting the hanging sword tip and pointing it at the terrified bridge of the man’s nose.

“Which hand injured her? The left arm?”

The assassin tried to run, but felt a chill in his left arm. He widened his eyes, seeing his arm, along with the crossbow, soaring into the air, creating a bloody arc under the setting sun.

Ning Yin stepped forward slowly, pinning the man under his foot, shifting the sword tip to the right, “Or, the right arm?”

A scream echoed on the bridge, followed by the left leg, right leg…

The blood splatter adorned Ning Yin’s pale and handsome face, blooming in his dark eyes, exquisite yet mad. For the first time, he killed not for pleasure but out of anger.

And the anger originated from the panic of almost losing Yu Lingxi.

He used to think that death was the least significant thing in this world. Even if something precious died, it can remain frozen after death if he wishes, seemingly no different from being alive.

But when Yu Lingxi asked, “Am I going to die?” he, the heartless one, became clumsy, only able to conceal panic with silence.

Her eyes were clear and beautiful, her voice gentle yet firm, and when she smiled, it seemed like even her strands of hair were glowing…

If she died, all of this would be gone.

Falling stars turned into a scorched black meteorite. Only by living in the night sky could they emit radiance. 

Ning Yin stabbed his sword into the motionless and dilapidated corpse, his lips curling into a smile. He finally understood one thing: Yu Lingxi was different.

Even if everyone died and turned into ashes, she had to live forever, proud and radiant. 

In less than half a teacup’s time, only Qingxiao was left standing on the bridge. Ning Yin turned his beautiful face to look at him, his eyes, tainted with blood, revealed a red glow against the light.

Even this seasoned loyal guard couldn’t help but step back, swallowed hard, and said, “Wei Qi, you…”

Qingxiao’s eyes went black, falling to the ground in a faint.

The last glow of the evening sun gathered, and darkness invaded from the northwest. When Yu Huanchen arrived at Yongning Bridge with his guards, this was the scene he saw. After the fierce battle, the wreckage stood tall, and the Yongning canal rippled with bodies submerged, casting a rouge color denser than the remaining sunlight.

The streets and the bridge were devoid of any living creature.

The young man named Wei Qi, holding his unconscious and injured sister, walked steadily. The wind lifted the corners of his neatly dark clothing, as if he were crossing not a bridge filled with corpses but a beautiful flower field.

He was a god and a demon.

This kind of oppressive feeling was not something an ordinary guard could have.

Yu Huanchen quickly dismounted, first finding the frightened Su Guan at the end of the bridge. He reached out to check her breathing, letting out a relieved breath, “Wei Qi, put Yu Lingxi down. I will take her…”

Ning Yin didn’t pause his steps; with Yu Lingxi, he mounted the horse and, with a backhand slap on the horse’s backside, disappeared into the distance.

Yu Huanchen held his wife, unable to break free to chase. He couldn’t help but frown: where did he want to take Yu Lingxi?!

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