"Did you hear that? Green tea bitch? All your lifelong scheming was in vain! Empty efforts, all for naught!" Mei Qing mocked Yu Zi mercilessly.
"You damn girl! If I'd known earlier, I would have killed you with a single palm strike!" Yu Zi's face turned ferocious, and she lunged at Mei Qing with her sword.
Mei Qing flinched and quickly dodged. Yu Zi's sword struck the wall, sparks flying as the tip scraped against it.
"Yu Zi! Stop!" Gu Canglan roared, "If you dare to harm my wife and children even a little, I will die immediately!"
Having been afflicted with the same-life蛊 (Gu), if he died, Yu Zi would, even if she survived, have her body rot and become infested with maggots, ultimately turning into a living dead person.
Yu Zi spun around, landed, and shouted furiously, "Gu Canglan, you are so heartless and unjust!"
"Heartless and unjust, only towards you," Granny Wu chuckled coldly.
Yu Zi glared venomously at Granny Wu, aiming to strike at her heart, "How is it? Nangong Ruoli, your daughter gave birth to a bastard for the ruler of an enemy nation. Doesn't that feel great?"
Prince Yu sneered, "Your wishful thinking is misguided. I am not the son of the Great Xia Emperor; I am an orphan of the Baili family!"
"What did you say?" Yu Zi was clearly taken aback. Black-faced Fox, residing here, had not informed her of such a crucial matter!
Prince Yu's face was full of mockery, "I said, I am an orphan of the Baili family, not some Great Xia prince!"
Yu Zi's complexion turned uglier. She looked at Consort Mei and mocked, "You are quite promiscuous. As the Emperor's woman, you dare to hook up with wild men."
Consort Mei smiled triumphantly, striking back at Yu Zi's vulnerability, "Baili Rong Mo is no wild man. He loves me very much. Unlike you, who loved my father so much but could never have him in your entire life."
"You—" Yu Zi trembled with rage.
Bai Sheng took out a few pills and said to Gu Canglan, "Grand-teacher, these are painkillers and hemostatic Gu medicine. You take them first, then we can capture this damned Yu Zi."
"Alright," Gu Canglan opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine.
Yu Zi's expression changed drastically. She immediately tightened her grip on her sword and became vigilant.
Bai Sheng turned to Consort Mei and Prince Yu, "Alright, now we'll trap the dog in the house!"
With that, he immediately took out a packet of anesthetic and threw it towards Yu Zi.
Yu Zi did not dodge, smiling sinisterly, "I've been testing poisons since birth and am already immune to all poisons. What are your anesthetics to me?"
"Then behold my sword!" Bai Sheng shouted sternly.
Prince Yu and Mei Qing also drew their swords and pressed towards Yu Zi.
Yu Zi's expression turned panicked. She retreated a few steps. As Bai Sheng and the other two attacked her, she suddenly released a cloud of poisonous smoke, and while the three were evading, she disappeared.
Bai Sheng coughed a few times, took out some antidote pills, and fed one to each of them.
Outside, Qing Yu and the other two were locked in combat with five or six thugs.
Zuo Ye and Black-faced Fox were in a fierce standoff. Black-faced Fox swiftly ascended to the rooftop, and Lu Ye followed closely.
Upon reaching the rooftop, Black-faced Fox suddenly turned, his sword light aimed directly at Zuo Ye's throat. Zuo Ye stabilized his stance, his body leaning back like a weak willow. Black-faced Fox's sword grazed his face and continued forward due to inertia.
Zuo Ye seized the opportunity, pulled out a dagger, and plunged it fiercely into Black-faced Fox's chest.
Wounded, Black-faced Fox fell heavily forward. Just as he was about to touch the rooftop, he suddenly straightened his waist and his feet landed steadily on the roof again.
He propped himself up with his sword, glaring at Zuo Ye, and demanded, "Who exactly are you?" Although this person wore a mask, his martial arts gave him a very familiar feeling. He had only encountered such a master once in his life, and that person was a teenager, a true martial arts prodigy.
In fact, Lu Ye had the same feeling. He felt as if he had seen some of Black-faced Fox's moves before. "And who are you?"
"Black-faced Fox!" Black-faced Fox said heavily, and once again thrust his sword towards Zuo Ye.
Zuo Ye leaped into the air, like a black swallow, and flitted behind Black-faced Fox, drawing his sword horizontally and sweeping it fiercely.
Black-faced Fox suddenly spun sideways, dodging Lu Ye's sword. As his feet were on tiles, he lost his balance, tilted his body, and fell towards the void in the courtyard.
Zuo Ye thrust his sword vertically towards him. Due to Zuo Ye's lightning speed, the sword directly pierced Black-faced Fox's back shoulder, penetrating through to his back.
Black-faced Fox let out a miserable cry and tried desperately to thrust his sword at Zuo Ye. Zuo Ye drew his sword and dodged.
Black-faced Fox stumbled back a few steps, blood gushing from his wounded shoulder.
At this moment, Qing Yu and the other two had eliminated the six thugs and immediately rushed over to assist Zuo Ye.
Injured, Black-faced Fox intended to escape but was ensnared by the three holding a large net.
In the main hall, the Crown Prince, with an unknown foul-smelling sock stuffed in his mouth and his limbs bound, was tied to a pillar, howling in terror.
After Qing Yu and the other two had securely bound Black-faced Fox, Zuo Ye used his sword to pull off his mask.
Seeing the face beneath the mask, Zuo Ye was greatly astonished. "It's you?!"
Black-faced Fox was actually Duan Wushang, the dean of Tianxiao Martial Academy! This person had hidden himself so deeply!
No wonder Duan Wushang had sent him to assassinate Prince Yu back then! Because Duan Wushang was allied with the Empress and the Crown Prince!
Duan Wushang's face was pale. Enduring the intense pain, he looked at Zuo Ye and said, "You must be Lu Ye. In this world, besides him, no one else can defeat me."
"I go by Zuo now," Zuo Ye smiled faintly, reaching up to remove his mask. "Dean Duan, long time no see?"
"It really is you," Duan Wushang smiled helplessly. "After a few years, you've gone from an unknown poor boy to someone in the Princess's favor. Not bad."
Zuo Ye sneered, "Who said I'm in the Princess's favor? I, Zuo Ye, am just an ordinary martial artist. Besides my wife, I belong to no one. As for you, you colluded with the Empress, gave birth to the Crown Prince, and tried to usurp the Great Xia empire. You certainly have a lot of nerve."
Duan Wushang tilted his head, his neck stiffened. "The winner takes all. I am your defeated opponent. Whether you kill me or skin me, it's up to you!"
"The Empress and the Crown Prince have repeatedly sent assassins after us, and my wife killed the Empress. You will surely not let my wife off. Therefore, it's either you die or I die between us!" Zuo Ye said calmly, but his gaze was incredibly sharp.
Hearing Lu Ye's words, the Crown Prince beside him struggled desperately, whimpering, "Father, Father, save me, save your son, I don't want to die, sob..."
Duan Wushang looked at his son, a flicker of contemplation in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said to Zuo Ye, "If you spare my son's life, I will tell you a secret."
"Your son is the former Crown Prince, and his life is very valuable. Is the secret you are about to tell me worth his life?" Zuo Ye smiled.
Duan Wushang said, "This secret is related to the Princess's mother, Meng Liangyuan. It's a weapon that can control the Princess and Xia Hongqian. Do you think it's important?"
Zuo Ye's eyes flickered slightly. "Speak!"
Duan Wushang looked at the three of Qing Yu.
"They are all my people and can be trusted," Zuo Ye said softly.
Just as Duan Wushang was about to speak, three women and one man suddenly walked from the backyard.