Chapter 65: Some Are Blades, Some Are Shields
It was still unknown how Su Jin’s death would affect Liu Xueyin, but it certainly angered Prince Chen.
And his way of expressing that anger was just as decisive: he sent assassins to kill her.
Xiao Li had been going out frequently these past two days, so finding an opportunity to kill her wasn’t difficult. When she saw the assassins, Xiao Li was actually quite excited.
She wasn’t afraid of death. In fact, she was eager to find out what would happen if she died.
She couldn’t kill Liu Xueyin, but what if she died? Would she be able to leave then?
If she knew for certain that death meant leaving this world, Xiao Li would have cast aside all her grievances and slit her own throat on the spot.
But no one could give her a definite answer.
Her fear was that if she died, she wouldn’t leave this world at all. Instead, she’d be trapped once more, forced to relive that soul-crushing plot all over again.
That would truly be a fate worse than death.
"Princess, watch out!"
Yang Jun drew his sword, shielding her behind him, while the tall, powerfully built Rong Qing carved a path of destruction before them.
Xiao Li was so thoroughly protected that she didn’t need to lift a finger. Not even a drop of blood could reach her.
Watching Rong Qing fell a man with just a few slashes, Xiao Li finally got a direct look at the power of this Big Killer.
"Rong Qing, I need one alive."
’This is leverage the male lead just handed me. It wouldn’t be any fun if they all died.’
Hearing this, Rong Qing’s blade turned. He struck with the back of his blade, drawing blood but sparing the man’s life.
Xiao Li couldn’t help but praise, "Impressive Sword Skill."
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Yang Jun. He appeared expressionless, but his face had actually darkened considerably.
Xiao Li stepped out from her circle of protection to stand beside him, inhaling the pungent, metallic scent of blood.
"He’s very strong."
Yang Jun snapped back to his senses and glanced at her. He nodded. "Yes."
Xiao Li continued, "But you’re not bad either."
Yang Jun looked at her again, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Xiao Li raised a hand and patted his shoulder. "Some people are the sword that carves out new territory, and some are the shield that defends the walls. In my eyes, you and he are the same. There’s no need to be jealous of him, and no need to wallow in self-pity. You should be thinking about how to get stronger, and you should be praying that more valiant warriors like him flock to my side. Otherwise, when the storm comes, your only role will be to die with me."
Yang Jun felt a bit awkward having his petty thoughts laid bare so bluntly, but the deeper meaning in Xiao Li’s words sent a chill down his spine.
Judging by the way his master was stirring up trouble, it was truly impossible to say what the future held.
Take these assassins, for example. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle them, but he definitely couldn’t achieve the same kind of overwhelming victory as Rong Qing, especially not while protecting the Princess.
This was a group of less than ten. What if there were more?
One of the downed assassins, lying on the ground, refused to give up. He aimed his elbow at Xiao Li and fired a volley of three hidden blades.
Yang Jun shoved Xiao Li back and drew his sword to parry in one fluid motion. It all happened in a flash. Up ahead, Rong Qing, who was engaged with the last assassin, had no way of intervening.
Yang Jun suddenly understood his purpose. He and Rong Qing were the same, yet also different.
One was the sword, the other was the shield.
"Princess, this subordinate understands."
The five surviving assassins were bound with rope. Their limbs and jaws were dislocated, making it impossible for them to launch a surprise attack, or even to take their own lives.
Yang Jun asked, "Princess, should this subordinate take them back for interrogation, or send them to the Ministry of Justice?"
Xiao Li asked him, "Do you know how to torture them for information?"
Yang Jun nodded. "A little."
"A little won’t be enough." ’Besides, these are the male lead’s Death Warriors,’ she thought. ’They’re the type who wouldn’t betray their master even after a stint in the Imperial Prison.’
"There’s no need to interrogate them, and no need to torture them. Just lock them up and make sure no one can rescue them. Of course, if you’re really itching for some action, you can castrate them. Send one of their balls to Prince Chen each day."
All the guards present shuddered. On the ground, the five assassins’ eyes widened in terror. Unfortunately, with their jaws dislocated, they couldn’t speak, only drool uncontrollably.
Yang Jun: "..." He wasn’t particularly itching for action.
As a fellow man, the thought of that particular pain was simply terrifying.
But the Princess had given the order, so he knew what to do.
Of course, a ball a day was truly vicious. A provoked Prince Chen was also more likely to lash out and hurt people.
Hadn’t Su Jin previously questioned why she hadn’t visited Prince Chen? Xiao Li decided she would pay a visit to her dear Brother, and she would bring a specially made ’Great Nourishment’ medicinal wine.
Naturally, Xiao Li wouldn’t carry the gift herself. She gave it to Yang Jun, who passed it to Rong Qing with a pained expression.
Rong Qing, however, took it without batting an eye, as if its contents were of no consequence to him.
Yang Jun couldn’t help but glance at him in disbelief. ’Doesn’t that bother him at all? I’m impressed. A true man!’
"Princess, please leave! You are not welcome at our Prince Mansion!"
The guards of the Prince Mansion blocked their path, even drawing their blades.
Without Xiao Li having to say a word, Yang Jun and his men took action.
This was precisely why Xiao Li had brought them. She had been turned away at the Lu family’s door once before. She would not let anyone do that to her again.
"Stop!"
Prince Chen’s two guard Commanders, Nan Yin and Beifeng, strode forward side by side. Seeing their men lying all over the ground, their faces were filled with obvious anger, but they managed to suppress it.
"Princess, the Prince will see you."
Xiao Li was invited in, but she brought a full fifty guards with her.
It looked less like a sick visit and more like she was there to raid the mansion.
The two commanders, who knew the inside story, couldn’t help but twitch an eye. This princess truly wore her fear of death on her sleeve.
-----
"Brother, I’ve come to see you!"
Her voice was cheerful with a hint of playfulness. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought she was a younger sister who adored her older brother.
Xiao Jingyu watched coldly as Xiao Li entered with a smile, his eyes filled with scrutiny, killing intent, and a touch of wariness.
"Why did you kill Su Jin?"
Xiao Li’s smile faded slightly. "What a question, Brother... I killed her because she deserved it, of course. Didn’t Princess Chen tell you what Su Jin did to me?"
Xiao Li pulled back her sleeve to reveal her wrist. On her pale skin, the bruises from fingernails had yet to fade. "That maid of yours certainly loved you deeply. While Princess Chen came to question why I ruined Lu Yanzhi’s face, that maid was only concerned about you, the Prince. She demanded to know why I’d hurt you and insisted on dragging me here to kowtow and apologize. Look what she did to my wrist."
"It was just so painful, I had no choice but to kill her."
Xiao Li smiled as she sat down across from Xiao Jingyu. "You should be thanking me, Brother. For disrespecting and harming a princess, the law dictates she should have been tortured to death. I gave her a quick end, sparing her the suffering."
Xiao Jingyu crushed the teacup in his hand. "Xiao Xuanyang, she was my person! You have no respect for me at all."
’The male lead is throwing his weight around. How terrifying.’
Xiao Li sneered, grabbed the nearby teapot, and hurled it at him. The pot flew past his head, shattering to pieces on the floor.
"And who the hell are you that I should give you any respect?"