Chapter 333: Chapter 323 Assassination
The night was deep, and just as Fengyu was overwhelmed with anxiety, a green signal suddenly flared up within Jiaozhou City. Fengyu’s heart sank as she realized that Xie Xun must have been delayed by something, leading him to send the signal near midnight. The trusted aides in the city had also yet to send a signal, which likely implied his safety.
Fengyu’s anxious heart finally settled. She didn’t know exactly what was happening in Jiaozhou City, but she desperately wished to be by his side, sharing life and death together.
A stick of incense after the signal was sent, Fengyu removed the Soul Suppressing Pearl. She and Xie Xun hadn’t exchanged souls for quite some time. As soon as the pearl was taken off, the world spun madly, and Fengyu’s soul crossed into Xie Xun’s body, leaving her nearly unable to steady herself. She looked closely and found herself in a guestroom that seemed very comfortable, with a layout distinctly bearing Jiangnan characteristics. Inside the room, there was a Su-style embroidered screen, and Xie Xun had originally been sitting on a warm couch reading a book.
Fengyu glanced at its contents and realized it was a collection of stories written by those pretentious scholars who ridiculed him. They portrayed Xie Xun as rebellious and bloodthirsty, accusing him of planning a massacre in Jiaozhou City. Yet here he was, leisurely sitting on the warm couch, reading stories disparaging himself.
This was an agreement between Fengyu and Xie Xun: upon seeing the signal, they were to exchange souls within a stick of incense’s time. This served as their hidden ace. No matter what happened inside the city, Xie Xun would at least be able to communicate something.
Fengyu knew full well that countless eyes within the State Mansion would be fixed on her. Now that she was in Xie Xun’s form, she feared being exposed, so she simply chose to stay in the room and wait.
Outside the city.
After Xie Xun’s soul entered Fengyu’s body, he quickly unfolded a letter paper. As he ground ink and started writing, he instructed, "Someone, summon Feiying to come and serve."
"Yes!" Chunlu and Qiuxiang, who were attending outside, heard the order to call Feiying and quickly went to summon him. Feiying entered hastily. "Miss, what are your instructions?"
Xie Xun slightly raised his eyes and glanced at him. Just one look was enough for Feiying to recognize him. "Master!"
During the initial soul exchanges between Fengyu and Xie Xun, Fengyu proved adept at acting, imitating Xie Xun so vividly that it was hard to distinguish between them. Feiying had once fallen for the deception, but after closely observing them and learning from his mistake, he could now distinguish them without error. He, along with Nuanyang, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu, had received no news of this soul exchange. Likely, the master feared too many people knowing would risk leaking information, leaving only him and Fengyu in the loop.
Xie Xun finished writing a letter, sealed it with beeswax, and handed it to Feiying. "Deliver this to Second Brother overnight—urgent as if traveling eight hundred miles. Make sure this letter doesn’t fall into anyone else’s hands. If you can’t protect it, swallow it before you die!"
"Rest assured, Master. As long as I’m alive, the letter stays safe!" Feiying knelt and kowtowed. "Feiying will not fail the mission!"
"Keep the noise down when leaving the camp."
"Understood!"
Back in Jiaozhou City, Fengyu paced anxiously in the room, her footsteps betraying her inner turmoil. Suddenly, a voice rang out from outside. "Young Marquis, come out! It’s time to settle debts—both grudges and grievances!"
Fengyu’s heart skipped a beat. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, yet she couldn’t immediately recall where she’d heard it before.
"Whatever the matter, let’s discuss it tomorrow!" Fengyu thought to herself, determined to stall for time. Xie Xun, worried about her safety in the city, would surely return quickly.
But what Fengyu hadn’t anticipated was the person outside abruptly kicking the door open. A sword-wielding figure appeared right in front of her. Fengyu blurted out, "Li Pengfei?"
How was he in Jiaozhou City?
"Young Marquis, why do you look so alarmed upon seeing me? Didn’t we meet during the day?" Li Pengfei sneered coldly. Behind him stood several soldiers from the State Mansion. "Even if Lin Helin is in the city, I can still take your life!"
As soon as Li Pengfei finished speaking, his figure lunged forward, and his longsword darted straight for Fengyu’s neck.
Fengyu’s pupils contracted, and she shifted her body slightly to the side. The Sword Qi narrowly grazed her shoulder. She countered, drawing Xie Xun’s longsword to block Li Pengfei’s second strike. Just as she parried the attack, her vision blurred as three State Mansion soldiers wielding long knives charged at her simultaneously.
Fengyu kicked down the screen to shield against the knives, but one blade pierced through the screen and lodged in her arm. Pain surged through her as Li Pengfei’s longsword neared her neck once again. A sharp murderous aura bore down on her, and she swiftly fled outside, all the while consumed by a singular thought:
If Xie Xun’s soul happened to return at that exact moment, in just the blink of an eye, Li Pengfei’s longsword would pierce his throat.