Her guards

Chapter 78 The Night Was Quiet Yet Noisy

Winter days are short and dark.

Two evening drumbeats signaled the approaching night, and darkness enveloped the capital.

High walls and deep courtyards concealed the lights inside, making the already quiet streets and alleys even more desolate.

The shadows swayed in the silence.

"Is this right here?"

"Someone saw that man drive his carriage into this alley."

"Shall we check it first?"

"What if we alert them?"

"Just do it."

"If there are no snakes, set fire to these grasses."

"Even under the emperor's nose, fires are inevitable in dry weather."

A figure stepped out from within the swaying shadows.

The long knife in his hand gleamed coldly in the darkness.

"Let me cut a handful of grass first..."

With a low voice, the person leaped into the alley ahead, but before they could climb the wall, a dark light came from the alley. With a muffled thud, the figure that had just jumped up to cut grass was split in two. The body, with its feet still on the ground, fell to the ground, and the head flew up and smashed backward.

one person.

Only one person came out of the alley.

The night was so dark that the person's face was obscured; only their thin figure was visible.

This sudden turn of events froze the shadows, which then tore apart, and more people brandished their swords and lunged at the newcomers.

The newcomer's slender figure blended seamlessly with the sword, radiating a soft light, like a spread net.

Some of the figures that rushed out were swept up and slammed against the wall, while others were tumbled and rolled along with them.

Swords flashed and blood flew everywhere. The net of sword light killed instantly wherever it passed. The dead did not even have time to scream. Only a dull commotion could be heard at the entrance of the dark alley.

……

.......
thump.

Yang Luo, who was writing indoors, stopped writing. She felt that she could hear some noise outside.

It sounded like chopping wood, and it sounded like mincing meat.

She sniffed; there was still a fishy smell...

She looked out the window. Night had enveloped the courtyard, and the lights from the house cast a dim yet warm glow in the yard. The neighboring courtyard was brighter.

The butcher couple over there had a larger yard because of their business, and they were busier at night than during the day.

As the thought flashed through his mind, an even louder thumping sound followed.

The knife chops the meat, bones, and cutting board.

Interspersed with the woman's urging voice.

"Hurry up, the fire isn't burning bright enough."

Yang Luo pursed his lips. Ah Sheng was being used as a laborer again, chopping wood or tending the fire at the butcher's house.

From the next room came the argument between Liu Chan and her senior brother, interspersed with Liu Changqing's comments and explanations. The family was so engrossed in the scriptures that they ignored the noise in the night.

Yang Luo took a sip of tea, then lowered his head and continued writing.

……

....
In the dimly lit alley, a figure leaped down from above, and before he landed, a knife flew out from the open door.

The man nimbly twisted in mid-air to dodge the flying knife, but the next moment a sharp pain came from his leg. However, his roar only rolled in his throat as another sharp knife pierced his throat.

Peach Blossom deftly wrapped a thick cloth around the man's neck, containing the gushing blood, and dragged the lifeless man into her house.

The sound of chopping meat rang out once again.

……

.......
Several figures rose and fell on the roof, but as an axe flashed, the figures fell like withered leaves.

Zhang Sheng followed closely behind, his tall figure gleaming with cold light as he pounced down.

A muffled thud sounded from behind the house in the dark night.

.......
.......
The gentle sound of the evening drum echoed through the night.

The shadows that had been swirling at the alley entrance had been torn apart, and seven or eight people lay on the ground, becoming deathly still shadows.

Meanwhile, the swift sword light continued to strike.

Under the light of the sword, the newcomer's body was covered in blood, some of it his own and others'.

Passing this person, you can see the peaceful lights of the houses in the alley.

Besides them, the other people who were sneaking around in other directions also failed to get close to the mansion, which clearly meant there were still people inside.

There's no grass here, just snakes!

"Walk."

A low growl came from the shadows in the distance.

With shouts, the remaining shadows retreated swiftly into the city. But a sword flashed like a shadow from behind, and with a muffled groan, the last man was pierced through the heart by the sword. The sword was then pulled out, and the tumbling figure was trampled and lay sprawled on the street.

The figure ahead turned around and looked at the figure flying over the corpses of his companions. Even in the dark, he could not hide his shock.

"They actually dared to chase after us?"

.......
.......
The longsword fell onto the bluestone pavement, making a soft clang in the dark night.

The figure rolled on his longsword, dodging a long saber, and then kicked the saber away with his leg that hadn't touched the ground. The longsword then plunged into the throat of the person who had turned around to attack.

The long sword fell to the ground with a piercing sound.

The man knelt down, his eyes wide open, lying face down on the ground, blood spreading on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, another piece of the surging shadow was torn away.

It couldn't really be called a shadow anymore; the palace lanterns swayed at the street corner ahead, their dim yellow light elongating the shadows of the five people standing on the street.

Four people in front, one person behind.

Why are you running away? Didn't you come looking for me?

This isn't a narrow alley; under the glow of the palace lanterns at the street corner, the view is no longer blurry.

The four people in front had their faces covered with black cloths, so only their eyes could be seen. But the thin figure holding the long sword raised his head and revealed his face.

The four people instinctively looked over at those words and froze instantly.

"It's you--"

"You're the one—"

They gasped in silence.

Sure enough, Mo Zheng reached out and touched her face, finding bloodstains on her cheeks.

These people now know what her face looks like behind her makeup.

“That’s right, I am the person you’re looking for,” Mo Zheng said. “Who sent you to kill me?”

The four remained silent, their eyes flickering, and their previously fleeing postures changed.

Tonight's efforts were initially in vain, but now we've actually managed to scare away a real snake—that's a huge achievement!

“Come with us, and you’ll see who it is,” one of them said.

Mo Zheng slightly turned her wrist, not answering, but continuing to ask, "You were the ones who murdered Jiang Wangchun, weren't you?"

The four men seemed to laugh.

"So what if it is?" one person said.

Mo Zheng said, "That's enough. I don't need to go with you. I just need to kill you all here—"

At this point, a smile appeared on his pale, blood-stained face. His hand trembled slightly, and in the dimly lit street, the four of them felt a blur before their eyes, and saw that the single sword had turned into two swords.

The two swords, their blades thinning and trembling slightly, emitted a buzzing sound. The next moment, the two swords transformed into streaks of light and surrounded the four people.

"kill him--"

Amidst the clanging of weapons, sparks flew across the street.

.......
....
As the last sound of the evening drum faded into the distance, the patrol leader, urging his horse forward, suddenly frowned.

"what sound?"

As he spoke, the guards behind him all looked in one direction.

The palace lanterns on the long street over there swayed and jumped.

.......
.......
The sound of running footsteps echoed through the streets.

The black cloth covering the man's face had fallen off, and half of his face had been torn open by the blade, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

But he's not dead yet.

He doesn't want to die either.

I heard the sound of footsteps and saw a brighter light in my field of vision—a torch.

It's the patrolmen!
At the same time, a chill swept in from behind. The man instinctively lunged forward, dodging the fatal blow, but the longsword spun and pierced his arm.

The man fell to the ground with a cry of pain, looking up at the boy who was swooping down like a hawk.

"If you want me dead, you won't live either!" the man roared, his remaining strength no longer resisting the sword the boy was about to plunge into his throat. Instead, he threw his head back and shouted, "Help! Mo—"

But as soon as he spoke, the falcon above let out a sharp cry.

"Help me—"

The man's eyes widened again.

He actually invited the soldiers on his own initiative? Has this former prince gone mad?

Previously, when fighting in the alley, they aimed straight for the heart and throat, aiming for a fatal blow, trying their best not to make any noise, for fear of alerting the government troops.

They needed to conceal their identities; these remnants of the previous dynasty were even more shameful.

And wait, that sound...
It's a female voice!
The man looked up at the falcon above. A smile appeared on the falcon's bloodied face, and then its long hair fell loose.

“I not only dare to attract the soldiers,” the woman’s voice said softly, “I also dare to kill someone in front of them.”

With a soft thud, a long sword fell along with the long hair.

The longsword pierced the man's throat.

(End of this chapter)