Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

So at that moment, several more impulsive assassins took the lead and made their move.

They walked quickly toward Ah Liang, their faces filled with resolute expressions.

Their steps were firm and powerful, each step seemingly treading upon A Liang's destiny.

Ah Liang stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

As he watched his brothers, who had once fought alongside him, approach him, a wave of despair washed over him.

He wanted to resist, to struggle, but he knew that his resistance would be futile in the face of so many assassins.

The assassins stopped in front of A Liang.

There was not a trace of pity in their eyes, only the pursuit of wealth and glory.

One of the assassins said coldly, "Ah Liang, I'm sorry, we didn't want this either, but for our future, we have no choice but to sacrifice you."

After saying that, they took action without hesitation.

Their movements were swift and precise, as if they had practiced countless times.

Ah Liang felt a sharp pain all over his body, and his martial arts skills were instantly rendered useless.

He fell to the ground, groaning in pain, his eyes filled with despair and anger.

The assassin leader felt a pang of pity as he watched this scene.

He and A Liang had been friends for many years, but faced with wealth and honor, he had to make a choice.

He sighed softly, not stopping the assassins' actions, which meant he had tacitly agreed to it.

Seeing their leader's attitude, the other assassins also remained silent.

They had lived too long in the days of swords and shadows, and they longed for a peaceful and stable life.

So even if it weren't for wealth and status, they would still do it this way.

Therefore, even though they felt a little guilty, they chose to remain silent because of their own interests.

Ling Yan watched all this with a sarcastic smile on her lips.

Indeed, everyone looks out for themselves.

That's why they turned against their longtime comrades for their own sake.

She had already guessed this outcome, so she wasn't surprised.

Although she couldn't kill Ah Liang right now, she could collect some interest.

But when she arrived in Bei Li, that would be the day of his death.

Then everyone rested for a while to calm themselves down.

Then, they set off again, heading towards Bei Li.

During this process, everyone had different thoughts.

The assassins dreamed of a future of wealth, honor, and a peaceful life.

Lingyan, meanwhile, was mentally planning how to proceed once they arrived in Beili.

As they continued their journey, the sun gradually set in the west, casting its afterglow upon the earth and draping the entire world in a golden cloak.

However, behind this beautiful scenery lie countless conspiracies and schemes.

...............

Meanwhile, in the capital, Lingyan was assassinated on the same night.

After Xiao Muyao returned to his residence from the palace, Lingyan had not yet returned. He thought that the group had not seen each other for so long that they had lost track of time while catching up.

So after washing up, he sat in the room waiting for her.

But after waiting for almost an hour, she still hadn't returned.

Xiao Muyao then realized that something was wrong.

None of them are unreasonable people, so why haven't they returned so late?

He became very worried and had a very bad feeling.

So he led his men out of the mansion to the restaurant where they had gathered that day to check.

However, they discovered the corpses of many of the mansion's secret guards on the way.

Moreover, their deaths were varied and extremely gruesome.

The moment Xiao Muyao's gaze fell upon the corpses of the guards, his face turned deathly pale.

The guards following behind were also filled with shock and disbelief.

Then Xiao Muyao slowly approached the corpses, his steps as heavy as if they were made of lead.

His gaze swept over the corpses, each with its own unique manner of death, his eyes a mixture of grief and anger.

The guards behind him were also filled with grief and indignation.

At this moment, tears welled up in Xiao Muyao's eyes, a deep sense of self-reproach and guilt.

Then Xiao Muyao thought of Ling Yan. So many of the guards who were protecting her had died, and each of them had died tragically.

His heart felt as if it were being gnawed by a million ants, and a sense of anxiety spread wildly throughout his body.

Various terrifying scenarios kept flashing through his mind as he imagined the dangers Lingyan might encounter.

Will she also end up like these bodyguards, covered in wounds, or even...?

Xiao Muyao shook his head, not daring to think any further, but a strong sense of fear instantly enveloped him.

His face was as pale as paper, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

His eyes were also filled with anxiety and panic.

She felt even more regretful that she hadn't noticed something was wrong and come to find her sooner.

He then took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Now is not the time for sadness or panic; he must find Yan'er as soon as possible and ensure her safety.

So he immediately ordered, "Leave most of you with me to go out of the city to find the Crown Princess. The rest of you go and inform the various prefectures to also lead their people out of the city to search for the Crown Princess!"

After giving his instructions, he immediately led the main force away.

The remaining guards immediately used their fastest speed to notify the various prefectures to join the search.

In Xiao Muyao's heart, nothing was more important than Yan'er's safety.

He believed that there was strength in numbers, so if so many people went together to look for her, they would surely find her quickly.

Xiao Muyao was using his lightness skill to travel quickly, almost recklessly moving forward.

His breathing was rapid and erratic, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

He kept praying in his heart that Lingyan would be safe and sound.

But tears were welling up in her eyes and almost spilled out.

He had never felt so afraid and helpless, as if the whole world had collapsed at that moment.

...............

The various prefectures were also greatly alarmed upon receiving the news.

So even though it was late at night, the group immediately led their men out of the city to set off.

Emperor Jingzhao also dispatched the Imperial Guards and palace guards to search for them.

Then he ordered the Prefect of the Capital to collect and bury the bodies of those secret guards as well.

Then he waited anxiously for news in the Dragon Palace.

The Eighth Princess will be staying at the Empress's Phoenix Palace tonight.

Upon receiving the news, the two of them immediately became restless.

So they simply went together to Longteng Palace to wait for news.

Not long after Xiao Muyao left the city, he saw some of the corpses of his secret guards on the road.

They were the guards who didn't follow along so as not to add burden or hindrance to Lingyan.

They knew they were doomed, so they sent a message to Xiao Muyao to search for Lingyan outside the city.

They used their bodies as a marker so that Xiao Muyao could follow their corpses to find Ling Yan.

Upon seeing the corpses of the guards along the way, Xiao Muyao quickly understood their intentions.

He was heartbroken and choked with sobs, unable to speak.

With red eyes, they followed the corpses and eventually found the cave where Lingyan and the others had hidden.

By this time, it was already broad daylight.

Lingyan and Yunmeng had already been gone for two hours.

When Xiao Muyao arrived, he found the bodies of his guards lying all over the ground.

He then anxiously searched the cave for any clues Yan'er might have left behind.

The fact that we haven't found her and Yunmeng's bodies along the way means they must still be alive.

This calmed him down a little.

But no matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find any clues, except for a herb that had been carefully hidden.

Xiao Muyao picked up the herbs and carefully put them away.

These must be the herbs that Yan'er used to treat them.

Although he didn't know what it was, he would carefully keep anything that belonged to Yan'er.