On the fortress corridor, two Masked Soldiers patrolled with iron lanterns in hand.
It was a terribly dull job. The scenery never changed, the route was always the same—but for that very reason, even the slightest change would immediately draw their attention.
"Old Che and the others are on the long shift tonight, right? Why haven't they come back yet?" One of the soldiers looked toward the entrance of the commander's courtyard. Other than a carriage reeking of rouge and powder, there was no one in sight. The so-called long shift meant standing guard at the entrance to the commander's courtyard. It was a short shift that let one show one's face, and occasionally earned a reward from the commander. It was the best assignment in the military mansion.
"Maybe the commander called them away for something else?"
"But they've been gone way too long. We've already made two rounds, and they still haven't come back..."
"Then go take a look."
"...Forget it. We're almost changing shifts anyway. Why bother with all that?"
"No wonder... she was once Your Majesty's opponent."
Ying Ru Shi fled in every direction, as nimble as a white fox across the snow. Her movements were ghostly and impossible to predict; relying on sight alone, it was almost impossible to determine her exact position. If they had been in an open area such as the mountains or forests, even a squad of a hundred divine archers would have been unable to harm her in the slightest.
But this was a room inside a barrier, and Li Long was no divine archer... He was a cannon emplacement far more terrifying than any divine archer!
Li Long struck the air repeatedly with both hands, firing an unbroken stream of violet-flame energy. The violet energy exploded the