The second reason was that there was more than one assassin. Aside from the assassin hidden within the elephant carcass, another was concealed among the guards.
At the instant the assassin inside the elephant carcass struck, the assassin hidden among the guards revealed a trace of killing intent. Had it not been for that, she would never have noticed.
Lin Wanqiu leaned close to Xiao Minghuang's ear and whispered:
"The assassin was slapped to death by Eunuch Wang. Not even his bones remain."
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang's gaze shifted. She glanced at Wang Jin, who stood guard not far away, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Was anything else discovered?"
Lin Wanqiu answered:
"Inside the giant elephant's belly, we found a Beast Taming Token from the Beast Taming Sect. It was this token that triggered the Beast Tide, allowing the assassin to take advantage of the opportunity to assassinate Your Highness."
The Beast Taming Sect had never had dealings with Great Xia. Xiao Minghuang naturally knew that.
Other than the princes in the capital, no one else had a motive to assassinate her.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Minghuang's eyes shifted, and a plan had already formed in her heart.
"Wanqiu, do not reveal that I have awakened. Wait until tonight..."
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu's pupils abruptly contracted, and shock appeared in her eyes.
"This is far too dangerous!"
Xiao Minghuang said calmly:
"If one does not enter the tiger's den, how can one catch the tiger cub?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqiu stopped trying to persuade her. She knew Xiao Minghuang was intelligent and steady, and would never do anything without certainty.
"At this point, I can only trust Your Highness and cooperate with her fully... I just never expected the calamity to arise from within the walls of our own home..."
Lin Wanqiu murmured inwardly. Then, together with Ye Ruoshui, she carried Xiao Minghuang onto the carriage and returned to the City Lord's Manor to settle her down.
Just after they returned to the room, a knock sounded at the door.
Ye Ruoshui was helping Xiao Minghuang clean the bloodstains from her body.
Lin Wanqiu opened the door and saw the Guard Captain of the City Lord's Manor standing outside.
"General Li, what is the matter?"
General Li was broad and sturdy, with a square face that made him appear honest and simple. He raised a longsword in both hands and said respectfully:
"Reporting to Eldest Miss, the City Lord ordered this subordinate to return this sword!"
Lin Wanqiu glanced at the sword. It was three feet long, divine light flowing over its blade, while faint dragon patterns were engraved along its edge. It truly was an extraordinary sword.
But Lin Wanqiu had no mood to appraise a fine sword now. She accepted it and said flatly:
"Understood. You may leave."
General Li acknowledged the order and turned to depart.
Lin Wanqiu watched his retreating back, her eyes flickering. Suddenly, she called out:
"General Li, wait!"
Hearing her, General Li stopped and turned back, confusion appearing on his resolute square face.
Lin Wanqiu stepped forward until she stood before General Li, then said softly:
"There are still assassins within the City Lord's Manor. Please select men to deploy defenses everywhere. In particular, heavily conceal troops around my small courtyard to ensure His Highness's protection is foolproof!"
At these words, surprise flashed through General Li's pupils as he asked,
"Isn't His Highness inside this room? Why deploy defenses around Eldest Miss's courtyard?"
This Man Was No Fool; the Traitor Revealed Himself
"I know you are an old hand of the City Lord's Manor, so I will tell you the truth. This place is merely a feint, meant to lure that assassin here so we can capture him alive."
Lin Wanqiu explained slowly.
"So that is how it is. This subordinate was foolish!"
General Li suddenly understood, but in the next moment, he hesitated and asked:
"Eldest Miss, that senior who appeared outside the city today possessed formidable strength. Why not have him directly capture the assassin?"
Lin Wanqiu let out a soft sigh, sorrow appearing between her brows.
"His Highness's injuries are too severe and require a Life Revival Pill to heal. But such pills are available only in the capital. Eunuch Wang has rushed back to the capital overnight to retrieve one. He should return by dawn tomorrow."
Hearing this, General Li's gaze paused, then he said joyfully:
"With Eunuch Wang's help, His Highness's injuries should be of no concern."
"Of course. His Highness is blessed by heaven. What could such petty rats amount to?!"
Lin Wanqiu snorted coldly, her eyes filled with disdain, then added:
"This time, I must capture the assassin alive and remove this grave hidden danger for His Highness!"
After saying that, she did not forget to remind him once more, speaking earnestly word by word:
"General Li, you must station heavy guards around His Highness. Not the slightest mistake can occur, or I will hold you accountable!"
General Li's expression turned solemn as he said seriously:
"Rest assured, Eldest Miss. Tonight, not even a fly will be able to enter where His Highness is!"
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu nodded in satisfaction and turned to return to the room.
As he watched that graceful figure disappear from sight, a strange smile appeared at the corner of General Li's lips. He then turned and left.
Inside the room.
Lin Wanqiu closed the door, tightly gripped the Dragon Pattern Sword in her hand, and shut her eyes in contemplation.
Night fell.
Black clouds veiled the moon, and one could not see one's hand before one's face.
Within the City Lord's Manor, a shadow leaped across the various pavilions.
The shadow moved with incredible speed. Its feet touched the roof tiles like a dragonfly skimming the water, yet it made not the slightest sound.
A moment later, the shadow arrived atop a pavilion. It lifted a roof tile, took a look, then replaced it and flashed into the pavilion. The entire process flowed like drifting clouds and running water, without a single unnecessary movement. It was obvious that this person had practiced this craft for many years and was thoroughly familiar with it.
After entering the pavilion, the shadow's footsteps became even lighter. It moved cautiously without making the faintest sound.
He crossed several screens and finally reached the innermost part of the pavilion, where he saw a figure lying quietly upon the bed.
Cold light flashed in the shadow's hand. He shifted his steps and arrived beside the bed in an instant.
A chilling gleam flickered. The sharp dagger, wrapped in violent spiritual power, unleashed terrifying killing intent as it struck directly at the figure on the bed.
Just then.
The figure lying on the bed moved.
A flash of golden light appeared, and a brilliant sword shadow formed in an instant, slashing fiercely against that cold gleam.
The cold gleam and sword shadow clashed. They held out for less than an instant before the former was defeated. Cracks spread across the sharp dagger, and amid the ceaseless turbulence of violent spiritual power, it shattered with a crash.
Following a deafening boom, the shadow was sent flying backward several yards. He smashed through countless screens before slamming heavily into the railing of the terrace, coughing up blood as his aura rapidly weakened.
At this moment.
The figure on the bed rose, revealing her face. It was none other than Lin Wanqiu. She held the Dragon Pattern Sword, a faint smile on her face.
"Just as His Highness predicted, this man is no fool. He would not blindly believe what I said."
As she spoke, she stepped onto the terrace and saw from afar another shadow leap into Xiao Minghuang's small courtyard.
At the same time.
Within Xiao Minghuang's small courtyard.
After Ye Ruoshui had tended to Xiao Minghuang and watched her rest, she lay beside the bed. After undergoing such tremendous upheaval during the day, she was exhausted in body and mind. At last, unable to resist her fatigue, she fell deeply asleep while sitting there.
Not long after.
A shadow flipped in from the terrace. Moving at incredible speed, he arrived before the bed. A dagger appeared in his hand, its cold gleam flashing as he stabbed straight at Xiao Minghuang's heart!
But just then.
Xiao Minghuang, who lay on the bed and should have been grievously injured and at death's door, suddenly opened her eyes. Within them, it was as though a starry sky shone, countless stars radiating resplendent light. A streak of golden light shot forth, arriving before the cold gleam and piercing through the shadow's shoulder.
"This is bad!"
The sudden turn of events shocked the shadow. He retreated swiftly, about to flee.
A pair of pitch-black giant hands emerged behind him and clamped tightly around his neck.
The shadow's burly body was forcibly lifted into the air. As he struggled, the cloth covering his face slipped to the ground.
This exposed his true face.
At this moment.
Lin Wanqiu leaped onto the terrace. Upon seeing the shadow's true face, a complicated expression appeared on her face.
"General Li, so it really was you."
The face covering fell to the ground, and the shadow's features were revealed to everyone.
He was, astonishingly, General Li, the Guard Captain of the City Lord's Manor.
At this moment, his neck was being strangled. Both hands clutched at the pitch-black giant hand, trying to pry it open, but the hand did not budge in the slightest. His face was flushed crimson, as though he were about to suffocate.
Xiao Minghuang rose from the bed but did not get down. She simply sat there and asked blandly:
"That is enough, Eunuch Wang. Put him down."
As her words fell.
Eunuch Wang's figure emerged from the void. With a flick of his hand, the pitch-black giant hand vanished, replaced by a rope formed from spiritual power that tightly bound General Li.
General Li's body crashed heavily onto the floor with a considerable sound, waking the sleeping Ye Ruoshui.
The little girl's delicate body trembled. She abruptly raised her head and saw that her princess had already awakened, sitting unharmed upon the bed.
Ye Ruoshui was instantly shocked and delighted, and immediately called out:
"Your Highness, you are awake!"
Seeing Ye Ruoshui's reaction, Xiao Minghuang gently stroked her soft hair, then drew her into her embrace and said tenderly:
"Be good, Ruoshui. Big Sister is handling serious business. I will speak with you later."
"Mm!"
Ye Ruoshui answered crisply. Then she rested her little head against Xiao Minghuang's chest, lightly closed her eyes, and smiled without saying another word.
Xiao Minghuang's gaze shifted. When her eyes returned to General Li, all warmth vanished from her pupils.
At this moment, her eyes were filled with indifference, like eternal stars in the boundless universe that would never care for the countless living beings as tiny as dust.
Xiao Minghuang asked blandly:
"Tell me. Who sent you?"
Hearing this.
General Li snorted coldly, filled with unwillingness. He was originally at the Seventh Level of the Spring Gushing Realm, his strength far surpassing Xiao Minghuang's. This assassination should have been a sure thing, yet he had still fallen into a trap.
"Hmph! You yellow-haired girl, so full of schemes. You actually lied that Wang Jin had returned to the capital and lured me into your snare. At this point, there is nothing left to say. Kill me!"
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang did not grow angry. She instructed Wang Jin:
"Eunuch Wang, as the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Palace, I know you must have many capable people under your command skilled in torture and extracting confessions. I will leave this villain to you. Make sure to pry something useful from his mouth."
Before you continue