Chapter 230: To Escape an Assassination

Disgust tinged Ji Lingxi's expression as she replied, "He should be seventeen this year; he's younger than me by two years."

Yue Rulan hesitated before saying, "My older brother is twenty-three this year..."

Ji Lingxi frowned, retorting, "Sister Lan, I truly only harbor respect for your older brother!"

"I know." Yue Rulan replied, smiling.

She seemed to have something else to say but the words could not leave her lips, and she only heaved a soft sigh.

I hope my guess is wrong.

"Lingxi... if it weren't for your sudden breakthrough last afternoon, I'm afraid... both of us would be somewhere else by now..." Yue Rulan sighed solemnly.

Ji Lingxiu was confused as well when she replied, "You're not the only astonished one. I'm curious too. I've just advanced to the seventh peak not too long ago and now I've reached the eighth peak instantly. After the initial excitement, all I'm left with now is confusion and a little fear."

"What are you scared of? Breakthrough is always a good thing, especially to us right now. It's of the utmost importance."

Yue Rulan smiled when she continued. "You have gained the most from this adventure of ours. Before we came out, your cultivation base is only of the fourth peak but as we go along our way, you've advanced to the eighth peak within a year. It's honestly my first time hearing of advancing four levels in a year without the help of any treasured gems or spiritual pills and medicine."

Ji Lingxi, too, was doubtful of her improvement; genuinely concerned, she mumbled, "I don't know what is going on either. I just saw you almost being taken away then an energy somehow came from somewhere and I just charged over without thinking... Then I realized that I had a breakthrough but I didn't even feel the rush of leveling up then... I still feel like I'm dreaming even until now. I can't believe that I've gotten to the eighth peak. Sister Yue, say, will there be an interruption with my current cultivation base? Will I drop back to the seventh peak after a few days?"

Yue Rulan only hummed, regarding the question, not answering it. It was bizarre indeed but both of them were no experts of this field. Despite their deep-rooted and far-reaching family background, they had never heard of similar cases. She could not comb out any cause and effect nor pros and cons, could only keep this confusion in her heart and pose the question to someone who might be proficient in this instead in the future.

Just like what Yue Rulan had said, Ji Lingxi's abrupt breakthrough to the eighth peak that resulted in an upgrade of her abilities would always be beneficial to their current situation!

However, such an advancement might even cause the martial experts' eyes, like those of Ling Xiaozui and Dugu Chou, to bulge, if they were to know about it.

After the rest, the team's energy seemed to have been replenished.

Ji Lingxi washed her face with the mountain stream water and let out a long breath, saying, "Sister Yue, let's go."

Yue Rulan smiled faintly, a mournful look found its way to her face as she spoke, "I'm afraid we can't anymore."

Her eyes were directed towards the sky through the lush canopy of trees.

Ji Lingxi's gaze followed her line of sight and was greeted by a large crimson red bird that was rounding the sky and crying out sharply.

"They caught up to us again!"

Ji Lingxi's jaw clenched tightly.

Those men were incessant hunters.

Yue Rulan looked worried. If her guess was right, this brief moment of rest was a gap their enemy had intentionally given them.

"Lingxi!" Yue Rulan's voice spoke lowly and urgently. "Remember Sister Yue's words... If we are to be separated, do not look for me! Do not go home. Do not ever go to my home..."

Yue Rulan said with resolution, "Go straight to Tiantang City, look for Yun Yang! Don't do anything else and don't be bothered by anything else!"

Ji Lingxi was quiet, an icy killing intent blooming in her eyes. "Sister Lan... so you've guessed it too."

"Yes," Yue Rulan acknowledged with a deep sigh.

"They must have some grudge against our families... Or maybe someone in our families are plotting against us..."

"We've spent all these years outside and ignored all our family orders... I'm afraid we've long stirred their dissatisfaction and they... aren't going to let us go this time!"

Yue Rulan said, "My heart is as good as dead now, but not yours!"

Ji Lingxiu clenched her teeth.

"Sister Yue, I have an idea!"

"What is it?" Yue Rulan asked.

"Let us separate!" Ji Lingxi replied, "But not the separate you're thinking about... we'll split away from our guards!"

"We'll take a way of our own, camouflage ourselves and destroy our traces so we can flee quietly."

Yue Rulan started with surprise before saying, "We will still be obvious targets if we were to stay together."

"We stay together, alive or dead." Ji Lingxi gritted her teeth and gathered their guards over quickly, making swift arrangements and then cutting open hers and Yue Rulan's scented sachets to let the guards carry the scented spices with them.

"Take care, all of you. Perhaps your chance of escaping will be bigger without us being with you all... If danger befalls, there's no need to fight to your deaths; staying alive comes first... We shall proceed separately and meet at Tiantang City."

"Let's go!" Ji Lingxi hollered.

The decisiveness Ji Lingxi had shown during this moment of emergency had truly astounded Yue Rulan. Before she could recover, she had been dragged away by Ji Lingxi into the bushes. The grass and leaves they passed by along their way were all pulled by the latter, balling them up and squishing them harshly.

She smeared the juice squeezed out onto their bodies and faces.

"These juices can cover the smell of our bodies. We'll double back and surprise them!"

Ji Lingxi's teeth gritted. "We can't let them succeed, no matter what!"

The large bright red bird that was circling the sky was pointing out various locations, giving out directions. Its instructions, however, were not as accurate as they used to be, looking a little all over the place.

More precisely, it was simply giving scattered directions.

The targets on the ground were dispersed and it had obviously confused the animal.

The men who were rushing over watched the large bird flapping its wings in confusion.

What was going on?

There should only be one direction of escape. Even if they were divided into two teams, there should still only be two directions. What the red bird was showing though, there were seven to eight directions. Could it be that they had men heading into every possible direction?

How many had men had they with them then?

There was someone who was familiar with the big bird's traits, reacting quickly after the slight confusion. "They must have fled separately; the crimson bird shows us that they are fleeing in different directions... Send out the signals immediately, reduce the size of the besieging ring; seize them from all directions, let no one escape!"

Hundreds of people charged into the mountain at once, conducting a tight search.

Among them, a middle-aged man dressed in white wore a dark, serious expression.

For their prey to be moving in different directions, the spy he had installed among them would be useless.

Ji Lingxi walked back towards where they came from, cautiously pulling Yue Rulan along. The direction that they were supposed to go was already noisy with commotion; each chaotic outburst meant that one of their eighteen people had been discovered, found out, or killed!

The ladies looked upset and heavy-hearted.

Their occasional exchange of glances reflected the heaviness and doubt in each other's eyes. It was confirmed now that their families were faced with issues. What issue it was, though, was still unknown.

...

On the same night, Han Wufei looked rather weighed down when he left the crown prince's residence. The higher-ups in the Four Seasons Tower were frequenting recently, the situation a foretelling sign to him that something big was about to happen.

What an event it would be to have so many higher-ups of the tower gathering within Yutang? It was mind boggling!

Other than the Four Seasons Tower's matters, there was also his responsibilities at the Residence of the Crown Prince. His task had been wrenched out of his grasp forcefully and passed to another person by the crown prince for an absurd reason.

While Han Wufei still held the title of the Residence of Crown Prince's adviser, he had nothing to do in reality - befitting his title of 'adviser'.

Sitting around his home, Han Wufei who had nothing to do, could not help but feel like returning.

His wife and children were staying in his secluded villa and it had been so long since he saw them... Should he take this opportunity to return?

Han Wufei ordered the kitchen to make a few dishes to go with his wine. For some reason, his wish to return home burned even more vigorously. After a few drinks, the emotion was like a prairie fire - unable to be salvaged.

"I'll just bid my leave to His Highness first thing tomorrow morning and go home for a short stay. The capital is at a peculiarly tight spot now anyway, it's good to take myself out of the equation," Han Wufei decided inwardly.

Just as he was set in his decision, a wind came as a loud crash came from the doors.

The whole slab of the door had been crushed and sent its splinters flying everywhere, wounding a few guards of his residence who were standing closest to the explosion.

The incident had happened abruptly, there was no early sign or warning.

A black shadow charged in like a ghost from the door, bringing with it a bottomless, murderous aura; all the lanterns along its way went out as if the silhouette had brought darkness with it to the Residence of Han.

The Residence of Han's guards who were not injured rushed forward in a group to block him but the person came on like a whirlwind, going head to head with the group like a flood dragon that dominated the sky and ocean. Quick flashes of icy glints blinked as blood painted the sky.

Han Wufei, who had heard the wind-breaking sound from the attacker's weapon in his room, knew that the person did not come with good intentions. With a swoosh, he dashed out of his room. What was unexpected was that the black masked person had appeared before him with great momentum amidst the pelting droplets of blood, raising his palm like a saber and brought it slashing it down.

There was not one bit of hesitation while behind the masked person, the Residence of Han's guards who had been flung into the air had still yet to land.

Everything had happened too swiftly.

A palm descended with the force of mountains!