Chapter 752 - 753: Intercept and Kill

Chapter 752: Chapter 753: Intercept and Kill

A wave of panic washed over Chang Sui, and he rushed to defend himself. "Your Highness, please understand! I have absolutely no selfish intentions! It’s just... her identity is special. If this matter causes a rift between you and her, then... then..."

Xiao Chenglin’s gaze was like a cold sword hanging over his head, striking fear into his heart.

After what felt like an eternity, Xiao Chenglin finally retracted his gaze and spoke coolly.

"I understand. Go and tell her that the situation is tense right now, so it’s not a good time to make a move. In a few days, before the Southern Hu Mission leaves the capital, I will find an opportunity for them to meet so the Life and Death Gu can be removed."

The tension in Chang Sui’s chest finally eased, and he let out a silent sigh of relief. "Yes! I’ll see to it at once!"

Xiao Chenglin waved a dismissive hand. Not daring to linger, Chang Sui rose and respectfully backed out of the room.

CREAK—

The door clicked shut, and the room returned to its customary silence.

Xiao Chenglin lifted his hand and pressed a spot under the desk.

A section of the wall beside him suddenly swiveled open, revealing the dark entrance to a secret passage.

At the same time, a gaunt, masked man appeared in the shadows.

"What are your orders?"

Xiao Chenglin said coolly, "A dog that won’t recognize its master has no reason to be kept."

The masked man asked no questions, clearly understanding his meaning. He simply lowered his head in respectful assent.

"I understand."

The words had barely left his mouth before his figure vanished from sight.

The wall swiveled back into place, showing no sign that it had ever moved.

...

After leaving the Prince Jing Mansion, Chang Sui headed south toward the city’s edge.

He passed through bustling streets and rounded several corners before finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous apothecary.

The shop front was small and dilapidated, looking as if it had been there for years. There were no customers inside.

He walked inside.

A middle-aged man stood before a large medicine cabinet, sorting through herbs that were on the verge of going moldy.

Hearing the commotion, he asked casually, "Here to fill a prescription?"

Chang Sui said his name. "Boss Ba."

Hearing the familiar voice, Basha finally turned around, a flicker of surprise on his face.

"Why are you back so soon—"

He stopped mid-sentence and glanced warily toward the door.

"Relax, no one saw me," Chang Sui said. "His Highness has a message for her."

Basha understood immediately but still walked over cautiously and bolted the shop door. Only then did he turn and say, "She’s in the back courtyard. You can go on through."

Chang Sui nodded and headed toward the back.

The apothecary was small, but it connected to a courtyard out back.

It would have been nearly impossible for an outsider to notice.

At that same moment, a woman feigning sleep inside the room heard the commotion in the courtyard. Her eyes snapped open, and she rose and went to the window.

The doors and windows were all locked from the outside, making it impossible for her to leave on her own. The most she could do was peer through a crack in the window to see a sliver of the world outside.

She pressed both hands tightly against the window, desperate to get a clearer view.

Her face was gaunt and pale, and faint veins were visible on the backs of her hands.

Yet even in this emaciated, skeletal state, her stunning beauty could not be concealed.

After prolonged torment from the poisonous insect inside her, her physical condition was abysmal. Her cheeks were sunken, which only made her large eyes, tinged with a faint, eerie blue, seem even larger.

At a glance, she resembled a beautiful skeletal specter from a ghost story.

Who could this be but Xiao Lansi, who had faked her own death to escape the Imperial Palace?

Of course, she was nothing like her former self, but a beauty is a beauty. Even after so much suffering, she still possessed a trace of her former radiance.

Her beauty was especially breathtaking when she wore a pitiful expression.

When she saw who had arrived, a flicker of disappointment crossed her anxious face. But a second later, it was replaced by an expression of hopeful longing, a hint of joy even welling up in her eyes.

Chang Sui clearly saw her as well and quickened his pace, stopping before the window.

Only Basha had the key, and the door was not to be opened simply to relay messages.

Xiao Lansi’s voice was weak and hoarse. Though faint as a whisper, it carried an indescribable softness that tugged at the listener like a feather.

"What did he say?"

Xiao Lansi tried to control her emotions, but her body, leaning slightly forward, betrayed her eagerness.

"Did he agree to let me meet with that person?"

’She was sick and tired of these bleak, sunless days!’

’Even if I can’t leave right away, at least let me get my health back!’

’Otherwise, what’s the difference between being cooped up here all day and being a prisoner?’

"I’m afraid that’s not possible right now." The moment Chang Sui spoke, the light in Xiao Lansi’s eyes died.

"Why? It’s just one meeting! It won’t take long! I... I—"

’My body can’t take much more of this!’

Chang Sui quickly tried to placate her. "Please, don’t be anxious. His Highness said that things are tense right now, so it’s truly not a good time. In a few days, when the Southern Hu Mission is about to leave, he will find a way for you to meet them and have the poisonous insect removed."

Xiao Lansi’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

Chang Sui nodded. "It’s true! That’s why I made a special trip..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sensed something was wrong and spun around.

The door leading to the front of the apothecary opened again. But the person who appeared was not Basha—it was a man in a black robe and a black mask.

At the sight of the man, Chang Sui’s pupils contracted.

A deep, indescribable fear washed over him, making his body tremble.

"You... why are you..."

SHINK—!

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before a piercing sound cut through the air.

Chang Sui suddenly felt a chill on his throat.

He slowly raised a hand to his neck.

It felt cold and sharp.

It was a three-edged throwing dagger.

He had seen them before, but always embedded in someone else. He never thought his day would come.

The red silk ribbon on its hilt fluttered, brushing against his neck. It tickled.

Then it grew sticky.

Blood gushed from his throat, quickly soaking the dagger. Even the silk ribbon grew heavy and sodden.

DRIP.

Blood dripped to the ground.

His body slowly fell backward.

THUD—!