Qi Changting was completely stunned.
He had come today thinking he was simply following his elders’ wishes, coming out to meet a potential bride, to catch a glimpse of a girl who might become his future wife.
He never expected that instead of shyness or gentleness, what awaited him was a glinting dagger.
He was, after all, born into a military household. Even though he had chosen the scholarly path and spent his days reading, he had still trained in martial arts to strengthen his body. Instinctively, he kicked out with force.
But the Thread of Sky was too narrow, there was no room to maneuver.
Qi Changting kept retreating, kicking out repeatedly. The fake Feng Caiyin couldn’t land a blow and grew increasingly irritated. “You’re asking for death!”
With that, she drew a dart from her waist and flung it hard at him.
The space was far too cramped. Qi Changting couldn’t dodge in time, the dart embedded itself cleanly into his shoulder. He cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
“Kick again! Why aren’t you kicking now?” The fake Feng Caiyin crouched beside him with a dark expression, grabbed his collar, and punched him straight in the nose.
Blood gushed from Qi Changting’s face.
She leaned in, mock-serious. “Qi Yuan, is she your elder sister, or your younger sister?”
Qi Changting sneered, wiped the blood off with the back of his hand, and spat: “What the h*ll does that have to do with you?”
A proper lady should be treated with respect but someone like this deserved nothing but scorn.
He had a hunch this woman was here for his sister, so he turned his face away in silence.
“Oh? Got some backbone, huh?” The fake Feng Caiyin sneered gleefully. “I love tough ones. It’s more fun when they finally beg.”
She casually picked up a stone and without hesitation, slammed it down onto his leg.
Qi Changting screamed in shock, sweat pouring down his forehead.
But the more he cried out, the more pleased the woman became. She laughed wildly and looked at his other leg. “Oh? You’ve still got one good one. Let’s give it a try, shall we?”
Qi Changting bit down hard, refusing to make a sound, glaring at her with fierce determination.
“I hate it when people look at me like that!” the woman snapped. Then she reached out, fingers extended, aiming straight for his eyes.
She meant to gouge them out, just like that.
Qi Changting shut his eyes in terror.
What could he do against a madwoman?
His heart was pounding out of his chest.
But just then, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air from behind. Something sliced past the woman’s cheek.
Startled, she froze and turned sharply.
Qi Changting, confused at the lack of pain, cracked one eye open and immediately spotted someone standing behind the woman.
“Sis– Sister!” he choked, voice trembling. “Sister!”
Qi Yuan responded softly, warmly. Her eyes scanned him up and down, his white robes now soaked in blood and her gaze turned murderous.
Only then did she look at the imposter posing as Feng Caiyin.
Her expression changed with recognition. “Oh,” she said coldly, lips curling. “It’s you, Xu Fengqiao.”
Xu Fengqiao, lover of Xu Hai and a deadly assassin under Qi Wang’s command. Qi Wang had planted her beside Xu Hai to keep that wild dog in check and prevent him from turning on his master.
Xu Fengqiao had learned all her skills from Xu Hai and the japanese pirates. She had been raised among corpses. She had no reverence for life, only disdain. She was a true murderer without a conscience.
Qi Yuan had fought her once before, back when Princess Baorong had been imprisoned. Xu Fengqiao, loyal to the princess, had tried to push Qi Yuan off the seventh story of a pagoda.
Qi Yuan had barely survived, only by grabbing onto a branch of an ancient tree to slow her fall.
In terms of skill, Xu Fengqiao was no weaker than Qi Yuan.
But Qi Yuan didn’t appear worried. She simply raised a brow. “What’s the so-called ‘Queen of the Seas’ doing in the capital, huh? How’d you sneak into the Feng household and become one of their young ladies?”
From the start, Xu Fengqiao had looked at Qi Yuan with something… off in her eyes.
This woman knew her.
Knew her too well.
Xu Fengqiao casually rested a hand on her waist, took a step back, positioning one foot beside Qi Changting’s head, and asked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “You’re the sheltered daughter of a marquis, how would you even know someone like me?”
Qi Yuan laughed, eyes never leaving her brother, silently reassuring him. “Now what kind of question is that?”
Qi Changting, though in terrible pain, gave her a nod to show he wasn’t afraid.
Qi Yuan beamed and turned her attention back to Xu Fengqiao. “Not only do I know you, Miss Xu, I also know Cheng Tiansheng.”
At that name, Xu Fengqiao erupted. Her expression twisted. “What did you say?! How do you know Tiansheng?! What did you do to him?!”
“Now now, don’t be so hasty,” Qi Yuan said lazily. “He’s just a kid. I thought he was adorable, so I brought him here to Feilai Peak. Right now he’s at the top of Thread of Sky.”
“You liar!” Xu Fengqiao’s composure cracked. “How could you possibly find Tiansheng if you didn’t even know I’d be here?! Liar!”
Qi Yuan remained perfectly calm. “Why wouldn’t I know you’d come? Look, I’m standing right in front of you, aren’t I? And honestly, Xu Fengqiao, you’re pretty cruel. You give birth to a child, then run off to sea and become Xu Hai’s ‘Queen of the Seas’, who knew you still had any maternal instinct left?”
That was a low blow. No mother could take those words.
Xu Fengqiao snapped, charging forward. “You know nothing! The Cheng family refused to let him come with me! Where is he?! Where did you put my son?!”
Now!
Qi Yuan had been waiting for this moment. As Xu Fengqiao lunged forward, she shot a look at Qi Changting.
Qi Changting understood immediately. Dragging his broken leg, he began crawling away as fast as he could.
Xu Fengqiao realized too late. Her face contorted with rage. “You b*tch! You tricked me! My son isn’t with you at all, is he?!”
She pulled a whip from her waist and lashed it straight at Qi Changting. “Die!”
Qi Changting, with his injured leg, couldn’t move fast enough. He scrambled, panic in his eyes.
But Qi Yuan had already leapt forward, intercepting Xu Fengqiao mid-strike, grabbing the whip tightly in her hand.
