Qi Wang had nearly been driven mad by Qi Yuan’s relentless pursuit.
But at this moment, he was strangely calm.
“I don’t care anymore,” he said with steely finality.
“What are you waiting for?! Do it, now!”
With that, he sprang forward, leading his personal guards in a charge straight at Xiao Yunting.
Behind Xiao Yunting, Han Ding, Lin Yu, and the others were already standing ready. When they saw Xiao Yunting move, they followed in unison.
Everyone looked normal, composed, steady.
Except for one man.
As he neared Xiao Yunting, he stopped pressing forward. It looked like he tripped on something and suddenly lunged forward.
In that lightning-fast moment, a dagger slid silently from his sleeve. If he got close enough, he could plunge it straight into Xiao Yunting’s back, through the scapula, and pierce his heart.
Cold sweat soaked his palm. But the arrow had already been nocked, there was no turning back.
He shut his eyes.
As if doing so might dull his guilt.
Xiao Yunting appeared completely unaware, unguarded.
Closer… closer…
Old Zhao felt the blood freeze in his veins.
Fear surged up his spine as the dagger hovered just inches from Xiao Yunting’s back. He instinctively quickened his pace.
But just then, a sharp whooshing sound came from behind.
Years of battle-hardened reflexes kicked in, he jerked his head aside.
An arrow whistled past, grazing his ear.
Pain seared through it.
But there was no time to react.
Xiao Yunting had already turned around.
His eyes were like an ancient village well, still and bottomless.
On the surface, calm.
Beneath, a storm ready to break.
He looked at Old Zhao and lifted his brow ever so slightly.
“It’s you.”
Old Zhao couldn’t tell whether he felt more ashamed or more panicked at being caught. His grip on the dagger nearly faltered.
Xiao Yunting looked at him almost regretfully.
“Why you?”
Old Zhao couldn’t speak.
Now he understood why Qi Yuan had him stay with Xiao Yunting, while taking Liujin and Beize with her.
Logically, he and Liujin had served Qi Yuan far longer than Beize.
She had already suspected him from the start.
He turned his head and locked eyes with Qi Yuan’s cold, emotionless gaze.
Qi Yuan had no sorrow in her eyes. She never treated betrayal like the sky was falling.
If you betrayed her, you died.
Even if it was Old Zhao.
Even if it was Old Marquis Qi, Qi Zhen, or even Xiao Yunting himself,
She would kill them all the same.
“Betray me once, I’ll never use you again.”
She didn’t care for sob stories or explanations.
If he truly trusted Qi Wang more than Xiao Yunting, why not speak to Xiao Yunting plainly? Why sneak around and betray?
Qi Wang hadn’t expected Xiao Yunting to know there was a traitor.
But after thinking it through, it made sense.
Qi Yuan had pretended to sleep. Old Zhao must have already passed along countless bits of intel.
But all of it had been intercepted long ago.
No wonder.
Qi Wang sneered at himself.
“I never learn my lesson with that woman.”
Han Ding and Lin Yu were just as shocked. They stared at Old Zhao in disbelief.
Why? Why would he betray His Highness?
After everything His Highness had done for them, for all these years. He’d never treated them unfairly.
He was the one who brought them back from Jiangxi!
By now, Qi Wang and his guards had already reached the front line, aiming to strike while Xiao Yunting’s side was caught off guard.
He even barked at Old Zhao as he attacked: “What the h*ll are you waiting for?! Move! You want to die?!”
Old Zhao hesitated, lips trembling, but in the end he muttered: “Forgive me… Your Highness.”
And lunged toward Xiao Yunting.
Xiao Yunting scoffed, swatted the dagger from Old Zhao’s hand with one stroke of his sword, and kicked him square in the chest.
Han Ding and Lin Yu instantly stepped behind Xiao Yunting to shield his back, locking weapons with Qi Wang’s men.
On the wall, Liujin was red-eyed with rage.
“Old Zhao! You heartless b*stard! How could you betray His Highness?!”
Qi Yuan remained expressionless.
Relying on someone’s conscience? She’d sooner trust a wolf to eat grass.
She coldly ordered: “Bring the heavy crossbow.”
Liujin was still sniffling, but when he heard that, his expression changed.
“Miss, let me do it.”
The heavy crossbow was strong enough to pierce armor, usually wielded only by cavalry.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. Liujin understood and quickly handed her the crossbow from his back.
Qi Yuan took aim at Qi Wang. Without hesitation, she loosed the bolt.
Eunuch Feng had been watching her the entire time. As the bolt flew, he instinctively leapt in front of Qi Wang.
“Your Highness, look out!”
The force of the impact pushed Qi Wang back several steps. By the time he regained his footing, Eunuch Feng had fallen silent.
Gone.
Just like in the previous life.
Everything around him… destroyed by Qi Yuan.
His eyes burned red. Rage surged to the surface. He charged straight at Qi Yuan.
He had twin sleeve-arrows strapped to his wrists. With one flick of the mechanism, he launched forward, boosted by the force, and in a flash, he was at the wall, climbing atop a guard’s shoulders, blade raised, slashing down at Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan flipped off the wall to avoid it.
But now, the heavy crossbow weighed her down. And she’d lost the high ground.
The tide had turned.
Qi Wang didn’t pause. He dove straight at her.
Qi Yuan discarded the crossbow, drew the soft sword at her waist, and blocked his blade. Then she spun to meet him head-on.
Qi Wang was utterly reckless. No matter how many wounds Qi Yuan’s blade carved into his body, he didn’t flinch.
He was determined to take her down with him.
Liujin panicked but didn’t dare move.
Qi Yuan, however, remained calm. She didn’t falter just because Qi Wang was going all-out.
Instead, she taunted him between strikes: “Qi Wang, look at you. How useless can one man be?”
She smiled, goading him. “With so many people helping you, and you still can’t get your act together? If Princess Baorong and Noble Consort Xiao Liu saw you like this, wouldn’t they be turning in their graves?”
Qi Wang was so furious it felt like his head would explode.
Hearing those names sent him over the edge.
“You whore! If not for you, my mother and Baorong wouldn’t have died, you killed them!”
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