Chapter Eighty-One: Instantaneous Change

  Luo Tian, Imperial Palace.

  What was once a joyful and festive imperial palace instantly became a scene of carnage, with corpses scattered all over the ground, blood flowing like rivers, resembling an earthly hell.

  Nangong Jin was running in the direction of the palace gate, but then he heard He Xian's voice behind him. "Master!!"

  Nangong Jin and Huo Zhi stopped in their tracks, turned around to look back, and saw He Xian rushing towards them with his lightness skill, his body unscathed. Huo Zhi and Nangong Jin both let out a sigh of relief, which meant that the Empress Dowager's side was safe and sound.

  However, Huo Zhi suddenly remembered that the Empress Dowager had just been kidnapped by Nalan Yanran. As he watched He Xianyu getting closer and closer, Huo Zhi's heart was in his throat. If the Empress Dowager really fell into her hands, the situation would truly be out of control!

  At this time, He Xian ran over, his face pale, and said urgently: "Master! The Empress Dowager... has been taken hostage by Nalan Yanran, she is currently in the Jing'an Palace, the White Silver Armor soldiers outside dare not enter, Master!"

  Nangong Jin's face turned cold, and he rushed towards the direction of Jing'an Palace. Huo Zhi closely followed him.

  Jing'an Palace, the Silver Armor Guards surrounded the palace but did not dare to take a step forward. The former Nalan Imperial Concubine, now Rongyue, was holding the Empress Dowager hostage, and anyone who dared to take a step forward would cost the Empress Dowager her life.

  At this time, there was a commotion outside. The Silver Armor Knights saw that it was Nan Gong Yu who had arrived and hastily paid their respects.

  At this time, Nan Gong Jin was covered in blood, and it was impossible to tell whether it was his or the enemy's. His cold and stern face emitted a chilling killing aura under the bright red blood, like a ghostly slayer.

  He held a long sword in his hand, the long sword had been dyed bright red with blood, he held the long sword and walked into the palace without any hesitation.

  In the palace, Empress Murong sat on a couch with a haggard expression. She never expected that Zhao Song would betray her. Even Nalan Yanran also betrayed her.

  By her side, Nala held a short sword in her hand and stood beside Murong Taohou. Her face was different from the gentle and quiet one of the past, but rather an unfamiliar and terrifying coldness and ruthlessness.

  This is her, this is Lenovo's number one killer, Yuanfang.

  The mission she undertakes is something everyone in the world wants to do but dares not to, and even if they dare to, cannot accomplish.

  Kill him, kill Nangong Jin.

  A figure emerged from the doorway, backlit by the light. The blade of his long sword scraped against the ground, producing a harsh and icy scraping sound. His tall and upright figure cast a long shadow in the sunlight, with fresh blood staining his collar. His eyes were cold and piercing, devoid of any warmth or mercy, just like when he was on the battlefield.

  She raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her body trembling involuntarily, yet still managed to hold his stare.

  Today, he is doomed to die.

  "Prince Wang..." Seeing Nangong Jin approaching, Empress Muyong's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. Her voice trembled as she accidentally fell from the bed to the ground, causing Nangong Jin's body to slightly shake.

  "Ah——" Suddenly, the sharp cry of Murong Taihou broke the silence in the palace. Yuan Yue grabbed her hair and leaned forward, pressing the blade of his short sword against her throat. The sharp blade instantly left two bloody marks on the empress dowager's neck.

  "Let her go." The icy warning.

  "Halt." No room for negotiation.

  The long sword still cut through the marble floor, his footsteps went forward without any hesitation.

  "Halt!!" Wu Yue increased the force of his short sword, and Murong Taihou's face turned pale with pain, but she didn't dare make another sound.

  Still not stopping, he is Nangong Jin, the more dangerous, the calmer. Now, they are all betting. Wan Yue bets that he dares not to play with his mother's life, Nangong Jin bets that she dares not to kill her last trump card in her hand.

  He won.

  Yan Yue let go of Murong Taihou in fright and retreated to the side as Nangong Jin approached. Nangong Jin stepped up onto the steps, pulled up Murong Taihou, and without even a glance at Yan Yue beside him, he carried Murong Taihou out.

  She watched in shock as he walked away, her heart beginning to panic.

  "Nangong Yan..." Suddenly, Ou Yue thought of an ace up his sleeve.

  At the mention of Nan Gong Yan's name, Nan Gong Jin's body slightly paused, but he didn't stop in his tracks.

  "Nangong Yan is in our hands!!" Yuè shouted at his back.

  Nangong Jin's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, stopping in the center of the palace. He set down Murong Taihou and, with a face devoid of expression, tucked her already disheveled hair behind her ear. In a gentle voice, he said, "Mother, you go first."

  Murong Taohou held his hand, wanting to speak but hesitating. He smiled slightly and nodded at her.

  Murong Taihou's tears gushed out of her eyes, and she couldn't stop making sobbing sounds, but she didn't say anything. She stumbled and staggered as she walked away.

  Nangong Jin picked up his sword and tore off a corner of his robe to wipe away the fresh blood on it.

  He wanted to kill her. Kill this woman who dared to threaten him.

  Yan Yue looked at Nan Gong Jin, who was walking back to him again, and gave a signal to the few people hiding in the dark. The few people received Yan Yue's signal and turned around to make their final preparations.

  That was their final blow, a winning blow.

  Outside the palace, a horseshoe sound. He Xian and Huo Zhi turned their heads to look back, only to see Nalan Xixi's face pale, with a crimson patch on her chest, the horse hadn't stopped yet, she jumped down. "Jin... Jin is where, he is where!"

  Huo Zhi hastily said: "The king is fine! Fortunately, the Heavenly Wolf Guard and the Silver Armor Knights were there to quell the chaos just now. The king was not harmed!"

  Nalan Xixi felt a weight lift off her shoulders upon hearing the words, and tears fell down her face uncontrollably. Yet, on her face hung an unbelievable smile... He had finally arrived, he had finally arrived... He was waiting for her, waiting for her completely unscathed.

  She looked around, searching for Nan Gong Yu's figure. "Where is he..."

  He Xian said: "The Empress Dowager has been taken away by the eunuchs, and the Emperor has just entered."

  "What...!" Nalan Xixi suddenly opened her eyes wide, "Wan Yue... Wan Yue!"

  Oh no! Suddenly, a terrible thought flashed through her mind. She got up and ran towards the Empress's palace.

  At this time, a silver armor suddenly shouted loudly: "The Empress Dowager has come out!"

  Far away, Murong Taohou had disheveled hair and was stained with someone else's blood. A bloody mark on her neck stood out against her pale complexion. Nalan Xinnuo and He Xian'er hurriedly ran up to her.

  Suddenly! A loud rumbling sound came from around the palace, like thunder, but this sound was coming from underground. Nalan Xino's eyes widened and she rushed towards the palace, but was pulled back by He Xianyi.

  Boom! —— A deafening explosion!

  In an instant, gravel splashed, the ground shook, and Huo Zhi rushed up to protect Murong Taihou. He Xian pulled Nalan Xian'er down to the ground, and the gravel blocks continued to splash, hitting the helmets of the silver armor soldiers, making a loud clanging sound.

  Constantly, gravel was hitting them, and for a moment everyone retreated without any space to hide, skin cracked and flesh burst open, fresh blood soaked through their collars!

  "No——" Nalan Xixi cried out in surprise as she stood up from the splashing gravel, her eyes fixed on the palace that had collapsed with a loud crash in front of her.

  A thick smell of gunpowder filled the air, and gravel rained down on them like raindrops, everyone fell to the ground with their heads in their hands, only Nalan Xianuo ran towards the palace like a madman.

  Her brooch, her brooch is still inside!!

  Gravel pelted her face, fresh blood flowed along her eyebrows into her eyes, but she was unconscious, she rushed in like a madman, but her small body was knocked to the ground again and again by the impact of gravel.

  "Ah!!" She struggled to get up, her hands bleeding profusely from the cuts inflicted by the stones on the ground.

  Flames engulfed the sky, and the originally majestic palace was reduced to a pile of ruins in an instant. Nalan Xian continued walking forward, until he entered a patch of darkness. The air was gone, almost suffocating.

  In the darkness, she cried until her voice was hoarse, shouting his name but repeatedly drowned out by the endless silence. Everywhere were burning flames and shattered stone dust, a scene of utter devastation.

  Nangong Jin, you said you would wait for me, I'm already here, I thought... you would be waiting for me.

  "Nangong Jin!" Nalan Xixi wasn't sure if she had called out his name, but she couldn't hear anything. The darkness in front of her was almost swallowing her whole, and she suddenly felt very afraid...

  Suddenly I'm afraid of leaving in such a blaze again. Then wake up and find it's just a long dream.

  Her vision gradually blurred, her head grew heavier, Nalan Xinnuo crawled up and fell to the ground again. She was covered in blood, but she couldn't feel any pain. Looking at the palace collapsing before her eyes, her mind went blank. By her ear, it was his gentle voice from last night.

  "Wherever we go is fine, as long as it's just the two of us, maybe with a little one added to our family. At that time, I can freely cling to you and bind you and me together. You take one step, and I'll follow in your footsteps."

  "I'm afraid that every time I open my eyes, you're not by my side. I'm afraid of not being able to find you. I'm afraid that when I do find you, you'll be covered in scars. I'm afraid that when I find you, you won't be able to look at me anymore. I'm afraid that when I find you, you'll have forgotten about me. I'm afraid that when I find you, you'll already be in someone else's arms. So...I don't allow you to leave my side, not even a step. You must stay within my line of sight. I don't permit you to get hurt, or look at anyone else. You can only be by my side, only look at me, and only love me."

  "Tomorrow I'll let everyone in the world know that you're my woman, then we'll leave this place behind, let me be your reliance, and let me spoil you."

  It was you who said I lost to your chess, so we should leave here together, go to the East China Sea you mentioned, sit on the reef as you said, watch the sunrise, watch the tide fall, just the two of us.

  It's you who said it, you want to tie me and you together, I take one step, you follow one step, never leaving an inch.

  It's you who said that you're afraid of not seeing me again, afraid of not finding me, afraid that when you find me, I'll be unable to look at you for the last time, afraid that when you find me, I'll be covered in scars.

  It was you who said you would wait for me, what you said... must be true.