Chapter 11: Could You Be a Little More Considerate?

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Yun Qing nodded slightly, as if sensing something amiss, her brows furrowing even tighter. Hidden within her sleeve, her fingers quietly traced a protective charm. Three meters away, the leaves of the bushes gently rustled. Ye Jincheng’s ear twitched; he took a few steps forward, and from the source of the sound, a servant suddenly emerged, expertly launching a poisoned dart that sliced through the air toward Yun Qing.

Before Yun Qing could turn her head, Ye Jincheng drew the sword from a nearby guard and swept her into his arms. Yun Qing felt the world spin; she was momentarily stunned, having intruded into his domain.

When she was a child, wandering the streets clutching a candied hawthorn, unaware of the speeding carriage behind her, Ye Jincheng had embraced her in just such a way, then frowned and scolded, “Can you be more careful?”

“Ding—” A sharp noise snapped her back to reality.

Ye Jincheng raised his sword to block the poisoned dart and commanded Kong Yi, “Seize him!”

“Yes.”

Ye Jincheng lowered his head, while she gazed blankly at him. Frowning, he shouted, “Can you pay attention for once?!”

Yun Qing blinked, smiling playfully, “With you protecting me, it’s enough.”

A flush crept up Ye Jincheng’s ears. He immediately pushed her away, flicked his sleeve, and stood with a cold, proud demeanor. “Dream on.”

“Your Highness, he’s dead,” Kong Yi reported hurriedly from the bushes.

The two quickened their pace. Ye Jincheng crouched down, feeling for a pulse; the black blood seeping from the man’s mouth confirmed he had been poisoned long ago.

Yun Qing’s expression grew serious. She had sensed a hint of malevolence moments ago, but it vanished as swiftly as it appeared—a strange occurrence indeed.

Raising her hand, she counted on her fingers and frowned, “This is bad!”

Meanwhile,

Ye Qianning stood with hands on her hips, glancing back several times. Ye Jincheng had yet to follow, making her gnash her teeth in frustration. “That wicked woman dares to claim my elder brother for herself!”

Just as she was brooding, a brilliant blue light suddenly flashed before her eyes.

She fixed her gaze and saw an exquisitely beautiful, ethereal long-tailed blue butterfly fluttering gracefully, beckoning her attention.

The butterfly sped up as she lifted her skirt to chase it, but suddenly a burning pain seared her waist, forcing her to stop. Doubling over, she clutched her side.

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“Princess! Princess!” A maid named Liu Yu hurried over, helping Ye Qianning up with a worried expression. “Princess, I called you, but you didn’t respond. You almost—almost—”

“Almost what?” Ye Qianning awakened as if from a dream. There had been no sound earlier; when did she call out?

Liu Yu trembled as she pointed forward.

Ye Qianning looked down the long stone steps and suddenly felt a wave of fear. She then glanced around—no butterflies were in sight.

Swallowing nervously, she touched her waist and found the yellow talisman Yun Qing had slipped to her.

“I was… possessed…” Ye Qianning murmured, collapsing to the ground. Had it not been for the talisman’s warning, she might have succumbed to an illusion and tumbled down the steps.

“Princess, what did you say?” Liu Yu was baffled as she helped her up. Before Ye Qianning could steady herself, Liu Yu suddenly pushed her down.

“Ah!” Ye Qianning cried out. Ye Jincheng arrived swiftly from below the steps, his pupils narrowing. Using lightness skills, he leapt up and caught Ye Qianning mid-fall, setting her down firmly.

“It really is her!” Kong Yi’s face showed panic. “Miss Yun Qing truly has foresight; she knew the princess was in danger and sent us here. Had we arrived a moment later, the princess—”

Ye Qianning, still shaken, stared blankly for a moment before burying her face in Ye Jincheng’s arms and sobbing uncontrollably.

Ye Jincheng glared fiercely at Liu Yu on the steps. “Seize this vile servant!”

Liu Yu sneered, her expression dark and sinister. Slowly raising her hand, a sinister aura similar to that of the Chaohui Hall manifested on her palm.

Yun Qing narrowed her eyes slightly. “How dare you, fiend, bring harm to the innocent?”

She quickly formed hand seals, and an invisible rope appeared out of thin air, swiftly binding Liu Yu.

Liu Yu struggled angrily, glaring at Yun Qing. Bound, she extended a finger and summoned the evil spirit to attack.

Yun Qing skillfully traced a charm, subduing the malevolent force. Chanting quietly, she yanked the rope sharply.

A scream of agony pierced the air as a black mist was pulled from Liu Yu’s body, bound by the rope.

Devoid of the evil spirit, Liu Yu’s face turned deathly pale. She collapsed weakly, captured by the guards behind her.

Looking around desperately, Liu Yu asked, “What are you doing? Why are you binding me?”

Having slain the evil spirit, Yun Qing lowered her peachwood sword and frowned, raising her voice to the guards, “Stop. She is innocent.”

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Kong Yi frowned. “Miss Yun Qing, we all saw with our own eyes that this vile servant tried to harm the princess. Why wouldn’t you have her arrested?”

“Exactly! She dared to harm me—I want her torn to pieces!” Ye Qianning stomped her foot, clenching her fists in anger.

“I am innocent! I am innocent! I don’t know anything!” Liu Yu sobbed pitifully. Weak and exhausted, she spoke only a few words before nearly fainting.

Ye Jincheng raised an eyebrow, lowering his voice to ask, “If not her, do you know who it was?”

Yun Qing slowly stepped before him. “Far away at the horizon, yet close enough to see.”

With that, she pulled out a yellow talisman and pressed it onto Kong Yi’s side.

Kong Yi’s face twisted with fear, unable to break free from the talisman’s binding. He froze in place, looking at Yun Qing in confusion. “Miss Yun Qing, why have you restrained me?”

Yun Qing smiled coldly, pacing before him. “The evil spirit on the Duke Ye’s pendant, the oppressive aura that has filled the manor these past days, and just now the servant who tried to harm the princess—surely all your handiwork. You are quite the schemer, almost deceiving even me.”

Kong Yi frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Your Highness. I’m innocent!”

Ye Jincheng lowered his head, his expression grim. Kong Yi had followed him for ten years and, apart from Pei Xuan, was his most trusted man.

“Yun Qing, you better not be mistaken,” he said heavily.

A glimmer of gold flashed in Yun Qing’s eyes as she brushed past him, tearing away an invisible charm. The black aura on Kong Yi immediately became visible. “This invisibility talisman isn’t cheap.”

“You!” Kong Yi glared at her resentfully as his plot unraveled. “Who exactly are you? That charm was bought from Master Shan Qing at a hefty price!”

Yun Qing’s lips curled into a smile. “Master Shan Qing? He’s just a defeated subordinate of my master.”

Without hesitation, she raised her peachwood sword and thrust it toward Kong Yi’s heart.

Kong Yi’s eyes widened in shock as his heart clenched sharply. Blood burst from his mouth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. The pain was unbearable, and even the malevolent aura on his body seemed to shrink away at the sight of the peachwood sword.

He stared at her in stunned disbelief, cold sweat streaming down his brow.