Chapter 178: A picture of chaos and beauty
Zhao Yan didn’t even blink. His sword lowered slightly as he scoffed, "What is this, another ambush? Are we calling this ’Ambush 2.0’ now?"
The Prime Minister chuckled, stepping just a fraction forward. "A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do... to take back everything that belongs to him."
His voice rang with dangerous intent.
From where she crouched behind a crumbled pillar, Hua Jing’s breath caught in her throat.
The Prime Minister’s voice rang sharp through the air, every syllable laced with venom and intent: "...to take back everything that belongs to me."
The words echoed in her mind like a chime of doom, chilling her more than the night air ever could. There was no mistaking it now—the look in his eyes, the sheer conviction in his voice. That wasn’t the threat of a man caught in a corner. It was the proclamation of someone who had long since crafted his rebellion in shadows, and now simply waited for the curtain to rise. She had heard that tone before—in her father’s court, from generals about to go to war.
Something about the way he said it—it pulled at threads she hadn’t realized were fraying. Just what had happened between the Prime Minister and the Crown? What had he lost to fuel such obsession, such reckless boldness? To summon the Seventh Consort, to attack the Crown Prince in broad light, in the presence of loyal men? That wasn’t just ambition. That was fury. That was desperation.
Her thoughts spiraled, each question birthing a dozen more, dragging her to the edge of truths she wasn’t ready to name.
But before she could fall too deep into the web of speculation, the sound of clashing steel yanked her back.
The battle had resumed with renewed intensity.
Wei Ling and Deng Mi had joined the fray, leaping into action like twin storms unleashed. With fluidity born of long companionship, their movements synchronized in a deadly rhythm. Wei Ling’s fighting style mirrored Zhao Yan’s—precise, elegant, but every blow carried a silent weight, a hidden force honed by countless drills and shared duels in their youth.