Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 499 Luo Yuheng Must Die! (No... 7,000 words)
Palace?

The ancestral home of Wang Shaojie, the son-in-law of Luo Yuheng?
This is the place where Luo Yuheng once lived.

Song Yan then stopped the carriage, stepped down from the carriage, and looked up at the mansion in front of him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes... It was in this mansion that Luo Yuheng and Wang Shaojie lived together for several years, and it was here that they had a daughter, who is now Princess Yongle, who is being raised under the Empress's name!

It's not that I want to find out what kind of life Luo Yuheng lived in the past.

I simply wanted to go in, take a look, and browse around; that's all.

If there's anything I really want to know, it's probably why Wang Shaojie betrayed his wife and Emperor Ninghe to join the Yang family... Emperor Ninghe's reason for Wang Shaojie's betrayal was that attaching himself to the Yang family would allow the Wang clan to rise again and become a top-tier aristocratic family once more.

But Song Yan always felt that things weren't that simple.

To bring the Wang family back to the top tier of powerful clans? Only a fool would believe such a promise.

Compared to imperial power, aristocratic families were a collective entity, but competition still existed between them, sometimes fierce and even life-or-death. The Fang family alone had already caused the Yang family immense trouble; to create a top-tier aristocratic family again would be a complete madness on the Yang family's mind.

If there were even one member of the Wang family with a clear head, they would absolutely not believe such a promise.

call.

A night breeze swept in.

Song Yan's body trembled again.

It's getting colder.

This chill is really abnormal.

Moreover, Song Yan could faintly sense the chill seeping out from the mansion in front of him. Looking up at the bright moon, the vast mansion seemed to be shrouded in a misty haze, like frost.

With her brows furrowing deeper, Song Yan pursed her lips: "Gao Yang?"

"Ok?"

A small head peeked out from inside the carriage.

Her full body was curled up, and she was only wearing a thin dress. Now she couldn't stand the cold anymore, and Gao Yang's lips were a little pale.

"I'll go to the Prince's residence to take a look, and I'll be out soon."

“Something’s not right here. You should go back first and tell Tianxuan and Lianyue to send one of them over,” Song Yan said after thinking for a moment.

Safety first.

Although no danger has been detected in this palace yet, it's still better to be cautious.

Gao Yang was clearly not the kind of woman who would pester someone. Although she was still not quite sure what had happened, she had already become serious and nodded heavily: "I understand, husband, please be careful."

Song Yan nodded slightly and looked at the driver's position: "Protect Gao Yang well."

"Rest assured, General, we will not allow the Lady to suffer any danger," the Silver-Armored Guard captain, who was driving the carriage, immediately shouted. Among the Silver-Armored Guards and Black-Armored Soldiers, there was a long-standing legend that their Marquis was a brilliant strategist, and that those who could stay by his side would likely become wiser as well. Therefore, the opportunity to drive the Marquis's carriage was extremely precious. He had only managed to seize this rare opportunity after finally winning a game of rock-paper-scissors against Lieutenant General Lei Yi and several squad leaders.

Unfortunately, the centurion did not feel that his mind had become any sharper.

It must be because he hasn't spent enough time by the Marquis's side.

In the training of the Silver Armor Guards and Black Armor Warriors, the orders of their superiors were absolute. Therefore, the centurion did not hesitate at all. He raised his whip, and with a snap, the horse neighed and charged forward.

Song Yan let out a slight sigh of relief and turned to walk towards the Prince's Mansion.

As they drew closer, it became clearer that the mansion had obviously been uninhabited for a long time. The vermilion gate was mottled, with patches of red paint peeling off. Even the areas where the paint hadn't peeled off had long since faded and lost their original luster. Upon closer inspection, there were even some wormholes on the solid wood gate.

The animal-shaped ring was covered in rust.

Cobwebs were tangled inside and outside the door plaque.

Everything in sight was filled with a sense of decay and ruin.

Although trespassing on someone else's property is impolite, this manor has been vacant for many years, so there shouldn't be any problem, right? Thinking this, Song Yan raised his hand and pushed against the door. Before his fingers landed, he could even see several clear fingerprints on the door.

Clearly, someone had entered this mansion not long ago; it must have been Luo Yuheng.

Squeak.

The old, heavy door was pushed open, and a decaying sound came out.

A cool breeze swept over me.

Song Yan shivered, and the air he exhaled from his nostrils condensed into fine frost. The chill was far more intense than before, making Song Yan even more certain that the source of the cold was deep within this mansion.

"Master, be careful, something's not right here."

A familiar, melodious voice came from beside her. Ziyu quietly appeared beside her, wearing a long purple dress that shimmered alluringly in the moonlight. Her fair face was somewhat serious, her brows furrowed, and her dark eyes stared at the dark house in front of her, exuding solemnity.

Whenever Song Yan went out, whether openly or covertly, he was always accompanied by a master bodyguard. Sometimes it was Luo Tianyi, sometimes it was Ziyu, and even Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan often acted as bodyguards. It was generally known that Song Yan had offended too many people, and there were countless people in the entire Ning Kingdom who wanted him dead. They always felt uneasy if he didn't have a master bodyguard by his side.

Ziyu's strength is definitely sufficient, slightly stronger than Luo Tianyi. As long as she doesn't encounter a Grandmaster-level expert, she should be fine. For Ziyu to show such an expression, there must be some real danger inside this house.

Song Yan nodded and stepped over the threshold.

The inside of the house was even worse than the front gate.

Decaying, dilapidated.

The place, which should have been a flowerbed, was overgrown with weeds.

The cobblestone path was full of potholes and covered in mud.

Looking around, some rooms were already rotten, with doors and windows drooping crookedly, and some even had half of their roofs collapsed. The ground was covered with a thick layer of dry, decaying leaves and grass, which felt strangely soft underfoot. Uninhabited houses always deteriorate quickly; this Wang family ancestral home must have been built quite sturdily, yet in just a decade or two, it had become like this.

woo woo woo...

In my ears, I could hear faint sounds; it was the night wind howling.

Song Yan could feel more clearly the chill carried by the night wind, which swept over her wave after wave, like the waves on the beach.

Hua Lianyue and Luo Tianxuan have not yet arrived.

There were some safety concerns, but considering that Ziyu was right beside him, and squeezing the hard lump inside his sleeve, he figured that even if there was some danger, he wouldn't be completely helpless... Thinking this, Song Yan stopped hesitating and headed towards the backyard.

Song Yan could clearly feel the temperature dropping. The cold wind was like a knife, howling on his face, making Song Yan feel as if his skin was about to be cut open, burning with pain. Every step he took felt like entering two completely different worlds.

I don't know when it started, but the surroundings have become faintly white. Out of the corner of my eye, I see weeds in the nursery, their green leaves covered with a thin layer of white frost, swaying slowly in the wind, creating a strange kind of beauty.

Pass through the archway.

My teeth were chattering.

My vision became a little blurry, because there were some fine stubbles of frost on my eyelashes.

"ah."

A gasp came from Ziyu beside him. For a ninth-rank martial artist to make such a sound, one could imagine that the scene she saw must have been quite astonishing. Song Yan followed Ziyu's gaze and looked over.

The next instant... his breathing stopped.

His body shuddered, and his heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. His throat throbbed as he swallowed the saliva that kept growing.

grass! ! ! !

What did he see?

Under the moonlight, the white skin shone with a cold, silvery glow.

Right where the artificial lake was located in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, there was no trace of water. Instead, there was an irregularly shaped, cone-shaped iceberg. Song Yan even doubted whether he was seeing things. He opened his mouth wide, rubbed his eyes hard, and looked again... Yes, it was still an iceberg.

In that instant, Song Yan felt his mind was in turmoil. Damn it, could someone please tell him what was going on? How could an iceberg appear in the sweltering heat of summer? If he remembered correctly, he should have transmigrated to ancient times, not some fantasy, martial arts, or magical world, right?
Song Yan couldn't help but want to curse. That huge, mysterious, and magnificent iceberg almost shattered his worldview.

Staring blankly at Ziyu beside him, he found that Ziyu's gaze had also turned towards him at the same time. Their eyes met and both of them could see the shock in each other's eyes... Without a doubt, even a ninth-rank martial artist like Ziyu had never seen such a bizarre scene before.

call!
Song Yan exhaled a heavy stream of milky white air.

He tried desperately to calm himself down. Although his heart was still pounding wildly, at least his brain had regained some of its thinking ability. Looking at the iceberg again, Song Yan vaguely sensed that something was wrong... That place was obviously an artificial lake. Even if the entire lake was frozen for some reason, it should be a thick, horizontal layer of ice, with at most some irregular protrusions. There would never be such a strange cone-shaped iceberg.

It's as if there's a giant whirlpool at the very center of the lake, attracting and pulling everything around it. If you look closely, you can even see the ripples of the flowing water, transforming into layers of icicles, like transparent steps sculpted by the wind, refracting a cold blue light under the moonlight. The surface of the iceberg is smooth as a mirror, yet covered with tiny cracks, like some kind of hidden pattern. Beneath the ice, bubbles, fallen leaves, and silt are eternally sealed.

Like a solitary crystal palace, clear and silent, as if waiting for a thawing moment that will never come.

wrong!

Song Yan's body trembled violently. Inside the iceberg... there seemed to be someone?
Although the ice was mixed with mud, sand, and fallen leaves, a human-shaped outline could still be vaguely seen. For some reason, a strong, very bad premonition suddenly welled up in Song Yan's heart. Gritting his teeth, Song Yan forced himself to endure the bone-chilling cold and ran towards the iceberg. As he got closer and closer, the situation deep inside the iceberg became clearer and clearer.

That must be a woman.

She stood silently in the middle of the frozen lake.

Her simple white gauze dress remained motionless as if being swept by the lake water. The ice seemed to have formed from the soles of her feet, like vines formed from moonlight, climbing up her legs and the hem of her skirt, blooming into translucent frost flowers at her waist.

The tips of her hair were dangling, reflecting the light of icicles, like starlight falling from the sky.

Song Yan's consciousness became slightly hazy. In the hazy state, the figure frozen in the ice in front of him looked like a fairy who had fallen from the heavens to the mortal world.

Pure and beautiful.

Flawless.

Ice crystals flowed over her long, fair neck, and a breathtakingly beautiful face was reflected in the ice.

Rumble, rumble!

The moment he saw that face, it was as if a thunderbolt struck down from the sky, hitting Song Yan directly on the head, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

His pupils trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

That face...

It’s Luo Yuheng.

Damn it, what on earth is going on?
What exactly happened? Why was Luo Yuheng frozen in this ice?
What else happened in places I didn't know about?
……

Meanwhile, the carriage also stopped at the Marquis of Champion's residence.

As soon as he got off the carriage, Gao Yang didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest and rushed into the mansion at top speed.

Because of the banquet at the Fang family's residence tonight, it had taken too long, and it was already past midnight. Luo Tianxuan and Hua Lianyue should already be resting, but given the current situation, Gao Yang couldn't worry about that and rushed towards the backyard. When he left, although it seemed like nothing had happened, the unnatural chill and Song Yan's solemn expression gave Gao Yang a vague premonition of something bad... In any case, it would be safer to have at least one of Luo Tianxuan or Hua Lianyue by Song Yan's side.

Just as Gao Yang rushed into Luo Tianxuan's courtyard, she was surprised to find it very quiet; she couldn't even hear breathing. Only a maid was dozing off on a stone table in the pavilion. Hearing footsteps, she quickly got up. Seeing that it was Gao Yang, the maid bowed and said, "Princess."

"Where is Tianxuan? Is she inside?"

The maid shook her head: "Reporting to the princess, the madam is not in the marquis's residence. Not long after the master and the princess left, news came from the palace that the madam, Madam Lianyue, and Miss Tianyi were invited to attend the Empress's banquet."

"Because it was the Empress's invitation, the two ladies and Miss Tianyi could not refuse, so they all went to the palace."

The terminology used for the inner quarters of the Marquis of Champion's residence is somewhat peculiar.

Generally speaking, only the principal wife can be called "Madam," while concubines are called "Auntie." However, in Song Yan's case, all of Song Yan's women are addressed as "Madam"... This was specifically instructed by Luo Tianxuan. In Luo Tianxuan's words, they are all sisters serving their husband, and there is no need to distinguish between them in terms of rank.

Therefore, the maids in the Marquis of Champion's mansion mostly referred to Hua Lianyue as Lady Lianyue.

"By the way, the princess was also on the invitation list, but since she went to the Fang family, the madam declined on her behalf."

His brows furrowed instantly.

The lamb, no longer swayed by Kong Nianhan's maternal love, was clearly an extremely intelligent woman, and she instantly sensed that something was wrong.

On the surface, Luo Tianxuan and Luo Tianyi are relatives of the Empress, and should be addressed as "aunt." When Song Yan and she left the Marquis of Champion's mansion, it was only just getting dark, so inviting them to the palace for a banquet was normal... But inviting Hua Lianyue was a bit inappropriate.

The people in the Marquis of Champion's mansion didn't care much about social hierarchy, but places like the imperial palace were always the most particular about rules and regulations.

Even though Hua Lian Yue is addressed as "Madam" in the Marquis of Champion's mansion, in the Empress's eyes, she is ultimately just a concubine... How could the Empress invite a concubine to a banquet? Those who value their reputation above all else would never do such a thing. And now, when Song Yan desperately needs a powerful protector, both Hua Lian Yue and Luo Tian Xuan are absent. Is this truly just a coincidence?
Moreover, it was already past midnight, and Luo Tianxuan and Hua Lianyue still hadn't returned... In Gao Yang's heart, a bad premonition grew stronger.

Nowadays, not to mention that the palace gates are locked, apart from people like Song Yan, no one else can enter the palace... Even if they did go to the palace, it would probably take a lot of time to go back and forth.

Gao Yang shuddered slightly, then made a snap decision and rushed towards the side courtyard where the Silver Armor Guards were stationed. The Silver Armor Guards' quarters were all men's, and for a widow like Gao Yang to go to such a place in the middle of the night was extremely inappropriate and would damage her reputation. But Gao Yang didn't care about such things now.
Holding up her skirt with both hands, her face was more solemn than ever before.

Before long, they arrived at the archway of the side courtyard.

Swish.

The two steel knives crossed instantly, blocking Gao Yang's path.

"This place is temporarily a military camp. Stop here." A silver-armored guard shouted in a deep voice.

Gao Yang took a deep breath: "It's me."

By the moonlight, the silver-armored guards at the door realized who the newcomer was. They immediately stood at attention and gave a military salute: "Greetings, Princess."

"But it is already late at night. I wonder what brings the princess to this important military camp?"

"Call Lei Yi out; the Marquis may be in danger."

boom!
As Gao Yang's voice faded, a door to a side courtyard was flung open, and a burly figure clad in silver armor strode in. It was none other than Lei Yi, who, judging from his attire, was clearly asleep in his armor. One hand was already on the sword at his waist, and his dark face beneath his helmet was filled with a solemn expression, even radiating a murderous intent that seemed ready to erupt at any moment: "What does the Princess mean?"

"There's no time to explain in detail." Gao Yang shook his head: "Hua Lianyue, Luo Tianyi, and Luo Tianxuan have all been summoned to the palace. Now, the Marquis only has Ziyu protecting him. I would like to ask General Lei to gather everyone and come with me to a certain place."

Lei Yi's eyes widened. Putting aside Song Yan's kindness in promoting him, not to mention the blood feud between the two generals and thousands of comrades at the border of Xinhou County, it was the Marquis who avenged them. Lei Yi knew even more clearly that their current status and rations were all bestowed by the Marquis. If anything happened to the Marquis, everything they had now would be devoured by those greedy gluttons in an instant, leaving not even a trace.

"gather."

A roar echoed over the Marquis of Champion's mansion.

In an instant, all the silver-armored guards, whether on night watch or resting, opened their eyes.

About fifteen minutes later, a number of warhorses galloped out of the side gate of the Marquis of Champion's mansion.

Rumble...Rumble...

The dull thud of hooves was like thunder, startling countless homes along the roadside.

Some people peeked through the crack in the door and saw the cavalry sweeping past like a whirlwind. Under the moonlight, their silver armor gleamed with a cold, eerie light, and they were all terrified... Only the Silver Armor Guards under the Marquis of Champion would dress like this.

Goodness, who provoked this group of scoundrels this time?

On the very first day these evil stars entered Dongling City, they massacred the imperial palace, resulting in the deaths of dozens of high-ranking officials and the extermination of their families.

This time, who knows how many more people will die.

They didn't even dare to look too closely, quickly closing the doors and windows, silently telling themselves it was none of their business.

……

the other side.

Inside the palace.

Song Yan's face was ashen, his eyes fixed on Luo Yuheng's face encased in ice, his body trembling. He didn't know what Luo Yuheng had encountered, or why she was frozen in ice. Luo Yuheng had previously sent a note saying not to look for him; could it be that Luo Yuheng had foreseen this fate?

Song Yan didn't even know whether Luo Yuheng was alive or dead.

No, they must still be alive.

Although this isn't a world of immortals or fantasy, it does have something called internal energy. Internal energy isn't omnipotent, but it can be used to save lives sometimes. As long as Luo Yuheng is rescued from the ice in time, there is still hope.

"Owner……"

Ziyu also came to her side.

She was also shocked by the mysterious, beautiful, and eerie scene before her. She also saw Luo Yuheng frozen in ice and looked at Song Yan with some worry.

Ziyu knew about the bond between Luo Yuheng and her master, and she was worried that her master might do something irrational because he couldn't handle such a shock.

Swish.

Just then, Song Yan drew the sword from his waist.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slashed down at the thick ice.

Clang.

A sound like metal clashing against metal erupted in the silent palace.

The blade hummed.

Even Song Yan's wrist felt a sharp pain.

Forged from high-quality steel, the battle blade was extremely sturdy, with no nicks or chips on its edge. However, looking at the crack that had been cleaved in the ice, Song Yan frowned. The crack was too small; it was practically impossible to split the iceberg with the battle blade alone.

He had gunpowder on his body.

It should be able to shatter the iceberg.

However, Song Yan dared not use the gunpowder lightly, as he could not guarantee that the explosion would not shatter the iceberg and harm Luo Yuheng's body inside.

Perhaps, the safest way is to start a fire to melt the iceberg.

But looking at this thick layer of ice, which is several meters in diameter, how long would it take to melt such an iceberg? Could Luo Yuheng withstand it?

In a short time, several methods had already appeared in Song Yan's mind, but each method had its unavoidable shortcomings.

Song Yan felt increasingly agitated.

Unable to control himself, he slammed his fist into the iceberg in front of him amidst curses.

boom!
At this moment, Song Yan mobilized his internal energy.

But... the texture feels a little off.

Song Yan subconsciously looked up and saw that a shallow dent had appeared where his fist had struck. The ice in the dent was melting at a visible speed, turning into a trickling stream that flowed down the iceberg.

He stared blankly at his fist, then at the traces of melting ice on the iceberg.

His hands weren't hot... Besides, how much higher can the human body temperature get? Forty-one degrees Celsius would be fatal. Unless it's like a red-hot iron ball, how could someone melt an iceberg and leave such marks in the blink of an eye?
Could it be the effect of internal energy?

Speaking of the internal energy he cultivated from the *Hundred Flowers Treasure Mirror*, it did indeed have some effects compared to the internal energy of ordinary martial artists, such as... a special attack on the cold poison of the *Extreme Yin Plain Woman Scripture*. Could it be that the layer of ice surrounding Luo Yuheng was also caused by a similar effect of releasing cold poison? His internal energy neutralized and dispelled some of the cold poison, causing the ice in this area to melt rapidly without the support of the cold poison?
A sudden inspiration struck Song Yan, and he pressed his right hand firmly against the iceberg.

The next instant, the internal energy within his body surged like a tsunami, converging towards his right hand.

To Zi Yu's astonishment, one could even hear a soft, pattering sound as the ice within a foot radius of where Song Yan's finger had landed melted at an alarming rate.

The ice and water mixed together, like a small stream, slowly rolling down.

Just then, Song Yan, who was focused on trying to dispel the cold poison and melt the iceberg, and Zi Yu, who was guarding Song Yan, did not notice that a figure dressed in black night clothes had silently appeared from a rooftop.

Above the black mask were a pair of long, narrow eyes.

Like a venomous snake.

A small, white hand quietly reached behind her, and soon a longbow appeared in her palm.

Nocking an arrow.

Zhang Gong.

When I exerted myself, there seemed to be a faint, throbbing pain in my shoulder.

The stinging pain made the man in black's eyes appear even more ferocious.

Under the moonlight, the arrowheads gleamed with a sinister, cold light.

The next instant, the fingers loosened.

hum!
The arrow, like a writhing venomous snake, drew a strange arc in mid-air, heading straight for Song Yan's head!

Nobody can get her out of here!
Luo Yuheng must die!

(End of this chapter)