The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

The snow-covered plains of the north, the night snow has just cleared.

The cold moon, like frost, hangs in the sky.

Ten thousand emerald bamboo stalks, bearing the abundant snow bestowed by heaven, droop their tips, bending into snow-white arches that meander deep into the mountain valleys.

When the night wind blows, the bamboo branches tremble slightly, and the snow falls softly like shattered jade and splashing pearls.

As the wind subsided, the bamboo branches sprang up with a deft resilience, sending up a shower of fine, crystalline snowflakes.

The entire bamboo forest resembles a vast, crystal-clear snowscape, serene and boundless.

"Tap tap—"

Just then, a carriage sped by, shattering the tranquility.

The wheels rumbled, crushing the snow-covered official road, leaving two deep ruts in the snow, winding northwards to the border of Yunnan and Sichuan.

"Your Highness, we have reached the Northern Border. Once we cross this bamboo forest, we will arrive in Yunchuan."

The one who spoke was Mo Jian, the commander of the Cloud Scale Guard.

The Regent left Pei Yanchuan with the most elite Cloud Scale Guards, and Mo Jian was the sharpest blade among them.

Pei Yanchuan lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the vast, snowy night outside, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"If your father and the others had taken you with them, perhaps this calamity would have been avoided..."

His voice was very soft, as soft as a feather falling on the snow, without causing a ripple, yet it made one's heart sink.

The night wind in the North is so cold.

He originally thought that his father would be able to protect his mother and sister, and that they would finally be able to get over their hardships and be reunited as a family.

Little did they expect that this farewell would be their last.

"Your Highness is mistaken."

Mo Jian's voice remained as steady as ever.

"Even if my subordinates follow, they will only send out more men."

Although the Cloud Scale Guards were strong, they could not withstand the enemy's preparedness and coordinated attack from within and without.

The Yunchuan Empire is full of mountains and clouds, and this guard is like a fish hidden in the clouds or an undercurrent in the river, coming and going without a trace and making a sound.

Even the sharpest blade cannot stop a knife stabbing from the inside.

"His Highness the War King has sent a message, warning us to be extremely careful of His Majesty."

Mo Jian's words were only meant to be pointed out.

He believed that the young master would understand Qi Wang's meaning.

Pei Yanchuan lowered his eyes.

"First he executed the Imperial Tutor, then he murdered his adoptive father. Qi Zhan is truly an ungrateful wretch!"

Two fathers.

One had raised him, and the other had mentored him; both were people he once respected most.

But now, they have all perished under that man's scheme.

"Your Highness... the most urgent matter now is to protect yourself. His Majesty is ruthless and I'm afraid he won't let you off the hook."

Mo Jian's gaze swept warily around his surroundings.

That bamboo forest was deep and tranquil, with swaying bamboo shadows, making it an ideal place for an ambush.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The horse-drawn carriage sped through the bamboo forest.

Finally, they left Beichen and entered the territory of Yunchuan.

The large number of assassins expected did not appear.

However, ahead on the road, a lone figure stood in the middle of the snow.

The man wore a straw hat and a raincoat, and held a long knife in his hand.

Even before the sword was drawn, a chilling killing intent permeated the air, making one's heart clench.

It was a knife without a sheath.

The blade was as black as ink, without any sharpness, yet it gave one the inexplicable feeling that its edge had long been soaked in blood.

The moonlight fell on the blade, like a frozen night.

A slash came down.

A bright ray pierced the snowy night, sharp and incomparable.

"boom--"

The carriage was cleaved in two by that single blow, splinters of wood flying everywhere, the curtains shattering like a black snowflake falling in the moonlight.

"Your Highness, be careful!"

The moment the other party made their move, Mo Jian had already grabbed Pei Yanchuan and leaped out of the carriage.

He landed steadily, shielding Pei Yanchuan behind him.

"That is the Lifeless Blade—Lone Poison."

Mo Jian's voice was deep, his gaze fixed on that figure.

He recognized the knife and the man's swordsmanship—ruthless, precise, and leaving no survivors.

"Take the young master and leave quickly."

He drew his sword, its blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, to meet the long, black saber.

Swords clashed, sparks flew.

The surrounding green bamboo was cut down, and the accumulated snow fell in a flurry, raising a sky full of shattered jade.

Under the moonlight, two figures were locked in combat, their swords flashing and their movements intertwining to create a deadly web.

"Your Highness, let's continue. The people His Highness the War King was supposed to meet us have probably been held up; we must rely on ourselves."

Several Cloud Scale Guards surrounded Pei Yanchuan, speaking very quickly.

That swordsman was very strong, so strong that it took the personal intervention of the Grand Supervisor Mo Jian to stop him.

The fact that the War King's men haven't arrived means they've also run into trouble.

"Let's go."

Pei Yanchuan spoke.

He recalled that many years ago, when he and his mother fled Yunchuan, it was this same swordsman who had wiped out all the guards of the Pei family with a single strike.

If they hadn't escaped into the territory of Beichen, where the pursuing experts didn't have travel permits and couldn't freely enter, they would have already become victims of their blades.

"Both Gu Zhen and Han Ya are highly skilled fighters by His Majesty's side; only the Chief Eunuch can handle them. Hopefully, only one of them has come."

The Yunlin Guards escorted Pei Yanchuan as they sped toward the Yunchuan military camp.

That was the territory of the War King Qi Wang.

Once there, even Qi Zhan couldn't easily lay a hand on this heir apparent, who was personally recognized by the Regent Qi Si and acknowledged by the world.

Yes, Pei Yanchuan already has a name on the Yun Chuan royal genealogy—Qi Yinglin.

Today, he has a place among the royal family.

Ke Qizhan clearly didn't want to give him any chance to live.

"Everyone—are you talking about me?"

A lazy, laughing voice suddenly came from ahead.

With his arms crossed, Han Ya leaned against an old pine tree, smiling as he looked at the frail scholar being protected by Yun Lin Guards.

His gaze swept over Pei Yanchuan with a casual scrutiny, like a cat toying with its prey.

"His Majesty has sent his men to welcome Crown Prince Yinglin."

"The Cloud Scale Guards should hand the person over to me; otherwise, they will be treated as traitors."

His voice was sharp and cutting.

"Our Emperor suspects that there was a traitor within the Cloud Scale Guard, which led to the Regent's death."

His words were righteous and stern, yet they caused the Cloud Scale Guards to grip their swords tightly, their knuckles turning white.

"You all know who the mole is!"

"kill!"

Someone gave a low shout, and the Cloud Scale Guards all drew their swords and attacked the crow.

"You think you can stop me?"

The crow chuckled softly and waved its hand.

In an instant, countless crows swarmed in, a dark mass that blotted out the sky and the moon.

With a flap of its wings, the moonlight was swallowed up by the black tide.

"Young Master, run!"

Pei Yanchuan did not turn around.

He held only a book given to him by Tang Xixue in his arms; it was his only thought at that moment.

He trudged through the snow, running desperately toward the Yun Chuan military camp.

The night wind rushed into my clothes, chilling me to the bone.

But he dared not stop, nor could he stop.

The sounds of fighting behind me gradually faded into the distance, yet they seemed to linger, like an unshakeable nightmare.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

The footsteps approached from afar, unhurried yet each step felt like a countdown to death on Pei Yanchuan's heart.

"Whoosh—"

Pei Yanchuan suddenly turned around.

An arrow streaked through the air, swift as a meteor and cold as a frost blade, aimed straight for his back.