Chapter 140: Nighttime ambush

Nighttime ambush

In an instant, Yin Fengzhan swept her into his broad, warm embrace, and Nie Jinxuan instantly felt dazed. But before she could recover, a sharp scream rang out from outside the carriage.

Ah—

That scream came from the coachman. Instantly, Nie Jinxuan trembled all over, but then she heard an urgent, low command in her ear.

Don't be afraid!

As the words fell, Nie Jinxuan instinctively gripped that large hand, tightening her hold, and her soft body pressed firmly against his solid chest……

In an instant, Nie Jinxuan's heart fluttered reflexively, but then Yin Fengzhan suddenly released her.

Sit still, don't move!

Having said that, Nie Jinxuan instantly felt her body lose support, and then she saw Yin Fengzhan raise his hand; with a bang he blew open the carriage roof and leapt straight out!

Yin Fengzhan moved as fast as lightning, and to Nie Jinxuan it seemed like an illusion. At that moment, having leapt from the carriage, Yin Fengzhan was already before it, and his deep eyes instantly flashed with a faint light.

All that could be seen was that on the deserted street, several black-clad masked figures stood in night attire, each holding swords and blades, standing straight before the carriage. The bright moonlight cast upon the cold blade tips, emitting a chilling glow……

Thus, at this moment, seeing the scene, Yin Fengzhan couldn't help but slightly narrow his charming eyes, his gaze sweeping over each masked figure, then he glanced at the severely wounded coachman lying nearby, before turning his gaze to face the masked figure ahead.

Who are you?

Hmph~! Telling you is useless! Because you're about to meet the King of Hell!

The masked man standing in the middle spoke gloomily; after his words, he gestured to the others beside him and let out a low shout.

Attack!

As the shout fell, the several black-clad masked figures instantly lunged at Yin Fengzhan……

In an instant, the empty street was filled with flashing blades and sword light. Meanwhile, hearing that sound, Nie Jinxuan's heart clenched inside the carriage; she immediately thought of Yin Fengzhan's unhealed leg injury, and without hesitation she flung open the carriage curtain……

But just then, as Nie Jinxuan pulled back the curtain, a flash of light suddenly appeared before her eyes; before she could react, she saw another familiar figure flash by, and in an instant kicked away the bright light that had just reached her.

Everything happened too fast for Nie Jinxuan to do anything but stand frozen on the spot. Only after a while did she snap back to her senses; when she looked up again, she saw that the fight had already ended.

Yin Fengzhan stood upright with his back to her, while the several black-clad masked figures stood around in various postures, behaving strangely!

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan felt dazed again. After looking for a while, a term suddenly came to mind—acupoint sealing!

Could it be…… that they, they have all been sealed at their acupoints?

Nie Jinxuan spoke in disbelief, her eyes wide with astonishment and confusion. But upon hearing her words, Yin Fengzhan, whose back was to her, instantly darkened his face and turned to rebuke her.

Who let you come out? Go back!

Yin Fengzhan's voice was icy, betraying unfathomable anger and a clear command. Being shouted at like that, Nie Jinxuan jumped in fright, then angrily retorted.

I let myself out! What of it?!

Honestly, can't nice words be spoken nicely?!

Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but curse him silently in her heart; seeing her like that, Yin Fengzhan didn't utter a word, merely pursed his lips slightly, then stepped forward a few steps and shoved her into the carriage.

Yin Fengzhan's move was swift and clean; his powerful force allowed Nie Jinxuan no chance to resist. At that moment, she felt her body lighten, her feet leave the ground, and after another blink she found herself inside the carriage.

For a moment, Nie Jinxuan was dazed, but then she snapped back to her senses. Just as she was furiously wanting to jump down from the carriage to protest against Yin Fengzhan, using the moonlight streaming from the empty carriage roof, she happened to notice a scratch over an inch long on the carriage where she had just been leaning.

Immediately, Nie Jinxuan narrowed her eyes and leaned in for a closer look…… Upon close inspection, she realized it wasn't a scratch at all, but a hole punched clean through!

This…… how could……

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan frowned, but then she suddenly understood! It turned out that those masked figures had just pierced the carriage with their swords and blades! So when Yin Fengzhan had embraced her just now, it must have been……

Only then did Nie Jinxuan grasp the full story, and a feeling she could not describe welled up in her heart. Thus, in the blink of an eye, she leaned back gently and remained honestly still in the carriage……

……

Nie Jinxuan rarely obeyed Yin Fengzhan's words, honestly staying still in the carriage without moving. Then, after placing Nie Jinxuan back in the carriage, Yin Fengzhan further straightened the carriage curtain, and only then instantly turned his body, redirecting his gaze back to the several black-clad masked figures before him.

Who sent you here?

Yin Fengzhan spoke in a low voice, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over each of them; upon hearing this, among the black-clad masked figures, a man who appeared to be their leader couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

Hmph!

That man let out a cold snort and then fell silent. Seeing this, Yin Fengzhan's eyes instantly turned icy; without hesitation he flashed forward and kicked the leading masked figure hard in the leg.

Instantly, a miserable 'Ah—' rang out; the man who had just been tough as nails collapsed to the ground instantly, and though his face covering remained, his pain was unmistakable!

His leg was broken! What had been a normal leg now twisted awry to one side, a bizarre posture that made one's heart race with fear!

Meanwhile, Yin Fengzhan simply stood still before him, eyes lowered, looking down upon him; his expressionless face revealed neither joy nor anger.

Seeing this, the surrounding masked figures were all startled, but before anyone could react, Yin Fengzhan instantly lifted his foot and stepped onto the arm of the fallen masked figure on the ground.

Speak!

You…… you…… you have guts…… ah—

Obviously, putting on a tough front before Yin Fengzhan was nothing but self‑humiliation. Thus, seeing that the masked man had no intention of telling the truth, Yin Fengzhan didn't wait for him to finish speaking; without a thought he stomped down hard.

Instantly, the masked man screamed again, his anguished cry startling even Nie Jinxuan in the carriage; looking at the man whose hands and feet were both broken beneath his foot, Yin Fengzhan flicked a finger and sealed his mute point in an instant.

This time, even his groans of pain ceased. Having dealt with the leader, Yin Fengzhan shifted his foot and moved on to the next masked figure.

Speak!

Yin Fengzhan's simple follow‑up, his expressionless face, was more terrifying than fury. Being questioned thus, the second masked figure, his eyes locked by Yin Fengzhan's stare, was instantly terrified; he swallowed hard before stammering.

No…… no…… I don't know……

……

I…… really don't know…… ah—

A miserable cry rang out, and the second masked figure likewise could not escape Yin Fengzhan's fate of having his leg broken!

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth……

Finally, when the last masked figure could utter no explanation, Yin Fengzhan was about to strike when a black shadow flashed past and appeared directly before him.

Instantly, Yin Fengzhan narrowed his eyes. Then he saw that the newcomer was none other than Mo Yujue!

……

Actually, Mo Yujue had originally been leading men through the city searching for Wang Fang, the son of the Minister of Revenue. Only during the search, he suddenly heard screams. However, at that time Mo Yujue was rather far from this area, so by the time he arrived, it was already somewhat too late.

But having spent so long at the Ministry of Punishments, Mo Yujue naturally had some experience. So the moment his feet touched the ground, he glanced around and instantly understood the situation. Then his face could not help but darken slightly.

"Have you gotten the culprit to talk?"

"No!"

Yin Fengzhan said coldly, then swept his gaze over the masked men lying on the ground, before looking up at Mo Yujue before him.

"I'll leave it to you!"

With those words, Yin Fengzhan paid no mind to whatever Mo Yujue wanted to say, and directly leapt onto the carriage, then scooped up Nie Jinxuan huddled inside, and bounded away.

……

After such a major incident, it was certain that Nie Jinxuan had been somewhat frightened. But when Nie Jinxuan opened her eyes again, she found that she had not returned to her own room at the Nie residence, but had instead been brought to Ningxiang Yuan in the Chen Wangfu!

The familiar bed, the familiar table and chairs… everything here was still exactly as Nie Jinxuan had left it. Even the landscape painting on the wall had not been replaced!

At once, Nie Jinxuan could not help but feel a touch of melancholy. But then she quickly gathered her wits and promptly sat up from the bed in one swift motion.

"Yin Fengzhan, why did you bring me back here?"

Frowning, Nie Jinxuan could not help but ask in return. After all, she was no longer the Consort of Prince Chen, so coming here now—and to a place like Ningxiang Yuan, no less—was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

But at this, Yin Fengzhan, seated at the table, merely lowered his eyes and glanced at her, then said in a low voice,

"The Nie residence is not safe!"

"How is the Nie residence not safe? The Nie residence has guards too!"

Nie Jinxuan talked back, unwilling to yield. Though she also knew full well that, given the situation tonight, if something had truly happened, the guards at the Nie residence would indeed have been of little use. But at this moment, in front of Yin Fengzhan, Nie Jinxuan reflexively did not want to back down.

But facts speak louder than words. If even Nie Jinxuan understood these things, how could Yin Fengzhan not see through them?! So the moment Nie Jinxuan's words fell, Yin Fengzhan immediately replied,

"Then do you think those guards at the Nie residence were a match for those masked men today?"

"I… then the Chen Wangfu is safe?! How can you be certain that the guards of the Chen Wangfu are definitely stronger than those masked men?"

"Because I am here!"

With a single sentence, Yin Fengzhan left Nie Jinxuan completely speechless. And after those words fell, Yin Fengzhan could not help but turn his head to look at Nie Jinxuan once more, then rose and prepared to leave…

But just then, Nie Jinxuan, whose face had flushed red from being stumped, could not help but call out to stop him.

"Wait!"

"……"

Yin Fengzhan said nothing, but his footsteps paused, and then he turned to look at Nie Jinxuan. Meeting Yin Fengzhan's eyes, Nie Jinxuan pressed her lips together slightly, then said in a low voice,

"Then… then I can stay, but you need to send someone to tell my father. I'm worried my family will be anxious!"

Whether the worry was genuine or not, Nie Jinxuan herself was not entirely sure. But right now she had already been divorced and become a discarded wife. At a time like this, if she still stayed out all night, she could ignore the gossip from outsiders, but at the very least she needed to explain things to her family.

Hearing this, Yin Fengzhan did not say much, gave a slight nod, and then walked out… But this time, he had barely reached the door when Nie Jinxuan called out to stop him again.

"Wait a moment!"

"Say everything at once!"

Clearly, being stopped by Nie Jinxuan a second time, Yin Fengzhan's expression turned noticeably unpleasant. But looking at his darkened face, Nie Jinxuan instead felt much more at ease, and promptly raised her voice,

"Come back here and let me look at your leg—did you injure it again just now!"

……

Just how skilled Yin Fengzhan's martial arts were, Nie Jinxuan did not know. But the incident that had occurred on the way back had left Nie Jinxuan instinctively shaken and terrified. And Yin Fengzhan already had a wound on his leg, had not been taking care of his body, and had been drinking recklessly, so the wound would certainly not heal too quickly.

Therefore, combined with the fight just now, Nie Jinxuan could not be certain whether he had aggravated the wound. So naturally she needed to check. And clearly, Yin Fengzhan had not expected Nie Jinxuan to say such a thing, and could not help but freeze for a long moment. But in the end, after a long silence, he strode back.

Yin Fengzhan came to the bedside. Then, without waiting for him to speak, Nie Jinxuan stood up directly, pulled him down in one motion, then swiftly lifted the hem of his brocade robe and rolled up his trouser leg.

"Honestly, I knew it would be like this!"

Sure enough, Yin Fengzhan's wound, which had already been healing, had split open again somewhat. Fortunately the wound was not large and not too serious, so Nie Jinxuan applied some medicine and then re-bandaged it for him.

Nie Jinxuan's movements were nimble. In just a few quick motions, she had the wound bandaged. At this, looking at his freshly re-bandaged leg, Yin Fengzhan's brow twitched slightly, but then he stood up from the bed and strode right out.

Yin Fengzhan departed without hesitation, and watching his retreating back, Nie Jinxuan, standing before the bed, could not help but press her lips together…

Nie Jinxuan had been abducted in the middle of the night and then taken into the Chen Wangfu. Once this news came out, it immediately shocked Zuo Wei and the others. Then early the next morning, upon hearing the news, Yin Fengxiang arrived directly at the Chen Wangfu as soon as the sky had just begun to lighten.

At this time, Nie Jinxuan had just finished washing and dressing, so upon hearing that Yin Fengxiang had come, she was momentarily startled, then looked up and sure enough saw Lan Ping wheeling Yin Fengxiang in.

"Prince Rui, you're here~!"

After a brief daze, Nie Jinxuan gave a slight smile. But at this, looking at Nie Jinxuan before him, the ever-gentle Yin Fengxiang could not help but furrow his handsome brow.

"I heard the Third Young Lady was attacked last night. I wonder if you were injured?"

Concern showed on Yin Fengxiang's face. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan curved her lips into another smile.

"Then does Prince Rui think I look like someone who's been injured?"

It was rare for Nie Jinxuan to be so playful. But hearing her say this, Yin Fengxiang actually studied her seriously. Then after a good while, seeing that Nie Jinxuan truly seemed fine, he finally let out a breath of relief.

The expression on Yin Fengxiang's face was so obvious—so obvious that it was difficult for Nie Jinxuan to ignore! Therefore, Nie Jinxuan could not help but walk over to a seat nearby and sit down, then said gently,

"Rest assured, Prince Rui, I'm fine!"

"Ai, and you say you're fine?! Didn't they say the coachman was seriously injured? And the Third Young Lady is, after all, a woman, so… well, it's good that you weren't hurt! I just wonder who those people were ordered by, to dare commit such an audacious act!"

"Mm, I think it should be related to the case we've been investigating recently!"

"Oh?! The Third Young Lady means those people were secretly directed by that culprit?"

"Very likely, but we can't rule out other reasons either! So, we still need to…"

Nie Jinxuan spoke earnestly, and at this moment, before she could finish, Mo Yujue, Zuo Wei, and Yin Fengzhan walked in from outside.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan could not help but blink, then looked up at Yin Fengzhan and asked,

"How is it? Did you get any results from the questioning?"

Yin Fengzhan was a persistent man. So even if he had not gotten anything out of them last night, Yin Fengzhan would not give up. But at this, hearing her words, Yin Fengzhan merely raised his eyes to glance at her, then walked to the side and sat down without saying a word.

Yin Fengzhan stayed silent. At this point, Zuo Wei, who had walked in right after, hurriedly picked up the conversation.

"No results—those few people all said they don't know~!"

Saying that, Zuo Wei shook his head on his own, then sat down together with Mo Yujue beside him. Now, everyone was assembled. Yin Fengxiang then sent Lan Ping, who was behind him, out. After that, he looked at Mo Yujue in a low voice and asked,

"So there's still no clue?"

"Mm!"

Nodding in response, Mo Yujue's stern face could not help but darken slightly.

"After bringing those people back last night, I personally interrogated them strictly. But just as Lord Zuo said, they all claimed not to know anything… so I believe they weren't lying! And the one who led them, because his injuries were too severe, fell unconscious after being brought back. He still hasn't woken up even now!"

At this point, Mo Yujue could not help but turn his head to glance at Yin Fengzhan. But Yin Fengzhan kept his lips pressed tight the entire time, not saying a word.

For a moment, the room fell into silence once more. But then they heard Zuo Wei, sitting to the side, stroking his chin and saying,

"Those people's goal was clearly to do harm to the Third Miss. And though none of those people will talk now, one thing is virtually certain—they were all sent by that killer… However, one thing I find rather puzzling is, why did the killer target only the Third Miss?"

Zuo Wei raised a question that seemed simple, but upon careful reflection felt deeply bizarre. After all, among the people currently investigating this case, there were five individuals: Prince Chen Yin Fengzhan, Prince Rui Yin Fengxiang, Mo Yujue, Zuo Wei, and Nie Jinxuan.

Yet among these five, in terms of strength, Yin Fengzhan was naturally the strongest! So if one were the killer, they would certainly target Yin Fengzhan as the key figure. Even if the killer feared Yin Fengzhan's strength, then Prince Rui Yin Fengxiang had the frailest constitution and would also be a good target… but the killer instead went after Nie Jinxuan! And why on earth was that?!

Moreover, right now many people did not know about Nie Jinxuan's ability to conduct autopsies. That being the case, among these five, Nie Jinxuan was the most useless—so if she was useless, why would the killer still do such a thing?! And even dispatch several assassins to intercept and kill Nie Juxuan directly in the middle of the night?!

This was indeed a question. So after a moment of silence, Mo Yujue's brow instantly rose.

"Does Lord Zuo mean to say… there is a mole among us?!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I never said that~!"

Mo Yujue had thought of the only possibility, but the moment his words fell, Zuo Wei immediately cried out, then blinked his small mung-bean-like eyes before continuing,

"I'm not saying there's a mole among us! After all, who's here?! Their two Highnesses go without saying—they definitely couldn't be moles! Then there's you, Guard Mo, and myself—obviously not either! And the Third Miss couldn't possibly send people to assassinate herself… And apart from us few, only Old Meng knew about the Third Miss's affairs, but Old Meng has been in the Ministry of Punishments for so many years—do we not all know what kind of person he is? How could he collude with the killer?"

Zuo Wei voiced his thoughts. Hearing this, Mo Yujue nodded in agreement, and at that moment, they saw Prince Rui Yin Fengxiang furrow his brow slightly, then say in a low voice,

"Actually, I feel that the killer need not necessarily have planted a mole now in order to target the Third Miss! After all, the Third Miss previously said that the early death of Consort Tong Shu and this murder case were likely the work of the same person. At that time, Consort Tong Shu was killed at Zuixiashanzhuang. And if I remember correctly, the Third Miss conducted the autopsy in public at the time, so many of the people present then knew the fact that the Third Miss could perform autopsies… Therefore, now that His Majesty has entrusted the case entirely to the Third Miss, the killer naturally knows how important the Third Miss is to this case!"