Chapter 767: [Clear Sky Thunderbolt] (Part 1)

Xue Shengjing entered the Buddha Smile Pavilion accompanied by Tie Zheng, and said in a low voice, "How is the loss situation?"

Tie Zheng said in a low voice, "I just finished checking; a total of five treasures were lost. The thief probably only entered the third-level storeroom; other areas were not touched."

Hearing this, Xue Shengjing breathed a sigh of relief, glanced around the hall of the Buddha Smile Pavilion, his gaze falling on the giant Hetian jade sculpture, and said to Tie Zheng, "It's fine, you go out first."

Tie Zheng nodded, turned and left, closing the outer door. Xue Shengjing looked at the Hetian jade sculpture, a relieved light shining in his small eyes, he held a lantern and walked around the sculpture once, confirming it was unharmed, then reached out and gently caressed the jade, as if touching the body of a peerless beauty, warm and smooth, his gaze instantly turning much softer. He stood alone before the sculpture for a while, then heard Tie Zheng outside say, "Prince, the Imperial Medical Institute's Physician Xu and the Golden Scale Guard Commander Shi have arrived."

Xue Shengjing gave a cold snort, stepped out the door; the rain outside was still heavy, the Prince's Manor in the night rain blurred, Tie Zheng stood outside the door, with ten warriors not far away standing guard silently. Tonight's assassination attempt on the Prince had made the entire manor jumpy and fearful.

Xue Shengjing angrily said, "Damn it, I knew these people couldn't keep the secret."

Tie Zheng said, "Prince, such a big matter can't be kept secret, especially since the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince were present tonight." Tie Zheng's meaning was obvious: the palace could react so quickly likely because of the royal family; perhaps one of the Eldest Princess or the Crown Prince leaked the news.

Xue Shengjing said, "Where is Huo Xiaoru now?"

Tie Zheng said, "Following your orders, Prince, she has been held alone in the Leaning Cloud Pavilion."

Xue Shengjing nodded and said, "Without my order, no one may harm her."

"Yes!"

Xue Shengjing came to the Gathering Treasure Palace; the mess inside had already been cleaned up. Imperial Physician Xu BaiChuan and Golden Scale Guard Commander Shi Kuan had both arrived, and Ma Qingyun was there accompanying them, while Shi Kuan was inquiring of him about the details of tonight's assassination. He always appeared stern, exuding an intimidating dignity.

Seeing Prince Yan return, Shi Kuan stopped his questioning, clasped his fists and said to Xue Shengjing, "Prince! His Majesty heard you were assaulted and specially sent me to accompany Imperial Physician Xu to visit you."

Xue Shengjing chuckled and said, "Commander Shi, your information is truly well-informed."

Xu BaiChuan said, "Prince, shall I examine your wound?"

Xue Shengjing said, "It's fine. I just took an All-Herb Spring Return Pill; I'm no longer in pain." He sat down in the chair.

Xu BaiChuan carried his medicine box over, checked Xue Shengjing's neck wound by the lamplight, confirmed it was unharmed, and helped clean it again. He said softly, "This All-Herb Spring Return Pill is indeed a holy detoxifying medicine, yet it still falls short of the Black Ice Clam."

Hearing mention of the Black Ice Clam, Xue Shengjing couldn't help but frown. Earlier, when he refused Hu Xiaotian, he had said the Black Ice Clam had been stolen. Little did he expect that his offhand remark would prove true—the Black Ice Clam had indeed been stolen tonight. Thinking of this, Xue Shengjing felt deeply disheartened. Fortunately, the poison Huo Xiaoru had applied to the hairpin was not potent; otherwise, even the All-Herb Spring Return Pill might not have saved his life.

Xu BaiChuan said, "Fortunately, the poison you suffered is not strong; the All-Herb Spring Return Pill is enough to neutralize the toxin in your body and will not cause serious harm to your health. Only this external wound may need a few days of rest to heal. To be safe, I will prescribe you another detox formula."

"Thank you, Imperial Physician Xu."

Xu BaiChuan followed Ma Qingyun to the side to write the prescription.

Shi Kuan approached Xue Shengjing and said, "Prince, I heard the assassin who tried to kill you tonight was Huo Xiaoru?"

Xue Shengjing chuckled and said, "Commander Shi, your information is indeed well-informed. It's true."

Shi Kuan clasped his fists and said, "His Majesty sent me here with another task: to thoroughly investigate this assassination attempt."

Xue Shengjing shook his head and said, "No need, I will investigate this matter myself. Commander Shi, go back and tell His Majesty. Thank you for his concern and solicitude; my injury is no hindrance, so let His Majesty not worry about me."

Seeing Xue Shengjing firmly refuse, Shi Kuan did not press further and said respectfully, "Prince, please be more careful. I heard the Prince's Manor lost some items tonight; I don't know if any of them are important."

Xue Shengjing smiled and said, "Truly valuable things would not be easily found by thieves; only some ordinary collectibles were lost."

Seeing off Shi Kuan and Xu BaiChuan, Xue Shengjing's face darkened at once, and he said to Ma Qingyun, "Ma Qingyun, what did you just tell them?"

Ma Qingyun hurriedly replied, "Prince, I, your subordinate, said nothing; I haven't mentioned a word about tonight's affair."

Xue Shengjing nodded, but inadvertently touched his neck wound, causing him to frown.

Ma Qingyun said with concern, "Prince, you are wounded; you had better go back to rest. Anything can wait until tomorrow."

Xue Shengjing said, "Tie Zheng, accompany me to the Leaning Cloud Pavilion to have a look."

Inside the Leaning Cloud Pavilion, lights were bright; Huo Xiaoru was bound with ropes to the corridor pillars. Although her pressure points had already been sealed, Tie Zheng still took every precaution just in case. At this moment, Huo Xiaoru's heart was filled with fear; she was not afraid of death, but of suffering humiliation. She hated herself for missing the chance—not only failing to slay her great enemy, but also becoming a prisoner of Prince Yan.

Outside, footsteps sounded; Huo Xiaoru's heart leapt to her throat. At this point, further panic was useless; she could only straighten her chest and face whatever was coming.

Xue Shengjing stopped at the door and said to Tie Zheng, "Withdraw all guards to outside the tower; no one is to approach the Leaning Cloud Pavilion."

"Yes!"

After Tie Zheng opened the lock and left, Xue Shengjing watched his figure disappear, then pushed the door and entered.

In the candlelight, Huo Xiaoru's face was especially pallid, she clenched her lips, and gazed at Prince Yan Xue Shengjing with hatred.

Xue Shengjing's neck wound had already been bandaged; the hairpin had not managed to assassinate him on the spot, nor had its poison killed him. Seeing that the Prince suffered no serious harm, Huo Xiaoru's heart sank to an abyss. Pitifully, her great enemy remained unavenged, and she had implicated many sisters in peril; this assassination attempt was a total loss.

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing slowly approached Huo Xiaoru, his eyes quietly fixed on her face, his lips pressed together, and he said in a low voice, "Huo Xiaoru, I bear you no grudge; why do you wish to kill me?"

Huo Xiaoru angrily replied, "If you want to kill me, just do it—why waste words?"

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing gave a hollow cold laugh and said, "You sound rather spirited—do you think seeking death is that easy?" His small eyes flashed with a sinister chill: "I will make you wish to live yet unable to die, strip you of a woman's most basic self-respect and chastity, and make you regret ever being born into this world."

Huo Xiaoru had long anticipated this outcome; hearing the Prince say it herself, her heart felt no fear, only contempt as she looked at Xue Shengjing and said, "Even though you are the illustrious Prince Yan of the Da Yong state, using such vile and despicable means against a weak woman, you are not afraid of the world's ridicule."

Xue Shengjing said, "Let people say what they will; if I were to pardon one who intended to take my life, wouldn't the world laugh all the more at my womanly benevolence and weak incompetence?"

Huo Xiaoru said, "At most it's just one death; since I dared to do this, I have prepared for any outcome." She closed her eyes, lifted her head, revealing a snow-white, lovely neck, a posture of offering her throat for the slaughter; her will to live had already been extinguished.

Xue Shengjing raised his right hand, holding the very hairpin Huo Xiaoru had used to stab him; its tip lightly rested on her throat, and he said softly, "This hairpin—where exactly did you obtain it?"

Huo Xiaoru seemed not to hear his words, closing her eyes tightly and remaining silent.

Xue Shengjing said, "Although you won't speak, I also know this hairpin was given to you by a woman named Yun Qi, isn't that right?"

Huo Xiaoru still said nothing.

Xue Shengjing suddenly reached out and grabbed Huo Xiaoru's collar; she startled, her beautiful eyes widening, and she cried sharply, "What are you doing?" Her heart was seized by extreme fear.

Xue Shengjing pulled open her collar, exposing Huo Xiaoru's left shoulder, fair as snow and lovely, to the candlelight. Although she was strong-willed and prepared to sacrifice herself for revenge, when the humiliation actually came, she also felt terror and despair; for a moment all her thoughts turned to ash. At the time of the failed assassination, why not have dashed her head against the pillar and died, rather than suffer this villain's disgrace? Yet suddenly a vision of a bright, smiling face flashed in her mind—she did not know why, but she thought of Hu Xiaotian at that moment, her nose tingled, and tears streamed down her eyes.

Clang! The hairpin in Xue Shengjing's hand fell to the ground; he stared, mouth agape, at Huo Xiaoru's left shoulder, as if beholding the most terrifying sight in the world. He slowly shook his head, staggered backward, his small eyes widened to the limit, his shocked gaze fixed on the red mark on Huo Xiaoru's shoulder. Her left shoulder bore five bright red birthmarks, shaped like plum blossoms, which stood out vividly against her white skin, making them appear all the more charming and moving.

Xue Shengjing's eye sockets turned red, and he muttered, "Impossible… impossible…"

Huo Xiaoru, who had been torn between shame and fury, wishing she could die on the spot, found Xue Shengjing's reaction strange instead. She wondered whether the five birthmarks she had had since birth were what frightened him.

Prince Yan Xue Shengjing said, "You… you are Yun Qi's daughter…"

Huo Xiaoru bit her cherry lips, hatefully said, "Villain, you should now know why I killed you? You defiled my mother, murdered my family; I wish I could devour your flesh, tear out your heart and liver, to offer sacrifice to my parents…" Thinking of her present situation, she added tearfully, "Father! Mother! Daughter is useless, unable to avenge you; we can only meet in the netherworld."

Monday, please vote for recommendation! (To be continued~^~)