No wonder even though she had fought for so long on her side, no guards had arrived to provide reinforcements. So there were already problems within the entire Imperial Palace. However, she had no idea who was rebelling. They had actually colluded with the Devil Sect and converted Eunuch Lu! Perhaps there weren't any safe places left in the entire Imperial Palace.
She gritted her teeth and ran out of the palace. At the same time, her thoughts moved quickly. The only one with the power and motive to do all of this was the Bi clan. But what was going on with the fight over by Bi Linglong’s side?
She recalled the accusations of misconduct a few days prior. Back then, she had already sensed that something was brewing in the capital. She'd told the Liu clan’s people to be on high alert. And yet today, something so major had happened, but she hadn’t received a single bit of intelligence on it. Just what were they doing while they were supposed to be on high alert?!
When she recalled her father and uncle’s usual unreliable appearances, Liu Ning nearly erupted into curses. “They’re useless idiots, as expected!”
Even so, there was nothing she could do. The Liu clan was her true backing. She could only reunite with them first, then take their time in discussing what to do after. However, she didn’t act rashly; instead, she entered a private house and looked in the Liu manor’s direction. She saw flames rush into the skies, and she could hear sounds of fighting even from all the way where she was. Her hands and feet turned ice-cold.
Right, since they attacked me, that means it’s a huge plot. How could they possibly leave the Liu clan alone?
If she ran over to the Liu manor too, she would just be walking right into their trap.
Suddenly, a shout came from nearby. “The traitor ran that way!”
Liu Ning turned around and saw a group of soldiers aiming arrows at her. Her expression changed. She quickly kicked off the ground and continued to run. Arrows fell behind her again and again.
However, she suddenly groaned. There was no way she could completely avoid such a concentrated barrage of arrows while being seriously injured; an arrow had landed in her lower back.
Even though she could still kill that small troop of soldiers, she didn’t dare to stop. She knew that if they surrounded her, an unending stream of soldiers would rush over. She would have no chance to escape again. She recognized that these soldiers had been stationed outside the capital. She wondered just how many of the capital’s military officers were a part of this rebellion.
She continued to move through the streets and alleys. Many times, she just barely managed to shake off some pursuing troops, only for another group to rush at her. It was to the extent that her entire body was filled with a sense of loss. The capital was normally so large, and yet right now, she had no idea where she could hide herself.
She thought about running to the academy. Zu An was the libationer, and the academy’s teachers had always remained neutral. They definitely wouldn’t join this rebellion. But she quickly realized that if she could think of that, why wouldn’t the enemy? There would definitely be soldiers hiding around the path to the academy, waiting for her to walk right in.
As for the regent manor, Zu An wasn’t there right now, so there was nothing she could rely on there. It would also be carefully watched by the enemy.
One after another, different places popped up in her mind, but she rejected them one after another. When she was near the point of absolute despair, however, she suddenly thought of something.
That place should be safe.
She gritted her teeth, then ran in a certain direction.
...
Meanwhile, in the Sang manor, Sang Qien was trying to appease the crying daughter in her arms as she stared gravely at the capital’s surging flames. She asked, “Father, just what is happening?”
Sang Hong’s expression was also grave as he said, “If it’s something this big, that means the capital will likely change greatly soon. Close the windows and don’t go anywhere tonight, to avoid being caught up in it.”
The maids were all trembling as they hurriedly checked the doors and windows.
Sang Qien said worriedly, “No wonder there were so many unfamiliar faces around the capital recently. I wonder which side is causing all this chaos? But the court should be under Ah Zu’s control right now. Don’t tell me he's the one they are going against?”
“We’ll know tomorrow morning. None of us are going to sleep tonight. We’ll remain vigilant through the night,” Sang Hong said seriously. The women all nodded. How could they still sleep in this kind of situation?
When she saw Sang Qien’s anxious expression, Zheng Dan took Sisi from her arms, saying, “Don’t worry, Qienqien. Even if these people came for Ah Zu, it wouldn’t be a big deal even if they succeeded. Ah Zu is so strong that as long as he returns, they'll all be one-sidedly defeated. All of these treacherous people will naturally disappear too.”
“But Ah Zu went to the Fiend races’ sealed land and we haven’t heard anything from him after all this time. I’m worried that something might have happened to him.” After saying that, Sang Qien felt more and more worried.
A gentle smile appeared on Zheng Dan’s face as she said, “That guy is so mischievous and cunning, and he now has his ridiculous cultivation level. It has only ever been his enemies who were in danger. When has anything ever happened to him? He'll definitely return safely.”
Sang Qien wanted to say something else when a noise came from the back courtyard. It was as if something heavy had fallen.
Their expressions changed and they quickly ran over. When they arrived, they saw a stunning woman collapsed in a puddle of blood under the moonlight’s illumination.