FID – Chapter 687

Chapter 687: Should We Strike Now?

Feng Qingbai’s eyes darkened, his hand instinctively reaching for the soft sword at his waist, preparing to strike again. But just then, he heard a commotion coming from not far away.

In the brief moment of distraction, the person he was facing had already disappeared.

“Wei Zi, pursue!” Feng Qingbai ordered with a serious face, then rushed toward the source of the disturbance.

The commotion was caused by the imperial princes, who were also hunting in the forest.

However, at this moment, one of them had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow, and those accompanying him were in a panic.

“What happened?”

“Someone ambushed us and shot a hidden arrow. We didn’t notice in time, and the prince was injured!”

Feng Qingbai glanced at the injured prince. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t life-threatening. “Let’s return to the camp first.”

Not long after entering the forest, a prince returned injured, causing a stir in the camp.

The Emperor ordered the royal doctors to treat the injury and bandage it up, then inquired about the situation in detail. His expression gradually darkened.

“Did Your Highness encounter an attack as well?”

Feng Qingbai nodded. “The assailant has already escaped.”

“Our Beicang royal hunting grounds are heavily guarded, yet the enemy seemed to enter as if there were no defenses. Who could they be?” The Emperor did not suspect Feng Qingbai.

The two countries had already formed an alliance, and Feng Qingbai would have no reason to betray that at this point, as it offered him no benefit.

“The enemy is elusive, and each time, their target seems to vary. What I’m curious about is whether the attack on the Eighth Prince was premeditated, or if it was just a random act of violence,” Feng Qingbai mused.

If it was a premeditated attack, why would the assailant specifically choose the Eighth Prince among so many other royal princes?

The Emperor’s gaze flickered slightly. “I am curious as well. Guards, search the mountains! If you find any trace, report immediately! If you encounter any strangers, detain them first, regardless of their identity. Anyone who resists, kill without mercy!”

“Understood, Your Majesty!”

That night, torches were lit all around the camp, burning throughout the night, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Both on Wei Zi’s side and the Emperor’s side, the entire forest was searched, but no suspicious traces were found. It was as if the assailants had vanished into thin air.

Feng Qingbai returned to his tent in the early hours of the morning. Someone was already inside.

He ignored the presence and lay down on the bed fully clothed.

The man, unbothered, wheeled himself to the side of the bed and kicked at the person on it. “I’m bored.”

“Walls have ears. This tent is not as secure as you think.” Feng Qingbai casually slapped his leg.

He had clearly recovered, yet he still pretended to be paralyzed, maneuvering a wheelchair—Duan Ting had some plans, but he didn’t want to get involved.

“My Eighth Brother, Duan Yuan, is nearly forgettable among all the princes. When he appears, people remember that there is an Eighth Prince. When he doesn’t, no one remembers. Such a person, yet he was chosen to be assassinated. Isn’t it interesting?”

Silence from the bed.

“In a royal family like this, being forgotten is actually a good thing. At least you won’t end up like me, in this current state. Now that’s truly the wise path.”

By the time he finished his musings, the person on the bed had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Duan Ting’s lips twitched slightly. Taking advantage of the lack of light in the tent, it was pitch dark, he pushed himself up from the wheelchair with both hands, then swiftly leaped onto the bed.

He was staying here tonight.

This place made him feel safer.

If there were an assassination attempt, Feng Qingbai would be the best shield.

Under the shade of a big tree, he too borrowed some shade.

There were no reports coming back to the capital about the royal hunting grounds for now, and the city remained peaceful.

The nightlife in the capital was as lively as that in the capital of Nanling.

The moon was high in the sky, and the streets were still bustling with people. The shouts of street vendors filled the air.

Inside the major teahouses and taverns, customers came and went nonstop.

The people from the Nanling merchant group had slept for a few hours during the day. In the evening, they visited the city’s most famous winehouses and shops. By the time they returned, it was already close to midnight.

At this time, the street’s hustle and bustle slowly began to fade.

Liu Yusheng also walked around the street with a group of older merchants. It had been a long time since she’d done so, and her legs were sore, leaving her feeling quite fatigued.

“Nannan, rest well tonight. After lunch tomorrow, we will go visit the Lu family together,” Qian Baihao said as they returned to their rooms.

“Alright, Uncle Qian, you also get some good rest.”

After bidding farewell and returning to her room, Liu Yusheng rubbed her sore legs. Though tired, she didn’t feel much inclination to sleep.

She wondered where Feng Qingbai was now.

Was he still in the capital somewhere, or at the royal hunting grounds?

The rumors circulating in the streets—did he know about them?

Everyone was talking about his supposed engagement to the Seventeenth Princess. If it weren’t for her belief in his character, she might have thought the rumors were true.

At times like this, it was hard not to feel unsettled.

Her thoughts were completely occupied with him, and she had completely forgotten about the Lu family that Qian Baihao had mentioned.

Her eyelids gradually grew heavy, and before she knew it, she fell asleep.

In a certain residence in the capital:

“Master, the people from the Nanling Merchant Guild have returned to the Yuelai Inn. I have investigated, and those people just arrived in the capital today. Should we make our move now?”

The man, dressed in a black robe, stood by the window with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the moonlight above. His voice was calm and ethereal, devoid of emotion, “Do not reveal any flaws. Tonight, the Yuelai Inn will be flooded.”

Those behind him received the order and quickly vanished.

He raised a finger and lightly tapped on the windowsill. The brief skirmish in the forest earlier that day flashed before his eyes.

Neither side had the upper hand.

They were evenly matched.

Neither could dominate the other.

Feng Qingbai, truly troublesome.

With a light step, he vanished from the room, reappearing on the roof across from the Yuelai Inn.

When bored, watching people struggle desperately could ignite his fighting spirit.

By midnight, the bustling of the capital faded, and darkness blanketed everything, with only occasional flickers of candlelight far off in the distance.

At the inn across the street, a small flame quietly ignited, quickly growing into a blazing fire that devoured the inn in an instant.

Meanwhile, the people inside remained blissfully unaware.

Death, unknowingly, was drawing closer to them.

The flames swept through, and the choking smoke filled the room, causing those who were fast asleep to feel as if they were suffocating. Only then did someone realize the fire had started.

The entire inn was immediately filled with screams and chaos.

Wei Hong was the first to sense something was wrong. She rushed into Liu Yusheng’s room, woke her up, and immediately carried her out the window.

“Aunt Hong, go call the others! Hurry!” As soon as they landed, Liu Yusheng pushed her away. “Don’t worry, it’s safe here. I’ll run out by myself! Uncle Qian and the others drank wine tonight; they probably haven’t woken up yet!”

Wei Hong glanced at the fire, which hadn’t reached them yet, and nodded. She then leaped to the third floor of the inn to wake up the others.

By this time, most of the guests had woken up, shouting and running downstairs. Many people crowded the narrow hallway, the wooden railing of the stairs creaking as it was pushed and strained, nearly breaking.

Waves of people rushed outside, and Liu Yusheng looked up, seeing thick smoke pouring out of the third-floor window. She was extremely anxious, not knowing if Aunt Hong would manage to bring everyone down.

In her moment of hesitation, she was suddenly knocked over by someone rushing in the opposite direction.

In the panic, no one had the time to stop for the person on the ground. They all scrambled forward.

Liu Yusheng tried to get up, but in an instant, she was knocked over again by the crowd rushing behind her.