Under the glow of the candle, the cold sheen of the dagger fell into Zhang Yuanqing's eyes, and at his side, Chu Beauty delivered her death sentence through a strained whisper: "O昏king, I shall kill you to serve all the people beneath the sky!" With that, she seized the dagger and charged forward with determined steps. Is it really the Jingwei who wants to kill me? Hey! The assassin is Jingwei? Why would Jingwei want to kill me? Isn't she my teammate? Wouldn't she need a dagger to do it? A single flame could reduce me to ash right now—or perhaps she isn't Jingwei at all? No, she must be Jingwei—there's no way I could be mistaken. A surge of thoughts boiled in Zhang Yuanqing's mind, yet now wasn't the time to ponder these matters. He swiftly made up his mind and shouted, "Attend!" Before he could finish his sentence, Chu Beauty executed a swift spinning kick that landed squarely on his jaw—cracking with a sharp sound—and dislocated his chin. The unspoken second half of his words turned into a gasp. As the dagger approached, he immediately rolled to avoid it. "Thud Her first strike missed. Instead of immediately drawing her dagger, Chu Meiren clenched her fist and pressed it against the昏君's throat, delivering a powerful thrust. Then she launched a swift, wind-like sequence of "Yongchun Fast Strikes" targeting his chest. The king was nearly suffocated, unable to speak, staggering and collapsing. Only then did Chu Meiren draw her dagger from the bed. She was fully aware that throughout the entire assassination, the king must remain silent—should the palace attendants or eunuchs outside react, she would surely be killed. "Don't—don't move! We're allies!" Zhang Yuanqing clutched his throat, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. He desperately tried to call out, but all that emerged were weak, wheezing sounds. His vocal cords had been injured by Chu Meiren's punch. As Chu Meiren prepared to strike again, Zhang Yuanqing scanned the room in panic, then suddenly seized the wool carpet laid along the bed, yanking it with all his strength. Chu Meiren stumbled, her body leaning sideways, and quickly braced herself with one hand, executing a graceful side flip and landing steadily. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yuanqing, whose voice had been injured, rushed toward the grand doors of the imperial pavilion. Just taking two steps, sharp pain shot through his lower leg, causing him to collapse to the ground. Looking back, he saw the dagger embedded deep in his calf. As the Chu Beauty hurled the dagger straight at him, she charged forward like a leopard, crashing into Zhang Yuanqing’s back with such force that he nearly lost his breath—then, her two strong, firm legs wrapped tightly around his neck. With her body arching back, she pulled out the dagger stuck in the昏king’s leg and prepared to strike him across the throat. The voice of Chu's lady came softly from beside him, accompanied by the cool edge of a dagger pressed against his throat: "Get on the bed immediately. When Wan's lady arrives, claim illness and send her away." When did Jingwei finally snap out of it? Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, feeling the cool texture of the dagger against his throat. He decided to comply with Chu's lady for now. After all, he couldn't speak at all and dared not struggle—better to wait until Wan's lady arrived and then see what happened. He nodded immediately, indicating his willingness to cooperate. Chu's lady exhaled in relief, pulling the drowsy king up and dragging him unsteadily to the bed. "Cover yourself with the blanket. Don't move, don't speak—otherwise, I'll kill you right away," she warned, then quickly surveyed the scene. She removed her outer robe and unbuttoned the king's outer garment, laying both on the bloodstains to conceal the traces. Then she drew the bed curtains aside and slipped beneath the quilt herself. Zhang Yuanqing lay on his side, motionless, his head tilted upward, peering through the window curtains and the outer drapes, faintly seeing several figures appear by the window and walk toward the door. In his arms, Chu Beauty curled up, delicate and graceful, yet pressing her cold dagger against his chest. Why did Jingwei come to kill me? Was her mission to assassinate the weary emperor? If so, then the restriction in the quest—never to reveal any information about the Spirit Realm travelers—seems deliberately malicious. Seizing this brief period of peace, Zhang Yuanqing pondered. It also indicated one thing: if he were to forcefully disclose his identity, thereby violating the note's stipulations and resolving this crisis, he would inevitably face severe repercussions in the subsequent stages. After all, the cost always matched the benefit. Without this very assassination, the backlash from revealing his status as a Spirit Realm traveler might not have been so intense. Good thing I stayed alert during the day and summoned all my suspected Lingjing practitioners to serve as my consorts—otherwise, I might have fallen to this young lady, Jiang Jingwei. With Jingwei’s capabilities, overthrowing the dim-witted sovereign would have been effortless; yet she chose to wield her weapon, indicating her strength is being constrained. By asking me to assist her in staging a performance, she reveals she is hesitant to expose her identity as an assassin—perhaps she intends to complete her mission and then quietly exit the palace? If she is indeed a spy, then she is not aligned with me. That’s odd—this is a team-based quest, and we are both members of the White Tiger military faction. How then do we find ourselves on opposing sides? Isn’t that precisely setting us up to eliminate each other? As my thoughts unfolded, the figures paused just outside the inner chambers, and only the faint, melodic voice of the graceful lady reached us: “Stay outside, please—there’s no need for you to follow me in.” A palace maid responded from outside. "Creak~" The tall, panelled door gently swung open, and the graceful, refined Wan Beauty, dressed in a simple palace gown, walked slowly into the inner chamber, lifting the curtain to enter the inner room. She glanced around, pausing for a few seconds at the clothes scattered on the floor, took a deep breath, and then walked to the bedside, speaking with a hint of melancholy. "Your Majesty, you didn't ask me to attend to you tonight, did you? You've chosen another sister instead." They didn’t need to know the emperor’s true identity—only that he was imprisoned. As spiritual realm practitioners, as soon as they sensed the emperor was in peril, they would surely step in. This subtle maneuver was merely taking advantage of Jiang Jingwei’s apparent lack of intelligence; anyone else would have noticed it. “Ah, it’s Chu Beauty… Hmm, Majesty, what has happened to your voice?” asked Wan Beauty outside the bed curtains. Zhang Yuanqing was delighted inside and quickly replied, “There are always commoners who wish to harm me…” The dagger pressed slightly deeper against his chest. Then, shifting his tone, Zhang Yuanqing said, “My meaning is that the lingering effects of the poison have not yet fully cleared, and I’ve damaged my voice.” “Majesty, if your illness persists, then I should certainly remain. Chu Beauty is still young and lacks the experience to properly attend to you. I would like to stay and serve you,” pleaded Wan Beauty, gently. Before Zhang Yuanqing could refuse, she stepped forward two paces and gracefully lifted the bed curtains. Well done! Zhang Yuanqing was thoroughly pleased. Chu Meiren, seeing that all was now set, simply掀ed the quilt and sat up, her left hand covering the emperor's mouth while her right held the dagger aimed at Wan Meiren outside the bed, intending to eliminate both of them at once. At the same time, Wan Meiren, having lifted the bed curtain, suddenly drew out a dagger and raised it as if to strike. The two women now holding daggers met each other's gaze, both momentarily stunned. The air remained still for several seconds... Are you also here to carry out an assassination? Though they didn't speak, their eyes clearly conveyed mutual bewilderment. Zhang Yuanqing: "????" He suddenly realized something—whether it was Chu Meiren or Wan Meiren, both were Lingjing Travelers. As Lingjing Travelers, how could they possibly agree to serve as consorts? If they agreed to serve as consorts, there must be a purpose behind it. Chu Meiren's purpose was to carry out an assassination. So was Wan Meiren's. Their mission—both of them—was to assassinate me! Gosh, I underestimated the difficulty of this quest—not just the quest, but the character of the indifferent ruler. While the southern dynasty's enemies are the northern dynasty, the indifferent ruler's enemies aren't only the northern dynasty; they also include the loyal and righteous figures of the southern court. Zhang Yuqing's heart sank to the floor, and she quietly retreated to the corner of the bed. After a brief exchange of glances, the two beauties seemed to have reached a mutual understanding, both turning their eyes toward the ruler with fierce determination. At that moment, a eunuch's voice echoed from outside the pavilion: "Lady Wang has arrived!" The expressions of Chu and Wan beauties shifted. Wan, coldly remarked, "Indeed, a ruler who is utterly devoted to beauty—having three women in his bed in one night! All of them are now at your disposal." With that, Wan leapt onto the dragon bed, pulled down the curtain once more, and pressed her sword against Zhang Yuqing's back, commanding, "Send her back." Jiang Jingwei silently pulled herself back into the ruler's arms, pressing her dagger against her chest, "Yes—send her away!" "Do you believe it? She's also here to assassinate me... Another sudden development has disrupted the rhythm of the two female assassins. Yet Zhang Yuanqing isn't at all pleased. He lay back again, listening as the tall grid door opened, and a well-proportioned, tall figure stepped in, stopping beside the bed curtain and smiling warmly, "Your Majesty~ I've come to attend upon you." For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt two sharp blades gently pressing against his body. He looked at Wang Gejia standing behind the bed curtain, and spoke in a tone as sorrowful as one could be when all hope is lost, "Stop pretending. You're here to kill me, too." Wang Gejia was taken aback, then her expression shifted dramatically—her bright, liquid gaze sharpened into a blade. She drew a short dagger from the white folds of her robe, held it firmly, and scanned the room with cautious vigilance. "Don't look around—there's no hidden ambush," Zhang Yuanqing's voice was hoarse. "But your two companions are already on the bed." As he said it, there was a strange, almost absurd sense of irony—having been the supreme master of the realm, renowned for his long-standing dominance across countless quests, he now found himself defeated by just three young, unassuming maidens. He had already planned: if all else failed, he would reveal his true identity, reverse the situation if necessary, but first, he would simply have to survive. "Duke of the Realm, don't play games!" Wang Geji refused, gripping her dagger defensively. The Chu Beauty and Wan Beauty on the dragon bed exchanged a glance and then willingly lifted the quilt and the bed curtains. Together, they now held the dazed ruler—one with her blade pressed to his chest, the other supporting his neck. The three women stood silently, gazing at one another, their expressions filled with curiosity, suspicion, and thoughtful contemplation. Though they had no prior knowledge of each other's identities, even Jiang Jingwei found the situation utterly incongruous. Wang Geji paused for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Why have you come to assassinate the Duke of the Realm? And what do you intend to do once he is gone?" "Chu Beauty, direct and quick-spoken: 'The emperor is incompetent, relying too heavily on his relatives, thus disrupting the state's governance. I killed him for the welfare of the people. As for what I plan to do after the assassination, I cannot tell you.' Wan Beauty replied, 'I feel the same!' Upon saying this, she looked thoughtful. Wang, the court lady, glanced at Chu Beauty, then at Wan Beauty, and suddenly beamed with joy: 'I understand now! You two must act swiftly—before the situation worsens, we should kill the emperor and flee the palace together.' Chu Beauty nodded, applying pressure with her wrist, and a small section of the dagger pierced the emperor's chest. Just as Zhang Yuanqing was making his final appeal, a sudden surge of flame erupted from the candle on the bedside table—crackling and rising into three slender streams of fire, striking the palms of the three female assassins with brilliant, flashing intensity. 'Ah!' Wan Beauty cried out, dropping her dagger; her delicate palms were scorched, skin splitting and flesh tearing. Chu Beauty and Wang, the court lady suffered the same assault, clutching their palms and retreating step by step, all turning their gaze toward the The flame on the candlestand swelled once more, expanding into a massive fireball. Within the fireball, a figure materialized—tall and robust, dressed in the robes of a high-ranking eunuch, his eyes aglow with urgency, his hair now streaked with silver. It was Li Changshi.