Midnight Ambush

The dark shadow dashed all the way to the Third Prince's bedchamber to deliver the news of the conversation he had just overheard.

“Are you saying that despite the people I sent to gather evidence, they still missed a secret letter?” The Third Prince's voice was calm, but a tempest of rage brewed deep within his eyes.

The kneeling shadow shed his disguise, revealing a youth of seventeen or eighteen. He possessed resolute and handsome features, and his gaze was sharp and piercing.

He was an orphan rescued by the Third Prince as a child, secretly trained to be a death warrior, loyal only to the Third Prince in this life.

The Third Prince took a few deep breaths, forcing down the fury in his chest. Massaging his temples, he asked, “How did the assassination attempt on Di Renjie go? Any progress?”

“The shadow guards disguised themselves as assassins and struck at Di Renjie in Guanyue Tower earlier, but the operation failed. We lost three shadow guards.”

The youth's words shattered the last vestige of composure on the Third Prince's face. His eyes turned a bloodshot crimson, and he seemed to descend into sheer madness.

“Failure! Failure! Everything is a failure!”

“Why can no one ever bring me any good news?!”

The youth remained kneeling on one knee, silently enduring the Third Prince's wrath.

A chaotic din of smashing and shattering filled the room as the inkstone, teacups, and books on the desk were swept onto the floor, reducing the chamber to a complete mess in an instant.

Once the Third Prince had vented most of his anger, the youth finally looked up and said, “Your Highness, let this subordinate intercept Zeng Tai tonight!”

The Third Prince looked at him upon hearing this. Having raised and trained the youth from childhood, he knew the boy's martial arts skills were at least first-class.

Narrowing his eyes, he pondered for a moment before saying, “Very well. I will leave it to you tonight. I'll have a few shadow guards assist you.”

The youth shook his head. “There is no need. I am more than enough on my own.”

His tone carried unquestionable confidence. Standing like a sharp sword drawn from its scabbard, he did not hide his keen edge in the slightest.

The unspoken implication was that he did not need the assistance of those useless fools, who would only hold him back.

The Third Prince nodded. A crisis was quietly about to descend.

The evening twilight faded, and a sheet of gray blanketed the sky.

Six Doors, records room.

The slightly yellowed secret letter lay on the desk. Di Renjie did not look at it; instead, he watched the figure standing a short distance away.

Zeng Tai stood there with his hands cupped and his head bowed, utterly silent.

Di Renjie frowned slightly, speaking with a touch of irritation. “There is no need for you to go on this trip. Just have the guards deliver the secret letter.”

“For this trip, it must be me!” Zeng Tai said, his tone resolute.

After his words fell, a long silence enveloped the records room. Just as Zeng Tai thought they would remain in this deadlock forever, a sigh broke the air.

Di Renjie sighed softly, picking up the secret letter from the desk and handing it to Zeng Tai.

“There is about the time of an incense stick remaining until the Hour of the Rat. Take some guards with you.”

Zeng Tai accepted the secret letter with both hands and nodded solemnly.

Outside, guards had already been arranged and were waiting, all of them carefully selected elites. Seeing Zeng Tai come out, they immediately stepped forward to meet him.

Zeng Tai said in a deep voice, “Regroup. We enter the palace in the time of an incense stick.”

Atop a large banyan tree outside Six Doors, a dark shadow had long been lying in ambush. The youth gripped his short blade, staring intently in the direction of the Six Doors gates.

He silently hummed a song—a lullaby his mother often hummed in his childhood memories.

The memory was so distant that he could only vaguely recall some blurred melodies, which was why he hummed this song every time he waited for his target to appear.

—Creak

The youth stopped humming. From afar came the sound of a night watchman's wooden clapper. The Hour of the Rat had arrived.

The main gates slowly creaked open from within, and several elite guards escorted a man out. The man wore a Golden Crow Token at his waist; it was indeed Zeng Tai.

Wearing his Six Doors official uniform, his face resolute, he calmly boarded the carriage under the escort of the guards.

The youth leaped down from the tree and gave chase in the direction the carriage was heading. He moved incredibly fast, his figure melting into the pitch-black night, making absolutely no sound with his footsteps.

He threaded through the narrow alleys adjacent to the main road, continuously closing the distance with the carriage until he reached the next alley mouth.

A guard on horseback was riding close to the carriage when a flash of silver light suddenly swept out from the alley, instantly tearing open his throat.

“Enemy attack!”

The remaining guards cried out in shock, drawing their sabers from their waists to encircle and protect the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Zeng Tai opened his eyes. His gaze remained utterly serene, completely unfazed by the sudden appearance of the assassin.

Clashing sounds of fighting suddenly erupted outside. Screams of agony constantly echoed from beyond the curtain, along with the clanking of blades and the sickening tearing of flesh.

With a final scream, a splash of hot blood splattered onto the carriage curtain.

Outside the carriage, the elite guards lay dead on the spot. Only a single youth remained standing on the ground, his black clothes dyed an even deeper shade by the fresh blood.

Gripping his short blade, he walked toward the carriage, the weapon's edge already showing a few chips.

The person inside the carriage seemed to be asleep, showing no reaction whatsoever. He allowed the youth's footsteps to draw closer and closer, but the moment the youth was only an arm's length away, the person inside suddenly burst into action!

The curtain was violently slashed apart as a long saber lunged straight at the youth's face. The youth's expression did not even flicker as he casually raised his short blade to parry the strike.

The long saber was stopped in its tracks, unable to advance even an inch.

Zeng Tai's eyes flickered slightly, his gaze landing on the youth's face as if trying to etch every detail of the boy's appearance into his memory.

Ignoring his gaze, the youth exerted force with his wrist, using his short blade to deflect the saber. The blade traced a beautiful arc in the air as he wiped it against his sleeve.

Blood flowed freely down Zeng Tai's body, a few drops splattering onto the Golden Crow Token at his waist, making the crimson look exceptionally piercing.

The secret letter on his person was confiscated by the youth. Powerless to resist, Zeng Tai could only watch helplessly as the boy took the secret letter and departed.

With the absolute last ounce of strength remaining in his body, he scrawled a few words on the ground.

At the same time.

Di Renjie emerged from the imperial palace. Sitting in a daze on the steps outside the palace gates, he remained utterly silent, merely staring into the distance—gazing down the path that led to the palace.

An hour ago.

“I will send someone else to deliver this secret letter. There is no need for you to go.”

“No.” Zeng Tai shook his head, a look of absolute determination on his face. “I must go. He has already overheard your words. If I do not go, he will definitely grow suspicious.”

Di Renjie looked at him in silence, only asking in a grave voice after a brief pause.

“Do you know the consequences of this trip?”

Zeng Tai nodded, but his gaze did not waver in the slightest. “I know. But this matter is of grave importance. We cannot afford even a single mistake.”

Seeing him like this, how could Di Renjie not recognize the resolve of the disciple he had spent so many years with? He could only let out a soft sigh.

He could only blame himself for not noticing that someone was eavesdropping. By the time they realized, most of tonight's plan had already been voiced aloud.

This secret letter absolutely had to be delivered to the Emperor tonight; there was no room for failure.

After a brief mental struggle, he had agreed...

...