Chapter 27: Her Objective

What on earth is she planning?

Judging by the sound, it must be an arrow. As for the direction...

A dangerous aura lurked within the darkness, drifting like clouds. She sensed it, pursued it, and reached out to grasp that fleeting presence.

Suddenly, Yun Qiange’s tightly closed eyes snapped open. That was the direction. A powerful surge of arrow energy was whistling toward her from the upper right. Based on its trajectory, it was aimed directly at her heart. Moreover, there was no poison on the arrow, so...

The woman’s thin lips curled into a cold, sharp smile. She shifted three parts to the right and stood perfectly still. Given the force of the shot, it would only pierce her arm.

Yun Xiyan, my dear imperial sister from the memories of this body, it is a pleasure to meet you. I shall certainly prepare a grand gift for you in return.

With a sharp whistle, a feathered arrow tore through the air. Because of Yun Qiange’s movement, it missed her heart and instead buried itself into her arm. Blood surged out, rapidly spreading and blossoming into vibrant, crimson flowers upon her rose-red silk gown. The sight was so vivid and striking that it stung his heart. Moqi Haoyu could not fathom why she would do this. She knew there was danger yet did not dodge; she knew he could intervene yet refused his help.

What could possibly be her goal, that she would sacrifice her own body to achieve it?

"Someone! Help! There’s an assassin! Someone, help!" Like a terrified rabbit, Yun Qiange scrambled onto the couch and curled into a ball, her wide eyes filled with panic as she screamed toward the entrance.

Yet, no matter how she cried out, Xiangcao never appeared. Instead, a heroic-looking woman strode in, followed by a retinue of guards.

Yun Qiange’s eyes flickered. She barked at the woman who perfectly matched her predecessor’s memories: "Yun Xiyan, you’ve come just in time! An assassin just tried to kill this Princess! Why haven't you captured them yet?"

Her predecessor had been arrogant and overbearing, always addressing her sister by name. She had despised and envied Yun Xiyan from the bottom of her heart, for this younger sister was not only more beautiful but also excelled in both literature and martial arts, earning the deep favor of the Empress. Fortunately, her status was higher than Yun Xiyan’s, allowing her to vent her spite verbally. Thus, she mimicked her predecessor’s abrasive tone to issue the command.

"Did you hear her? Why haven't you gone to find the assassin for the Princess yet?" Yun Xiyan’s deep eyes swept toward the man standing not far away, whose expression seemed distant. His gaze rested on the Imperial Sister, flickering with indecision, though his thoughts remained unreadable.

The woman’s bold, arched brows furrowed imperceptibly. Just moments ago, from the hidden observation deck above the cell—the Tianyuan Dynasty’s prisons were equipped with secret viewing ports that allowed those outside to look in, while those inside remained oblivious—she had seen it clearly. He had been the one to initiate the kiss with the Imperial Sister. Could Haoyu have betrayed her?

A heavy, suffocating sensation gripped her heart, but she exhaled in relief just as quickly. She recalled that when she had been blinded by rage upon seeing them kiss and fired that arrow, Haoyu had made no move to help the Imperial Sister, which was why she had been wounded. So, was she merely overthinking things?

While Yun Xiyan’s thoughts raced, Yun Qiange clutched her bleeding arm and shrieked like a slaughtered pig: "Summon the Imperial Physician! I am going to die here! Why haven't you summoned the physician yet? Yun Xiyan, take me to see the Empress at once!"

Though she shouted these words, Yun Qiange thought to herself, *Hmph, don't even talk about summoning a physician; I suspect they won't even be able to 'capture' that assassin later, will they? Excellent. Things are moving closer to the outcome I anticipated.*