Bathing in the golden and warm sunshine, the Tender Garden was enveloped in harmony and serenity.
Murong Rou was lounging in bed with her eyes closed. Suddenly, there came an urgent shout, “Madam…Madam…”
Awoken by the noise, Murong Rou knitted her brows before opening her eyes with displeasure. Out of breath, Maid Li hurried in, the white gauze bound around her forehead swung with her steps, which was extremely eye-catching…
“What happened?”
“Madam, I just saw Murong Xue entering the late marquis’ study and taking away a small ebony box with delight,” Maid Li reported in haste.
Instead of leaving after being driven away from the study by Murong Xue, she hid in the corner to keep an eye on them until Murong Xue left with the ebony box.
“Do you know what is in the box?” A wisp of cold gleam skimmed across Murong Rou’s eyes.
“I have no idea.” Li shook her head. “However, outside the study, I heard Murong Xue and Ge Hui mentioning the late marquis’ last battle in Nanjiang…
“Are you sure they were talking about Murong Yue’s last battle?” Murong Rou narrowed her eyes.
“I am totally sure!” Li nodded heavily, her eyes filled with sullenness. “I was standing at the back window, close enough to hear their words clearly…”
Murong Rou squinted with a gleam flashing in her eyes. Why would they mention Murong Yue’s last battle? Murong Yue died on the battlefield, and his Shadow Guards, as well as the token, also disappeared without a trace…Wait! Could the token be in the small ebony box?
She still remembered that after Murong Yue’s death, her brother was dispatched to another city, while Ge Hui had always been standing outside the study with a great number of guards, forbidding access to it. For the past decade, Murong Rou and her mother had been exerting themselves to sneak into the study, but they failed every time. It was beyond their expectation that the token was actually in the ebony box.
The unconquerable Shadow Guards. With their assistance, she could get whatever she wanted.
“Do you know where Murong Xue is going?” Murong Rou stared at Li, waiting for her answer.
“I have no idea of the exact place, but I heard she said to Ge Hui she intended to find the shadow …” Knitting her eyebrows, Maid Li tried her utmost to recall…
“Shadow Guards?” Murong Rou added.
“Ah, yes, Shadow Guards!” Li nodded, a gleam twinkling in her eyes.
Murong Rou, with cold light flashing in her eyes, was almost sure that the token had been taken away by Murong Xue. “Go to the county government and inform my brother, tell him I have figured out where the token is, and ask him to return as soon as possible.”
“Yes!” A manservant took her order and left.
“How long has Murong Xue been gone?” Murong Rou looked up at Maid Li.
“Less than 10 minutes,” Li murmured, “Murong Xue asked Ge Hui to prepare a horse, some food and water for her. It seems that she will leave for at least one or two days…”
Murong Xue had left for the shadow guards. How fast she was!
“Did she start on the journey by herself?” Murong Rou squinted, seemingly lost in thought.
“No, with two guards.” Maid Li shook her head.
Murong nodded in agreement. Merely two guards are not hard to deal with. “Prepare a wagon for me. Inform my guards to leave with me at once…”
Being stunned, Maid Li, stared at her master’s pallid face and exhorted, “Madam, you are badly injured, rushing about is inadvisable…”
“It’s only a minor wound. No big deal.” Murong Rou interrupted her, a wisp of cold gleam flickering in her eyes. Her uterus had been pierced by the stagger, which made it impossible for her to be pregnant any longer. She was now a half disabled woman!
With Song Tianwen eyeing her covetously, how could she set her mind at ease? Only with the shadow guards under her control, could she get rid of Murong Xue and Song Tianwen for good!
Given the great significance of the token, she had to take it with her instead of entrusting it to anyone, not even her most loyal follower…
Seeing the certainty in Murong Rou’s eyes, Li sighed before murmuring, “I will ask them to prepare a wagon immediately…”
The sun went down, prolonging the trees’ shadows slowly. Murong Xue rushed at a high speed on the horseback, dust stirred up by the hooves flying in the air. The breeze brushed her long hair near her cheeks, which lifted her spirit.
Swish! Swish! A dozen of men in black suddenly turned up on the path, blocking Murong Xue’s way.
Raising her eyebrows, Murong Xue drew the rein with composure. “How can I help?” She gave a piercing stare to the men and asked expressionlessly.
The leader came up, staring at her coldly while saying, “Leave everything you have. We may spare your life.”
“What if I say no?” Murong Xue retorted casually with a hint of contempt on her face.
“Then we have to do our job.” With the savage voice resounding in the air, Murong Xue said slowly, “If you put down your weapons, maybe I will spare you.”
Upon hearing the melodious voice, the men in black couldn’t help laughing, as if it was a big joke. “Murong Xue, you should be aware that this is the rural area instead of your mansion. We are the most ferocious assassins, rather than the menservants who have to follow your order…”
Murong Xue snorted. “You are assassins in black. Without your disguise, you are nobody but the menservants of the Country-guarding Marquis’ Mansion.”
A hint of panic skimmed across their eyes but they soon collected themselves. “No more nonsense. Hand over the items you took, or you will be slayed.”
Murong Xue sneered. “How loyal you are…I have given you a chance, but you just don’t know how to cherish it…”
As soon as she finished speaking, Murong Xue made a gesture at which two guards appeared out of nowhere, who landed swiftly among the assassins before thrusting at them violently with swords.
As astonished as the assassins were, they tried their best to defend against the sharp attack. The swords swished, tearing their clothes open and scratching their flesh…
The two guards moved back and forth among the men as if being in a place with no one around, streams of blood splashing in the air…
Thump! The men in black fell to the ground one by one, and their mutilated bodies coule be seen everywhere. The smell of blood wafted through the air…