Chapter 8

The blood-stained silver spear, with each strike, splashed large patches of blood, both from others and from Qingning herself. The wound on her chest could not heal, and with each swing of the silver spear, the wound split open, blood gushing out, thoroughly staining her plain clothes.

Four men in green, aiming for Changsun, were unwilling to delay, each move fierce and desperate. Qingning faced them alone, her moves aggressive, focusing only on attack, not defense, as she fought against the four men.

“Sss”

Seeing the blade’s light approaching, Qingning did not dodge, but took the blow, her silver spear turning back with a force that shattered the opponent’s arm.

“One move for one move, how many more can you withstand?”

The leader of the four men in green spoke, a cold glint in his eyes. Having failed to assassinate Changsun, they would face severe punishment upon return. Despite their meticulous planning, who could have thought that a palace maid by Changsun’s side would have such abilities.

Qingning did not respond, whether from unwillingness or lack of strength. Her originally white clothes now showed no trace of their original color. A gentle breeze lifted her long hair, and in a daze, it seemed as if a faint mist of blood was dancing.

“It’s over.”

The leader of the four men saw that Qingning was at her limit, his curved blade moving, green light swirling like a dragon. At the same time, the other three men moved in, aiming to end the woman’s life.

The blade’s light was mesmerizing, the four green lights unstoppable. With the power of the four men, it was a force that left no room for survival.

Seeing the fatal move, Qingning’s gradually lifeless eyes burst with a piercing light. Amidst the flying debris, the silver spear left her hand, spinning wildly.

“I said, no one will cross this line today.”

As she spoke, Qingning advanced instead of retreating, taking a step forward. The silver spear whistled, stirring the surrounding wind and forming a large vortex.

This final move, Qingning poured all her life’s cultivation, just to defend the line behind her. This was her lifelong obsession, and the lifeline of Changsun.

“Boom”

The clash of moves shook the heavens and earth, dust rising everywhere. The weapons in the hands of the five men could not withstand the force, shattering. The shockwave sent the nearby guards and black-clothed men flying several steps away.

“Ugh”

In the aftermath, the four men in green felt a sweetness in their throats, spitting out blood, their bodies trembling, almost unable to stand.

Not far away, the blood-stained figure still stood firm, leaning against the sedan, her eyes gradually losing their light.

In her last moments, she felt nothing but relief, having defended the line and protected Changsun’s life. In this life, she had no regrets.

Unfortunately, she would never hear that annoying guy call her "Sister Qingning" again.

“No!”

A sudden cry of grief, Qingning instinctively looked, but her dazed eyes could no longer see the person. Faintly, a familiar figure seemed to appear in her eyes, eventually turning into endless darkness.

“Sister Qingning”

Ningchen rushed forward to support Qingning, his eyes filled with sorrow. Looking at the four men not far ahead, a strong sense of hatred flashed in his heart for the first time.

Carefully placing Qingning by the sedan, Ningchen revealed the bronze incense burner he had been holding in his left hand. Taking out a fire starter, he lit a hemp rope soaked in lamp oil, the flames quickly spreading into the bronze burner. Ningchen threw it and quickly turned to embrace Qingning.

The next moment, a terrifying explosion shook the heavens and earth. The four injured men could not avoid it, being thrown several yards away, landing on the ground, their fates unknown.

“Cough, cough”

To protect Qingning, Ningchen had to endure part of the shockwave, his internal organs trembling, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Amidst the dust and sand, Ningchen did not have time to check his own injuries, carrying Qingning and fleeing into a nearby alley without looking back.

At Du'an Pharmacy, Changsun stood at the door, constantly looking out. Though her face was calm, the anxiety in her eyes was evident.

About half an hour later, Ningchen appeared, carrying the blood-soaked Qingning. Changsun immediately rushed forward to check, and upon seeing Qingning’s tragic state, her eyes instantly turned red.

However, as the Empress, Changsun quickly regained her composure after a brief moment of panic. She then noticed that Ningchen’s condition was no better, his clothes tattered and his appearance extremely disheveled.

“Come in quickly.”

Changsun led Ningchen into the back of the pharmacy. Du'an Pharmacy was a family property of the Changsun family, and the shopkeeper had to report to the Changsun family regularly. Before Changsun entered the palace, she had helped manage the family’s accounts, so the shopkeeper was not unfamiliar with her.

Ningchen carefully placed Qingning on the bed, and the shopkeeper immediately brought medicine and bandages to stop the bleeding. After the bleeding was temporarily stopped, he began to check her injuries, with Ningchen and Changsun anxiously waiting. As the shopkeeper’s expression grew increasingly grim, their hearts sank.

“What’s the situation?”

Seeing the shopkeeper stand up, Changsun stepped forward, asking anxiously.

“Miss Qingning has severe internal injuries and has lost a lot of blood. There is no medicine that can save her,” the shopkeeper sighed, answering truthfully.

“No medicine can save her.” At this moment, even the calm Changsun could not help but stiffen, sitting down in a daze.

Hearing the shopkeeper’s words, Ningchen’s heart also constricted. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, took a step forward, and pulled out a small box from his pocket, opening it hurriedly.

This was a gift from Mu Chengxue, said to be able to save his life. Whether it would work or not, he could not afford to think about it now.

Feeding the medicine to Qingning, he saw it quickly dissolve and disappear. Changsun, seeing Ningchen’s actions and tense expression, felt a glimmer of hope rise again.

The shopkeeper also came forward to check her pulse again. After a long time, he still shook his head, sighing, “No, though it has kept her last breath, she has lost too much blood. Your Majesty, you should be prepared.”

“I understand.” Changsun’s heart ached, and she nodded.

“What do you understand? Quickly give her a blood transfusion!” Ningchen, in a hurry, forgot about the hierarchy and respect, speaking urgently.

Hearing Ningchen’s strange words, not only the shopkeeper but also Changsun were taken aback. Blood transfusion, what did that mean?

Seeing their expressions, Ningchen realized that the concept of blood transfusion might not exist here. He did not have time to explain, “Shopkeeper, please find something.”

He gestured and described what he needed, speaking hurriedly. The shopkeeper, confused, finally understood after Changsun explained a few words and left with a look of realization.

Fortunately, the shopkeeper was efficient. Not long after, he returned with several gold wires of different thicknesses, all with fine holes.

This item was not hard to find in a goldsmith’s shop. He did not know which one would work, so he bought them all.

Ningchen took the thinnest one, cut the ends into sharp points with scissors, disinfected it with alcohol, and inserted it into Qingning’s wrist.

Changsun opened her mouth to ask, but saw Ningchen insert the other end of the gold wire into his own wrist.

“Don’t make any mistakes!”

Ningchen’s expression was very serious. In his previous life, he was O-type blood, but that did not mean he was the same in this life. If he made a mistake, there would be no chance to correct it.

After about fifteen minutes, Ningchen’s face gradually turned pale, and his legs began to feel weak, but he still tried to stand. In this era, there were no blood transfusion devices, and if he sat down, the height would not be enough for the blood to flow in.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and Ningchen’s mind suddenly went dark, his legs faltering, almost falling. Fortunately, Changsun was nearby and caught him in time.

“You rest first, I’ll take over.” Changsun, seeing Ningchen’s pale face, spoke with a hint of concern.

“No, the fewer people involved, the less dangerous it is. I can still hold on.”

Ningchen refused Changsun’s offer. He was taking a gamble, and if Changsun joined in, Qingning’s chances of survival would be slim.

After nearly half an hour, Ningchen finally fainted. To make it easier to take care of both of them, Changsun instructed the shopkeeper to add a bed in the room and placed Ningchen on it.

The shopkeeper prepared and cooked the medicine in the front hall, then brought it to the back, busy from morning to night. Changsun specifically instructed him not to reveal her identity, so he did not dare to delegate these tasks to anyone else, doing everything himself.

After giving both of them the medicine, Changsun finally had a moment to sit down and think about the entire situation. Very few people knew about her leaving the palace, so why was the assassination so meticulously planned?

“West Palace!”

After much thought, Changsun’s eyes suddenly narrowed, thinking of the most likely person. In the heavily guarded capital, only the Empress Wan of the West Palace could arrange everything so quickly.

If that was the case, the assassination of Emperor Xia might also be orchestrated by Empress Wan. But for what purpose?

Glory and wealth? Impossible; power and status? The assassination of her made sense, but the death of Emperor Xia would only bring harm and no benefit.

Perhaps the assassinations of her and Emperor Xia were not carried out by the same force.

Changsun pondered for a long time but could not find the key. However, with these thoughts, she had a chance to investigate in the future.

She had left the palace to return to the Changsun residence because Emperor Xia had given her a secret order to deliver a message to the head of the Changsun lineage, the Marquis of Qinghe, who was also her father.

The Changsun lineage’s roots were not in the capital but in the distant northwest, controlling the three cities of Taishan, Qinghe, and Zangchuan, making them a powerful regional force. However, to reassure Emperor Xia, most of the direct descendants of the Qinghe Marquis were kept in the Changsun residence in the capital. With the Northern Mongol court in turmoil and Emperor Xia unable to issue an order to send troops, the Changsun lineage was the best choice. If the Qinghe Marquis secretly increased troops in the north, the Northern Mongol court would be more cautious about taking action.

Due to the Mars phenomenon, the Xia Empire could not initiate a war, but it did not mean they had to remain silent. Emperor Xia could not openly send troops, but secretly increasing troops through the Qinghe Marquis was still possible.

The reason was simple: the Qinghe Marquis’s territory was close enough to the Northern Mongol court, and if done carefully, sending troops would not attract attention.

This matter was highly confidential. If exposed, it could be exploited by those with ulterior motives, spreading rumors that Emperor Xia was preparing for war. With the Mars phenomenon, the Xia Empire’s situation would become extremely difficult.

The most skilled at manipulating people’s hearts was the Eternal Night Sect. The Xia Empire could not take this risk and had to act cautiously.

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