The Phoenix Reborn Book II

Chapter 1 Anj*ng Stay Anj*ng

“You ... changed,” the girl said in a low voice.

If heard well, his tone of speech contains a little fear. A tone of speech is used .. when a person is dealing with a stranger. The gaze of the eyes that were usually so calm and cold trembled, emitting deep worry. The girl felt, this man before her .. was no longer the man she recognized.

“Is that?” reply to the man without looking. His back was so firm, but I don't know how much weight he was carrying that it looked so heavy. “You believe I changed ... and not because you never fully knew me?” tanyanya while showing half her face while trying to look back through her shoulders.

The long sword that was in the man's hand was still covered in fresh blood that was endlessly dripping down onto the ground. The black clothes he was wearing looked dark at night, but the moonlight revealed faint traces of blood seeping into his clothes.

The man twisted his body, turning around to stare at the girl with eye color who was able to defeat her darkness that night. When the girl's gaze landed on the man's face, the radiance of her eyes slowly softened. All the fear that had emanated seemed to disappear without a trace.

The man's face looked so cold, but it also exuded a deep exhaustion, sadness, and loneliness. “Are you also going to leave me?” ask her in a weak tone.

For a moment, the night was cold. The silence that enveloped the palace courtyard covered with blood made the atmosphere even more gripping.

The next second, footsteps could be heard. The man's eyes trembled slightly as he watched the girl step slowly closer to him. He was surprised when a hand wrapped around his neck and a warmth surrounded his body.

“In this life, forever, I will never leave you again.”

***

The pair of tanned black eyes opened and gazed towards the other servants working in the courtyard, his heart pounding fast. ‘This has passed the promised time. If so, then it is clear what is going on.’ Although his heart felt very unsettled, but he was unable to do anything. His gaze turned to the girl next to him, then a quick glance towards the door that was behind him. ‘She was so silent, not troublemaking as usual.’ The girl's eyes turned cruel. ‘If my guess is correct, then soon ...’

“Yuanli,” called out a melodious voice that made Yuanli's entire body shiver in disdain.

Yuanli turned around and pushed the door to enter the room, he saw Wushuang tying a dead knot to end her embroidery on a silk handkerchief in her hand. Then, the beautiful woman cut the thread and folded the handkerchief to give it to Yuanli.

“Give this to Huang Shufei,” Huang Wushuang said briefly and calmly, in contrast to his usual attitude.

“Huang Shufei?” yuanli asked with raised eyebrows, his eyes glancing towards the embroidery on the handkerchief. A beautiful peony blossom was bloomed on the handkerchief, indeed fitting as a result of the hands of the woman who was once the most talented young girl in Zhongcheng. “You clearly know that your relationship with Huang Shufei will no longer be re-established after you attempt to approach Empress Mingmei, right?” Yuanli's tone sounded mocking, but actually his heart was filled with impatience.

Huang Wushuang's forehead wrinkled and the woman snorted. “What are you asking so much? After all, she is my aunt. Although it takes time, but the family relationship between us cannot be destroyed just like that,” replied. “Again, didn't you say it was better to have one weak backer than none?” huang Wushuang asked as if challenging Yuanli with her own words.

Yuanli was speechless when he heard Huang Wushuang's words, he was sure that they never came from his lips. At the very least, not to Huang Wushuang. However, he then closed his eyes for a moment before saying, “Alright.” He turned and left the room. Before he fully left, Yuanli said, “Huang Wushuang, for the first time .. I saw you using your brain.”

The last greeting Yuanli left for Huang Wushuang made an ugly expression appear on the face of the beautiful woman. “Let's see until when you'll be so impudent to me,” his hisses with hands clutching tightly at the fabric of his clothes. A smile slowly flashed on his lips. “When you realize how useless you are, I am sure you will cry before my feet.”

Shortly after Yuanli left, the door of Huang Wushuang's room opened. “Crown Princess,” call Xiaoxue who quickly closed the door behind her. “Don't we have to go now?” ask her doubtfully.

Huang Wushuang was silent for a while as she stared at the servant girl. Then, he closed his eyes and nodded his head. Huang Wushuang stood up from the chair and walked out of her room.

“Because no one is willing to support me, then I will support myself,” Huang Wushuang said with a murderous eye. A beautiful smile turned sinister with words coming out from the woman's sweet lips, “Marriage with the Prime Minister's son, huh?” He grunts. “Let's see if without your chastity he still wants you, Huang Miaoling?”

***

Yuanli quickly ran through the courtyard after courtyard of the palace. The path he took was not the main one, but rather a shortcut known only to the servants and eunuchs.

Shi's royal palace plan was complicated, but Yuanli had studied it during his time as Huang Wushuang's maid of honor. Shi's royal palace was a vast place. Even with the large number of bodyguards available, not all places and intricacies of the palace were given a group of guards to guard.

The defense was centered on important places, perhaps in front of several courtyard gates, the residence of the Emperor's women, the residence of the princes and Princesses, and especially the Emperor's own residence. For secluded places like the residences of the servants and eunuchs or shortcuts, only the patrolling guards passed through the place once in a few hours. This is indirectly based on the level of interest of people who used to pass through these places.

This situation could be referred to as ‘blind’ point, weakness and also the advantages of Shi royal palace.

Whatdoes thatmean? Easy, the blind spot can be used as an opportunity to get rid of someone.

Many times it is said that the palace is the safest place, but also the most dangerous. This refers to the strict palace guard and simultaneously weak in some parts. For those palace officials like the royal family, their guard was so strict that the weakness factor of the palace guard did not apply to them. But not so for others.

It was not uncommon for some servants or eunuchs, perhaps even bodyguards to lose their lives in such places. However, with the fact that no one wants to cause trouble and make the palace into a ravage due to a lowly, usually their death will not be considered. This is possible .. because their deaths were done in silence.

Thus, it is natural for palace visitors such as officials and other royal guests to always be followed by bodyguards or eunuchs as well as high servants. However, what will happen if the person whose status should be able to keep the Visitor on the side of the person who wants to harm the Visitor himself?

Thinking up to here, Yuanli gnashed his teeth. The girl then sat down, ‘Nona must have gone to visit Huang Shufei after finishing with Empress Mingmei. Then, he should have visited Huang Wushuang's courtyard. However, the person who will drive him will definitely ..’ He shook his head, reminding himself to focus on the situation before him.

After passing through several pages and tricking some of the servants and eunuchs and bodyguards he saw with his calm demeanor, Yuanli realized something as he approached Huang Shufei's courtyard. No, as he walked deeper and deeper in the back palace.

‘Where ... everyone?’ Yuanli's head turned left and right to see how few guards were on guard. He then approached a bodyguard he recognized. “Kak Hong,” call him.

The mustachioed bodyguard with a creepy stature turned his head and was wide-eyed when he saw Yuanli. “Yuanli?” He looked a little confused as he immediately approached the girl. “Why are you here?” he asked with a clear tone of speech a little surprised and worried.

“I was ordered to deliver a gift by the Crown Princess to Huang Shufei. What happened?” yuanli asked after answering the bodyguard's question.

Yuanli put on a horrified expression. “When did this happen? I heard nothing!” he strangled, showing the attitude of a girl who was afraid of the existence of uninvited intruders. Of course, it was just a pretense to cover up his true identity.

“Not long, about one incense stick ago. Perhaps, the bodyguard who should have delivered the message has not arrived at the palace of the Crown Princess,” said the mustache bodyguard. “You're going through a shortcut again?” his tan was accompanied by a nod of Yuanli's head. “No wonder, if you take the main road, you should meet some bodyguards who will take you straight to safety.”

With a nervous tone of speech, Yuanli asked, “K-then, I should how now?” His brows were linked, really showing no trace of any lies.

The mustache guard sighed. “You're here until it's safe. After all, you yourself see how few bodyguards there are in this place. No one else can leave his post.” Just now Yuanli wanted to say something, the man added, “But, Huang Shufei's residence is no longer far away. You can also go there and stay there. It's safer than staying out in the open like this.”

Hearing this, Yuanli sighed deeply. That's exactly what he wanted, he couldn't stay here after hearing what happened. His eyes glanced at the box that was in his arms, he had a more important task than delivering this box.

“Ya, it is the best choice,” reply Yuanli.

The mustachioed guard called ‘Hong’'s leg nodded his head and said, “Hurry up. If you're here any longer, I'm afraid that intruder might have come here.” Yuanli replied to Brother Hong with a nod of his head as he ran away from the courtyard to go to Huang Shufei's courtyard.

In a second that Yuanli was convinced that he was invisible to the bodyguards in the courtyard, he ran with all his might towards another road. ‘Invouchers? It's bullshit! It's obviously very strange!’ he screamed in his heart. ‘At noon like this there was an attack on the Emperor? Between people it wants to search die ... or want to distract!’ The girl's eyes panicked as her heart skipped a beat.

With a light footrest, Yuanli walked down the palace road towards Huang Shufei's residence. He had to meet Huang Miaoling immediately to inform him of all the oddities that were happening today.

However, after running for a long time, Yuanli's ears caught a strange sound. ‘It ...’ His forehead creased as his steps immediately stopped. He glanced towards the wall that bounded himself with a courtyard that could be one of the routes leading to Huang Shufei's courtyard. ‘Iron interests?’ he thought, he was pretty sure there was a fight going on. ‘The intruder that Brother Hong talked about earlier?’

“Sial!” a man shouted out loud enough to make Yuanli stare. It is accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves and a foothold on the ground that indicates someone has just jumped down from a tree to the ground.

Yuanli's eyes glanced at the shady tree that had some leaves sticking out behind the wall. His heart was pounding, it was fortunate that he ran without a sound so that whoever that figure had been in the tree had no time to realize its existence. However, the longer he thought, he felt strange. It was impossible for a martial expert to be unaware of his existence with such a close distance.

Thus, Yuanli concluded that whoever was in the tree was focusing his entire focus on something else. ‘Who so wants to be dropped inside the palace?’ thought.

Yuanli's brain spun rapidly as he dashed lightly towards the end of the wall. He then poked his head slightly and swept around the situation only to find the whereabouts of a single figure. The figure in black clothes with a slightly distinctive motif stood his back to Yuanli with one hand raised, as if preparing to split something with the side of his hand.

Yuanli's forehead wrinkled. ‘Isn't that ..?’

The next instant, Yuanli could see the figure of Huang Miaoling emerge from behind the courtyard gate. His master's eyes were wide with shocked eyes as he realized the existence of someone preparing to attack him.

In an instant, the man's hand shot towards Huang Miaoling's neck which was just below his reach. The faint thumping sound that the man's hand side hit as it landed on Mingwei Junzhu's neck sounded truly terrifying. It didn't take a second for Huang Miaoling to lose his consciousness after receiving such a violent blow.

Seeing this, Yuanli had intended to immediately finish off the black-clothed figure. However, it was fortunate that his mind was still clear enough to realize that there were still some other people within the courtyard who were clearly also targeting Huang Miaoling. If he attacked now, then instead of providing assistance, he would instead send his life to the enemy and could not help his master at all.

Quickly, Yuanli retracted his head and attached his body to the wall, hoping that he could become one with the wall. Scrolls of sweat adorned his forehead as his heart pounded rapidly as his brain spun to figure out what to do.

“Not useful,” maki one of the people from inside the page full of insulting tone. “Only a girl can make the three highest members of the Death Squad be like this. One dead silly and two injured to anj*ng limp.”

The meaning was avenged by the man who was outside the courtyard in a bored tone. “Xiaoye, take care of this girl.” The man's tone made Yuanli glare, confident about the man's identity.

‘Ling Zhongcheng!’ yuanli growled with clenched hands. ‘This is related to the Fifth Prince?!’

The man named Xiaoye sounded back, “Why don't you bring it? Our goal is the same.” There is clearly a slight gap in the relationship of the two.

“I am the companion of His Majesty,” reply Zhongcheng flat.

Xiaoye snort taunting\, “Anj*ng is still anj*ng\, what's the height?”.

Zhongcheng's eyes squinted as he gazed towards Huang Miaoling who was now unconscious in his hands. He lifted the girl's leg and carried her, then turned to look at Xiaoye. “Bring or not?” His tone was tucked into a slight pressure that made the person who heard shiver.

There was a loud sound, clearly coming from Xiaoye. It seemed, however much he disliked Zhongcheng, Xiaoye knew how great the man was and did not dare to mess with him. He stepped forward and grabbed Huang Miaoling's body to carry it like a sack.

Zhongcheng's forehead wrinkled, as if lacking in agreement with the way Xiaoye treated a woman. “She is a woman ... and also a Junzhu. How could you—?!”

“Don't say much. The important thing is that I do my job, right?” xiaoye replied with angry eyes, restraining emotions.

Zhongcheng was silent for a moment. He then said, “Anj*ng also has differences in its usefulness.” His words were short, but the one who heard knew clearly his intention was .. Even if he was Wang Wuyu's pet, but his standing was still higher than Xiaoye's because he was much more useful.

“Zhongcheng, you—!”

Zhongcheng cut off Xiaoye's remarks with a cold face, “You yourself said, don't talk much.” He turned around and walked in the opposite direction to where Yuanli was. “We must immediately put the girl on the side of the Fourth Prince as per the Fifth Prince's orders.”

___

A/N: Yeah, the author believes you're shocked and confused as to why Author suddenly split into two books. That's because .. problems with platform rules :) Author doesn't have much to say. From nnt platform add ngadi-ngadi.