"Be careful—"
Behind her, Ji Xun’s voice erupted in alarm.
Lu Tong’s heart tightened. In a critical mont, suddenly another harsh silver gleam appeared; the knife’s tip was deflected by an inch. Right afterward, Lu Tong felt herself being pulled, followed by a "bang" as the Silver Knife cut down—another blade glinting forward, a cold flash passed by, and the person on the ground let out a slight cry of pain as the dagger, along with half of their wrist, fell to the ground.
The vivid crimson blood imdiately sprayed across the white snow. The people inside, upon hearing the disturbance outside, ca out to investigate.
The person on the ground was still struggling while a sharp Silver Knife was pressed against their throat.
Pei Yunng protected her in his arms, staring coldly at the person on the ground with a murderous look in his eyes.
"Who sent you?"
The governnt official writhed on the ground, clutching his severed hand.
A boot stepped onto his wrist.
"Speak."
"It was the Grand Preceptor! The Grand Preceptor sent !"
Finally unable to bear the severe pain, the person on the ground shouted, "The Grand Preceptor ordered to follow Lu Tong to Su Nan and take the chance to kill her!"
Lu Tong was stunned, as were the Imperial Guards and dical Officers who had rushed over.
Lu Tong lowered her eyelids.
Several tis before, she had indeed felt the gaze of soone secretly spying on her, but nothing had happened on the way to Su Nan for a long ti, and she had also been vigilant, failing to notice anything amiss.
It turned out it wasn’t an illusion.
With Qi Yutai dead, she held no further use to the Qi Family while alive. And as for Qi Qing, suspicion alone was reason enough to act without the need for evidence.
In Qi Qing’s eyes, she was a dead person whether in Shengjing or Su Nan.
Duan Xiaoyan glanced back; patients from the Plague Hospital were gathered at the door, looking on, concerned about exposing them to such a bloody scene. Duan Xiaoyan looked toward the person on the ground and asked, "Sir, how do you want to deal with this?"
The Silver Knife sheathed, Pei Yunng said, "Drag him away."
He released Lu Tong, frowning as he examined her, "Are you injured?"
Lu Tong shook her head, about to speak when her gaze suddenly fixed.
Amidst the thick layer of snow on the ground, drops of bright red were falling, bursting into flowers on the snowy canvas.
His Silver Knife had returned to its scabbard; Lu Tong’s gaze trailed upwards to the person in front of her, to his left arm.
The black scale-like Imperial Guard Uniform was both gorgeous and robust, the color cool and deep, masking the wound. However, upon closer inspection, there was a fine cut on the left arm, from which the blood was dripping.
"You’re injured?" she asked.
When the governnt official earlier had brandished a dagger at her, it was Pei Yunng who had pulled her aside; the dagger was almost upon her, and he had taken the blow intended for her. If not for him, that blade would have pierced her heart.
Pei Yunng glanced down at it, saying with little concern, "It’s a minor wound."
He continued to watch her, his gaze scanning to ensure she was truly unhard.
Cai Fang and Li Wenhu hurried over from a distance, looking at Duan Xiaoyan and others dragging the assassin away, their expressions apprehensive, "How could a thief infiltrate the County Office..."
"It was ant for ," Lu Tong said, "My fault."
"...," the two, unaware of the matters in Shengjing, looked at each other, at a loss for words.
Pei Yunng turned to Lu Tong.
"Since it was an attempt on your life, there may be accomplices," Pei Yunng said, "I’ll go interrogate him; you go back and rest first." Then, turning to an Imperial Guard, he ordered the guard to watch over her. Without further concern for the wound on his arm, he walked away.
Lu Tong watched his retreating figure, her gaze falling on the snowy ground in front of her.
The snow was a blanket of white, and the trail of bright red blood was like a andering stream, a shocking sight.
She clenched her fists.
...
Despite the joyous snow celebration, the sudden incident left everyone feeling unsettled.
Lu Tong returned to the Plague Hospital, treated the patients as usual, then went back to her quarters to continue making dicine pouches.
As she worked, her mind started to wander.
Her great vendetta had been avenged, and those who deserved death had paid with their lives. She thought that all matters in this world had been clearly settled, and she ca back to Su Nan, content to wait for an uncertain death. Yet, it was at this ti that she encountered Pei Yunng.
It was just like that debt note written on the wall from years ago, with the debtors and collectors unable to clear their accounts.
Thinking about the wound on Pei Yunng’s left arm when she left, her heart suddenly filled with irritation.
She gripped the dicine pouch tightly as footsteps approached outside. Lu Tong looked up. Through the window, Duan Xiaoyan’s smiling face popped in, "dical Officer Lu."
Lu Tong paused.
The youth entered the room with a light, easy step, naturally taking a seat across from her, "The man from earlier has been interrogated. I ca to check on you."
Lu Tong looked at him, "What was the outco?"
"What else could it be? That old coot of the Qi surna killed his own son and insisted on dragging others down with him. You had barely left Su Nan when they followed, planning to take your life on the road. Had it not been for my brother’s foresight, they would have exploited an opportunity."
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