章 26: .5 A bold statement
"Poor skills and low levels of determination, the assassin must be a newcomer. Who ever sent her is simply mocking Benwang" Long Dahai mused, his tone pensive as they made their way to the dungeon.
"Yet the woman who took wangfei was far more skilled. This one struggled to catch her."
Luo Li's eyes slowly widened as a realization dawned on him. The night they caught the assassin, the surprise was evident in her eyes when she heard that her accomplice had been caught - as if that was never meant to happen.
He hesitated, not wanting to give voice to his thoughts, but he was filled with concern. "Wangye, could it be, they were after Wangfei?"
Long Dahai nodded in agreement, the tension between them growing palpable. They shared the unspoken question, their minds racing to uncover the motive behind the attempted abduction.
As they weighed the possibilities, they both understood that there were multiple reasons for someone to orchestrate such an act. Ruining the alliance would undoubtedly be the most obvious motive. If a simple missing box could sow chaos, the murder of a prince and the abduction of a royal bride would bring about unimaginable consequences. But the crucial question remained: Who exactly wanted this plan to fail?
Meanwhile, inside the cell, the young assassin was being interrogated by Long Dahai's guards.
"Better start talking because I—" The guard was abruptly cut off as the assassin defiantly spat in his face, a contemptuous challenge in her eyes.
"You ain't getting shit from me," she retorted defiantly.
Her face twisted with rage; she clenched something between her teeth, a gesture that sent shivers down the guard's spine. He wiped the spit off his face hastily, his anger mounting as he raised his hand to strike her. But before he could deliver the blow, she began spitting out black blood, a disturbing sight that froze him in his tracks.
"What the hell? Where did the blood come from? I haven't even hit you yet?!" the guard exclaimed, bewildered.
Unfortunately for him, that was precisely when Luo Li and Long Dahai walked in. The room fell silent as Luo Li's piercing gaze landed on the pool of blood, his voice laced with barely suppressed fury. "I told you to keep her alive!"
The guard's expression hardened as he looked helplessly at Luo Li. "I...I..."
Luo Li hurriedly squatted beside the assassin, his anger barely contained as he assessed the situation. He felt a wave of urgency to save her and uncover the truth beneath her effort to strike his master.
"Since I'm going to die, let me tell you something," the young assassin rasped, a twisted grin forming on her blood-stained lips. Her words hung in the air, heavy with an unsettling certainty. "She is useful to us. Capturing her means gaining favour with the young lord."
As strange as it was for an assassin to yield, the girl was furious at the idea of sacrificing her life to protect her master's secrets. She was young and had a life to live, and yet she had no option but to submit to her death's embrace with her own hands. Her only means of revenge is to expose her employer - even if it's only a little.
"Young Lord's favour?" Luo Li's forehead creased with a mixture of concern and suspicion. He tightened his grip on her collar, his voice sharp and demanding. "Who do you serve?"
The assassin's grin widened, a chilling glint in her eyes as she leaned close to Luo Li's ear. Her words were like poison, seeping into his mind, leaving him on edge. Then, as if drained of life, she went limp in his grasp, the rest of her secrets taken to the grave.
Luo Li wasn't easily swayed by people's words, but it was eery and left an unpleasant aftertaste. He could only conclude that there was more than met the eye with the new bride.
He pushed the lifeless body aside, swiftly moving to Long Dahai's side. "Wangye, she's dead."
Long Dahai's nodded, showing no hints of concern. "You seem startled. Did she say anything of interest?"
Luo Li clenched his fists, his uneased gaze meeting Long Dahai's steady eyes. "She said we should count Wangye's days with wangfei as his wife."
"A bold statement. At least now we can confirm who they are after." Long Dahai murmured, narrowing his eyes as he examined the lifeless body, his usually composed demeanour showing a hint of displeasure.
"The other assassin made a similar remark. It appears they are confident in the influence of their master. We should consider treading carefully, wangye."
"Which master is more potent than Shangwei that they dare to try to kidnap the bride under their protection?" Long Dahai pondered aloud.
He threw the token to a stationed guard. "Run the autopsy and inform me of the findings."
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