Volume One, Chapter 14: An Unexpected Incident Before Escape

One of the illegitimate sons grasped a dagger, standing before the bed, looking down on Song Yun from a height.

He had a very ordinary face, appearing to be around twenty years old.

Song Yun had not even noticed him before; he was neither the tallest nor the strongest among the illegitimate sons. Perhaps even his own father had yet to remember his name.

“No need to bother calling for help. There won’t be any guards in the courtyard tonight.”

The young man twirled the dagger skillfully between his fingers, performing a flourish with the blade.

“These fools actually think Father removed the guards so we could have a good time. In truth, he thinks we’re too many and wants us to kill each other off, letting the strong survive.”

It turned out that apart from Ning Dehai’s sons, there were no other guards in the courtyard that night. The young man, seemingly insane, intended to slaughter all his half-brothers, which inadvertently made their escape plan easier.

But such a cruel madman, like his father, would be difficult to deal with. Song Yun steadied her heart and silently reached for the soporific powder beside her pillow.

“I won’t call out. Are you going to kill them all? Can I come with you? I promise I won’t make a sound—I’m just a little scared to be alone with the corpses.”

The youth shrugged indifferently and turned his back.

“Suit yourself. But if you make even a sound before I’ve killed them all, I’ll kill you. Also, keep your hands where I can see them. Don’t touch the things by your pillow, or my knife will be quicker than you.”

Biting her lip, Song Yun gave up trying to reach the soporific. Since he intended to kill her brothers, she was safe for the time being.

Thus, a shadow quietly trailed behind the grim youth.

They had clear roles: the youth killed swiftly with his dagger, while Song Yun clamped both hands tightly over the terrified bedmates’ mouths, forcing them to swallow their screams, turning them into soft whimpers.

The man brought deathly silence to the other men; the women brought hope to the living.

After ending the life of the last half-brother, the youth struggled slightly to pull the boy’s corpse off the knife tip and carefully wiped away the bloodstains.

During this time, secret whispers had spread among the women. Everyone knew that a woman called Princess Zhaoyang was coming soon to rescue them and lead them out of Fanyang City.

As the organizer of this escape, Song Yun stood protectively before the women like a mother hen shielding her chicks. Moonlight illuminated her calm face, resembling a serene statue in a temple holding a flower.

“You’ve killed them all. What will you do next?”

The youth hung the now gleaming dagger back at his waist.

“Don’t worry—there’s a woman who once saved my life. I don’t kill women unless absolutely necessary.”

With steady steps, he crossed past the frightened women and curled up beneath a rock, closing his eyes as if used to finding a spot outdoors to sleep.

Song Yun’s maid quietly approached and whispered by her ear,

“Sister Song... shall we just sneak out quietly? Won’t he stop us? Maybe we should knock him out while he sleeps?”

Looking at the youth sleeping like a wolf cub in the shadows, Song Yun bit her lip and shook her head after a long moment.

“We’ll leave quietly. You go find Little Pipa—don’t leave her behind.”

The women’s hands were trained in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—not in combat. They neither dared nor could face an adult man barehanded.

They tiptoed through the courtyard to the back gate of the Liu residence. Trembling, Song Yun inserted the key into the lock, her voice carrying a barely contained excitement,

[Your Highness, we’ve escaped!]

Zhu Xiaozhi, watching the dwindling time of life, hurried down another alley,

[There’s still danger. Be very careful!]

“If you all just went back to bed quietly, it’d be fine. But you want to escape—how am I supposed to report this to Father?”

Under the youth’s dagger was the slender, pale neck of Little Pipa, the blade no more than half an inch from her skin.

Little Pipa’s face still bore the dazed look of just waking, seemingly not understanding why a knife was pressed to her in the courtyard. The maid following behind was so frightened her legs gave way.

“As soon as I stepped into Little Pipa’s room, I saw this demon already on her bed…”

The women exchanged glances, and one bold woman took the lead, loudly urging,

“He’s alone. Sisters, if we all attack, are we still afraid we can’t subdue him?”

No one responded.

The youth pressed the blade down harder; a bead of blood appeared. Little Pipa winced in pain and finally whimpered in fear.

“I’ll take her place.”

Song Yun pushed through the trembling, silent crowd, stepping steadily toward the youth. She was always fastidious, but now her skirt trailed on the ground unnoticed.

“I organized this escape. Without me, you’d all be headless and couldn’t run far. Holding me hostage is far more useful than her.”

The youth raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the woman from head to toe, clearly surprised by the organizer’s identity.

“Madam Ning, it seems my father has never wronged you.”

“Don’t call me that name!”

Suddenly, Song Yun lunged forward, borrowing some strange strength from nowhere, gripping the youth’s dagger with both hands. Despite the blood pouring forth, she forced it open just a little.

Her face twisted with fury and pain, hair loose and stained with blood, she looked like a vengeful spirit.

“I have never accepted that identity for a single day. I will always be Song Yun of the Song family—just Yun!”

She released one hand, revealing stark white bones, and forcefully pushed the child’s shoulder. Little Pipa cried out, calling “Sister Ning,” and tried to grab Song Yun’s arm, but the maid hurriedly pulled her into her embrace.

A faint “pfft” sound—something sharp had pierced Song Yun’s chest.

The delayed agony spread like a knife twisting within. Knowing she was beyond saving, she clung tighter to the youth’s hand, holding the dagger firmly against her heart, preventing him from pulling it out easily.

The bold woman who had called out earlier frantically grabbed a large stone near the rock, knocking the youth unconscious. In the ensuing chaos, they rushed to save Song Yun.

Her large black eyes, shining like obsidian, widened under the bright moonlight. The youth’s dagger remained embedded in her left chest, the wound oozing slowly congealing blood.

At the end of the contact list, a name gradually dimmed. Zhu Xiaozhi lifted her skirt and ran swiftly.

But Song Yun’s final words lingered firmly in their ears:

“I have been timid all my life, but today I was brave twice. Thank you for giving me the courage to do so.”

“Though I cannot see you kill Ning Dehai with my own eyes, if spirits exist after death, my soul will curse him day and night, haunting him, dragging him down to the eighteenth level of hell.”

“Zhaoyang means ‘bright virtue.’ Princess Zhaoyang, I hope you succeed in rescuing them and lead them to see the sunrise over the plains.”