âI wonât shout, I wonât shout! Just donât let your hand tremble, Lady Heroine,â Song Qingshu quickly raised his hands in cooperation.
The woman behind him was clearly taken aback. She hadnât expected him to be so cooperative. Although this eunuch appeared flustered, she had an inexplicable feeling that he wasnât afraid of her at all.
âEnough with the nonsense! Where do you live? Take me there, now!â The womanâs voice turned cold, and she pressed the tip of her sword against him again.
Song Qingshu didnât sense any real killing intent from her sword, which meant she was only trying to intimidate him. However, what troubled him now was that he had no idea where this dead eunuch, Xiao Xingguo, lived!
âLady HeroineâŠâ Song Qingshu felt it necessary to communicate with her. Judging from the current situation, she was most likely the assassin from the palace tonight. In a way, they shared the same goalâthey both wanted to leave the palace. There was no need for unnecessary internal conflict due to a misunderstanding. Moreover, since she had entered the palace to assassinate someone, she might even be a like-minded ally. Lending her a helping hand wouldnât be out of the question.
Just as he was about to turn around, the woman immediately snapped, âDonât turn around!â At the same time, the sword tip pressed against him more firmly.
Song Qingshu subtly shifted his position, ensuring that if she did decide to strike, his protective True Qi would automatically repel her sword. Only then did he continue, âMay I ask why Lady Heroine needs to go to my residence? Itâs the middle of the night, and a man and a woman alone⊠wouldnât that be a bit inappropriate?â Since he had no idea where Xiao Xingguo lived, he could only dodge the question with humor.
âA man and a woman alone?â The woman couldnât help but chuckle. âYouâre just aââ She abruptly stopped herself mid-sentence.
âAnd whatâs wrong with being a eunuch? Eunuchs have rights too,â Song Qingshu said, looking aggrieved.
âShut up! Someoneâs coming!â The woman swiftly retreated into the rockery behind him, but her sword remained pressed against his back.
âThink carefully about what youâre going to say. Otherwise, donât blame me for being merciless with my sword,â she whispered in his ear.
Song Qingshu chuckled, unfazed. He leisurely watched as two palace guards approached. He was still thinking about how to handle their questioning when, to his surprise, the two guardsâ eyes lit up as soon as they saw him. They jogged over eagerly.
âWhat a coincidence to run into Eunuch Xing here!â
âIndeed, haha, the weather is nice tonightâŠâ Though Song Qingshu smiled, he was cursing them inwardly.
âYouâre the eunuch! Your whole family are eunuchs!â
At the same time, he found it strange. Judging by the flattery on the two guardsâ faces, it seemed that Xiao Xingguo had a rather good standing in the palace. But if that were the case, who would want to kill him?
Noticing that Song Qingshu seemed absent-minded, the two guards tactfully didnât linger. They quickly took their leave but, after walking a few steps, turned back and said, âEunuch Xing, there was an assassin in the palace tonight. It might not be safe for you to be out here. You should return to your quarters and rest.â
âAn assassin?â Song Qingshu feigned interest. âWith so many guards in the palace, you still canât catch a single assassin?â
âEunuch Xing, you may not know, but this assassin, though alone, is incredibly skilled. Many of our brothers fell at her hands. It wasnât until the Chief Eunuch intervened that she was finally wounded,â one of the guards replied.
âThe Chief Eunuch?â Song Qingshu immediately thought of the man he had fought at the Laundry Bureau. His martial arts were indeed formidable.
âHeh, from what we could tell, the assassin is a woman. Although we didnât see her face, her figure is absolutely stunning. Sheâs definitely a beauty,â another guard said with a lecherous grin.
The moment he said that, Song Qingshu could feel a surge of killing intent from behind him. Afraid that the woman might act on impulse and expose herself, he quickly said in a deep voice, âInstead of gossiping here, shouldnât you be hunting down the assassin? If the Chief Eunuch hears about this, it wonât end well for you.â
The two guards immediately apologized. âEunuch Xing, youâre absolutely right! We were wrong!â They quickly scurried away.
As they walked off, one of them quietly muttered, âWhat were you thinking, talking about women in front of a eunuch?â
âIâm just used to chatting like this with the brothers. It slipped out,â the other replied, looking sheepish.
Their voices were barely above a whisper, unafraid that Xiao Xingguo would overhear. However, they didnât know that this Xiao Xingguo was no longer the same person. Song Qingshuâs martial arts were formidable, so he heard every word loud and clear. Not surprisingly, the female assassin behind him must have heard it too.
âPfftâŠâ She couldnât hold back a quiet giggle but quickly covered her mouth.
An idea struck Song Qingshu.
âYou think itâs funny? Letâs see how you react to this.â
âGuards!â he suddenly called out loudly.
As expected, the woman behind him immediately pressed her sword closer and hissed, âWhat do you think youâre doing?!â
Ignoring her, Song Qingshu calmly waited as the two guards ran back, smiling obsequiously. âWhat can we do for you, Eunuch Xing?â
âDid that damn eunuch hear what we just said?â
The two guards were nervous.
Song Qingshu put on a frightened expression and said, âHearing how formidable the assassin is⊠I feel a little scared. Would you two be so kind as to escort me back?â
Realizing that was all he wanted, the two guards breathed a sigh of relief. âOf course, of course! It would be our honor to serve you, Eunuch Xing!â
âIf it werenât for the fact that youâre favored by the Empress, would we, as Imperial Guards, be so polite to a mere sixth-rank eunuch?
â Though the guards were all smiles, they cursed him inwardly.
Song Qingshu felt the tip of the sword press against his back again, as if it could pierce his skin at any moment. But he remained unconcerned. âThen Iâll have to trouble you two to lead the way.â
âActing all high and mighty!â
The guards silently cursed him again, but they still smiled and took the lead.
âWhat are you trying to pull?!â As soon as the guards walked ahead, the female assassin emerged and glared at him.
Song Qingshu shrugged. âI just thought this would make it easier for you to stay unnoticed, Lady Heroine.â
She was silent for a moment before finally saying, âFine. You go ahead. But I warn you, donât try anything funny. If you think these two guards can save you, youâre mistaken. Killing them would be as easy as lifting a finger.â
âUnderstood,â Song Qingshu replied with an amused smile.
The reason he had changed his plan at the last minute was that, from the way the two guards treated him, he suspected Xiao Xingguoâs identity wasnât as simple as a mere head eunuch of the Wardrobe Bureau. This identity might prove useful. He decided to investigate Xiao Xingguoâs secrets first. But since he didnât know where Xiao Xingguo lived, he had cleverly used the pretense of seeking protection to make the guards lead the way. Given how familiar they were with him, they would undoubtedly know where his residence was.
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Check out my other projects: Roughly an Isekai Hypnosis Story (er0-novel đ
Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon
Ask the Mirror (recommended)
Immortal Divine Tribulation
The Way of Restraint (recommended)