#157: Testing

Just as the dance reached its climax, Li Xuanba, who had been sitting in the pavilion, suddenly leapt to his feet. A cold gleam flashed in his hand as he lunged toward Yunyi with a dagger, seemingly intent on taking her life!

Li Shimin was shocked and immediately rose to intervene, but it was too late. He shouted urgently to Yunyi, “Quick, dodge!”

Yunyi hadn’t expected Li Xuanba to suddenly attack like this. In her panic, she tripped over her dress and fell to the ground. By the time she tried to evade again, it was already too late.

“Xuanba, stop this at once!” Despite Li Shimin’s stern rebuke, Li Xuanba showed no signs of halting. His expression remained cold as he continued thrusting the dagger toward Yunyi, clearly intending to kill her.

With her life in imminent danger, Yunyi’s eyes hardened. With her martial arts skills, dodging this strike wouldn’t be difficult. But just as she prepared to act, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. The hand she had slightly raised dropped back down. She did nothing, simply watching the cold gleam approach her. To others, it appeared as though she had frozen in fear.

When the dagger was only an inch away from Yunyi’s eyes, it abruptly stopped. The next moment, Li Shimin rushed forward, snatched the dagger from Li Xuanba’s hand, and threw it far away, shouting angrily, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

Li Xuanba didn’t speak, his gaze fixed suspiciously on Yunyi, who sat trembling on the ground. Strange—Feng Li had said this woman was an assassin. Why hadn’t she reacted when he attacked?

Meanwhile, Li Shimin had already helped the pale-faced Yunyi up, anxiously asking, “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Yunyi stared blankly at him. The next moment, her frightened, deer-like eyes filled with tears. Clutching Li Shimin’s clothes, she stammered, “Se… Second Young Master, did I… did I do something wrong? Why does Third Young Master want to kill me?”

Li Shimin gently patted her stiff back, consoling her. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Xuanba… he was just playing around. It’s over now!”

Yunyi nodded, but her eyes still held an indelible fear. She avoided looking at Li Xuanba, who toyed with the dagger in his hand and smiled. “Yes, I suddenly remembered the female assassin who tried to kill Father. On a whim, I decided to play around. I didn’t mean to scare you—it was truly unintentional.”

“It’s fine. Let me have someone escort you back.” Under Li Shimin’s reassurance, Yunyi released her grip on his clothes and left with the maidservant.

After they left, Li Shimin’s expression darkened as he glared at Li Xuanba. “What is going on with you? First, you inexplicably asked Meixue to dance, then you suddenly pulled this stunt. Don’t tell me you were really acting on a whim.”

Li Xuanba stared at the dagger in his hand, its cold light reflecting in his eyes, and slowly said, “Brother, do you think… she’s really Wu Meixue?”

Li Shimin frowned, puzzled. “Xuanba, what’s gotten into you today? Your words and actions are all so strange. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Li Xuanba was silent for a moment before suddenly smiling. “Nothing. I’ve just been so busy with conscription this past month that now that I finally have some free time, I wanted to have some fun. As for you, Brother… why are you so protective of this dancer? You’ve helped her several times. Could it be… you’ve developed feelings for her? If Lady Changsun finds out that you’ve fallen for another woman, she’ll be heartbroken.”

Li Shimin’s expression froze for a moment before he calmly replied, “Since when have you become so fond of gossip?”

Li Xuanba put away the dagger and smiled. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t bother. But Brother… don’t forget your betrothal to Lady Changsun.” By the end of his sentence, his smile had vanished.

“I remember perfectly well—and I know exactly who I love.” After saying this, Li Shimin turned and left. Watching his retreating figure, Li Xuanba’s brows furrowed deeply. Feng Li couldn’t have lied to him. Yet, when he had thrust the dagger earlier, Wu Meixue’s reaction had seemed entirely that of an ordinary woman. Was she hiding her true nature so deeply, or was there something else at play?

________________________________________

On the first day of the third month, Yunyi left the Taishou’s residence with her pass as usual. However, instead of heading to her home in Changshi Alley, she went straight out of the city gates. When she reached the abandoned village where she had previously come with Li Shimin, she stopped and called out coldly, “Come out.”

The surroundings were silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the warm breeze. Yunyi’s lips curled into a faint smile as she spoke icily, “Third Young Master always boasts of being upright and forthright. Since when did you become so sneaky?”

With those words, Li Xuanba emerged from behind a broken wall, his cold gaze fixed on Yunyi. “He was right—you really are that assassin!”

“He…” Yunyi’s face changed, her voice trembling. “Feng Cheng isn’t dead?”

Li Xuanba raised an eyebrow. “That’s right. Feng Cheng survived by sheer luck.” With a hint of doubt, he asked, “Are you Wu Meixue or Shen Yunyi?”

Yunyi had already regained her composure and smiled. “Whichever Third Young Master says I am.”

Li Xuanba let out a heavy humph. “If you know what’s good for you, surrender quietly. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“Surrender quietly…” Yunyi repeated softly, then giggled coquettishly. “I’d like to, but unfortunately… I detest those four words the most!”

Before her words faded, a dagger slid into her palm. With a quick step, she darted toward Li Xuanba like a shooting star. Facing the swiftly approaching dagger, Li Xuanba sneered, “Such trivial tricks!”

As the dagger was about to strike, he sidestepped and unleashed a powerful punch aimed at Yunyi’s shoulder. Anticipating this move, Yunyi twisted her body in an awkward yet precise manner, narrowly avoiding his fist.

Not only did Li Xuanba miss his punch, but he also heard Yunyi’s taunting laughter. “It’s been half a year since we last fought, Third Young Master. Your martial arts seem to have deteriorated quite a bit. Could it be that you’ve spent these days indulging in women and drained yourself?”

“You wretch!” Li Xuanba roared, his fists flying furiously toward Yunyi. She dodged while continuously hurling insults to provoke him further, causing him to grow increasingly enraged and his attacks to accelerate.

Yunyi knew from their previous encounter that Li Xuanba’s martial arts were overwhelmingly aggressive and beyond her ability to confront head-on. Thus, she avoided direct confrontation, weaving around him while using taunts to exhaust his strength and disrupt his focus.

After a while, Li Xuanba realized Yunyi’s strategy but didn’t reveal it. Instead, he quickly scanned the surroundings, then intensified his attacks, forcing Yunyi to retreat step by step. Glancing back, she saw that she was being driven into a corner. Once trapped there, she would have nowhere to evade and would be forced to engage him directly—a highly disadvantageous situation.