Murong Jin crouched outside Prince Cheng's residence, her bright eyes scanning the defenses. She remembered Xiazhi's exasperation before she left.
"Your Majesty, can't you spare me?" Xiazhi had blocked her path.
"What do you mean?" Murong Jin asked, wrapping black cloth around her wrists.
"The Master said no contact with the Murong family. I broke that rule bringing you here. If he finds out…"
"He won't know." Murong Jin continued wrapping. "And even if he does, he won't punish you. You forget, Xiazhi. Xue Liulan doesn't remember me."
Xiazhi paused. "But I feel… even if he took Danxi, if he sees you, he will fall in love with you again."
Murong Jin froze, staring at her wrist. Joy and bitterness warred in her heart.
"Your Majesty."
"What?" Murong Jin snapped out of it, her vision blurring. She forced a smile. "Enough. I accepted the mission. I will complete it."
"I can't let you risk it." Xiazhi grabbed her arm. "I know Guo Shangzhong's defenses. I'll go."
"Xiazhi. This is my affair."
"How is it not mine? If you get hurt on my watch, how do I face the Emperor? And if Guo Shangzhong catches you, he will use you against him!"
"Xiazhi, he has forgotten me." Murong Jin pushed her away. "He took Danxi. He will never remember, never love me again."
Xiazhi lowered her head. "I'm sorry."
Murong Jin smiled faintly, finishing her bindings. If she was captured, she would destroy her face, like Liu had done years ago. No one would ever know.
A cold wind brought her back to the present. Prince Cheng's guards changed shifts. It was the first day of the lunar month. No moon. Perfect for an assassin, but also a night of heightened vigilance for the guards.
She leaped across the street to the corner of the manor wall, pressing herself into the shadows of a large tree.
A patrol marched past. No one looked at the tree.
She frowned. A tree was a classic hiding spot. Why didn't they check it?
Two possibilities. One: they were lazy. Two: the tree was a trap.
She waited. A quarter of an hour later, the second patrol passed. Again, they ignored the tree and stuck to the outer path, avoiding the wall.
A trap.
She smiled, crouching low and feeling the ground. Three inches from her ankle, she found a tripwire, thin as a hair.
She plucked a few leaves and tossed them into the air around the tree.
Snip. Some leaves were sliced cleanly in half before they hit the ground.
Sharp. If she had jumped blindly, she would have lost a foot.
She calculated the distance between the wires, then leaped, landing silently on the wall. She flipped over and dropped into the empty courtyard.
Silence. No movement. Faint music drifted from the other side of the manor. Prince Cheng was enjoying his nightly revelry.
She tossed a pebble into the courtyard. Clack.
Eight giants emerged from the shadows. Each was a mountain of muscle, two heads taller than her.
Guo Shangzhong has impressive resources, she thought wryly.
Before her smile faded, they charged. She rolled, dodging a fist that smashed the flagstones where she had just been standing.
Close.
She sprang away, but they surrounded her.
In the dim light, she saw their eyes. They were all pupil, black voids with no whites.
Why can they see me in the dark?
She circled behind one giant, leaping to elbow his head.
He barely flinched. He grabbed her ankle and threw her like a rag doll.
She flipped in mid-air, drawing her soft sword and stabbing another giant in the chest as she landed. The blade sank deep.
But his face showed no pain.
Medicine men. Created with a secret Turkic technique. Guo Shangzhong was cruel indeed.
She yanked the sword out, dodging the spurting blood. But before she could steady herself, hands grabbed her waist and hoisted her high.
A giant held her overhead, ready to smash her onto the stones.
She slashed at his head, but he threw her up. He cocked his fist, waiting for her to fall onto it.
A punch like that would shatter her spine.
But she didn't hit the fist. An arm caught her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. A familiar scent filled her nose.
"Xue Liulan?" she whispered.
He didn't answer. He kicked off the giant's fist, spinning in the air to land safely with her. His sword was already drawn.
"Why are you here?" Her hand rested on his chest, tears stinging her eyes.
He wore black, his handsome face set in a faint smile.
"I'll explain later. Alright?"
He released her, standing shoulder to shoulder.
If this was a dream before death, she accepted it. She raised her sword.
"They are arranged in the Eight Trigrams formation. You killed one, so the array is broken. But the remaining seven are dangerous," he said calmly.
Facing powerful enemies, Murong Jin smiled, glancing at him with tender eyes.
"Do you have a plan?"
He shook his head and pointed at one giant. "I'll hold off the others. You kill that one."
"By yourself?"
"Enough." He raised an eyebrow and charged.