Lian Yuxi's POV
I moved in silence.
The scratching at Yifeng's window continued—metal on stone, someone climbing. An assassin. Had to be.
My dagger was in my hand before I finished the thought.
I slipped through my door, across his antechamber, pressed against the wall beside his window. The scratching stopped. A shadow appeared outside—hand reaching for the latch.
I struck.
Grabbed the hand. Yanked hard. The figure crashed through the window with a yelp—definitely not the silent entrance assassins preferred.
I had my blade at their throat before they hit the floor.
Wait! Wait! Don't kill me!
A boy. Maybe sixteen. Skinny. Terrified. Wearing servant clothes, not assassin black.
Who are you? I hissed.
Jin! Little Jin! I serve in the kitchens! Please don't
Yifeng's door flew open. He stood there, sword drawn, hair unbound, looking ready to kill.
What's happening?
Intruder, I said, keeping my blade steady. Claims he's a servant.
Yifeng's eyes narrowed. Jin? What are you doing climbing my window at midnight?
I I, The boy's voice shook. I saw something. Something bad. I tried to report through normal channels but the head steward wouldn't listen. Said I was lying. So I thought... I thought if I came directly to His Majesty...
Saw what? Yifeng demanded.
Jin's face went pale. A body, Your Majesty. In the East Palace gardens. A woman. Dead.
My blood ran cold.
Yifeng and I exchanged glances.
Show us, he said.
We followed Jin through dark corridors, Yifeng still in his sleep clothes, me with daggers ready. The boy led us to the East Palace gardens—the area damaged by last night's fire.
There, Jin whispered, pointing to a decorative pond.
A woman floated face-down in the water. Silk robes spread around her like bloody flower petals.
I'd seen enough corpses to know: she'd been dead for hours.
Get Commander Zhao, Yifeng ordered Jin. Now. Tell no one else.
The boy ran.
Yifeng and I approached the pond. He grabbed a long pole, hooked the woman's robes, pulled her to the edge.
I helped drag her onto the grass and turned her over.
My stomach dropped.
That's Concubine Liu, Yifeng said quietly. She served my Aunt Chen. One of Mother's ladies-in-waiting.
The woman's face was blue. Lips dark. Eyes wide and staring.
Poison, I said, recognizing the signs. Nightshade, probably. Maybe six hours dead.
How do you know?
I've killed people this way. I examined her hands, no defensive wounds. Her tea-stained lips. She drank it willingly. Didn't know it was poisoned.
Yifeng's jaw clenched. Someone murdered her. In my palace. Two nights after an assassination attempt on me.
This isn't random. I studied the scene. The pond was isolated, hidden by burned trees. This is a message.
What message?
That whoever wants you dead isn't finished. They're still here. Still killing.
Footsteps approached, Zhao and his guards.
Your Majesty! Zhao stopped, seeing the body. What
Murder, Yifeng said coldly. Investigate. Find who killed her. Find why.
Zhao bowed and began organizing his men.
Yifeng pulled me aside. Come. We need to talk.
He led me back to his chambers. Didn't speak until we were alone, door locked, windows secured.
Then he poured two cups of wine with shaking hands.
Your Majesty
Drink, he ordered, downing his own cup in one swallow. And for the love of heaven, call me Yifeng when we're alone. I need to hear my name from someone who isn't plotting my death.
I took the cup. Sipped. Strong rice wine, expensive.
Yifeng refilled his cup. Stared at it. Can't sleep either?
Not well. Old habits.
Same. He moved to the window, looking out at the dark palace. Do you miss it? The Guild?
The question surprised me. Miss being property? Being a weapon?
Miss certainty, he clarified. Missions had clear targets. Clear objectives. Kill this person, get paid, move on. This? He gestured at the palace. Everyone's an enemy pretending friendship. Every smile hides a knife. Every bow hides betrayal.
I understood too well. Welcome to being Emperor.
He laughed bitterly. You sound like you've done this before.
The Guild was similar. Everyone pretended we were family. Called each other siblings. Heishan called himself our father. I stared at my wine. But we all knew the truth. We were weapons. Weapons don't have families. We just have owners.
And now you're here. New owner. Different cage.
Is that what you think this is?
He turned, gold eyes meeting mine. Isn't it? I bought your contract. You work for me. Serve me. That's ownership.
You gave me choice. Heishan never did. That's the difference.
Silence stretched between us.
Why did you really choose me? I asked the question that had haunted me for two days. Truth. Not the strategic answer you gave your court.
Yifeng set down his cup. Looked at me with something raw and honest.
Because when you held that hairpin to my throat, you hesitated. One second. Most assassins wouldn't.
That hesitation almost cost my life.
It saved mine. He stepped closer. Everyone in this palace wants something from me. Power. Money. Position. Favor. They smile and bow and pretend loyalty while planning my downfall. But you? You came to kill me and couldn't. Not because you weren't skilled enough. Because somewhere inside all that training, you're still human. Still capable of doubt. Of mercy.
Mercy is weakness in an assassin.
Mercy is strength in a person. His voice softened. I don't need another weapon, Yuxi. I have armies. I need someone who sees me as a man instead of a crown. Someone who'll tell me the truth even when it hurts. Someone I can trust because they already had every reason to kill me and chose not to.
My throat tightened. You barely know me.
I know loneliness when I see it. It looks just like mine. He smiled sadly. We're both people who learned to survive by becoming something else. Something harder. Colder. Less human. Maybe together we can remember what it's like to be
A scream tore through the night.
High. Terrified. Female.
We ran.
The scream came from the West Wing. Servants scattered as we raced through corridors, Yifeng with his sword, me with daggers drawn.
A maid stood in a doorway, hands over her mouth, eyes wide with horror.
What happened? Yifeng demanded.
She pointed inside with a shaking hand.
Another body.
This time, a man. Minister's robes. Throat cut. Blood pooling across expensive carpet.
That's Minister Feng, Yifeng breathed. From the treasury department.
I knelt beside the body. Examined the wound. Professional kill. Single strike. He never saw it coming.
Two murders in one night, Yifeng's voice was tight. This is
A coup, I finished. Someone's eliminating targets. Building toward something.
Zhao arrived with guards. Your Majesty! Another one?
Secure the palace, Yifeng ordered. No one leaves. No one enters. I want every minister, every servant, every guard accounted for.
Zhao bowed and rushed off.
I studied the murder scene. Something felt wrong. Off.
Then I saw it.
On the wall behind the body, written in the victim's blood:
The Phantom Blade sends her regards.
My name. My Guild name.
Framing me. Again.
Your Majesty— I started.
But Yifeng was staring at something else. A black silk tassel lying near the body.
Shadow Guild signature.
The same signature I used to leave at my kills.
He picked it up slowly. Looked at me. His face carefully blank.
Yuxi, he said quietly. Where were you an hour ago?