After parting with Xie Yu, Ma Bing returned to her room. She bent down and crawled under the desk, pressing firmly on the corners of two square bricks by the wall. With her other hand, she immediately lifted the edge that had popped up, pulling out two oil-wrapped packages carefully layered inside.
Under the oil-wrapped packages was a constantly updated family portrait, along with a dark red flag bordered in black, marked with bloodstains, smoke burns, and holes. The flag was very old, and Ma Bing had to sprinkle camphor powder on it regularly and carefully protect it from moisture and sunlight to preserve it.
She unfolded the family portrait and looked at it, her fingertips gently gliding across the faces of her parents and older brother, murmuring, “Perhaps, I will soon reunite with you.”
She was so tired—truly exhausted.
Everything must come to an end. Fortunately, now she could finally see the end.
Ma Bing did not sleep the entire night. First, she refilled the hollowed-out pit and carefully restored it to an undetectable state. Then she opened the two oil-wrapped packages, carefully measuring and mixing the contents to form several smaller ones. Inside were saltpeter and sulfur.
These two substances were strictly controlled by the imperial authorities. Ma Bing had no connections and couldn’t acquire much at once. She also didn’t want to raise suspicion, so every time she arrived at a new place, she would collect a little from various apothecaries and Daoist temples. After years of doing this, she had accumulated several jin of the substances.
Charcoal was not in short supply. She often cooked and brewed medicine, so she could easily obtain it without needing to hide it from others.
Mixing gunpowder was a highly specialized task. Originally, Ma Bing didn’t know much about it, but her foster father had once been a gunner, and she vaguely remembered hearing about the general composition of gunpowder. However, he himself didn’t know the exact details.
But it didn’t matter. What Ma Bing lacked the least was patience.
Over the years, she had conducted countless experiments and gained considerable insights.
Sometimes she found it ironic—if she had lived a smooth and untroubled life, she might have achieved nothing. But because of the many burdens she carried, she was forced to learn and master everything.
After finishing this, the hour of Yin was approaching. Ma Bing had not slept all night, but she felt unusually excited. She could hear her heart pounding wildly, and her boiling blood surged through her limbs and bones.
She even hummed a little tune while peeling the shrimp she had bought the day before, removing their veins.
A pot of rich broth had been simmering on the stove. Since it was cold, the broth wouldn’t spoil even if the fire was extinguished at night.
Ma Bing reignited the stove, and the dancing flame illuminated her youthful face, turning it rosy. “How warm,” she thought.
The milky-white broth gradually began to boil. Ma Bing then stood up to chop the winter bamboo shoots and added tender pork, wrapping them together with the shrimp into many dumplings.
The shrimp was tender, the winter bamboo shoots fresh. In the cold weather, a steaming bowl of dumplings was the perfect breakfast.
Old people usually slept less. Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Wang Heng strolled over following the fragrance before dawn.
“What good food so early in the morning?”
Ma Bing smiled at him. “You’ve come just in time for the first batch.”
The broth boiled thoroughly, with large bubbles rising and bursting one after another.
Knowing it was a path to certain death, she still rushed forward without hesitation.
Was it voluntary? Or was there no choice?
Ma Bing made generous dumplings filled with rich ingredients. Estimating Wang Heng’s appetite, she counted out fifteen and dropped them into the pot.
The old man stretched his neck, drooling. “More! Give me more!”
Ma Bing was about to say, as usual, that eating less more frequently was better, but she swallowed the words and instead, at Wang Heng’s suggestion, added five more.
The old man was stunned.
He blinked at her, as if seeing her for the first time, muttering softly, “This girl is acting strange today.”
Ma Bing tightened her grip on the large soup ladle and smiled. “What? Do you only feel good when I oppose you?”
The old man shrank his neck. “No, no, going along is just fine.”
Saying so, he happily went into the small kitchen to fetch vinegar and chili.
A small dish of vinegar and chili, dipped into steaming dumplings—how delicious!
“Eat less spicy and stimulating food as you get older,” Ma Bing finally couldn’t help but say. “Even when you encounter something delicious, don’t overindulge. Who will constantly remind you every day? Take good care of yourself in your old age.”
“Exactly! That’s the spirit!” Wang Heng, holding his small dish, felt his temper immediately improve.
Ma Bing couldn’t help but smile.
This old man, he only felt comfortable when scolded a bit!
In a large bowl, twenty plump dumplings were tightly packed. The wrappers were smooth and translucent, faintly revealing the pink shrimp inside, like a shy maiden.
Wang Heng happily thanked her and was about to lift his chopsticks when he asked, “Why isn’t there any for you?”
Ma Bing had already returned to the chopping board and continued wrapping. “I’m going to eat with someone else.”
The old man drew out a long “Oh” but asked no further questions, lifting a large dumpling and taking a bite.
The delicious broth was slightly hot, instantly filling his mouth and tongue, leaving fragrance between his teeth.
Delicious!
Making the dough, preparing the filling, wrapping dumplings—she had been busy until almost the end of the Yin hour.
Ma Bing wrapped dozens more, using up all the dough and filling neatly.
Meanwhile, Wang Heng had long finished his meal, leaning back in a recliner with a big teapot, smacking his lips intermittently in relish.
Seeing her busy, he said, “Alright, that young man must be waking up soon. You young folks can go eat together. I’ll clean up later.”
Normally, Ma Bing would have agreed, but today she didn’t.
“No need, there’s not much to do.” Without pausing her hands, she quickly wiped the chopping board clean and neatly organized all the tools.
Watching Ma Bing leave with a large food container, Wang Heng took a sip from the teapot and murmured, “This girl, is she acting strange today?”
Xie Yu had just finished washing up when he pushed open the door and saw the beloved girl standing gracefully in the courtyard.
She smiled and lifted the food container in her hand. “Have breakfast together?”
Xie Yu took the container from her. “I should come to you. It’s cold outside, and the road is slippery.”
Something was off.
Ma Bing smiled. “Usually, you come to me. It’s my turn to come to you today.”
She looked at the plum blossoms in the courtyard. “The blooming season is short. It’s good to see them as much as possible.”
Today, the sun was shining brightly, and the wind was unusually gentle, warming her body.
Since Xie Yu had been suspended from his duties, he didn’t need to go out. After their meal, the two moved reclining chairs outside to sunbathe and admire the plum blossoms.
The plum blossoms were blooming beautifully. Brilliant sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, creating large patches of light.
“Zhengzheng,” Xie Yu held Ma Bing’s hand. “Whatever you plan to do, promise me you’ll tell me in advance.”
She had been acting too strangely these past two days.
Ma Bing smiled at him but didn’t speak.
“Promise me.” Xie Yu wouldn’t let her off the hook.
She might lie, but whatever she promised, she would always fulfill.
But Ma Bing, unusually, looked pleadingly and softly said, “Let’s not talk about any unpleasant things today, okay?”
Xie Yu had almost never seen her with such a soft gaze.
Ma Bing held his hand and looked up at the tall wall, where several chirping sparrows were hopping around, preening each other’s feathers.
The branches were covered with plum blossoms, gently swaying in the breeze, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
“Look,” she said, “how beautiful the sunshine and the flowers are. I’m a bit tired and want to rest.”
Hearing this, Xie Yu, despite having a hundred questions, couldn’t bring himself to ask any.
“Alright.”
In such weather, it was warmer outside in the sun than indoors.
They closed their eyes, fingers entwined, seeing nothing, thinking of nothing, only listening to the soft sounds of air flowing.
How quiet it was.
Xie Yu felt a long-forgotten tranquility.
The sunlight was perfect, warming him to the point of drowsiness.
His body seemed to slowly sink, wrapped in warm, dry air like his mother’s gentle embrace in childhood, making him reluctant to move.
His eyelids grew heavier, his head dizzier, as if he could fall asleep at any moment… something was wrong!
Xie Yu had practiced martial arts since childhood and had mastered control over his body. Just a short time in the sun should not have made him sleepy.
“Zhengzheng,” he struggled to open his eyes, clearly feeling himself gradually losing control of his body. “Don’t do this.”
The dumpling bowl earlier had been laced with medicine.
Ma Bing leaned sideways, watching him tenderly, her other hand gently stroking his cheek. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just a calming medicine. You’ve been too tired lately and need to sleep well.”
Xie Yu tried to sit up, but the medicine was too strong, and he couldn’t move at all.
His vision gradually blurred, his eyelids drooping, and the arm holding her hand sank helplessly downward.
“Don’t do this…”
He mumbled faintly.
Ma Bing sat up and gently pulled her hand away.
Her fingertips still retained his warmth, but soon, the wind carried it away.
How reluctant she felt.
But if she didn’t do this, he would surely follow her.
Ma Bing fixed her gaze on his sleeping face for a long time, leaned down, and carefully placed a kiss on the corner of his lips.
Xie Yu, I really, really like you.
But I have something I must do.
When Ma Bing left the courtyard, she met Yuan Pei head-on.
“Oh, Ma Bing, you’re here so early?”
Ma Bing calmly responded, “He was exhausted earlier and just fell asleep. Please don’t go in and disturb him for now.”
Yuan Pei had no suspicions. “Indeed, the official was completely worn out. He really needs a good rest. Oh, by the way, let’s have lunch together at noon. Old Hu is treating!”
Ma Bing smiled. “No need. I’m going out and might not be back.”
“Oh, like that,” Yuan Pei said cheerfully. “Then that’s okay. Don’t miss anything important. We’ll meet another day. There’s plenty of time in the future!”
Ma Bing slightly lowered her eyes. “Yes, there’s plenty of time in the future.”
“Oh, by the way, I recently made a batch of wound-healing ointment and some pills you often use. Come get them when you have time.”
“Great!”
Knowing that Xie Yu was resting, Yuan Pei didn’t go in to disturb him. He walked back with Ma Bing and parted ways at the next intersection.
Ma Bing stood there for a moment watching him, then turned back to gaze at Xie Yu’s courtyard for a long time. Finally, she slowly exhaled and headed back to the herb garden.
Wang Heng wasn’t there, probably having gone out with his apprentices to make house calls. Although he had retired, he was still a former imperial physician, and noble families often invited him to treat them, keeping him busy.
Ma Bing went into the house for a moment, picked up a large bundle, and went to the stable. Soon after, she rode out on her big black horse.
When she left the city, she encountered Fang Bao leading a patrol. “Miss Ma, going out of the city on an errand?”
With all those packages.
Ma Bing smiled and nodded. “Yes.”
They exchanged a few simple greetings, passed each other, and went their separate ways.
After leaving the city, Ma Bing mounted her horse.
She turned the horse’s head and looked deeply at the majestic city wall for a moment, then tugged the reins and shouted, “Gee up!”
Rider and horse sped faster and faster, quickly disappearing into the rolling dust.
Ma Bing’s target was the imperial tombs in the north of the city.
Since no one mentioned the late emperor, she decided to do something earth-shattering to force everyone to talk!
The Great Lu dynasty had passed through three emperors since its founding, all buried in the imperial tombs in the northern suburbs of the capital. In his later years, the late emperor became extremely arrogant and, disregarding regulations, secretly ordered Prince Su to build a separate imperial temple for him. It was magnificent and extravagantly luxurious.
Ma Bing’s target was this imperial temple.
Initially, she had considered targeting the late emperor’s tomb, but after several covert investigations, she found the difficulty too high for her to handle alone.
The imperial tombs were richly furnished with grave goods, inevitably attracting tomb robbers. There was a special tomb-guarding office for their protection.
Not only did the tomb guards patrol rigorously every day, but the outer layer of the tombs was built with huge stones mixed with a kind of three-soil compound, including rice paste, making them extremely hard. Even with a strong swing of an iron spade, only a faint white mark would be left.
With the limited gunpowder she had accumulated, she couldn’t even scratch the surface.
To move an entire imperial mausoleum would require an army of at least a thousand people.
She didn’t have that.
But the imperial temple was different.
Although the temple itself was exquisitely constructed, aside from the late emperor’s spirit tablet and some clothing, there were not many treasures inside.
No one could steal the entire temple, so the guards were not strict.
Additionally, the temple was only opened during festivals and on the anniversary of the late emperor’s death. It was only cleaned and incensed by eunuchs and palace maids in the morning and evening, and was almost deserted the rest of the time.
Ma Bing had ample time to do something mischievous.
To reach the imperial temple, she first had to pass the imperial tombs. When she was about two or three li away from the tombs, Ma Bing dismounted.
She repeatedly stroked the big black horse’s head and neck, her forehead resting against its body, looking at her reflection in its big eyes, her emotions complex.
“A temporary shelter for a long journey—no feast is eternal. We’ve been together for so many years, but in the end, I’m the one leaving you first.”
The big black horse sensed its master’s unusual mood and seemed restless, snorting loudly and tugging at her clothes.
Ma Bing rubbed its head fiercely and fed it soybeans for the last time.
But the big black horse refused to eat a single bean.
Ma Bing sighed. “Being too perceptive isn’t necessarily a good thing…”
She scattered the soybeans on the ground, removed the horse’s saddle and stirrups, threw them aside, and turned to leave. “You’re free!”
But she hadn’t walked a few steps when her clothes were bitten, and the big black horse dragged her back forcefully.
The two struggled for a moment, and Ma Bing gritted her teeth, drawing her soft sword to cut the cloth, pointing at it and shouting, “I don’t want you anymore, didn’t you hear?! Go away!”
It was the first time she had ever scolded it like that.
The big black horse held half a piece of cloth in its mouth, blinked its big eyes a few times, and actually shed tears.
Ma Bing’s heart softened, and her eyes immediately reddened.
People say that animals don’t understand, but that’s a lie.
Living together day and night, they understood more than anyone else.
The big black horse cautiously took a couple of steps forward, but was stopped by Ma Bing.
But as soon as she walked away, it followed again.
Ma Bing hardened her heart, raised her hand, and gently stabbed the horse with her sword, causing tiny drops of blood to immediately flow out.
“If you follow me again, I’ll kill you!”
These wounds were nothing; they would heal on their own in a few days.
She had run far away, but could still hear its mournful cries lingering in the original spot.
Ma Bing dared not look back, nor did she dare to stop, wiping her face hard and quickening her pace again.
As she expected, the guards became much more lax after she circled around the imperial mausoleum.
She lay in ambush for a while outside, waiting until the palace maids and eunuchs who had come to sweep and burn incense left, then immediately climbed over the wall and entered.
No one could have predicted that someone would dare sneak into the empty imperial temple at the risk of their life.
Ma Bing swiftly and deftly sneaked into the main hall, shut the door behind her, carefully checked the corners, and only after confirming no one else was there did she finally relax a little.
Looking at the spirit tablet on the high altar, she sneered, pulled out her soft sword, and with one slash split it in two.
“You have committed countless evils; how dare you enjoy the offerings of incense and sacrifices from the people!”
After splitting the spirit tablet, Ma Bing immediately felt refreshed, as if a long-standing burden she had carried for years had mostly lifted.
She glanced around, finally fixing her gaze on the tall beams above.
It was said that these beams were made from centuries-old trees brought from deep in the mountains of Yunnan, thousands of miles away. To transport the timber, Prince Su even ordered the digging of a special canal, spending several hundred thousand taels of silver, with countless laborers dying from exhaustion along the way.
The entire imperial temple was built with extreme care and was very sturdy. Ma Bing had limited explosives; blowing up other areas might not cause significant damage.
However, if these beams were broken, the temple would surely collapse!
Once her plan was decided, she immediately removed the large bundle on her back, mixed the charcoal powder she had ground the previous night with sulfur and saltpeter powder on-site, and divided them into small packages, tying each tightly.
In earlier experiments, she had found that the tighter and thicker the packages were tied, the greater the explosion would be.
Although according to her previous investigations and inquiries, no one should come in the middle of the process, still, one could never be too careful.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; she had to act quickly.
After tying the explosives, Ma Bing sighed regretfully—it was still too little.
If only she had enough time and explosives, she would blow up the entire imperial temple!
That would be satisfying.
The main beams were made from whole logs and were very long. Ma Bing thought for a while and decided to change her plan temporarily:
She would concentrate all the explosives on two key junctions, directly breaking the main supporting structure.
If everything went smoothly, at the very least the roof of the main hall would be blown off, and half of it would collapse!
As she busied herself, she didn’t notice the time flying by.
Meanwhile, Fang Bao handed over his shift and returned to the office, preparing to go to his room to change clothes when he saw Yuanpei and Huoping sparring in the training ground, so he went over to chat.
After chatting for a while, Fang Bao casually asked, “By the way, why didn’t I see Xie Yu today?”
Yuanpei smiled and said, “The master is resting…”
As soon as the words came out, he felt something was off.
Yuanpei suddenly turned to Huoping and asked, “How long has the lord been sleeping?”
Huoping also sensed something, “About an hour and a half, I think.”
Xie Yu was always very disciplined. Unless he was ill, he never rested during the day. Even for a nap, he would strictly limit it to only fifteen minutes.
But today?
It had been almost the entire afternoon since Ma Bing said he was resting, so why had there still been no movement?
The two exchanged glances, not waiting for Fang Bao’s reply, they rushed straight to Xie Yu’s courtyard.
When they ran in and looked, Xie Yu was still lying under the plum tree, motionless.
“Adult!”
Yuanpei was nearly scared out of his wits, rushing forward in one step to check for breath.
He was alive!
And he didn’t have a fever.
“Adult?” Huoping called again.
Xie Yu showed no reaction.
This was wrong.
They had broken in noisily and were speaking loudly, so even if Xie Yu was ill, he should have heard them.
“I’ll go call the doctor!”
Yuanpei turned and ran out again, rushing like the wind to the herb garden. Wang Heng, who had just returned from a house call, was lying on his rocking chair as usual.
Seeing Yuanpei, Wang Heng thought he had come looking for Ma Bing, so he said, “The girl hasn’t come back yet.”
Yuanpei had no time to explain, grabbed him and ran, “Grandpa Wang, come quick, it’s a matter of life and death!”
But after running a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, “Erliang isn’t here either?”
Wang Heng ran out of breath, “I haven’t seen her since she went to find Zizhi for lunch this morning.”
Yuanpei was stunned.
What a coincidence?
No, it couldn’t be a coincidence!
Meanwhile, seeing Yuanpei and Huoping’s strange expressions, Fang Bao followed to see what was going on. Looking up, he saw Yuanpei dragging Wang Heng running at full speed, leaving him completely confused, “What’s going on today? People leaving the city, others in a panic…”
“Who left the city?!” Yuanpei made Wang Heng hurry to Xie Yu’s courtyard, while his instincts told him something was wrong, so he stopped to ask.
“Just Ma Bing,” Fang Bao said, puzzled, “She left the city on horseback early this morning. How come you didn’t know?”
In his mind, Ma Bing was very close to Xie Yu’s group. Seeing her carrying a large bundle, clearly preparing for a long journey, how could she not inform Xie Yu and Yuanpei?
Erliang left the city; what did she go out for?
Yuanpei’s mind was in chaos, unable to make sense of it all.
Wang Heng went to take Xie Yu’s pulse, “Breathing is even, the pulse is calm. He must have taken some sedative medicine. It’s very appropriate, probably the girl’s doing. His body has been somewhat weakened lately, and he really needs to rest for a few days after taking the medicine.”
Huoping glanced at Yuanpei, who had come in slightly later, and asked, “Should we wake the master up?”
This was strange, everything today was strange.
It was understandable for the adults to need some conditioning, and for Ma Bing to prescribe medicine. But given her personality, she would definitely stay by his side. Why would she suddenly go out?
And if he was going to sleep, wouldn’t it be better to take the medicine before bedtime at night?
Yuanpei hesitated slightly and asked Wang Heng, “In your opinion, how much longer before the master wakes up?”
“At least another hour or so,” Wang Heng replied.
An hour and a half…
Yuanpei and Huoping exchanged glances, “Please wake the lord up as soon as possible.”
They had a bad feeling.
Erliang knows medicine. If she chose this moment to administer such a drug, it must be to do something that the master would definitely try to stop if he knew. If they waited for the master to wake up naturally, they might regret it for the rest of their lives.
At the imperial temple.
The main hall was very high; it was impossible to reach it with just martial arts skills.
Ma Bing carried the prepared explosives on her back, tore down the curtains inside the hall, soaked them in water from a nearby vat, twisted them into a thick rope, looped it around a pillar, and slowly climbed up by pulling on both ends with her hands.
This method she had learned while traveling in the countryside, watching children climb trees to pick fruit.
The wet cloth rope was rough and coarse, providing her with sufficient support.
However, this was Ma Bing’s first time using this method, climbing a smooth temple pillar, so it was inevitably a bit slow.
At the Kaifeng Prefecture.
After repeated confirmation, Wang Heng went back to get his acupuncture kit and inserted several needles into Xie Yu’s acupoints.
“It’s too early, the medicine’s effect hasn’t worn off yet. Waking him up forcibly will cause some discomfort,” he said, “such as sore limbs and dizziness, which are normal.”
He couldn’t understand the current situation at all.
This morning, that girl did seem a bit off. Could something have happened?
Soon, Xie Yu slowly regained consciousness and the first thing he said was “Zhengzheng.”
Everyone was puzzled. Who was Zhengzheng?
He hadn’t even opened his eyes yet when he tried to sit up forcefully. Before Wang Heng could speak, he frowned, turned his head, and vomited.
“There you go,” Wang Heng sighed, poured some clear water for him to rinse his mouth, and took out a pill, “Put this under your tongue. Don’t try to move yet. Calm yourself, or you’ll vomit again.”
Xie Yu wanted to get up, but his legs were weak, so he was pushed back down and had no choice but to follow the instructions.
He held the pill under his tongue, calmed himself, and felt a bit of strength returning before he asked, “How long have I been asleep?”
Yuanpei honestly replied, “About an hour and a half.”
As soon as Xie Yu heard that, he struggled to stand up, “Where is Zhengzheng?”
“Zhengzheng?” Yuanpei was taken aback and cautiously asked, “You mean Erliang? She left from here and went out of the city.”
Other than Ma Bing, he couldn’t think of anyone else Xie Yu would be so eager to find.
“Where did she go?” Xie Yu leaned on Huoping’s arm to steady himself.
The pill Wang Heng gave him had an extremely strong, pungent smell. As the pill slowly dissolved under his tongue, he could feel his mind gradually clearing and his limbs slowly regaining strength.
“She met Fang Bao when she left the city; they said she went through the north gate.”
North gate, north gate—what was in the north of the city?
Xie Yu squeezed his temples hard, shook his head, and an answer quickly surfaced:
The imperial mausoleum!
She was going to the imperial mausoleum!
What was she going to do there?
Xie Yu couldn’t imagine she would go there to worship peacefully.
Was she out of her mind?
Anyone who dared to trespass in the imperial mausoleum would be executed without mercy!
So that’s why she gave him the medicine—because she knew if he found out, he would definitely stop her.
Xie Yu recalled the last words he heard before losing consciousness completely and the feeling of the kiss.
What a lie! All that talk of affection and fondness was just deception!
How dare you go off to your death without a word and leave me like this?!
At the imperial temple.
It took Ma Bing a great deal of effort to climb onto the crossbeam.
She quickly adjusted her breathing, stuffed half of the explosive packages into the joint where the beams met, carefully let the long fuse hang down, then slowly crawled along the sturdy crossbeam to the other end and did the same.
Climbing up was difficult, climbing down was even harder.
When she finally slid down from the beam, both of Ma Bing’s arms were numb and useless.
She lay directly on the cold ground, breathing heavily, forcing herself to recover her strength as quickly as possible.
So tired, really so tired.
But she was also too excited.
Her whole body was trembling, her blood rushing through her veins, roaring.
She only rested for a moment before flipping over and getting up, tying the almost completely deflated bag in front of her chest, then pulling out a fire starter from her waist and gently blowing on it, igniting an orange-red flame.
This was the moment of truth.
Ma Bing took several deep breaths, opened the big door leading outside, then with lightning speed, lit the fuses on the two beams in quick succession.
Then, she turned and ran!
The imperial temple was too big; she hadn’t completely run out when the hall exploded.
“Boom!”
“Boom! Boom!”
A huge sound mixed with a strong gust of wind rushed from behind her, shaking the earth and splitting the sky!
Ma Bing had no time to react when her head felt as if it had been hit hard with a hammer, buzzing with noise, and she couldn’t hear anything anymore.
She instinctively hugged her head and fell forward, only feeling the ground beneath her continuously shaking.
Then, thick smoke and dust, mixed with the smell of gunpowder and debris of all sizes, rained down with a pattering sound, hitting her body and leaving several bleeding cuts.
Her vision blurred in and out of blackness, her ears ringing, unable to hear any external sounds.
After the smoke and dust slightly cleared, Ma Bing immediately got up and looked back. In the smoke that hadn’t yet dissipated, the once magnificent and towering main hall had collapsed by more than half!
What emperor, what royal dignity—finally, she had trampled it all under her feet!
She burst into loud laughter.
A slight pain on her forehead, as if warm liquid was sliding down, Ma Bing laughed while raising her hand to wipe it off.
It was blood.
Whether it was from a fall or cut by flying debris, she couldn’t tell.
As she laughed, Ma Bing suddenly felt a strong gust of wind coming from behind her head. Her instincts, honed by many near-death experiences, made her immediately duck and roll sideways on the spot.
An arrow whistled past her shoulder, taking a piece of flesh with it, and deeply embedded itself into the ground.
Ma Bing grunted in pain, and blood immediately flowed down her arm.
The explosion was so loud that the guards who had noticed the anomaly rushed over immediately. The temporary deafness caused by the explosion prevented Ma Bing from hearing the approaching sound of the guards in time, losing the initiative.
Anyone who dares to trespass in the imperial mausoleum will be executed without mercy.
More than ten arrows were shot at her. Ma Bing dodged the first one but couldn’t avoid the second.
When she climbed over the wall, she already had an arrow in her back.
Gritting her teeth, Ma Bing jumped down, then turned around and slashed the arrow shaft with her sword to avoid further injury from collision.
Originally, she couldn’t have escaped, but the collapsing main hall crushed a section of the wall behind it. Ma Bing, following her survival instinct, immediately jumped out after just one glance.
What followed was chaos.
She didn’t even know why she was running anymore.
Hadn’t she already decided to die together with them?
She thought it was somewhat ridiculous—so it turned out that she wasn’t entirely fearless of death either.
Besides, if she could live, who would want to die?
She still wanted to see the expressions of the ministers and the emperor when they heard the news, how furious and frustrated they would be.
The guards chasing her were numerous, but Ma Bing’s martial arts were mainly characterized by agility and mystery. At this moment, an unprecedented sense of excitement and stimulation dominated her entire mind, and she didn’t feel any pain at all.
Once outside the imperial temple, it was a pine forest. As soon as she entered the woods, she felt as free as returning home, actually managing to shake off the pursuers for a distance.
But she was injured. Although she had cut off the arrow shaft, the arrowhead still remained in her flesh. As she ran, the arrowhead repeatedly rubbed against the wound, further tearing it.
The blood kept flowing.
Ma Bing didn’t even need to touch it to feel that her back was soaked, and the wetness continued to spread downward.
The initial consequences of massive blood loss began to show:
She started to feel cold, and a slight dizziness appeared.
Ma Bing gave a bitter smile. If this continued, she didn’t know whether she would be captured and killed or bleed to death…
If she had known it would end like this, she might as well not have run.
But surrendering would be too humiliating…
“Zhengzheng!”
A familiar voice came from afar, and Ma Bing paused in her steps. Was it just a hallucination?
“Adult!”
“Hold your fire!”
“Who is that?”
“Don’t move, don’t let him come closer!”
Even some of the pursuers behind her turned back, and Ma Bing’s heart skipped a beat—it wasn’t a hallucination!
Why?
It was impossible. He should still be asleep.
Ma Bing really wanted to look back.
Since she was going to die anyway, why not take one more look at him?
But the remaining guards were still chasing her, and they clearly had no intention of listening to her nonsense, raising their hands and shooting immediately.
After all, given what Ma Bing had just done, according to the laws of the Great Lu, even executing her entire clan wouldn’t be enough. There was really no need for any further talk.
“Stop!”
Xie Yu, who was supposed to be unconscious, had indeed rushed over.
Originally, he had intended to go to the imperial mausoleum first, but before he could enter, he heard an explosion in the distance. Immediately certain it was Ma Bing’s doing, he changed course at once.
Unfortunately, he arrived too late.
The guards around the mausoleum were densely distributed. Although the temple guards were slightly less vigilant, a squad was permanently stationed just over a mile away, much closer than Xie Yu had been.
“Who dares to stop us from apprehending the criminal! Are you her accomplice?”
The following pursuers turned their weapons toward Xie Yu.
Xie Yu understood their duty and realized it was hopeless to try to dissuade them from continuing the chase. He steeled himself and declared, “I am Xie Yu, son of Princess Ningde!”
The soldiers hesitated, slightly lowering their bows and swords.
A minor leader among them stepped forward. He seemed to recognize Xie Yu and, bowing respectfully, said, “I am sorry, but I cannot formally greet you as I am on official duty. May I ask what urgent matter brings you here, Lord Xie?”
Xie Yu glanced past him.
The other half of the pursuers continued forward, and he could barely see what was happening ahead, not even knowing whether Zheng Zheng was alright.
“I have an urgent matter,” Xie Yu said sternly. “Order your men to stop.”
“What kind of urgent matter is it?” the leader asked suspiciously. “Is it official business or a secret imperial decree?”
“Just make them stop!” Xie Yu was anxious but tried not to show it.
The leader saluted him. “Lord Xie, do you know what grave crime that traitor has committed? Without written orders, I am afraid I cannot comply!”
Knowing he could not outwit them, Xie Yu simply lifted his leg and started walking forward.
“Stop him!”
“Who dares to lay a hand on me!”
Xie Yu shouted coldly.
The effects of the tranquilizer had not yet completely worn off, and he was in no good condition. He had ridden hard through dizziness, leaving Yuanpei and Huo Ping far behind. Now, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his lips pale and bloodless.
Seeing his condition, the leader hesitated to act rashly.
Everyone knew the Emperor doted on this nephew, and Princess Ningde and her husband were notoriously protective. If something were to happen to this noble young master, he might capture the traitor one moment and be executed the next.
“Lord Xie,” the leader instinctively softened his tone, “you have always been fair and upright. As fellow officials, you know better than anyone that the law allows no leniency. Why must you make things difficult for me?”
Xie Yu’s legs trembled slightly.
He steadied himself and spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal: “If you want to kill her, you must kill me first. Order your men to stop!”
“This…” The leader was now caught between a rock and a hard place.
What was going on here?
What exactly was the relationship between that female criminal and Lord Xie?
If he let her escape, how could he explain it later?
Without waiting for a reply, Xie Yu turned and strode forward without hesitation.
He had a feeling Zheng Zheng was injured.
The other guards tried to block him, but he charged straight ahead without detouring, directly at the points of their swords, so much so that they were startled and hastily stepped aside.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage