Chapter Fifty-Four: Ten Steps to a Deadly Trap
Qin Sihao finally returned, and Tao Ming hurriedly asked, “Fifth Uncle, was it so troublesome?”
Qin Sihao sat down and drank a cup of water. “Killing is easy; disguising is hard! Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself were here, he wouldn’t be able to tell a thing.”
Outside, Mu Zhong called, “Your Highness, shall we depart?”
The Seventh Prince contemplated for a moment. “Take a detour. Enter the city from the west gate.”
Mu Zhong acknowledged the order, and the carriage slowly set off.
Tao Ming hesitated. “Isn’t it safe now?”
“Just to be sure.”
Qin Sihao agreed, “Better safe than sorry.”
Since there seemed to be nothing urgent, Tao Ming turned to her uncle. “Fifth Uncle, tell me about my parents.”
Qin Sihao chuckled. “Your father? Mischievous since childhood—climbing trees, scaling walls, jumping into ponds whenever he had the chance…”
Meanwhile, Su Nanxing was hiding in a tree, watching as the Imperial Dragon Guards slaughtered the last of the Su family’s loyalists. He thought to himself, The carriage should be on its way now.
But unexpectedly, another group appeared, wiping out the remaining Imperial Dragon Guards and meticulously covering up the scene.
Then yet another group arrived, completely destroying the few carriages at the rear—no one inside escaped.
Su Nanxing was left baffled.
Was this some sort of internal strife?
Could the Saintess have already been killed?
That’s unlikely—the Saintess should be in the amethyst carriage.
Finally, the amethyst carriage set off. Now I’ll—
Wait, why are they taking a turn?
If you go past these two small hills, you’ll see the south gate of Yunxian City! Where are you going?
It looks like they’re heading for the west gate.
Su Nanxing quietly slipped down from the tree, packed away his Ten-Step Slaughter Array, and hurried by a shortcut to get ahead of the convoy. He set up the array again and hid in another tree, waiting in silence.
From a distance, he watched the carriages approach, his nerves taut.
The guards at the front had already passed through the Ten-Step Slaughter Array. Twenty meters, fifteen, ten—the carriage was about to enter the array’s range, when suddenly someone rode up and said something. The carriages stopped.
Su Nanxing ground his teeth in frustration. Only the front part of the carriage had entered the array!
Two men exited the carriage. Su Nanxing squinted—were those the Seventh Prince and the Fifth Lord of the Qin family?
They jumped down and exchanged words with the newcomer. Soon, the three began to fight, gradually distancing themselves from the carriage.
It was clear the newcomer was no match for the other two and quickly fell on the defensive. Then he said something that made them stop, and the three simply stood there, unmoving.
At that moment, a woman pushed open the carriage door and leaned out to speak with someone beside the carriage. From Su Nanxing’s vantage point, he could only see her back, but judging from her clothing, she was likely not a maid.
If she wasn’t a maid, she must be the Saintess’s mother, probably coming out to ask about the commotion.
The Saintess was still young and would likely be with her mother—so she must have entered the Ten-Step Slaughter Array as well.
Su Nanxing drew a deep breath and activated the array.
In an instant, within the bounds of the array, cold light surged: bands of silver, sharp as blades, swept through, shredding all living things inside.
Violet light shimmered atop the carriage as a protective barrier sprang up.
But with only the front part of the carriage inside the array, and the rest outside, the barrier couldn’t cover the whole vehicle—soon, the carriage was torn in two.
The moment the array was triggered, the Seventh Prince rushed toward the carriage, only to watch helplessly as it was split in half. The small part inside the array was swiftly reduced to dust.
Now, only Mu Zhong and two guards stood before the carriage. Mu Zhong was surrounded by a halo of white light, watching in lingering terror as the two guards and four dragon horses were shredded by the array—red blood, white bone, and fragments of violet carriage whirled together in the deadly light.
The Seventh Prince’s soul seemed to leave his body as he screamed, “Tao Ming!”
Su Nanxing heard his cry and paused in confusion. Why is he shouting Tao Ming?
Must be someone with the same name.
Tao Ming should be home with her child right now!
The Seventh Prince had already rushed outside the array and was about to charge back in.
Qin Sihao arrived just then, accompanied by Long Linyi.
Inside the array, a ball of white light drifted toward the Seventh Prince, clinging to the edge as if trying to break free.
Su Nanxing, too, noticed the white light and was puzzled. The Ten-Step Slaughter Array was designed to trap and destroy anything within ten steps—nothing should get out, nothing should get in.
What could possibly survive inside such a deadly trap?
He crept closer.
The white light looked oddly familiar.
A little closer…
Wait—that was his own creation, the Celestial Star Guardian Array!
Why was it here?
Still in confusion, Su Nanxing heard the Seventh Prince shout, “Tao Ming, is that you?”
A man’s voice answered from within the white light, “Your Highness, it’s me—Mu Zhong.”
The Seventh Prince called out, “Mu Zhong, are you all right? Where’s Tao Ming?”
“She gave me something and said she was going to find Ruanyuan.”
The Seventh Prince breathed a sigh of relief. If she went after Ruanyuan, Tao Ming should be safe.
Qin Sihao was also reassured, while Long Linyi, though unsure what was happening, stayed silent.
When Su Nanxing heard the name “Ruanyuan,” a shock ran through him. If “Tao Ming” was just a coincidence, could “Ruanyuan” be another?
No longer able to restrain himself, Su Nanxing jumped down from the tree and ran straight at the Seventh Prince, determined to get an answer.
The Qin family’s loyalists finally snapped to attention and immediately attacked Su Nanxing.
He had no mind to fight—white light flared around him as he rushed up to the Seventh Prince.
The Seventh Prince recognized him and shouted, “It’s you!”
Su Nanxing grabbed him and pulled him into the white light, demanding, “Who is Ruanyuan? Who is Tao Ming?”
The Seventh Prince’s raised hand froze mid-air. “Ruanyuan is the Saintess. Tao Ming is her mother.”
Qin Sihao stopped as well, staring intently at Su Nanxing. Isn’t this the most mischievous son of the Su family? How does he know Tao Ming?
Su Nanxing gestured wildly. “Is Ruanyuan the little girl with a round face, big bright eyes, and a mouth that never stops talking? And Tao Ming—does she have a sharp tongue, always catching people off guard?”
The Seventh Prince nodded.
Su Nanxing forced himself to calm down. “Where did they come from?”
“Another world.”
These words stabbed Su Nanxing to the heart. He coughed up blood and fell to his knees, murmuring, “Tao Ming, Ruanyuan, Tao Ming, Ruanyuan…”
The Seventh Prince, bewildered, could only wait nearby—perhaps Tao Ming would appear soon.
Meanwhile, Windshadow leaped from a cliff, his glider carrying him safely out of Qin Sihao’s ambush.
Landing, he oriented himself and began searching for Su Nanxing.
By the time he arrived, he saw Su Nanxing kneeling on the ground, surrounded by several people.
Windshadow, no longer concerned with concealing his identity, shouted, “I’m here to save you!”
Su Nanxing looked up dazedly at the sound, muttering, “I killed Tao Ming and Ruanyuan…”
Windshadow couldn’t quite hear and called, “It’s me!”
The Seventh Prince glanced at Su Nanxing and ordered, “Let him in.”
The Qin family’s men quickly stepped aside, allowing Windshadow to rush over and lift Su Nanxing by the arms.
Su Nanxing looked at Windshadow and gave a bitter smile. “Windshadow, I killed Tao Ming and Ruanyuan.”
Windshadow was horrified. “Impossible!”
He turned to the Seventh Prince. “What did you tell him?”
The Seventh Prince snorted. “I merely told him the Saintess is named Ruanyuan, her mother is Tao Ming, and they come from another world.”
Windshadow let go, looking at the deadly Ten-Step Slaughter Array still raging nearby, overcome by a sense of helplessness.
The Seventh Prince nudged Su Nanxing with his foot and asked, “When will this cursed array disappear?”
Su Nanxing didn’t respond, still kneeling in a daze.
The Seventh Prince kicked him again. “Tao Ming should be all right.”
Su Nanxing’s thoughts were scattered. “What did you say?”
“I said Tao Ming should be fine!”
Su Nanxing muttered, “Impossible… She’s just an ordinary person. How could she survive the Ten-Step Slaughter Array?”
The Seventh Prince snorted, “Believe it or not!”