Chapter 1655: Mutual Scheming

Zhao Song had been assigned by King Yao to accompany Bai Hengbo, which made it inconvenient for Bai Hengbo to proactively contact Qingyang at that moment.

However, Zhao Song only had a few attendants with him; his three hundred guards were still at Frost Immortal Hall. Bai Hengbo knew the distribution of the palace's defensive forces, and at that moment, he began to ponder the best place to eliminate Zhao Song. Zhao Song was fiercely loyal to King Yao, and once Bai Hengbo's own plan commenced, Zhao Song would undoubtedly become an obstacle. He needed to find a secluded spot to eliminate him without anyone noticing.

As they were about to exit the outer courtyard of Frost Immortal Hall, they coincidentally ran into Qingyang. She looked up and asked Zhao Song, her smile as gentle as ever: "Oh, don't you usually accompany He Xiao? Where is he? I need to speak with him."

The moment Bai Hengbo emerged, she had noticed something unusual about his demeanor. Their plan was about to begin, and Bai Hengbo was one of the main players; he should have been firmly guarding Frost Immortal Hall. Why was he going out now? Needless to say, he had received orders from King Yao. Bai Hengbo couldn't come to her, but that was fine; she could openly inquire because Zhao Song was right there.

That night, she and the Beiga envoy had entered the palace to make a complaint. He Xiao, as the person in charge of the Tianshui Eastward Expansion Project, would surely have been summoned by King Yao. Yet, everyone else had arrived, but He Xiao was nowhere to be seen. This was interesting. Zhao Song usually accompanied He Xiao, and there was even less reason for him to enter the palace alone at this time. What had happened? Qingyang's gaze narrowed slightly. Had that fellow slipped away? Retreating after achieving success—that certainly fit He Xiao's cunning personality.

Zhao Song was stopped by her and couldn't ignore her. He could only say, "He Xiao has... elsewhere..." Bai Hengbo suddenly spoke, "He Xiao escaped after entering the palace. The King believes he is Emperor Jiuyou and may pose a threat to you. He has ordered us to search for him immediately!"

Zhao Song was startled. Could Bai Hengbo have decided to say such a thing on his own initiative? Of course not, but Bai Hengbo didn't care about being abrupt. He had to seize the opportunity Qingyang had created to convey the message to her.

"Oh?" Qingyang's delicate eyebrows rose. "The King believes He Xiao is Emperor Jiuyou?" She was somewhat surprised, but not entirely so. She had long since deduced that He Xiao was Emperor Jiuyou. What surprised her was that King Yao had also figured it out. Unfortunately, it was too late. The conflict between King Yao and her had, step by step, reached its current irreconcilable state, just as He Xiao had planned.

He Xiao disappeared after entering the palace. Was he trying to hide and then attack her? Qingyang pondered for a moment; that sounded a bit unusual. Tonight was a time of intense struggle. Given He Xiao's past displays of intelligence, he should have kept his distance and not risked his life by getting involved in this messy situation.

She asked Zhao Song, "How many people did he bring?" The question caught Zhao Song off guard. He paused, then replied, "Only he could enter the palace; that's the custom." "How many attendants does he have outside the palace?" Zhao Song let out a small sound of understanding. "Five."

The Zhao fellow was lying; she saw through it instantly! Qingyang deliberately stated, "Since He Xiao is here to deal with me, my subordinates will go with you!" Zhao Song could only say, "Lord Regent, the King only ordered Lord Bai and me to apprehend him together." If the Regent interfered, it would be troublesome.

Old palace attendant Qiu Long noticed the situation and walked over. "Lord Regent, what's happening here?" "He Xiao entered the palace and absconded, planning to harm me. I'm sending my subordinates to assist in the pursuit." Qiu Long immediately replied, "Apprehending He Xiao is their duty. If Lord Regent insists, His Majesty will naturally have no objections." With that, Qingyang selected seven Azure Guards and instructed them to accompany Bai Hengbo and Zhao Song.

Bai Hengbo knew that Qingyang was worried and had specifically sent people to protect him. As they turned to leave, Qingyang discreetly pulled up her long sleeve and lightly rubbed the ring on her ring finger. It was a black jade ring, with a smooth, shiny face about the size of a soybean. However, with Qingyang's gentle touch, the ring suddenly came to life and grew legs—it was no ring at all, but a black ladybug, its "ring" shape formed by its hooked legs gripping its owner's finger. Qingyang casually pressed it against a large tree in the courtyard, and the black ladybug quietly climbed up the trunk, moving its legs upward, then spread its wings and flew off from the treetop. With many trees in the palace and the dark night, who would notice a tiny insect following Bai Hengbo and his group?

The journey from here to Yindou Pavilion was not short; it required passing through several palace halls and gardens, the largest and most desolate of which was Jade Spring Palace! In the depths of winter, no palace servant would stay in Jade Spring Palace without reason; it was deadly cold. Therefore, it was actually an excellent spot for Bai Hengbo to make his move. As for where He Xiao had gone, why should he care?

Bai Hengbo, acting on impulse, waved his hand to summon his subordinates, ordering them to send messages to all palaces to apprehend He Xiao, while he himself took Zhao Song towards Yindou Pavilion. He had to keep most of his forces at Frost Immortal Hall in case of an unforeseen event. He took only fifty of his own men, plus Qingyang's seven Azure Guards. This was enough, as palace guards would join them along the way, and Zhao Song only had a few attendants. A surprise attack, ten against one, promised a significant chance of success. His uncle should be gathering forces near the refugee camp in Tianshui City, preparing to attack the royal palace! It was almost time for Qingyang to make her move. Once he had finished his task, he needed to hurry back to coordinate.

Both harbored ulterior motives, yet on the surface, they spoke of irrelevant matters as they soon arrived at Jade Spring Palace. There was no one at the palace entrance, only two dimly glowing fluorescent spores hanging, making the place seem even colder. The entire palace resembled a massive, steaming block of ice; even before approaching, one could feel the chilling air wafting over. With bitter wind and cold snow, who would want to get close? Yet, to reach Yindou Pavilion, this was the only path. Every night, the ground and pillars of Jade Spring Palace would form a thick layer of ice. Anyone daring to sit on a stone chair for long would soon find their bottom soaked.

With such intense cold, the palace was naturally deserted. Bai Hengbo led dozens of men through Jade Spring Palace. It wasn't pitch black, as the palace was filled with a milky white mist that obscured vision beyond two or three zhang (about 6-9 meters). Occasionally, one or two lights were even dimmer than those at the palace entrance, clearly indicating that the palace servants had been lazy and hadn't replaced the lamps in a long time. It clearly looked like an excellent place for a killing.

A few Azure Guards walked ahead, subtly forming a pincer movement around Zhao Song. The west wind blew, causing the spore lamps under the eaves to sway, and the light flickered along with them. Bai Hengbo suddenly pointed to a corner of the garden and shouted, "Someone's there!"

"Where?" Zhao Song instinctively turned his head to look, exposing the back of his neck. Bai Hengbo quietly drew his knife to slit his throat. To his surprise, as Zhao Song turned his head, he executed a forward roll, darting several zhang (meters) into the corner. He had already secretly gripped a Swift Swallow Talisman, making his movements three times more agile than usual. Before Bai Hengbo's knife was even halfway extended, Zhao Song had already shot away. He possessed a keen self-preservation instinct, befitting a decoy. Several subordinates immediately drew their swords to provide cover.

"Kill!" Having shed his disguise, Bai Hengbo committed fully to his intention. Two Azure Guards advanced swiftly towards Zhao Song, raising their blades to strike, moving so fast they left afterimages. But Zhao Song's immediate goal was self-preservation. He not only activated several protective artifacts but also, without a word, produced a large shield, placing it in front of himself. The shield was nearly four feet high, standing above his waist, and was a palm's width thick. Zhao Song pressed his back against the high wall, hunkering behind the shield, protecting himself meticulously.

The Azure Guards' attacks poured onto the shield like a furious storm. Zhao Song felt as though the shield was being trampled by a giant elephant; the enemy's strength numbed his arms. Then came a "crack," and the shield surface split! This was absurd. He possessed elemental power, and this shield was no ordinary item. How could it have been broken by the Azure Guards in a single exchange? Were the personal guards of Regent Qingyang truly this formidable in combat?

Dozens of palace guards behind Bai Hengbo, all his trusted confidants, also charged forward to surround Zhao Song and his few guards. Their situation was precarious. The mist seemed to thicken, flowing along the ground at some unknown point, covering everyone from the waist down and soaking their trousers. As the fight reached the shadowy area beneath the trees, a fierce clash of metal suddenly erupted! There were people in the shadows, and far more than just Zhao Song. At the same time, dozens of whooshing sounds broke the white mist as arrows rained down from the direction they had come! No good, an ambush!

Figures emerged from the rock garden and the palace, indistinct due to the thick mist. Bai Hengbo couldn't ascertain their exact numbers with a glance, but he knew he was surrounded, and a chill ran down his spine. "Gather and charge out!" Bai Hengbo, disregarding everything else, gave the order and led his subordinates in a hasty retreat. Just as he had planned to challenge Zhao Song with fifty-seven men, the opposing side, with hundreds, held a clear advantage for a mass assault.

The Azure Guards, without a word, instantly struck down a dozen palace guards. Those who had initially attacked Zhao Song now not only refused to retreat but increased their efforts. They disregarded Bai Hengbo's orders, intending to kill this leader first before leaving, which would only benefit their palace lord's subsequent plans.

Bai Hengbo had already led his men several zhang away. When he looked back, he saw only a vast expanse of white—the mist had inexplicably grown thicker, obscuring vision beyond five to seven steps. They could only hear the sounds of fighting, shouts, and Zhao Song's curses within the mist. Then, silence fell.

Following that, Zhao Song slowly emerged from the darkness, his face covered in blood. The palace guards behind him were all those who had returned from Yongquan Villa that night. "How could you..." Bai Hengbo pointed at him, his face filled with shock and suspicion. "Your men were clearly at Frost Immortal Hall!" Otherwise, how could he have felt safe bringing Zhao Song here? Little did he know, the other party had also chosen Jade Spring Palace and set up their deadly trap there!

"Can't figure it out?" Zhao Song grinned. "If you can't, you can go to the Underworld and keep thinking!" This time, it was his turn to point at Bai Hengbo, his voice full of confidence: "Kill!" Damn it, those Azure Guards almost killed me just now, if not for... Hundreds of men against just over fifty, starting with a surprise attack. The first wave of arrows alone claimed seven or eight lives, so the outcome was basically without suspense.

Jade Spring Palace had long since erected a soundproofing barrier, so the screams from within could not be heard outside. The Azure Guards exchanged glances, then rushed to Bai Hengbo's side, intending to protect him and break through the encirclement. They were almost at the entrance, just a few steps from escaping. Zhao Song inwardly cursed, raising his crossbow to shoot, but the mist was disturbed again, and something seemed to flash by. Suddenly, three Azure Guards were gone. No one could clearly see how they vanished, and their shouts abruptly ceased as well.