Journey to the End of the Night-Chapter 1408 - 893: The Empress Arrives

A shadow swiftly descended from the sky, as chilling winds arose in the grassy courtyard, sharp and piercing. Amidst the invisible wind, Sword Intent surged wildly, and three traces like the claws of an eagle tore through space!

Marquis Xifeng’s eyes bulged with horror, a crimson color spread across them.

His fervent and aggrieved cries for help were completely stifled in his throat, he reached both hands tentatively towards the direction of Ying Ji’s window, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.

He eventually fell down slowly, his back facing upwards, where the three claw marks landed on his spine, the wounds deep enough to reveal bone, even severing the spinal column.

The fresh wounds were scorched to a fiery red by the Sword Intent within the claw marks, with the surrounding skin and flesh curling up and twisting, resembling lingering flames.

"Thump thump thump..."

From above the sky, a bird resembling a black eagle but not an eagle, swooped down.

After all, where in the world can an eagle be born with three heads.

The three-headed monstrous bird let out a long piercing cry, finally folding its wings to land in the arms of a hurried and panicked young man.

Ying Ji gazed at the peculiar-breathing bird, her eyes finally showing a slight fluctuation.

She gradually straightened her tilted head, and as the wind tugged at the flower branches in the zigzagging corridor, the fractured light and shadows swung into her eyes, looking rather frightening.

The killer was neither one of the six Yin Kings whom Ying Ji imagined, but instead, an unknown young man.

Even though Ying Ji remembered his name, Lord Man, in the court, he could only barely secure a place to stand.

This young upstart dared to slaughter a marquis right in front of the Empress Palace?

What was even more concerning was that he killed with the Xu Seal!

Lord Man was secretly executing an assassination mission, and carried the Xu Seal, everything was going smoothly until he encountered Marquis Xifeng, a crafty and formidable opponent, who managed to escape to this point.

By the time Lord Man realized where he had barged into, he broke out in cold sweat, unable to wipe the blood off his face, he knelt to pay his respects: "Your servant, Lord Man, greets Your Majesty!"

"Whoosh!!!" The window suddenly burst open, the ferocious wind shook the deep courtyard, turning the two window panels into dust, the chaotic white and brown powder stung eyes painfully.

The Cormorant bird on Lord Man’s shoulder seemed to be greatly startled, it was about to flap its wings.

A delicate, slender hand reached through the wind, seized its neck, and the spread wings instantly became limp and drooped.

Lord Man was shocked and dared not lift his head, only noticing a corner of dark red skirt fluttering before his eyes.

The Xu Seal Cormorant that could instantly kill a marquis fell into the hands of this Empress, and was now as helpless as a chick.

From above, came a woman’s cold voice: "How did my Xu Seal end up in your possession?"

Feeling the looming threat of death, Lord Man’s heart sank to the bottom.

Thinking to himself how unreliable the Crown Prince has been. Did he even realize he took four seals from the Empress Hall completely unbeknownst to her?

Listen to this accusatory tone!

This was treating him like a traitor who stole from the country!

Lord Man knew that if he mentioned the Crown Prince’s name at this moment, he might escape disaster.

Though terrified, he recalled Baili An’s instructions, not to reveal his identity to the Empress.

"Oh? Quite a tough bone."

With that dangerous voice echoing, Lord Man only felt a cold palm looming over his head, feeling as if surrounded by Han Shuang, unable to move.

"I should test how tough your skull really is."

As those five fingers suddenly clamped down, the horrified Lord Man felt his spirit was about to dissolve and scatter any moment now.

The stifling grip of death threatened to roast his blood dry, and Lord Man shivered and trembled all over, yet he clenched his jaw tight, not uttering a word, resignedly closed his eyes, awaiting judgment.

Unexpectedly, that hand released him suddenly.

Lord Man slumped down, reborn after narrowly escaping death, his body drenched with sweat as he lay weakly on the ground, looking up at the inscrutable Ying Ji.

Listening to her murmur quietly: "Forget it, why bother arguing with a junior."

Her other hand also loosened, and the Cormorant bird fluttered back to Lord Man’s side as if avoiding a plague.

Ying Ji looked down and spoke lightly: "Was this Xu Seal granted to you by that youth from the Nine Nethers?"

Lord Man reasoned that answering this question might not violate the Crown Prince’s wishes, so he nodded and affirmed.

Ying Ji’s eyebrows slightly raised.

Seems she underestimated that kid, within such a short period, managing to escort the Xu Seal out of the Inner Forbidden Land...

"Alright, you may withdraw."

Lord Man looked incredulously at Lady Ying Ji, wondering if the Empress was unaware of the Crown Prince’s secret command, he directly killed the court’s important minister in front of the Empress.

Could it be that the Empress didn’t even question a thing, as if the killed was just an ant?

Is it possible the Empress... holds the same thoughts as the Crown Prince, already knowing that a stubborn old tumor like Marquis Xifeng was unfit to remain within the Central Netherworld Dynasty?

Though puzzled, as a servant, Lord Man could never presume the imperial intentions, only picking up his spared life, left to retreat.

Ying Ji, full of doubt, couldn’t fathom what means Baili An used to dissolve the Xu Seal?

Or perhaps, what he took was not just the Xu Seal.

For some reason, an utterly absurd and unrealistic notion surfaced in her mind.

A notion that was elusive, like a flickering line; once secured on one end, it seemed capable of dragging out a shocking truth.

Ying Ji, unreasonably agitated, was usually indifferent to the Central Netherworld’s four seals, but in a twist of fate, she turned into the palace, her presence disappearing thereafter.