Chapter 810: Twisted Soul

The person who entered had a cold expression and gloomy eyes; it was surprisingly Pei You, who had been forced to leave earlier.

Even Bi Linglong was somewhat surprised, not expecting him to be the one to arrive.

"Didn't you run away? How dare you come back!" the Gu brothers exclaimed, both shocked and furious.

Pei You snorted, "Why wouldn't I dare come back? Although you all collectively smeared me as the murderer before, I knew I wasn't. Recalling how Zu An was forced away earlier, I realized someone might be targeting us in the shadows. I knew that in such a situation, anything I said would be useless, so I decisively left and hid in the shadows to observe. I was certain that since the mastermind had forced us away, they would surely make a move."

"Sure enough," he continued, "I soon saw you two secretly sprinkling some kind of powder into the bonfire."

Bi Linglong was somewhat displeased. "If that's the case, why didn't you expose them then and there?"

Pei You said calmly, "Would you have believed me if I had spoken up? If they had accused me in turn, I wouldn't have been able to clear my name, even with a hundred mouths. It was better to wait until their scheme was exposed before reappearing."

Gu Xing burst out laughing. "Pei You, Pei You, I didn't expect you to be so cunning. But despite all your planning, you miscalculated one crucial thing: you are alone, Linglong is injured, and even if she weren't, the two of you combined would be no match for us brothers."

They were full brothers, and although they often found each other disagreeable, they had a tacit understanding. Their combined power could achieve more than the sum of their individual strengths.

"What if I join in?" Just then, another voice spoke.

The Gu brothers trembled and turned around in disbelief to look at the person. "How are you here?"

The man had a serious expression, resolute eyes, and neatly combed hair. It was none other than Gao Ying from the Liu family.

"I was supposed to be knocked out, wasn't I?" Gao Ying sneered. "When Zu An was forced to leave, I didn't think much of it. But when Pei You was also driven away, I found it suspicious. Unfortunately, at the time, everyone seemed suspicious, so I didn't say anything. I secretly observed and finally caught you in the act. It's a pity I didn't dare warn anyone else, or there would be more than just me here now."

Gu Heng's expression flickered uncertainly. The brothers were still consumed by lust. They should have dealt with the others from the various families first, but instead, thinking they were incapacitated, they couldn't resist coming for Linglong.

He should have realized that Gao Ying was usually meticulous and cautious; he was bound to be suspicious.

Gu Xing snorted. "You're too overconfident. If experts from the other families were here, we'd surrender. But you were too cautious; now there's only you. Even with Pei You, we brothers are not afraid of your combined strength."

"I alone am enough!" No sooner had Gao Ying's voice faded than the dragon-like cry of a long sword being unsheathed echoed, and his figure vanished from his spot.

The Gu brothers were startled and instinctively drew their weapons to block.

With a sharp clang, sparks flew as their weapons clashed. The two men swayed but still managed to block the attack.

Gao Ying was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect you two to be concealing your cultivation."

Gu Heng said coldly, "Do you think only children from first-rate families like yours work hard? We, from second-rate families, must work even harder to surpass those who started with an advantage."

Bi Linglong said coldly, "Don't insult the word 'effort'. The more vile and shameless people like you try, the greater harm you cause society."

Berated by the woman he admired, Gu Heng threw caution to the wind. "Who defines justice and evil? Why is our effort seen as harming society? In my opinion, it's merely a matter of who wins and who loses. Once we help Prince Qi ascend the throne, we will be his trusted officials, and everything we do will be officially defined as just..."

"Silence!" Gao Ying was impatient with his grand speech. A cold glint in his hand shot towards Gu Heng's tongue.

Gu Heng was already on full alert. Seeing this, he raised his saber to meet the attack. Gu Xing, with a telepathic understanding, counterattacked from the side.

Pei You also moved. Although Gao Ying seemed incredibly confident, he couldn't actually let him fight two against one. If anything went wrong, it would turn a perfect situation into a piecemeal defeat.

The four quickly engaged in battle. Gao Ying's cultivation was higher than the Gu brothers', but the Gu brothers excelled in their seamless coordination. For a time, it was difficult to tell who had the upper hand.

However, after a moment, Pei You snorted coldly, clearly no longer wishing to conceal his true abilities. The sword light in his hand flared brightly.

Almost instantly, numerous wounds appeared on the Gu brothers' bodies. Although none were severe, their defeat was already certain.

"Quick, run!" Gu Heng cried urgently, attempting to rush outside. They still had some loyal subordinates; the martial artists from the various families loyal to the Crown Prince had already been incapacitated. If their subordinates joined them, they could turn the tide.

Gao Ying clearly saw through their intention. "Trying to leave?"

With a flash of his body, he cut off their retreat. His sword appeared perfectly in the Gu brothers' path, as if waiting for them to run into it themselves.

But just then, an unexpected turn of events occurred. A hand suddenly reached in from outside the tent, silently pressing against Gao Ying's back.

Gao Ying spurted a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale. He fell heavily to the ground like a broken sandbag.

He tried to stand up, but failed after several attempts.

A sudden alarm blared in Pei You's mind. He hastily retreated backward, but it was too late. A dark figure, like lightning, moved countless times faster than him.

A pair of palms struck directly towards him. Pei You quickly employed his strongest sword defense, making his front impenetrable. If he could just get a moment to breathe, he would have a chance to create distance and then slowly fight alongside the Crown Princess.

Unfortunately, the opponent's bare hands effortlessly broke through his defensive net. With a crisp snap, Pei You's precious sword shattered into several pieces.

Then those palms gently pressed against his chest. Pei You's chest visibly caved in by several inches. He lay on the ground, spitting blood and foam, barely exhaling but not inhaling, his life hanging by a thread.

The Crown Princess and her party had originally held the clear advantage, but who would have thought the situation would reverse so swiftly?

Only then did Bi Linglong get a clear look at the opponent. He had an ordinary appearance and wore the most common Bi family warrior attire.

Yet no one dared to underestimate him, for the powerful fluctuations of his aura and his intimidating pressure all indicated he was a master far beyond anyone present.

"Eighth-rank peak!" Gao Ying instantly despaired.

"Who exactly are you?" Bi Linglong's face was as calm as water, her bright, large eyes fixed on him. This person was clearly not a Bi family warrior.

Gao Ying and Pei You, nearby, also stared intently at him, wanting to understand even if it meant their death.

The man laughed heartily and, in a smooth motion, tore off the mask on his face. "As expected of the Crown Princess, so calm even in such a situation."

"Shi Tong!" By now, those around had recognized him. He was the most highly cultivated among the younger generation of the Shi family, the third brother of Shi Kun and Shi Jun, and had once served as the Commander of the Archers.

He had merely been dismissed from his post and investigated because the Shi family's plot against Zu An and the Crown Princess had been exposed last time.

"How are you here?" Bi Linglong exclaimed in surprise, knowing that he should be in the imperial prison at this moment.

"Thanks to Prince Qi, who gave me a chance," he began, "otherwise, how could I avenge the Shi family and wipe away our humiliation?" As he spoke, Shi Tong's expression twisted. "You wretch, how glorious our Shi family once was, a truly first-rate family in the capital. But because you accidentally killed my sixth brother, you forced us to become mortal enemies with the Eastern Palace. One wrong step led to another. Although the Emperor hasn't completely moved against our Shi family yet, it's because we possess a death-exemption token. But we all know that the Emperor will never truly let the Shi family off. And all of this is your fault!"

Bi Linglong said coldly, "That's rich, blaming others. Your Shi family plotted against me with your own schemes, and now you're trying to say it's my fault. Ultimately, you brought this upon yourselves."

"What a sharp tongue you have," Shi Tong's voice was bone-chillingly cold. "Later, I'll strip you naked and shove this thing into your mouth; we'll see if you're still so arrogant then."

The Gu brothers at the side immediately became anxious. "General Shi, Prince Qi promised Linglong to us."

Shi Tong snorted coldly. "Whose fault is it that you two are useless and couldn't handle her? Don't worry, once I'm done and have vented my hatred on her, I'll return her to you."

"You!" The Gu brothers were both shocked and furious, but when the opponent glared at them, a chill ran down their spines. Intimidated by the disparity in cultivation, they dared not say another word.

"Despicable and shameless!" Bi Linglong's face flushed crimson. Normally, these aristocratic young masters appeared so glamorous, but beneath their charming exteriors lay such ugly and repulsive souls.

Shi Tong's eyes narrowed. "It's rather strange. From the moment I came in until now, I haven't sensed any fear from you. Where does your confidence come from?"

Bi Linglong took a deep breath. "Zu, how long are you going to keep watching the show!"