Princess Lingmeng was the apple of the current Emperor's eye, always getting whatever she desired, cherished like the very flesh of his heart. If Princess Lingmeng were assassinated, who could guess the Emperor’s fury and grief?

How could these people possibly withstand His Imperial Majesty’s towering wrath?

Before Jun Xie could ponder further, the Princess's carriage was upon him. The two palace maids leading the way saw Jun Moxie standing stock-still, their expressions twisting into one of profound disgust. They whispered a few words toward the sedan chair.

Someone in the carriage said something, and the procession abruptly halted. The curtain was drawn aside, and the exquisitely beautiful face of a young woman in a pale yellow palace gown slowly appeared. She carried a hint of impatience, yet managed to restrain herself as she asked, "Jun Moxie, why are you blocking my path today?"

Blocking her path? Jun Xie was momentarily stunned. He glanced left and right and realized he was standing right in the middle of the road. Such a large entourage naturally couldn't detour for one person! Furthermore, this was the Princess's carriage; in that light, he truly was obstructing her way. What an observation!

Jun Xie only knew of Princess Lingmeng’s existence through Jun Moxie’s memories; this was his first time seeing her in person. Upon seeing her, he couldn't help but silently praise her beauty. No wonder Jun Moxie was so smitten; Princess Lingmeng was truly a vision of unparalleled beauty, a peerless, world-toppling enchantress!

Her skin was delicate and fair, her eyebrows gracefully arched, and her eyes resembled two pools of clear autumn water, transparent to the depths. Her face was melon-seed shaped, her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her entire being exuded an aura of noble purity, yet she seemed aloof, untouchable by mortal concerns—fresh and ethereal, like a pristine lotus just emerged from the water, utterly immaculate.

"Where is Your Highness intending to go?" Only then did Jun Xie realize the grand, imposing structures ahead were part of the Imperial City. Princess Lingmeng had just departed the Imperial City, yet was immediately followed by a contingent of assassins?

What did this imply? It seemed far too bizarre!

Realizing this, Jun Xie felt an urge to bolt immediately. Given the current predicament of the Jun family, involving themselves in imperial affairs was decidedly unwise. However, judging by the strength of Princess Lingmeng’s retinue, Jun Xie estimated the chance of protecting her life was almost infinitesimally small.

Such a beauty, likely to perish under the hands of assassins in moments—while Jun Xie felt it a pity, he didn't feel any overwhelming sense of obligation to mourn her loss. After all, self-preservation and protecting his family came first now.

"Oh, I am going to the Dugu Estate to find Xiaoyi. Young Master Jun San, please step aside so I may pass," Princess Lingmeng replied calmly. It turned out that Dugu Xiaoyi, having been deceived by Jun Xie into giving up a piece of celestial meteorite iron, felt deeply wronged and had rushed to cry to her best friend, Princess Lingmeng. But Princess Lingmeng had been at the Empress’s side and missed her visit. Hearing that her dearest friend had come crying and left crying, Princess Lingmeng grew instantly anxious, fearing some major catastrophe. Thus, she hastily arranged to depart to the Dugu family residence to find out what had caused her mischievous, lovable, and intelligent sister such sorrow—but fate intervened, leading her directly into the path of the culprit: Jun Moxie.

Of course, Princess Lingmeng was unaware of this fact now; otherwise, she might very well have had the man before her bound and delivered to the Dugu family.

Jun Xie felt a strange sensation; he perceived none of the condescending arrogance typical of royalty from this Princess. Instead, she was remarkably placid. Such tranquility emanating from a royal Princess was somewhat unusual.

"Yes, in that case, Moxie will not trouble you further. Your Highness, please proceed." Jun Xie decided that avoiding trouble was better than seeking it out and prepared to leave. Yet, he couldn't help but offer a final, casual reminder, fixing his gaze on her as he said in a deep voice, "Be... careful on your way!"

In truth, Jun Xie found the situation deeply unsettling. Normally, a Princess of such standing, especially one as favored as Lingmeng, would have a far more substantial guard. Moreover, there were no apparent high-level experts among the entourage! And precisely at this moment of weakness, assassins conveniently appeared??

Did such coincidences truly exist in the world? The deeper he delved into this line of thought, the more Jun Xie felt a colossal conspiracy lurking beneath the surface!

A gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall; an excellent assassin avoids trouble spots entirely. Jun Xie was certainly no sentimental fool, especially not when his own life was at stake. He would naturally refuse any entanglement, particularly with a woman who clearly held him in disdain—no matter how beautiful, how celestial her appearance!

Princess Lingmeng regarded Jun Moxie with a flicker of surprise. Based on her understanding of this Third Young Master Jun, any encounter with her usually resulted in a persistent, wheedling display of faux affection. For him to be so agreeable today was truly rare. However, his immediate withdrawal spared both parties the need to fall out openly, which was perhaps a good thing.

The Princess retreated into the sedan chair, and the pearl curtain fell once more. Now, only a hazy, impossibly beautiful silhouette shimmered, ethereal as a dream.

In the shadows, someone spoke urgently: "Boss, that wastrel from the Jun family, Jun Moxie, has suddenly appeared here. What should we do? Should we wait for him to pass before striking, or..."

A masked figure crouched on a rooftop, his eyes gleaming with a metallic sheen: "He arrived at the perfect moment; fortune favors the bold. We might as well eliminate him too! It would be a bonus to send that old dog Jun Zhantian into a frenzy."

"Yes!"

Jun Xie swiftly slipped to the side, murmuring to himself: Even the most fragrant beauties will eventually stink after death, becoming nothing more than dry bones and a mound of yellow earth. Jun Xie, oh Jun Xie, you must not let your heart soften; stepping up now will only drag you down. He shook his head, preparing to step away from this trouble spot.

Unexpectedly, at that very instant, several icy, hostile auras simultaneously locked onto Jun Xie!

Damn it! Now he couldn't leave even if he wanted to. Jun Xie felt these locking killing intents growing denser and more palpable; how could he not realize they had added him to the kill list?

What the hell did I do to deserve this? This is a completely unprovoked disaster! Getting caught in the crossfire like this—I was just some random passerby!

Following the command, "Raise the carriage," the procession slowly moved forward. The few guards at the front showed proper courtesy, bowing to Jun Xie before spurring their horses to clear the path.

Inside the sedan chair, Princess Lingmeng was pondering Jun Moxie's final words. 'Be careful on your way!' That phrase seemed strangely incongruous. Suddenly, her heart gave a sharp jolt: Could Jun Moxie know something? Was he subtly warning me? With this realization, Princess Lingmeng’s tension spiked, and she was about to order the sedan to stop so she could question him further.

Just then, the bright, clear sky instantly darkened; the boundless cloak of night finally descended upon the earth!

As darkness fell, several masked figures clad in black descended like monstrous crows from above. Before they even touched the ground, dozens of black arrows whistled through the air, embedding themselves in the carriage. In mid-air, sword light and saber flashes, imbued with golden and silver profound energy, swept downwards.

A chorus of desperate screams erupted. Ten or more of the dozens of accompanying guards fell in the instant the black-clad figures appeared. A few, reacting quickly, shouted in unison, "Protect the Princess!" and drew their swords, forming a defensive perimeter around the sedan. The clash of steel rang out incessantly as the street filled with panicked screams and scattering pedestrians.

Two more black-clad figures dropped from the rooftops, heading straight for Jun Xie. Judging by the profound energy emanating from them, they were both Silver-grade Xuan Experts! Such individuals were high-level masters whom the current Jun Xie absolutely could not handle—and they were assassins!