Dai Mubai and the others couldn't help but shiver as they imagined Dai Weisi's face when he saw those images. It was a punishment far crueler than a simple death.
Ye Yin handed the unconscious assassins over to the Yin Feng Guard who arrived moments later, and then, with the rest of the team, he quickly departed from the scene.
After returning to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, they began to prepare for the third step of their plan: a visit to the Zhu family mansion.
The night quietly fell over Star Luo Imperial City, concealing the day's tension and chaos. Inside the school's branch, Ye Yin and Zhu Zhuqing shared a look and a silent nod. It was time.
Zhu Zhuqing was dressed in a tight-fitting black suit that perfectly outlined her graceful curves. Her normally cold eyes now held a flicker of excitement mixed with a worry that was difficult to see. She was going to find her second sister, Zhu Zhuyu—the one person who had shown her a glimmer of kindness during the darkest years of her life.
Meanwhile, Ye Yin took out a collection of strange ointments and materials from a spirit tool. Facing a mirror, he began to meticulously apply them to his face. His movements were skilled and precise. With each application, the bones in his face made nearly imperceptible shifting sounds, and the contours of his muscles began to quietly change. Ye Yin himself didn't possess such an ability, but the system he used did. With enough resentment points, there was nothing he couldn't obtain.
Before long, the face in the mirror was no longer Ye Yin's gentle, smiling one. Instead, it was the face of Dai Weisi, complete with its sinister gloom and domineering arrogance. Even his sharp gaze and the lingering malevolence in his brow were perfectly mimicked.
"Do I look like him?" Ye Yin asked. His voice had also changed, becoming identical to Dai Weisi's, laced with a hint of hoarseness and condescension.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the face she despised. She frowned slightly but still nodded. "It's almost identical. But... the temperament is still a little off. Dai Weisi is more volatile. You're... too calm."
Ye Yin smiled, and seeing such a gentle expression on Dai Weisi's face was an eerie sight. "Don't worry," he said. "The moment I see your eldest sister, I'll get irritable."
He changed into a set of luxurious robes he had prepared, similar in style to what Dai Weisi often wore. "Alright, let's go. Stick to the plan. Find Zhuyu and get her to the meeting point as quickly as you can. Be careful."
"You too," Zhu Zhuqing whispered. Her figure then blurred, melting into the night like a nimble cat as she slipped silently out the window and headed for the Zhu family mansion.
Ye Yin adjusted his robes, forcing an expression of impatience and simmering anger onto his face. He then swaggered out the main entrance of the branch, deliberately allowing a few hidden spies to see "Prince Dai Weisi" storming off in the direction of the Zhu family home.
The Zhu family mansion was no less grand than Dai Weisi's residence, with high walls, deep courtyards, and strict security. But for Zhu Zhuqing, every corner of this place was intimately familiar. Moving like a true ghost, she skillfully avoided every visible and hidden patrol, using the shadows and gaps in their routes to move unseen. She headed directly for a quiet, secluded courtyard on the west side of the estate.
It was her second sister Zhu Zhuyu's residence.
Zhu Zhuyu's talent wasn't as exceptional as that of her sisters, and her personality was much more placid. Because of this, she wasn't highly regarded within the family, but it also meant she had avoided the worst of its internal conflicts.
In the courtyard, only a single room still showed a faint light. Zhu Zhuqing landed silently outside the window. Peeking through a crack, she saw a woman in a simple, elegant dress. Her face was gentle, but her brow was creased with a hint of melancholy as she sat by a lamp, distractedly working on some embroidery. It was her second sister, Zhu Zhuyu.
A pang of sadness struck Zhu Zhuqing's heart, and she tapped gently on the windowpane.
Zhu Zhuyu jumped, startled, and looked up with a vigilant expression. "Who's there?"
"Second sister, it's me, Zhuqing," a hushed voice called from outside.
The embroidery needle fell from Zhu Zhuyu's hand. She stood up abruptly, her face a mask of disbelief, and rushed to open the window. Seeing the cold, beautiful, and yet weary face of her younger sister, Zhu Zhuyu's eyes immediately reddened. She pulled Zhu Zhuqing inside and hugged her tightly.
"Zhuqing! It's really you! Why did you come back? The Imperial City is too dangerous now! Big sister, she..."
"I know, second sister," Zhu Zhuqing said, her own voice choked with emotion as she felt the warmth of a family bond she hadn't felt in years. "I came back to take you away. I want you to leave the Zhu family, leave Star Luo, and live a free life."
Zhu Zhuyu's body trembled. A flicker of longing appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by fear. "No... we can't! If the family finds out, we'll both be killed! And... where could we even go?"
"To a safe place," Zhu Zhuqing said, her tone firm. "Second sister, trust me. I'm no longer the little girl who needed your protection. Come with me, now!"
Her words carried an undeniable power. Zhu Zhuyu looked into her sister's eyes, saw the confidence and determination there, and felt a spark of that courage herself. She gritted her teeth and nodded heavily. "Okay! I'll go with you!"
At that same time, Ye Yin, disguised as Dai Weisi, had swaggered up to the main entrance of the Zhu family mansion.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" the guards called out. They clearly recognized Dai Weisi and, though surprised by his late-night visit, they bowed respectfully and didn't dare to stop him.
"Get out of my way!" "Dai Weisi" snarled, roughly shoving a guard aside. He stormed past them, heading directly for Zhu Zhuyun's luxurious main courtyard, his face a mask of fury.
Along the way, the Zhu family servants and guards saw the prince's foul mood and quickly moved aside, too frightened to ask any questions. Soon, he arrived at Zhu Zhuyun's courtyard.
The female guard at the entrance recognized him and bowed quickly. "Your Highness, the Miss has already gone to bed..."
"Gone to bed?!" "Dai Weisi" roared, his voice cutting through the quiet night. "Then wake her up! I have something I need to ask her!"
Without waiting for an answer, he rudely barged into the courtyard.
Inside her bedroom, Zhu Zhuyun was clearly startled by the commotion. Dressed in a silk nightgown with her hair unbound, she opened her door with an annoyed look on her face. "Dai Weisi! What do you think you're doing?! It's the middle of the..."
Her words died in her throat when she saw the angry face at her door. Her brows furrowed. "Why are you here? And what's with that look?"
The Dai Weisi before her seemed... slightly different. He still had his usual short temper, but his deep gaze seemed to be missing some of its usual sinister gloom. There was something else there she couldn't place. Moreover, she caught a very faint, peculiar scent on him—it was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall from where.
"What? I can't come see my own fiancée?" "Dai Weisi" snorted coldly. He unceremoniously pushed past her and walked into her perfumed bedroom, his gaze sweeping over the luxurious but lonely-looking furnishings.
"I hear the rumors flying around the city about me have something to do with you."
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion