Chapter 125: Little Bird in the Nightfall

"Hmph! How ridiculous!" Wei Zhuang shook his head and chuckled. He knew he shouldn't be laughing, but he simply couldn't help himself.

"This... this damned bastard!" Hearing the surrounding laughter, Liu Yi was furious, but with all his limbs broken and his jaw misaligned, he didn't even have the strength to crawl up.

He finally understood! He had provoked someone far beyond his league!

"My lord... General?" After a few suppressed chuckles, Liu Yi’s subordinates noticed that Li Kai seemed unable to move. After the captain of the personal guards stepped forward to examine him, the truth became clear.

"You! Who are you to dare harm Lord Zuo Sima?" The young captain dared not raise his voice, yet he had to speak up.

Several guards immediately lifted Liu Yi. The poor Sima could barely manage to cry out in pain.

"Heh! I clearly told him to move aside, yet he walked right into it. Don't try to pin this on me." Lin Shu shook his head and turned away, not bothering to pay any more attention to these foot soldiers.

A sharp, invisible blade of energy hummed silently, leaving a chill on their necks.

"Let's go! Take the Lord back for medical treatment immediately!" The captain dared not posture any further and fled in a hurry.

No one had noticed when the broken roof had been seamlessly sealed back together. It wasn't until the light in the room shifted that Zi Nu looked up to check. There were no visible cut marks; it looked as if the roof had never been breached at all.

"Young Master Lin, I leave Nongyu in your care from now on. Do not let her down!"

"Sister!" Nongyu hung her head, feeling both shy and reluctant to leave.

Lin Shu nodded with a smile. "Understood. Liu Yi will likely continue to cause trouble, so Nongyu, you should come live at our small courtyard. It’s very close to here anyway."

"Very well then." After a moment's thought, Nongyu agreed; she did not want to bring further trouble to Zilanxuan.

"Sister Nongyu, let me see you off." Zi Nu was heartbroken to be losing her so soon, but she could not refuse the request of Young Master Lin. Among all the people at Zilanxuan, Nongyu was the only one with whom she could truly converse.

Nongyu’s belongings were few—a handful of clothes and two zithers.

...

As soon as Liu Yi’s jaw was reset, he sent a message to Ji Wuye. He knew that without mobilizing a massive force, his own strength was no match for that expert. Although Liu Yi wasn't exceptionally powerful, his combat prowess was at the late stage of the first-rate, capable of holding his own against innate-level masters for a few rounds—but this was different.

Ji Wuye was already aware that Liu Yi had been incapacitated. Given the request from his subordinate, he had no choice but to intervene. "Mo Ya, go tonight and investigate his background." Ji Wuye didn't want to dispatch troops; ordinary soldiers couldn't stop an expert of that caliber.

"Understood!" The pale-faced Mo Ya remained calm, his expression revealing nothing.

As soon as he left the main courtyard, Mo Ya leapt onto a pavilion.

"Why do you insist on testing him?"

The white-clad youth was the one who gave Mo Ya the most headaches—daring even to eavesdrop on the General’s private conversations. The youth sitting on the roof tiles did not turn back, his expression detached.

"Besides you, who else could possibly detect me?"

"Sigh! You... you don't act like a Black Bird assassin at all!" Mo Ya felt a pang of regret. Over the years, his indulgence and protection had only cultivated a rebellious youth. "That man was able to cripple Sima Liu in an instant; he is undoubtedly formidable. Perhaps I should go with you."

Mo Ya shook his head. "Your speed is still lacking. What good would it do for you to go?" Mo Ya was confident in his own ability to gather intelligence without any risk.

"There are no missions tonight anyway. I'll just follow you and take a look." Bai Feng was not about to give up.

Mo Ya sighed, caught off guard. "You’re doing this for that zither player, aren't you?"

"You must remember, we are assassins—always will be. Besides, she already has someone." Nongyu had never met Bai Feng, and Bai Feng had never approached her, yet he often lurked nearby to listen to her music. Her ethereal melodies carried a sense of loneliness and helplessness that mirrored his own. He was fast, but he was nothing more than a bird in a cage built by the Night.

"I just want to know who that person is!"

Mo Ya nodded. "Zilanxuan is an incredibly secretive place. To be able to make Zi Nu let someone go, he must be no simple character."

"Then it is all the more reason to keep watch," Bai Feng said firmly. It was a pity that he could hardly save himself; otherwise, he would have loved to take that girl he had seen from afar and roam the world with her.

The Night approached.

After a brief conversation with Zi Nu, Han Fei had to make his way to the Sima residence. Li Kai was surprised that the Ninth Prince would come to visit him.

"Ninth Prince, please forgive me for not being able to offer proper salutations."

Han Fei nodded. "Lord Sima, please, do not move."

"You may all withdraw." Liu Yi dismissed his servants; he knew Han Fei must have important matters to discuss. Liu Yi was part of Ji Wuye’s faction, and Han Fei had no desire for pleasantries.

"Does the Zuo Sima know that a great disaster is looming?"

Liu Yi frowned; the bastard had indeed come with ill intent. "Ninth Prince, what do you mean by this? What crime has Liu Yi committed?"

Han Fei sighed. "Lord Sima has committed no crime, but the state of Han is weak! I hope you will not provoke such noble persons again, or next time, it will not be as simple as a few broken bones!"

"What! Ninth Prince, you know who he is?" Liu Yi finally understood; the man's identity was not simple at all.

"You do not need to know! Even Ji Wuye must not act recklessly! You would do well to take care of yourself."

Han Fei waved his hand, nodded, and turned to leave. After a long, busy day, he needed a few drinks to relax.

With the Ninth Prince gone, Liu Yi was left in a state of panic. "Sigh! I will write to the General tomorrow."

"Who exactly is he? A noble from Qin or Chu? Could it be the Northern Alliance..." At the thought of the Northern Lands, Liu Yi broke into a cold sweat.

...

Under the hazy night sky, two black-clad figures drifted like falling leaves across the rooftops.

[Commander, two black-clad individuals are approaching. Spiritual energy levels: 2600, 2000.]

Lin Shu frowned; he was currently practicing the zither. Not only was little Yan'er learning, but he was also taking lessons.

"Hmph! Daddy, you're so clumsy! Just wait until I've learned it, then I'll teach you!" Seeing her father staring blankly, little Yan'er was annoyed. They had agreed to hire a teacher for her, but it turned out that he was the one taking the lessons!

"Sigh! Husband, you should rest. This cannot be rushed." Consort Yan could no longer stand it; she didn't want to hear any more of his noise.

Nongyu lowered her head, hiding a smile. Even Shao Shao, who had only been watching, had memorized the basic notes, but this Young Master Lin...

Lin Shu waved his hand, moving the zither stand aside and pulling the small table back toward the sofa.

"What are you doing! It's my turn to play!" Little Yan'er was truly upset; she hadn't even had a chance to perform yet!

Lin Shu gave a wry smile and quickly picked up the angry little one. "Yan'er, let's watch a live broadcast. There are two little birds on the roof!"

Little Yan'er giggled. "Okay, let's see the little birds!"

*What is a live broadcast?* Nongyu frowned. Their way of speaking was always so strange!

"Husband, hurry!" Shao Shao was also looking forward to the show.

Lin Shu nodded, and his mental projection cast the image into the air.

"Oh! Is this... two people?" Nongyu was startled to see the projection.

The two black-clad figures stepped onto the roof tiles and soared like black birds, crossing hundreds of meters in just a few leaps.

"Such masterful light-body techniques!" Consort Yan became solemn. She had never seen such movement before.

Little Yan'er was slightly disappointed. What was so interesting about two men in black? "Daddy, they are people, not little birds! They don't even fly as well as baby does." The two "birds" were jumping and drifting about, but little Yan'er was unimpressed; she could fly indefinitely without ever needing to touch the ground.

"They've come for us!" Nongyu recognized the night scenery; the place where the intruders had landed was right by their small courtyard!