A faint sound came from the room opposite.
Mu Xueshi immediately flopped onto the bed and pretended to be asleep. He secretly wondered if he had been making too much noise and disturbed Su Ruhan.
Sure enough—
The door creaked open.
Mu Xueshi’s heart began to pound.
He waited for Su Ruhan to call his name, yet all he heard were footsteps drawing closer. Not a single word was spoken.
Mu Xueshi grew increasingly uneasy. Just as he was about to open his eyes, he suddenly felt a pair of large hands gently stroking his face.
The touch was unexpectedly tender.
“Qian’er…”
Su Ruhan crouched beside the bed, gazing at Mu Xueshi as though he were some rare and priceless treasure. The affection in his eyes grew ever more obvious.
Qian’er?
Mu Xueshi instantly froze.
Do I really look that feminine? Did he mistake me for the girl of his dreams?
“Um… about that—”
Mu Xueshi had barely begun to speak when his eyelids suddenly felt as heavy as iron.
Sleep quickly overtook him.
By the latter half of the night, aside from the occasional rustling of branches swaying in the wind, Linhan Palace had fallen into complete silence.
Su Ruhan appeared to be sleeping soundly.
Yet in truth, he remained constantly alert to every movement around him.
Suddenly—
A shadow flashed across the treetops.
The figure landed lightly on the roof, lifted a gray roof tile, and peered into the room.
Soon the intruder located his target.
The man in black slipped through the nearest window and silently approached Mu Xueshi’s bed.
With a sweep of his sword, the bed curtains and blankets around Mu Xueshi were flung aside—
Yet Mu Xueshi himself remained completely unharmed.
The assassin was still startled by this when a gust of wind brushed past him.
Su Ruhan’s sword was already pressed against his chest.
The man in black was no ordinary opponent. If it had been anyone else, Su Ruhan’s strike would have killed him instantly.
While resisting Su Ruhan’s attack, the assassin swung his sword toward Mu Xueshi.
The two blades collided, producing a sharp screech as sparks scattered through the air.
Meanwhile Mu Xueshi slept soundly on the bed, completely unaware.
Su Ruhan advanced with his sword.
After only a few exchanges, he forced the assassin out of the room.
It was clear the man in black had not yet used his full strength.
Su Ruhan himself also held back.
The two fought their way into the courtyard, neither gaining the upper hand.
The assassin suddenly sneered.
“Guard Su, they say you’re the most formidable guard in the entire palace. Even the Emperor’s personal guards cannot compare.”
“So why do you seem so weak tonight? Can you really not handle a mere assassin like me?”
As he finished speaking, the assassin finally unleashed half of his true strength.
Seizing a moment when Su Ruhan appeared distracted, he feinted toward Su Ruhan’s left elbow before striking from the right.
Su Ruhan frowned and stepped lightly backward, narrowly avoiding the blow.
Seeing Su Ruhan refuse to fight seriously, the assassin grew furious.
He launched a barrage of attacks, each strike aimed directly at a fatal point.
At first, Su Ruhan managed to respond with simple defensive techniques.
But soon his footing grew unsteady.
The assassin’s superb swordsmanship even drew a hint of admiration from Su Ruhan.
After retreating dozens of steps, Su Ruhan was finally forced into a corner, trapped within a narrow space.
“Guard Su,” the assassin taunted coldly, “don’t tell me this is all you’re capable of.”
“If you don’t show your real skill soon, then I’ll have to—”
Before he could finish speaking—
The assassin suddenly felt his entire body grow weak.
His steps faltered.
Moments later, he dropped to his knees.
Gripping his sword to support himself, he glared at Su Ruhan with bloodshot eyes.
“You used… dirty tricks?”
Su Ruhan curled his lips slightly.
“The one using dirty tricks… was you.”
The next moment—
The assassin’s bones began cracking loudly.
His body collapsed to the ground.
Blood seeped from his nose, eyes, and mouth, while his face twisted in agony.
“Bloodthirst Sword… you… you’re actually…!”
The final words caught in his throat.
The assassin died instantly, terror and disbelief still frozen on his face.
Su Ruhan stepped forward and removed the man’s mask.
After examining his face briefly, he channeled internal energy into the corpse’s chest, restoring the man’s meridians and internal circulation—making it appear as if he had died naturally.
At the same time, he took the precious sword from the assassin’s hand.
The moment he turned around, Su Ruhan’s heart sank.
The door he had earlier slammed shut now stood wide open.
He had fallen for a diversionary tactic—luring the tiger away from the mountain.
When Su Ruhan hurried back inside—
He discovered another black-clad assassin lying dead in the middle of the room.
On the bed sat the Third Prince.
He held Mu Xueshi in his arms, one arm around his waist and the other around his shoulders, cradling him like a precious treasure.
A complicated expression lingered on the prince’s face.
“The assassin was one of the guards personally selected by the Emperor,” Su Ruhan said.
“This sword was taken from him—the Imperial Dragon Sword.”
The Third Prince took the sword and examined it carefully.
A chilling aura spread across his handsome features.
“Just as Your Highness predicted,” Su Ruhan continued, “the moment Young Master Xue left your side, he was immediately targeted for assassination.”
“Unfortunately, I was deceived by the first assassin. If Your Highness had not arrived in time, Young Master Xue might have already met with disaster.”
The Third Prince raised an eyebrow.
“You knew I was nearby all along, didn’t you?”
Su Ruhan remained calm.
“Your subordinate did not know.”
“You’re certain I wouldn’t kill you?”
“No.”
“My life belongs to Your Highness. Whether to take it or spare it is entirely your decision.”
The Third Prince gave a faint, sinister smile.
“Why would I take your life so easily?”
“Your value far exceeds what you did a few hours ago.”
Those words caused Su Ruhan’s expression to shift slightly.
That earlier kiss had been an impulsive moment—never intended as something to provoke the Third Prince.
Even if the prince had been present, Su Ruhan believed he would understand that no improper intentions existed.
The Third Prince lowered his gaze to Mu Xueshi’s peaceful sleeping face.
He remembered the moment earlier when the assassin’s blade had nearly slid across Mu Xueshi’s throat—
while that defenseless face slept without the slightest awareness.
His heart…
simply could not remain ruthless.
The Third Prince had long expected the Emperor would send someone to eliminate Mu Xueshi.
Even without the case involving Grand Tutor Mu, Mu Xueshi would never have lived peacefully.
Standing beside him meant facing countless dangers.
Without the ability to protect himself, Mu Xueshi would inevitably become a sacrifice sooner or later.
Yet whenever the Third Prince recalled those carefree eyes—
he found himself wanting to keep Mu Xueshi sheltered under his protection, living a life untouched by the world’s intrigues.
Holding such a person in his arms while sleeping…
was the most reassuring feeling in the world.
“Keep these two corpses,” the Third Prince ordered quietly.
“They may prove useful tomorrow.”
Su Ruhan nodded and carried the two bodies away.
When he returned, only Mu Xueshi remained in the room.
He lay sprawled across the bed, clutching a blanket in his arms, sleeping soundly without any awareness of what had happened.
The Third Prince had already disappeared.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
The room showed no trace of the fierce battle that had taken place.
Not even a single drop of blood remained on the floor.
Futile Devices Scans 
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