Mu Xueshi spent a long while examining the hidden passageway at this end of the tomb, trying to figure out how to crawl outside without digging away all the soil above it.
At last, Mu Xueshi discovered a mechanism on the coffin. When he pressed it, he heard the sound of the layer of soil shifting. Looking up, he saw an opening and crawled through it.
This was Linhan Palace. Although there were not many elite guards stationed here, it was still best to be cautious. Mu Xueshi crept through the grass on tiptoe for a while. When he began to feel tired, he leapt into the air and landed in a tree.
Mu Xueshi was extremely pleased with how agile his body had become. He jumped from one tree to another, landing lightly and accurately each time without even making the branches sway noticeably.
With his worries dispelled, Mu Xueshi left Linhan Palace without difficulty and flew toward Qingyun Palace.
Nothing here had changed, though it seemed somewhat cold and desolate. Only two maids stood guard at the entrance; everyone else had already gone to sleep. The guards standing nearby were also dozing as they waited for the next shift to relieve them.
Mu Xueshi leapt onto the roof on the tips of his toes, intending to lift a roof tile and look inside. He had never imagined that this day would come, when he would secretly spy from a rooftop on the Third Prince, whom he had not seen in so many days.
Mu Xueshi moved with extreme care. His eyes cautiously monitored every movement around him, and his ears could not afford the slightest lapse either. He lifted one edge of the tile and peered inside. The lamps were lit, but there was no one in the room.
Mu Xueshi quietly crawled over to the study, opened another small gap, and looked inside. There was still no sign of the Third Prince.
Where could he have gone so late at night?…
As Mu Xueshi was thinking, he suddenly detected an unusual sound. Turning his head, he saw another dark figure moving in this direction. Mu Xueshi panicked slightly and quickly jumped behind a dense cluster of trees, observing the person’s every movement.
The black-clad figure copied Mu Xueshi’s method, lifting a roof tile and secretly peering inside. Upon seeing no one there, he clearly froze for a moment before flying off in another direction.
Mu Xueshi was puzzled. What had that black-clad man come here to do? Unable to suppress his curiosity, Mu Xueshi secretly followed him. He discovered that the man was strong and agile, his movements extremely nimble, as though he had come to steal something.
Was he not being rather bold, coming to Qinyi Courtyard to steal?
Mu Xueshi continued tailing the black-clad man until the latter stopped in front of a room. Only then did Mu Xueshi crouch beside a flowerbed and secretly watch him.
The man first poked a small hole through the window paper and looked inside. Then, with a sudden leap, he jumped onto the roof and quickly vanished from Mu Xueshi’s sight.
After the black-clad man left, Mu Xueshi could not resist going to the window himself and taking a look inside. That single glance nearly made him stop breathing.
The person sleeping inside was the Third Prince.
Mu Xueshi did not know why the Third Prince was sleeping here rather than in Qingyun Palace. He remembered that the Third Prince had always been a light sleeper and would awaken at the slightest sound. He had not expected him to sleep so deeply tonight.
Was he too exhausted?
Only when Mu Xueshi felt both his legs beginning to go numb did he realize he had been staring for long enough. It was time to leave. If he did not return soon, his aunt would discover he was gone.
Just as he landed in a large tree, Mu Xueshi suddenly spotted four or five black-clad figures. They jumped down from a tree not far away and approached the room where the Third Prince was sleeping.
What are they planning to do…?
Mu Xueshi’s heart tightened. He stopped and crouched on a branch, secretly observing their movements.
Suddenly, the person in front nodded to those behind him, drew his long sword, and walked step by step toward the door. The others followed closely.
This is bad!
Mu Xueshi cried out inwardly, leapt from the tree, and swiftly crossed the rooftops. Before long, he reached the roof above the Third Prince’s room. He drew a small curved knife from his waist, took aim at the person in front, and hurled it toward the top of his head without hesitation.
“Ugh…”
A muffled groan sounded. The man at the front staggered sideways, clearly struck by the knife Mu Xueshi had thrown. Unfortunately, Mu Xueshi’s aim was not very accurate. The blade veered off course and struck the man’s shoulder instead.
“Not good. We’ve been discovered.”
Mu Xueshi clearly heard someone say this. Just as he was secretly congratulating himself, the men suddenly leapt into the air and landed beside him.
What’s going on…? Mu Xueshi froze, and the men beside him froze as well. Where had this additional black-clad man come from? They could not determine whether he was one of their own.
While they were still confused, Mu Xueshi drew the long sword at his waist and slashed toward one of them. Fortunately, the man reacted quickly and dodged Mu Xueshi’s blade, but he immediately launched a counterattack.
Perfect! Mu Xueshi exclaimed inwardly. He had been practicing martial arts for several days but had not yet had the chance to demonstrate his skills. Since these people dared to assassinate the Third Prince, they could wait to meet their deaths.
Mu Xueshi had clearly underestimated their abilities. After only a few exchanges, he was already struggling to defend himself, let alone against so many opponents at once.
The men soon realized that Mu Xueshi was merely there to cause trouble and posed little real threat. They left one person behind to fight him while the others continued with their mission.
Seeing that the men had already reached the door, Mu Xueshi grew anxious. He quickly evaded the attacks of the person beside him and charged toward the others.
Mu Xueshi did not truly intend to stop all of them. He merely wanted to create enough noise to awaken the Third Prince, after which he could seize the opportunity to escape. Unexpectedly, not only did the Third Prince remain completely unaware, but none of the servants outside noticed anything either. Mu Xueshi could not shout, because doing so would expose his identity.
Mu Xueshi dodged while fighting. Although his martial arts were inferior to theirs, his reactions were quick and his movements agile. He had completely given up hope of outside assistance and could only fight alone, trusting to his own luck.
One of the men found Mu Xueshi far too troublesome and directly used a vicious move. While Mu Xueshi was occupied dodging the man in front of him, another sword thrust toward him and struck him directly in the side of his waist. Mu Xueshi’s legs trembled from the pain. When another sword swept toward him, he endured the agony, pulled the blade embedded in his flesh free, and desperately used it to block the next attack.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and a tremendous commotion came from inside. Mu Xueshi tried to rush in as well, but someone kicked him aside. At the same time, he caught sight of Su Ruhan.
Mu Xueshi immediately became incredibly excited. Everything would be fine now. His master had arrived, so those people would definitely be unable to harm the Third Prince.
Mu Xueshi watched excitedly as Su Ruhan entered the room. Before long, those men were thrown directly back outside and crashed heavily onto the ground. Mu Xueshi had just been about to clap and cheer when he suddenly saw Su Ruhan walking toward him with an indifferent expression.
I’m finished. He isn’t going to think I’m one of them, is he?!
At that thought, Mu Xueshi quickly sprang to his feet. When Su Ruhan’s hand was only an inch away, Mu Xueshi abruptly pulled himself back, leapt into the air, and landed swiftly in a tree. He then bounded lightly back and forth across countless trees, finally shaking off the person pursuing him.
Su Ruhan was somewhat surprised. This person’s martial arts were merely average, but his lightness skill was truly exceptional. More importantly, Su Ruhan felt that his back looked somewhat familiar…
Mu Xueshi reached the entrance to the tomb, panting heavily. He hurriedly jumped inside and turned the mechanism. Only after hearing it move did he release a breath of relief.
I actually escaped from my master’s hands. I’m incredible… Mu Xueshi praised himself, but then waves of pain suddenly attacked his waist, making him cry out involuntarily.
He had been too busy escaping earlier to pay attention to his injury. When Mu Xueshi removed the hand covering his waist, he discovered that his palm was already covered in blood.
In the past, he would certainly have fainted long ago. Now that he practiced martial arts every day, even such a serious injury did not seem like much. Mu Xueshi took a deep breath and limped toward the Crystal Palace.
By the time Su Ruhan returned to the doorway, the Third Prince was already standing there, looking indifferently at the men lying on the ground.
“They are all dead?” Su Ruhan asked in surprise.
“They killed themselves,” the Third Prince replied coldly.
“Had I known they were all dead, I would have gone after the assassin who escaped just now.”
“It would have made no difference even if you had captured him. They would rather die than allow us to force them to reveal who sent them.”
Su Ruhan nodded and asked the Third Prince, “Who does Your Highness believe wishes to move against you in secret?”
The Third Prince laughed coldly. “Who else could it be? I went to great lengths to kill Mu Wan’er, so naturally it would arouse certain people’s hatred. As for who that person is, we still do not know.”
“Does Your Highness believe that person is the true murderer who killed Grand Tutor Mu?”
The Third Prince did not answer Su Ruhan’s question. Instead, he said, “Earlier, while I was inside the room, I heard fighting outside. It continued for quite some time…”
Su Ruhan looked astonished. “I only rushed over after hearing the door being opened. The fighting beforehand had nothing to do with me. I had sent away the guards nearby, and I did not discover anyone else who had been injured. Could there have been two separate groups?”
“Forget it. There is no need to investigate further. Since those people have not given up, they will inevitably come again.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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