Lady Killer
Ye Meigui, the Night Rose. That name strikes fear into the hearts of the corrupt ministers, princes, and families of the empire. Even the emperor, powerful and undefeatable, fears the threat she could become, the assassin whose face has never been seen, whose traces are never found. Only her kills are discovered, with a black rose lying in the pools of blood. She can go anywhere, kill anyone, and never be found. And yet, there was only once that she was seen, fighting another assassin on the rooftops of the capital, her scarlet hair lit like the flames she had set in the night and her face covered by a black mask. Huli, the Fox, was her nemesis, her equal, and he was the only person whom she would always be in a stalemate with.
However, who could have guessed that she would soon be forced into an alliance with him? The emperor, a tyrant who rules over his people with an iron fist, has finally had enough of the trouble that the Night Rose and the Fox are bringing him. He has lost too many loyal toadies, and above all else, he hates those who challenge his power. The people are his, so what should it matter if he kills some peasants or squeezes them dry of their earnings?
He has begun to crack down on his soldiers and generals, demanding that they find the two thorns in his side by any means possible. And his orders have ignited a turmoil that will change the very fabrics of existence.
Hua Yan has grown up under conditions more harsh than most could survive. Her skills were learned through blood and sweat, and she suffered extensively to climb to where she is today. As the feared Night Rose, she protects the common people and fights to bring down the corrupt regime of the emperor. But the harder she fights, the more it seems futile. The emperor has become too powerful, and though he fears her, she is a mere splinter in his foot. When his influence finally reaches into her own people and strikes at her heart, Hua Yan must make a decision. Will she continue to hide in the shadows, concealing the truth of her past and her future, or will she take off her mask, join hands with the Fox, and ascend to the heavens, a phoenix among men?
*the cover was not made by me, and I do not own the rights to it. Please contact me if you would like me to take it down.*
Gail_Freeman · Fantasie
