A Familiar Face
Thunderous applause can be heard coming from the square as the songstress, Wei Ran finished her song.
Inside the banquet hall, the Emperor laughed merrily as he complimented the performance.
Wei Ran's reputation as the best singer in Lantian was not an exaggeration. Once she appeared on the stage, the audience on the square had stopped moving to look at her. The moment the music was played, the crowd grew quiet. Everyone would not want to miss hearing the songstress's singing voice.
When Wei Ran started to open her mouth to sing, the crowd stood still as if in a trance. The songstress had a very sweet and enchanting voice. Her movement and dance on the stage were soft and graceful. The dancers around her moved in synchronization, bewitching everyone who was watching them. The dresses they wore were soft and colorful. Every time the dancers turned around, the sleeves fluttered in the air, resembling blooming flowers.
It took the crowd a few seconds to snap out of their trance after the performance ended.
Nobody knew who was the first to clap, but soon, the surrounding was echoed with deafening claps.
Hearing his people cheering from the watchtower, the Emperor was naturally happy. He turned around to the grand eunuch and whispered a few words. Soon, the eunuch left the area with a happy smile on his face.
Qin Zhi Hao stood at the upper corner to keep his eyes glued to the scene below him. His location was hidden from the eyes of others but was close enough to the Emperor to protect him if anything should happen.
While everyone's eyes were focusing on the songstress, Qin Zhi Hao was watching everyone's movement. Because of the special situation about the watchtower that would not allow just anyone to enter, Qin Zhi Hao had no other choice but to oversee the security by himself.
Even though the guards or killers will not be able to enter the tower, it does not mean that there were no possibilities for anyone among the attendees to take a chance to harm the Emperor.
The princes, for example, were just like him. Some of them were good in martial arts and was able to enter the watchtower due to their bloodline. Then, there were also a few ministers who were given the exception and were allowed to enter.
Therefore, he has to be vigilant.
His keen eyesight was especially focused on the people who might have the highest motivation to end the Emperor's life.
The exchanges between the princes did not escape his eyes, as well as the secret signals that a few ministers were sending to another.
His gaze grew dark upon seeing the exchange between the two people behind the curtains.
A while later, a pigeon left through the small window and flew up to the sky.
…
Yu Feng frowned as she tried to get through the sea of people. Because of the festival, the roads were crowded with people. Everywhere she turned, Yu Feng would bump into people.
Even though she could run fast and was someone who knew the city like the back of her hand, trying to get through the people during this festivity was different and harder. The path was packed with people with almost no space for her to slip through.
Just a while ago, a fight had almost broken out because she had bumped into someone. If it were not for her skill to slip out of the situation, perhaps, Yu Feng would be stuck at the place, and she would waste her time in the street.
They were running out of time and she needed to be at the square quick.
It would not be long until it was the time for the Emperor to lit up the lantern. If she could not arrive in time, then, everything would be over for everyone in the city.
After running around for a long time, Yu Feng finally arrived at a slightly crowded road. Yu Feng took a deep breath as she finally escaped the sea of people.
The next thing she needed to do was to enter the shortcut she knew to get to the square.
Yu Feng turned to a corner and entered a quiet road.
Her step halted when Yu Feng saw a silhouette jumped down from the roof and stood up straight in front of her. The man had his arms crossed on his chest as he continued to stare at Yu Feng in silence.
"It's you," Yu Feng let out a breath of relief when she recognized the man as one of the people who were working under that bad man.
Although most of the men working under that bad person were always wearing black, they would carry an inconspicuous insignia around their waist. Yu Feng might not know the man's name, but she had seen him in the camp before.
Yu Feng took stepped forward to approach him. "Thank god I ran into you here." Yu Feng spoke again.
She scanned her surrounding and a breath of relief escaped her, knowing that she there was no one around.
"I have something important to report," Yu Feng continued. "You are not going to believe what I have run into in the western district."
Her steps halted again and Yu Feng began to sense that something was not right. Her heart was beating loudly against her ribcage as if warning her that she was in a dangerous situation.
Though Yu Feng did not know why she decided to trust her instinct and took a step back.
"Did you come to find me to ask me to deliver a message?" Yu Feng asked cautiously.
"Xiao Feng," the man spoke her name softly but was loud enough for her to hear from her distance. "A traitor. Those who betrayed Lord Yi deserved to die."
The danger was approaching right in front of her, but Yu Feng found that she could not move. Her legs grew heavy as she faced the man's oppressing aura and she could not escape no matter what she tried.
Yu Feng muttered a few cursing words. She watched as the man pulled out the sword from its scabbard and swallowed as the man took unhurried steps towards her.
What on earth happened?
Weren't they on the same side? Why did this man want her life?
Moreover... what did he mean by a traitor?