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3,000 men in one night.
If the hundred knights that died the other time shook the Xuanji's Dynasty, this time round, it was crushed to the core. Eldest Princess, who faced these setbacks in succession, was thoroughly enraged, kicking one of the leaders who came to report this situation to death.
She removed the head of the Amethyst Cape Knights and gave the new leader an ultimatum—either offering the enemy's head or his own head.
She was initially staying in a villa near the headquarters, but after these setbacks, she rushed down to Shang Feng Mansion in the southern borders. Shang Feng was a route mandatory to pass through if one wanted to enter the north. Tens of thousands of knights were placed on Shang Feng as wanted posters were stuck to walls on villages hundred miles along Shang Feng. The knights were determined to stop and kill their enemies at Shang Feng.
But till today, there was no one who had a clear view of the perpetrator. Back then, Magistrate Xian and Li Zheng were both survivors but that Li Zheng, who brought the Amethyst Cape Knights in, in the face of Meng Fuyao's massacre, was literally frightened to death. The rest tried their best to recall, but all they remembered was that that person had ”red eyes, gleaming blade and lots of blood.” Once they gave such vague statement, they experienced the slaps from the Amethyst Cape Knights.
With such useless witnesses, it made it all the harder to search for them; they couldn't even put together a wanted poster with the information they had. Eldest Princess ordered the various officials to prohibit their civilians from exiting or entering as they wished. When entering the city, there needed to be a recommendation letter, a passport, and a stamp detailing the date of exit or entrance. Those who needed to exit or enter the city every day were required to register with the officials. The wanted criminal, whose face was put together based on the vague witness statement, was pasted on walls along the city gates. The colors on this portrait were bold and exquisite, bearing stark resemblance to Zhong Kui, especially with those bright, blood-red eyes.
Xuanji, Tiancheng, Day 3, Month 3, Year 30. The day of the 'Aurora Spring' gatherings.
'Aurora Spring,' held every third day of the third month, was one of the most important festivals to the civilians of Xuanji. To them, it symbolized the beginning of spring and the happiness that it brought about. Residents living in a hundred miles from the city would all rush over to Shang Feng and display their most exquisite handiwork, the most intricate tools, and magnificent performances. Xuanji was renowned for its intricate works which the handicrafts being a big contributor to the country's economy and with this 'Aurora Spring' as a platform for competition, the crafter who won this would be known as the king of this industry and never have to worry about money again. And for the ladies who produced the most beautiful embroidery, their value would be appreciated, and families would rush to ask their hand for marriage.
This day, the city gates were flooded with people, with the queue spanning over a few kilometers. The guards were all swamped with checking and granting access to the civilians. Seeing the only increasing queue trend, the guards were frustrated, and they eased up on their security.
An experienced aide led the couple of guards at the city gates. With beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, he hollered, ”Hey, queue up! Queue up! Stop pushing and get back! Hey, hey, get back! I'm talking about you!”
In their awfully busy state, they suddenly noticed a willowy lady with half her face covered, making her way over gracefully. Beside her were her in-laws and husband, carrying the stuff they needed to set up a store on his shoulders. That lady was beautiful with dark, almond eyes that captivated those who saw. As those eyes blinked, the young guards felt their hearts thump against their chest.
Even so, the guard dared not slight her and quickly received the documents that the lady handed him. All the required documents were there, but suddenly, he felt that there was something odd about the material of the documents. Just as he was about to bring it up, that lady leaned in and smiled seductively. ”Sire…”
The love knot tied to her fan gently brushed against his hand. That silky touch made the guard blank out, forgetting what he wanted to say. That lady winked, and as she took back the documents, her nails gently scratched against his palm. With a teasing expression and playful tone, she asked, ”Sir, can we go in and get our stamp?”
”Oh…” The soul of the guard was seduced away as he stared blankly at the lady. He smiled dumbly as she left, completely forgetting about any oddities he had vaguely noticed.
The person in charge of the stamping was the experienced aide—a responsible gentleman. Every piece of document would be thoroughly scrutinized before passing.
That scent of that lady wafted over as she made her way over and handed the documents over. An ”mhm?” escaped from the experienced aide's as he touched the documents. But coincidentally, as if she was run into by someone, the lady slipped and her silk fan landed in front of him.
The aide's eyes lit up.
Such remarkable embroidery!
A beautiful lady in plain clothes, leaning by the window frame as she admired the moon sorrowfully. The embroidery that was of a palm-size took into account every detail, producing a vivid, lifelike embroidery. It was as though one could feel the flowy dress swaying in the breeze and that serene, sorrowful night seemed to unfold itself in front of his eyes. There was a line of words sewed on beside the scenery. While the aide was not very literate, he could tell that the unique words were nothing ordinary, complementing the beauty in the scene. Even in Xuanji, such a masterpiece was hard to come by…
With such a thing appearing on the 'Aurora Spring,' how many people would go crazy over it?
The aide's heart began to thump as he was reminded of his troubles— his daughter was already 18 years of age. Yet, due to her ugly looks, she remained unmarried. Despite his attempts, he could not find a husband for her. Now, with this, he wouldn't have to fret over it anymore, would he?
His eyes glued onto the fan. The lady whispered sweetly and laughed, ”Ah, it got dirty.” She sent the fan into his hands, and the aide subconsciously tightened his grip around it. With this, he no longer had the time or attention to vocalize his suspicions. With a gentle push from that lady, the guard beside the aide stamped the documents and let them pass. Zhong Kui is a deity in Chinese mythology traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings, thus having a terrifying outer appearance.