Chapter 26: I should have known to run early on the 26th.

Her chest, the ancient compass was emitting a piercing coldness, directly infiltrating her heart, making her aware of the existence of a murderous intent. Could it be that the palpitations she had felt just now were also released by this compass?

It turned out to be the strangeness of the compass, Mu Hanyan didn’t take out the compass to examine the reason, but instead, regulated her breathing and then tensed every nerve.

The murderous intent was getting closer. With full concentration, Mu Hanyan faintly heard footsteps that were nearly inaudible. Clearly, a master had infiltrated the City Lord’s Mansion, heading directly towards her room, and what’s more crucial, Mu Hanyan had already felt his determination to kill.

Who was coming? Could it be the Zhao Family? The people who had wanted her life in the early stages shouldn’t have noticed her existence yet. The only so-called enemy under the current situation was the Fourth Miss Zhao, who might want to deal with her. But the level of enmity between her and the Fourth Miss Zhao was not enough to make her family take such a risk. After all, was she not still, in name, the esteemed Young Master of the City Lord’s Mansion? Didn’t the Zhao Family fear that a leak of this plot could bring about their clan’s annihilation? For such a grudge, the Zhao Family wouldn’t take such a risk. Besides, this was the City Lord’s Mansion, and it seemed unlikely that anyone from the Zhao Family could infiltrate so silently.

It was definitely not someone from the Zhao Family.

Then who could it be?

In an instant, Mu Hanyan’s mind was racing, but she couldn’t come up with an answer; she temporarily tucked her suspicions away in her heart. Now was not the time to ponder this question. From the inaudible footsteps and spine-chilling murderous intent, she could guess that the opponent’s strength far surpassed hers, and even if she called for help now, the assailant would be able to kill her before the guards arrived.

To stay alive, she could only rely on herself.

Mu Hanyan slowly got out of bed, arranged the bedding into a human shape as if she were still in deep sleep, and then moved to the side of the window. She held her breath, crouched, and gripped her sword, taking up the best posture to counterattack.

With the opponent’s strength, silently assassinating a novice like a Swordsman First Rank, they might have underestimated her to some extent.

This should be an opportunity, but also the only opportunity, after all, the difference in strength was too great. No matter how strong she used to be, she was now merely a Swordsman First Rank. After that disaster, she had shed her frivolous past and had become much more tranquil than before.

It was getting closer, closer!

"Click", amid a light noise, a dark figure broke through the window, the longsword in hand casting a chilling cold light, stabbing directly towards the human shape on the bed.

Mu Hanyan’s eyes lit up, just as she had anticipated, the attacker really didn’t take her, a mere Swordsman First Rank, seriously. Finding the target, they issued a deadly strike without hesitation, not only failing to conceal the sword’s glow, but also not even carefully discerning her position.

Mu Hanyan certainly wouldn’t miss this sole opportunity. At the moment when the opponent leaped in, she thrust her sword diagonally from below, targeting the lower vitals of the assailant’s body.

This thrust was so clever, so swift, and of course, so vicious.

There was no choice, the gulf in strength was too vast, far beyond what she had anticipated. Without a touch of viciousness, she wouldn’t stand even one in ten thousand chance.

Only then did Mu Hanyan perceive the opponent’s strength—a Tenth Rank Swordsman, honored as a Great Swordsman, an entity not at all inferior to her father, the Lord of Heishi City. Mu Hanyan even began to regret; had she known the opponent had such strength, she wouldn’t have harbored any fantasy at all. Fleeing through the doors might have given her a better chance at survival.

Unfortunately, there was no opportunity for regret now.