FBC – Chapter 153 The Young Master Is Ji Xuanyu

Night had fallen. All was still.

Two shadowy figures silently approached Yayun Pavilion. They crept up to the main building and squatted motionless beneath the window.

After confirming no one was nearby, one of them gently pushed open the window and agilely slipped inside, while the other remained outside as lookout.

The figure moved soundlessly to the bedside, holding their breath, using the moonlight to observe the person lying there.

The quilt covered the head, but steady breathing could still be seen.

The intruder reached a hand under the pillow—

Suddenly, a hand shot out from under the quilt, grabbing the intruder’s wrist in a flash. The quilt was thrown aside, and the person on the bed sprang up.

“It’s a trap! Run!”

The intruder cried out in alarm and drew a dagger, aiming it at the person on the bed.

But the one on the bed was Zhou Zhilian, pretending to be Gu Hua. At the same moment, Dong Hua leapt out from behind the bed.

The two attacked from both sides, forcing the female intruder into a struggle. She couldn’t break free right away.

Meanwhile, Chi Yan and his men had already surrounded the courtyard.

Yet the person outside the window didn’t flee—instead, they jumped in to help.

This new arrival fought with sharp, ruthless precision—every move deadly. Zhou Zhilian and Dong Hua were clearly struggling against him.

Suddenly, a bright light lit up the room.

Gu Hua appeared by the bedside, holding a candle. She quickly set it down and drew a dagger, standing on guard.

With the light, their faces became clear—it was a man and a woman.

The man froze when he saw Gu Hua. Their eyes met, and a chill ran down her spine. Though half his face was covered, his eyes were exposed.

He was the young master!

Gu Hua, disregarding the danger, pointed at the man and shouted toward the outside, “Chi Yan, catch him! He’s the Young Master of Yifeng Hall!”

The moment their eyes met, a complex, bitter emotion flickered in Ji Xuanyu’s eyes—but it vanished as quickly as it came. He turned and made a dash for the door.

Not wanting to get entangled—afraid of accidentally hurting Gu Hua—Ji Xuanyu shouted urgently, “Retreat!”

The two burst through the door together.

At the same time, Chi Yan and two other guards charged in and clashed with Ji Xuanyu.

Ji Xuanyu’s allies also rushed in to assist, tangling with the guards who followed closely behind.

On the courtyard wall, someone threw down a rope ladder. The masked woman sprinted toward it, shouting, “Throw the poison bombs!”

“No!” Ji Xuanyu yelled.

The Southern Frontier was famed for its poisons.

The poison bombs were a secret weapon from the South—once ignited, the spreading toxic smoke could knock out everyone in the area.

And the poison was so deadly that only its creator could make an antidote.

Gu Hua was here—he couldn’t risk hurting her.

Zhou Zhilian shouted, “You won’t escape!”

She lunged toward the woman, gripping her tightly to prevent her from fleeing.

Amid the chaos, Ji Xuanyu lifted his arm and fired a sleeve arrow at Zhou Zhilian. She dodged to the side, giving the masked woman a chance to break free.

More people from the Duke Yong’s household rushed in. The small courtyard turned into a battlefield.

Gu Hua chased after them and shouted, “Don’t let them get away!”

Hearing that, the masked woman glared at Gu Hua.

The Young Master was risking their lives for this woman—he wouldn’t allow them to release the poison bombs—all because of her. This wretched woman seduced the Young Master and was now trying to get him killed!

Clenching her teeth, the masked woman suddenly turned and charged at Gu Hua in fury, screaming, “You bitch! You ruined us!”

Gu Hua backed away quickly, raising her dagger in defense.

Zhou Zhilian rushed after them, but the masked woman was closest to Gu Hua. Her dagger was about to strike—

In a flash, the masked man raised his sleeve arrow and shot it directly into the masked woman’s back.

She let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground, turning to look at Ji Xuanyu, her eyes full of grief and heartbreak.

She screamed at Ji Xuanyu, “Go, just go! Don’t worry about me!”

Ji Xuanyu steeled himself and leapt onto the wall.

His men scattered and fled with him.

Chi Yan and the others immediately gave chase.

Zhou Zhilian stepped forward, stomped down on the woman, and tore off her face veil with one hand.

“As expected, it’s you—Concubine Yao.”

Yaoyao sneered, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

“Watch out, she might kill herself!” Gu Hua cried out in alarm.

Zhou Zhilian was already prepared. With lightning speed, she flipped her dagger and jammed it into Yaoyao’s mouth, pinning her lower jaw tightly, making it impossible for her to bite down on the poison hidden in her mouth.

Gu Hua approached and said coldly, “Yaoyao, so you’re a spy from the Southern Frontier.”

Yaoyao glared at her viciously. “This was your trap?”

Gu Hua nodded. “That’s right. How would frontline military reports end up in the Duke’s residence? And why would they land in my hands? It’s just that you were all too stupid.”

Suddenly, Yaoyao burst into laughter. “Gu Hua, don’t get too cocky. If the young master is captured, you’ll regret it!”

Gu Hua raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I barely have time to rejoice, why would I regret it? As long as people like you remain in Bianjing, Duke Yong will never feel secure, and neither will the Mu family army. Only when all of you are wiped out can peace return to Bianjing.”

Yaoyao’s laughter turned into a coughing fit, black blood spilling from her mouth.

Gu Hua was alarmed. “The hidden dart was poisoned! Call the doctor—quickly!”

Dong Hua rushed off to get help.

Yaoyao looked at the black blood on the floor, heart breaking.

The young master had actually been willing to shoot her with a poisoned dart—for her.

She had stayed by his side for three whole years. Even if it wasn’t love, wasn’t it at least family?

For him, she had fallen into the dust, tangled with disgusting men, stealing intelligence.

For him, she had seduced Mu An, infiltrated Duke Yong’s estate, and endured that revolting scoundrel day in and day out.

But in the end, all her sacrifices couldn’t compare to the one who truly lived in his heart.

Yaoyao gave a sorrowful smile. “It’s no use. The poisons of the Southern Frontier are incurable in this world.”

She raised her head to look at the moon above. “Brother Yu, look at the one you love. Her eyes don’t see you, her heart doesn’t hold you. You’ve suffered for her for three years—was it worth it?”

Gu Hua frowned. “Brother Yu? The young master of Yifeng Hall is your cousin, the musician Wu Yuan, the one called Yan Yu?”

Yaoyao clutched her aching chest, her phoenix eyes gleaming with venom and frost.

“Yan Yu? Wu Yuan? Brother Yu? Gu Hua, you didn’t recognize him at all? He’s thought of you day and night for three years. For you, he lived like neither man nor ghost! For you, he came to Bianjing despite the danger! For you, he willingly became the lowest of playthings! He destroyed the Pei family for you, and you ruined his entire plan with your own hands! He eliminated Gu Wanru for you, and you called him filthy, doubted his intentions!”

Yaoyao seemed almost crazed, bursting into wild laughter. “Brother Yu, isn’t it laughable? You say she was your childhood sweetheart, but she plotted your death!”

Childhood sweetheart?

Gu Hua froze, stunned. Her voice trembled. “I… was supposed to recognize him? Who… who is he?”

As soon as she asked, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike her from head to toe—she was paralyzed.

Could the young master be… Brother Ji, Ji Xuanyu?

The cold, ruthless head spy of the Southern Frontier was Brother Ji?

The one who had his men kidnap and humiliate her—was Brother Ji?

Her mind exploded with a loud buzz. Everything went black, her body swayed, and Zhou Zhilian quickly caught her.

“Sister Hua!”

The estate physician arrived, and Zhou Zhilian called out urgently, “Quick, check on Sister Hua!”

Gu Hua’s eyes suddenly snapped open. With a trembling hand, she pointed at Yaoyao. “Save her. You must save her!”

She didn’t believe it!

She refused to believe that Brother Ji was the ruthless young master!

She had to know the truth!

The physician rushed over with his medicine case. Yaoyao coughed up another mouthful of black blood and collapsed limply to the floor.

“Hua’er, are you hurt?”

Old Madam arrived with her attendants.

When she saw Gu Hua sitting in Zhou Zhilian’s arms, dazed and shattered, she panicked.

“What’s going on? Is she injured?”

Zhou Zhilian sensed the complexity of the situation and didn’t elaborate, only saying, “She’s not hurt, just frightened.”

Everything tonight had been planned by Old Madam and Gu Hua—they were aiming to capture the spies hidden within Duke Yong’s estate.

Gu Hua had suspected that Yaoyao was no ordinary woman.

That night, Yaoyao had suddenly come to visit. There was no drug or poison in the food, but she had a sleeping agent on her.

When she walked through Gu Hua’s room, she quietly released the powder from under her skirt, dispersing it throughout the space.

She also casually patted Dong Hua and Dong Qing, and even touched the other maids as she exited.

Once she was gone, the maids quickly changed their clothes, cleaned the room, and the estate physician came to inspect and confirmed everything was clear. Then, they lay in wait.