Chapter 200: Assassination (part 3)

“Help! Help!” Wu Qingsong cried out in panic as he hurriedly opened the door.

However, everyone’s attention was focused on the islands outside, and the corridor was empty. Wu Qingsong had to run towards where there were people, and after much difficulty, he finally found a half-elf steward.

“Help!” he shouted, grabbing the man.

“And you are?” the steward asked, surprised.

“I’m Woody Tagraedi, here for the ennoblement ceremony,” Wu Qingsong exclaimed. “Please help! My wife is injured!”

His status clearly didn’t warrant much urgency, but seeing his frantic expression, the steward didn’t refuse. Instead, he called over a female half-elf steward and followed Wu Qingsong to the room.

“What happened?”

“My wife was bathing when the commotion outside startled her. She slipped in the bathroom and fell,” Wu Qingsong explained. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but she faints from the pain even with the slightest touch.”

The two half-elves exchanged looks of scorn, clearly thinking he was a country bumpkin.

Entering the room, they saw Xeila lying on the bed wrapped in a towel. The female half-elf carefully examined her and then said to Wu Qingsong, “It’s nothing serious. She likely hit the bathtub when she fell. Two ribs are broken.”

“Broken ribs?” Wu Qingsong feigned relief. “That’s not too bad. But, sirs, could you tell me where I can find a doctor?”

“Doctor?” The half-elves laughed. “This is Padamia. Just have a priest’s assistant come by tomorrow.”

“But…” Wu Qingsong began.

“It’s so late. Do you really want to disturb the esteemed priests?” the half-elves said with irritation. “It’s just a minor issue. She just needs to lie still.”

As the two half-elves prepared to leave, Wu Qingsong cautiously asked, “Sirs, what exactly is happening outside?”

“Who knows? Several magic towers have been activated…” The male half-elf shook his head. “We should hear something soon.”

Wu Qingsong saw them out, then returned to the bathroom to carefully burn Xeila’s bloodstained bodysuit, flushing the ashes down the drain.

This carried some risk, but it was smaller compared to the danger of someone finding the bloodstained clothing.

Fortunately, the floating island was vast, and it seemed that the pursuers hadn’t considered that Xeila’s abilities would allow her to escape so quickly from the scene. Wu Qingsong stood by the window, watching as many areas outside were now lit up as bright as day, with at least forty to fifty glowing points whirling swiftly between the floating islands, some even below their own island, still searching.

He walked back to Xeila’s side. She was frowning deeply, enduring immense pain. It was obvious that her injuries extended beyond just broken ribs.

This made Wu Qingsong a little worried. If an experienced priest came tomorrow, they might notice something was wrong. But for now, he had to use this method to cover up the cause of Xiela’s injuries.

“Dawn will come soon. Just hang in there; it will be alright,” he whispered to Xiela.

Xiela gently shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to drag you into this, but I’ve been waiting for this opportunity. This might have been the only chance in my life…”

“Don’t say that,” Wu Qingsong saw her becoming emotional and held her hand. “Just rest. We’ll be fine.”

“I finally killed him,” Xiela said softly, then repeated it in a murmur, her face showing an expression of defeat and loss that Wu Qingsong had never seen on her before. “I finally killed him…”

“Don’t speak,” Wu Qingsong said gently. “From now on, don’t say anything about it. We’re just here for the ennoblement ceremony, two country bumpkins who know nothing. You heard noises outside while you were bathing, panicked, and accidentally fell. That’s all we know. Understand?”

Xiela nodded slightly.

They didn’t know what those magic towers could do or if they could detect their conversations, but it was better to be cautious from now on.

Wu Qingsong even dispersed all the soul fragments he kept ready for emergencies to a far distance. These fragments couldn’t help him fight his way out of this place but could very likely expose his identity.

He was now just a mercenary group leader from a remote area of the Riniconia Marquisate and couldn’t possibly possess high-level magic or mental power.

Xeila tightly held his hand and finally fell into a drowsy sleep.

Wu Qingsong, however, couldn’t fall asleep. Outside, the activity continued unabated. The search range of those glowing points kept expanding, and more and more floating islands were covered by light shields. It was only a matter of time before it spread to this area.

He was now sure that the person Xeila killed couldn’t just be a minor baron. Recalling the events at the Temple of Death, he could even guess who she had killed.

Despite any amount of hatred, that person must have held significant importance to her.

Wu Qingsong couldn’t comprehend this conflicting and painful feeling, but he fully understood how deeply distressed Xeila must be. At this moment, the inner pain was likely more intense than her physical injuries.

“The nightmare is over. Everything will get better,” he whispered to her.

She frowned slightly in her sleep. Wu Qingsong gently stroked her forehead with his hand, finally giving her a soft kiss.

***

The entire night, the floating city of Padamia was in chaos. When dawn broke, Wu Qingsong went out again to seek help and finally learned from the stewards about the identity of the person Xeila had assassinated.

It was Daan Sentalus, a marquis and the second-in-command of the Sentalus family. He was the uncle of the current Grand Duke and one of the most powerful magi-warriors in the family. Because the Grand Duke’s eccentricities were not accepted by the high-ranking elves, Daan often stayed in the capital and was practically the representative of the Sentalus family there.

“They say his entire branch is wiped out…” someone whispered. “His two sons disappeared one after the other, and now he’s…”

“People say it was the Yagata who did it, but who’s to say it wasn’t the Grand Duke of Sentalus himself? After all, with them gone, the enormous estate truly belongs entirely to the Grand Duke.”

“The royal family was alarmed?”

“He’s had a long-standing friendship with the Emperor, and they’re brothers-in-law…”

“Really can’t see through this… Who on earth did this?”

“Even with so many strong ones acting, they couldn’t catch the assassin…”

Wu Qingsong could no longer find the two people from last night, but fortunately, someone else knew about it. It seemed those two half-elves had turned it into a joke and told others, making people look at Wu Qingsong with a touch of ridicule.

This was precisely the outcome Wu Qingsong hoped for. At his earnest request, someone eventually took him to a nearby temple. Most of the prominent figures were busy with the events of the previous night and had no interest in tending to the injuries of a lowly would-be noble’s wife. After Wu Qingsong’s repeated pleas, they reluctantly sent a young half-elven apprentice.