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Midnight had deepened.
Within the quiet heart of the Great Empire of Tianzhou, the palace stood wrapped in silence so complete it almost felt sacred.
The wind had softened, the lanterns burned lower, and even the distant footsteps of guards seemed to fade into the stillness.
But inside that stillness-
Danger moved.
The chambers of Princess Xiao Lihua, lay tucked within a secluded wing of the inner palace.
Unlike the grandeur of the emperor's residence, her chambers carried a gentler elegance.
Silk curtains hung softly around the room, their pale fabric shifting faintly with the breeze drifting in from the balcony.
A single candle flickered upon a carved wooden table, its light warm yet fragile against the surrounding darkness.
The princess slept.
Her breathing soft.
Even.
Unaware of the presence that lingered just beyond her door.
Outside-
Standing in the shadow of the doorway-
Was Mo Qingren.
Silent.
Still.
Watching.
His hand rested lightly against the wooden frame, his body blending seamlessly with the darkness around him.
Not a single sound betrayed his presence-not even the faint shift of fabric as the night breeze brushed past him.
His eyes, calm and calculating, studied the room through the narrow opening.
No guards.
No movement.
No threat.
Only the quiet rise and fall of the princess's breathing.
Perfect.
He waited.
Not out of hesitation-
But precision.
Every second measured.
Every action deliberate.
Then-
He moved.
The door slid open just enough to allow him entry.
No creak.
No warning.
Only silence.
Mo Qingren stepped inside as though he were nothing more than a passing shadow. His feet made no sound against the polished floor, his presence barely disturbing the air.
The candlelight flickered faintly.
For a moment-
It almost seemed as if the room itself sensed him.
But the princess remained asleep.
Still.
Vulnerable.
Qingren closed the distance slowly.
Each step controlled.
Unhurried.
Until he stood at the side of her bed.
He looked down at her.
For a brief moment-
He simply observed.
Her face, softened by sleep.
Her breathing, steady and calm.
So fragile.
So unaware.
Then-
His hand moved.
In a single swift motion, he pressed a cloth firmly over her mouth.
Her eyes snapped open instantly.
Wide.
Terrified.
A muffled cry escaped her throat as her body jolted violently beneath him.
Her hands flew upward, trying to push him away-
But he was stronger.
Far stronger.
"Mm-!"
Her voice was swallowed completely by the cloth pressed tightly against her lips.
Mo Qingren leaned closer, his grip unyielding as he pinned her against the bed.
"Careful," he whispered.
His voice was low.
Cold.
A quiet threat wrapped in calm.
"No one can hear you, princess..."
His words brushed against her ear like a blade.
"...so shut that little pretty mouth of yours before I cut your neck clean."
Her entire body froze.
Her breath came in broken, panicked bursts against the cloth.
Tears began to gather instantly in her eyes.
Mo Qingren's gaze darkened slightly.
He watched her struggle.
Watched the fear take hold.
Then he let out the faintest breath-almost a sigh.
"If I kill you now..." he murmured softly, his voice carrying a chilling calm, "...will your brother even notice in time?"
The princess shook her head weakly, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Her fingers clutched at his arm desperately, her strength trembling.
Mo Qingren tilted his head slightly.
"Or will he find you cold... lifeless... long after you've already gone?"
A muffled sob escaped her.
He pressed the cloth harder.
Silencing even that.
"But no..."
His voice softened.
Not with kindness-
But something far more unsettling.
"I won't kill you."
The words did not bring relief.
Instead-
They deepened the fear.
"I want you to feel it," he continued quietly.
"Fear."
"Helplessness."
"Pain."
His hand shifted suddenly-
Gripping her throat.
Not enough to kill.
But enough to control.
The princess gasped sharply beneath the cloth, her body arching instinctively as her breath faltered.
Her hands clawed weakly at his wrist.
Desperate.
Powerless.
"That's it..." he whispered.
"Struggle."
His fingers tightened slightly.
Her vision blurred.
Her chest tightened.
Tears streamed down her face as her movements grew weaker.
"Remember this," he said, his voice lowering further, almost intimate in its quiet cruelty.
"This is how easily your life can disappear."
The princess's strength faltered.
Her hands fell against his arm, trembling.
Her body began to weaken.
Her breath-
Fading.
And in that moment-
Her thoughts turned to one thing.
Help.
Someone...Please...
Outside-
Footsteps.
Fast.
Urgent.
The door burst open.
"Princess-!"
General Liang Fengxiao entered with force, his presence cutting through the room like a blade.
His eyes landed instantly on the scene before him-
The mysterious intruder.
The princess.
His hand around her throat.
For the first time-
Shock crossed his face.
"Let her go!"
His voice was sharp.
Commanding.
Deadly.
Mo Qingren's head turned.
Their eyes met.
And in that single moment-
Everything stilled.
Then-
He moved.
Releasing the princess instantly, he pushed off the bed and retreated toward the balcony with swift precision.
The princess collapsed against the sheets, gasping for air, her body trembling uncontrollably as the cloth fell away from her lips.
"Guards-!" Liang Fengxiao shouted-
But he did not wait.
He lunged forward.
Chasing.
Mo Qingren reached the balcony in seconds.
Without hesitation-
He leapt.
Disappearing into the night.
Liang Fengxiao followed immediately.
"Get back here!"
Inside the chamber-
The silence shattered.
Footsteps rushed in as maids and attendants flooded the room, their faces pale with panic.
"Princess!"
They gathered around her, lifting her gently as she struggled to breathe.
Her hands shook.
Her body trembled violently.
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched weakly at the nearest maid, her voice barely a whisper-
"...He... he..."
But the words would not come.
Her mind was still trapped in that moment.
In the suffocating grip.
In the whispered threats.
In the shadow that had nearly taken everything from her.
The maids held her close, murmuring softly, trying to calm her trembling form.
But the fear remained.
Lingering.
Unshaken.
Outside-
The night had broken.
And beneath the cold light of the moon-
The chase had begun.
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(End of Chapter 14)