51 Threat in all sides

Chang Xiuying stiffened and they both stared at each other. They never took their eyes off until Chang Xiuying said, "What seems the matter, sir Jude?"

"Who are you?"

"Chang Xiuying," she tersed.

"No… who are you, really? Your fighting style is different from this world. Are you a transmigrator? Where did you come from? Earth?"

Chang Xiuying tilted her head then asked, "Earth? I don't know that. Sorry, but I really need to go," then she forcefully pulled her arms from Jude's hands. He didn't feel any stronger power from her actions but he was still amazed at the fact that she could still do that after all the strength he put in his arm.

"Alright," he finally let Chang Xiuying go. He watched the female disappear into the shadow. His eyes went wide and suddenly recalled something about his mission.

There was a description of that person's power. It was written that she had the power to control dark energies. She could also control other basic and advanced elements. She also had an unbelievable strength in her body.

The cogs in his brain moved and he was suddenly suspicious about Chang Xiuying's ability. However, he couldn't feel any influx of energy around her body. He might be mistaken. He shrugged his shoulders then went back to the others.

Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying arrived in the King's room and she saw how he was stabbed in his heart. He stopped breathing and she couldn't do anything. Then, she tried recalling the energy from the King's body.

Ah. She still felt it burning. She looked at the corpse and examined his body.

Indeed, a body double.

She was glad that the King didn't die.

However, her senses picked up a puny amount of presence and saw someone hiding at the shadow of the curtain. She sunk in her own shadow and went behind that person. Her hands retrieved a sharp dagger from her item box, then settled it on that person's neck.

"Don't move," she whispered.

From that person's built, it was a male. He chuckled then stabbed Chang Xiuying from the front, between his arm and waist. However, he couldn't feel the flesh, rather, he felt hard skin. He tried turning around but his limbs were as if being pinned down.

"Did you kill the King?" Chang Xiuying asked menacingly.

He was silent.

"If you continued to be silent, I will acknowledge that you killed the King."

He was still silent.

"Do you really don't have the intention to speak? Then forgive me if I did something against your will," she said then rang the chains in her mind. There was a drop of white, sparkling water and it traveled into her fingertips into the man's head.

He scrunched his face in distaste then it slowly relaxed.

"Did you kill the King?"

"I do not have the will to answer that," the man's deep voice echoed in the room.

"If you answered?"

Chang Xiuying examined the man's body and saw that there was a timed bomb made with mana in his mana pool. She released the man from her clutches and watched him try regaining his consciousness back. When he regained his awareness, his body stiffened as he expected to be attacked. But the child only looked at him pitifully.

"I can remove the bomb in your mana pool. If that was what you are accomplishing for."

The man's eyes widened.

"How did you know?"

"I can see it."

He shook his head then said, "Another life is at risk. Sorry, but I have to end you here."

Chang Xiuying relaxed as the man took his stance.

"At least tell me your name."

"Do you think I'll tell you?"

"Of course not. I am just trying my luck."

Then the man lunged at Chang Xiuying. She outstretched her hand then grabbed his collar and his belt, ignoring his attacks and flung him outside the window. The glass shattered and Chang Xiuying followed the man out by slipping into the shadows.

She could hear footsteps approaching the King's room. Those guards must have heard the commotion and they would find the corpse sooner. She wouldn't be caught anyway, so she focused on that man's body dangling on the garden's tree. Thankfully, he survived the fall.

Chang Xiuying emerged out of the shadow and checked the guy out, but she was caught by the knights from the window. After all, they could see a woman they couldn't recognize. Even though they worked in the castle for years and eventually memorized the people working in the castle, they couldn't find one resemblance.

Dang… she must be a criminal now. Whatever.

However, the man suddenly got up and threw daggers coated with a vicious, purple liquid. Chang Xiuying stretched out her arm and then caught those daggers between her fingers. They were still in the castle grounds and they could hear the knights' footsteps coming to their direction.

When the knights were close enough, she disappeared into her own shadow and left the man on his own. He was eventually caught and those knights recognized him.

"Sir Jareth!"

"Why are you here? How is Her Majesty?"

Chang Xiuying touched her chin.

I see.

"Sir Jareth! We found the King's corpse in his room! We already dispatched the knights to circle the grounds and trap the culprit."

"It's no use. The culprit can hide in the shadows."

'Wait what?' Chang Xiuying groaned and looked at that guy, Jareth, as she rolled her eyes. He clearly knew that she just happened to pass by. Does his claim mean that he was really the one who killed that body double? If he was working with the Queen, then, that woman played a big role in the King's assassination.

"This will be a state of emergency. I know her face and she might still be lingering in the vicinity. We have to strengthen our defense to not let her out of the castle grounds. After all, shadow users can only hide in the shadows. She will eventually come out."

After a moment, the security became tight. There were multiple knights in each entrance and few knights were guarding the wall in case the perpetrator used to wall to escape. There were also elementals in the bunch.

Chang Xiuying rested her chin on her hand as she watched over them.

Too bad that they wouldn't be able to catch her. She walked through shadows and eventually arrived where Gaius was in his dorm.

"Gaius," she called.

Gaius flinched from the sudden call then looked behind where Chang Xiuying was.

"What's the matter?"

"The King's body double was killed."

Gaius' eyes went wide from the sudden revelation. He grabbed Chang Xiuying's arms as his body shook. "Who?" He asked.

"Someone named Jareth, I presume. He was there when I was in the King's room, hiding."

"Ah… that person is Mother's hired knight."

"But he was using daggers."

Gaius' face fell into contemplation.

"That can't be right. He is a master swordsman. I've seen his skills when I was living in the castle. You must have seen the wrong person. Besides, he's not a bad guy."

Chang Xiuying sighed, "Just so you know, the Queen has a huge role on all these," then disappeared.

Gaius tilted his head as he watched her disappear into her shadow. Then, suddenly, someone knocked on his door. It was rather violent.

"Prince Gaius!"

He immediately opened the door and what welcomed him were the familiar knights working in the castle. Their faces were pale as they heaved. They saluted and one of them said, "Your highness, the Queen calls you to the castle."

He nodded then the knights quickly left to give him time to change his clothes. Finishing that task, though he was still bothered by what Chang Xiuying said, he went to the castle. The castle stood in sight and Gaius entered the main gate. He looked around and saw how the knights were tight on security.

His pace quickened until he reached the throne room where his mother, Audrey Cabrera, was situated. There were a lot of knights and a few ministers.

"Yes, Mother?"

However, she only raised her hand and the knights apprehended the prince.

"Mother?!"

"Throw him in the dungeon," she coldly said.

"Wait! Mother! What's going on?!" Gaius tried his best to remove those hands off him.

"The prince is suspected of poisoning the King. Until everything is cleared, you will be free."

"I didn't do anything!"

"You are seen that you've been a companion of this individual," Audrey showed an image of Chang Xiuying using a crystal ball.

"She was declared as a demon and was banished from the Lasirion Kingdom. However, you tried to protect her and even invited her to live near Lasirion City. You traveled with her and learned her despicable ways. Do you have any rebukes?"

Gaius stayed silent and let himself be thrown into a dungeon cell. Although it was more clean than the other cells. It seemed like they prepared it beforehand. There was an acceptable bed, warm blankets and a clean toilet.

"I knew that this would happen," Gaius heard that familiar voice coming from behind him.

"Ying..."

Chang Xiuying was sitting on the bed and was holding a thick book.

"Where did you go?"

"I went around and inspected things."

"Did you find anything? Anything that will clear my name?"

"From what I heard in the throne room, you are thrown here because of me."

Gaius was silent as he nodded.

"Alright, since we don't have any ways to clear your name, let's move on to why I am here. Something big will happen and it concerns Lasirion Kingdom. It's either you break out of here and die while fighting or you stay here and die alone."