48: Chapter 48 Fourth Life, All-in Failure? Watch Me Turn the Tide (Twenty-Five)

It was this eunuch dog who had single-handedly cleared all obstacles on Heir Xiao Heng's path to succession.

This had led to her sworn brother, Lin Lantian, being captured and about to be sent to the Great Wall, his fate unknown.

Her Ze'er was now also confined to the estate, no better than a cripple.

If she didn't kill this eunuch dog Wang Shi, she would never be able to quell the hatred in her heart! She and her son would never have a chance to rise again!

She took a deep breath, raised her eyes sharply, a look of desperate ruthlessness flashing in their depths, and said word by word: "In for a penny, in for a pound!"

The nanny beside her asked: "What does Your Ladyship mean?"

"Originally, I only let Zhao Yuanqing go to take the life of that eunuch dog Wang Shi alone; it was my own excessive caution that tied my hands."

Noble Consort Lin's voice turned cold. "Now that the plan has failed, I can no longer afford to be so constrained."

She took two steps forward, her eyes filled with a frenzied, ruthless light: "Mo Ying and Jing Feng are in the late stage of the Copper Bone, and Zhao Yuanqing is also in the late stage of the Copper Bone."

"He certainly has no chance of winning one against two. Go contact the Underworld, hire their gold-ranked assassin; I must ensure nothing goes wrong!"

The nanny's expression changed drastically: "Your Ladyship! You cannot! The cost of hiring a gold-ranked assassin from the Underworld is immense; I fear it will drain all of our assets. Moreover... it will also leave leverage in the hands of the Underworld."

"All of our assets? They are merely worldly possessions. If we don't use them now, are we just waiting for the Yanling Guard to confiscate them later!" Noble Consort Lin interrupted her sternly.

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Heir Xiao Heng is about to ascend to the throne; once he is firmly seated, it will be too late. At this moment, I can no longer worry about leverage or anything else; I just want that eunuch dog Wang Shi dead!"

She turned to look at the old servant, speaking with ironclad determination, leaving no room for negotiation: "You are to rush to the Qingmu Sect immediately and tell Zhao Yuanqing that the ascension ceremony is in two and a half days."

"Tell him to arrive in Tianhuang City early to lie in ambush, and then strike together with the Underworld's gold-ranked assassin. At that time, that eunuch dog Wang Shi will surely head to the Ancestral Temple. The road to the Ancestral Temple is the best time to strike, as all the experts of the Prince's estate will be gathered around Heir Xiao Heng."

"If the job is done, the reward will be doubled. If he doesn't come... I trust he knows the consequences." Noble Consort Lin said, enunciating each word, her face twisted and terrifying.

The old servant knelt on one knee, his voice solemn: "This old servant obeys. I will certainly make Zhao Yuanqing strike and take that eunuch dog Wang Shi's head!"

Watching the old servant's retreating back as he bowed, Noble Consort Lin slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, only bone-chilling coldness remained in her eyes.

Wang Shi, Heir Xiao Heng, everything you owe me, I will take back bit by bit, with interest.

At the same time, Noble Consort Lin contacted the Underworld. She specifically wanted to buy the life of the Yanling Guard Supervisor Wang Shi, requesting a gold-ranked assassin, and it had to be completed before the ascension ceremony.

Time flew by, and soon, everything was ready; the eve of the ascension ceremony arrived.

The Underworld demanded an exorbitant price, almost emptying all of Noble Consort Lin's resource reserves. This included the most precious resources she had obtained from the Lin family, as well as the vast majority of her savings accumulated over the years.

However, it was all worth it. The Underworld promised to dispatch a gold-ranked assassin at the half-step Silver Marrow Realm named "Wuying," giving this operation an over ninety percent chance of success.

Noble Consort Lin was overjoyed and agreed without hesitation. She was like a gambler whose eyes had turned red from losing, ignoring all consequences, and without hesitation, she went all-in with all her chips, seeking only final victory.

One day later, the Underworld's ace assassin Wuying and Zhao Yuanqing were both in place.

The sense of crisis that Wang Shi had just slightly eased due to the two guards suddenly erupted again. This time, it was far more intense than before.

It was like a surging ice tide, instantly drowning him and leaving him almost suffocated. It was a clear and unmistakable death warning; he could almost see the countdown to death hanging over his head, like a sharp guillotine blade slowly descending.

"Late stage of Copper Bone, or worse..."

Wang Shi slumped in the chair in Heir Xiao Heng's study, cold sweat instantly soaking through his undergarments.

The sense of security brought by the two late-stage Copper Bone guards was as fragile as a thin sheet of paper in the face of this terrifying premonition.

He realized that he might truly be unable to escape this fate. Unless he shrank into the most core area of the Prince's estate from now on and never took a step out, he might be able to save his life.

But what would be the point of that? Was he willing to accept that?

The Yanling Guard had just started, and his grand plan for this life had only just begun; his great revenge was not yet avenged, his ambitions not yet realized... Was he just going to hide like a rat in a sewer?

Moreover, as a eunuch, he was destined never to hide in the deep palace forever. He needed to handle affairs, needed to show his face, and needed to control the Yanling Guard for the Prince and monitor all directions.

More importantly, this sense of impending death, which could not be reduced by even a fraction no matter how much he struggled or how many guards he added, made him think of a more terrifying possibility.

Behind this murder plot, there was likely tacit approval from within the Prince's estate, or even a power he could not resist. Otherwise, who would have such deep hatred for him to be able to hire such a terrifying assassin?

Was it just those few escaped fish? Moreover, this killing intent was so sharp and decisive, as if it were an inescapable fate.

Heir Xiao Heng beside him noticed something was wrong with Wang Shi. After asking in detail, he again offered to add more guards for him and privately, thick-skinned, wanted to go to the Worship Hall to ask for a protective measure or warning from the Supreme Prince.

As a result, he was given a solid cold shoulder.

The Grand Supreme King in White did not even show his face; only a cold voice entered his mind: "A king should stand on his own; how can you frequently ask for help because of a eunuch? Such a servant's life and death are destined; do you want this King to be his bodyguard?" The reprimand was merciless.

Heir Xiao Heng returned with a face full of shame and smiled bitterly at Wang Shi: "Grand Attendant Wang, the Old Ancestor... sigh, it is my incompetence. How about you hide in the safest secret room of the Prince's estate for a while until the storm passes..."

Looking at the genuine worry and helplessness on Heir Xiao Heng's face, the last shred of hope in Wang Shi's heart was extinguished. With even the Supreme Prince having this attitude, he already understood a great deal.

He shook his head, his expression becoming strangely calm, even revealing a smile of relief: "Your Highness, there is no need. I am afraid I cannot escape this time."

"This killing intent does not come from outside, or rather, the knife from the outside only dared to fall because it received tacit approval from within. I... in the end, have jumped too high."

"Grand Attendant Wang!" Heir Xiao Heng shouted sternly, bloodshot eyes appearing. "Stop talking nonsense! I do not believe..."

"Your Highness!" Wang Shi interrupted him, knelt down solemnly, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Heir Xiao Heng. "Your servant, Wang Shi, I am afraid I can only accompany you this far."