*BANG.*

It sounded like the sound of fireworks exploding. The sound was dull and inconspicuous, almost drowned out by the roar of the drums. 

She was whispering to him when this muffled sound came. He listened to her whisperings with a smile but cast a look in his guard captain’s direction. 

Alarmed that the noise seemed to be close, the guard captain stood up and began searching around with a hand on his sword. 

On the stage, the long sleeves of the dancers are thrown up into the air, casting a graceful radiant arc in the air.

“Great!”

All the fans clapped enthusiastically. 

Another muffled sound came, hidden in the storm of clapping sounds. The opera singer on the stage was about to get up when she suddenly let out a yelp. 

Before the audience below realized something was amiss, the opera manager is already trying to figure out a way to cover up the mistake but before he could the lights on the stage suddenly darkened. Determining that the muffled sound must’ve come from the stage, the guard captain gave a wave of his hand and hurried towards the stage with his men. 

Jin Siyu stood up abruptly and stared at the stage. 

*pop pop pop!*

The manor lanterns all went out suddenly. 

*pop pop pop!*

The lantern riddles hanging from trees overhead all exploded immediately when the other lanterns went out. The explosions burst out into the air like stardust and fell on the fabric tents all around, igniting them instantly. 

The popping sound kept going as sparkling lights flew in all directions, stinging people’s eyes. Some of the sparks shot more than ten feet, scattering the crowds that were kept on the outer circle by the guards. The crowd was too big with people stepping on each other, creating chaos in an instant. All the guards and soldiers in charge of protecting the manor immediately rushed towards the main tent. 

However, not only was the guards’ attention split between the stage, the main tent and controlling the panicked crowd, but they were also dizzy from all the explosions, making it difficult to figure out which direction is which. After bumping into each other then being scattered by the running crowds, the originally organized groups of guards were quickly broken up into confused clusters. 

Chaos on all sides, flailing arms and legs, shouting and screaming, the manor is in turmoil like a boiling pot of porridge and its occupants are like the rice grains inside, squeezing against each other. Many people have their mouths open but have no clue what they are yelling, they are simply screaming out of fear. The crowd was too big, and with most of them screaming, the noise was like a tsunami of sounds obscuring everything. 

In this abrupt shocking, chaotic and most disorienting moment, only one person was not flustered. 

Jin Siyu. 

He only did one thing. 

He grabbed hold of his Shao Yao Er. 

Almost as soon as the muffled sound rang out, he had already moved his seat to block Shao Yao’s path. When the opera singer had yelped, he just smiled and handed her the freshly peeled sunflower seeds before immediately grabbing Shao Yao’s hand.

The place he grabbed was extremely precise, the wrist where her pulse is. 

That location where he grabbed, not mentioning the fact that she has no martial arts but even if she did, with one grab like that, she would’ve had a difficult time exerting any strength. 

Miss Shao Yao didn’t panic when her hand was grabbed, instead, she looked up at her wrist and then up at him, her eyes were surprisingly sad. 

She smiled and said, “You are hurting me.” 

Jin Siyu was stunned. Although he didn’t expect tonight’s chaos, after all, this weather is not exactly suitable for a rescue mission, but as one who has never completely let down his guard towards her, he had never let himself leave Shao Yao’s side– if there is chaos, then it must be because of her. As long as he can keep Shao Yao under his control then no matter how chaotic it gets, it will all be useless. He is also not completely unprepared with the army outside of the city limits. At that time, it will be like catching fish in a barrel, they would not be able to escape. 

However, what he didn’t expect is that she didn’t move at all from when the sound started. Her expression was as startled as others and when she was grabbed by him like this, there was no fear in her eyes but sorrow. 

Could it be that…he really misunderstood her? 

The thought flashed through his mind like a meteor, he paused but before he could think any more, there was suddenly a *BOOM* sound. 

It was different from all the previous sounds, majestic and raging, fierce and powerful, it was as if the gods are hitting a giant drum in the sky, creating a rumbling sound that shakes the world beneath! 

The sound was close. 

Jin Siyu looked back, and the perpetually calm Prince of Da Yue who has been through countless storms of life, even his eyes widened in disbelief at that moment! 

A surge! 

A true surge! 

Large swaths of waves roared and rolled, rushing in with the momentum of a fierce tiger leaping out of a cage. The crystal-like current with broken ice rolled in, came surging in, sweeping over the flowers on the shoreside, over the fallen lanterns, over the crowds, raging wildly, heading straight for the main tent. 

The lake that was facing the main tent was blown up!

In that instant, everyone forgot to react. The stage, the lanterns, and the assassins were all common methods that they had expected. After the initial chaos, most would be able to restrain themselves but never in anyone’s wildest dream would they think that someone would in such a violent manner blow up the lake! 

What a feat! 

The lake didn’t have any guards stationed around it since no one would be able to brazenly cross the open water but there were a lot of servants and guards standing by it to watch the opera so many of them were washed out by the sudden wave of lakewater. 

There were guards that reacted quickly and ran with their swords fearlessly but the swords could only cut down physical things and were useless against the force of nature. The water rushed in, undeterred like a hammer smashing down! 

This all happened in an instant and most people didn’t even have time to react. Jin Siyu only had time to cast one glance back before the fierce wave came rushing in and broke the main tent, dragging the tent top down over them. The impact made Jin Siyu’s head dizzy, and the huge force of nature hit his hand without mercy. His hand slipped in the water, and Shao Yao’s wrist, which was a moment ago in his death grip, was gone. 

Jin Siyu immediately reached for Shao Yao’s hand again but all that was left was empty water. Recalling that he had vaguely heard Shao Yao’s yell of fear, he managed with some difficulty to open his eyes and pull out his sword. All he could see was turbulent water rushing around, all the tent fabric, red, yellow, purple, emerald and green fabric had fallen in the water, spreading out like countless giant koi fish. The winter lake water is bone-chilling cold, so much so that he could feel himself frozen stiff from his fingertips to his inside, yet, he is not panicked because he knows these kind of waves will only last a while and it would be fine once he could get away from the perimeter. Still, it’s difficult to move fast underwater, moreover, there seemed to be someone under the water, swimming like a fish to him and reaching for his waist belt. 

Startled yet reacting very quickly, Jin Siyu knows that there must be a reason the person didn’t aim for his vital points but went for his belt so he promptly used his sword to cut away his belt. 

The belt fell with a faint buzzing sound. With the water rushing around, nothing could be seen but a cold sneer appeared on Jin Siyu’s lips until something flashed in the water, heading straight for his chest! (Remember the belt Jiarong sewed for Helian that her friends convinced her to let them use it for Jin Siyu because Jin Siyu’s belt was destroyed by a cat that morning? I am assuming that something was planted in the belt but it looks like Jin Siyu’s fast reaction saved him.) 

Jin Siyu hurriedly retreated with the flow of the water, leaving him no time to think about Shao Yao anymore. He retreated quickly but the person chasing after him was even quicker. The two rushed along the water, until a faint red color spread out. Jin Siyu turned over with some difficulty, a slash of red on his arms. With no time to pay attention to his arm, he grabbed hold of a red fabric and spread it out in front of him.

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com

Liu Sanhu- Helian

Qiu Shu- Ning Yi

The outer manor servant Helian gave the map to- Ning Cheng

Physician- Zong Chen

Apprentice- Gu Nan Yi 

Jiarong- the maid Helian is romancing to get information. She has a mysterious background.