"Creak—"
Deep in the night, Mu Xiaoxiao carefully pushed open the window, leaped into the room, turned to close it, and tiptoed towards the cabinet.
Opening the cabinet door, the package lay there casually. Her eyes lit up, and as she reached for it, the candlelight in the room suddenly flared.
"What is this young lady looking for? May I be of assistance?" A mocking voice from behind made Mu Xiaoxiao tremble all over. A flicker of panic flashed in her eyes, which then turned into furious indignation. She grabbed the package with one hand and reached into her embrace with the other. As she turned, she hurled several hidden weapons.
She, meanwhile, seized the opportunity to dash towards the door.
"Ding ding ding!"
The hidden weapons were all blocked, and at the same time, a whistling sound sliced through the air.
"Thump—"
She kicked a stool flying, which collided with the whistling projectile, creating a loud noise.
The stool shattered, splinters flying. Several small black spherical objects appeared in her hand, and she hurled them with force.
"Xuan Yi, catch!"
Seeing the iron balls in her hand, Nan Shiying's face turned pale with alarm.
Xuan Yi leaped forward and caught the falling balls, while Mu Xiaoxiao used this moment to reach the door. As her hand touched the doorknob, her legs instantly went weak. Stumbling, her body uncontrollably crashed towards the door.
"Clang—"
The moment she burst through the door, she collapsed onto the floor, her body limp.
Xuan Yi walked to the doorway, grabbed her ankle, and dragged her back into the room.
Poison Elder, who had appeared at the doorway at some unknown time, entered the room and quietly closed the door.
...
"Kill me or torture me as you see fit!"
Mu Xiaoxiao glared at the three people before her, showing no sign of acknowledging her captive status. The rage in her eyes seemed to accuse them of shamelessness and卑鄙—as if to say: You have no shame, actually using poison?
Nan Shiying twitched her lips and glanced at Poison Elder.
Poison Elder picked up a teacup, looked at her with a smile, and asked kindly, "Little girl, why did you want to steal our travel money?"
Mu Xiaoxiao snorted, "You have money, and you won't let me steal it?"
Nan Shiying: "..."
The logic was heartwarming, and she desperately wanted to chop her.
Nan Shiying gritted her teeth fiercely, "Old Qin, just kill her." Poison Elder’s surname was Qin.
Mu Xiaoxiao flinched, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes, but she refused to show any timidity on her face, raising her chin and shouting, "If you dare, I'll have your entire clan exterminated!"
Nan Shiying: "..."
What a bold statement!
"Tsk, do you think you're royalty!"
Xuan Yi looked at Mu Xiaoxiao, then suddenly remembered something and whispered into Nan Shiying's ear, "Princess Consort, this young lady seems to be... County Princess Jiacheng."
Besides their Regent Prince's Mansion, the capital also had a Prince Gong's Mansion.
Prince Gong was the only prince of a different surname in Lin Yuan Kingdom, and County Princess Jiacheng was Prince Gong's most beloved granddaughter.
Nan Shiying fell silent.
Did Prince Gong allow such a creature to roam the martial world alone?
Nan Shiying turned her head and looked at Poison Elder again, proposing, "Why don't we just sell her?"
Poison Elder glanced at Nan Shiying, smiled, put down the teacup, and lowered his gaze slightly, as if contemplating the feasibility of the plan.
"We can't get a good price now."
Poison Elder stroked his chin, calculating. "Now that Yuzhou is suffering from disaster, traffickers from all regions will surely take this opportunity to deceive or abduct homeless women and children. She looks decent, but she knows martial arts and is difficult to control. It's not as simple as abducting those commoners."
Seeing the other party discussing the heinous crime of abducting women and children so lightly, Mu Xiaoxiao was so angry she wished she could tear the people before her alive. But thinking that her life was in the hands of such people, Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by sorrow. She hated her carelessness and her impulsiveness even more.
If she hadn't secretly run away from the mansion, how could she have ended up in such a predicament?
Nan Shiying felt that what Poison Elder said made sense. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly stood up and squatted beside Mu Xiaoxiao, raising her hand to grip her chin.
Her fingertips brushed against her skin, and a scorching desire appeared in Nan Shiying's eyes. Even her voice became heated. "Since that's the case, why don't you benefit me?"
Xuan Yi was stunned.
Princess Consort, don't mess around!
Poison Elder, however, nodded with a smile and then stood up. "Very well, this old man will retire to his room."
No, don't go!
Xuan Yi was dumbfounded.
Mu Xiaoxiao knew her fate. Tears welled up in her scarlet eyes, but deep within them, a fierce flame of defiance burned. She glared at Nan Shiying, as if her gaze could kill. If looks could kill, Nan Shiying would have been dismembered long ago.
She raised her chin, her imposing aura erupting into an angry roar, "My grandfather is a reigning prince, and I am County Princess Jiacheng, personally enfeoffed by His Majesty the Emperor. If you dare to touch me, my grandfather will surely exterminate your entire clan and cut you into a thousand pieces!"
Nan Shiying applauded, but the smile on her face grew more sinister and wild. She looked at Mu Xiaoxiao, her voice laced with a venom that evoked images of abyssal demons. She leaned in, her mouth close to Mu Xiaoxiao's ear, her warm breath seeping into Mu Xiaoxiao's ear and into her heart, freezing into the coldest dirk. "Since that's the case, I'll play with you first, and then kill you. I'd like to see if your grandfather can find me in this vast expanse of humanity."
"You..."
Hot tears streamed down her eyes. Mu Xiaoxiao's regret had reached its peak.
She suddenly opened her mouth and bit down hard on her tongue.
Nan Shiying grabbed her jaw, stopping her attempt at suicide.
Decisive and resolute.
Not entirely useless.
Nan Shiying tightened her grip on Mu Xiaoxiao's jaw, her bones creaking. She suppressed the smile on her face and sighed leisurely, "Now you know fear?"
Her sudden change in demeanor made Mu Xiaoxiao freeze in place.
"You're out here adventuring in the martial world like this? Where are your guards? Where have they all gone?" Nan Shiying's scolding tone reminded Mu Xiaoxiao of her elder brother, and she couldn't help but shrink her neck.
Nan Shiying glared at her and raised her voice to question, "Did you run out on your own?"
Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt something was wrong. Wouldn't he try to trick her into talking? Was he afraid she was just separated from her guards?
With this thought, Mu Xiaoxiao forcefully shook off Nan Shiying's hand and said with a cold laugh, "How could I come out on my own? Just wait, my guards will find me soon. If you're smart, you'll let me go now, otherwise, my guards will surely skin you alive!"
Nan Shiying nodded with satisfaction upon hearing Mu Xiaoxiao's words.
"Good, not completely stupid!"
She said this and took a pill from her embrace, shoving it into Mu Xiaoxiao's mouth.
Mu Xiaoxiao wanted to spit it out, but the pill dissolved instantly upon entering her mouth, turning into liquid and flowing into her stomach.
"What did you give me?"
Mu Xiaoxiao questioned with wide, furious eyes.
Nan Shiying leisurely crossed her arms and smiled at Mu Xiaoxiao, revealing a row of sparkling white teeth. "Aphrodisiac~"