The Fifth Princess had grievances she could not voice. Xiao Man had crippled one of her hands. Though her martial arts were not weak, she was no match for Fu Dan. Fu Dan possessed rich experience in combat, while the Fifth Princess’s experience was gained on the battlefield, primarily for fighting enemies, not a single individual. Soon, she was at a disadvantage.
Bai Ling stood by the window, seeing the Fifth Princess losing ground, and immediately laughed, "Your Majesty, the Fifth Princess is no match for Fu Dan."
"Fu Dan’s martial arts were all cultivated through arduous effort, step by step. She is not comparable to the Fifth Princess, who is impulsive and lacks foresight. That is her weakness," Xiao Man said, after stitching up her wound. "Others learn from their mistakes; she heals her wounds and forgets the pain."
Bai Ling listened and grinned, "I think she hasn't suffered enough losses."
"Yes, she hasn't suffered enough losses, and her lessons haven't been profound enough," Xiao Man looked at the Fourth Princess lying on the bed. "You have protected her too well, to the point that she is still a fool who knows nothing of human malice. You should have let her be thoroughly tainted in the cesspool that is Bianjing. Only then would she know what true hardship is."
"Your Majesty, I don't understand."
"There are things we can see clearly, but the people involved cannot. Lan Yin always believed that Lan Yuan driving her out of Bianjing was harming her, disregarding sisterly affection for power. I thought so too at first. But after Lan Yin started cooperating with me, she quieted down and never made a move against me again. Why do you think that is?"
"Why?"
"She was afraid I would kill Lan Yin, so she hesitated."
"Aren't they mortal enemies?" Bai Ling was astonished. In her impression, the Fourth Princess and the Fifth Princess met as if they were encountering their father's murderer, wishing each other dead. How could the Fourth Princess hesitate because the Fifth Princess was in the hands of their master?
Xiao Man finished stitching the wound and began applying medicine. Outside, the Fifth Princess was being beaten by Fu Dan, forcing her to cover her head and flee. Yet, she did not forget to look for an opportunity to enter the room, but Fu Dan's defense was too tight, and she couldn't break through. Moreover, two people guarded the entrance, and they hadn't made a move yet!
"Xiao Man, what, killing Lan Yuan isn't enough? You want to kill me too?"
"Disrespecting Your Majesty is punishable by a beating," Ying Xue said slowly, her gaze fixed on Fu Dan. "Slap her face."
Fu Dan didn't hold back. She lunged forward and delivered a swift slap, making the Fifth Princess's ears ring. The Fifth Princess was dazed, nearly losing her bearings. Having lived a life of pampered luxury for years, when had she ever been so humiliated?
"I'll fight you!"
"I'll play with the Fifth Princess," Bai Ling said, opening the door and stepping out with a smile. "Fifth Princess, my kung fu isn't very good. Please be gentle!"
"What did you do to Lan Yuan?"
"Oh, we're disemboweling her inside. Do you want to see?" Bai Ling asked with a smile.
The Fifth Princess felt blood rush to her head. Although she hated Lan Yuan for scheming against her and betraying her, she had never considered killing her. She just wanted Lan Yuan to regret, to regret treating her this way!
Without regard for anything else, the Fifth Princess charged towards Bai Ling. "If you dare to kill her, I won't let you off!"
Bai Ling looked at the Fifth Princess, blinded by rage, and couldn't help but sigh. Her Majesty was right; the Fifth Princess had been too well protected, too naive. In the Imperial Princess's mansion, her life was not her own, yet she still wanted to fight them to the death. With her disposition, if she stayed in Bianjing, she would likely be gnawed to the bone.
Bai Ling snapped her fingers, and the Fifth Princess instantly froze. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move an inch. Bai Ling walked up to the Fifth Princess with a bright smile. "Take two steps back."
The Fifth Princess's body seemed to be beyond her control; she actually retreated two steps.
"Dance."
The Fifth Princess stared with disbelief, her eyes seeming as if they could devour Bai Ling. However, no matter how she struggled, she couldn't defy Bai Ling's will and began to twist her limbs to dance.
Fu Dan's lips twitched. She wanted to laugh but dared not, suppressing it with great difficulty. Ying Xue, on the other hand, laughed without restraint. "The Fifth Princess's dance is quite good, isn't it, Xiang Xue?"
Xiang Xue nodded. "Indeed, she dances well. I didn't expect the Fifth Princess, who is so capable in leading troops, to be so skilled at dancing."
The Fifth Princess's face darkened to the color of the bottom of a pot. She glared fiercely at Bai Ling, "You witch, what sorcery have you used?"
Bai Ling extended her index finger, on which perched a small insect, fluttering its wings. "It's not sorcery, but Gu."
"Witch!"
"Thank you for the compliment," Bai Ling said with a smile and a nod. Xiao Man had told her these were compliments, recognition of her abilities.
"I wasn't complimenting you!"
"I think it's a compliment if I think it is," Bai Ling said cheerfully. "Fifth Princess, don't you have enmity with the Fourth Princess? She is about to die, you should be happy, but you don't look happy at all."
"Who wants her dead? I don't permit her to die. If she must die, she can only die by my hand!"
"Then do you want to kill her yourself?" Bai Ling asked softly. "If you do, I can help you. But if you agree and then don't kill her, it will be beyond your control."
The Fifth Princess's expression changed. "Who said I want to kill her? I just don't want her to have an easy time. I want her to live, so I can torment her. If she dies, it's all over."
Hearing this, Bai Ling immediately took out a small bamboo tube from her person and showed it to the Fifth Princess. "This is the Gu worm I cultivated, named 'Better Dead Than Alive.' Its effect is exactly as its name suggests; it can make the afflicted suffer a fate worse than death, ultimately dying after enduring extreme torment." Su Dan Novel Network
The Fifth Princess shivered violently, her eyes filled with apprehension. Her body suddenly became uncontrollable, clearly having fallen victim to Bai Ling's trick. Such a person had been hidden among them, and they had been completely unaware. How many people like Bai Ling had Xiao Man planted in Bianjing?
"Fifth Princess, as long as you nod, I will immediately make the Fourth Princess suffer a fate worse than death." Saying this, Bai Ling turned and walked towards the room. The Fifth Princess panicked.
"Come back!" the Fifth Princess said urgently. "Don't hurt her!"