Feng Moran looked at Xiao Man on the high platform with disbelief, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He had indeed taught his disciple well; she had struck first. His reputation in Lan Yue was already poor, and coupled with the other four nations' deep apprehension towards the former Qin, regardless of whether it was true or not, if there was even a possibility, they would not let him go!
It was better to kill a thousand by mistake than let one go free! Remnants of the former Qin were a taboo for everyone, a terrifying one. Xiao Man intended to use this to put him to death!
Feng Moran couldn't articulate how he felt. The child he had raised with his own hands was a viper that bit the hand that fed it, not only ungrateful but also seeking his demise. This feeling was unbearable!
"You are truly heartless," Feng Moran said, his voice tinged with bitterness. He had wanted Xiao Man to be cold and unfeeling, yet when she truly became so, he was the first to be unable to accept it. "Must you treat me this way?"
"Remnants of the former Qin, kill without mercy!" Xiao Man said word by word, then waved her hand. The guards surged forward, intending to execute the former Qin remnants on the spot.
Jing Yujun subtly retreated a few steps, joining the court officials, and watched this drama unfold with cold eyes. Feng Moran, insidious and cruel, adept at scheming, had unexpectedly fallen at the hands of the wolf cub he himself had raised. What a supreme irony.
"Xiao Man, this is..."
"Lan Ruoyu, don't rush. You're next," Xiao Man said, looking at Lan Ruoyu with icy eyes, as if regarding a dead person. Lan Ruoyu sneered.
"Xiao Man, do you really think these people alone can seize the throne of Lan Yue?"
"Of course not," Xiao Man said softly. "That's why I chose to make my move today. Aren't you curious where the army I brought back from Yusheng has gone?"
Lan Ruoyu felt a deep unease. She had not found the army Xiao Man brought back from Yusheng, nor had she even found any trace of it. Yet, seeing Xiao Man's demeanor, she seemed to have everything under control. However, she had always been wary of Xiao Man and had made contingency plans. If she didn't return to the palace by a certain time, someone would naturally come to her rescue.
Below, Feng Moran was being besieged. Above, the empress was pushed to the brink. She had thought Xiao Man was a lamb to be easily controlled, only to discover she was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Yet, she didn't realize Xiao Man was a hunter specifically hunting wolves!
"Xiao Man, it's not too late to stop now. I can pretend none of this ever happened," the empress said, steadying her footing and no longer retreating. "Xiao Man, this is my final offer to you."
Xiao Man's expression remained unchanged, her face still frosty, but her tone shifted. "A final offer?"
"Yes, a final offer. Kneel down and admit your mistakes now, and I will forgive you!" the empress said, stepping forward with arrogance.
A cold smile curved Xiao Man's lips. She reached out, grabbed the empress by the neck, and lifted her off the ground. "Lan Ruoyu, don't you understand your predicament yet?"
Lan Ruoyu struggled, but her cultivation had vanished. She was utterly incapable of resisting Xiao Man. "Why are you doing this to Ah Ran? He was wholeheartedly devoted to you."
"Being devoted to me means killing my parents and the people I love?" Xiao Man scoffed. "Keep such devotion for yourself. I don't need it."
The empress was choked by Xiao Man's mocking tone. Her beautiful eyes stared at Xiao Man, unsure how to retort. The Lan family was now reduced to just the two of them, a result of her and Feng Moran's actions. She loved Feng Moran, but he did not reciprocate. Feng Moran, on the other hand, had given everything for Xiao Man, who remained indifferent. How similar her situation was to Xiao Man's, except in her case, she was the one who was abandoned.
"Xiao Man, you will regret treating him like this!"
"Regret?" Xiao Man let go, and the empress fell to the ground, gasping for breath in a disheveled state. "I will only make you regret!"
Feng Moran's guards protected him as he broke through the encirclement. Xiao Man did not stop him. She extended her hand, and someone immediately handed her a bow and arrow. She drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at Feng Moran in the crowd, her gaze cold and merciless.
The arrow left the string with a whistling sound, flying towards Feng Moran. Injured, Feng Moran could not evade the arrow. It struck him, sending him flying and crashing to the ground, spitting up blood. Since birth, he had never been so humiliated, and today, the one who caused him such humiliation was the disciple he cherished like a treasure!
Feng Moran hated. He had given everything for Xiao Man, even resorting to unscrupulous means, yet Xiao Man had ultimately betrayed him, just like her mother, betraying him without hesitation!
Feng Moran pulled out the arrow embedded in his body and flung it forcefully towards Xiao Man. Xiao Man merely shifted her body, dodging the arrow, then nocked another. She drew and fired three arrows in rapid succession at Feng Moran, each one aimed at a vital spot, showing no mercy.
Feng Moran’s eyes, previously calm, were now filled with fury. "Fine, let me see just how capable you are. Your wings have grown strong, and now you dare to turn on me!"
Xiao Man's expression was cold, disregarding Feng Moran's anger. She raised her wrist; hidden weapons were always strapped to her arm, never removed, not even on her wedding day!
Feng Moran's face changed slightly. He grabbed a nearby guard and used him as a shield. A barrage of needle-like poisoned silver darts shot out. The guards who had been shielding Feng Moran fell one by one. Feng Moran was filled with hatred; he should have killed her back then and spared himself this humiliation.
"Xiao Man, I will settle this score with you!" Feng Moran fled, leaving his guards to cover his retreat. Xiao Man did not pursue, letting him escape.
Death was an easy matter. Living, however, could be more agonizing, especially since Feng Moran used the empress as a medicinal cauldron to detoxify himself. However, members of the Lan family were not easily exploited. Using a member of the Lan family as a medicinal cauldron was akin to hurting the enemy a thousand times while losing eight hundred oneself, and Feng Moran likely hadn't realized this.
Xiao Man turned to look at the empress, who was slumped on the ground. "Your Majesty, look. The male favorite you cherished has abandoned you and fled alone."
The empress gritted her teeth fiercely. If she could, she would have pounced on Xiao Man and bitten her to death. This nobody she had never taken seriously had reduced her to this state. What was even more infuriating was that her reinforcements had not yet arrived.
At this moment, a figure appeared on the high platform. The empress's face lit up with surprise. "Xiao Man, it's not too late to kneel and beg for mercy now!"
Xiao Man said softly, "Lan Ruoyu, it's not too late for you to repent for everything you've done. Do you wish to repent?"
"Repent?" Lan Ruoyu struggled to stand. "The one who should repent is you! Wan'er, kill her!"
Yu Wan'er walked slowly to the empress's side and bowed respectfully. While the empress was still basking in her triumph, she suddenly struck, severing the empress's Achilles tendons!