"It seems you haven't understood my words," Xiao Man said slowly. "Murong Sheng Rui doesn't understand, and neither do you. You truly disappoint me."
Murong Zi Heng was greatly alarmed. The medicinal powder in his hand was instantly scattered, but with a wave of Xiao Man's sleeve, it all landed on Murong Zi Heng's face. Caught off guard, Murong Zi Heng choked on a considerable amount of the powder.
Xiao Man released her grip. Murong Zi Heng quickly fumbled for the antidote on his person, but just as he retrieved it, Xiao Man struck it down with her sword hilt, scattering the pills onto the ground. Xiao Man stepped on them, crushing the antidote into powder.
Seeing this, Murong Zi Heng desperately tried to induce vomiting to expel the swallowed powder. However, the powder dissolved instantly upon contact with water, making it impossible to spit out.
"The antidote, give me the antidote!"
Xiao Man remained unmoved, coldly watching Murong Zi Heng. There was not a trace of pity in her eyes. As expected of someone from the Murong family, like Murong Sheng Rui, they were ungrateful wretches. No matter how many times she saved them, the brothers would unhesitatingly turn their blades on her.
"You should have died back then. It was my soft heart that let you live these many years. Now that you seek your own death, you have no one to blame. On the road to the underworld, before the King of Hell, remember to tell him you brought this upon yourself." Xiao Man struck Murong Zi Heng to the ground with her sword hilt. Murong Zi Heng clutched his throat, writhing in agony.
His eyes bloodshot, he stared at Xiao Man with hatred. "You are not Dugu Man at all. Who are you?"
Xiao Man turned away, looking into the distance. A man in white clothes and white socks, with a slight upturn of his lips, called out, "Master, where are you going?"
Feng Mo Ran brushed away the assassins approaching him, his gaze steady and calm. He had been pondering where things had gone wrong. His plan should have been foolproof. How had Xiao Man discovered his scheme? Why had she turned on him so completely?
"What did I do that made you break with me so irrevocably?" Feng Mo Ran asked, word by word. He couldn't understand, even now, why the princess he cherished had suddenly become his mortal enemy.
Xiao Man reached out and gently tapped the mask on her face.
Feng Mo Ran looked puzzled. He touched the mask on his own face, wondering what it had to do with it.
"What do you mean?"
"You never show your true face. So, who saw your true appearance? And who revealed your appearance to the public?"
Feng Mo Ran recalled for a moment and then remembered. Dugu Man was the first to remove his mask, and Xiao Man was the second. But what did this Xiao Man have to do with his current predicament?
"I still don't understand."
"Rui'er, perhaps you can explain the reason to him, how about it?"
Feng Mo Ran looked at Murong Sheng Rui. Rui'er? Why did Xiao Man address Murong Sheng Rui so intimately?
"A Man, I don't know what you are talking about." Murong Sheng Rui smiled broadly. He would never let anyone know that Xiao Man was Dugu Man, and that Xiao Man was Xiao Man. Only Xiao Man could stay by his side forever without any reproach.
There was another crucial reason he didn't want Feng Mo Ran to know: Dugu Man was still alive!
Xiao Man curved her lips into a mocking smile. "Master, just assume I have the ability to divine the future."
"Your father's death..."
"Don't tell me you had nothing to do with my father's death." Xiao Man flicked her sword. "I've dealt with Tian Hao many times. He lurked in the shadows, acting as your mouth and eyes, even your hand. Master, a man as meticulous as you, once he's used someone, he should silence them to avoid giving me any loopholes."
Tian Hao's expression shifted slightly. Given his master's personality, it was indeed possible he would silence him. However, with his master's forces severely weakened, he was in dire need of people. Killing him now would be counterproductive. Moreover, his master and Xiao Man had already fallen out; there was no need to silence anyone. Suzhou Novel Network.
Feng Mo Ran looked at Tian Hao, who lowered his head guiltily. He had never imagined Xiao Man would investigate him. Besides, he rarely contacted his master, and even he didn't understand how Xiao Man had traced things back to his master.
"So, it's because of your father's death that you're breaking with me?"
"Isn't that enough?" Xiao Man asked coldly. "You killed my father and framed Nangong Yu. Then you killed my husband. Is that not enough?"
"You never loved Wen Mo Han," Feng Mo Ran said slowly, looking at Xiao Man. "You were with him merely to attract my attention, to prevent me from dealing with Nangong Yu."
"Master, do you know where your greatest failure lies?"
Feng Mo Ran frowned. Failure? He never admitted to failure, yet he couldn't help but wonder what he had done wrong.
"Do I have any failures?"
"You think hearts can be controlled, that people are without genuine feelings. You don't realize that hearts are fickle, and at the same time, they cannot be controlled." Xiao Man pointed her sword at Feng Mo Ran. "From this moment on, I, Xiao Man, and you, Feng Mo Ran, are sworn enemies. If we meet again, it will be either your death or mine!"
Feng Mo Ran's face turned ashen, devoid of color. His eyes were fixed on Xiao Man. This child he had watched over since childhood had, like her mother, ultimately betrayed him!
"I didn't expect you, like your mother, to choose betrayal," Feng Mo Ran's voice sounded somewhat ethereal. "Since that's the case, you shall die too!"
Feng Mo Ran lunged at Xiao Man. Xiao Man raised her sword to block his attack, and her left hand struck towards Feng Mo Ran's chest, but he deflected it. "Don't think that just because you obtained the old monk's entire power, you are my match!"
Xiao Man's expression remained unchanged. "I naturally know I am not your match. Otherwise, I would have killed you long ago and wouldn't have wasted my time with pleasantries!"
Xiao Man was covered in hidden weapons, and with them, she fought Feng Mo Ran to a standstill. However, she understood that if this continued, she would be the one at a disadvantage, as her supply of hidden weapons was limited.
"Today, as your master, I will teach you a good lesson about the fate of disobedient disciples!"
"Isn't it the same as Dugu Man, losing everything and becoming someone's plaything? Besides these tactics, what else can you do?" Xiao Man sneered. "A man of seven feet, yet so despicable in his methods. What has he given his respected disciple besides betrayal and endless pain?"
"She was trained by me. If she's disobedient, she should be destroyed, and so should you!" Feng Mo Ran caught Xiao Man's sword with his bare hands.
Xiao Man immediately dropped her sword, drew a dagger, and lunged towards Feng Mo Ran's waist. Feng Mo Ran, while holding Xiao Man's sword in one hand, grabbed her other wrist and threw her aside.