Outside the Prime Minister's mansion, a figure stood silently, gazing at the firecracker debris by the entrance, a cold glint in her eyes. So, her death would not bring any change to the mansion. They were still celebrating the festival with joy, and Wen Mohan showed not a trace of guilt!
Wen Moyu turned and left. The day Wen Mohan attempted to kill her, she had severed all ties with the Prime Minister's mansion. She was no longer the young lady of the mansion, and it was no longer her home.
Not far down the street, Wen Moyu saw a figure standing ahead. In the darkness, it was difficult to discern clearly, but she could still feel the hostility emanating from the person.
"Who's there?"
The approaching person raised her head, revealing a delicate face. Wen Moyu would never mistake that face: "Xiao Man!"
Xiao Man drew her sword and lunged forward, her sword as agile as a snake, thrusting towards Wen Moyu. Wen Moyu dodged with a spin and drew her own sword to engage Xiao Man.
"Xiao Man, does it hurt?" Wen Moyu asked, a triumphant smile gracing her face as she saw Xiao Man. "The powerful General's mansion, the women within its walls are all loose women. If outsiders were to know, would the General's mansion still have any face to be in the Imperial Capital?"
Xiao Man paid no heed to Wen Moyu's words; all her fury was channeled into her swordplay. Tian Gan, as if sensing its master's rage, unleashed a terrifying killing intent. Wen Moyu had thought her skills were at least on par with Xiao Man's, if not superior. To her surprise, she was being utterly suppressed by Xiao Man!
"Xiao Man, what are you so proud of? Guess if Prince Qin will still marry you when he knows you're a loose woman?" Wen Moyu parried Xiao Man's sword, lowering her voice and asking maliciously.
Xiao Man's gaze fell upon Wen Moyu's face, and she suddenly smiled. "Don't you know that I've already tasted Prince Qin? It was truly exceptionally soul-stirring."
Wen Moyu's face changed drastically. "Shameless!"
Xiao Man's smile widened. "I may be shameless, but I'm still better than you. You offered yourself to him, yet His Highness Prince Qin disdained you and sent you to Prince Han instead. How was Prince Han's taste? Did it leave a deep impression?"
"Xiao Man, I will kill you!" Wen Moyu roared in fury. She had loved Prince Qin for many years, yet Prince Qin had shown her such disdain. This was the deepest pain in her heart.
"Can you kill me?" Xiao Man's voice was like a demonic echo in Wen Moyu's ears, stimulating her. "You can't kill me. The Prince Qin you adore is already in my grasp, to be toyed with as I please. I have seen and touched every inch of his skin. Have you seen him in my bed? It truly makes one's blood boil."
"Shameless!" Wen Moyu, provoked to the brink of madness by Xiao Man, swung her sword without any semblance of skill. Xiao Man's eyes turned cold, and her sword slashed diagonally, piercing Wen Moyu's wrist. Wen Moyu's sword immediately fell from her grasp. Xiao Man followed up with another swift strike, and blood splattered as Wen Moyu let out a scream.
However, Xiao Man's sword did not pause. In a short span, she stabbed Wen Moyu over ten times, but each blow carefully avoided vital points. Her intention was not to kill Wen Moyu, but to torment her. Wen Moyu's screams, in the dead of night, were particularly chilling.
"Who's there?" Patrol constables, hearing the screams, rushed over. They saw someone wielding a sword and injuring another, and immediately surrounded them. At this moment, two figures burst into the encirclement, grabbed Wen Moyu, and fled.
"Trying to escape? Don't even think about it!" Xiao Man pursued with her sword, but was blocked by the patrol constables. In her urgency, Xiao Man hurled her sword, hitting one of the black-clad men, who fell from the rooftop. The other man, with Wen Moyu, disappeared.
Xiao Man pushed aside the constables blocking her path and chased after them. She retrieved the sword stuck in the black-clad man and was about to pursue further when the constables caught up again. "Xiao Man, how dare you commit violence in the Imperial City!"
Xiao Man then clearly saw the person blocking her way: "Ling Xuan."
Ling Xuan also recognized Xiao Man. He never expected Xiao Man to be wielding a sword and committing violence alone on New Year's Eve. Su Dan Novel Network
"You attacked and injured someone with a sword. Return to the yamen with me."
Xiao Man sneered. "I attacked someone with a sword? May I ask whom I injured?"
Ling Xuan looked at the motionless black-clad man on the ground, his meaning clear.
"This man attempted to assassinate me. I acted in self-defense and killed him. Is that not within the law?" Xiao Man sheathed her sword. "Move aside."
"Who were you chasing?" Ling Xuan stubbornly blocked Xiao Man's path. Xiao Man had once forcefully expelled him from the General's mansion and sent people to break off their engagement, acting with unbearable arrogance. Now, witnessing Xiao Man's violent act, how could Ling Xuan let her go?
Xiao Man ignored Ling Xuan and tried to sidestep him. Ling Xuan drew his sword and placed it at Xiao Man's neck. "Do not be too presumptuous."
Xiao Man raised her eyebrows and glanced at Ling Xuan, her expression calm. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Return to the yamen with me!" Ling Xuan said steadily. Although his father had told him not to conflict with Xiao Man, he could not tolerate such lawlessness from her.
Xiao Man suddenly took a step closer to Ling Xuan. Ling Xuan flinched, hastily moving his sword away slightly, afraid of accidentally harming Xiao Man and causing trouble. To his surprise, Xiao Man swiftly pressed a pressure point on him and then leaped away.
"The pressure point will be released in two hours."
Ling Xuan was both angry and indignant. "Xiao Man, come back here!"
However, his only response was the cold wind and the occasional sound of firecrackers, along with the concerned inquiries of his subordinates.
But his subordinates were unable to release the pressure point. Helplessly, the constables had to carry Ling Xuan back. They also intended to take away the black-clad man killed by Xiao Man, only to find that the body had vanished. Even if they wanted to apprehend Xiao Man at the General's mansion, they had no evidence.
Xiao Man returned to Shui Yue Xiao Zhu, removed her cloak, and prepared to sleep for a while before dawn. As she was halfway through undressing, she discovered someone else in the room and quickly pulled her clothes back on.
"Your Highness, when did you arrive?" Xiao Man asked while dressing.
Nangong Yu was tending to a small stove. The water on the stove had boiled, making a gurgling sound. Nangong Yu skillfully placed the wrapped dumplings into the pot. "I arrived when you returned from the main courtyard."
Xiao Man's expression changed slightly. She sat down opposite Nangong Yu. "You saw."
"Mhm." Nangong Yu stirred the pot with a spoon. Once the dumplings had all floated to the surface, he fished them out, plated them, heated a pot of wine, and handed a bowl and chopsticks to Xiao Man. "You've been busy all night. You must be hungry. Come and try my dumplings."
Xiao Man took them and picked up a dumpling. She took a bite; the taste was good. As she ate, she asked softly, "Your Highness has been waiting for me at Shui Yue Xiao Zhu all this time?"
Nangong Yu poured a cup of wine for Xiao Man. Xiao Man hesitated. Her tolerance for alcohol was low, and she got drunk easily.