Xiao Man remained silent, her clear, innocent eyes fixed on Nangong Yu. "Your Highness, did you force Madam Sheng to lie?"
"I would not stoop to such a thing."
"Then it's settled. Your Highness disdains making Madam Sheng lie, and Madam Sheng is an upright person. Yet Xue Kun publicly slandered Madam Sheng for lying, and also slandered this humble woman for bribing Your Highness. Such a noble figure as Your Highness could never be bought by common things. Who is right and who is wrong is self-evident." Xiao Man explained with a smile, completely unconcerned that her words might lead to Xue Kun's downfall.
Xue Kun finally realized that Xiao Man had dug a huge pit for him, and he had jumped right in without noticing. "Your Highness Prince Qin, I did not, I did not slander you. I only said Xiao Man was a liar!"
"Where did I lie?" Xiao Man asked calmly.
"You... you..." Xue Kun was speechless. He didn't know how Xiao Man had lied, but he just felt she was a liar, yet he couldn't articulate anything. He rolled up his sleeves and charged at Xiao Man, "Xiao Man, I will not rest until I have my revenge!"
Xiao Man's eyes flickered, and she kicked Xue Kun flying, sending him crashing into a nearby stall. She then pushed Zuo Yunfei away.
In an instant, several arrows were embedded around Xiao Man, and Prince Qin's horse was shot to pieces.
Prince Qin dismounted, unsheathed his sword, and deflected the arrows.
Xue Kun, who had been unexpectedly kicked away, hadn't even recovered before he jumped up to fight Xiao Man. But upon seeing Xiao Man and Prince Qin surrounded by assassins, he quickly found a place to hide.
Si Ye was being punished, so Si Chen was now by his side.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Si Chen was somewhat surprised, but he quickly joined the fray with his sword, as if such things were commonplace.
Originally, Xiao Man could have easily escaped, but because she saved Xue Kun and Zuo Yunfei, she herself was unable to get away and was surrounded by the assassins targeting Prince Qin.
Amidst the clash of blades, Xiao Man's movements were graceful, and the assassins could not even touch her. She was on the verge of breaking free from the encirclement.
While dealing with the assassins, Nangong Yu's gaze constantly followed Xiao Man.
Xiao Man's footwork was superb, and for some reason, Nangong Yu found it familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen it. As an assassin lunged, he deliberately kicked the man towards Xiao Man, bumping into her.
Xiao Man's movements faltered, and she nearly ran into the assassin's blade. Zuo Yunfei, hiding in a corner, cried out in alarm. However, Prince Qin grabbed Xiao Man's arm, applied a slight force, and Xiao Man spun into Prince Qin's embrace, narrowly avoiding the assassin's sword.
Nangong Yu's expression was calm as he pushed Xiao Man away again, evading the assassins' attacks.
Nangong Yu's eyes remained fixed on Xiao Man. Her face showed no fear, as if such scenes were not unfamiliar to her. After Xiao Man kicked an assassin away, Nangong Yu pulled her into his arms. Holding the soft and fragrant woman, Nangong Yu felt a stirring in his heart.
Si Chen watched their seemingly synchronized movements and his master's calm demeanor, his eyes filled with surprise. As the leader had said, his master was experiencing mortal love, and this eldest daughter of the Protector General's mansion was their master's destined trial!
Xiao Man withdrew from Nangong Yu's embrace. For some reason, she felt a deep-seated aversion to Nangong Yu's closeness, perhaps fearing that he would recognize her as the person from the hot springs at Gan Ye Temple that day.
Nangong Yu's expression shifted slightly. He suddenly put his arm around Xiao Man's waist and drew her into his embrace, his sword flashing as he killed an assassin attempting to ambush her. Their eyes met, and Xiao Man's heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness, the assassins have been dealt with."
Xiao Man quickly pushed Nangong Yu away, maintaining a distance between them.
Nangong Yu merely looked at his hand, the soft, tender touch reminding him of jade. For some reason, he thought of their encounter in the hot springs at Gan Ye Temple, their bodies bare, and the touch of his hand then, which he could not forget.
Xiao Man gritted her teeth, unsure how to speak, when a bright light shot directly at Nangong Yu's vital point!
Xiao Man moved instantly, appearing in front of Nangong Yu, a dagger in her hand. She deflected the projectile.
Nangong Yu reached out and grabbed Xiao Man's wrist. The dagger in Xiao Man's hand was barely an inch from Nangong Yu's neck. A little further, and it would have pierced his throat.
Si Chen rushed forward and stabbed the assassin to death. Nangong Yu's gaze fell upon Xiao Man's wrist. Her sleeve slipped slightly, revealing the cinnabar mark, red as blood, on her wrist.
A smile flickered across Nangong Yu's face. As he released Xiao Man's wrist, his fingertip slid across her cinnabar mark, picking up a smudge of blood. The originally blood-red mark began to fade. Nangong Yu's eyes moved slightly. "Thank you for your assistance, Miss Xiao."
"Your Highness is too kind. This humble woman takes her leave."
Xiao Man picked up the box that had fallen to the ground, brushed off the dust, bowed to Nangong Yu, and turned to leave.
Seeing Xiao Man depart, Zuo Yunfei bowed to Nangong Yu and then chased after her.
Xue Kun wanted to follow, but he remembered that Xiao Man had saved his life. Furthermore, he was genuinely afraid of this Prince Qin, who, despite his handsome looks, was extremely fierce. He tucked his tail between his legs and fled with his retainers.
Nangong Yu watched Zuo Yunfei chase after Xiao Man, his expression shifting. "Hand this over to the Capital Prefecture for investigation. We are returning to the manor."
After leaving, Xiao Man moved with extreme speed, disappearing around several corners to shake off Zuo Yunfei.
Once she was sure no one was following her, Xiao Man rolled up her sleeve and glanced at the rapidly fading cinnabar mark on her wrist, muttering a curse.
She then went to various pharmacies to buy herbs, not obtaining all of them from a single location, but splitting her purchases among several. Even someone who knew the formula for the cinnabar mark would not be able to discern her intentions from the herbs she bought.
After Xiao Man left, someone immediately entered the pharmacies she had visited, inquired about the herbs she had purchased, and took the prescriptions back to the manor.
Nangong Yu studied the prescriptions brought back by the secret guards for a long time, unable to make sense of them. He then handed them to Wen Ruyu. "Are these the prescriptions for the cinnabar mark?"
"The formula for the cinnabar mark was lost long ago. These prescriptions all appear to be for ordinary tonics. This young lady from the Protector General's mansion is quite intriguing. The true formula must be hidden within. If the Medicine King were here, he would surely be able to discern it." Wen Ruyu bowed and asked, "It seems the cinnabar mark on her wrist was indeed disguised with the cinnabar formula?"
Nangong Yu nodded.
After being stained with blood, Xiao Man's cinnabar mark quickly turned faint and would soon disappear. Therefore, their men were stationed at the pharmacies. If Xiao Man wanted to avoid alerting anyone, she would have to re-apply the cinnabar mark. As expected, after shaking off Zuo Yunfei, Xiao Man went straight to the pharmacies!