Lian Que!

Having just engaged in fierce battle, he was now drenched in sweat.

His eyes bloodshot.

But—

How could it be him?

Bai Yin immediately tore off the black cloth covering her face, asking in surprise, “It’s you?”

Lian Que said, “The grudges between you and me are now completely settled.”

“Shouldn’t you be here to kill me instead?”

“That sword of mine is still in your hands! How could I possibly kill you? I only hope you can return the sword to me—it’s very important to me.”

Bai Yin dismissed it, “I have no use for that broken sword of yours anyway. Consider it repayment for the favor you did me today by helping! Come get it tomorrow.”

“Good!”

Indeed straightforward.

At this moment, sounds came from the distance.

It must be the manor’s guards about to catch up.

Lian Que said, “The manor’s guards will catch up soon. Leave quickly.”

“What about you…”

“We’ll split up. We’ll talk again when we meet tomorrow.”

With that said, Lian Que left with his people.

Bai Yin glanced at Lang Bo and saw his arm was injured. She asked, “Are you all right?”

Lang Bo smiled slightly, “Just a minor wound, won’t kill me!”

With that, the two departed in opposite directions.

By the time the manor’s guards caught up, they didn’t even see a shadow.

There was no direction to pursue.

“Chief, what do we do?”

The lead guard’s gaze swept around the area, so angry his nose twisted.

He ordered, “Split up to pursue them. If we can’t catch them, we’ll have to present our heads to the prince.”

“Yes!”

Several dozen guards began dispersing in all directions to pursue.

Like scattered ants.

If they couldn’t catch anyone, given the Third Prince’s temperament, each would likely suffer.

How could they not pursue with their lives on the line?

…

On the other side, Na Tuo went to Jing Xuan’s courtyard with fury.

Jing Xuan had only just arrived a moment earlier. Those three maids had been terrified out of their wits, having no idea where their usually proper princess consort had disappeared to. They had been pacing anxiously in the courtyard, nearly unable to resist going to find the Third Prince!

Seeing her return now, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They quickly said, “Princess Consort, where did you go? You scared us to death! We thought something had happened to you! There seemed to be assassins in the manor earlier—Princess Consort, are you all right?”

Jing Xuan’s expression remained calm as she said, “I only went to the library pavilion to find some books. You needn’t worry.”

“Find books?”

“Yes.”

The maids exchanged glances with each other.

Thinking, how strange this princess consort was!

Tonight, if not releasing white kites, then going to the library pavilion to find books in the dead of night.

Could she really be confused from illness?

Just as they were thinking—

Jing Xuan had already entered the room.

But just as she stepped inside, a voice sounded outside the door, “Stop.”

Her body immediately tensed, her footsteps frozen in place.

She only heard hurried footsteps gradually approaching from behind.

The moment she turned around—

Before she could react, before she could even see clearly who was in front of her, she was struck across the face!

“Slap!”

The force was tremendous.

It sent her flying to the ground.

Blood flowing from the corner of her lips.

Her face burned with pain, her eardrums felt as if they had burst.

In that moment, her mind went blank!

Na Tuo stood before her with a superior air, fury blazing in his eyes.

Jing Xuan lay on the ground, her body just beginning to lift halfway when Na Tuo raised his foot and stepped down, directly onto her slender fingers.

“Ah!”

Pain!

Piercing pain.

“This prince thought you were dead, but it turns out you still know pain!” His tone was full of mockery.

Jing Xuan bit down hard on her teeth, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Yet she wouldn’t let herself make another sound.

Na Tuo showed no intention of reducing the force under his foot. Looking down, he questioned her, “Speak! Were those earlier assassins and tonight’s assassins outside the library pavilion brought here by you?”

She bit her teeth and said nothing!

“This prince is asking you a question. Are you deaf?”

“What do assassins in the prince’s manor have to do with me?”

“What do they have to do with you?” Na Tuo crouched down, grasping her chin forcefully and saying viciously, “Do you really take this prince for a fool? If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll cut out your tongue. Speak! Were those people here to find you or not?”

“No!”

“If not, then what were you doing at the library pavilion so late? And just by chance, so many black-clad people appeared.”

Heh!

Jing Xuan smiled bitterly, “I only went to the library pavilion to find some books.”

“Books? Finding books in the dead of night.”

How strange.

No matter how foolish Na Tuo was, he wouldn’t believe it. Jing Xuan lifted her chin, holding the blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, her tone flat as she said, “Must… going to the library pavilion to find books to read also be divided by time? How could I know when assassins would come? Every day I’m watched and guarded in this courtyard—where would I have any opportunity to collude with others?”

“You…”

“As for those black-clad people, I don’t know who they are either. If those people had truly come to find me, I’m afraid… you wouldn’t be seeing me here, Your Highness. After all, I’ve long had enough of this hellish place.”

These words clearly provoked Na Tuo.

Unable to contain his anger, he raised his hand to strike again.

But just as his hand was raised—

It was caught at the wrist by another hand.

Stopping his hand mid-air.

He turned to look and saw Gong Shilin.

“What are you doing?”

Gong Shilin said, “You’ll beat the princess consort to death like this.”

A reminder.

This…

Na Tuo thought for a moment and hesitated.

He withdrew his hand from Gong Shilin’s grasp, then looked at Jing Xuan with her deathly pale face and an expression of facing death without fear. He had intended to release her, but he could never trust what this woman said. Combined with those black-clad people escaping right under his nose, a ball of fury was building in his chest with nowhere to vent.

His eyes narrowed!

He ordered the maids outside, “Someone, bring this prince the princess consort’s medicine.”

Following orders, a maid immediately brought in a bowl of medicine.

Na Tuo took the medicine bowl, aimed it at Jing Xuan’s mouth, and said, “Weren’t you ill? Weren’t you so confused from illness that you went to find books to read? Good, this prince will personally feed you the medicine.”

He pinched her cheeks.

Forcibly pried open her mouth.

Then—

Poured the medicine violently into her mouth.

Choking her until her face turned completely red, her eyes brimming with tears.

The bowl emptied, and Na Tuo smashed the empty bowl directly onto the ground.

“Bang!”

It shattered into pieces.

A shard flew up and cut Jing Xuan’s eye corner, immediately drawing blood.

After being tortured like this, she still showed no sign of submission. Instead, in those crimson eyes burned a trace of defiance!

Gong Shilin truly couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Seeing that woman being tortured so, his heart felt as if being cut by knives.

He quickly spoke to stop it, “Na Tuo, that’s enough.”

Na Tuo snorted, finally releasing the woman he had been gripping after the intervention, standing up to straighten his sleeves.

Jing Xuan’s body lost its support.

She fell heavily to the ground.

Gasping for breath.

“Cough, cough, cough…” She began coughing.