Feng Yuan did not dodge, merely frowning in endurance: “You may bite through my blood vessel and feast on my flesh and blood, but if I die, what will happen to your adoptive father and father?”

Without him saying it, Xiaoying also knew that if she didn’t bite him viciously, how else could she vent her current anger?

The iron-rust taste of blood spread between her lips and teeth. His large hand that gripped her arm was at her waist.

If he wanted, using just forty percent of his brute force would be enough to break her ribs, making her cough blood and die on the spot.

Yet he merely held her loosely, without exerting any strength, calmly waiting for her to give up.

This only made her seem desperately frantic, putting on a show of empty threats.

Xiaoying greatly disliked this feeling of being at the end of her rope and finally slowly released her bite. Blood gushed from Feng Yuan’s neck, wetting his collar.

He didn’t let go, so Xiaoying could only lean against his shoulder, watching as the skin she had bitten bloomed into glaring red plum blossoms…

Having eaten only thin porridge for a day, she had less strength than usual, even when biting someone. She still couldn’t bite through his blood vessel with one bite…

Feng Yuan didn’t speak either. Feeling the wild beast calm down after tasting blood, gaining a moment of peace, he finally supported her upright and continued: “A case from seven years ago is not easily overturned. To revive this case, Meng Zhun can only put himself at risk, drawing out the mastermind behind the bloody murder of his entire family to uncover the truth. At that time, perhaps he can clear both his family’s name and his own.”

Xiaoying looked at him disbelievingly, murmuring: “How can I trust what you say?”

Feng Yuan originally wanted to say, What does it matter whether you believe or not?

She had lost in this game. Why should the victor justify the truth of his words to the defeated?

But at this moment, the young woman’s face no longer held her usual carefree smile. Her mouth was still stained with blood, her eyes red-rimmed, filled with indescribable weariness, as if one more harsh word would shatter the Xiaoying he knew…

Feng Yuan moved his lips, and words came out beyond his control: “I swear on my mother’s name, I will protect Meng Zhun completely…”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it, wishing he hadn’t uttered such a foolish oath.

Xiaoying slowly frowned, her large eyes full of confusion: Feng Yuan’s words just now should be sincere.

She recognized the difference in status and strength between herself and Feng Yuan. Now that he held all the cards and had the upper hand, even if he wanted to deceive her, he wouldn’t need to swear such a solemn oath.

Because of this, Xiaoying looked up at Feng Yuan, finally asking in confusion: “Why are you doing all this?”

Feng Yuan opened his mouth, words already rushing to his lips, but like the tide, they receded slowly. In the end, he merely curved his mouth in mockery, preventing himself from saying anything else so foolish.

For a moment, the taut bowstring between them relaxed slightly. Seeing his neck still bleeding, Xiaoying wanted to use her sleeve to wipe it clean.

But Feng Yuan didn’t appreciate the gesture, turning his head to avoid it.

This bite, he deserved it.

This young woman always vigorously protected those under her wing, just as with A’Yuan, and now her adoptive father and father.

Feng Yuan had never been anyone special to Yan Xiaoying, so she deceived and hurt him without hesitation.

Just like when they first met in the abandoned palace, she unintentionally gave him some warmth and tenderness, then waved goodbye casually, never to return.

Xiaoying turned again to take a handkerchief, wanting to wipe his wound, but Feng Yuan brushed her away once more.

Xiaoying simply gave up and said, “I want to see my adoptive father and father…”

Feng Yuan laughed: “Yan Xiaoying, what qualifies you to make demands of me now? Do you think you’re my prince?”

Xiaoying used the handkerchief to wipe her mouth, sitting back on the bed: “I killed Shang Youdao. Before he died, he said that many of the bandits he incited came from Fengwei Slope.”

Her emotions always changed quickly.

One moment, she was in a life-or-death confrontation with Feng Yuan; the next, she was calmly changing the subject, finding something to bargain with.

Feng Yuan curved his lips with slight mockery: “So?”

“With all your maneuvers, you’re merely trying to strip Chen Nuo of his power, take his military authority, and send troops to recapture Fengwei Slope. Since the chess game you’ve laid out isn’t finished, you probably don’t have time to dally with me either. If the weather gets any colder, the good season for military campaigns will pass!”

Feng Yuan turned to look at Yan Xiaoying: “Who told you I want to send troops to Fengwei Slope?”

Fengwei Slope was west of Lianjiang, in Wei Country’s territory—or more accurately, it had been Dafeng territory twenty years ago.

This area had always been contested between the two countries. Years ago, Feng Yuan’s mother had stationed troops there, but seven years ago, Fengwei Slope fell back into Wei Country’s hands.

After losing this territory, the two countries had maintained peace for several years, until recently, when water disasters frequently occurred in Jiangzhe, bandits became rampant, and many fugitives from Wei Country took advantage of the chaos to come downstream by boat, harassing Dafeng citizens.

It was clear that Wei Country was again trying to expand its territory. Emperor Chunde had long wanted to recapture it, but with the unrest in Jiangzhe still unsettled, the court couldn’t afford to send troops. Why did she suddenly speak of this?

Xiaoying smiled: “Wasn’t your previous advice to Chen Nuo meant to persuade him to temporarily abandon Mount Ding and launch a surprise attack on Fengwei Slope?”

Feng Yuan asked her: “How did you deduce that?”

Xiaoying tilted her head back: “What deduction! I’m not like you and Mu Hanjiang, always analyzing people’s twisted thoughts. I snuck into Chen Nuo’s command tent when he wasn’t paying attention and directly read your memorial.”

Feng Yuan glared at her coldly: How had this young woman’s courage been cultivated? There seemed to be nothing in the world she didn’t dare to do!

Xiaoying now understood Feng Yuan a bit better.

This man held grudges, but he had even greater ambitions!

Step by step, he had calculated his way to Jiangzhe. If he only relied on killing a few mountain bandits to achieve merit, it would be too inefficient.

If she wanted to ease the crisis facing her adoptive father and the others, she would need to make herself more useful, to see if she could hook this Grand Prince and change his mind.

“Dafeng and Wei Country are temporarily stable, but who knows how long this stability will last. Since Wei Country is suspected of colluding with Dafeng officials to cause chaos in Jiangzhe, this can be used as a pretext. Although the troops under my adoptive father and I are few, they are brave and good at fighting. If we can help the Grand Prince recapture lost territory, it would count as surrendering to your cause. What does the Grand Prince think?”

Although recapturing Fengwei Slope was dangerous, if she could convince Feng Yuan, it would provide a good opportunity for her adoptive father to receive amnesty, certainly better than becoming his prisoner and being sent to the capital in a cage cart.

Before she finished speaking, Feng Yuan suddenly pulled her over.

His eyes full of unheeding anger, he stared at her and said word by word: “Listen carefully, I am not your adoptive father or Feng Qiyuan. If I go to battle, I don’t need you!”

After saying this, he pushed Xiaoying back onto the bed and turned to leave with large strides.

It seemed that while he might not harm her adoptive father and the others for now, their previous cooperative relationship was over.

Feng Yuan now held all of Xiaoying’s vulnerabilities in his hand, so he certainly had the capital to mock her. It was normal that he no longer valued her.

Xiaoying fell back on the bed, helplessly knocking her head against the pillow a few times.

Her greatest concern now was her father.

When they left the mountain, he was still coughing. Given Feng Yuan’s current conduct, even if he didn’t throw them in prison, they would likely lack proper food and clothing. That bowl of thin porridge wouldn’t be good for his illness.

So the night passed. Xiaoying went to the door before dawn to check and found that the guards had been withdrawn.

It seemed Feng Yuan was confident; even before they had fully discussed things, he had granted her some freedom of movement.

She walked around but saw no sign of her adoptive father and the others, not knowing where Feng Yuan had placed them.

Xiaoying asked a maid for some medicine for wounds and, following the long corridor, came to the study behind the bamboo grove.

Sure enough, Feng Yuan had been reading there all night; the wax from the candles had formed small mountains.

The wound on his neck had only been wiped clean, not treated properly. After a night, it had swollen considerably.

Xiaoying pressed her lips together, carried the medicine box to Feng Yuan, took out the medicine bottle, and said: “I know you’re tough, but no one gets themselves covered in wounds in such a short time. Apply this medicine yourself.”

Feng Yuan didn’t even look at her. Xiaoying, not wanting to invite embarrassment, put down the medicine and turned to leave.

She had already taken a step out when Feng Yuan coldly said from behind: “There’s no bronze mirror here; I can’t see.”

Xiaoying looked back at Feng Yuan. It seemed that after a night, he had become somewhat more approachable.

So she sat down beside him, took the medicine, and applied it to his neck, then asked: “Is the wound on your back better?”

Feng Yuan silently removed his clothes, revealing his muscular back.

The wounds on his back were indeed layered. The scars from the bear claw hadn’t faded before new wounds from the military whip were added.

This man was brutal enough to himself. Knowing he would be used as a scapegoat, he deliberately provoked Chen Nuo to beat him.

Xiaoying should have taken this opportunity for revenge, pressing down hard, but seeing it, she lightened her touch, using just her fingertips to gently spread the medicine.

Feng Yuan closed his eyes, allowing Xiaoying to apply the medicine, but the muscles on his back gradually tensed, showing rippling shadows in the flickering lamplight.

Xiaoying patted an uninjured part of his back: “Don’t be so tense, relax a bit…”

As she spoke, she continued applying the medicine and asked: “When did you discover I was the Little King of Hell?”

Feng Yuan seemed to be enduring something, keeping his eyes closed: “Those few moves you used against the courage character shadow guard were evolved from the Xiao family boxing techniques by me. Besides you, no one else had seen them.”

Xiaoying’s hand suddenly paused, losing her composure and pressing too hard, hurting Feng Yuan.

He sucked in a cold breath and simply reached out to pull Xiaoying into his embrace.

Xiaoying followed the momentum and gripped his neck with one hand, asking through gritted teeth: “You did this on purpose?”

So that was the flaw! She never imagined that when Mu Hanjiang asked about those moves, he had already guessed the truth.

She had been foolish when she saw him use these moves; he said they were entry-level techniques of the Xiao family boxing, and countless people knew them…

He had set traps everywhere! Seeing through her for so long without showing any weakness, a born liar who caused great harm!

Feng Yuan stared at her eyes, which had become bright with anger, and said gently: “Not at all. I just saw that you seemed to want to learn secretly, so I thought of teaching you some techniques suitable for a girl…”

The Xiao family boxing was extremely forceful and masculine, not suitable for women to practice. That’s why what he taught her were boxing moves he had created and improved himself.

He never expected that this small kindness back then would become this little thief’s weakness later on.

“But… based on just this, you were certain I was the Little King of Hell? Ordinary people wouldn’t guess that ‘he’ was a woman.”

“I didn’t know at first, but Mu Hanjiang told me the Little King of Hell was a woman.”

Xiaoying didn’t quite believe. When had he discovered this?

Feng Yuan said, “It wasn’t that he saw through it, but rather he told me about his several exchanges with the Little King of Hell, each time using techniques that turned the opponent’s force against them. This kind of fighting method is typically used by women. But these were just guesses. It wasn’t until you framed me and gave the map to Mu Hanjiang that I could completely confirm you had a close relationship with Meng Zhun of Mount Ding…”

And Mu Hanjiang had also told him about how Meng Zhun had been rescued in Yicheng, with a father-daughter pair mysteriously disappearing from the prison.

Add to that when the fake King of Hell was eliminated in Tian Dong Village, this young woman had been sick in the courier station for a day and night without showing her face.

Mu Hanjiang didn’t know the link to the fake Crown Prince, so naturally, he couldn’t connect the dots. But when Feng Yuan heard about it, he immediately put all the clues together.

Yan Xiaoying had appeared in the palace after Yicheng.

Although the answer seemed incredible, Feng Yuan could be certain that Yan Xiaoying was the Little King of Hell who had caused waves to surge in Lianjiang!

The map was the final test. If she showed interest in Mount Ding, it would confirm his suspicions.

He just never expected this young woman to be so ruthless in her calculations, selling him out without hesitation!

Xiaoying raised an eyebrow, feeling his explanation was somewhat exaggerated. Could male and female fighting styles be distinguished like that?

“My mother’s military campaigns were also in this style, avoiding the enemy’s strengths and fighting with flanking maneuvers.”

Xiaoying pressed her lips together, somewhat uncertain if Feng Yuan was flattering her, but feeling a little pleased, she said: “Are you saying I’m as formidable as your mother?”

Feng Yuan turned to look at her, expressionless: “My mother was of noble character and never deceived people…”

What did that mean? Was he accusing her of being full of lies? How could he, of all people, have the nerve?

“When you first showed me the map, it was deliberate, right? Knowing who I was, you still used words to hint that you would directly attack Mount Ding, step by step, luring me to take action…”

Hmph! By her reckoning, Feng Yuan’s fighting style was more feminine!

“You came over to look at it yourself.” Feng Yuan didn’t admit to setting a trap for Xiaoying.

“Besides,” Feng Yuan paused, his tone somewhat cool, “I originally planned to act as I said, directly entering the mountain to eliminate the Mount Ding problem.”

He spoke very plainly—he was not some benevolent savior, nor did he have much kindness in his heart.

This delay in time with the roundabout capture was only because he had momentarily lost his wits, thus sparing Meng Zhun’s life.

“But how did you know my adoptive father and I would come here?”

“Someone has been tracking your movements, reporting to me at all times. When I saw you heading toward Youma Town, I knew.”

All of Yan Shan’s shops in Jiangzhe could be investigated, but only this one in Youma Town wasn’t on the registry. This place wasn’t within Chen Nuo’s military jurisdiction, close to the riverside, and convenient for transport. If it were him, unable to stay in the mountains, he would choose this place to settle.

Xiaoying was amazed at what she heard: Xiao Tianyang’s extraordinary disciples were too numerous! They tracked targets without leaving a trace, now all at Feng Yuan’s disposal.

By Xiaoying’s reckoning, these people under Feng Yuan’s command were even more fearsome than the Dragon Scale Shadow Guards.

But given Xiao Tianyang’s casual, unrestrained personality, he wouldn’t normally bother organizing so many people…

Xiaoying suddenly became curious—when exactly had Xiao Tianyang started accumulating these connections? And what was he preparing to use them for?

But these weren’t questions she could ask.

Having resolved her confusion, Xiaoying suddenly realized she was sitting in Feng Yuan’s embrace. He hadn’t put on his clothes, and his tense muscles were too close to her.

She wanted to move positions, but his hands locked her waist, preventing her from moving.

Xiaoying knew she couldn’t overpower him now and couldn’t be bothered to struggle. She just leaned obediently against his arm, looking up at him like a well-behaved cat, softly asking: “If you’re going to escort my adoptive father to the capital, how do you plan to deal with me?”

This lying little thief had sneaked her way into the imperial palace, and in one night had caused enough trouble to make Chen Nuo’s entire camp restless.

Was there any mischief in the world she wouldn’t dare to create?

How to deal with her? The most risk-free method would naturally be to grab her neck and break it, preventing her from coming up with more ingenious methods to throw the world into chaos!

Feng Yuan’s gaze fixed on her slender neck, but involuntarily moved upward, sliding past her delicate chin, finally settling on those crimson lips.

The morning light filtered through, falling on the young woman’s face, making her eyes seem like pools of water, filled with indescribable charm.

Just now, when she was applying medicine for him, her hands had been roaming around his neck and back, distracting him so much that he couldn’t focus…

His high, straight nose moved downward as Feng Yuan’s handsome face slowly drew closer.

After all that talk, he still coveted her beauty!

Xiaoying couldn’t tell if what she felt was disappointment or something else, but she didn’t want to dodge. She slowly closed her eyes, preparing to play along with this scoundrel for a while.

The young lord’s body carried the cold, snow-soaked fragrance he loved, now drawing closer and enveloping her senses…

But the next moment, her body leaned forward as Feng Yuan pushed her away like discarding a playing card.

Xiaoying was caught off guard, pushed down onto the table. She looked back at him in surprise, her delicate face rarely showing confusion and embarrassment.

Feng Yuan showed no sign of the earlier infatuation, coldly saying: “Didn’t you want to leave long ago? Please feel free to go. Forgive me for not seeing you out.”

After saying this, he put on his clothes, picked up a book with his long fingers, and began reading on his own.

With that righteous posture, he truly looked like a scholar untouched by fox spirits, his manner of driving people away no different from shooing away annoying flies.

Xiaoying sat up with a start, still not quite believing—was this man just toying with her? Why did this trick seem so familiar? It was like her usual tactics!

“I’m leaving? Then how do you plan to fill the hole left by the Crown Prince?”

His leverage over her adoptive father and the others wasn’t it to prevent her from escaping?

Feng Yuan seemed to have thought this through long ago: “Last night, I borrowed some of Shang Youdao’s men stationed at the courier station to start a fire. Everyone else escaped, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince was trapped in the disaster and burned to a crisp.”

“Charcoal? Who was burned to death?”

“A nameless corpse from the wasteland cemetery… Yan Xiaoying, you’re free now. Go if you want!”

This man was truly ruthless, cutting through the confusion so cleanly, leaving Yan Xiaoying no room to retreat!

Even if she wanted to use her identity as the Crown Prince to resolve her adoptive father’s predicament, she couldn’t!

Even if Xiaoying had wanted to leave before, Feng Yuan’s brutal and barbaric actions were inappropriate at every turn, with wide-ranging implications!

What was he rushing for? It was as if he were afraid of regretting it.

So, was Feng Yuan just frightening her, or had he done this?

Yan Xiaoying almost laughed from anger: “Wait… you’re holding my adoptive father captive on the way to the capital, but letting me go? Are you hoping I’ll ambush your prisoner cart on the road?”

Hearing this, Feng Yuan looked up from his book, his eyes gleaming coldly: “You can try…”

Xiaoying didn’t want to argue with him and directly asked: “You said you would keep my adoptive father safe. How do you plan to do that? What clues do you have?”

Seeking justice for her adoptive father’s seven-year-old case was extremely difficult. Feng Yuan merely carried the title of Grand Prince without any real power—how could he act?

He raised his book to cover his face: “Why should I discuss such confidential matters with an outsider? You should just go about your own life.”

Feng Yuan’s current irritating manner was also familiar.

Thinking carefully, it seemed he had learned three parts of Yan Xiaoying’s true transmission!