Mercenary Princess - Chapter 19
Seeing that everyone wisely kept quiet to protect themselves, the Blood Demon's eyes smirked arrogantly, revealing his undisguised arrogance: "Master Murong, what are you waiting for! Quickly call your daughter out, my brothers are missing her terribly! Hahaha..."
"This..." Old Master Murong couldn't understand how a martial arts contest for marriage could have attracted such a bloodthirsty demon! Making his daughter marry someone from the Blood Lotus Palace was practically pushing Yu Yan into a fire pit! What kind of place was the Blood Lotus Palace? It was a hellish place that devoured people without spitting out bones, a place from which there was no return! How could he bear to subject his daughter to such torment as her life was nearing its end?
"What? You made your daughter my brother's woman, and you still humiliated her?!" To the Blood Demon, Master Murong's hesitation was a provocation against his Blood Lotus Palace. Instantly, a chilling wind emanated from him, its coldness overwhelming! His blood-red robes billowed wildly in the wind, rustling and swirling with unrestrained arrogance! His blood-red eyes, amplified by the surge of emotion, appeared even more alluring and blood-red, revealing a bloodthirsty excitement churning within them!
Wow, this man can be used as an air conditioner! Rongyue squinted contentedly, leaning against the door and enjoying the cool air wafting from afar. It's so refreshing! How does this man do that? He's amazing; even she, standing far away at the door, can enjoy the 'benefits' he's sending—truly a natural air conditioner! Of course, this air conditioner seems to only work in summer, because this man seems to only know how to blow cold air! Hey, it's so refreshing! Blow more, more…
Compared to Rong Yue's ease, the crowd below the stage was drenched in cold sweat! Upon feeling the chilling aura emanating from the Blood Demon, their faces paled, their muscles tensed, and they were on high alert. A few days ago, the Ouyang family of Jinyang City had somehow offended this feared demon, leading to his massacre and the complete slaughter of the Ouyang mansion! The once-great, century-old family had become a living hell overnight, with severed limbs, corpses strewn everywhere, and rivers of blood—a truly gruesome sight! Just imagining such a scene, who among them could remain calm and composed? If they didn't give this demon a satisfactory answer today, and angered him, who could guarantee that he wouldn't turn the Murong mansion into a second Ouyang mansion in his rage?
The crowd surrounding the arena exchanged pleading glances, their eyes fixed on the grief-stricken Master Murong, who stood with his hands behind his back. His once spirited and piercing eyes were now dim. Alas, how could he not understand the thoughts hidden in their gazes? How could he not know that sacrificing Yu Yan to protect the entire Murong family and all the innocent people present was his only choice? But he was, after all, a father; how could he bring himself to push his daughter into the fire?
His eyes involuntarily glanced again at the young man leaning against the wall with his sword by the door. Agile, quick-witted, calm, and composed under pressure—these were qualities no ordinary person possessed! His dark eyes were gentle and restrained, yet the occasional sharp glint in them made it clear this man was not to be underestimated! Now, he was even more convinced of his judgment. Looking around, everyone present was trembling with fear, terrified that death would befall them. Only she, only she, remained calm and composed, her expression unchanged, as if nothing around her affected her whatsoever! This composure, this wisdom, this calmness, this magnanimity—all indicated this man was no ordinary person! Although he had never met him, he firmly believed that if he were willing to help, his daughter would have a great chance of escaping this calamity!
Young man, I entrust my life and even the entire Murong family to you!
Of course, this young man was naturally lost in thought, wandering in the vast emptiness of the moon.
If she knew then that in the blink of an eye, she had already taken the blame for hundreds of lives, she would surely leap up and point her finger at Master Murong's nose, yelling, "Damn it, old man, did you forget to take your medicine today?! You're spreading rumors and misleading the public!!"
"Palace Master is joking," Master Murong cupped his hands to Blood Demon. "The people of Blood Lotus Palace are all exceptionally skilled and have outstanding martial arts. I imagine that the Palace Master's brothers are also outstanding individuals. It is my daughter's good fortune to marry into the palace. How can it be considered a humiliation? However..." At this point, Master Murong paused, looking somewhat troubled at the arrogant and domineering man standing against the wind.
"Just what?" The Blood Demon raised an eyebrow, a scathing glint in his eyes. "I'd like to see what tricks you're up to, old man!"
"Alas, to be honest, my daughter already has someone in her heart, but some time ago, the two young people had a falling out... It's all my fault for being so foolish; seeing my daughter being wronged, I impulsively organized this marriage contest to find another suitable husband. Just a few hours ago, that brat and my daughter came hand in hand, begging me to cancel the contest! Alas, I realize I was too impulsive, and I was just thinking about how to resolve it when you arrived, Palace Master... What do you think of this matter..."
The Blood Demon scoffed coldly: "Now that the match has begun, there's no reason to stop it halfway through! If he wants to win the beauty's heart, then let him come up on stage and compete with me! If he wins, the beauty will naturally be his!"
"Yes, that's what I think too. Since the Palace Master says so, then I'll let that brat come and learn from the Palace Master! Brat, what are you waiting for! Come up here now!"
"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Master Murong's words immediately stunned everyone, leaving them speechless and utterly shocked! There really are people who don't value their lives these days! Daring to steal a woman from the Blood Lotus Palace! Their eyes widened, and following Master Murong's gaze, they focused like searchlights on the audacious lecher in the distance—
Huh? Why is it so quiet? Didn't Master Murong say he was going to have his daughter's old flame fight Lord Blood Demon? Has the fight already ended? No way! Did she miss such a great scene?
She quickly opened her squinting eyes, straightened up leaning on her sword, and hurriedly looked up anxiously at the arena...
That one look almost made her heart ache! Good heavens, what did she see? Rows upon rows of eyes of all shapes and sizes, like wolves in the wilderness, all shooting towards her!
"What are you looking at! What's so interesting about her! Does she have hair on her body or something? What are you looking at!" Rongyue felt a chill run down her spine from their stares. With a woman's intuition, she suddenly had a bad feeling...
Volume One: Pear Blossom Courtyard Under the Melting Moon, Chapter Twenty-Six: Showdown with the Blood Demon
"You brat! I'm talking to you! Look at your stupid, dull-witted appearance. How can I entrust Yu Yan to you with peace of mind?" While scolding her, Old Master Murong flew off the stage, grabbed Rong Yue's arm, and before Rong Yue could recover from the sudden turn of events, he dragged her onto the dueling platform.
When Rongyue's eyes widened and met those wild and eerie blood-red eyes, she realized that things were in serious trouble!
Slowly, the corners of Rongyue's mouth stretched to the sides, and she flashed what she thought was a kind and amiable smile: "Lord Blood Demon, I'm so sorry, this old man has grabbed the wrong person, hehe." Then, she abruptly turned her head, glaring angrily at Lord Murong: "What a joke! Getting the wrong person can kill you, you know that!"
The cunning and shrewd Master Murong would never let the last straw slip through his fingers. He swiftly grabbed Rongyue, who was trying to leave, his expression desolate, filled with regret: "A'Luo, your uncle knows I went too far, I was inconsiderate, it was my fault! If you want to blame someone, blame your uncle! But A'Luo, Yuyan did nothing wrong. Her love for you has always been deep and unwavering, heaven and earth can bear witness! How could you desert your post, be so afraid of death, and abandon her? You knew perfectly well that she was in poor health, frail and sickly since childhood, even the imperial physicians said she wouldn't live past next spring… If she finds out you broke your promise, she will surely be enraged, and then she… A'Luo, your uncle only has this one daughter. Your uncle asks for nothing else, only that she can leave in peace—so, your uncle begs you, please don't break her heart, don't make her sad. Your uncle begs you, please promise your uncle, your uncle will kowtow to you now…"
Yu Yan's illness was a deep pain in his heart. When he spoke of Yu Yan, Master Murong's true feelings were revealed; he was heartbroken and tears streamed down his face. His undisguised pain completely convinced the skeptical crowd, and their gazes toward Rong Yue changed from pity to disdain and reproach.
Rongyue knew this was getting increasingly serious! How dare this shameless old man fabricate such lies about her? He was practically lying through his teeth! Good heavens, she had no past grudges or recent feuds with him, so why was he framing her like this?!
Enraged, she held up Old Master Murong as he was about to kneel, gritting her teeth as she spat out each word: "I'm warning you, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"
Master Murong looked at Rongyue, whose face was ashen, his expression complex. He had just taken the opportunity to check her pulse and was shocked to discover she had no internal energy! Was he truly old? Or had he been confused in his haste, mistaking a young man with no martial arts skills for a hidden master? But now, how could he not call a halt? "I'm sorry, young man, rest in peace. As long as I have a breath left, I will make sure your family is taken care of!"
"Aro, haven't you forgiven your uncle yet? Uncle..."
"Stop talking nonsense! Don't try to confuse the public!" Why is this old man picking on her? She really wanted to go up to him and pluck out his arrogant and glaring beard!
“Aro…”
"Enough! You've been babbling on and on!" Like lifting a kitten, the arrogant man grabbed her by the back of her collar and threw her into the center of the dueling platform. "I despise spineless men like you! You're a coward, all talk and no action, a disgrace to men! Killing you wouldn't even dirty my hands!"
Look down on me? Who cares if you look down on me! Rongyue scrambled to her feet, disgustedly patted the dust off her hands, spat twice, and expelled the sand from her mouth.
"You...you're not afraid of death?" He looked at Rongyue, who calmly and collectedly got up, with a puzzled expression. Rongyue casually straightened his clothes, completely unperturbed, without the slightest panic or fear. This baffled him. Didn't he know he was going to die? How could he act so calmly? Strange person!
"Ah, why...why do you ask that?" The Blood Demon's sudden question left Rong Yue completely bewildered, like a monk standing two feet tall! What a strange question!
Interesting! It seems he really isn't afraid of him! The Blood Demon crossed his arms and, in a rare good mood, explained: "I really don't know whether to call you ignorant or praise your boldness. Are you really not afraid I'll kill you?"
"Afraid? Of course I'm not afraid!" Life is only once, and once it's gone, it's gone forever! Of course, her resurrected body is an exception, hehe.
"Oh? Is that so?" His face was clearly full of disbelief: "If you were afraid, why didn't you kneel down and beg for mercy? Why do you still look so carefree?"
Upon hearing this, Rongyue sneered, "Do you think you'll let me go if I kneel down and beg for mercy?"
"No." The answer was given without the slightest hesitation.
As if she already knew the answer, Rongyue smiled with relief: "That settles it! Since begging for mercy is useless, why should I go through all that trouble and do something pointless! Am I right, Lord Blood Demon?"
The Blood Demon's expression froze for a moment, then he burst into a delighted laugh: "Hahaha—interesting, truly interesting! You, man, oh, I should say boy, are quite extraordinary!"
"Then, shall we still have a duel?" Rongyue asked cautiously, glancing at him.
"Let's compete! Why not?"
"Are you really going to have a competition?"
"Scared? Since you pleased me today, I'll give you ten moves!"
"You little brat! Looks like a contest is truly unavoidable!" Letting out a sigh, Rongyue casually reached into her sleeve and touched the flying needles hidden within. Flying needles, oh flying needles, I never imagined the first time I'd have to use you would be in such a dire situation! Aren't you excited, finally getting a chance to shine? But your master isn't happy at all, because the opponent is too strong. Your master is afraid that instead of shining, she'll be too breathless to shine! If she wants to defeat this red-eyed man, then there's only one way…
"Um, well! Well, I don't have any internal energy, I believe you should be able to detect that with your skill level... So..."
"Fine, I promise you, I won't use my internal energy!" Does this kid think he can't beat him without using his internal energy? Foolish!