Mercenary Princess - Chapter 135
"Trying to escape?" The chilling voice was like a soul-reaping messenger from hell, sending a shiver down one's spine even in the warm spring weather.
She must have offended Chu Xuyao in her past life, so he's come here specifically to make trouble for her in this life! Every time she encounters him, she's never had an easy time. This time is even worse; she's walking right into the tiger's mouth, and she's probably going to lose her life tonight!
"The Snow Willow Sword?" Tuoba Jie glanced down at the soft sword in Chu Xuyao's hand, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Although I knew you were skilled and your identity was certainly not simple, I never expected you to be the famous Master of Qilin Manor, Chu Xuyao! Ha, I really didn't expect that you would fall into my hands! Chu Xuyao, I have to marvel at the twists of fate!"
"Kill him if you want, stop with the nonsense!" Chu Xuyao shouted coldly, looking at Tuoba Jie with disdain, seemingly looking down on his despicable tricks.
Kill me if you want? Ha, what a fearless and righteous man! If he wants to die, no one will stop him, but why drag her down with him? It's a long-standing grudge!
Lifting her head from Chu Xuyao's embrace, Rongyue asked softly, "Tuoba Jie, do you not want me to write the imperial edict anymore?"
Hearing Rongyue speak, the murderous aura emanating from Tuoba Jie subsided considerably. He crossed his arms and glanced at Rongyue, who had only peeked out, a smirk playing on his lips: "An imperial edict? I'm not interested in it anymore! Even without it, with my abilities, I refuse to believe I can't achieve great things!"
"Wouldn't it be safer to have an imperial edict?"
"Oh? So you're willing to write the edict now? You made all sorts of excuses to avoid it before, dragging your feet and refusing to write it, but now you're taking the initiative to bring it up. Could it be that you're planning something underhanded, trying to do something dirty to me?"
"Look at what you're saying, what's with all this talk about yin and yang? That's a bit too serious. Right now, you're the butcher and I'm the fish on the chopping block. My life depends on your whims. I'm terrified that I might offend the Palace Master and end up with my head separated from my body. So I'm trying to curry favor with you. How can you talk about yin?"
Rongyue's humble attitude made Chu Xuyao inexplicably uncomfortable.
Pressing Rongyue's head back onto his chest, Chu Xuyao forcefully commanded, "You stay put! Trying to please someone like that is worse than flattering a dog!"
A chilling killing intent emanating from Bianpi a few steps away made Rongyue sigh inwardly: There really is no common language with this arrogant pig.
Struggling to lift her head, Rongyue looked at Tuoba Jie and said, "Tuoba Jie, listen to me, that imperial edict..."
He forcefully pressed Rongyue's head down: "Liu Rongyue, are you that afraid of death?"
"Even ants cling to life, let alone humans! Chu Xuyao, if you want to die, then die, but don't drag me down with you!"
"Damn it, if I hadn't rescued you, would I be in this situation where I'm being controlled by others? You woman, it's one thing to be ungrateful, but to say such heartless things, do you have no conscience at all?!"
"Wow, these days, it's all about the thief crying 'stop thief'! Fine, I'm not talking to you anymore. Do whatever you want, just please don't block my way to survive, okay?"
"Survival? Liu Rongyue, I don't see you as someone who's afraid of death. Back then, you jumped off the cliff so decisively. How come, after all these years, you've become more and more afraid of death?"
"Chu Xuyao, you..."
"Are you two ever going to stop?!" To Tuoba Jie, their bickering was nothing more than flirting, and ignoring his presence was tantamount to contempt. Looking at Chu Xuyao, the coldness in Tuoba Jie's eyes intensified.
"Tuoba Jie, I never intended to escape. It was Chu Xuyao who insisted on abducting me, leaving me no choice but to do so. Therefore, he is the one who should escape, and he should be the one killed. It has nothing to do with me!"
Chu Xuyao's usually cold face cracked, his features contorted, his eyes blazing with rage, and he spat out through gritted teeth, "Say that again if you dare!"
Ignoring Chu Xuyao's threats, Rongyue looked at Tuoba Jie with a calm expression: "Tuoba Jie, killing me will only bring you harm. You must think carefully and not do anything that will harm others and yourself!"
Rongyue felt a strange sense of satisfaction at Chu Xuyao's ruthless request to Tuoba Jie. His cold, alluring gaze swept between Chu Xuyao and Rongyue, and after a long while, a strange glint flashed across his deep features, and a smile played on his lips, a smile that concealed a knife.
He lazily stretched his hand out from under his blood-red robe, giving a subtle hint with his eyes. Those around him understood and quickly and respectfully handed him a bow and arrows.
He narrowed his bloodshot eyes, swiftly nocked an arrow, drew the bow, and raised both hands rapidly to eye level. With perfect alignment and full internal force, the arrowhead struck Rongyue's head with unerring accuracy.
Whoosh—the straight arrow, accompanied by a gust of wind, greedily burrowed towards Rongyue like a snake!
Rongyue had already sensed the arrow coming, but its speed and force were too great. Just then, she suddenly felt a pressure on her head. It turned out that Chu Xuyao's large hand, which was pressing on the back of her head, suddenly exerted force, forcing her to immobilize herself and making it impossible for her to dodge.
The first thought that flashed through her mind was that Chu Xuyao was angry with what she had just said and wanted her dead! She quickly kicked his kneecap with her toe. Chu Xuyao bent his leg, which caused Rongyue's entire body to drop half an inch. Although it was only half an inch, it successfully saved Rongyue's life. The arrow grazed Rongyue's scalp, and the burning pain from the graze told of her narrow escape from death.
The thin yet firm texture pressing against her head told her what had just happened, and the sudden retraction of the hand on the back of her head reminded her once again of the hurt look in his eyes. Unmoved, Rongyue leaned quietly against his body, letting that large hand press firmly on her head, and letting the blood flowing down her face from above her head stain her snow-white clothes.
Chu Xuyao, don't blame me, it's your own fault for not letting go. I was just trying to save my own life!
Moon, do you know that in that critical moment, I held you down, wanting only to turn you around, because even if it meant hurting myself, I didn't want to hurt you... Although the outcome was similar, what you did was simply too heartbreaking...
Tuoba Chen, who had come running at the sound, witnessed a scene that chilled him to the bone; his heart nearly leaped out of his chest! Thankfully, it was a false alarm; the mistress was unharmed in the end. Thank goodness…
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Tuoba Chen turned his sinister gaze to Tuoba Jie, who was smiling strangely. He took a few steps forward, clenched his fist, and punched Tuoba Jie in the face.
"Overestimating yourself!" Tuoba Jie swung his arm, and Tuoba Chen, whose inner strength had not yet recovered, was thrown out heavily and landed on the ground with a thud.
"Cough cough—" His throat burned like fire, as if branded with a red-hot iron, searing and painful. A few drops of crimson blood slid down his lips. Tuoba Chen forced himself to swallow the bloody liquid, braced himself on the ground, and struggled to his feet. He looked at Tuoba Jie, who was getting closer and closer to him, and almost rushed forward to fight him to the death again. But he was too weak. His body swayed as he managed to stand up, and he fell to the ground again, powerless.
"Tuoba Jie, you demon, you have committed too many evils. One day, the heavens will punish you!"
The words "demon" triggered Tuoba Jie's senses and stirred up his unknown past.
Standing before Tuoba Chen, looking down at him, Tuoba Jie's bloodshot eyes held a hatred that Tuoba Chen could not understand.
"That woman's son."
He said this in a gloomy tone, leaving Tuoba Chen completely bewildered, and his two sword-like eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.
"The debts of a mother should be repaid by her son! Tuoba Chen, the time has come to atone for your sinful mother!" With a cold and dangerous gaze, Tuoba Jie was filled with bloodlust. He stared at Tuoba Chen on the ground with a sinister look, and an invisible vortex gathered in his hand. The murderous aura of bones spread within ten miles.
"Tuoba Jie, don't you want to unify the world? Don't you want those who abandoned you to see that you, Tuoba Jie, are unparalleled in martial prowess and unmatched in talent? Abandoning you was the biggest mistake of his life!" Seeing the murderous intent rising in Tuoba Jie's eyes, Rongyue shouted urgently. From his vague words, Rongyue suddenly had a bold conjecture. Although she didn't know if it was true, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she was willing to take the gamble!
To Rongyue's surprise, she had actually made the right bet!
The vortex in her hand was slowly receding. Tuoba Jie withdrew his hand and strode towards her. The heavy footsteps, accompanied by a biting chill, made Rongyue's heart rise inch by inch.
"You know?" Through the cold silk net made of millennia-old cold silk, Tuoba Jie's hand reached for Rong Yue's neck, his strong hand slowly contracting.
"Let her go..." Chu Xuyao gritted his teeth and struggled to raise his hand, trying to pry open the hand that was on Rongyue's neck. But before he could touch that intimidating hand, Tuoba Jie reached out with his other hand and slapped it down forcefully. The movement was too violent, tearing his wounds open even more, and another layer of cold sweat broke out all over his body.
With his phoenix eyes glancing sideways at Chu Xuyao, whose shoulder blade had been pierced by an arrow, Tuoba Jie grinned cruelly: "You, surnamed Chu, you'd better worry about yourself first!"
Seeing Chu Xuyao's arrogance rising and his attempt to confront him, Rongyue quickly spoke up, coldly saying, "Chu Xuyao, shut up if you don't want me to die!"