"Relatives?!" Shangguan Che's laughter grew even more sarcastic. "What relatives do I have? Shangguan Jin?! That person who wants to kill me day and night, is that considered family?! Shangguan Pian?! That sister who only causes me trouble all day long, what use is she?!"
Upon hearing Shangguan Che's words, Shangguan Pian, who was hiding behind the rocks, showed seven parts disappointment and three parts anger.
“Although Shangguan Pian can’t help you much, at least she treats you like a brother and risked her life to tell you about Yao Shan’s betrayal,” Shen Qianmo said calmly.
Shangguan Che chuckled helplessly, looking at Shen Qianmo with a hint of sarcasm. "Don't you find it hilarious? What good will risking your life to tell me this news do? What can it change?"
Shen Qianmo remained silent, but Shangguan Pian could no longer hold back and rushed out from behind the rocks, "Third brother, let's escape together!"
"Pianpian?" Shangguan Che looked at Shangguan Pian, then smiled helplessly, "No, I won't leave! Even if I die, I'll die in the capital!"
"Why are you doing this?" Shangguan Pian tried to persuade her, unwilling to give up.
A hint of stubbornness flashed in Shangguan Che's eyes as he said, "I don't believe it! Is there really no other way? There must be a way, there definitely will be."
Shen Qianmo looked at Shangguan Che, who had fallen into a semi-mad state, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes, but she still stood there indifferently.
Shangguan Che's eyes suddenly darkened. He looked at Shangguan Pian, then at Shen Qianmo, and with lightning speed, grabbed Shangguan Pian by the neck.
Shen Qianmo looked at this unexpected turn of events with surprise, her brows furrowing slightly.
Shangguan Che's skills were already quite good, and Shen Qianmo had never expected Shangguan Che to do such a thing, so she was completely unprepared.
"What does the Third Prince mean by this?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow and looked at Shangguan Pian, who was being choked by Shangguan Che and had a pained and incredulous expression on her face.
Shangguan Che's grip on Shangguan Pian's neck did not loosen in the slightest. He glanced warily at Shen Qianmo, "Since you brought Pian Pian here, you must have some connection with her, right?"
"You're wrong. I have absolutely no connection with her." Shen Qianmo's eyes were icy cold, devoid of any emotion, as she coldly stared at Shangguan Che. He actually wanted to use Shangguan Pian? And Shangguan Pian was so devoted to him!
Upon seeing Shen Qianmo's cold gaze, Shangguan Che was initially disappointed. However, seeing the pity in Shen Qianmo's eyes as she looked at Shangguan Pian, he gave a cruel smile and said, "Don't lie to me! I know you and Pianpian must have some connection! Go and kill Shangguan Jin right now! Otherwise, I'll kill Pianpian!"
Shangguan Che tightened his grip on Shangguan Pian's hand, causing her face to turn red and making it difficult for her to breathe. She reached out to pull Shangguan Che's hand, but his hand held her firmly like an iron clamp.
"You'll strangle her like that!" Shen Qianmo said angrily when she saw Shangguan Pian's expression. She and Shangguan Pian didn't really have any relationship, but she couldn't bear to watch Shangguan Pian die in front of her. However, what she hated most was being threatened!
Shen Qianmo's eyes gradually darkened, his gaze deepened, and the smile on his lips intensified. He exuded a murderous aura; Shen Qianmo was angry, truly angry.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Che loosened his grip on Shangguan Pian's neck slightly, revealing a smug smile. "So you really do have connections with Pian Pian. Do as I say right now, or I'll kill her!"
"Brother, how could you do this?" Shangguan Pian coughed a few times and shouted in a hoarse voice, her tone filled with deep disappointment and disbelief.
A hint of reluctance flashed in Shangguan Che's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by madness. "Pianpian, your brother doesn't want this either, but I can't give up. I must become the emperor, I must!"
"Shangguan Pian was devoted to you, how could you bring yourself to do this?!" Shen Qianmo's tone was icy, her eyes almost piercing through Shangguan Che.
Shangguan Che met Shen Qianmo's gaze without fear, a crazed sneer playing on his lips. "Hmph! Why can't I do it? For the throne, there's nothing I can't do!"
Shen Qianmo smiled bloodthirstyly. Yes, there was nothing he wouldn't do. To consolidate his throne, he could watch his own child be murdered; for the emperor, he could kill his own wife. What was there that a beast like him wouldn't do?!
"Hmph! But do you know what I hate most?!" Shen Qianmo raised a cold smile and looked at Shangguan Che, saying, "I hate being threatened!"
Seeing the coldness in Shen Qianmo's eyes, Shangguan Che panicked and grabbed Shangguan Pian's neck, sneering, "So what?!"
"Therefore, I will not be threatened." Shen Qianmo's smile was cold. She struck with lightning speed, her palm striking Shangguan Che's hand. Shangguan Che had no time to dodge and could only push Shangguan Pian into Shen Qianmo's palm wind. A hint of despair appeared in Shangguan Pian's eyes as she closed them, preparing to collide with Shen Qianmo's palm wind.
She was so foolish to actually try to save a brother like that!
Shen Qianmo smiled lightly, and the wind from her palm naturally protected Shangguan Pian to her side. She had already calculated that Shangguan Che would push Shangguan Pian out to block this palm, so this palm was just a feint. She did not use her internal force at all, so it was naturally very easy for her to withdraw her palm.
"Are you kidding me?!" Shangguan Che was furious when he saw the smile on Shen Qianmo's lips.
Shen Qianmo looked up at Shangguan Che, her eyes filled with coldness. She smiled coldly and said, "It's not that I'm playing you! It's that you're too selfish. When faced with danger, you instinctively pushed Shangguan Pian out."
"Shangguan Che, you have disappointed me greatly!" Shangguan Pian looked at Shangguan Che with eyes full of disappointment.
Shangguan Che gave a cold snort and offered no explanation.
"Now, does the Third Prince have anything else to say?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow and spoke sarcastically when she saw that Shangguan Che remained silent.
"What else is there to say?!" Shangguan Che's lips curled into a cold smile. "Since I can't have the throne, then I have nothing more to say! But those who betray me will not have a good end!"
"Oh?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow, looking at Shangguan Che's cold smile.
Shangguan Che took out the jade flute from his waist and played it softly, a bloodthirsty smile on his lips.
Shen Qianmo keenly recognized that this was the music for activating the Gu poison. Could it be that Shangguan Che had poisoned someone? But poisoning someone requires physical contact. Who could it be?
Shen Qianmo glanced at Shangguan Pian and was relieved to see that she was unharmed. However, when she came to her senses, she was struck by Shangguan Che's palm.
A mouthful of blood spurted out, and before Shen Qianmo could react, Shangguan Pian fell back into Shangguan Che's hands.
"Shangguan Che, you are despicable!" Shen Qianmo gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Shangguan Che's main purpose was to capture Shangguan Pian, so he only used 30% of his strength in that palm strike, and Shen Qianmo was not seriously injured.
"You flatter me!" Shangguan Che smiled nonchalantly.
"Shangguan Che, you're a piece of trash!" Shangguan Pian, who was being held by Shangguan Che, roared angrily when she saw Shen Qianmo injured.
A hint of displeasure flashed across Shangguan Che's face. He grabbed Shangguan Pian's neck tightly and said coldly, "Shangguan Pian, your life is still in my hands!"
"Hmph! I'd rather die than let you have your way!" Shangguan Pian's feelings for Shangguan Che had turned from disappointment to resentment, and she said angrily.
Shen Qianmo looked at Shangguan Pian with appreciation; she was growing to admire Shangguan Pian more and more. However, now that Shangguan Pian was subdued by Shangguan Che, it seemed unlikely that she could be rescued from Shangguan Che's grasp so easily.
"So?! Will you help me kill Shangguan Jin or not?!" Shangguan Che grabbed Shangguan Pian by the neck and said in a desperate move.
“You know perfectly well that even if you kill Shangguan Jin, you still can’t sit on the throne. If people knew that you were the one who killed Shangguan Jin, they would never agree to let you sit on the throne,” Shen Qianmo said coldly to Shangguan Che.
"I don't care!" Shangguan Che had completely lost his mind at this moment and said fiercely.