The two immediately led the people from Bai Xiao Pavilion to give chase.

Just then, another scream rang out from the woods.

“Help! Help!”

The group looked over and saw Madame Mei, the wife of the Earl of Jian’an, running out from within, her hair disheveled and her appearance utterly wretched, with a fierce tiger chasing after her!

Shadow rushed over without a second thought—

“Come back! It’s a trap!” Chu Ruoyan shouted.

But it was already too late. Shadow stabbed the tiger to death, and when he turned to help Madame Mei up, she suddenly raised her hand and scattered a cloud of powder.

He immediately collapsed, limp and weak. Madame Mei knelt towards Yun Zihao: “My lord, I’ve done everything you ordered. Can you release Tian’er now?”

Yun Zihao waved his hand, and Xiao Tian, blindfolded and gagged, was brought out.

Madame Mei hurriedly helped him up to leave, but Chu Ruoyan said, “Shadow is also your son, did you know that?”

Madame Mei trembled, glanced at Shadow lying on the ground, and said, “I… I have no such assassin son! I only have Tian’er as my child!”

“You wretched, heartless madwoman! And Shadow still wanted to save you!” Heiya cursed furiously. Chu Ruoyan stopped him. “You may go.”

Madame Mei immediately helped Xiao Tian leave, but after only a few steps, two cold arrows shot from behind struck them.

As she lay dying, she instinctively turned her head to look…

only to see Shadow, unconscious on the ground, could no longer save her…

A trace of mockery lifted the corner of Chu Ruoyan’s lips: “If you had been willing to acknowledge Shadow, I might have saved you.”

What a pity, so determined to leave.

How could she have known Yun Zihao would never let them go!

Madame Mei fell to the ground, her eyes wide open in death. Yun Zihao, however, said with great interest, “You guessed I would kill them?”

Chu Ruoyan replied, “They’ve seen your true face. Surely you weren’t planning to let them go back and expose you?”

Yun Zihao sighed with admiration, “Tsk, Uncle Prince’s children are all so remarkable~”

“Prince of Jin’s heir, you flatter me. You captured my eldest brother, lured away my second brother, and used Madame Mei to drug Shadow—one scheme linked to the next. This is also aimed at me, isn’t it?”

Yun Zihao raised a hand in a delicate gesture and smiled, “Speaking with clever people is so effortless. Cousin Miaomiao, your cousin would like to invite you to be his guest!”

His rising inflection made Chu Ruoyan feel nauseous. Suppressing it, she said, “Being a guest is unnecessary. However, I am quite curious. Was the disappearance of the late Crown Prince’s head your doing?”

Yun Zihao widened his eyes in exaggerated surprise, “Oh my, oh my! You even guessed that? Correct, we stole his head. Otherwise, how could we have kept Yan Zheng tied down in the southern barbarian lands, made the dog emperor suspicious, and sowed discord between ruler and subject?”

A cold glint flashed in Chu Ruoyan’s eyes, “Where is the Crown Prince’s head?”

Yun Zihao found it strange, “At a time like this, you still have the mind to care about others? Shouldn’t you worry about yourself first?”

Chu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow slightly. She heard him say, “I went to great lengths to remove the people around you, all for your sake! Cousin, oh cousin, who made you such a coveted prize? Bai Xiao Pavilion is willing to go through fire and water for you, and Yan Zheng is even willing to die for you…”

“So your scheme is the same as the emperor’s? You want to capture me to threaten Yan Zheng and my second brother?”

“Clever!”

Heiya immediately stepped in front of her, “Don’t even think about it!”

Yun Zihao waved his hand dismissively, and dozens of men charged forward.

During the fierce fight, Heiya cut down over a dozen men, but he himself suffered severe wounds to his shoulder and abdomen. He could only manage to say, “Third Miss, run! I’ll hold them off!”

But Chu Ruoyan didn’t move. Yun Zihao’s men were everywhere; there was simply no path of escape.

She gently touched her abdomen, then suddenly raised her right hand, “Stop!”

In the sunlight, a short sword in her hand was as thin as a cicada’s wing—it was precisely the Regent’s Frost Snow Sword!

Yun Zihao chuckled, “Cousin Miaomiao, you don’t actually think that relying on the Frost Snow Sword alone can make my subordinates—”

Before he could finish, he saw her swing the sword horizontally, pressing it against her own neck, “How about this?”

Heiya was horrified, “Third Miss, you mustn’t!”

Yun Zihao also said, “What are you doing?”

Chu Ruoyan looked at him calmly, her expression unchanged, “Heir of the Prince of Jin, you wish to use me as a hostage to force Yan Zheng and the others to submit! But have you ever considered, if I were to die by your hand, what do you think Yan Zheng and the others would do?”

The smug smile that had been on Yun Zihao’s face for so long finally changed, “You wouldn’t dare?!”

If she died by his hand, forget about grand ambitions and ruling the world—just Yan Zheng and Yun Lang, those two madmen, would likely stop at nothing to take his life!

But he still didn’t believe it, didn’t believe she would actually do this!

The corner of Chu Ruoyan’s mouth lifted. Suddenly, she moved her hand, and a circle of blood stained her neck…

“Stop!!” Yun Zihao hurriedly raised his hands, “Don’t be impulsive! Let’s talk this over properly!”

Chu Ruoyan glanced at Heiya. Yun Zihao immediately said, “Let him go!”

His subordinates all retreated. Heiya, clutching his wound, staggered to her side, filled with remorse, “I’m sorry, Third Miss, I…”

Originally, the Pavilion Master had sent him to protect her.

Yet in the end, she had to save him!

Chu Ruoyan shook her head and looked at Yun Zihao, who said, “What else do you demand? Your cousin will do whatever he can for you, just please don’t be impulsive!”

Chu Ruoyan asked, “Where is our carriage?”

Yun Zihao immediately ordered someone to bring the carriage over.

After confirming her father inside was safe, she had Yin Shun help Shadow onto the carriage. When it was her turn, because one hand was occupied, the other hand holding the sword to her neck loosened slightly…

It was in that very instant that Yun Zihao suddenly lunged forward, grabbing for her right hand—

Splat!!

Blood ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍flew. He hadn’t even touched her before the suddenly reversed Frost Snow Sword slashed his hand!

Yun Zihao clutched his wrist and retreated, only to see a man had appeared beside the woman!

Black robes, white armor, a face cold as frost—it was actually—

“Yan Zheng!!”

He cried out in shock, completely stunned.

Shouldn’t Yan Zheng be in the southern barbarian lands? Why did he suddenly appear here?

Yet the man didn’t utter a word. His gaze, deep and dark as an abyss, fixed tightly on the woman’s neck, “You injured her?”

The voice, colder than ice and snow, suddenly made Yun Zihao feel as if he had descended into hell.

He instinctively turned to flee, only to hear a series of agonized screams erupt behind him, like the calls of the underworld bailiffs!

Yun Zihao’s scalp went numb. He must have been insane to provoke this King of Hell!

Fortunately, Yan Zheng didn’t give chase. After killing enough to vent his anger, he returned to the woman’s side, “A’Yan…”

Before he could finish, she grabbed his wrist, “You can’t let him escape!”

“A’Yan?”

“He knows where the Crown Prince’s head is. Yan Zheng, you can’t let him escape!” the woman said urgently, the bloodstain on her neck becoming more pronounced against her pale little face.

Having just gone through such a major ordeal herself, yet she was still worrying about him…

The man’s gaze deepened. He held her tightly, “I know, A’Yan, I already know.”

After speaking, he turned his head, “Meng Yang!”

The guard, who had just sprinted over, panting and out of breath, said, “Yes! This subordinate… this subordinate will give chase immediately…”

Chu Ruoyan breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Heiya walked over and said, “Thank you, Chief Minister. If you hadn’t appeared in time, Third Miss would have been in danger.”

Yan Zheng let out a cold snort from his nose, “I always knew Yun Lang was useless, but I never thought he’d be this unreliable!”

To be tricked by one’s own people once is bad enough, but to fall for such an obvious diversion tactic this time!

Heiya’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Chu Ruoyan quickly tugged at his sleeve, changing the subject. “By the way, Yan Zheng, why did you suddenly appear here? Is everything settled in the southern barbarian lands?”

He was about to speak when a sudden metallic taste filled his throat, forcing him to simply nod in response.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep