Ye Luan was forcibly abducted by Xie Beihan after emerging from the rock garden.
They were in an octagonal corridor pavilion, desolate on all sides with hardly a soul in sight.
She stood in the corridor, looking at Lan Murou, who had fainted on the ground, coldly helping her up and turning back.
"What do you want?"
The man, clad in purple robes and a sable fur coat, with an sinister yet handsome face, chuckled upon seeing her cold expression.
"Little girl, I haven't provoked you, have I? Why do you always give me such a cold shoulder?"
After speaking, his eyes, as cold as a snake's, appraised her waist, even using his hand to measure it, sending a chill down Ye Luan's spine.
She said, "If you're here to reminisce, I apologize, but I cannot accompany you."
Saying this, she attempted to help Lan Murou up from the corridor and leave.
But the moment she reached out, her person was fiercely grabbed.
She immediately struck back, but the man tightly grasped her wrist, and pain surged through her limbs in an instant.
However, in the next second, a bullet imbued with killing intent whizzed past her ear, stinging it and embedding itself directly into Xie Beihan's shoulder.
Ye Luan looked back in shock, only to see Xiao Chizhan walking in from the doorway, holding a firearm with a frosty expression.
A blur of motion, and she was pushed to the ground. Turning her head, she saw the two figures already engaged in a fight.
They fought without any discernible pattern.
Punch after punch landed on the opponent's body, as if they intended to beat each other to death.
Her stomach ached with a dull pain for some reason, making her feel weak all over.
"You want to die?!"
His bloodthirsty red eyes seemed poised to devour him.
Xie Beihan sneered and threw a punch at the man's face. Xiao Chizhan dodged immediately and followed up with a forceful knee strike.
The force was brutal, and blood quickly spread.
"Do you believe I'll kill you?"
Xie Beihan laughed heartily, his punches growing heavier with each blow.
"I've wanted to fight you for a long time. Don't hold back, no matter life or death."
The two fought ferociously, aiming for vital spots.
Ye Luan, in pain, couldn't stand. The bullet had grazed her ear, causing it to bleed, and she felt pain all over her body.
Knowing she couldn't stop them, she quickly crawled up to push Lan Murou.
"A'luan~"
Seeing that she had woken up, Ye Luan urged, "Go find the General and call him over."
Lan Murou blinked, then saw the two fighting in the corridor. Her face instantly turned ashen. She quickly stood up, "Okay, I'll go find him."
Ye Luan leaned on a pillar to stand, suppressing the pain in her stomach, and shouted, "Stop fighting! Do you want the people of Zhongzhou to laugh at us?"
The two were locked in combat and paid no heed to her words.
Just as Ye Luan was about to pull them apart, she was shoved violently by a furious Xiao Chizhan, crashing into a pillar behind her.
The pain in her stomach intensified.
She had just managed to straighten herself, enduring the pain.
Suddenly, a white shadow flashed, and a fierce kiss was pressed down. Her neck throbbed with pain as he left a bite mark.
Ye Luan winced in pain and looked again. The two were fighting once more, like children brawling, with no semblance of grace, their fists covered in blood.
She gritted her teeth in anger. The pain in her ear, stomach, and neck sent her fury soaring.
She looked down at the two men, who seemed intent on killing each other, and gave a cold laugh.
"What's the point of fighting like this? Neither of you will die. You two should just kill each other with knives; wouldn't that be more satisfying?!"
She then casually extended her leg and kicked each of them, and then walked away.
"Stop!"
A fierce roar came from behind, and her wrist was gripped tightly.
Ye Luan was instantly pinned against Xiao Chizhan's chest. His pair of ghastly red eyes held undisguised killing intent.
Her legs felt weak.
"Let her go!"
A firearm was aimed at the two of them.
Xiao Chizhan sneered, turned his hand, drew his firearm, and aimed it at Xie Beihan's head.
"Coveting this King's Consort, are you too comfortable on your position as Crown Prince?"
Xie Beihan lightly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, "He is unmarried, and she is unmarried. Why can't I?"
After speaking, he glanced teasingly at Ye Luan and chuckled, "She doesn't like you, she doesn't want to marry you. Can't you see that?"
Ye Luan was shocked.
The bloodthirsty killing intent in Xiao Chizhan's eyes surged as he slowly began to pull the trigger.
"Chizhan!"
Tantai Ye strode in from outside. Seeing the firearm in his hand, he was greatly alarmed and immediately flew forward to snatch the gun away.
The Crown Prince of Northern Qi absolutely could not die at the hands of the Dingbei King of Daliang.
Now was not the time to start a war.
Seeing him arrive, Ye Luan breathed a sigh of relief, completely unaware of Xiao Chizhan's gaze as he looked down at her.
Tantai Ye no longer looked at Xiao Chizhan, instead blocking him. His hawk-like eyes swept over Xie Beihan's firearm, and he said coldly.
"What is the meaning of this, Crown Prince? Killing a Prince of Daliang, are you planning to wage war with Daliang?"
Xie Beihan's sinister face showed no emotion, "Can't the General see? Who is fighting whom?"
"The Crown Prince is well-read and educated; he wouldn't behave like someone stealing another's wife. This farce ends here."
The desolate wind was chilling and piercing. The garden was eerily quiet.
Xiao Chizhan's overly bewitching red eyes swept over Xie Beihan's face, terrifying and sinister. He said nothing and directly dragged Ye Luan away.
"A'luan."
Lan Murou looked at Xiao Chizhan's expression with horror and dared not step forward to stop him.
"Play and fool around all you want, but there's no need to entangle grudges over a woman. You know Chizhan's temperament; his obsession will cause great chaos in the world."
Based on his understanding of Chizhan, this battle would inevitably lead to secret retaliation against Northern Qi.
Xie Beihan looked gloomily at the two figures departing, ignoring Tantai Ye's words.
"Moreover, Chizhan's obsession with Ye Luan is beyond my imagination. Crown Prince, please do not interfere."
Hearing this, Xie Beihan turned back with a faint smile and asked him, "Has Ye Luan married him?"
Tantai Ye's sharp eyes did not respond.
"Does Ye Luan like him?"
"How does the General know, that I was merely playing around?"
A rapid succession of three questions flew towards Tantai Ye, and he smiled.
"Crown Prince, are you telling me you've fallen for Ye Luan?"
Xie Beihan smiled thinly, "What is falling for someone? If you want something, you just take it." He paused, rubbing his lips with his thumb, "I just like a challenge."
Tantai Ye scoffed, "If you continue to fight, you'll both be wounded, and others will benefit. Are childish affections comparable to great ambitions?"
"Childish affections? Great ambitions?" Xie Beihan laughed coldly, "What are these things?"
Seeing that he was impervious to reason, Tantai Ye fell silent for a moment. Then, he glanced at the wound on his shoulder, "If you don't stop the bleeding, the Crown Prince will die from excessive blood loss."
Xie Beihan lowered his eyes, as if feeling no pain.
He took out a knife and directly dug out the bullet, sprinkled some medicine on it, and after a casual bandaging, he took out a clean handkerchief and wiped the blood from his hands.
He glanced coldly at Tantai Ye, "This shot, we will settle slowly."
"Since the Crown Prince wishes to oppose us, we will accompany you to the end."