"It was my elder brother and I who dragged you out from under that burning beam."
"Big Brother was burned on the arm saving you; he probably still has a visible scar."
"Chu Huaiyu was tiny back then. How could she have had the strength to move the beam off you? Idiot, go back and think about it!"
Chu Qianli left.
She genuinely had no time to waste on Han Zhan.
She still had to hurry to Yuhua Palace to confirm if Long Ziyue had managed to escape back.
If not, things would become complicated.
Han Zhan watched her retreating back.
She said it was she and the young master who saved him, and her demeanor and attitude showed no hint of seeking credit.
She even disdained such matters, not considering saving someone a great feat.
To her, it was clearly insignificant.
Unlike Huaiyu, who had constantly brought it up back then. Later, though she suddenly stopped mentioning it, when he brought it up, she would constantly talk about it in his ear.
Constantly, making him remember the favor she bestowed upon him.
Chu Qianli and the young master…
Han Zhan turned back, looking at the beam that had been moved aside in the ruins.
The beam was indeed large and heavy, with a section in the middle that hadn't been burned.
Even though ten years had passed, it was covered in dust, cobwebs, and even had grass growing on it.
But Han Zhan could still discern its faint outline.
So… large, so heavy…
Suddenly, he slapped his head, laughing mournfully.
Li'er called him an idiot!
Yes, he was truly stupid! He was so incredibly stupid!
How could a six-year-old girl possibly move such a large and heavy beam?
He had been dazed by the smoke back then, and coupled with the burning beam, it had made him lose almost all consciousness.
In his daze, he had no idea who had saved him.
When he returned and regained consciousness, the first person he saw was Chu Huaiyu.
She sat by his side, watching over him. She was small, yet she knew to blow on his medicine to cool it before letting him drink.
So he couldn't help but blurt out, "Did you save me?"
Chu Huaiyu seemed to freeze for a moment, then immediately nodded with a giggle.
From then on, he firmly believed that Chu Huaiyu had saved him.
But how could she, so small, possibly move the beam?
He was such an idiot!
He was truly, incredibly stupid!
Looking at the beam, Han Zhan's heart felt as though it had been burned to charcoal, just like the wood.
He was truly stupid, so stupid!
After standing for an unknown amount of time, Han Zhan finally turned and left the small wooden house.
As he walked out, it was as if his entire being had been pulled away from the past.
His past seemed to have become utterly meaningless.
After leaving the small wooden house, Han Zhan felt as though he had lost his way, not knowing where he was headed.
As he walked, he became disoriented.
Where was this place?
There was a mound of earth on the ground; it didn't seem to have been there before. Although it was covered in grass, it looked like it had only been there for a few months?
He didn't know what possessed him, but he walked towards it step by step.
Why did his heartbeat become so strange as he got closer?
What was buried in this mound?
Suddenly, Han Zhan's heart jolted. What did he see?
A section of a skirt was exposed on the outside of the mound…
Han Zhan's heart tightened, and he suddenly raised his hand, striking the mound with his palm.
…
After Chu Qianli left the small wooden house, she immediately rushed back to the Duke's mansion.
But halfway to her destination, she was suddenly intercepted by a burst of palm wind.
It wasn't Chu Huaiyu!
Behind Chu Huaiyu, there was indeed a person of unfathomable depth.
"What is your relationship with Chu Huaiyu?" Chu Qianli drew her short knife, guarding herself.
The man in black stared at her coldly, his voice deliberately suppressed, low and hoarse, revealing nothing of his original appearance:
"An insignificant pawn, what relationship could I have with this seat?"
"If you want to see Long Ziyue, then follow this seat. Miss tonight, and tomorrow you will only see Long Ziyue's corpse."
He turned and left.
This person was definitely not joking!
Chu Qianli followed him quickly, almost without hesitation, her short knife in hand.
However, his martial arts were far superior to hers. His seemingly slow steps had already carried him a considerable distance in an instant.
Following him wouldn't just fail to save Ziyue, but it would also cost her own life.
Chu Qianli continued to follow swiftly, finally managing to catch up to the man in black.
But she remained a distance away from him.
Suddenly, her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground with a thud.
She collapsed on the ground, convulsing.
The man in black stopped, stared at her, his eyes darkening: "Chu Qianli, don't try any tricks in front of this seat!"
"You… you actually… had Chu Huaiyu… poison me… mmm—"
Chu Qianli opened her mouth, and a mouthful of blood gushed out.
The blood, illuminated by the faint moonlight, actually had a dark, lustrous sheen!
Poisoned?
The man in black's expression changed slightly, and he instinctively took two steps back.
"Chu Qianli, this seat knows you are cunning. Do you believe this seat will kill you with a palm strike?"
Chu Qianli certainly didn't believe him. With his martial arts, how difficult would it be to kill her?
But he didn't kill her; instead, he wanted to take her with him. She still couldn't fathom his intentions.
One thing she was very clear about: if she truly followed him, her fate would completely fall into his hands.
"Mmm…" She continued to tremble on the ground, curling up, her whole body shaking.
"Medicine… the antidote… give me the antidote…"
The man in black's face was stern, and he let out a cold snort, "If you don't get up, this seat will not be polite!"
But she still didn't react, merely trembling and spitting blood.
The man in black's brow furrowed tightly.
Damn it, the blood she spat out didn't seem fake.
Moreover, if she weren't truly spitting blood, where would all this fresh blood come from?
The man in black finally walked over quickly, grabbed her, and pressed his fingers towards her wrist pulse.
But at that very moment, Chu Qianli suddenly twisted her wrist and, at the same time, flicked her hand!
The short knife and the powder instantly flew towards the man in black.
This was her only chance!
The man in black's pupils contracted sharply!
The distance was too close. He narrowly dodged the short knife, but the powder had already landed on him.
"Damn it!"
The man in black never dreamed that with his martial arts, he would still suffer a loss at the hands of this brat.
He was so angry that he pushed out with a palm strike.
Chu Qianli had also underestimated his power, severely underestimated it!
This man's power was comparable to Feng Yexuan's!
She had never been able to resist in Prince Xuan's hands.
It was the same in front of this man in black!
That palm strike landed on her chest, and Chu Qianli immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her vision darkened, and she completely lost consciousness.
The man in black looked at her in shock. He… hadn't intended to kill her; he was truly enraged!
"Brat, how are you? You… wake up for this seat!"