The man in black trembled, sensing the aura of death closing in behind him. He slowly turned, gazing at the refined, handsome face before him. Before he could react, he was flung outwards, crashing heavily against the door before falling to the ground.
Yu Xiaoyu, witnessing this scene, was already thoroughly shocked. Just as she turned to flee, a figure blocked her path. Looking up, she realized it was Xue Feng.
"Xue Feng, you..."
"Miss Yu, you cannot leave this room."
Yu Xiaoyu froze. "Xue Feng, please let me go." she pleaded.
But Xue Feng turned his face away. "Miss Yu, you must know what you have done."
"What did I do? What wrong did I commit? Why is everyone so unwilling to forgive me? I was forced into it!"
Xue Feng remained silent, averting his gaze. This time, he would not betray his lord.
The man in black slowly rose, sneering at Yan Jin Chao. "Young Master Yan, do you truly believe you can capture me with just yourself? Have you perhaps overestimated yourself?"
With that, the man in black let out a low shout, and numerous figures in black flew in through the window.
Xue Feng's face paled in alarm. "My lord..."
However, several figures in black had already positioned themselves to block his path. Xue Feng's expression changed, and he swiftly drew his long sword, taking a defensive stance.
Yu Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief and took a step back. The men in black surged forward, and Xue Feng, unable to tend to Yu Xiaoyu, engaged them in combat.
At this moment, Yan Jin Chao found himself surrounded by five or six men in black.
Wen Ling let out a cold laugh. "Yan Jin Chao, you are now trapped, unable to escape."
Yan Jin Chao glanced at Wen Ling and said faintly, "Do you think you have won just like this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Wen Ling chuckled, a hint of smugness in his tone.
"Wen Ling, you are celebrating too soon," Yan Jin Chao stated calmly.
Wen Ling faltered slightly, looking around as if searching for anything out of the ordinary. He then sneered, "Yan Jin Chao, there's no need for your scare tactics. Everyone here, inside and out, is my subordinate. This time, you will come and never return."
"Yu Xiaoyu, you lied to me! You said if I drugged Yan Jin Chao, you would let me and Young Master Yan leave. But this is not what happened; you intend to kill Young Master Yan!" Lin Shishu grabbed Yu Xiaoyu's hand, her voice filled with anger.
Yu Xiaoyu, feeling guilty, tried to pull her hand away, but Lin Shishu held on tightly, so tightly that she couldn't break free.
Yu Xiaoyu said, "I didn't know it would come to this, cousin. I..."
"Liar, you are a liar! And I believed you." Lin Shishu was filled with regret.
"Cousin, I promise I will beg him for you..."
"I will never believe you again, Yu Xiaoyu." Lin Shishu pushed Yu Xiaoyu away and retreated several steps.
Lin Shishu now stood beside Yan Jin Chao and said with remorse, "Young Master Yan, I'm sorry. I've implicated you. Later, you take this opportunity to escape, and I will hold them off."
Yan Jin Chao's eyes flickered. Seeing the stubborn and determined look in Lin Shishu's eyes, his heart skipped a beat. The woman before him seemed to transform into someone else.
She was resolute, her gaze clear and bright, unshakeable by anyone.
His heart suddenly ached. He remembered. He had seen a woman with such an expression before. It was the Empress.
But the Empress was gone, lost by his hand, and could never be found again.
"Young Master Yan, what's wrong?" Lin Shishu also noticed Yan Jin Chao's abnormality. His face was a little pale, and beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.
Yan Jin Chao said in a low voice, audible only to the two of them, "Miss Lin, I cannot leave, but you can."
Lin Shishu blinked in surprise, looking at Yan Jin Chao's expression, and suddenly understood. He was telling her to seize the chance and flee?
"Young Master Yan, do you have something to instruct me to do?" Lin Shishu asked softly.
Yan Jin Chao nodded. "Head towards the capital. If you hurry, you might catch up to His Majesty tonight. Then, tell her about the situation here."
"If I leave, Young Master Yan, what about you?" Lin Shishu asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice.
"My ultimate target is not me. I will be fine. Do you understand what I said?"
Lin Shishu nodded. "I understand, Young Master Yan. You must wait for me to return."
"Alright, I will," Yan Jin Chao replied faintly, suppressing the ache in his heart.
Lin Shishu took several steps back. She knew her breakthrough point was Yu Xiaoyu, and the men in black were not targeting her. Therefore, as long as she could break through Yu Xiaoyu, she could escape.
At this moment, Yan Jin Chao spoke, "Wen Ling, why have you gone to such lengths to capture me? I have nothing that warrants such effort from you."
Wen Ling heard this and let out a low chuckle. "No, you are my bargaining chip to win this world."
"Bargaining chip? I have nothing now, I am nothing. Wen Ling, you overestimate me."
Wen Ling shook his head. "No, you are very useful. You are Xue Zi Ning's husband, and the biological father of the two young princes. By capturing you, half of this world is already in my grasp."
Yan Jin Chao sneered, "I have already parted ways with the Empress. Do you think the Empress would risk this world for me? Wen Ling, you truly overestimate me, and that will likely disappoint you."
"You don't know the Empress's feelings for you, but I do," Wen Ling stated.
"What do you know? I lost my memory, I don't remember anything."
"Yes, you lost your memory. If you hadn't used all your internal energy during the Empress's childbirth, how could I have captured you?"
Yan Jin Chao frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's fine to tell you. On the day the Empress gave birth, as the child absorbed nutrients from the mother's body, it caused her physical form to become ethereal. Without powerful internal energy to stabilize her form, the Empress's soul would have scattered. You used all your internal energy to preserve the Empress's physical form, and by chance, this gave the Empress an indestructible body."
Yan Jin Chao was shocked. "Your goal is not me, nor this world, but the Empress's body."
"Haha..." Wen Ling laughed heartily, looking at Yan Jin Chao. "It's too late. Everything is too late. Lin Shishu has already gone to deliver the message. I imagine the Empress will arrive soon, and then I will allow you two to have a good farewell here."
"Wen Ling, if you have something against someone, come at me!" Yan Jin Chao roared, his entire face contorted with anger.
"No, without your body, how could I go so far out of my way to retrieve the Empress's body?"
"You are doing this for Wen Nuan," Yan Jin Chao said, enunciating each word.
"So what? For him, I am willing to do anything," Wen Ling shouted.