“The sky here is about to change.” Xue Zining looked up at the overcast sky, heavy with the promise of rain, and murmured.
“Your Majesty, will you be in danger? No, I must protect your safety.”
“With Hua Yunxuan here, you are the only one I can trust.”
The girl’s gaze was too bright for Hua Yunxuan to refuse.
“Your Majesty, there is one more person in the Hua family whom I can trust.” Hua Yunxuan said.
“Who is it?”
“My fourth uncle, Hua Zhengyi.”
“Good, I know. Go quickly and return safely.”
Hua Yunxuan knelt on one knee, “I will not fail my mission.”
Hua Yunxuan left. Xue Zining changed her clothes, took some things from the kitchen, and went to Hua Yunjin’s door. The servant saw her and asked, “Does Miss Feng want me to report?”
She shook her head, and after a long while, turned and left.
The boy lying in the room with his eyes closed suddenly opened them. They were pitch black, filled with emptiness.
A person stood behind the boy. The man asked in a low voice, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”
The boy closed his eyes again, his voice drifting, “Since I’ve made up my mind, farewell would only add to the trouble.”
The man’s eyes lit up, “So you’ve decided?”
Hearing this, the boy sneered, “You sent her to the Snow Kingdom Divine Palace, wasn’t it to awaken my memories from a past life?”
The man walked over, stood before the boy, and slowly bent down, “Then I welcome the return of the Young Sect Master.”
The boy’s gaze turned icy. With a wave of his hand, immense power sent the man flying, crashing heavily against the wall, spewing a mouthful of blood.
However, the man looked up, still smiling, even though his teeth were shattered.
“I do not need anyone to teach me what to do. Remember your place.” The boy stood up, his figure elongated by the moonlight outside. He gazed towards the moonlight, his eyes softening for a moment before quickly turning cold.
The General Wu’s mansion was empty outside, with no guards. She walked in. Li Fanghua was sitting at a stone table in the courtyard, alone.
“How can you sit here? Go inside quickly.” Xue Zining stepped forward to take Li Fanghua’s hand, only to find it ice-cold.
Li Fanghua looked up, her face filled with guilt, “I’m sorry…”
Xue Zining held her hand tightly, channeling internal energy to give her warmth, and said softly, “Leave it to me. You go inside quickly.”
Li Fanghua shook her head, “The child is gone, the General is gone, I am afraid alone.”
Xue Zining trembled, raised her head, and said coldly, “Threatening unarmed people is truly a disgrace to the Xue family’s name.”
A light laugh echoed in the air, and then a person descended from the sky, landing slowly.
Seeing the arrival, Xue Zining’s gaze turned completely cold. The person chuckled softly and looked up with a mocking glint in their eyes, “Do you regret it terribly? Regret letting me go?”
Xue Zining shook her head, “I don’t regret letting you go, only my own poor judgment of character.”
Xue Yunlan’s gaze paused, and she sneered, “Xue Zining, you won’t be leaving today.”
“The grievances between Xue Zining and Xue Yunlan are internal family matters. Whatever you wish to do, I will accompany you. However, Wu Dakang and Li Fanghua have nothing to do with our feud. Release them.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Yunlan sighed, “That may not be possible. After all, they are your people. If I let them go, what if they go to call for reinforcements?”
“Xue Yunlan…”
Xue Yunlan’s lips curved into a smile, “Do you think my heart is cruel? Xue Zining, don’t forget, when you deceived me, you were equally ruthless.”
Xue Zining’s gaze flickered, “Since you don’t want to let them go, then let them be reunited as a family!”
Li Fanghua’s eyes brightened. Xue Yunlan sneered, “You have no right to negotiate with me now.”
“Xue Yunlan, what exactly do you want to do?”
“Kneel. I want to see the Empress of Huangze submit to me.” Xue Yunlan smiled maliciously.
Xue Zining’s gaze paused. She took a step forward. Xue Yunlan took a step back and said coldly, “What do you want to do?”
She saw the girl’s eyes shining as brightly as the morning light, “You want to see me kneel, don’t you? I’ll get closer so you can see better.”
Xue Yunlan narrowed her eyes, “I’m not stupid. If you get too close, what if you use some trick?”
Xue Zining chuckled softly, then her body moved with blinding speed. As she advanced towards Xue Yunlan, she palmed a dagger that slid from her sleeve, heading for Xue Yunlan.
Xue Yunlan was greatly alarmed. She retreated, shouting angrily, “Xue Zining, you’re truly using a trick.”
Xue Yunlan’s movements were still a step too slow. Xue Zining grabbed her, holding the dagger at her throat. She could even feel the coldness of the blade against her skin, biting into her flesh.
“All warfare is based on deception.” Xue Zining tore off a strip of her hem, bound Xue Yunlan’s hands, and sealed her acupoints.
Xue Yunlan, furious, cursed, “Xue Zining, you think you’ve won just by capturing me?”
“Then do you think I would be so kind to a captive as to only bind her hands?”
Xue Yunlan froze, a flicker of panic in her eyes, “You… what do you want to do?”
“Interrogate.” Xue Zining uttered two words.
Upon hearing this, Xue Yunlan smiled, “I won’t tell you anything you want to know.”
“It’s fine, I have my ways.” Xue Zining took out the items from the kitchen, mixed them together, and forced them down Xue Yunlan’s throat.
The mixture was a medley of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy tastes. Xue Yunlan’s jaw was held tight, and despite her resistance, she was forced to swallow.
“Taste good, doesn’t it? Or should I add some ginger? I remember you always disliked the taste of ginger.”
Xue Yunlan gagged, about to spit it out, but Xue Zining grabbed her throat, forcing her to swallow it back down.
Xue Yunlan’s face turned pale and cyan from the effort of holding it in.
Xue Zining released her grip. Xue Yunlan let out a cry and was about to vomit. Xue Zining picked up a stone, wrapped it in her clothes, and stuffed it into Xue Yunlan’s mouth.
The vomited liquid flowed out from the sides of the stone, but most of it was blocked.
Xue Yunlan shook her head, on the verge of collapse.
Xue Zining pinched her nose and said, “I’ll ask you questions. If you answer, I’ll let you spit it out.”
Xue Yunlan could bear it no longer. She nodded, nodding frantically.
“Do you know about the Red Lotus Sect?”
Xue Yunlan nodded.
“Did you join the Red Lotus Sect?”
Xue Yunlan nodded again.
“Do you know the Young Sect Master of the Red Lotus Sect?”
Xue Yunlan paused for a moment, then nodded.
Xue Zining let out a long sigh, “Do I know him?”
Xue Yunlan blinked, her gaze evasive. However, she was driven to the brink of madness by what was in her mouth, so she nodded.
Xue Zining removed the stone, and Xue Yunlan spat it out.
Li Fanghua covered her mouth and nose, afraid she would vomit next.
“Xue Zining, you’re truly inhuman,” Xue Yunlan said through gritted teeth after spitting it out.
“In extraordinary times, one must resort to extraordinary measures,” Xue Zining said lightly.
Xue Yunlan sneered, “What can you do by just capturing me? There are so many people in the sect. Can you capture them all? Moreover, there is your old acquaintance.”