Wu Qing stared, his heart feeling as if it had been torn apart, a bloody pain.
His deep eyes gazed at the man who had given him life, and he pleaded, "Release Qingyao. This is between you and me. Don't you want me to enter the palace? Fine, I'll do as you say, I'll enter the palace. Release Qingyao, and I'll do anything you wish."
Qingyao, her pressure points sealed, was unable to move. Seeing Wu Qing's agony, she couldn't help but cry out softly.
"Wu Qing, you've gone mad! You've truly gone mad! Why do you still show pity to someone like him? You missed the best opportunity, and now you're throwing yourself into the tiger's mouth? Since I'm in his hands, there's no way for me to escape unscathed. Don't you know what kind of person he is?"
His cruel questioning made Wu Qing tremble even more. Yes, why did he still have a shred of pity for such a person? It was clearly him who had been tormenting him all along. He could have killed him, yet at the crucial moment, he couldn't go through with it.
He hated himself too, but looking at the face that was exactly like his own, and thinking of the great effort it took to bring him into existence, he could be as venomous as a snake, but he couldn't be as heartless. If he was a beast, then killing him would make him no different.
However, this fleeting thought had harmed Qingyao.
"Qingyao."
Wu Qing called out. Qingyao did not look at him.
In the past, she felt that Wu Qing was hers alone. Although they never spoke of love, the unspoken affection between them was even more moving.
She thought she could bring him happiness, that she was the only one in this world who could make him feel warmth.
But only now did she realize that his heart still held many things he could not let go of; it wasn't just her.
Perhaps when compared to other things, she was not as important as others, just like the man before her. xxs
A man like a devil, his very existence seemed to be to inflict pain on more people, yet Wu Qing could not bring himself to be ruthless.
Qingyao stared directly at Hua Wenbo and said in a deep voice, "Give him the antidote for the blood affliction. I will go with you. I will be your hostage."
As soon as she spoke, several voices echoed through the night.
"Master (Mistress)."
The most heartbroken among them was Wu Qing. His face was deathly pale, and a chilling aura enveloped him. He cried out in despair, "Qingyao."
Qingyao turned and smiled at him, her lips flowing with gentle warmth as she slowly spoke.
"Wu Qing, I have received too much kindness from you. This time, let me sacrifice something. Only then will my heart feel at ease."
Although she said this, Wu Qing couldn't feel her fervor. Everything seemed to have faded, ethereal like a wisp of cloud in the dark night. A burning iron mark was imprinted upon his heart, making him wish he could suffocate and die instantly.
"Good," Hua Wenbo agreed, readily producing a scarlet pill. He tossed it into the air, letting it fall near Wu Qing.
Wu Qing caught it. In truth, this medicine would only suppress his condition for a month. Seizing this opportunity, Hua Wenbo suddenly grabbed Qingyao and leaped forward as fast as lightning, disappearing dozens of feet away in the blink of an eye.
His subordinates followed closely, vanishing as well.
Mo Chou and Mo You were greatly alarmed, and along with Xiao Yu'er, they screamed.
"Master (Mistress)."
Qingyao's voice, distant and near, drifted from the darkness: "Mo Chou, take good care of Xiao Yu'er."
Mo Chou turned to look at Xiao Yu'er, who rushed out from a corner. The small child was already in tears. She only hated her own weakness and incompetence, forcing her to watch her mother being abducted.
At that very moment, she resolved to diligently cultivate her martial arts.
Mo Chou had to take care of Xiao Yu'er and could not break away, as it was her master's command. She quickly turned and ordered Mo You, who was nearby, "Hurry, you follow them. You must follow them, and report any news immediately."
Wu Qing turned to look at Qing Feng and Ming Yue behind him, speaking in a deep voice, "Let's go, follow them."
"Yes, Young Master," three figures vanished like flying fish in an instant.
In the empty valley, only Mo Chou and Xiao Yu'er remained, along with a few servants of the valley. They all seemed to be injured. Mo Chou waved her hand, "You all may go."
"Yes," the few people withdrew. Xiao Yu'er, having finished crying, stood under the corridor and began to curse.
"I curse you, you damned man! You actually kidnapped my mother! Heaven will punish you, it surely will."
Mo Chou stood behind her, suppressing her own sorrow, and spoke softly.
"Xiao Yu'er, go inside and rest. Our master is blessed by heaven and will be fine. We have encountered so many dangers on our journey, and we have all overcome them. So, you shouldn't worry."
"But this time I'm scared."
Xiao Yu'er whispered, that man looked sinister and ruthless, and unscrupulous. They couldn't help but feel afraid.
Mo Chou crouched down and held Xiao Yu'er tightly. They nestled together for warmth, looking up at the starry sky, still bright and dazzling.
The usually tranquil Wu Qing Valley was plunged into unprecedented panic. Everyone in the valley knew their master had been kidnapped, even the children knew and were clamoring to go out and rescue her.
However, their martial arts were not yet mature; going out would only be a burden or lead to their own harm. Mo Chou, due to her low spirits, handed over the matter of the children to Xiao Tao, instructing her to supervise their training.
She stayed with Xiao Yu'er to wait peacefully in the valley. Two days passed quickly, but these two days felt like years.
There was only torment, and more torment.
On the third day, Xiao Yu'er couldn't help but beg Mo Chou, "Aunt Mo, let's leave the valley to search. I'm so worried about her, I'm scared."
By the end, her voice was filled with a thick nasal tone. This little girl, usually bold and audacious, fiery and arrogant, was terrified and uneasy by this matter.
However, Mo Chou had promised her master to take good care of her. If Xiao Yu'er left the valley and fell into the hands of bad people, she would not be able to explain it to her master. Therefore, they should wait peacefully in the valley.
But Xiao Yu'er became increasingly dejected. On the third day, from early morning, she refused to eat. She declared that if Mo Chou did not take her out of the valley, she would go on a hunger strike and starve to death in Wu Qing Valley. Anyway, her mother was going to be in trouble, and she would die with her.
Mo Chou initially paid it no mind, but seeing that she hadn't eaten a single bite from morning to noon, her heart ached immensely. The girl looked like a wilted cucumber, completely lacking in spirit. Finally, she had to agree to her.
If, by evening, they still had no news, she would take her out of the valley to search for their master.
As soon as she agreed to this, Xiao Yu'er blinked her eyes and said.
"Aunt Mo, I'm so hungry. Can you cook something for me?"
"Okay," Mo Chou nodded, patting Xiao Yu'er's head. This little girl's mind was truly too sharp; she would undoubtedly be a formidable figure when she grew up, resorting to any means to achieve her goals.