Out of guilt for Jinxiu, Xiao Man did not deliver a killing blow. Murong Sheng Rui stood by, watching the master and servant struggle, clapping his hands joyfully, "A Man, don't hold back, or you'll get hurt."
Xiao Man gritted her teeth, her hand gripping the sword's blade. Blood immediately gushed out, dripping onto the ground. Her gaze, gentle and pitying, fell upon Jinxiu, "I'm sorry, Jinxiu. It's my incompetence that has allowed you to suffer such torment."
Murong Sheng Rui's face remained wreathed in smiles. He knew bringing Jinxiu was the right decision. If anyone could make Xiao Man hesitate, it was Jinxiu.
However, Murong Sheng Rui had underestimated the current Xiao Man. The puppet technique now merely used Gu poison to control others, and the nemesis of Gu poison was Xiao Man herself!
The sword pierced Jinxiu's body. Xiao Man cradled Jinxiu, tears welling in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to let them fall. "Rest in peace, Jinxiu."
"Niangniang." A familiar voice reached her ears, no longer a blurred roar. "Are you safe?"
Xiao Man's tears could no longer be held back, bursting forth. She hugged Jinxiu tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. The blackness on Jinxiu's face faded, and she slumped into Xiao Man's embrace. Xiao Man supported Jinxiu, kneeling on the ground.
"Jinxiu."
Jinxiu looked at the person before her, her eyes full of worry, and asked again, "Niangniang, are you safe?"
Xiao Man nodded incessantly, her voice choked with emotion, "I... am safe."
"That's good." Jinxiu slowly closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face. Having heard her mistress was safe, she was finally at peace.
Murong Sheng Rui watched the sobbing Xiao Man, his heart filled with rage. She could weep for a lowly maid, risk her life for a subordinate, yet refuse to compromise for him. Why?
"A Man, you are truly heartless. You could even strike dead a maid who was devoted to you!"
"I'll kill you!" Xiao Man picked up the sword from the ground, about to charge at Murong Sheng Rui in a desperate fight.
Just then, a sharp shout rang out, "Stop! Or I'll kill her!"
Nangong Yu and Feng Mo Ran quickly separated, seeing Chu Qing Ge being dragged forward, a sword at her neck, threatening her life at any moment.
"Sister-in-law."
"Master, are you alright?" the person holding Chu Qing Ge asked solicitously.
Feng Mo Ran glanced at the somewhat tense Xiao Man, then grabbed Chu Qing Ge. He tightened his grip on Chu Qing Ge's shoulder, causing her to contort in pain, yet she bit back any cry.
Feng Mo Ran surveyed Jinxiu lying on the ground, the tear stains on Xiao Man's face. The lingering confusion in his heart finally clarified at this moment.
"You are not Xiao Man, you are Dugu Man!" Feng Mo Ran spat the words out, as if squeezing them between his teeth. He had always wondered when Xiao Man had drifted away from him. Now he understood. It was because Xiao Man was no longer Xiao Man, but Dugu Man!
"You're not only insane, you're now incoherent," Xiao Man scoffed. "I'm not Xiao Man, are you?"
"Lies! You are not Xiao Man at all, you've possessed her body!" Feng Mo Ran ground his teeth. How foolish he had been not to notice. He, who prided himself on his intelligence and ability to read people, had been played for a fool by Xiao Man, manipulated by her from the very beginning.
"Is your mind still not clear?" Xiao Man said coldly. "Even now, you haven't forgotten to sow discord."
"It no longer matters. Whether you are Xiao Man or Dugu Man, it's irrelevant now." Feng Mo Ran's fingers dug violently into Chu Qing Ge's shoulder. Chu Qing Ge let out a pained cry, and blood immediately seeped from where Feng Mo Ran's hand gripped her. "Throw down your weapons and give me the Tongtian Tower."
Xiao Man threw down her sword, her fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. Blood flowed out, but she felt no pain.
Seeing Xiao Man unmoved, Feng Mo Ran increased the pressure, Chu Qing Ge's face contorting in agony. Xiao Man stared at the woman standing beside Chu Qing Ge, her expression utterly cold.
Chu Xue, the girl she had adopted since childhood, was actually a pawn of Feng Mo Ran. As expected, Feng Mo Ran had planted spies within her ranks. Fortunately, it wasn't a position of great importance, otherwise, she would have been exposed long ago.
"This is my last warning. Give me the Tongtian Tower!" Feng Mo Ran, seeing Xiao Man's continued refusal, pressed the sword against Chu Qing Ge's neck. The sharp blade cut through Chu Qing Ge's skin, and blood streamed down.
"Fine," Xiao Man took a deep breath and agreed to Feng Mo Ran's demand.
"A Man!" Chu Qing Ge smiled tenderly at Xiao Man. "Take good care of Zi Yang."
"No!" Before Xiao Man could stop her, Chu Qing Ge lunged directly at the sword in Feng Mo Ran's hand. Feng Mo Ran, startled, instinctively loosened his grip, and the sword slipped from his hand. At that moment, someone from behind suddenly surged forward, attacking both Feng Mo Ran and Chu Xue simultaneously.
Feng Mo Ran grabbed Chu Qing Ge to use as a shield. However, the attacker's strike was a feint. The tip of the long spear unexpectedly curved, striking Feng Mo Ran fiercely. Feng Mo Ran immediately released his grip. The attacker snatched Chu Qing Ge and retreated rapidly. Nangong Yu simultaneously charged forward, blocking Feng Mo Ran, who was attacking again.
On the other side, Chu Xue was not so fortunate. Facing the sudden assault, she was struck in a vital spot and sent flying, crashing at Murong Sheng Rui's feet.
Chu Xue struggled to rise, but after several failed attempts, she collapsed dejectedly onto the ground, blood flowing from her body onto the stone platform beneath her.
Wei Wuji retreated to Murong Sheng Rui's side. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Murong Sheng Rui coughed up a mouthful of blood, but seemed unconcerned. He wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve, a wicked smile on his face. "I'm fine."
"Cloud Emperor, how did your servant end up in enemy territory?" Feng Mo Ran asked, looking at Murong Sheng Rui.
Murong Sheng Rui glared at Xia Hou Ying. If Xia Hou Ying had not rescued Chu Qing Ge, the advantage would have remained with Feng Mo Ran.
Cen Yu, holding a child in one arm and a sword in the other, his clothes already stained red with blood, staggered to Xiao Man's side. He thrust the child into Chu Qing Ge's arms and said to Xiao Man, "I'm a vengeful person. Your maid stabbed me in the back, so I returned the favor."
Xiao Man took out two small porcelain bottles and handed them to Cen Yu. "The white one for external application, the black one for internal use. Sister-in-law, please help him."
"Alright." Chu Qing Ge quickly took the medicine and began tending to Cen Yu's wounds. When Chu Xue had suddenly appeared and attacked Cen Yu, then abducted her, she had thought Cen Yu would surely die from that sword wound. She hadn't expected him to still be alive.
"You've got a real knack for surviving," Chu Qing Ge said as she treated Cen Yu's wounds. An ordinary person would have succumbed to such severe injuries long ago, yet Cen Yu, dragging his wounded body, had still managed to kill. It was clear he couldn't be viewed through the lens of normal people. This man was a pervert!