Xiao Man frowned. Du Yulan's loss of her child was indeed her oversight. Though she felt guilty, she did not regret it. Even if given a second chance, she would still save Dan Yuyan first. After all, there were degrees of closeness. Those she cared about would naturally be her priority, just as Dan Yuyan had shielded her when trouble arose.
"I am very sorry about the loss of your child, but I do not regret my actions. If time were to turn back, I would still save Sister Dan first," Xiao Man said gently. "If hating me makes you feel better, then hate me all you want."
Du Yulan's face contorted with a desire to tear Xiao Man to shreds. She had lost love, a child, her home, everything. Xiao Man's casual words were meant to dismiss it all. Hatred gnawed at her heart like venomous insects. She wanted Xiao Man to taste all the pain she had endured.
"Xiao Man, I will not..."
"But!" Xiao Man interrupted Du Yulan, her voice turning cold. "You attacked my family and friends. This is something I can absolutely not tolerate. Today, let us settle this."
"Settle it?" Du Yulan scoffed upon hearing this. "Very well, let us settle it today. Kill her!"
The assassins below heard the command, drew their weapons, and charged. Xiao Man crossed her legs, arms folded across her chest, watching the attackers with a cold gaze.
Dugu Luo descended from the sky with his men, intercepting the assassins. The sounds of combat and screams filled the air. Xiao Man simply watched Du Yulan.
Du Yulan glared at Xiao Man with eyes as venomous as poison. "You wanted to settle things with me, didn't you? You're just sitting there. What does that mean?"
"We must deal with all the troublesome people first before we can settle things," Xiao Man said calmly. "Don't think about escaping. The outside is full of archers. If the first person to walk out is not me, everyone who goes out will be shot like a sieve."
Those hidden in the shadows quietly opened a crack in the window. They indeed saw archers surrounding the area, ready to turn everyone in the Star-Picking Pavilion into a colander.
Du Yulan frowned. "In Bianjing City, surrounding the Star-Picking Pavilion so brazenly, aren't you afraid of arousing the suspicion of Empress Lanyue?"
"My identity, from the very beginning, has destined her to be suspicious of me," Xiao Man said unhurriedly. "No matter how I act, she will never trust me. Why should I constrain myself?"
"You are as arrogant as ever!"
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Your arrogance and tyranny have caused your father's death. Yet you show no remorse. One day, your actions will harm those you care about!" Du Yulan shrieked. "Xiao Man, I curse you..."
"Curses are useless," Xiao Man said faintly. "You abandoned yourself for a man, and willingly degraded yourself. You refuse to reflect on your own mistakes and instead blame everyone else. You will never meet a good end." Sudian Novels.
"If you hadn't seduced His Highness Prince Qi..."
"Prince Qi and I were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Can you compare to that bond?"
"I was his princess consort."
"A former princess consort."
"If it weren't for you, I would still be his princess consort. When he ascends to the position of Crown Prince, and later to the throne, I would still be the noble Empress!" Du Yulan roared. Her love, her dreams, her everything had been ruined by Xiao Man, yet Xiao Man appeared before her as if she were the one demanding retribution.
"Nangong Yi will never ascend to the throne," Xiao Man stated decisively. "If he still wishes to live, he must not covet the throne."
"Why not? He is also a prince!"
"Because, the moment he covets the throne, Nangong Yu will show him no mercy. He will suffer the same fate as Prince Han and the Crown Prince. In the vast Yushang, no one is Nangong Yu's match."
"Prince Qin?" Du Yulan sneered upon hearing this. "What is Prince Qin? With the support of the Du family and the help of the Jin family, Prince Qin is no match at all."
Xiao Man sighed softly. Perhaps only she knew of Prince Qin's ambitions. She and Prince Qin were both ambitious, both strategists, both power-hungry. Yushang had long fallen into Prince Qin's hands. However, he deliberately made Yushang appear weak to lower the guard of Yunqi and Lanyue. Even if Murong Sheng Rui had not been tricked by Feng Moran, he would have ultimately fallen victim to Nangong Yu's schemes.
"Du Yulan, for the sake of our past acquaintance, I will grant you a whole corpse. How do you wish to die?"
Those hidden in the darkness stared in horror as their concealed assassins were effortlessly annihilated. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Du Yulan looked at the sword piercing her chest and let out a strange laugh. She stepped forward, allowing Xiao Man's sword to impale her, blood gushing from her lips as she smiled.
Xiao Man frowned slightly, attempting to withdraw her sword, but Du Yulan grabbed it. "Xiao Man, I know that no matter what I do to you, you will remain unmoved. To make you suffer, the only way is to target those you care about."
"You dare!" Xiao Man berated her.
Du Yulan opened her mouth and coughed up another mouthful of blood. "I am not afraid of death, do you think I fear anything else?"
"Nangong Yi!"
Du Yulan's expression flickered, then she laughed again. "In this life, I loved him wrongly, I trusted him wrongly. Now that I am dying, I no longer care about him. Xiao Man, I told you, all the pain I have endured, I will repay to you, one by one."
"That remains to be seen if you have the ability," Xiao Man released the sword hilt, stepping back two paces, creating distance. "I am never merciful to my enemies. From the moment you attacked my father, you became my enemy."
"Then is Nangong Yu also your enemy?"
"That is none of your concern."
Du Yulan felt a sharp pain in her chest, her breathing becoming increasingly difficult. Xiao Man hated her. She could have easily killed her with one sword, but instead, she denied her a swift end. "Xiao Man, on the road to the underworld, by the Bridge of Helplessness, I will wait for you."
"In this life, I have committed too many killings. I fear I may not be able to cross the Bridge of Helplessness, so you needn't wait for me. Moreover, people like you are destined for hell." Xiao Man moved swiftly, gripping the sword hilt, and rapidly drew the sword from Du Yulan's chest. Blood splattered, but not a single drop landed on Xiao Man.
Xiao Man flicked the sword in her hand, watched Du Yulan fall, then turned towards a certain direction, a cryptic smile on her lips. She then led her people away, leaving behind a field of corpses. Blood snaked across the ground like small rivers, eventually merging into a ghastly sight.