Nangong Yu and Murong Shengrui had exchanged over a hundred blows in a short period, neither gaining the upper hand. The black-clad figures deliberately stayed out of their fight, instead surrounding Wei Wuji. Despite his formidable skills, Wei Wuji was overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents and soon sustained injuries, showing signs of faltering.
Murong Shengrui, facing the masked man,’s expression grew serious. He recognized the opponent’s profound internal energy and knew he could not hold out indefinitely. “Who are you?”
“The one who will take your life!” Nangong Yu’s voice was cold and ruthless. Although Xiao Man appeared to have long forgotten him, he knew that if she were truly to take a life, she might not be able to do it with her temperament. However, Murong Shengrui had to die!
Murong Shengrui was the sole heir of the Yun Qi royal family. Once he was dead, Yun Qi would descend into chaos, thus resolving the predicament of Yun Zhong City. Then, capitalizing on Yun Qi’s internal turmoil, they could launch a pincer attack from both inside and out, ensuring Yun Qi’s eventual demise.
Nangong Yu’s attacks grew increasingly fierce, showing no mercy. Based on Nangong Yu’s moves, Murong Shengrui finally recognized him. “It’s you!”
Nangong Yu’s only reply was a swift, sharp strike. Murong Shengrui gritted his teeth. Aman’s dependence on this man made him feel uneasy. Now, with the man determined to kill him, his rage ignited. He no longer held back, truly exerting his full strength to end the opponent’s life.
Xiao Man sat on the rooftop, watching the two men fight fiercely below, cracking melon seeds and enjoying the spectacle. Dongfang Wei stood behind her.
“Can’t you just act like a normal person?”
Xiao Man glanced sideways at Dongfang Wei, then patted the space beside her, inviting him to sit. She then stuffed a handful of melon seeds into his hand. “Tell me, who do you think will win?”
Dongfang Wei looked at the melon seeds in his hand, then at the battle unfolding below. He simply joined her in cracking seeds, as it had nothing to do with him. “Are you trying to kill with a borrowed knife? Using the Young Emperor of Yun Qi’s knife to kill the King of Qin?”
Xiao Man looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Kid, your brain is a good thing. You should bring it with you whenever you go out, otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll get yourself killed.”
Dongfang Wei immediately felt the melon seeds in his hand lose their flavor. He glared fiercely at Xiao Man. Who went out without their brain? Wasn’t she inciting these two to fight, trying to kill with a borrowed knife?
“If you don’t want to kill the King of Qin, are you trying to kill the Young Emperor of Yun Qi instead?”
Xiao Man clapped her hands. “So smart, you actually guessed correctly.”
Dongfang Wei choked, wanting to spar with Xiao Man. But remembering her cunning nature and tendency to hold grudges, he knew the consequences of fighting her would be severe. He forced himself to refrain. He wasn’t Yu Qian Mo, who wasn’t afraid of pursuit!
“Why do you want to kill the Young Emperor of Yun Qi?”
“The Murong family of Yun Qi has only him left. Although he has consorts, he has no heirs. Once Murong Shengrui dies, Yun Qi will inevitably fall into internal strife, leading to severe internal consumption. Then, Yusheng, in conjunction with Lan Yue and Bei Rong, can jointly carve up Yun Qi. It won’t be long before they devour the vast Yun Qi. At that time, Wu Yue Kingdom can also take the opportunity to get a piece of the pie!”
Dongfang Wei swallowed. “You even want to take a piece of the pie!”
“Can’t I?”
“Aren’t you afraid of being jointly attacked by the four nations?” Dongfang Wei found Xiao Man truly audacious. First, she provoked the tiger, and now she wanted to pat its backside. Did she really think the tiger was a sick cat, to be bullied at her will?
Xiao Man smiled charmingly. “They won’t. They don’t care about the small Wu Yue Kingdom. In their eyes, the other three nations are the enemies they need to be wary of.”
Dongfang Wei suddenly felt that Xiao Man was terrifying. Her schemes went far beyond his imagination. He had a feeling that one day, Xiao Man would turn this world upside down!
The battle far away took another turn. Murong Shengrui’s elite guards joined the fray, and for a moment, the two sides were evenly matched. However, even with superior numbers, Murong Shengrui's men could not match the ferocity of the King of Qin, who was on his home turf!
Murong Shengrui fought and retreated, forced to flee towards the outskirts of the city. Nangong Yu pursued relentlessly, following him out of the city, determined not to stop until Murong Shengrui was dead!
Seeing both parties leave the city, Xiao Man clapped her hands and got up to go back to sleep.
Dongfang Wei stood in the night breeze, mourning for the King of Qin. Look at his taste, to fall for such a black-hearted woman. After he had worked hard all night to help her kill someone, she could go back to sleep peacefully!
Nangong Yu drove Murong Shengrui for hundreds of miles. Watching Murong Shengrui and his men retreat, a cold smile curved his lips. “Next time we meet, I’ll take your life!”
Si Ye opened his mouth to respond, but Si Chen elbowed him in the abdomen, forcing him to swallow his words. Without a doubt, what Si Ye was about to say would have been unpleasant!
“My Lord, shall we continue the pursuit?”
“Notify Tian Ji Pavilion to pursue them along the way, and ensure Murong Shengrui is driven out of Yusheng.”
“Murong Shengrui is a monarch after all. After being assassinated twice, he retreated. He truly has no backbone… Ouch…” Si Chen grumbled, frustrated. Didn’t he see the murderous glint in the Prince’s eyes?
“Do you have backbone?” Nangong Yu asked dangerously.
Si Ye, without thinking, was about to nod. If he didn’t have backbone, was he even a man?
Si Chen immediately grabbed Si Ye by the soft flesh of his waist, causing Si Ye to almost shed tears from the pain. He had no choice but to shake his head. “Your subordinate… does not…”
The next morning, Xiao Man looked at the two maids sent by the steward with a puzzled expression.
“Steward, I don’t need anyone to serve me here.”
“Mr. Xiao, His Highness said these two maids were specially purchased to serve you. Don’t worry, they are both virgins.” The steward looked at Xiao Man with an expression that clearly said, “We’re all men, I understand,” which made Xiao Man feel a bit queasy.
“What can you two do?”
The two maids looked at each other, then replied.
“Your servant knows how to sing and dance.”
“Your servant knows how to play the zither and paint.”
Xiao Man nodded. “Are you familiar with medicinal herbs?”
The two shook their heads in unison.
“Can you water the herbs and pull weeds?”
The two maids slowly shook their heads. Although they came from humble backgrounds, they were still carefully raised by their madam. How could they do rough work? They looked at the steward with confusion. Didn’t they say they were here to serve this gentleman? Why were they becoming laborers for weeding and watering?
The steward looked embarrassed and quickly asked Xiao Man, “Sir, are you not satisfied with these two? What kind of people do you prefer? Perhaps you could tell me, and I can arrange someone else for you.”
“Thank you for your concern, Steward. I only need a laborer for weeding and watering,” Xiao Man said with a smile. “As for the ladies, they are not necessary.”
“This…” The steward looked troubled. Seeing Xiao Man’s unyielding demeanor, he hesitated for a moment and left with the maids. Within half a day, he returned with another laborer to help Xiao Man tend her herb garden.