Xiao Zhao clenched his tiny fists, his tender cheeks hardening with determination. "Master, if I see her, I will slap her to death with one blow!"
Seeing Xiao Zhao's indignant and resentful demeanor, Feng Ninghe smiled and brushed it off. "That woman is not simple. Do not act rashly. Let's not rush and observe the situation."
Did she not wish to rescue Zhen Zhu?
But now was not the time to act...
Feng Xing lowered his gaze to Zhen Zhu, his brow furrowed. "I am the one who injured the horse. If you wish to pay with your life for the horse, then dare to lay a hand on me. Let's see if you have the ability to take my life."
Su Qi trembled with rage, her spiritual energy scattering. She fiercely whipped her long whip towards Feng Xing.
Within the Lin Kingdom's imperial palace, she was revered and fawned over. No one dared to be so presumptuous.
Seeing this, Bai Nian Nian wisely took a step back and quietly watched the scene unfold. Feng Xing was the one who defeated Tang Zun. This woman before them had not even reached the Nascent Soul stage. If Feng Xing could easily defeat her, then defeating this woman would be child's play.
The long whip failed to touch Feng Xing. A powerful surge of spiritual energy struck Su Qi fiercely!
*Bang!*
Su Qi, along with her whip, was sent flying back dozens of meters. Bright red blood spurted from her mouth.
She felt as if her internal organs were about to be smashed out, the pain unbearable.
"Sister Su!"
"Sister Su, are you alright!"
The maids who had accompanied Su Qi rushed to help her up.
Su Qi staggered to her feet, swaying unsteadily. She looked at Feng Xing with wide-eyed astonishment.
The sunlight shone wantonly on the young man's face, his deep eyes glinting with golden light, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.
Su Qi's heart sank.
She had long heard that Jinling was a land of formidable experts, not to be underestimated. This young man before her, despite his youthful appearance, possessed such profound cultivation.
Feng Xing had easily sent her flying without even making a move.
If Feng Xing were to truly attack, she wasn't sure if she could even keep her life.
Bai Nian Nian quickly turned her attention to Zhen Zhu. "Miss, don't kneel. Get up quickly."
Zhen Zhu did not immediately rise. She nervously looked up at Su Qi.
Su Qi's face was filled with apprehension, as if she were contemplating something.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhen Zhu finally got up and thanked Feng Xing and Bai Nian Nian. "Thank you both for your help, but I am ultimately a maid and must return. I will not trouble you further."
Zhen Zhu knew that she could hide for a while, but not forever. Even if she were safe today, she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't face trouble in the future.
Bai Nian Nian's delicate eyebrows knitted together as she looked at Zhen Zhu's injured arm. "Your arm is still injured. Tend to your wound first."
Zhen Zhu then carefully sprinkled the medicine onto her arm.
The moment the powder touched the wound, her face contorted in pain.
"What happened?"
A clear female voice cut through the air from the side.
A woman, dressed in vibrant and luxurious attire, with a beautiful and extremely enchanting appearance, her hair adorned with numerous golden hairpins, several tassels swaying gently at her temples.
The woman's arrival immediately captured everyone's attention.
Her regal bearing made it obvious, even to a fool, that she was either wealthy or of noble birth.
The woman raised her alluring eyes, a hint of coldness creeping into them. "Su Qi, why has it come to this?"
Su Qi, disregarding everything else, hurried to her side and reported, "Reporting to Your Highness, Zhen Zhu was negligent in her duties and let your horse run free. She even rode on its back, causing the horse to be injured."
"Oh?"
The woman raised an eyebrow, her deep eyes instantly sweeping towards Zhen Zhu.
Her gaze was incredibly imposing.
Zhen Zhu trembled, breaking out in a cold sweat. She quickly put away the medicine bottle, dropped it, and knelt on the ground with a thud, continuously begging for mercy. "Your Highness, the horse was startled. I rode on its back to hold it back, but who knew it would run faster and faster..."
The woman provocatively curved her red lips and walked towards Zhen Zhu, her alluring eyes carelessly revealing a hint of ruthlessness. "Since you injured the horse, then you shall do it yourself."
Su Qi smugly dropped a dagger, tilting her head proudly. "Whichever hand injured the horse, chop it off."
Zhen Zhu's face turned deathly pale. She repeatedly kowtowed and admitted her fault. "Your Highness, I did not do it intentionally. I only wanted to retrieve the injured horse!"
The woman paid no mind to such explanations, calmly saying, "If you are unwilling to do it yourself, then let Su Qi do it."
Doing it herself, she could at least control the force.
If someone else were to do it, they might not hold back, leading to more severe consequences.
Zhen Zhu tremblingly picked up the dagger. She stared in panic at her intact hands, her entire body shaking terribly.
Not far away.
Two figures, one large and one small, stood observing.
Everything before them deeply imprinted itself into Feng Ninghe's eyes. Her gaze fixed on the richly dressed woman, she let out a low hum. "She has become even more outrageous. Perhaps this is her true self. She must have endured so much in the past."
The richly dressed woman before them was Lin Yu Ran.
The events of the past resurfaced in her mind at this moment.
In the past, Lin Yu Ran was understanding, generous, and forgiving, earning universal praise.
She had been deceived all along...
Xiao Zhao's clear blue eyes were fixed on Zhen Zhu, his voice urgent. "Master, if we don't help soon, Zhen Zhu's hand will likely be ruined!"
Seeing Xiao Zhao's anxious eyes, Feng Ninghe smiled and gently patted his head. "Since you want to help so badly, we will go. However, your eyes..."
Xiao Zhao had a pair of clear blue eyes like glass, highly distinctive.
At her words, Xiao Zhao blinked dismissively, and his original blue pupils instantly turned black.
Zhen Zhu closed her eyes with determination, steeling her heart, and fiercely plunged the dagger down!
If the dagger fell, she would lose a hand.
If it didn't, she would lose her life.
"Clang!"
Before the dagger could fall, it was knocked away by someone.
Xiao Zhao impatiently snatched the dagger and threw it aside. "She did not injure the horse, so why must she pay with her life?"
Feng Xing also stepped forward at this moment. "The horse was galloping on the road. If it hadn't been stopped, it would have injured others. If a life had been lost, could you afford to compensate for it? I subdued the horse. Although the horse was injured, no one was harmed."
Lin Yu Ran turned her gaze to him, provocatively raising her lips. "You are young, yet your cultivation is profound. Your talent is indeed remarkable. I am the new Empress of the Lin Kingdom. Tell me, can I afford to compensate for a life?"
The Lin Kingdom was a great nation, supported by countless smaller kingdoms.
Even the Li Kingdom was subordinate to the Lin Kingdom.
A human life was insignificant to Lin Yu Ran. In her eyes, unimportant people were like ants. Why bother with ants?
Feng Ninghe walked over from the side, her cool female voice slowly emerging. "Disregarding human lives, is this the new Empress of the Lin Kingdom?"