“The flesh is but a shell. Besides, if you truly dare to scar my face, she and her two daughters will die. You can test me if you don’t believe it.”
Her hair was being yanked so painfully that she could barely think straight, let alone guess the man’s identity. Wan Qing was itching to fight him to the death right then and there. Though she had no poison powder on her while sleeping, the bracelet and ring on her wrist were both filled with hidden weapons.
Forced to lift her head by the grip on her hair, she bared her teeth in pain but still glared at him with icy defiance. Despite the agony twisting her expression, she coldly met his gaze and slowly pried his fingers off her hair.
“You—fine. If you remove the needles for her, I’ll spare your life. But don’t try any tricks, or I have a hundred ways to make you die without knowing how.”
Seeing her unyielding stance, the man recalled everything he had learned about her. Realizing force wouldn’t work, he softened his tone slightly but still issued a stern warning.
“Who told you to be so rough with me? Help me over, and I’ll remove the needles.”
Wan Qing had initially considered risking her life—this man might truly slash her face. But when he released her, she shrugged flippantly and complained, stepping forward only to wince sharply, clutching her chest in pain.
“You’re hardly in a position to play tricks.”
The man scoffed but helped her to Liu Shi’s side.
“Done. Can I leave now? You—what did you just do to me? You’re going back on your word, you—”
Once beside Liu Shi, Wan Qing effortlessly plucked the silver needles from her head and slipped them into her sleeve with a flick of her wrist. Staggering back, she watched as Liu Shi exhaled in relief, her expression easing. The man stepped forward to check Liu Shi’s pulse.
But the moment Wan Qing turned, her expression darkened. She spun back, clutching her stomach, her voice icy with fury.
“Don’t blame me. While helping you just now, I slipped a colorless, odorless poison onto you. It interacts with the existing toxin in your body, intensifying your suffering. Of course, if you cooperate, I’ll spare your life.”
The man relaxed, releasing Liu Shi’s wrist. He stepped forward gracefully, laying out his terms.
“Fine, I surrender. Just say what you want.”
Wan Qing sighed in resignation, struggling to stand but collapsing again from the pain. Sitting on the ground, she looked up at him.
“Good girl. My demands are simple: hand over the Dragon-Tiger Token, and the antidote for the poison you gave Mu Wanxia—no, wait, Mu Wanxia.”
Pleased by her submission, the man smirked and crouched before her.
“Mu Wanxia? Auntie, your illness seems cured. So, Jun’er isn’t your daughter after all?”
Hearing him ask only for Mu Wanxia’s antidote, Wan Qing seized the opportunity to probe further. She feigned confusion, glancing at Liu Shi, who remained unmoved.
“She… Shan-ge…” At the mention of Mu Wanjun, Liu Shi struggled to rise from her seat, murmuring helplessly before casting a pleading look at the man beside her.
“Rou’er, you still expect me to save the daughter you had with Mu Zhenfeng?”
The man, who had been crouching before Wan Qing, stood abruptly, irritation flashing across his face. He frowned at Liu Shi’s desperate gaze, barely suppressing his impatience.
“I… She may not be our child, but she’s still my flesh and blood. Shan-ge, I beg you…”
Liu Shi faltered, guilt and unease flickering in her eyes before she looked up, pleading.
“I won’t save his child with you. Xia’er is ours. Give it up. Girl, hand it over now, or don’t blame me for what comes next. My patience is thin…”
The man turned away coldly, ignoring Liu Shi’s despair as she slumped onto the stool, weeping. He grabbed Wan Qing’s wrist in warning.
“Talk is talk—no need for rough handling. Or are you so ashamed of your dirty secrets that you’re eager to silence me? Auntie, who knew you had another man before my father? A man who doesn’t care for your pain as a mother—what’s the use of such a man?”
As the man tightened his grip, Wan Qing’s shock gave way to clarity. She had stumbled upon a major secret. Seeing the murderous glint in his eyes, she sneered and turned to mock Liu Shi.
“You—Shan-ge, she knows too much. Get the antidote and the token, then finish her.”
Liu Shi paled, realizing the gravity of the situation. Though seething, she deferred to the man.
“No need to remind me. I’ll deal with her. I promised our daughter a different life. Her existence is a threat, and she killed Hei Ya. She dies tonight. Girl, hand over the Dragon-Tiger Token now. Unless you want to suffer before death, stop resisting.”
The man smirked, as if their earlier conflict meant nothing, and tightened his grip on Wan Qing’s wrist.
“You—you’re vile. Fine, fine! Put me down, and I’ll give you the token…”
Choking as he lifted her by the neck, Wan Qing gasped for air, her voice strained.
“Hand it over.” He sneered, extending his palm.
“Honestly, bullying a weak woman like me—fine, I’ll give it!”
Under his glare, Wan Qing relented. Reaching into her robe, she pulled out a jade pendant—not the token, but a decoy.
“Here, catch!”
The man’s eyes lit up. But as he reached for it, the hidden weapon in her ring fired.
“You—!”
In one fluid motion, she backflipped, releasing another volley from her bracelet toward Liu Shi.
In seconds, both the man and Liu Shi were struck. Wan Qing, weakened by her accumulated poison, staggered back but managed to stay upright.
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