Mu Wanxia watched as the two women met, their faces streaked with tears. Listening to their deep bond as mistress and servant, which completely overshadowed her presence, she let out a cold chuckle and interrupted their conversation.
“Let me be the one to tell you what happened. At the time, I did intend to kill Chunhong. But considering your uniqueness, I decided to spare her life—perhaps she could be of use to me later. So I kept her imprisoned in a hidden place. Who would have thought she’d come in handy now?”
As Wanqing and her servant continued their emotional exchange, Mu Wanxia stepped forward with a triumphant air, her gaze filled with unmistakable arrogance and coldness. It was clear she believed she held all the cards.
“You—”
Wanqing’s eyes fell on Chunhong’s unusually pale face, weathered by hardship, her sickly sallow complexion and skin that had clearly been deprived of sunlight for far too long.
Though Mu Wanxia didn’t elaborate further, Wanqing understood all too well—Chunhong had been locked away, likely in some dark, sunless place, only fed when her captors remembered.
Though Chunhong bore no visible injuries and her condition seemed stable, the sight filled Wanqing with fury as she glared at Mu Wanxia.
“No need to be so angry. The fact that I didn’t kill her is already an act of mercy toward you. At the very least, I’ve allowed you two to reunite, haven’t I? If you want me to release her, you must agree to my conditions. No—two conditions, actually.”
Mu Wanxia smirked at Wanqing’s barely contained rage, then suddenly turned serious, making her demands.
“Name them.”
Wanqing, already anticipating her motives, replied without surprise.
“My conditions are simple. First, hand over the poison you used on my mother. As for the second…”
Mu Wanxia paused, her lips curling into a cold, triumphant smile.
“Speak. As long as you let her go, I’ll agree. Otherwise, even if I die, I’ll drag you all down with me.”
Wanqing met her icy, gloating gaze with calm, though a sense of foreboding settled in her chest.
“Bold as ever—truly the daughter of Feng Liuli. The second condition is this: surrender the Dragon-Tiger Token you carry. Do this, and I’ll spare both you and your maid. Refuse, and I’ll end her life right now.”
Liu Cuishan, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, pressing the blade closer to Chunhong’s throat as he spoke.
“Stop! If you dare harm even a hair on her head, I’ll destroy the antidote right now. Let’s see who comes out worse.”
Wanqing’s voice was sharp as she clutched the medicine pouch at her waist, her threat clear.
“Fine. Hand it over. We’ll exchange the token for the girl. Otherwise, we settle this with force.”
Seeing Wanqing’s desperation for Chunhong’s safety, Liu Cuishan issued his ultimatum.
“One… two…”
As they counted together, before the word “three” could leave their lips, Wanqing flung two objects forward—a pill and a token. The moment the man released Chunhong, Wanqing lunged forward.
“Run, Chunhong!” she shouted as she dashed ahead.
In an instant, she was there. Liu Cuishan snatched the Dragon-Tiger Token and the pill midair, tossing the latter to Mu Wanxia.
“Quick, give this to your mother!” he urged, clutching the token tightly.
Mu Wanxia caught the pill and hurried toward the veiled pavilion, while Liu Cuishan examined the token, his voice trembling. “It’s real…”
“Give it back!” Wanqing snarled, kicking at his wrist.
The sudden attack caught Liu Cuishan off guard. He staggered back but retaliated with a palm strike aimed at Wanqing.
“Ugh!”
Though Wanqing managed to reclaim the token, the force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground. The token slipped from her grasp as she clutched her chest, blood spilling from her lips.
“Ah—my hand! My hand!”
Liu Cuishan, though victorious in his strike, suddenly recoiled in horror as his palm turned black. He stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground, his voice shaking with disbelief.
“Didn’t expect that, did you? Dealing with people like you requires more than just brute force. I coated the token with poison.”
Despite the searing pain coursing through her meridians, Wanqing forced a faint smile as she struggled to rise, clutching her chest as she inched toward the fallen token.
“Qing’er!”
Mu Zhenfeng, who had been watching with Honglian and the others, rushed forward in distress. Though he didn’t understand the conflict over the token, the sight of his daughter in agony tore at his heart.
“Father, let go of him!”
Wanqing turned sharply, only to see Liu Cuishan gripping her father’s shoulder. Even poisoned, the man refused to yield.
“Release him? Hand over the antidote, and I’ll let him go. Otherwise, if I die, at least I’ll take him with me. Fair trade, no?”
Liu Cuishan’s handsome face was twisted with cold amusement as he tightened his grip, his eyes demanding compliance.
“Don’t you dare! Qing’er, do what you must—don’t worry about me!”
Mu Zhenfeng, realizing his intervention had only worsened things, felt a pang of regret. He had never shown Wanqing much care, yet now she hesitated for his sake.
“Stay back!”
Honglian and the others could no longer hold back and surged forward, but Liu Cuishan’s glare froze them in place.
“Who told you to interfere? Release my father, and I’ll give you the antidote. I’ll even let you leave unharmed.”
Though unsure of Liu Cuishan’s exact ties to Mu Wanxia, Wanqing couldn’t ignore the threat to her father. Despite his past neglect, the thought of his entanglement with Suxiang—and the daughter who had died in her place—made her relent.
“Very well. The antidote first, then I release him. I’ll count to three.”
Liu Cuishan, though skilled in poison arts, knew he stood no chance against so many. Even if he could detoxify, it would take time—and Wanqing’s poison was potent. Every second standing was agony.
He began counting with a strained smile.
“Release who? These people dared to slander my mother and you—they all deserve to die. Mu Wanqing, I never thought you’d give me a fake antidote. How truly vile of you—”
A figure suddenly emerged from the pavilion, scattering a cloud of powder as she moved. As Honglian and the others collapsed one by one, Mu Wanxia strode forward, her voice dripping with disdain.
(To be continued…)
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