The shift in Wan Qing’s expression made Mu Wanxia laugh triumphantly.
“Hehe, didn’t expect that, did you? When I let her go, I actually poisoned her clothes. The moment you touched her, the poison transferred to you. Now, do you feel dizzy and heavy-headed, with a dull pain in your chest…?”
As she spoke, she strode forward confidently, clearly pleased with her control over the situation, and looked at her with a smirk.
“You… you all, take this and eat it. Then take her and leave. She’s gone mad…”
Wan Qing sneered inwardly at Mu Wanxia’s demeanor but outwardly maintained an expression of pain and fury. Clutching her chest, she staggered to the side and handed the two women, whose faces had also changed color, antidote pills. Urgently, she said to them, “Take these.”
“This…” The two women, Qian Yuying and Cui Hongxiao, were stunned. Just moments ago, Wan Qing had seemed fine, but now her face was deathly pale with a faint blackish hue. They hadn’t expected Mu Wanxia to pull such a trick. Though they were baffled by how both sisters resorted to poison, the immediate concern was Wan Qing’s deteriorating state. Seeing her sway unsteadily while still trying to protect them, they hesitated, wondering if they too had been poisoned—why else would she give them antidotes? As she stumbled forward, they supported the still-unconscious Song Meiling, casting worried glances at Wan Qing.
“Now that you’ve seen this side of me, none of you are leaving…”
Mu Wanxia smirked coldly at the shift in the two women’s expressions and lunged toward them again.
“Go! Don’t worry about me! Find my two maids outside—Prince Ning knows where they are. Hurry, or none of us will make it out!”
Wan Qing, now barely able to stand, clutched her chest in pain, swaying as if about to collapse. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself forward while urging the two women behind her. As Mu Wanxia flung another handful of yellow powder, Wan Qing weakly countered with a shaky hand, staggering a few steps before steadying herself. Qian Yuying and Cui Hongxiao, though terrified, understood that Wan Qing was sacrificing herself to cover their escape. Staying would only burden her further. Uncertain how long she could hold out, they knew they had to leave quickly—only by finding help could they save her.
“Hongxiao, let’s go! Now, hurry!” Realizing this, Qian Yuying grabbed Song Meiling’s arm and pulled urgently.
“But… Qing’er, she…” Cui Hongxiao hesitated, eyes fixed on Wan Qing, who swayed unsteadily before them. The powder had already blackened and withered the surrounding plants at an alarming rate. Yet, seeing Wan Qing barely holding her ground, she wavered.
“If we stay, we’ll only drag her down. The faster we find help, the better her chances. She’s suffering because of us—go!” Qian Yuying, unusually calm, insisted. With that, the two half-carried, half-dragged Song Meiling, mustering every ounce of strength to flee.
“Still playing the hero? Sacrificing yourself for these nobodies—how foolishly generous. Yet, you’ve always been ruthless to me, your own sister. Everything I had, you stole or destroyed. Mu Wanqing, you’ve finally met your end at my hands. Die now!”
Mu Wanxia advanced step by step, watching as Wan Qing collapsed to the ground, her counterattacks growing weaker. Now fully seated, her face darkened, breathing heavily, Mu Wanxia reveled in her impending victory. With a cold laugh, she raised her dagger and thrust it toward Wan Qing, who sat defenseless, hands at her sides, eyes wide with fear.
“Hmph. You think you can kill me? You’re still far too naive…”
Just as Mu Wanxia was certain of her victory, Wan Qing suddenly moved. Seizing Mu Wanxia’s wrist with a slender hand, she smirked at her shocked expression. “Did you really think your poison could defeat me? I detected it the moment I touched Meiling and secretly neutralized it.”
“No… impossible! You were poisoned—your face—!” Mu Wanxia stammered, disbelief turning to dread as Wan Qing’s grip tightened, dislocating her wrist with a sharp twist. A cry of pain escaped her as the dagger was wrenched away, and Wan Qing shoved her to the ground, striking a pressure point in the process.
“You… how? My poison—it should’ve—!” Mu Wanxia lay immobilized, staring up in horror as Wan Qing loomed over her, twirling the stolen dagger.
“Did you really think your amateurish poison could work on me?” Wan Qing chuckled coldly, pressing the blade to Mu Wanxia’s cheek. “See? My face is perfectly fine now. Compared to me, you’re still a child—and so are your mother and that ‘Uncle Liu’ you call your father.”
With a flick of her wrist, Wan Qing sent the dagger flying toward Mu Wanxia, who screamed and shut her eyes in terror. Laughing heartily, Wan Qing turned away. “Such cowardice, and yet you dared challenge me? Go back and learn from your mother and ‘Uncle Liu’ for a few more years.”
Leaving Mu Wanxia trembling in fear, Wan Qing strode off without a backward glance.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage