“Second Miss, I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything I know, just please spare me…”
Her words, combined with the dagger pressing into her skin, sent Xianglan into a panic as she stammered frantically.
“Don’t lie to me. Even if I let you go this time, next time you’ll die even worse. Now, why?”
Wanqing ignored the heavy tremor in Xianglan’s trembling voice and pressed on.
“It—it was all Young Master Sun’s doing. You and Young Master Sun were betrothed, but the Eldest Miss fell for him at first sight, so…”
Her cold tone made Xianglan shiver even more violently as she stammered out the words.
Wanqing had no recollection of this “Young Master Sun,” but the fact that these people had stolen her man—even if he was just a nominal fiancé—and acted so brazenly made her blood boil. A frosty smile curled on her lips as she cut in.
“So you poisoned me and sold me to a brothel, is that it?”
“Yes—no! Second Miss, it wasn’t me! I was just following orders…”
As Wanqing spoke, she withdrew the dagger from Xianglan’s neck and began tossing it playfully in the air, her face adorned with a sweet smile. But to Xianglan, that smile was terrifying, sending chills down her spine.
Xianglan frantically nodded and shook her head, her eyes wide with terror as she pleaded with Wanqing, who now held the dagger pointed at her.
“I understand. Following your master’s orders is a servant’s duty. But you forgot one thing—no matter how disfavored a master may be, they are still the master. A servant who schemes against their master deserves no mercy. I’ll spare your life, but punishment is unavoidable…”
As Xianglan whimpered in fear, Wanqing pressed the dagger against her chest and spoke softly. Seeing Xianglan open her mouth to speak, Wanqing’s smile widened. With a flick of her wrist, the dagger that had been aimed at her heart suddenly slashed toward her throat.
“Ugh—!”
Xianglan collapsed forward, her face pale, lips trembling, but no sound escaped.
“You’re already this scared? What if I carve up your face, then slowly slice off your flesh piece by piece?”
Wanqing smirked, watching with satisfaction as Xianglan trembled in terror, her eyes wide with horror. As she spoke, the dagger moved again.
With a swift motion, blood trickled from both of Xianglan’s ears. Though she struggled and tried to scream, her acupoints had been sealed, leaving her paralyzed—only able to whimper in despair.
“Now, your face?”
Wanqing, having already destroyed Xianglan’s vocal cords and hearing, watched as the girl lay before her, face ashen with pain, writhing silently. Her smile deepened as she pressed the bloodied dagger against Xianglan’s cheek.
“Ah, seeing you cry so pitifully and suffer like this, I almost feel bad. You know, a woman’s most prized possessions are her beauty and her virtue. If I ruin your face, how will you live?”
Xianglan trembled violently, tears streaming silently, too terrified to even sob. Wanqing, thoroughly enjoying herself, lightly traced the dagger over her face, watching as Xianglan barely dared to breathe.
“But I’m not cruel enough to do such a thing. Let’s end it here today. Just don’t cross me again, or I’ll cut out your tongue, disfigure you, and chop off your limbs one by one—until you’re no longer even human. Lie here. Survive if you can. If not, well… that’s just your bad luck. I’m leaving now.”
Seeing Xianglan’s wide-eyed, mute terror, Wanqing sighed theatrically, sheathed the dagger, tapped a few pressure points on her body, and turned to leave.
—
“Miss, where have you been? I just finished brewing ginger tea, and you vanished! Here, drink it. Miss—why are you holding a dagger? And it’s covered in blood? You—!”
Back in the courtyard, Chunhong rushed over in relief, guiding Wanqing inside. But when she saw the bloodstained dagger in her mistress’s hand, she froze in shock.
“What? Scared?”
Deliberately leaving the dagger uncleaned, Wanqing smirked at Chunhong’s horrified expression. She placed the weapon on the table, picked up the ginger tea, and took a graceful sip.
“Miss, you—”
Chunhong was speechless. The Wanqing she knew was kind-hearted—she wouldn’t even shoo away injured birds or mice. But now, she held a bloody dagger without a hint of fear, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Chunhong, did you know that during my outing, I was nearly sold to a brothel?”
Wanqing studied Chunhong’s stunned face, her own expression calm.
“…Miss, what happened?”
After a brief pause, Chunhong’s shock turned to confusion.
“I felt dizzy after leaving, and Xianglan offered me some ‘cooling tea.’ The next thing I knew, I was bound and dragged to a brothel. If not for a kind stranger’s help, I’d have—”
Wanqing’s gaze sharpened as she spoke, watching Chunhong closely.
“How could she do this? Miss, your health is already weak! This is unforgivable! It’s all my fault—if I hadn’t asked you to buy things for my birthday, this wouldn’t have happened! Punish me, Miss! I failed to protect you!”
Chunhong burst into tears, grabbing Wanqing’s hand and slapping her own face with it.
“Stop crying. From now on, no more useless tears. I used to think staying meek would bring peace, but the world proved me wrong. No more mercy. Cross me, and I’ll make them regret it. And this blood? It’s Xianglan’s.”
Wanqing had never been one for comforting others. She yanked her hand back, her tone firm.
Chunhong’s eyes widened. “You—you killed her? Miss, you must flee! If anyone investigates, I’ll say *I* killed her for revenge! Go, now!”
Instead of panicking or screaming, Chunhong wiped her tears, hastily packed a bag, shoved it into Wanqing’s arms, and grabbed the dagger herself. Her eyes darted nervously to the door as she urged, “Hurry!”
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