Shao Ji Zu’s response was venomous. “I never claimed to be some revered Southern Hero or a favorite of the Emperor. I’m no hero or man of honor. But Zhan Zhao forcibly broke into the Chong Xiao Tower and stole the Prince’s most prized treasure. Now that he’s fallen into the hands of the Xiang Yang Prince’s estate, how could I possibly let him go?”
As he spoke, a cold, haughty smile crept onto his face, the ice and fire in his eyes dripping with malice. That smile spread across his entire face, chilling the air around him. “Don’t forget the fate of Bai Yu Tang, the ‘White Rat’ of Trap-Island, who dared to break into Chong Xiao Tower!”
Huo Ling Long froze in shock. “Are you talking about the Bai Yu Tang from Trap-Island? Don’t tell me—”
Shao Ji Zu cut her off. “Of course. He overestimated himself and paid the price for it. Just over ten days ago, he was skewered by the Thunderbolt Arrows of Chong Xiao Tower, left looking like a porcupine. Zhan Zhao’s later break-in was most likely to avenge Bai Yu Tang and recover the Prince’s treasure. The night you showed up at the Xiang Yang estate, I was forced to split my forces to deal with you. Otherwise, Zhan Zhao would never have escaped the Copper Net Array’s elite guards so easily! Even so, he only managed to flee by sheer luck and suffered serious injuries. Otherwise, with his lightness skills, who in the Xiang Yang estate could have caught him?”
Huo Ling Long felt her heart wrench with pain.
So, on the very night she went to the Xiang Yang estate to confront the Prince and cause trouble for Shao Ji Zu, Zhan Zhao had been fighting for his life, battling the elite guards of Jin Shi Hall in an attempt to retrieve the yellow silk sash now hidden in her bosom.
Her expression turned sorrowful as she murmured, “No wonder he looked so terrible when I first saw him. No wonder the ‘Old Friends at First Sight’ wound on him appeared only six days ago.”
Though she didn’t fully understand, she couldn’t help but wonder: If he was burdened with such an important mission and severely injured, why hadn’t he hurried to the capital? Why had he chosen to clash with Xing Yun Manor and Han Shui Palace along the way?
– Did she truly not know? Or was she afraid to let her thoughts go further?
Huo Ling Long lowered her head, her heart a chaotic storm that left her mind blank, her vision spinning.
– Why was the sunset over the plains so piercingly bright?
Her tightly clenched lips had begun to bleed.
Suddenly, she lifted her head, a decision clearly made.
Her voice was calm, but her face had turned pale. “You were able to harm Bai Yu Tang, so it’s only natural you could harm him as well. I just want you to know—he is in your hands now, not because of your own merit, but because of his unwavering righteousness!”
Her tone grew even firmer. “I already know you will never let him go. But let me make this clear: If you harm him, you harm me. If he dies, I won’t live either. The Ling Long Eye of the Huo family will never fall into your hands or the hands of the Xiang Yang Prince in this generation!”
A flash of fire seemed to cross Shao Ji Zu’s handsome face, but it was quickly suppressed by the cold detachment she knew so well.
He began to speak slowly. He had to make every word deliberate, ensuring she heard him clearly. His voice was unnervingly calm, carrying a chill that made one’s blood freeze. “Why would I kill him? Of course, I’ll save him. Letting him die so easily would never do you justice. Now that he’s fallen into the hands of the Xiang Yang Prince, I’ll make him wish for death. I’ll make him hate himself for ever being born into this world!”
His fiery yet icy gaze bore into her, the cruelty etched as if it were an intrinsic part of him—woven into his eyes, his lips, his every expression.
“And as for you,” he continued with a venomous smile, “why would I ever harm you? After all, you’re about to become my wife. As your husband, it’s my duty to care for you and make you happy. Besides, even if I wanted to harm him, there’s no need to hurt you first. Hurting you would be pointless—you’re not the woman he loves.”
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