The cunning and pity in Zhi Hua’s eyes filled her with an indescribable discomfort. “Don’t forget, the one you’re trying to overthrow this time is Prince Xiang Yang, the Emperor’s own uncle—not Xing Yun Manor. Even Xing Yun Manor isn’t something you could bring down on your own. Even if Zhan Zhao himself stood before the Emperor without solid evidence, he’d be charged with slandering imperial kin.”
His tone suddenly shifted. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell Prince Xiang Yang about what happened today. Whether the Emperor believes you or not no longer matters to me. What does matter is that your cleverness has already destroyed the person you care about most.”
As these words fell from his lips, Huo Ling Long’s face turned as pale as a corpse.
Zhi Hua slowly stepped closer to her, speaking each word deliberately, “Yes, you’ve finally begun to understand. I don’t need to kill you. Your heart will soon die on its own. It will die because you’ll soon realize what a terrible mistake you’ve made. And when your heart is dead, neither your Ling Long Eye nor your ‘Yin Yang An’ will be able to open your mind again.”
He cruelly watched the terror gradually fill her eyes, then continued, “You’ve realized it, haven’t you? Everything you’ve done was for the one you love. But all that you’ve done has only ruined the person you love most!”
A deafening roar filled Huo Ling Long’s mind. The world seemed to spin, and she stumbled, barely able to keep her footing.
In her ears, it was as if hundreds of thundering voices echoed, shaking her to her core:
“You were wrong!”
“You were wrong!”
“You were wrong!”
These three words struck her heart like heavy iron hammers, each blow relentless. Her mind was a chaotic whirl, buzzing uncontrollably. Her heart felt as though an invisible hand was mercilessly tearing it to shreds!
She—was—truly—wrong!
Zhi Hua looked at her face, as pale as death, with a triumphant smile. His laughter brimmed with satisfaction, and he had every reason to feel pleased.
His gaze shifted to Ming Zhu’er and Ming Yu’er, and he spoke slowly, “As for you, I’d advise against any reckless schemes. Xiang Yang is not Dong Jing or Bian Liang. The Great Song dynasty has already lost Bai Yu Tang and Zhan Zhao at Prince Xiang Yang’s estate. If it also claims your life, wouldn’t that be a pity?”
Suddenly, he laughed loudly and said, “But you’ll still go, won’t you? Now you finally understand why I don’t even need to kill you!”
His laughter was like a basin of ice-cold water, drenching her to the bone.
As his laughter echoed, thick black smoke rose behind him.
When the smoke cleared, Zhi Hua was gone.
──He had countless opportunities to kill the three people who now knew so many of his secrets, yet he didn’t. Was the reason he gave truly the real reason for sparing them?
──What purpose did this cunning man have, silently infiltrating Prince Xiang Yang’s estate? Was he an enemy or a friend?
He vanished like a phantom. Under normal circumstances, Huo Ling Long would have tested her “Fleeting Glimpse” light-foot technique against his to see who was faster. But now, her empty eyes seemed to see nothing at all.
Ming Zhu’er glanced at Huo Ling Long, who stood dazed and motionless, and asked in a low voice, “Sister, look at that girl—silent and unresponsive. Has she lost her mind all of a sudden?”
The young girl sighed softly and said, “Zhu’er, don’t speak nonsense. She hasn’t lost her mind, but she has become someone with a broken heart.”
Ming Zhu’er asked curiously, “Her? Heartbroken?”
The young girl replied, “It’s because she made a grave mistake. She never should have used the yellow silk scroll as leverage to trade for the Third Young Master.”
──“If she hadn’t made the exchange, the Third Young Master might still have clung to life. But the moment she handed over the yellow silk scroll, his life was put in grave danger!”
──“She may be clever, but her cleverness backfired. Not only did she fail the trust the Third Young Master placed in her, but she also doomed him. How can she bear to face him now? She must have realized this, which is why she’s so deeply heartbroken. Zhu’er, don’t blame her anymore.”
Huo Ling Long stood motionless by the roadside, yet every word of the girl’s explanation pierced her ears, unfiltered. Each word felt like a steel needle, stabbing into her already shattered heart, pulling forth a pain that could never be undone. She shuddered involuntarily.
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