Chapter 221: Escape Route

"Xin Yi, what are you doing?!"

Xiao Baoyue nearly thought she was dreaming, and after a moment of stunned reaction, she finally found her voice.

Xin Yi danced while keeping rhythm, half-singing, half-speaking: "Young Master—you're here! Xin Yi—has been hit—by—Arcane You Finger—"

"What did you get hit by??" Xiao Baoyue's voice shot up three octaves.

Xin Yi spun like a tiny butterfly.

"Arcane You Finger—is a—strange—martial art—do it again—and Xin Yi—will be frozen—!"

Xiao Baoyue's stomach twisted with rage as she shot a dagger-like glare at Wang Yang.

Wang Yang spread his hands wide, feigning innocence.

Xiao Baoyue narrowed her beautiful eyes, suppressing her fury, and urged Xin Yi in a low voice: "Get down!"

Xin Yi stepped lightly, kicked her leg, and bent backward: "Just one more—almost—done!"

Xiao Baoyue clenched her fists, her chest rising and falling like mountain peaks, her brow thick with lethal aura.

"Stop dancing! Get down right now!"

Xin Yi froze mid-motion, her little face twisted in pain, pleading with a pitiful expression: "Young Master..."

Wang Yang said: "Alright, alright, Xin Yi, stop for now. You don't need to finish the dance to see the effect."

Xin Yi looked confused: "Huh???"

"Do you feel getting hotter?"

Xin Yi nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

Wang Yang asked: "Do you know where Hegu Point is?"

Xin Yi shook her head. Her mother was from the Xi people, her father Han; her martial arts came from her mother's lineage, which only taught vital points and joints, never acupoints.

Wang Yang extended his right palm and pointed to Hegu Point.

"Press hard on this spot on your right hand."

Xin Yi obediently obeyed.

Wang Yang said: "Press hard! Do you feel a tingling, numb sensation?"

Xin Yi gasped in shock: "Yes! Yes! Tingling and numb!"

Wang Yang turned his neck and gestured to his own neck: "This is Fengchi Point. Press hard—does it hurt?"

Xin Yi clasped her neck and pressed hard—her eyes widened in shock and awe as she nodded rapidly like a chick pecking grain: "It hurts! It hurts!"

Wang Yang opened his fan and waved it lightly:

"Heat rises from the heart, numbness begins in the hand. Pain strikes Hegu, stiffness settles on the brows. You've reached the third stage—signs of qi and blood stagnation. Keep dancing, and your forehead will lock, your limbs will freeze. It seems I used too much power—three-tenths is too much for you to withstand."

Wang Yang frowned slightly, sighed softly, and shook his head, as if regretting having overexerted and harmed Xin Yi.

Xin Yi's lips parted slightly, her face filled with awe and admiration: "So amazing..."

Xiao Baoyue had been on the edge of fury for too long—she could no longer bear it and shouted: "Xin Yi!!!"

Xin Yi, still half-dazed, snapped awake at the shout, turning to Xiao Baoyue with a dazed look:

"What is it, Young Master?"

Xiao Baoyue's rage boiled over—she forced out two words through gritted teeth:

"Get—down!"

"Oh! Xin Yi obeys!"

Wang Yang smiled and gave Xin Yi a light wave goodbye.

Xin Yi beamed and waved back at Wang Yang.

Xiao Baoyue saw this scene and her hands trembled with rage—she shot Xin Yi a murderous glare.

Xin Yi stuck out her tongue and vanished in a flash.

After Xin Yi left, Xiao Baoyue sat across from Wang Yang, face cold, staring at him. She opened her mouth to speak—when Xin Yi suddenly reappeared, peering through the door: "By the way, if I go back and keep dancing, will I still get frozen?"

Wang Yang said: "I only used three-tenths of my power. To see results, the dance must continue. Since it's stopped now, you won't be frozen."

"Oh." Xin Yi thought for a moment, then added: "Then next time—"

"GET OUT!!!!"

Xiao Baoyue roared like a furious dragon.

Xin Yi vanished instantly.

Xiao Baoyue took a deep breath, turned back to Wang Yang. Her cold, crimson lips curled into a smileless smirk, her eyes holding not a trace of amusement:

"Wang Young Master, you have quite the touch. In such a short time, you've made my servant dance for you. If we keep talking, will my people become yours?"

Wang Yang frowned:

"What's yours and mine? We're partners—why draw lines? That's just pushing things too far!"

Xiao Baoyue sneered:

"Fine. Then let's not speak outwardly—let's speak inwardly! I want to see you dance now. Dance for me."

Wang Yang sipped his wine slowly:

"Life is rarely satisfying—eight or nine times out of ten, things don't go as you wish. Just as I've always wanted to see you dance—you can't dance either..."

Xiao Baoyue could take no more! She shot to her feet, exploding:

"Wang Yang!!! I—"

Wang Yang's face was expressionless—he raised one finger:

"I've uncovered the barbarian route of the Prince of Badong. Do you want to hear it?"

Xiao Baoyue's voice cut off mid-sentence; her slender frame still trembled, her eyes still blazing with fury—but as if doused with icy water, they now held shock and disbelief.

After a moment's thought, she gritted her teeth: "Tell me."

Wang Yang tapped his folded fan downward, speaking calmly: "Then sit down."

Xiao Baoyue's lips quivered—a fire surged straight to her crown.

Baoyue!

Hold on!!

Don't act rashly!!!

Deal with him after this matter is settled!!!!

Xiao Baoyue gave herself a mental pep talk, shot Wang Yang one last furious glare, then reluctantly sat back down—transformed from a furious dragon into an icy beauty, her brow radiating innate pride, her voice icy as she uttered one word:

"Speak."

Wang Yang smiled and told Xiao Baoyue plainly: Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu strongly recommended the Yongning barbarians, and opposed the Wu Ning and Yidu barbarians.

With no details, Xiao Baoyue could not judge, so she said: "Explain further."

Wang Yang feigned ignorance: "What exactly do you mean by 'further'?"

Xiao Baoyue's eyes turned cold:

"Wang Yang, I'm cooperating with you because you helped me investigate the Prince of Badong's barbarian collusion. Do you think you'd be sitting here talking to me otherwise?"

Wang Yang looked innocent:

"I helped! You told me to extract information from the Prince of Badong—I did. You told me to probe Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu—I did. I exhausted myself, poured out my blood and marrow! No one else could've done it!"

Xiao Baoyue snorted in disdain:

"I knew you wouldn't tell me outright. So speak—what do you want?"

Wang Yang looked at Xiao Baoyue:

"You want the barbarian route. I want an escape route."

"What escape route?" Xiao Baoyue asked.

"First: You promised to protect my identity. Will you keep that promise? How? By confirming my status as a member of the Langya Wang Clan."

"Second: When I agreed to be your front, you said that if the Prince of Badong's case blew up, I wouldn't be implicated. Will you guarantee that? How? Write a document stating that every action I took in this case was done under your orders."

"Do these two things, and I have my escape route—your barbarian route is secured."

Xiao Baoyue's eyes flickered with mockery:

"I expected you'd use the barbarian route to demand favors—but I never imagined you'd dream this wildly!

Let me be clear: I will not agree to either of your demands.

I said I'd keep your identity hidden—but I meant in Jingzhou. Beyond that, I have no power!

I said you wouldn't be implicated in the Prince of Badong's case—but only if you cooperate with my investigation. If you cooperate, you're safe. That's my guarantee.

Believe me if you want to! If not, I can't force you.

And for you to ask me to write a formal statement? Impossible! If I asked you to write a confession admitting you forged your Langya surname, would you write it?"

Wang Yang smiled:

"First, don't be so modest.

You're all-powerful—what can't you do? I have full confidence in you!

Second, I'm good at cooperating—but bad at trusting.

If you can make me trust you, I will. If not, I can't help it.

As for the forged Langya surname confession... if you're willing to co-write it with me, that's perfectly fine!"

Xiao Baoyue's gaze turned glacial:

"You forged your Langya surname yourself—why would I co-write it with you?"

Wang Yang replied with perfect logic:

"You helped me forge it! You blocked the garrison's testimony, altered the Ministry of Personnel's reply, made me memorize family records—I couldn't have done it without your help! Didn't I tell you this before? Did you forget? In this case, you're the mastermind, I'm the accomplice—shouldn't we co-write the confession?"

Xiao Baoyue looked at Wang Yang, and on her icy face, a smile suddenly bloomed—cold, alluring, and dangerous, like a rose in frost, beautiful enough to startle the heart, yet carrying a bone-chilling chill.

She leisurely lifted her teacup, her slender fingers gliding white and smooth along the cup's belly, the motion elegant yet subtly alluring, as she spoke slowly:

"Have you already forgotten who you are? Do you think these few things give you the right to bargain with me?"

Wang Yang gently unfurled his folding fan, his tone reflective:

"What you say is true. The world is chaotic, the dust of mortal life boundless; those who dwell within it cannot help but grow blind. If one remains blind too long, one might forget who they are. But I have not forgotten who I am—"

Wang Yang paused here, propping his cheek in his hand, watching Xiao Baoyue with keen interest:

"But have you forgotten who you are, Xiao Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Xie Lady Xie Niangzi?"

The teacup shattered on the ground...

———————

Note: The gesture of waving farewell has ancient roots. Liu Kun's "Ballad of Fufeng" says: "Waving hands in farewell, choked with sorrow, unable to speak." Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Lady Xie Lingyun's "Passing Through Shining Village" says: "Waving goodbye to my hometown, I pledge to return in three years." The "Five Scholars' Annotations to the Wen Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Xuan" explains this phrase: "To wave is to raise one's hand in farewell—meaning to raise the hand and bid farewell to one's townsfolk."