Chapter 164: The Lockdown of Lian Prefecture

Xiao Mingyu looked at Nan Xueyin in bewilderment.

It was clearly a face he was extremely familiar with, yet he felt inexplicably like a stranger.

Yesterday, just a moment ago, this face was still acting coquettishly toward him, calling him husband, calling him Prince.

Now, however, she was gripping his throat, her expression cold and sharp.

"You..." Xiao Mingyu murmured.

Seeing him like this, Nan Xueyin feared he would not be willing to talk for a while.

She could not be bothered to explain anything; time was tight, and she could not waste it on Xiao Mingyu.

So, without another word, she brought her hand down and knocked him unconscious.

She threw Xiao Mingyu onto the couch and covered him with a blanket.

Nan Xueyin searched the study from top to bottom but did not find the pendant.

She exited the study and ran into Bai Chuan outside the door.

"Consort! Why have you come out?"

In truth, Nan Xueyin detested this title.

Over the past two days, she had been disgusted to the point of death!

Yet, through the long ordeal, Nan Xueyin had realized one thing: she was currently in a disadvantaged position, and only by dispelling Xiao Mingyu's suspicions could she seize the initiative.

She could not steal the pendant first; she was afflicted with Gu Poison, and she was easily controlled by Xiao Mingyu at many times.

She had to remove the Gu Poison first.

That sorcerer was indeed capable, but Nan Xueyin was even more capable.

She knew he wanted to make her lose her memory and become a simpleton.

So, she let him succeed.

It appeared that Nan Xueyin had been brainwashed, but in reality, it was Xiao Mingyu who had been brainwashed by Nan Xueyin.

Look, she pretended to have amnesia, pretended to have a poison flare-up, and he believed it all.

At this moment, Nan Xueyin still needed to keep up the act slightly, saying: "Thanks to the Prince, my body has fully recovered."

"Then what about the Prince? I seemed to hear someone talking inside just now." Bai Chuan looked at her thoughtfully.

"That was just the Prince and me talking," Nan Xueyin said without changing her expression. "The Prince told me he had once given me a White Jade Guanyin Pendant, and I said I had no memory of it at all."

She looked at Bai Chuan. "Do you know where that is?"

Bai Chuan revealed a look of confusion and answered quite honestly, "I don't know about that."

"I see."

Nan Xueyin sighed with regret.

"I know."

Not far away, Bai Sheng's voice came.

Nan Xueyin raised her eyes.

Bai Sheng walked up. "The Prince said that the pendant was of great importance and ordered me to hide it in the storehouse, locking it away layer by layer with keys."

Nan Xueyin tilted her head. "Then how can one obtain the keys?"

Bai Sheng pulled a ring of keys from his robes and handed them to her.

Nan Xueyin was clearly surprised.

Bai Sheng lowered his voice: "I know, you remember everything."

Nan Xueyin's gaze trembled violently.

"You and I have known each other for a time, I... hope you can be a little happier," Bai Sheng said, then took half a step to the side. "Go."

Nan Xueyin looked at him.

When she pretended that the Gu Poison was flaring up, she had not truly lost consciousness.

She had heard Xiao Mingyu order Bai Sheng to fetch the antidote, and she had also heard the words Bai Sheng used to persuade Xiao Mingyu to give the Big Antidote.

How to put it, if not for Bai Sheng, things would not have gone so smoothly.

If she had taken a short-term antidote, Nan Xueyin would have had to keep pretending for a while longer.

It was precisely because the Gu Poison in her body was completely removed that she dropped all her disguises in front of Xiao Mingyu.

She looked at Bai Sheng with unprecedented seriousness. "If I had known, I would have beaten you less in the past."

Bai Sheng was stunned, then chuckled.

Nan Xueyin said no more, gripped the keys tightly, and strode toward the storehouse.

Bai Chuan crept over from behind and asked, "Brother, what were you saying to the Consort just now?"

The smile still on Bai Sheng's face, he shook his head. "Nothing."

"Why did you tell her about that pendant? Didn't the Prince say before that no one could be given the keys, not even the Consort?"

Bai Sheng looked at Nan Xueyin's departing back, his voice so faint he could barely hear it himself. "I just feel... they are too miserable."

"Who is too miserable?" Bai Chuan heard him.

Bai Sheng said no more.

Bai Chuan scratched his head, but did not press further, saying with a grin: "Oh well! If the Prince wakes up and gets angry, I'll just suffer the punishment with you. Who told me to be your younger brother; we two are each other's only kin in this world..."

Nan Xueyin found the lock in the storehouse.

Xiao Mingyu was truly determined to hide this pendant; he had nested it inside six layers of iron boxes, and it took Nan Xueyin a great deal of effort to finally get the pendant.

Someone who didn't know might think this was some top-quality mutton-fat jade, but in reality, the small flower vases casually placed in the storehouse were more valuable than this.

But speaking of valuable...

Nan Xueyin walked around the storehouse and fished out three South Sea pearls and six gold cakes. These two items were valuable and easy to carry; Nan Xueyin stuffed them into her bodice, and they fit easily.

This doesn't count as stealing.

Having killed people for Xiao Mingyu for so many years, what's wrong with taking a few of his valuable trinkets?

Besides, these were originally the fat of the land that Xiao Mingyu had extorted from the people anyway.

After Nan Xueyin stopped being an Assassin, she could be considered a law-abiding citizen, right?

Speaking of being a law-abiding citizen, Nan Xueyin still had to go prepare a travel permit, and disguise herself...

Pondering as she moved stealthily, Nan Xueyin left the Duan Prince Mansion while the sky had yet to fully brighten.

However, before she had walked very far, there was a commotion at the Duan Prince Mansion.

"Pass down the order: seal off Lianzhou! Don't even mention people; not a single chicken or duck is allowed to be let out!"

Hiding in an alley, Nan Xueyin heard the urgent relaying of the order and guessed that Xiao Mingyu must have woken up.

She frowned; he had woken up too quickly.

With Xiao Mingyu sealing off Lianzhou City and searching everyone, it would be very difficult to escape.

What's more, she currently had no tools for disguise and still had this original face of hers...

Suddenly, Nan Xueyin sensed an unusual aura approaching from behind her.

Although Nan Xueyin could not feel any killing intent or malice, for the sake of caution, she still spun around abruptly, making a move to snap that person's neck.

The moment her hand touched the other party, she heard a low cry: "It's me! One of our own!"

Nan Xueyin recognized this voice.

"I am Xiao Qingling!" Seeing that Nan Xueyin did not speak, Xiao Qingling took the initiative to introduce himself.

Nan Xueyin looked him up and down; this was absolutely not the face he had before.

Not knowing if he saw through her doubts, Xiao Qingling explained in a low voice: "I came over sneakily, so I disguised myself."

Nan Xueyin frowned and remained silent.

Xiao Qingling looked at her and smiled: "Crown Prince brother sent me."

Nan Xueyin was slightly stunned and finally had a reaction, her lips slowly parting: "How is he?"

"It can't be considered good, nor can it be considered bad. He had a huge argument with the Emperor and is being confined in the Eastern Palace, with all his duties suspended. After all, this is the Crown Prince; the entire court and public in Fengdu are in turmoil now."

Nan Xueyin had long known this would be the consequence, and she disliked Xiao Mingyu even more in her heart.

If it weren't for him doing these things, this would never have happened to Xiao Youlan!

"Come with me," Xiao Qingling suddenly said.

Nan Xueyin kept a cold face: "I've said it before, I don't like you, and I won't be with you."

Xiao Qingling tilted his head instead, "Is there a possibility that I meant, come with me to leave Lianzhou?"

Nan Xueyin:...

From childhood to now, she had rarely been this embarrassed.

Xiao Qingling suppressed a laugh: "I have the tools needed for disguise over there; shall I take you?"

Nan Xueyin endured the humiliation for the sake of her goal and gave a hum of agreement.

Following Xiao Qingling, Nan Xueyin avoided the guards in the city, took several turns, and arrived at a small house.

"I just arrived in Lianzhou last night and spent silver to rent this house. Everything you need is inside."

Nan Xueyin didn't comment on anything and moved to walk inside.

It had to be said that Xiao Qingling was truly a very incautious person; the props used for disguise were all scattered on the table, never having been tidied up.

If it were Xiao Youlan, no matter how urgent the matter was, he would handle the task at hand as quickly as possible, especially now that he was beset by enemies on all sides; Xiao Youlan would definitely hide his identity better.

Thinking of Xiao Youlan, Nan Xueyin felt a heaviness in her heart.

She sat down, preparing to begin her disguise.

Her gaze swept across all the tools, but she frowned first.

Xiao Qingling asked: "What's wrong? Is something not right?"