Chapter 217: Are You Willing to Kill Me?

Nan Lizhu heard this and couldn't help but spit, "You really aren't human!"

Xiao Mingyu glanced at her and added for the Hidden Guard, "By the way, tell Nan Xueyin that her sister Nan Lizhu is in my hands. Even if her injuries heal quickly, what about this good sister of hers? Soft-skinned and tender-fleshed, she won't be able to withstand a few slashes! Tell her to consider it carefully!"

The Hidden Guard acknowledged the order and ran off quickly.

Nan Lizhu was even angrier and stomped her feet: "Only knowing how to threaten people, what kind of skill is that!"

Xiao Mingyu, however, did not look angry; instead, he smiled: "If you also had something you desperately wanted, you would do the same."

Nan Lizhu gritted her teeth, thinking to herself, I would never!

I would never!

The commotion to the north was growing louder and louder.

A Hidden Guard covered in blood returned to report: "Prince! That... that is simply a madwoman! Our men cannot hold her back; we need reinforcements!"

Xiao Mingyu frowned in displeasure: "She is only a woman!"

The Hidden Guard was on the verge of tears.

It was easy to talk while standing, but what did the level of Nan Xueyin's prowess have to do with whether she was a man or a woman? If she were a man, she would likely be even more formidable.

Furthermore, the Hidden Guard said with a bitter face, "There are others helping her! Those helping her are no ordinary people either!"

Xiao Mingyu frowned; who else could be helping her besides Wu Zhui and Shu Yu?

The sounds of slaughter were already coming from the north.

These three people coordinated perfectly, actually managing to force these Hidden Guards into a steady retreat.

"Prince!"

The Hidden Guard who had just returned to Tianwu Main Street to scout came stumbling back, panicked, shouting: "The Crown Prince is coming from that direction!"

It was indeed Xiao Youlan who had arrived.

Xiao Mingyu felt a chill in his heart; he feared today's plan had already failed.

With Xiao Youlan bringing men over now, he must have planned to catch them red-handed. As long as the charge of "treason" was pinned on him, Xiao Mingyu would never again have a chance at the throne.

With things having developed to this point, Xiao Mingyu had no way out.

Unless...

Xiao Mingyu's gaze suddenly shifted to the weapon rack at the side.

There, the Gunpowder they had moved out of the Armory was stored.

If this Gunpowder were all ignited, it would be enough to blow up the entire Armory, including all the personal guards who had come with Xiao Youlan.

Treason was a dead end anyway; dragging these people along meant he wouldn't be lonely on the road to the underworld.

That was what Xiao Mingyu thought.

It was just that he hadn't fully decided yet; after all, Nan Xueyin was also nearby...

Nan Lizhu also took advantage of the moment Xiao Mingyu was distracted to secretly saw at the rope tied around her wrists.

Because of the tension and pain, fine beads of sweat seeped from Nan Lizhu's forehead, but she ignored them entirely.

Finally, the rope loosened.

Nan Lizhu took a quick breath and swiftly grabbed a Short Blade from the weapon rack beside her, cutting open Nan Fuguang's ropes.

"Run! Go to Sister Xueyin's side!"

Nan Lizhu shouted out loud.

Nan Fuguang only hesitated for a moment before quickly running toward the direction of the firelight.

Nan Lizhu followed closely behind and also started running.

But Xiao Mingyu had already noticed the movement here.

His plans tonight had gone wrong again and again, and now, these two wet-behind-the-ears youths were actually causing such a scene right under his nose; it was simply not taking him, the Prince, seriously!

Xiao Mingyu's patience for the day had been completely exhausted; he moved forward expressionlessly, reached out a large hand toward Nan Lizhu, and grabbed her by the throat from behind.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Nan Lizhu shuddered in shock and let out a scream.

After all, she was only a young girl of ten or so; the biggest things she had experienced in the past were at most delivering a cat at home or having a loud argument with her brother or mother. When had she ever been in such a life-or-death situation?

The fear of death enveloped Nan Lizhu's entire body, and her tears fell uncontrollably, pattering down.

It was precisely in this moment of despair that Nan Lizhu heard a familiar, cold voice: "Let her go."

Every word was enunciated clearly, as if tempered in ice.

Nan Lizhu's heart suddenly began to race again.

It's Sister!

She didn't know when she had approached, but she appeared beside Nan Lizhu, holding a Curved Blade in her right hand, pointed directly at the center of Xiao Mingyu's brow.

"Yinyin..." Xiao Mingyu whispered softly.

Nan Xueyin remained expressionless; she turned her wrist downward, and the sharp blade cleanly sliced across Xiao Mingyu's arm.

Xiao Mingyu had not expected her to actually strike!

He gasped in pain, and the strength in his hand loosened.

Nan Xueyin took the opportunity to step forward, blocking in front of Nan Lizhu.

Nan Lizhu regained her freedom, gasping for air, and looked back at Nan Xueyin, filled with a sense of security.

She knew she was saved; she wouldn't die here today.

But for some reason, her tears were even more torrential than before, and her whole face was soaked.

Nan Xueyin looked back at her, originally just wanting to confirm she was alright and comfort her, but she didn't expect Nan Lizhu to be crying like this, and her brows furrowed deeply.

"Yinyin, I won't blame you..."

Xiao Mingyu pressed against the wound on his arm and spoke to Nan Xueyin.

Nan Xueyin suddenly raised her leg and kicked him in the chest.

She used seven or eight tenths of her strength; Xiao Mingyu was kicked to the ground, his whole body aching as if it were falling apart.

He struggled to climb back up, but Nan Xueyin walked over in a few large strides, leaned down, grabbed his lapels, hoisted him off the ground, and pressed the tip of her blade against his throat.

She raised her voice, "All of you, stop! Drop your weapons! Otherwise, I will kill Prince Duan!"

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Guards and Assassins stopped their fighting one after another.

Shu Yu and Wu Zhui finally gained a moment to catch their breath.

Unlike Nan Xueyin, whose wounds could heal rapidly, they had sustained varying degrees of injuries to their arms, thighs, chests, and backs during the fight against superior numbers, and they had lost quite a bit of blood; in truth, their strength was nearly exhausted.

Fortunately, Nan Xueyin had captured the ringleader first, temporarily ending the slaughter.

Xiao Mingyu, restrained by Nan Xueyin, glanced sideways slightly, "Are you willing to kill me?"

Nan Xueyin frowned in disgust, "Don't disgust me."

Xiao Mingyu acted as if he hadn't heard this, "You didn't kill me because you still remember the past, right? Yinyin, it was I who saved you, gave you cakes to eat, and took you to buy new clothes. You like me..."

"Must you insist on talking about the past?"

Nan Xueyin interrupted coldly, "Xiao Mingyu, you only know that I am an orphan, but have you ever asked me how I became one?"

Xiao Mingyu was stunned.

"Your subordinates caused the deaths of my father and mother, which is why I became an orphan. You are the enemy who killed my father and mother, not my benefactor."

"I didn't know..." Xiao Mingyu tried to explain, "If I had known earlier..."

But halfway through his explanation, he stopped.

If time were to turn back, even if Xiao Mingyu had seen the young Nan Xueyin back then, and even if Nan Xueyin had thrown herself before him to beg him to restrain his subordinates, would Xiao Mingyu have softened his heart?

He knew he would not.

He finally realized that all this cause and effect was merely retribution coming full circle.

Xiao Mingyu's gaze turned gloomy, and he gritted his teeth, "Since things have reached this point, there is no use in saying more. Yinyin, I want to make amends for everything."

"Make amends? Can your amends bring back the lives of my father and mother?"

"No."

"Then there is nothing to make amends for," Nan Xueyin said indifferently, "Xiao Mingyu, the only thing you can do now is to atone for your crimes and pay with your life!"

Xiao Mingyu gazed at her, "And what about you? If I pay with my life, will you go to the Yellow Springs with me?"

Nan Xueyin didn't even think, "I said, stop trying to disgust me!"

Xiao Mingyu's gaze dimmed, "So, if I die, you will be able to be with Xiao Youlan."

Nan Xueyin thought to herself, isn't that a waste of words?

Seeing her expression, Xiao Mingyu guessed her thoughts.

He suddenly smiled, "Yinyin, I understand what you mean."

As he said this, he lunged toward the blade!

Although Nan Xueyin used this as a threat, she also knew that Xiao Mingyu could not truly die here; he had to be handed over to Xiao Youlan and the Yongzheng Emperor so he could confess his crimes and then be executed.

Therefore, when Xiao Mingyu moved suddenly, Nan Xueyin reacted quickly and moved the Curved Blade away.

She had not expected that Xiao Mingyu would take advantage of this gap to walk a few large strides toward the Gunpowder on the side.

Xiao Mingyu grabbed the fuse with one hand and pulled out the Fire Oil with the other.

"Yinyin, you know, I like you very much. So, if I am destined to die, I will not allow you to be with another man. You must die here with me!"