Chapter 285: Volume 1 Chapter 285 Empress x Courtesan (15)

After a long while.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly solemn, Yan Yao finally said, 'Hmm, I understand.'

Just as Jiang Zhi thought the matter was over, he continued, 'Do you like Wen Wuhuan?'

A classic death-seeking question.

Jiang Zhi immediately wrote in his palm: 'No.'

Yan Yao's complexion improved a little.

'Rest a moment; I'll tell you when we reach our destination.'

Jiang Zhi nodded.

The man didn't go out, but leaned against the side, closing his eyes to rest.

Jiang Zhi slept for a long time, felt no drowsiness, and pretended to sleep while thinking.

There was still a bit of corruption value not cleared; she could only wait for the antagonist to come find her.

Wen Ci hated her so much that, upon learning she escaped the dungeon, he surely sent people to capture her back—it was only a matter of time.

Once the mission is done, she should also take a few days off.

She thought happily.

Time passed, and it became the final day of the punishment.

After midnight tonight, her eyes will recover and she will be able to speak normally.

Suddenly.

The Main God System sounded a beeping alarm, sharp and piercing.

【Beep—Antagonist Wen Ci's corruption value surged: 12, 35, 56, 73, 92, 100 points, reaching maximum!!!】

【Beep—Antagonist Wen Ci's hatred value surged: 1……100 points, reaching maximum.】

【Forcibly activating the first option—you now need to raise Wen Ci's hatred and love values to 100 points! Only then is the mission complete.】

Jiang Zhi shuddered, suddenly sat up, dazed and clueless, not knowing what had happened.

…

Imperial Palace Interior.

The atmosphere was oppressive and tense.

Having heard the news, Wen Ci, draped in a moon-white cotton cloak, sat on the bedside and suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter echoing throughout the palace interior, filled with endless sarcasm.

Finally he clutched his chest, spat a mouthful of bright red blood, which splattered onto the floor.

'Young Master!'

'Young Master!'

The dark warriors, seeing this, worried and shouted in unison.

'Get out, get out!' he snarled, eyes blood-red, glowing with a crimson hue.

The old poison whip, holding a medicine bowl and arriving late, saw the dark warriors driven out of the palace and asked them a few questions.

'The Young Master ordered his subordinate to find a guard; after searching the imperial palace for a long time, the subordinate learned from the tyrant's confidant that this guard was actually the tyrant in disguise.'

The tyrant of Jiang State, Empress Jiang Zhi.

The old poison whip froze, recalling how the ailing Young Master, even in his stupor, had ordered them to seek that guard.

He knew that, to the Young Master, that guard was extremely important.

But he never imagined that the guard was actually Empress Jiang Zhi in disguise.

What was her intention? Going to such lengths to pose as a guard and approach the Young Master—what was it for?

These details don't matter now; what matters is that the Young Master is probably extremely furious right now.

After more than an hour, the palace gate opened from inside.

The youth stepped out with steady steps.

He had a blank expression, speaking word by word: 'Depart immediately.'

No matter how she fled, she could not escape.

Even in death, she must die before him.

——

Night fell, and they rested and regrouped in the nearby woods.

Heavy snow fell, making the road difficult, especially at night; the carriage got stuck in deep snow, not only delaying the journey but also risking the horses dying from exhaustion.

Jiang Zhi's chest rose and fell unevenly; even now she hadn't recovered from the alarm a few hours earlier.

777 cautiously asked, 'Are you all right, Host?'

Jiang Zhi took a deep breath and said, 'Does he know I'm a guard?'

Only this reason could drive the antagonist's hatred value to 100.

777: 'Yes, the antagonist has personally left the palace to capture you.'

Jiang Zhi lay in the carriage like a salted fish without dreams, breath faint: 'I wasn't deliberately deceiving him, was I? He hates the original soul so much; if I used the original identity to lower his corruption value, I don't know how long it would take. Pretending to be a guard by his side would drop the corruption value straight to 10—how fast would that be?'

She chattered on.

But now, because his hatred value has surged, the task was forcibly changed—she must not only win him over but also keep his hatred value at 100.

The difficulty coefficient instantly rose to nightmare level.

Who could bear this?

Yan Yao brought a bowl of hot soup to the carriage; seeing her low and desperate expression, he paused for a moment and asked, 'What happened?'

Jiang Zhi shook her head: 'Nothing.'

After being recognized by Yan Yao, she no longer needed to pretend to be the original owner in front of him, and returned to herself.

Yan Yao said, "Have some soup to warm yourself."

Jiang Zhi wanted to say she didn't need it, but her stomach growled, and she couldn't help moving closer, taking a sip.

The soup made from the hunted wild chicken and mushrooms was fresh and fragrant with an endless aftertaste; she drank it all in one go.

Yan Yao's eyes slightly curved as he extended a finger, lightly brushing over her lip stained with oil.

"Want more?"

Jiang Zhi nodded vigorously.

Drink, drink ten bowls! Even before death, one should eat and drink to one's fill.

Yan Yao's pupil color deepened; he looked at her for a moment, then turned and stepped out of the carriage.

After drinking three full bowls, Jiang Zhi's belly felt like it might burst.

"Want more?"

"No more, no more."

She rubbed her full belly, revealing a pleased and comfortable smile.

"Thank you for the hospitality~"

Yan Yao gazed at her, seeing none of her former arrogance and fierceness in her brows and eyes; her phoenix eyes were curved, lovable and cute.

His whole chest filled with her laughter, throbbing and pounding.

Only then did he realize, this is how she laughs.

Jiang Zhi lay down, preparing to sleep for a while.

The man before her suddenly pressed her beneath him, and just as she was about to slip away, a sharp arrow struck the carriage roof,

"Whoosh——"

The surroundings fell silent, and a dangerous aura shrouded the night.

"Don't be afraid." Yan Yao's expression tightened, his eyes vigilant as he scanned the view outside the window.

The subordinates who had followed them all died in the snow, not making a sound.

If it were the dark assassin of the wind sent by Wen Ci, they would not be so silent.

Unless they were a higher-ranked dark assassin.

Was the information wrong, or what was the reason?

Yan Yao had no time to think further; he must now safely get A Zhi out of here.

But as the entire carriage roof was lifted, exposing them to the air, the dark assassins emerging from all directions easily subdued him and knocked him out before leaving.

Only Jiang Zhi remained.

She felt the chill of the cold wind blowing, shivering uncontrollably, her breath unsteady, as the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow approached her.

Before midnight had passed, she lost her sight and could not make a sound, curling up in a corner, listening intently to the movements around her.

Suddenly, icy fingers touched her chin, forcing her to lift her head; a faint medicinal scent reached her nose.

"Pretending to be a guard to deceive me—do you find that amusing?"

Jiang Zhi wanted to say no, but a sharp pain shot through her jaw; the youth's force was considerable, nearly dislocating her jaw.

The pain surged, and she half-collapsed on the ground, struggling to breathe as she tried to ease the ache.

Wen Ci pressed the blade against her chest, desperately suppressing his overwhelming hatred.

Killing her would end all of this.

He wouldn't suffer so much either.

Suddenly, the person in front of him seized his hand and decisively stabbed it into her chest.

The sharp tip pierced her chest, and the time reached zero.

Jiang Zhi's lips trickled with blood as she clung to his hand, her phoenix eyes slightly raised, a triumphant smile forming.

"Wen Ci, do you... like me?"

Her fragmented words ended, and she collapsed helplessly into his arms, losing all vitality.