Chapter 70

Pei Yunxi was so frightened her soul almost flew out.

The three rabid dogs weren't satisfied with just tearing her skirt; they snarled and lunged to bite Pei Yunxi's feet.

Xiao Yichen finally made up his mind and swung his sword to strike.

Thus line: Xiao Chuchu was frozen with fear, dog blood spraying into her eyes and blurring her sight.

All she could think was, "It's over!"

No way! I won't let my sister-in-law come to harm.

Thus line: Xiao Chuchu clenched her teeth and charged ahead.

Pei Yunxi, seeing someone approach, grabbed them without hesitation to use as a shield.

Amid the chaos, Thus line: Xiao Chuchu stared in shock for a brief instant.

Is she using her as a dog shield?

After one big wolf dog was slain, the remaining two grew even more frenzied, their barking painful to the ears as they wildly attacked Pei Yunxi.

No matter how frenzied the dogs become, they won't turn on their master, so Thus line: Xiao Chuchu's attempt to block them is futile—the wolves will still only go for Pei Yunxi.

Pei Yunxi, bitten over and over, screamed in agony, forgetting all ladylike poise as she cried out in anguish.

Pei Shangling arrived at the sight, his eyes red with fury; he drew his blade and, alongside Xiao Yichen, cut down the two remaining wolf dogs. Pei Shangyan steadied the wobbling Pei Yunxi and asked, "Little sister, are you okay?"

"Crown Prince brother!" Pei Yunxi sobbed, tears and snot streaming, "It hurts so much! Is Little Xi going to die?"

She weakly fell into Pei Shangyan's embrace; deep down she longed for Xiao Yichen to hold her, but she had no alternative.

Could she have caught rabies?

Mu Yuanzhi looked on, laughing happily, "Good riddance!"

Pei Shangling brandished his sword at Xiao Yichen, yelling, "What's with your crazy dogs?! They attacked the princess—how many heads do you have to lose, Xiao Yichen?!"

Xiao Yichen couldn't shirk the blame; the dogs were indeed from his household, and, if I'm not mistaken, it was Chu Chu who released them.

Thus line: Xiao Chuchu, having regained her composure, retorted: "Fourth Prince, don't wrongly blame the innocent! It was the wild man Mu Yuanzhi brought who scattered some unknown powder on Little Xi, causing our dogs to go after her."

"A wild man? Me?" Qilin asked, pointing at himself in confusion.

Mu Yuanzhi fixed Thus line: Xiao Chuchu with a cold gaze, and said, "Those three mad dogs were originally chasing me and Qilin. Who let them loose? Who ordered it? Miss Chu Chu, do you have any clues?"

"Stop biting people like a rabid dog!" Thus line: Xiao Chuchu snapped, her voice weak, her eyes shifting as she glanced furtively at Pei Shangling.

He darted forward, grabbed Qilin by the throat, his eyes blazing.

But in the next moment, a powerful gust hit his midsection; he scrambled to dodge, just barely escaping a kick.

Pei Shangling stared in disbelief at the triumphant Qilin.

How did this little brat's martial arts skyrocket?!

Did Gu Rongjin teach him?

He hasn't forgotten how Gu Rongjin sent his covert guard flying with one kick.

Could Gu Rongjin really be as Xiao Yichen guessed—concealing his true strength?

Qilin rubbed his sore throat, coughing, and glared at Pei Shangling, snarling, "Mess with me again and I'll see your line cut off!"

"You little brat!" Pei Shangling shook with anger, unable to hold back, and immediately moved to make Qilin pay.

"Enough, Fourth Prince!" Pei Shangyan winced at the chaos. "For now, getting little sister back to the palace to see the imperial physician takes priority; we can discuss the rest later."

Pei Shangling smirked coldly: "Alright, let's take this brat down now."

"Who dares!" Mu Yuanzhi blocked Qilin's path, vowing she would never let Pei Shangling take him away.

She glared at Thus line: Xiao Chuchu: "Taking them down also means taking down Thus line: Xiao Chuchu and the two lackeys of the Xiao Prime Minister who set dogs on people!"

Xiao Yichen never expected Mu Yuanzhi to also want to arrest him; now not only Gu Rongjin, he can't even compare to some little ghost that came out of nowhere?!

Pei Shangyan is the heir apparent; here he holds the highest rank, and he spoke with a decisive tone: "First send my little sister back; the rest we'll wait for the Father Emperor to decide."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Mu Yuanzhi, hoping she would react to his words.

As a result, she didn't even glance at him.

Little sister Zhi...

Pei Shangyan dispelled the bitterness in his heart, directed the scene, evacuated the others, apologized to them, and promised that the Assembly of Virtuous Talents would be held again on another day.

And Pei Shangling, unwilling as he was, had no choice but to stand down for now, escorting Pei Yunxi back to the palace together with Xiao Yichen.

"No way, Qilin, hurry up and leave!" Mu Yuanzhi was still afraid; just thinking of Qilin's tragic death in her previous life made her fearful.

He has already become a thorn in Pei Shangling's eye; all he did was let Qilin go!

"I won't leave; I want to stay here to protect you!"

He clearly saw how those people kept bullying his senior sister; he had thought his senior sister was doing well in Jingcheng, but it turns out she suffers these indignities every day, and he will absolutely not let anyone bully her!

"Qilin, listen, Pei Yunxi is a princess, everyone's darling; they won't let you off." Mu Yuanzhi was anxious to death.

"I won't let them off! One day I will kill them all……" Before Qilin could finish, Gu Rongjin clapped a hand over his mouth.

People haven't even left yet, and this little brat dares to say anything out loud? How vexing!

"Don't worry too much, Little Yuanzhi; forget what I said? I'll protect you." After Gu Rongjin finished speaking, he added to Qilin: "You're just an extra; don't cause trouble for me."

"I didn't cause trouble; I took revenge for my senior sister—tell me, isn't that right?"

Gu Rongjin: "You're like a blind cat that caught a dead rat, and you've only stirred up a stench; true revenge is silent and unseen."

Mu Yuanzhi had no choice but to let it go.

She of course knew Qilin was as stubborn as a mule; once he made up his mind, he wouldn't change it—otherwise, in his previous life he wouldn't have died a miserable death protecting her.

With Gu Rongjin's guarantee, she did feel somewhat reassured, but only a little; no matter how capable Gu Rongjin is, how could he stand against the Son of Heaven and the entire imperial house?

In Changle Palace, the imperial physicians had already prescribed a remedy for Pei Yunxi; they were now administering acupuncture, the wound was not deep, just some scraped skin and a little blood; all the imperial physicians had examined Pei Yunxi, and only then did the Son of Heaven feel at ease.

Seeing her daughter's feet injured in several places, Consort De felt heartbroken beyond words: "My precious Xi'er, why does she always suffer like this!"

Pei Shangling watched anxiously: "What if it leaves a scar—what are we to do?"

"There is gold dragon gallbladder herb, nothing to fear." Pei Shangyan comforted Pei Yunxi.

The imperial physician hesitated: "The gold dragon gallbladder herb from before has all been given to Weiyang Palace."

Upon hearing that, Pei Shangling immediately went to ask Mu Yuanzhi: "You won't use it all anyway, quickly give some to my little sister!"

"I don't not want to give; I've actually used it all up." Mu Yuanzhi shrugged.

I wouldn't give it even to a dog.

"How could that be! The whole Imperial Medical Institute's supply has been sent to your Weiyang Palace, right?!" Pei Shangling didn't believe it at all: "You just refuse to give it; today you also let your junior disciple harm my little sister, didn't you?!"