Chapter 96: He abandoned you and ran away

He finished speaking and lashed out at Gu Rongjin!

Gu Rongjin instantly shielded Mu Yuanzhi behind him and, just as swift as thunder and lightning, struck at Xiao Yichen.

In the blink of an eye, Mu Yuanzhi couldn't see their moves, and the two figures tangled in midair.

Pei Yunxi certainly hadn't left; she anxiously watched the battle.

Xiao Yichen is so formidable—how could he not take down Gu Rongjin in a single move?

She didn't understand.

Mu Yuanzhi watched, heart pounding, her face changing: "Gu Rongjin, be careful!"

Upon her shout, Xiao Yichen, unable to contain his anger, attacked even faster, more precise, and more ruthless.

"I said you wouldn't last three moves." Gu Rongjin, spurred by Mu Yuanzhi's worry, delivered this palm swifter, more accurate, and more vicious, knocking Xiao Yichen to the ground. He sneered, "Civil officials are just useless."

"Brother Xiao!" Pei Yunxi rushed over, anxiously helping the blood‑coughing Xiao Yichen to his feet, tears streaming as she cried, "Brother Xiao, how are you?"

"I'm fine!" Xiao Yichen shoved Pei Yunxi away, roughly wiping the blood from his mouth, still eager to fight.

How could he possibly lose to Gu Rongjin?!

Pei Yunxi turned, tears streaming, and cried, "How can you let Heir Gu wound my husband?"

Finally able to openly assert her claim before Mu Yuanzhi, Pei Yunxi felt worried yet couldn't help being happy.

Now Xiao Yichen should see Mu Yuanzhi's true colors, right? Mu Yuanzhi doesn't care about Xiao Yichen at all—she only cares about Gu Rongjin!

Seeing Gu Rongjin unharmed, Mu Yuanzhi relaxed and said, "It was Prime Minister Xiao who attacked my husband without distinguishing right from wrong."

"Husband?" She finally agreed to call him that!

Gu Rongjin was overjoyed, and the little resentment in his heart vanished.

Her earlier harshness toward him must have been because she cared!

"He's a court‑designated criminal!" Xiao Yichen had already risen, adjusting his disrupted breath, his gaze darting between the two.

They acted as if no one else existed! Mu Yuanzhi felt no concern for his injury, not even glancing at him.

Before, even a single cough from him would make her panic, asking every question, wishing she could bring the finest medicine and the best doctors to his side.

But now that he's coughing up blood, she only worries whether Gu Rongjin is alright…

Thinking of this, Xiao Yichen's chest ached more; he coughed violently, a metallic sweetness filling his mouth, swallowed the blood, staggered forward a few steps after shoving Pei Yunxi aside, and said, "Mu Yuanzhi, don't shield the court‑designated criminal!"

The shoved Pei Yunxi nearly lost her footing, a huge sense of injustice and unwillingness flooding her heart.

Brother Xiao truly cares about Mu Yuanzhi…

He likes Mu Yuanzhi…

Gu Rongjin didn't even regard Xiao Yichen, and promised Mu Yuanzhi, "Little Mu Yuanzhi, come with me—I'll protect you!"

Mu Yuanzhi frowned, shook her head, and said, "I won't go with you."

"Why? Who here are you unwilling to leave? I could even take the Qilin with me." Surely it's not because of Xiao Yichen, right?

Mu Yuanzhi still shook her head: "You can't defeat my Father Emperor."

Although she didn't know what Gu Rongjin had up his sleeve or how many troops he commanded, no matter what, it couldn't compare to the nation's might—the court has 800,000 soldiers, not counting the fresh recruits that could be raised at a moment's notice.

Would you flee together to the ends of the earth?

Being captured would be a dead end; she wouldn't undertake anything uncertain.

Gu Rongjin's heart sank to the bottom; what she said was true—he truly couldn't yet oppose the Son of Heaven.

Clenching his fists, Gu Rongjin earnestly told Mu Yuanzhi, "Wait for me—I'll come back to find you! I surely will!"

"Gu Rongjin, what exactly are you doing now?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

Is it right for her to stubbornly marry him?

Mu Yuanzhi had never felt so lost.

She thought his return meant he had a foolproof plan, but who knew he'd just come back, stroll around, and leave again?

Prince Pingnan is still being held in the Pingnan Manor!

"Of course he's fleeing to avoid punishment!" Xiao Yichen drew his sword.

A flash of cold light, and it was before Gu Rongjin and Mu Yuanzhi.

A fierce gleam flashed in Gu Rongjin's eyes, and he bare‑handed blocked Xiao Yichen's sword.

Everyone was startled.

What kind of martial art is this? Impervious to blades and spears?

In the instant Xiao Yichen staggered, a kick struck his chest; Gu Rongjin then flickered away, leaving only the warning: "That kick was for my wife—next time we meet, I won't go easy on you!"

"Brother Xiao!" Pei Yunxi hurried to support Xiao Yichen.

Mu Yuanzhi stared blankly in the direction Gu Rongjin had vanished, her frustration having no outlet.

He's gone again!

What should she do?

"Look, he abandoned you and ran—do you still insist on stubbornly guarding a court‑designated criminal?" Xiao Yichen didn't waste any idle words on Pei Yunxi, but coolly said to Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi withdrew her gaze, looked at Xiao Yichen without emotion, and said, "It's none of your business."

At that moment, Pei Shangling arrived with a retinue of guards; seeing Xiao Yichen injured and coughing blood, he knew something had indeed happened: "What's going on?"

"Why didn't you come earlier?" Xiao Yichen's tone was full of blame.

If not for Pei Shangling's so‑called plan, the imperial guards would have already captured Gu Rongjin! Originally, the Son of Heaven's plan was exactly this: proceed with the grand wedding as scheduled, lure Gu Rongjin out, and seize him in one stroke!

But because Pei Shangling urged him to withdraw all troops, intending to force him to consummate the marriage with Mu Yuanzhi and turn the rice into cooked rice, Gu Rongjin found an opening.

Pei Shangling fumed: "You blame me? If you can't take down Gu Rongjin, why don't you reflect on yourself?"

His actions don't benefit only Xiao Yichen—does it help him at all?

Xiao Yichen could not refute, his handsome face dark and terrifying.

Mu Yuanzhi listened on the side, amused—indeed it was Pei Shangling's doing!

"Pei Shangling, you're as despicable as Pei Shangyan!"

Mu Yuanzhi's merciless insult made Pei Shangling's face instantly flush with furious crimson: "You call me despicable?! I've done everything for you, and you insult me like this?"

Mu Yuanzhi sneered: "For my sake? You ruined my marriage, teamed up with Xiao Yichen to use some despicable poisonous schemes—how is that for my sake?"

I can't believe there's such a shameless person in the world!

"It's not because you insist on marrying a court criminal, Mu Yuanzhi—do you really want to die that badly?!" Pei Shangling, bursting with anger that had nowhere to go, was about to explode.

It's like a dog biting Lü Dongbin—no gratitude for kindness!

He exhausted himself for her, only to be repaid with a wolf's heart and dog's lungs!

Pei Yunxi had no idea what they were arguing about; from the start she had been like an outsider.

Why? What on earth are they saying?

"Ling-gege..." Pei Yunxi called out softly.

"Don't argue!"